Chapter 8: Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight

LPOV:

They all finished eating, and Leah gave Bella last minute instructions in caring for the cord. She helped dress Liam in warm clothes and swaddled him in a blanket. She lifted him over her head, smiling at the little guy.

"He is so freakin' cute."

Jacob's chest puffed out. "Damn straight."

One eyebrow cocked. "Yeah … he looks just like Bella."

Bella and Leah chuckled at the look on his face. "Okay, Lee, you had your fun," he grumbled, "at my expense, as usual."

"Just kidding, Jake. He's the spitting image of you. He'll be one irresistible heart-breaker when he grows up.

"Okay, we gotta get moving here. My snow plow won't wait forever. Jake, you wanna hand Bella the clothes I brought for her? They're in the same box with the diapers."

While Bella got dressed, Leah, Jacob and Embry put out the fire in the living room hearth and cleaned the kitchen. As they finished up, they heard beeping outside. Quil had arrived with Jacob's truck. The bed was minus the elk antlers. Quil had given them to Hector for all his help, along with a haunch of the meat.

The guys packed all their belongings, and Quil returned the clothes he had borrowed, and the boots which cramped his toes for the last hour.

Jacob carefully assisted Bella into Leah's car, snuggled beside her in the back seat, and wrapped one arm protectively about her and the baby. Embry and Quil drove the other two vehicles, and Hector led the convoy through the snow crusted roads, and into La Push.

When the welcome sign appeared, Hector stopped, got out and waved them on, then turned the snow plow around, heading toward the maintenance yard at Forks.

Leah drove up to Jacob's rented cottage; Quil and Embry pulled up alongside her. Embry hopped down from the Jeep, and slapped his palm on the hood of Leah's car. Jacob rolled down the window.

"Hey, Jake, Quil and I are gonna leave the Jeep here." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "We'll take the Ram out to Omni's ranch and call the other guys to come help butcher the animals. You can stay here with your new baby. We can switch out the vehicles after we're done."

Giving him a thumbs up, Jacob said, "Sounds good."

Leah got out of the car, entering the modest home with the couple. She no sooner set foot in the door, than Sue came barreling up the driveway. Leah let her in the house.

Of course, in Sue Clearwater style, her arms were full of prepared food for their dinner. After she and Leah put all the perishables away, Sue made a beeline to Bella who was busy unbundling her little bundle.

"Aww, let me see that baby."

Leaning over the newborn, Sue gasped. "Oh, Bella. He's beautiful. He looks just like Jacob."

Jacob, smirking, glanced over at Leah, and replied. "Thank you."

An eye-roll accompanied Leah's next statement. "You're making his head swell, Mom."

"But I was there at Sarah's and saw Jacob when he was just a newborn. There's no mistaking it. He's your son all right."

CPOV:

In the meantime, early that afternoon, Charlie was home for lunch, sipping his coffee as he sat in his Lazy Boy, the Washington Gazette lying next to him on the side table. The TV was on, and he was catching up on the local news before heading back out to the police station.

Another avalanche up there on Bear Mountain … nothing unusual there. All at once, the coffee sloshed from the mug, spilling the hot contents, and he snorted the hot liquid through his nose, spewing it all over his uniform. There in living color, he saw a reporter sticking a mike in his daughter's face. He stood up, leaning his head forward, trying to look closer at the scene. Was that a baby she was holding?

Ignoring the mess, and the scalding heat burning through the front of his shirt, he listened intently on what Bella was saying. What was she thinking, going up on that mountain when his grandchild was due to be born in a few weeks? And what about Jacob? Was he nuts, letting her go with him? His face was purple, his blood boiling, and his mouth spurting out expletives worthy of an enraged marine.

Quickly turning off the TV, he marched into the kitchen, and phoned Billy.

"Hey, ol' man. Have you seen the news today?" he thundered.

"What news?"

"The news about the fact that your son took my daughter up to Bear Mountain in the middle of winter knowing full well that she could make us grandpas at any minute."

"Is that right? Well you listen to me, Charlie. I've got news for you too. Jacob just called here, and Bella will be calling you in the next few moments, so get a grip. And … I believe it was Bella that insisted on joining the hunting party. My son did his damnedest to reason with her, but she refused the advice, stubborn girl that she is. I wonder who she takes after, eh? Oh, and Charlie—congratulations, grandpa!"

As he hung up the phone, Charlie's normal coloring returned, and his blood pressure leveled out. It suddenly dawned on him … he was a grandpa. Bella and Jacob had been through a lot, and who was he to scold them. He should've known better. His Bella always did have a stubborn streak.

He sat down on a kitchen chair, the thought of being a grandfather pleasantly wafting about in his brain. His thoughts were interrupted two minutes later, when the phone rang. It was Bella.

The soiled uniform was tossed in the washer, and he changed into a flannel shirt, and jeans. He let his deputy know his intentions. "Hi, Trent. I won't be back this afternoon. I've gotta go see my new grandson. Uh-huh … how 'bout that? I saw it too. Leave it to Bella to have a baby in the midst of a blizzard. Yeah … see you tomorrow."

Charlie floated out the door, and hopped aboard his cruiser, on his way to La Push and that little bundle of joy.

BPOV:

My gosh, she was so tired, talking to her mom, other callers on the phone, and the people that kept streaming through the door. She welcomed Billy and Charlie, but when they left, more visitors showed up. Jacob finally told her to lie down. He kept Liam by his side for his adoring fans to gawk at.

There were more than visitors to the house. Several trucks showed up with baby supplies from the sponsors of KTAC, and KQUI … diapers, toys, a baby monitor, carriage, high chair, and enough clothes to last him a year.

That night during the wee hours, after Bella had finished nursing Liam, Jacob took the baby from her, and walked out to the living room. She had fallen asleep again, but was awakened to the sound of someone quietly singing. Turning toward Jacob's side of the bed, she reached out, but felt nothing. It was empty, and that usual warmth that always permeated his sheets was missing.

In her bare feet, she tiptoed to the other room. Squinting, she could just make out Jacob in the dim light from the moon, with his son securely in his arms, crooning a lullaby in Quileute. She stayed a few moments, watching and listening, not wanting to break the beautiful spell between father and child. Bella went back to bed, locking that scene safe within her heart.

Fast forward two years:

It was deer hunting season once again, and a déjà vu of that disastrous trip that nearly scarred poor Embry for life. Bella was waddling around the house, getting closer to delivering a brother or sister for Liam.

This time at the dinner table when the discussion came up as to who should be in the hunting party, they both simultaneously said, "I think we should send Paul."

Early that Saturday, Quil, Embry and Paul set out into the mountains for some elk or deer. And that very evening, Bella gave birth to a baby girl. They named their little dear, Sarah Renee.

The End