To Mend a Butterfly's Broken Wing, 37: Epilogue
Title: To Mend a Butterfly's Broken Wing
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, sexual situations)
Summary: After the newborn fight things take a different turn with the Volturi. Edward goes missing, the Cullen's leave to search for him, and Bella flees town from the pain of loss. Can Jacob help her deal with the grief a second time? AU, M for language, sex
*~*~*
Little trip to heaven on the wings of your love/Banana moon is shining in the sky/I feel like I'm in heaven when you're with me/I know that I'm in heaven when you smile
*~*~*
JPOV
"Daddy?"
I heard Noah's voice call to me as I passed by his bedroom. I poked my head into my four-year old son's room and smiled at the sight of him. His ebony hair was sticking up every which way, and he had that I'm-really-sleepy-but-fighting-to-stay-awake look about him.
I walked into the room, sitting on the edge of his bed. "What is it, buddy?"
"Do you hafta go to the meeting?" he asked, looking put out.
There was a tribal meeting in the morning that Bella and I were attending. The Cullen's had come back for a visit - thankfully no longer turning any of us into wolves. Phasing had ended a long time ago for all of us. We were going to go over what Carlisle was trying to do as one of the two Volturi leaders. I didn't trust Aro in the slightest, but he had stayed in Italy after the battle years ago, and he never posed a threat. Now that Carlisle was part of it, he was able to keep us apprised of the situation.
He said Aro had no interest in any of us. I was beyond grateful for that.
"Yeah, Noah, I do. It's an important one. Don't worry; Samantha will be here to play with you until we're done."
He pondered that, his little mouth squinching in thought, brow furrowed. "I like Samantha. She's the best baby-sitter ever. But you're my best friend, Daddy," he said.
He flung his little arms around my neck, and I could practically feel my heart melting. I hugged him back, smoothing his hair. "You're my best little kid," I said, inhaling the little boy scent that was so familiar to me.
"We'll have plenty of fun tomorrow," I promised, easing him back and getting him settled under the covers. "After the meeting, we're going to the pool to go swimming. The weather is going to be nice and sunny. You'll soon get to see mommy's friends who are visiting. And we're having a bonfire with all of your uncle's and Grandpa Billy, Aunt Sue, and Grandpa Charlie will be there."
I knew the weather courtesy of Alice. She had texted us earlier telling us she was hoping to see Noah and Madelyn soon and wanted to inform us that swimming was a good idea because it was going to be a rare dry, partially sunny day.
She was much better than a weatherman.
I felt Bella's hand on my back as Noah struggled to keep his eyes open. "Mommy. Hug," he murmured sleepily, reaching his arms out to her.
She handed me Madelyn, and I cradled our daughter, her tiny head with the soft fuzz of dark hair nestling into the crook of my shoulder and neck. I breathed in the scent of baby powder, milk, and her own unique scent. She was four months old now and absolutely perfect. Bella leaned down so Noah could wrap his arms around her neck.
Their noses brushed - as they always did - before he got his kiss. It always made him giggle. "I love you, sweetheart," Bella whispered against his cheek as he hugged her tightly.
"I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy," he mumbled. His eyelids were nearly closed now, and it was only a moment later that he was fast asleep.
I stood and Bella pulled the covers up to his chin, leaning down to brush a kiss over his forehead. She clicked on the little night-light in his room and then we slipped out of the room.
Bella looked tired, so I brushed a kiss over her cheek. "Go lay down, honey. I'll put her to bed."
She smiled wanly, thanked me, and disappeared into our bedroom. Madelyn was still squirming against me, tired, but also fighting it a little bit. I carried her into the nursery, walked her around a few minutes while she fussed, and finally began humming the lullaby my mom used to sing to me, Rachel, and Becca when were little. She finally relaxed and fell asleep, little pink lips pursed.
I lay her carefully in her crib near her stuffed wolf and crept out and back to our bedroom. Bella was curled on her side, already asleep. I undressed and slid in next to her, smoothing a hand down her bare arm, nuzzling the back of her neck. She always smelled so damn good.
"Hmmm," she murmured, turning over to wind her arms around me.
Her lips brushed lightly against mine, and I could feel my body respond to her immediately. Our love-making had slowed down recently because of dealing with our two children, but we still always managed to find time for each other when we could. Her mouth became insistent, and I moved my hand up and down her silky thigh, finally gripping her backside and pulling her into me.
Her soft moan when I brushed against her had me rock-hard, and I was desperate to feel every inch of her. She was wearing just a t-shirt, which I easily pulled off of her. Her breasts were fuller due to our daughter, and I lavished kisses over them, lightly tasting her nipples.
She gasped, her back arching. I knew they were sensitive, so I eased off, instead sliding my hand between her thighs. She sighed eagerly, slowly stroking her palm over my aching dick. I groaned softly as she pushed me onto my back, moving over top of me.
She knew how much I loved watching her on top of me, taking what she wanted. Her body moved sinuously, her figure fuller from giving birth a few months ago, and still incredibly sexy.
I slid my hands up her softly curved hips, up her sides, and to her breasts. She had sunk down onto me and her head was tilted back, lips parted. I brushed my thumbs over her nipples as she rocked on top of me. It wasn't going to take me long, so I reached down and began rubbing and circling her, eliciting a soft moan. I sat up, capturing her mouth with mine, and her tongue slid sensuously against mine.
My hips started to move faster, pumping against her harder, making her bounce even more as I stroked her to completion. I bit down on that sensitive spot she enjoyed and heard her muffle a scream as I came inside of her.
Gasping, we both collapsed back onto the bed.
"Damn," she whispered throatily. "It has been too long, hasn't it? That felt incredible."
I laughed, keeping her firmly anchored on top of me, still buried deep inside of her. "It really did. I'm glad we can always find time for each other."
"Mmm," she murmured against my neck. "Will it always be like this?"
"Yes," I said, nipping at her ear. "I'll still be making you scream when we're in a nursing home together."
She giggled. "I'd probably have a heart attack from an orgasm at that age!"
I smirked, rolling so I was on top of her, looking down into her smooth, unlined face. "We just have to get through all the trials and ups-and-downs with our kids first and hope they never walk in on us. Again."
She snickered, winding her arms around my neck. "Yeah, that was rough when Noah came in that one time."
He hadn't seen anything, thank God, but we had to move quickly and get our clothes on while still under the covers. He had asked what we were doing, but it was easily covered over and never came up again.
"Good thing my hearing is still a little extra-sensitive even after not phasing for so long… otherwise we would have been shit out of luck and had to explain what playing between mommy and daddy means," I teased her.
She rolled her eyes and snickered. I smiled down at her, pressing my lips to hers. She snuggled into me, and with her in my arms right where she belonged, I fell asleep.
In the morning, the sky outside was a little leaden, but so far there was no rain. Noah woke up in an extremely bouncy mood, excited to see Samantha and to go swimming and to a bonfire later. It was a big day for a little guy and his excitement was spilling over. He flew around the house in a flurry of energy, further proving my point. Bella and I couldn't help but laugh at him.
Bella was in the kitchen, pouring a small bowl of cereal for him, while juggling Madelyn who was beginning to whimper a little louder as her want for food grew stronger.
"Here, honey," I said, taking the bowl and spoon from her. "You feed Madelyn; I'll take care of Noah."
She sank gratefully into a chair in the living room and began to feed Madelyn. I could never get tired of watching her breast feed; to know that her body produced what our daughter needed. She always looked beautiful doing so, her hand cupping our daughter's tiny head, even when she was tired.
Noah babbled excitedly about going swimming. The pool in La Push had become extremely popular since we had put in back in the spring. I had ended up going into construction and business in school. I now shared a fledgling business with some of my brothers' based between Forks and Port Angeles. La Push had always been behind, needing so many things, and I had wanted to be involved in building a home for me and Bella as well. It just seemed natural and combined with the strength we still possessed it seemed like a no-brainer.
We had constructed blueprints and were involved in building a playground for the children in La Push as well as a public swimming pool for in the summer. It was something I was particularly proud of. Bella and her friends had helped to work on the gardens surrounding the pool, and it had the backdrop of the forest and even a little glimpse of the ocean. It was only our first summer, but there had been a steady stream of kids there, and it brought in some money for the reservation if any of the children in Forks wanted to use it. It saw its fair share of kids from the surrounding area and the people of Forks seemed happy to allow it.
My and Bella's house had been constructed on a leveled area that sat up a little higher than the rest with the forest behind us. It afforded us a view of the beach and the ocean from the side windows and the front of the house. There was a small yard, but plenty of room for Noah - and eventually Madelyn - to play. Our home was a small cottage, but with plenty of space inside. There were three bedrooms, a bathroom and half bath, living room, kitchen, and a dining room. Bella had decorated it in earthy tones, keeping it simplistic but nice.
Bella had graduated with a business degree. She and Dana had hired me and my company to build the bakery that was set between Forks and Port Angeles. Dana and the rest of her co-workers traveled back and forth, though other help had been hired in the area, to help out in getting it running and to visit. They were still as tight as could be.
"Daddy!" Noah cried. "Samantha is here!"
I glanced up to see Noah had finished most of his cereal and that Sam, Emily, and Samantha were indeed walking up the sidewalk. "Jake," Emily said warmly, giving me a hug when I opened the door.
"Hey Emily," I said, tousling her hair affectionately. "How is Samuel doing?"
Emily and Sam have a seven-year old boy, who I knew was spending time on the Makah reservation with Emily's parents today.
"He's doing really well," Sam said, giving me a slap on the shoulder.
Samantha was laughing as Noah gave her legs a hug-attack. She was turning into a beautiful young woman already; it still surprised me. She had Emily's thick, black hair and it was cut to just below her shoulders. She looked more like Emily, but had a few of Sam's characteristics. She also inherited their responsibility even at the almost-age of twelve. She was a little young to baby-sit, but she loved spending time with Noah and vice versa, so we made a few allowances.
As long as she could get Charlie and/or Sue to be at Sue's place which could easily be walked to, then she could watch him for a couple hours. Charlie and Sue still lived in Charlie's place in Forks, but they still occasionally stayed at her house in La Push.
Bella came out into the kitchen, fresh from feeding Madelyn, who was now dozing on her shoulder. "Hey Sam, Emily," she said quietly.
Emily gave her a one-armed hug and cooed over Madelyn. Sam grinned and shook his head. "You know your daughter is making her anxious for another," he said to me.
I laughed. "You love kids. You probably want one, too."
"Well… maybe. But two is a handful."
I watched Bella's eyes light up when Emily complimented our daughter's extreme adorable-ness. There was so much love in her gaze when she did anything with our children. Even when she was pregnant with them, she got that look on her face. Everything about her being pregnant was pretty fucking incredible.
"True," I agreed. "But I know I wouldn't mind seeing Bella pregnant again, carrying another child we created…"
"I heard that, Jacob Black," Bella said eyeing me. She was suppressing a grin. "I won't be ready for a third child for a little while, you just remember that."
Emily turned imploring eyes on Sam, and the two of us started laughing. "We're doomed," Sam said.
"Ew," Samantha said, wrinkling her nose and making a "gross" face. "You two making another baby? Yuck," she teased, harassing her parents like only a pre-teen can do.
I laughed as Sam gave her a gentle, but playful shove.
"Ok, we should go," Bella said, shaking her head. "Samantha, my dad will be at Sue's house right down the road. We won't be more than two hours."
"No problem," she said, ruffling Noah's hair. "I won't tie him up in a closet or anything, promise." She grinned and we all laughed.
I wrapped Madelyn in the little chest holder thing - I never remembered the name of it - and took Bella's hand. It didn't take us long to walk to the Tribal Center, and I caught their scent before I saw them. The Cullen's had arrived.
*~*~*
BPOV
I saw Alice first, and laughing, held my arms out as she appeared in front of me within less than a second. She threw her arms around me, hugging me gently. "Bella!" she said excitedly. "I've missed you! You look amazing. I could swear you don't look any older than you did at twenty."
I grinned, pushing her back so I could get a look at her. "So do you, as always."
Alice gave Jake a one-armed hug. It still struck me as funny to see that bit of a bond the two of them shared. She was peering in at Madelyn, whispering excitedly. "Oh Bella, Jake, she's beautiful!"
Madelyn sleepily opened her eyes, closed them again, and nuzzled against Jake's chest.
Alice shook her head wonderingly. I wasn't sure Alice had ever seen a baby before. She stroked the tip of her finger oh-so-gently against Madelyn's cheek.
"Thanks," I said, smiling at her wonder. Jake looked a little amused.
"May I hold her later?" Alice asked us. She looked so eager. "I'll keep her wrapped up in blankets so I don't make her cold."
I met Jake's eyes, needing to know how he felt. We could read each other's expressions perfectly. He was okay with it. "Of course you can," I told her.
I saw the rest of the Cullen's approach and was hugged by all of them. Emmett swung me around in his excitement, making me laugh. The last one I encountered was Edward, and I saw his grin widen and echo mine as I launched myself into his hug. I hugged him tightly, thrilled to see him looking good… and happy.
"How are you?" I asked him, grinning up at him.
"I'm really good," he said. "I've enjoyed spending time sporadically in Denali. Tanya and I… are getting closer."
I wasn't surprised by that, and in fact, I was happy he had found someone. "I'm glad," I told him as we all headed into the center. "You deserve to be happy."
He brushed my hair back. "Thank you, Bella. It's nice being there, but I'm also happy we can still spend time here in Forks so I can see you as well. You still look as beautiful as ever. In fact, I think you look even more beautiful now," he said.
I smiled, a little embarrassed. "So, old age agrees with me?" I said jokingly.
He chuckled. "I think a normal life, being happy, and giving birth to two beautiful children makes you more beautiful."
"You always were a charmer," I teased, but I was happy he felt that way because that was how I felt, too. When I was with Jake and my two babies, I felt incredible.
There were greetings all around, though some members of the tribe always held a hint of hesitation because of letting the Cullen's in. It had been accepted awhile ago; they were never involved in what happened in La Push, but they were invited before the actual meeting to give progress updates on the vampire world. It was mainly Jacob and Billy's acceptance of this that everyone came to understand how things truly were.
Carlisle stood by Billy as everyone sat and waited. "Being a part of the Volturi is... difficult," Carlisle began. "It's been a struggle trying to maintain order and keep innocent people from dying. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop everything immediately; that it would be an ongoing process, but it's still going even after all this time."
"What was decided is to try and create a synthetic blood that we can drink and that will sustain us. It's still in the early planning stages, but we have some of the best vampire minds working on this, and I really do believe that we can do this. There is still animal feeding going on, though we are careful about issues regarding extinction."
He paused, glancing over at Jake and Billy, who both nodded. They looked vaguely disgusted, but didn't say anything.
"There are some... humans... that willingly give blood to Aro and select members. They are very few and far between because of the danger of word spreading that vampires exist. They are sworn on pain of death."
There was a collective murmuring amongst the wolves and elders. "That's disgusting," Paul muttered.
Edward frowned slightly. "None of us condone this, but we have to work with Aro to maintain the order and peace. The humans are treated kindly - we insist upon it - and at least no one is killed. It's our only alternative until the synthetic blood can be created."
Jake looked as if he sucked on a sour lemon, but he nodded. "Understood. As long as they are willing and not dying, we can deal with it. It's not something that's wanted, but I understand options are limited."
Carlisle went on to discuss some of the finer aspects of what they were working on, and he informed everyone that Aro had no interest in harming anyone in Forks and was fine to leave the matter at rest. There was still no threat to the people on the reservation and surrounding counties, and it was spreading to other parts of the world as they tried to implement change. There was an occasional rogue vampire that was dealt with. Jake confirmed that even when the Cullen's came back, there hadn't been any need to phase and no new wolves phased.
The Cullen's went outside after their update and headed far enough away that they wouldn't hear the rest of it. It wasn't because anything was being kept from them, but they did it out of respect. After a few essentials were discussed about the reservation, the meeting was over and we headed out to see the sun peeking through the clouds. It already felt warmer.
Madelyn had woken up, so I passed her to Alice first. She laid a blanket over her arms as she held my daughter, her eyes wide and unblinking as she stared down at her in awe.
"She's so perfect," Alice said, barely feathering a finger over her cheek. She gently rocked her, and Madelyn gave a little gurgling happy noise.
When she finally gave her back to me, I looked over at Edward. He smiled and held his arms out. Alice laid the blanket over his arms, and he held her as if she were made of glass. Jake wrapped his arm around my waist, and I rested my head against his chest as we watched Edward stare raptly at our daughter. She was passed around to all the Cullen's so they could coo over her, and she rewarded them with smiles and baby gurgles which further enthralled them.
We left shortly after to go pick up Noah to go swimming, with promises to visit the Cullen's in a day or two so they could visit with Noah and us. We waved good bye and went home.
Noah was just finishing his lunch when we got there. "He's so picky," Samantha said with a laugh.
I chuckled. "Yeah, he's on a kick where he'll eat only grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, or peanut butter and jelly. I'm sure soon enough he'll be like Jake and try to eat us out of house and home."
Samantha giggled as Jake gave me a poke in the ribs with his elbow.
"You ready to go swimming, buddy?" Jake asked Noah.
"Looks like you got a little barnacle there," I teased as Noah clung to Jake's leg fiercely.
Jake swung him up into his arms and carried him upside-down into his bedroom to get his bathing suit. A wave of giggles could be heard.
I shook my head, smiling, and gave Samantha a little spending money for watching Noah. She waved as Sam pulled into the driveway. Jake came out with Noah and we set off for the swimming pool. I was always amazed each time we went there; Jake and his friends and co-workers had done such a fantastic job with it. It was lined with smooth paving stones, the flowers were bright and healthy, and the fence lining the area set everything off.
Noah bounced around eagerly until Jake finally went into the pool with him. I smiled, finished changing Madelyn's diaper, and sat at the edge watching them. Jake was so good with our son; patient, kind, playful, and he knew how to discipline him. I was glad that we didn't play the good-cop-bad-cop routine. We praised and disciplined alike.
"Mommy!" Noah cried as Jake held him and zipped him around in the water. "Come in the water!"
Noah hung on to my leg as I passed Madelyn to Jake. I slid into the water, winding my arms around my wiggly little boy. Jake gently dipped Madelyn's legs into the water, and we all laughed as her mouth opened and a big smile creased her face. He swirled her around gently and she giggled.
I swam with Noah, watching and cheering as he went down the slide by himself for the first time. We saw Leah and Embry come in; they had gotten married not long after us and had their little boy, Logan, only a few months apart from when we had Noah, so they had been friends immediately.
They were excited to see each other, and within moments, Logan was in the water and playing with Noah. Leah sat at the edge of the pool, holding Madelyn, while we all stayed in to keep an eye on the boys.
"Rachel and Paul are coming soon, too," Leah told us as she fed Madelyn for me.
"Oh good. I've been meaning to check on her, see how she's feeling."
When Paul and Rachel came in, I could see her big, protruding belly. She was pregnant with their first child. It was nice to see everyone happy and doing well. When they came over, Jake gave Rachel a hand into the pool.
"How you feeling, sis?"
"I'm really tired," she admitted. "But other than that, I've been feeling pretty good. I'm really anxious to just have her already."
I smiled, remembering how I felt after all those months of pregnancy. I just wanted to have our babies so I could hold them in my arms, to meet the little life that Jake and I created together.
"It'll be here before you know it," I said with a smile. "And it'll be so worth it once you're holding her."
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, swimming, sitting out trying to catch the weak rays of sunlight, watching our kids laugh and play in the water. We went back to our homes to shower and change before heading to the beach for the bonfire. I could see Noah was getting tired; it had been a busy day for him, but he was excited to see everyone.
Charlie and Billy were there with Sue already, and Noah ran to them. I smiled, watching my dad with him. He was crouched down listening to what Noah had to say about his day. The ruckus started when the pack arrived. Noah loved hanging out with his Uncle's, and Quil scooped him up and put him on his shoulders.
There were greetings all around, and Noah got lifted and tossed, and he giggled wildly when they all pretended to chase him, stumbling over each other playfully. It was an amusing attempt at trying to be slow so Noah could outrun them.
"So, Bella, your thirtieth birthday is coming up soon," Embry teased, nudging me. "Hmm, what should we do…?"
I groaned. "How about… nothing?" I smirked at him and nudged him back.
"Party in Vegas!" Jared crowed.
"Skinny-dipping in the Caribbean!" Embry insisted, earning an elbow in the ribs from Leah. He laughed, turning to kiss his wife.
"Sky-diving in the desert!" Paul added.
"Let's go to Chuck-E-Cheese!"
Everyone laughed at Noah chiming in with his suggestion.
"How about just a party right here, sans skinny-dipping?" Charlie said dryly.
We all laughed and agreed that would be fine. Noah perched on Jake's lap, anchoring me right there with them, by draping his legs over mine. The food was passed around and we all chatted and ate barbecued chicken and hot dogs. Madelyn dozed off during the story-telling portion, while Noah fought sleep, anxious to hear the stories.
It didn't take long to wind down, and I knew it was time to head home. Noah was getting cranky from all the activity today and being tired. He climbed into Billy's lap for a hug and then went around to Charlie, Sue, and everyone else for one.
"Mommy, hold me," he whined sleepily, tugging at my pants leg.
Jake took Madelyn - still asleep - so I could carry Noah. He laid his head on my shoulder, we said our good bye's, and carried our kids' home to bed. For once, it didn't take long for Noah to settle down. He was exhausted. Jake put Madelyn down, and after our showers, he came into our bedroom then with a bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses.
I smiled at him. "What's the celebration?" I asked.
He shrugged. "You? And how happy you and our children make me?"
He sat next to me, and I reached up to kiss him. "That goes both ways, big guy," I said with a smile.
He poured me a glass of the wine, and I curled against him, sipping slowly. I loved ending our day in this room; it was so comfortable and relaxing. The walls were a soft green, the curtains a gauzy, light brown, and there were splashes of very pale yellow in the few pieces of artwork or decorative things we had. It was just like the forest, that place of escape for both of us.
The breeze lifted the curtains, and we heard the rain begin. "Alice was right on target," I said, yawning.
"Yep, it really was a perfect day, wasn't it?"
We finished our wine, and Jake pressed me down onto the bed, his lips warm against my throat.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," I whispered back, wrapping my arms around him.
There had been so many trials and danger early on, struggles with money until we got things figured out, and the usual difficulties in a marriage… but I still spent the best years of my life with Jacob, and I was looking forward to spending many more with him.
*~*~*
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I thank you for the continued support and nice comments! It's been fun as always. :o) Anyway, yes, I totally took the True Blood way of things for the Cullen's… Meyer made this vampire thing so odd and difficult, IMO, with the whole venom thing. So this really seemed the easiest way to change the issue with the Volturi and resulting people-feeder vampires.
Anyway, as for future goings-on I'll be involved in… I want to finish a few little things I'm working on currently, but I'll have an entry in the http:/printingpaws[dot]blogspot[dot]com contest and I'll have a OS submitted to the fandom against famine compilation if you're interested. I do have plans for another fic as well, though any future multi-chapts will be much shorter than this and the previous have been. They'll probably be anywhere between 10-20 chapters. No more than that. It probably won't be that long until I start it, so keep an eye out if you're interested!
So, hope to see you again, and thanks so much! *muah*
Chapter 38
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, sexual situations)
Summary: After the newborn fight things take a different turn with the Volturi. Edward goes missing, the Cullen's leave to search for him, and Bella flees town from the pain of loss. Can Jacob help her deal with the grief a second time? AU, M for language, sex
*~*~*
Little trip to heaven on the wings of your love/Banana moon is shining in the sky/I feel like I'm in heaven when you're with me/I know that I'm in heaven when you smile
*~*~*
JPOV
"Daddy?"
I heard Noah's voice call to me as I passed by his bedroom. I poked my head into my four-year old son's room and smiled at the sight of him. His ebony hair was sticking up every which way, and he had that I'm-really-sleepy-but-fighting-to-stay-awake look about him.
I walked into the room, sitting on the edge of his bed. "What is it, buddy?"
"Do you hafta go to the meeting?" he asked, looking put out.
There was a tribal meeting in the morning that Bella and I were attending. The Cullen's had come back for a visit - thankfully no longer turning any of us into wolves. Phasing had ended a long time ago for all of us. We were going to go over what Carlisle was trying to do as one of the two Volturi leaders. I didn't trust Aro in the slightest, but he had stayed in Italy after the battle years ago, and he never posed a threat. Now that Carlisle was part of it, he was able to keep us apprised of the situation.
He said Aro had no interest in any of us. I was beyond grateful for that.
"Yeah, Noah, I do. It's an important one. Don't worry; Samantha will be here to play with you until we're done."
He pondered that, his little mouth squinching in thought, brow furrowed. "I like Samantha. She's the best baby-sitter ever. But you're my best friend, Daddy," he said.
He flung his little arms around my neck, and I could practically feel my heart melting. I hugged him back, smoothing his hair. "You're my best little kid," I said, inhaling the little boy scent that was so familiar to me.
"We'll have plenty of fun tomorrow," I promised, easing him back and getting him settled under the covers. "After the meeting, we're going to the pool to go swimming. The weather is going to be nice and sunny. You'll soon get to see mommy's friends who are visiting. And we're having a bonfire with all of your uncle's and Grandpa Billy, Aunt Sue, and Grandpa Charlie will be there."
I knew the weather courtesy of Alice. She had texted us earlier telling us she was hoping to see Noah and Madelyn soon and wanted to inform us that swimming was a good idea because it was going to be a rare dry, partially sunny day.
She was much better than a weatherman.
I felt Bella's hand on my back as Noah struggled to keep his eyes open. "Mommy. Hug," he murmured sleepily, reaching his arms out to her.
She handed me Madelyn, and I cradled our daughter, her tiny head with the soft fuzz of dark hair nestling into the crook of my shoulder and neck. I breathed in the scent of baby powder, milk, and her own unique scent. She was four months old now and absolutely perfect. Bella leaned down so Noah could wrap his arms around her neck.
Their noses brushed - as they always did - before he got his kiss. It always made him giggle. "I love you, sweetheart," Bella whispered against his cheek as he hugged her tightly.
"I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy," he mumbled. His eyelids were nearly closed now, and it was only a moment later that he was fast asleep.
I stood and Bella pulled the covers up to his chin, leaning down to brush a kiss over his forehead. She clicked on the little night-light in his room and then we slipped out of the room.
Bella looked tired, so I brushed a kiss over her cheek. "Go lay down, honey. I'll put her to bed."
She smiled wanly, thanked me, and disappeared into our bedroom. Madelyn was still squirming against me, tired, but also fighting it a little bit. I carried her into the nursery, walked her around a few minutes while she fussed, and finally began humming the lullaby my mom used to sing to me, Rachel, and Becca when were little. She finally relaxed and fell asleep, little pink lips pursed.
I lay her carefully in her crib near her stuffed wolf and crept out and back to our bedroom. Bella was curled on her side, already asleep. I undressed and slid in next to her, smoothing a hand down her bare arm, nuzzling the back of her neck. She always smelled so damn good.
"Hmmm," she murmured, turning over to wind her arms around me.
Her lips brushed lightly against mine, and I could feel my body respond to her immediately. Our love-making had slowed down recently because of dealing with our two children, but we still always managed to find time for each other when we could. Her mouth became insistent, and I moved my hand up and down her silky thigh, finally gripping her backside and pulling her into me.
Her soft moan when I brushed against her had me rock-hard, and I was desperate to feel every inch of her. She was wearing just a t-shirt, which I easily pulled off of her. Her breasts were fuller due to our daughter, and I lavished kisses over them, lightly tasting her nipples.
She gasped, her back arching. I knew they were sensitive, so I eased off, instead sliding my hand between her thighs. She sighed eagerly, slowly stroking her palm over my aching dick. I groaned softly as she pushed me onto my back, moving over top of me.
She knew how much I loved watching her on top of me, taking what she wanted. Her body moved sinuously, her figure fuller from giving birth a few months ago, and still incredibly sexy.
I slid my hands up her softly curved hips, up her sides, and to her breasts. She had sunk down onto me and her head was tilted back, lips parted. I brushed my thumbs over her nipples as she rocked on top of me. It wasn't going to take me long, so I reached down and began rubbing and circling her, eliciting a soft moan. I sat up, capturing her mouth with mine, and her tongue slid sensuously against mine.
My hips started to move faster, pumping against her harder, making her bounce even more as I stroked her to completion. I bit down on that sensitive spot she enjoyed and heard her muffle a scream as I came inside of her.
Gasping, we both collapsed back onto the bed.
"Damn," she whispered throatily. "It has been too long, hasn't it? That felt incredible."
I laughed, keeping her firmly anchored on top of me, still buried deep inside of her. "It really did. I'm glad we can always find time for each other."
"Mmm," she murmured against my neck. "Will it always be like this?"
"Yes," I said, nipping at her ear. "I'll still be making you scream when we're in a nursing home together."
She giggled. "I'd probably have a heart attack from an orgasm at that age!"
I smirked, rolling so I was on top of her, looking down into her smooth, unlined face. "We just have to get through all the trials and ups-and-downs with our kids first and hope they never walk in on us. Again."
She snickered, winding her arms around my neck. "Yeah, that was rough when Noah came in that one time."
He hadn't seen anything, thank God, but we had to move quickly and get our clothes on while still under the covers. He had asked what we were doing, but it was easily covered over and never came up again.
"Good thing my hearing is still a little extra-sensitive even after not phasing for so long… otherwise we would have been shit out of luck and had to explain what playing between mommy and daddy means," I teased her.
She rolled her eyes and snickered. I smiled down at her, pressing my lips to hers. She snuggled into me, and with her in my arms right where she belonged, I fell asleep.
In the morning, the sky outside was a little leaden, but so far there was no rain. Noah woke up in an extremely bouncy mood, excited to see Samantha and to go swimming and to a bonfire later. It was a big day for a little guy and his excitement was spilling over. He flew around the house in a flurry of energy, further proving my point. Bella and I couldn't help but laugh at him.
Bella was in the kitchen, pouring a small bowl of cereal for him, while juggling Madelyn who was beginning to whimper a little louder as her want for food grew stronger.
"Here, honey," I said, taking the bowl and spoon from her. "You feed Madelyn; I'll take care of Noah."
She sank gratefully into a chair in the living room and began to feed Madelyn. I could never get tired of watching her breast feed; to know that her body produced what our daughter needed. She always looked beautiful doing so, her hand cupping our daughter's tiny head, even when she was tired.
Noah babbled excitedly about going swimming. The pool in La Push had become extremely popular since we had put in back in the spring. I had ended up going into construction and business in school. I now shared a fledgling business with some of my brothers' based between Forks and Port Angeles. La Push had always been behind, needing so many things, and I had wanted to be involved in building a home for me and Bella as well. It just seemed natural and combined with the strength we still possessed it seemed like a no-brainer.
We had constructed blueprints and were involved in building a playground for the children in La Push as well as a public swimming pool for in the summer. It was something I was particularly proud of. Bella and her friends had helped to work on the gardens surrounding the pool, and it had the backdrop of the forest and even a little glimpse of the ocean. It was only our first summer, but there had been a steady stream of kids there, and it brought in some money for the reservation if any of the children in Forks wanted to use it. It saw its fair share of kids from the surrounding area and the people of Forks seemed happy to allow it.
My and Bella's house had been constructed on a leveled area that sat up a little higher than the rest with the forest behind us. It afforded us a view of the beach and the ocean from the side windows and the front of the house. There was a small yard, but plenty of room for Noah - and eventually Madelyn - to play. Our home was a small cottage, but with plenty of space inside. There were three bedrooms, a bathroom and half bath, living room, kitchen, and a dining room. Bella had decorated it in earthy tones, keeping it simplistic but nice.
Bella had graduated with a business degree. She and Dana had hired me and my company to build the bakery that was set between Forks and Port Angeles. Dana and the rest of her co-workers traveled back and forth, though other help had been hired in the area, to help out in getting it running and to visit. They were still as tight as could be.
"Daddy!" Noah cried. "Samantha is here!"
I glanced up to see Noah had finished most of his cereal and that Sam, Emily, and Samantha were indeed walking up the sidewalk. "Jake," Emily said warmly, giving me a hug when I opened the door.
"Hey Emily," I said, tousling her hair affectionately. "How is Samuel doing?"
Emily and Sam have a seven-year old boy, who I knew was spending time on the Makah reservation with Emily's parents today.
"He's doing really well," Sam said, giving me a slap on the shoulder.
Samantha was laughing as Noah gave her legs a hug-attack. She was turning into a beautiful young woman already; it still surprised me. She had Emily's thick, black hair and it was cut to just below her shoulders. She looked more like Emily, but had a few of Sam's characteristics. She also inherited their responsibility even at the almost-age of twelve. She was a little young to baby-sit, but she loved spending time with Noah and vice versa, so we made a few allowances.
As long as she could get Charlie and/or Sue to be at Sue's place which could easily be walked to, then she could watch him for a couple hours. Charlie and Sue still lived in Charlie's place in Forks, but they still occasionally stayed at her house in La Push.
Bella came out into the kitchen, fresh from feeding Madelyn, who was now dozing on her shoulder. "Hey Sam, Emily," she said quietly.
Emily gave her a one-armed hug and cooed over Madelyn. Sam grinned and shook his head. "You know your daughter is making her anxious for another," he said to me.
I laughed. "You love kids. You probably want one, too."
"Well… maybe. But two is a handful."
I watched Bella's eyes light up when Emily complimented our daughter's extreme adorable-ness. There was so much love in her gaze when she did anything with our children. Even when she was pregnant with them, she got that look on her face. Everything about her being pregnant was pretty fucking incredible.
"True," I agreed. "But I know I wouldn't mind seeing Bella pregnant again, carrying another child we created…"
"I heard that, Jacob Black," Bella said eyeing me. She was suppressing a grin. "I won't be ready for a third child for a little while, you just remember that."
Emily turned imploring eyes on Sam, and the two of us started laughing. "We're doomed," Sam said.
"Ew," Samantha said, wrinkling her nose and making a "gross" face. "You two making another baby? Yuck," she teased, harassing her parents like only a pre-teen can do.
I laughed as Sam gave her a gentle, but playful shove.
"Ok, we should go," Bella said, shaking her head. "Samantha, my dad will be at Sue's house right down the road. We won't be more than two hours."
"No problem," she said, ruffling Noah's hair. "I won't tie him up in a closet or anything, promise." She grinned and we all laughed.
I wrapped Madelyn in the little chest holder thing - I never remembered the name of it - and took Bella's hand. It didn't take us long to walk to the Tribal Center, and I caught their scent before I saw them. The Cullen's had arrived.
*~*~*
BPOV
I saw Alice first, and laughing, held my arms out as she appeared in front of me within less than a second. She threw her arms around me, hugging me gently. "Bella!" she said excitedly. "I've missed you! You look amazing. I could swear you don't look any older than you did at twenty."
I grinned, pushing her back so I could get a look at her. "So do you, as always."
Alice gave Jake a one-armed hug. It still struck me as funny to see that bit of a bond the two of them shared. She was peering in at Madelyn, whispering excitedly. "Oh Bella, Jake, she's beautiful!"
Madelyn sleepily opened her eyes, closed them again, and nuzzled against Jake's chest.
Alice shook her head wonderingly. I wasn't sure Alice had ever seen a baby before. She stroked the tip of her finger oh-so-gently against Madelyn's cheek.
"Thanks," I said, smiling at her wonder. Jake looked a little amused.
"May I hold her later?" Alice asked us. She looked so eager. "I'll keep her wrapped up in blankets so I don't make her cold."
I met Jake's eyes, needing to know how he felt. We could read each other's expressions perfectly. He was okay with it. "Of course you can," I told her.
I saw the rest of the Cullen's approach and was hugged by all of them. Emmett swung me around in his excitement, making me laugh. The last one I encountered was Edward, and I saw his grin widen and echo mine as I launched myself into his hug. I hugged him tightly, thrilled to see him looking good… and happy.
"How are you?" I asked him, grinning up at him.
"I'm really good," he said. "I've enjoyed spending time sporadically in Denali. Tanya and I… are getting closer."
I wasn't surprised by that, and in fact, I was happy he had found someone. "I'm glad," I told him as we all headed into the center. "You deserve to be happy."
He brushed my hair back. "Thank you, Bella. It's nice being there, but I'm also happy we can still spend time here in Forks so I can see you as well. You still look as beautiful as ever. In fact, I think you look even more beautiful now," he said.
I smiled, a little embarrassed. "So, old age agrees with me?" I said jokingly.
He chuckled. "I think a normal life, being happy, and giving birth to two beautiful children makes you more beautiful."
"You always were a charmer," I teased, but I was happy he felt that way because that was how I felt, too. When I was with Jake and my two babies, I felt incredible.
There were greetings all around, though some members of the tribe always held a hint of hesitation because of letting the Cullen's in. It had been accepted awhile ago; they were never involved in what happened in La Push, but they were invited before the actual meeting to give progress updates on the vampire world. It was mainly Jacob and Billy's acceptance of this that everyone came to understand how things truly were.
Carlisle stood by Billy as everyone sat and waited. "Being a part of the Volturi is... difficult," Carlisle began. "It's been a struggle trying to maintain order and keep innocent people from dying. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop everything immediately; that it would be an ongoing process, but it's still going even after all this time."
"What was decided is to try and create a synthetic blood that we can drink and that will sustain us. It's still in the early planning stages, but we have some of the best vampire minds working on this, and I really do believe that we can do this. There is still animal feeding going on, though we are careful about issues regarding extinction."
He paused, glancing over at Jake and Billy, who both nodded. They looked vaguely disgusted, but didn't say anything.
"There are some... humans... that willingly give blood to Aro and select members. They are very few and far between because of the danger of word spreading that vampires exist. They are sworn on pain of death."
There was a collective murmuring amongst the wolves and elders. "That's disgusting," Paul muttered.
Edward frowned slightly. "None of us condone this, but we have to work with Aro to maintain the order and peace. The humans are treated kindly - we insist upon it - and at least no one is killed. It's our only alternative until the synthetic blood can be created."
Jake looked as if he sucked on a sour lemon, but he nodded. "Understood. As long as they are willing and not dying, we can deal with it. It's not something that's wanted, but I understand options are limited."
Carlisle went on to discuss some of the finer aspects of what they were working on, and he informed everyone that Aro had no interest in harming anyone in Forks and was fine to leave the matter at rest. There was still no threat to the people on the reservation and surrounding counties, and it was spreading to other parts of the world as they tried to implement change. There was an occasional rogue vampire that was dealt with. Jake confirmed that even when the Cullen's came back, there hadn't been any need to phase and no new wolves phased.
The Cullen's went outside after their update and headed far enough away that they wouldn't hear the rest of it. It wasn't because anything was being kept from them, but they did it out of respect. After a few essentials were discussed about the reservation, the meeting was over and we headed out to see the sun peeking through the clouds. It already felt warmer.
Madelyn had woken up, so I passed her to Alice first. She laid a blanket over her arms as she held my daughter, her eyes wide and unblinking as she stared down at her in awe.
"She's so perfect," Alice said, barely feathering a finger over her cheek. She gently rocked her, and Madelyn gave a little gurgling happy noise.
When she finally gave her back to me, I looked over at Edward. He smiled and held his arms out. Alice laid the blanket over his arms, and he held her as if she were made of glass. Jake wrapped his arm around my waist, and I rested my head against his chest as we watched Edward stare raptly at our daughter. She was passed around to all the Cullen's so they could coo over her, and she rewarded them with smiles and baby gurgles which further enthralled them.
We left shortly after to go pick up Noah to go swimming, with promises to visit the Cullen's in a day or two so they could visit with Noah and us. We waved good bye and went home.
Noah was just finishing his lunch when we got there. "He's so picky," Samantha said with a laugh.
I chuckled. "Yeah, he's on a kick where he'll eat only grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, or peanut butter and jelly. I'm sure soon enough he'll be like Jake and try to eat us out of house and home."
Samantha giggled as Jake gave me a poke in the ribs with his elbow.
"You ready to go swimming, buddy?" Jake asked Noah.
"Looks like you got a little barnacle there," I teased as Noah clung to Jake's leg fiercely.
Jake swung him up into his arms and carried him upside-down into his bedroom to get his bathing suit. A wave of giggles could be heard.
I shook my head, smiling, and gave Samantha a little spending money for watching Noah. She waved as Sam pulled into the driveway. Jake came out with Noah and we set off for the swimming pool. I was always amazed each time we went there; Jake and his friends and co-workers had done such a fantastic job with it. It was lined with smooth paving stones, the flowers were bright and healthy, and the fence lining the area set everything off.
Noah bounced around eagerly until Jake finally went into the pool with him. I smiled, finished changing Madelyn's diaper, and sat at the edge watching them. Jake was so good with our son; patient, kind, playful, and he knew how to discipline him. I was glad that we didn't play the good-cop-bad-cop routine. We praised and disciplined alike.
"Mommy!" Noah cried as Jake held him and zipped him around in the water. "Come in the water!"
Noah hung on to my leg as I passed Madelyn to Jake. I slid into the water, winding my arms around my wiggly little boy. Jake gently dipped Madelyn's legs into the water, and we all laughed as her mouth opened and a big smile creased her face. He swirled her around gently and she giggled.
I swam with Noah, watching and cheering as he went down the slide by himself for the first time. We saw Leah and Embry come in; they had gotten married not long after us and had their little boy, Logan, only a few months apart from when we had Noah, so they had been friends immediately.
They were excited to see each other, and within moments, Logan was in the water and playing with Noah. Leah sat at the edge of the pool, holding Madelyn, while we all stayed in to keep an eye on the boys.
"Rachel and Paul are coming soon, too," Leah told us as she fed Madelyn for me.
"Oh good. I've been meaning to check on her, see how she's feeling."
When Paul and Rachel came in, I could see her big, protruding belly. She was pregnant with their first child. It was nice to see everyone happy and doing well. When they came over, Jake gave Rachel a hand into the pool.
"How you feeling, sis?"
"I'm really tired," she admitted. "But other than that, I've been feeling pretty good. I'm really anxious to just have her already."
I smiled, remembering how I felt after all those months of pregnancy. I just wanted to have our babies so I could hold them in my arms, to meet the little life that Jake and I created together.
"It'll be here before you know it," I said with a smile. "And it'll be so worth it once you're holding her."
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, swimming, sitting out trying to catch the weak rays of sunlight, watching our kids laugh and play in the water. We went back to our homes to shower and change before heading to the beach for the bonfire. I could see Noah was getting tired; it had been a busy day for him, but he was excited to see everyone.
Charlie and Billy were there with Sue already, and Noah ran to them. I smiled, watching my dad with him. He was crouched down listening to what Noah had to say about his day. The ruckus started when the pack arrived. Noah loved hanging out with his Uncle's, and Quil scooped him up and put him on his shoulders.
There were greetings all around, and Noah got lifted and tossed, and he giggled wildly when they all pretended to chase him, stumbling over each other playfully. It was an amusing attempt at trying to be slow so Noah could outrun them.
"So, Bella, your thirtieth birthday is coming up soon," Embry teased, nudging me. "Hmm, what should we do…?"
I groaned. "How about… nothing?" I smirked at him and nudged him back.
"Party in Vegas!" Jared crowed.
"Skinny-dipping in the Caribbean!" Embry insisted, earning an elbow in the ribs from Leah. He laughed, turning to kiss his wife.
"Sky-diving in the desert!" Paul added.
"Let's go to Chuck-E-Cheese!"
Everyone laughed at Noah chiming in with his suggestion.
"How about just a party right here, sans skinny-dipping?" Charlie said dryly.
We all laughed and agreed that would be fine. Noah perched on Jake's lap, anchoring me right there with them, by draping his legs over mine. The food was passed around and we all chatted and ate barbecued chicken and hot dogs. Madelyn dozed off during the story-telling portion, while Noah fought sleep, anxious to hear the stories.
It didn't take long to wind down, and I knew it was time to head home. Noah was getting cranky from all the activity today and being tired. He climbed into Billy's lap for a hug and then went around to Charlie, Sue, and everyone else for one.
"Mommy, hold me," he whined sleepily, tugging at my pants leg.
Jake took Madelyn - still asleep - so I could carry Noah. He laid his head on my shoulder, we said our good bye's, and carried our kids' home to bed. For once, it didn't take long for Noah to settle down. He was exhausted. Jake put Madelyn down, and after our showers, he came into our bedroom then with a bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses.
I smiled at him. "What's the celebration?" I asked.
He shrugged. "You? And how happy you and our children make me?"
He sat next to me, and I reached up to kiss him. "That goes both ways, big guy," I said with a smile.
He poured me a glass of the wine, and I curled against him, sipping slowly. I loved ending our day in this room; it was so comfortable and relaxing. The walls were a soft green, the curtains a gauzy, light brown, and there were splashes of very pale yellow in the few pieces of artwork or decorative things we had. It was just like the forest, that place of escape for both of us.
The breeze lifted the curtains, and we heard the rain begin. "Alice was right on target," I said, yawning.
"Yep, it really was a perfect day, wasn't it?"
We finished our wine, and Jake pressed me down onto the bed, his lips warm against my throat.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," I whispered back, wrapping my arms around him.
There had been so many trials and danger early on, struggles with money until we got things figured out, and the usual difficulties in a marriage… but I still spent the best years of my life with Jacob, and I was looking forward to spending many more with him.
*~*~*
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I thank you for the continued support and nice comments! It's been fun as always. :o) Anyway, yes, I totally took the True Blood way of things for the Cullen's… Meyer made this vampire thing so odd and difficult, IMO, with the whole venom thing. So this really seemed the easiest way to change the issue with the Volturi and resulting people-feeder vampires.
Anyway, as for future goings-on I'll be involved in… I want to finish a few little things I'm working on currently, but I'll have an entry in the http:/printingpaws[dot]blogspot[dot]com contest and I'll have a OS submitted to the fandom against famine compilation if you're interested. I do have plans for another fic as well, though any future multi-chapts will be much shorter than this and the previous have been. They'll probably be anywhere between 10-20 chapters. No more than that. It probably won't be that long until I start it, so keep an eye out if you're interested!
So, hope to see you again, and thanks so much! *muah*
Chapter 38