Epilogue

Bella POV:

"I feel like I'm going to explode. This baby better come soon," I complained for the hundredth time today. I was sitting on the couch with my feet up. My ankles were always swelling, so I always had my feet up. I had to quit my job at Newton's because it was too hard to be on my feet all day.

Jake walked in and handed me a glass of orange juice. For some reason, I couldn't get enough orange juice lately. "Thanks," I told him and then I took a big drink. "Mmm . . ."

I sat up, and he sat down behind me so I could lean on him. He put his arm behind me so he could bring his hand around and rest it on the baby. He loved to feel the baby move and roll. He would talk to it at night before we went to sleep. He had taken to calling the baby, "Sweet Pea." He'd come home from work and say, "How's little Sweet Pea today?" I was pretty sure he was still hoping for a girl.

"Oh man, my back is killing me." I laughed suddenly and said, "Geez, I complain a lot."

Jake chuckled and said, "Yes, but it won't be for much longer." He leaned down and kissed me on the head. "You hear from your mom today?"

My mom had moved here at Thanksgiving, and had taken an apartment in Forks. She and Dad had been seeing a lot of each other. "Yes, she and Dad are going out to dinner and a movie tonight. How weird is that? My parents are dating – each other!"

"I think it's cool. I hope they get remarried. Charlie's been alone too long. You know, Billy has been hanging around Sue quite a bit. Rachel thinks there's something going on there," Jake told me.

"Well, yeah, I figured that out awhile ago. Where have you been?" I asked him with a smile.

"Uh, working! It's been crazy busy at the shop. Which is good. I should be able to make an extra loan payment again this month," he said.

I smiled at him and said, "I'm so proud of you guys."

They had been working hard, and they had offered the office position to Leah, who surprised them by taking it. She was now officially engaged to Evan, who had started his own photography business. Since there wasn't much competition around, he was busy with weddings, graduation pictures, baby pictures . . . but more importantly, he was finally happy and at peace. So was Leah. I was happy for both of them.

Hey, guess what? I gotta pee," I told him.

"What else is new?" he said as he flicked channels. He gave me a little push to help me up.

I waddled down the hall and walked into the bathroom. All of a sudden I felt this rush of liquid pour down my legs and hit the floor."Jake! I need you," I called to him.

He came running, "What? Are you OK?" He stopped at the bathroom door and looked at me. I was standing there, my sweatpants were soaked and he says, "Man, you really had to pee!"

I looked at him and laughed and said, "My water just broke you idiot! Get me some clean underwear and pants, then call Dr. Bailey and tell her we are on our way to the hospital. This baby is FINALLY coming!"

Jacob POV:

On the way to the hospital, Bella called her mom to let her know what was happening. "Mom, we're almost there. I have to go – another pain is coming. Bye!" Bella began breathing through the contraction.

I pulled up to the ER and helped Bella out of the truck and we walked into the hospital. I tried hard to put the memories of our last trip to the hospital far away from my mind.

Her pains were coming about every 6 minutes, so they put Bella in a wheelchair and we headed up to maternity. The nurses got Bella undressed and into a gown, and put her in a birthing bed. We had taken childbirth classes, so we would know what to expect, but now that it was here, I just stood there and couldn't remember any of the things I was supposed to be doing.

Bella looked at me and smiled. "Jake? You look terrified. Stop it!"

I smiled and walked over to sit down on the stool by her bed. I took her hand just as another contraction was starting. She squeezed and began her breathing. They had put a monitor on the baby, so I watched and let her know when the contraction was coming to an end and she relaxed.

She looked over at me and said, "You can chase vampires but you panic at the thought of me having your baby?"

I flashed her a grin. "Yeah, big brave werewolf, huh?"

Hours went by and the pains came closer together and got stronger. I hated seeing Bella in pain . . . but she kept reminding me that every pain brought her that much closer to seeing the baby. Man, she's braver than I would be. I fed her ice chips and held her hand and felt completely helpless. But then she would smile at me and tell me she loved me and thank me for being here with her, and I felt a little better.

Dr. Bailey came in and took a look and finally announced, "This baby is ready, Bella. With the next contraction, you bear down and push, OK?"

Bella nodded and a couple of minutes later, told us she felt the need to push. I held her up and she pushed with everything she had through the contraction and then relaxed back against me when it was over.

"You're doing great, Bella! This baby is anxious to meet you. Take a deep breath and push again – NOW!" We kept going . . . "OK, Bella, the baby's head is here, one more good push!"

I held her up and she pushed. I looked down and saw the doctor pull the baby out and hold it up. Bella fell back against the pillows. "It's a girl!" Dr. Bailey shouted. Then we heard her cry for the first time. It was the most wonderful sound I had ever heard.

The doctor laid her on Bella and we got a look at her. Even though she was covered in blood and fluid, she was still beautiful to me. The doctor asked if I wanted to cut the cord, and I politely said no. I couldn't take my eyes off of my little Sweet Pea.

The nurses took the baby to weigh her and clean her. Bella and I were both crying and laughing like idiots. I held her and told her how proud I was of her. "Bella, I love you. I love you so much," I whispered in her ear.

"Is she OK?" Bella asked the doctor.

"She looks good, Bella. Her lungs are healthy, she's a good weight, all her fingers and toes. I'll take a good look at her as soon as I finish here with you," Dr. Bailey said as she worked on Bella.

I went over and watched the nurses clean our baby. "She's looks good," the nurse told me. "She weighs 7 pounds 2 ounces, and she's 20 inches long."

When they were all done, one of the nurses wrapped her up tight in a blanket, put a little pink hat over all the black hair on her head to keep her warm then she turned and handed her to me. "Here you go, Daddy."

Daddy. I'm someone's daddy. I looked down at her, my precious baby girl. She had her eyes open and we just stared at each other. I felt a connection with her that I had never felt with anyone in my life. Even Bella. This was different. I bent down and put a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you, baby girl," I whispered.

I walked over to Bella and asked, "Would you like to meet your daughter?"

She nodded with tears in her eyes. I bent down and put the baby in her arms. "Are we still naming her Sarah?" I asked.

"Yes. Sarah Renee Black," she answered softly as she looked into our baby's eyes for the first time. "Jake, she is so beautiful!" Bella pulled the hat off and said, "Look at all of her black hair!"

It was standing straight up, and it was so soft. I reached down and gently ran my hand over her hair. Bella smiled and handed me her little hat to put back on her head. She opened her eyes again and looked at Bella. I knew she could feel that new connection too.

The nurse came over and told us that they needed to help Bella clean up and then take her to a different room. The doctor wanted to look over the baby, so they told me this was a good time to go out and talk to family that may be waiting for the good news. I kissed the baby gently then Bella. "I'll be back, honey. I have to go make some phone calls."

She nodded and said, "OK, see you soon."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and walked into the waiting area. I looked up for a place to sit and make phone calls, and Bella's mom practically knocked me over! "Jacob! Is she OK? Is the baby here?" she asked quickly.

I looked around and saw Charlie standing right behind Renee, my dad with Rachel and Sue, Sam and Emily holding Lily, Embry, Seth, Quil, Leah and Evan. Jared and Paul must have stayed out on patrol. "Wow! What are you all doing here?" I asked dumbfounded.

"We're here waiting to hear about the baby, now talk! Tell us what is going on," Renee demanded.

"Oh yeah, the baby is here, and its a girl . . . Sarah Renee Black. Bella did great," I added with pride.

Everyone cheered and Renee grabbed me in a hug as Charlie patted me on the back.

Embry came over and picked me up in a big bear hug and shook me. "Oh my God, Jake! You're a Dad. This is fucking awesome!" I laughed and ordered him to put me down.

I walked over to Dad and bent down to give him a hug. "I hope you and Charlie aren't too disappointed. I know you were hoping for a baseball player."

"Nope. You can try for a boy next time," he said with a grin.

I laughed and said, "That will probably be awhile, Dad."

Rachel hugged me and said, "Thank you so much for naming her after Mom. I think she would really like that."

Everyone took turns offering their congratulations. "How soon can we see her?" Seth asked me.

"Uh, I don't know. The doctor was looking Sarah over when I left, and they were getting ready to move Bella to a room. I'll go check and be right back, OK?" I told them.

I walked back down the hall and the nurse saw me and told me to go to room 234. I walked in and Bella was propped up in bed holding the baby. I stopped in the doorway and just took in the moment. Bella looked so beautiful holding a baby . . . our baby. I walked over to the bed and bent down and kissed her on top of the head. She looked up and smiled at me and I thought my heart would burst. I looked at Sarah and thought how we came so close to losing this precious little baby just a few months ago, and now here she is. Perfectly healthy, and so beautiful.

"Did you call my mom?" Bella asked.

"I didn't have to. Everyone is here in the waiting room," I said. I told her who all was out there.

"They all came to see us? Wow," she said in awe.

"Your mom wants to see you really bad. Can you have visitors yet?" I asked her.

The nurse had just walked in the room and she answered me, "Yes, but only 2 or 3 at a time. And just for a little bit. Bella and the baby are both going to need some rest."

I walked out and told Renee, Charlie and Dad to come back first. Renee was crying as soon as she walked into the room. She walked over and kissed Bella on the cheek then said, "Oh let me look at my beautiful granddaughter."

Bella smiled at her mom and handed the baby to Renee. "Oh Bella, she has your eyes and nose. Does she have hair?" Bella reached up and pulled the cap off of Sarah's head. "Look at all of her black hair! Jacob, she definitely gets that from you."

Charlie and Billy both took a turn holding Sarah. They oohed and aahed over her and I could tell she was going to be pretty spoiled.

They all left and sent in Seth, Embry and Quil. Embry looked at Bella and said, "You did good, Bella. Good thing she looks like you." He laughed as I shoved him.

Seth came over and said, "Can I hold her?"

"Sure," Bella said as she carefully handed her to Seth. He was a natural with babies. Maybe he would deliver them one day as a doctor.

After they left, Sam, Emily and Leah came in. Emily held Sarah and looked over at Sam with a smile. He smiled back.

"OK, you two. What are you grinning about?" Bella asked.

"Lily is going to have a little brother or sister in about 6 months from now," Emily said happily.

"Emily! Wow . . . that's great," Bella said with a smile.

"Geez, Sam, give the girl a break will ya?" I said.

"It's not me . . . talk to Emily," he said with a laugh.

Emily handed the baby to Leah. She looked down at her and smiled. I walked over to Leah and put my arm around her. We had grown a lot closer since our "ordeal." She was truly a sister to me now. "So, what do you think? You and Evan ready to settle down and have a couple of these?" I asked her quietly.

She turned to look at me. "Maybe. I've been thinking about it," she answered with a smile. "I'm really happy for you, Jake. You have everything you have ever wanted. That doesn't always happen, you know." She looked briefly over at Sam, who had his arms around Emily as they talked to Bella. "But then, life has a way of working out in ways you never imagined," she finished with a smile.

I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm happy for you, too, Leah. Evan turned out to be a pretty good guy." I meant that, too. I did like Evan. He had healed Leah's heart, and they were very happy together.

Everyone went home and it was just me, Bella and little Sarah. I was sitting in the rocking chair that was in the room holding the baby while Bella napped. Sarah was sleeping, too, and I just stared at her. I couldn't believe that Bella and I had made this precious little person.

As I rocked Sarah, I thought back over the journey that Bella and I had taken to get to this moment. I thought about us as kids going fishing with our dads and making mud pies. Her moving back to Forks . . . working on the bikes in the garage . . . saving her after her dive off of the cliff and almost kissing her in her kitchen. Saving her from Laurent and Victoria . . . our night in the tent, and that kiss right before the big fight with the newborns. I remembered how she took care of me after that, and what that had led to: our first time together . . . now that was a night. Then almost losing her when Edward lost control . . .

I looked over at Bella sleeping so peacefully. I remembered proposing to her on the hill. That was a great day . . . one of the happiest of my life. Then, working on the house together, and the day the bed was delivered. Our wedding day . . . how my heart stopped when I saw her walk down the aisle . . . then after . . . those days in the hospital. I looked down at my little Sweet Pea. Thank you, God. She's here and she's perfect.

Even our horrible ordeal in Italy. Everything that happened had brought us to where we are now. I had no idea what the future would bring, but I knew that I would do anything and everything to make sure that Bella and Sarah were safe and happy. I even hoped that Sarah would have some brothers and sisters. At least I knew I would have fun making them.

"Hey Jake," Bella said softly.

"Hey yourself," I looked up and smiled at her. She was lying on her side looking at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmm, good. Tired. How is she?" she asked.

"Perfect," I answered. "Just like her mom."

She smiled and said, "You know she won't always be this quiet."

"Well, then it will be your turn to hold her," I told her with a grin.

"Yeah, that figures," she answered back. She rolled onto her back and pushed the button to sit the bed up a little.

I got out of the chair and went to sit on the bed beside Bella. I handed the baby to her then leaned down and kissed her. "I can't wait to take you both home. Today is the first day of our new life together as a family."

Bella looked up at me and smiled. "I never thought of it like that."

"While I was rocking Sarah, I thought about all that has happened to bring us where we are now. I can't wait to see what will happen next," I said with a smile.

She smiled back and said, "Me, too." Then she sobered and added, "Just think . . . I almost missed this, all of this." Her lips brushed a soft kiss on Sarah's forehead then she turned her eyes to me. "Thank you, Jacob, for never giving up on me."

I leaned forward to touch my forehead to hers. "Never, Bells. You're stuck with me."

"Good. I can live with that," was her answer.

I grinned and kissed her softly on the lips. That was the best part . . . she was alive and living her life with me. Life was good.

A/N: This is not only my first fan fiction – this is the first story I have ever written! I want to thank everyone who took the time to read it, and to those who reviewed it. I am a little sad to end it, but this was a good place to stop, so I will for now.

I had this story in my head for quite awhile. I read all four Twilight books before the movies came out, and fell in love with the character of Jacob right away. I could never figure out why Stephanie Meyer wrote such a great character only to torture the crap out of him! I hated Breaking Dawn! I could never figure out why Bella would choose to be with Edward when she had a guy like Jacob so in love with her. And imprinting on the demon spawn? I have no words . . .

So, anyway, I feel good to finally get this story on paper. I hope to revisit it someday and add more description. I know that this is just a basic storyline, and it lacks some depth. But I really enjoyed writing it!

I am now thinking about writing an Embry story. The Embry in my story is a little different from Stephanie's. I like writing for this Embry – I never know what will come out of his mouth.

Thanks again, and watch for another story!

A/N 1/27/11: Well, I just finished the re-write on this story, and I am much happier with the results. I was very embarrassed by the writing the first time around, but hey, it was my first try! I hope you enjoyed the re-write . . . review and let me know. Thanks!