Protecting the Black Wolf's Mate
by wizardtho
Chapter 17:
Bella's POV
This was all too much… too much to handle at once. I couldn’t process any more information. Sam took my face in his hands, looked into my eyes, then without looking away from me, said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Come on, Angel. You need a break for a few minutes. Would you like a warm bath, or would you rather go out to sit on the porch?"
All I could manage to get out was a shaky, "Quiet. Bath."
He swooped me up in his arms without another word. As we got to the stairs, I heard him ask Sue to make some tea for Emily to bring me, knowing she would want to look me over.
I didn’t register anything else until I was in the tub sitting up, with Sam’s arms wrapped around me as I hugged his body tightly. I felt his fingers dancing along my spine, then heard a feminine voice call softly, "Sam, I brought the tea. May I come in?"
Sam called for Emily to come in, but I couldn’t move from my spot to see if we were covered. I did smell bubbles, though, so I hoped we were.
Emily sat on the step up into the tub after placing the tea on the ledge, then whispered, “Charlie said that he’s known her to shut down when her mind becomes overloaded, so she can process everything.”
I felt Sam nod softly, "I felt her emotions. It almost seemed like she was in shock at first, but when I looked at her, I knew she couldn’t handle any more. She hasn’t really had any time to process anything since the night in the woods…"
I whimpered while tightening my hold on Sam, not wanting to talk about that, but he cooed as he kissed my shoulder, "Shh. You’re right here with me, Isabella, and we won’t talk about that night. Can you look at me, Angel? Show me you’re here with me."
I inhaled his scent deeply, then loosened my arms enough to look up at him. He smiled softly, "There we are. Can you talk to me?"
I nodded, whispering softly, “Sorry for scaring you.”
He chuckled, “It's quite alright, Sweetheart… but please, you need to slow down; take time to process things from now on.”
I nodded, then Emily said, “How are you feeling now?”
I thought for a minute before explaining, "It was just too much. The forest, imprinting, Dad and Sue, my GED, the move, house restoration, baby stuff, Victoria… I just didn’t have time to process any of it with everything happening all at once. Then I’m told I won’t just be bringing one life into the world, but two or more at once, and I'll end up having several children. That's not even mentioning that I won’t have a regular multiple pregnancy. I just couldn’t handle anymore. I’m still a little shaky, but I’m alright now. I need rest -definitely no more new information for tonight- but I’m alright."
Emily nodded in finality, then looked between Sam and me for a moment. "That sounds just like what I was going to say. I want you to either sit in here or crawl into bed, then talk at least some of this through with Sam. He is your rock through all of this, Bella, and you need to be able to just say to everyone else, ‘Stop… I need a timeout with Sam to sort out my head.’ Everyone will understand, because they need that sometimes, too."
I nodded, knowing she was right on many levels. "Okay. I see what you mean."
She smiled in reply, "Then I’ll go let everyone know you’re okay, which will leave you two to be together and talk. I’ll be here in the morning to check you over again."
I smiled, “Thanks, Emily… for everything.” She smiled and left the room quietly without another word, so I burrowed back into Sam’s embrace.
He continued his random patterns along my back as I whispered, "Don’t let me go. Please, Sam."
He tightened his hold on me while replying, "Never, Sweetheart. I’ll never let you go. I’ll always be right here to hold you."
I looked into his eyes. I knew right then that I had to tell him. I needed him to know.
"I’m scared, Sam. I love you, and I’m scared that with everything going so fast, you’ll slip out of reach. I can’t even bear to think about what would happen then. It hurts too much, Sam."
He hugged me to him, then whispered against my neck, "Say it again, Isabella. Please, tell me again."
I pulled gently on his hair so he would look at me, then said softly, “I love you, Sam Uley… with everything I am.”
Instantly, he was placing kisses all over my face, whispering between pecks, “I… love… you… too… Isabella… God… do I… love… you...”
I giggled, but he finally placed his lips against mine, turning my giggle into a hum. We kissed tenderly for a few moments, then he whispered against my lips, "I love you too, Angel. You won’t lose me. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere."
I let out a breath, then he asked, “Are you ready to talk?”
I nodded while saying, "Let’s lay back, though. I want to lean back against you."
He smiled, helped me turn around, sat me between his legs, then leaned back. I took a couple of sips of my tea, then leaned back against him, placing my hands on his thighs. He wrapped his arms around me, placing his hands low on my stomach. I touched his fingers, “How do you feel about this?”
I felt him smile against my shoulder, then he trailed his lips along my mark while whispering, "I can’t wait. Am I nervous? Certainly. Am I scared I’ll screw up? Shitless. I’m more excited than I could ever express, but I’m also worried about you and the pregnancy being too much on you. Mostly I just want to worship every inch of you for being able to carry our children inside of you. I know we can do this, Isabella. You are stronger than you realize, and together, I know we can do this."
I knew I needed to voice what I was feeling, so I bit my lip as I took a deep breath, then said, "I’m glad I’m not the only one nervous and scared. I never really had a good role model for a mom. I was the one who always took care of her, yet I don’t even know if that helped or hurt. She’s flighty and scatter-brained. What kind of role model am I going to be when it’s not just one baby, but two or more at once that depend on me… us, but you know what I mean."
He nodded, then seemed to think for only a split second before saying, "You’ll be a wonderful mother, Isabella. Look at what you're already trying to achieve for the pack. Unconditional shelter, a place for them to study and keep their grades up, offering to tutor if need be, plus wanting to make sure they stay fed. You're already teaching them manners, showing them how to care for themselves and their imprints the way they should. There are so many things, and you don’t even realize you’ve already taken them in as your surrogate cubs. If you ask any of the people downstairs, they’ll tell you the same thing I just did. You’ll be an excellent mother to our children. Now, what else are you worried about?"
I winced, "The pregnancy itself. Quil said they’d be strong. I’m just human, Sam. I don’t have super senses or strength… and I’m really small. I could probably carry one alright, but two or three? I’m afraid my body will give out, that I won’t be strong enough to handle them."
He cradled my stomach as he responded softly, "We’ll need to get the full information from Quil, but medicine has come along way since his generation was born. I’m sure Emily will be able to give us tips on what to do, and she’ll be keeping a close eye on you from now on. She might want to do things like boosting your dairy intake to help your bones stay strong, or make you stay off your feet once you get to a certain point in the pregnancy. There are many things that can help us. We just need to find out the full information, then talk to Emily to see what she suggests."
I bit my lip before asking hopefully, "You think I can do it? Really?"
He chuckled, “I’m still worried, but like I said… we can get through all of this together.”
I nodded while releasing another breath, "Okay. We can do this. We have a lot of people around that will help if we need it. It’s not like we’re alone with no one around."
Sam gave me a definitive head bob, “That’s the spirit, Angel.”
I smiled as I turned to straddle his waist, asking, "Just promise me one thing? Promise me we won’t lose us… that we’ll always make time for just you and me. I don’t want to become those parents that lose sight of the couple because of the family. Does that make sense?"
He smiled as he kissed me softly, “It makes perfect sense, and I do promise.”
I smiled, kissed him softly, then he asked, “Would you like to go back downstairs, or do you want to crawl into bed?”
I shook my head, “No matter how tempting being naked in bed with you sounds, I’d like to go back down for a while.”
He chuckled, then pulled the plug before setting me gently down on the floor in front of the tub. I got my towel and handed him his, then dried off. Next, I pulled the clip out of my hair that he had pinned my ponytail up with. I smiled at him, then went into my closet. I found my gray romper, a cotton racerback bra and thong set, then a pair of white and gray two-toned socks. After I dressed, I left my closet, only to see that Sam wasn’t in his.
I found him lounging on the bed waiting for me. I smiled at the sight while holding my hand out to him, “Ready to rejoin the crowd?”
He nodded, “As long as you’re with me.” He picked me up, wrapped my legs around his waist, cuddled me close to him, then we made our way back down to the great room.
There were a bunch of smiles and glad you’re backs when everyone saw us. I gave a smile in return, then said, "Thanks, guys. All I ask is that you please not mention Victoria, newborns, or the restoration any more tonight. Paul, when do you patrol?"
He shook his head at my subject change, “I’ll be going out at midnight, then call Sam at 6 when I’m done.”
I shook my head, "Get your ass up those stairs and find a bed. It’s almost 9 now, and you won't do anyone on the rez any good if you're too tired to keep your senses sharp and focused."
He ducked his head, offering a sheepish, “Yes, Ma’am,” but immediately sought Leah's gaze while wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
Leah chuckled in response, "Oh, no you don’t. You heard her loud and clear. March yourself right on up those steps alone, Buster. You wouldn’t get any sleep at all if I went up there, and you know it. I am not going against Bella on this."
He grumbled for a second, pecked Leah on the lips, then came to kiss me on top of the head, "Night, Bella. Thanks."
I looked at Jared, leveling my gaze at his smirk toward Paul, "You may not have patrol, Jared, but you do have school. I better not hear that you skipped tomorrow because you were too tired. Same for you, Kim. No skipping tomorrow. Both of you get sleep… whether it’s here, Sam’s (or rather Paul’s), or at your own homes… I don’t care where, but you need sleep."
They both nodded and promised, but when I didn’t get onto Leah about sleep, Jared whined, “Why does Leah not get scolded?”
I chuckled as I walked over to Sue, putting my hand on her shoulder, "First of all, Jared… you see right here? Her mother is in this room and knows I expect you all to get sleep. She can get onto Leah if she deems necessary. Second of all, Leah just said, and I quote, 'I am not going against Bella on this."
Leah laughed, but Sue swatted her arm, “No gloating, Leah, or you’ll get that talking to.”
I smiled, “Now that I’ve said my peace, I’m going to sit down and relax.”
Jared hugged Kim to him, "Sam, Bella? Do you need anything else from us tonight? If we want to get some sleep, we should be heading out soon. Kim’s mom wants her home tonight."
I shook my head as Sam said, “No, but make sure you do get some sleep.”
Kim hugged me, Jared kissed the top of my head, then they said goodbye to the others. I called out as they walked towards the side door, "Night guys. Drive safe." They nodded, then closed the door softly behind them.
As I sat on the couch in Sam’s lap, Sue called, “Bella, would you like a snack?”
I smiled, “Did you get the Fiddle Faddle at the store?”
She nodded with a chuckle, "I’ll bring it right in. What would you like to drink?"
I bit my lip as I thought, then answered, "Chocolate milk, please. A tall glass."
She nodded before disappearing into the kitchen with Charlie, then Leah sat next to us taking my hand. I could hear the worry in her voice as she asked, "Are you alright? I know what Charlie and the doc said, but are you really okay?"
I smiled softly at the concern she showed, "Yes, Hun. I’m really okay. I just hadn’t taken time to process anything since the other night when Sam found me. I had too much unprocessed shit in the inbox, so to speak. Sam and I worked through most of what was bothering me. The rest will be settled when we get all of the pregnancy information from Quil and Emily."
She nodded as she played with my hand, "We were all worried. Mom is giving me time off from the diner to come and help you. She said you need my help more than she does. I agree with her. I’d like to take you up on the offer of helping with the research. Kim wants to, too, but she won’t be able to help as much with school. If the offer still stands, I'll crash here, so that I can do breakfast in the morning for you. We can go over the plans and the samples as you relax in the morning."
I nodded, "That sounds perfect, Leah. Are you sure you can take the time off?"
Sue responded as she came in with my snack, "I wouldn’t have it any other way, Bella. She’s only there for a couple of hours a day. I really don’t need to keep her there, when there’s so much more she could be doing here. She wants to, and I insist."
I nodded, "Alright, then. I guess I have an assistant, now. We’ll need to get everything organized, so we’ll need a dividable subject binder to write our notes on for each room. Plus, I want to put copies of all of the printed out furniture orders in there. I also need all of the before pictures downloaded to my laptop, so we’ll need to figure out if the house is set up for wireless yet."
Charlie grinned at me, offering proudly, “The house is set up, and your laptop should already be configured into the root thing.”
I chuckled, “It’s a router, Dad, and who configured it?”
Leah answered right away, "Paul did it while you were sleeping on the couch this afternoon. He knew you’d want to get online with it soon, and didn’t want you to have to fuss with it. As he put it, you’re unplug-and-play compatible."
I chuckled at that as Leah continued, "I’ll text Kim to have her send me the pics from her phone, then we can plug mine into your laptop while we eat breakfast to have them transfer. Do the plans have notations of what samples went where?"
I looked at Sam, but he said, “I didn’t notice, Sweetheart, though some of the sketches might give you what you need.”
I nodded, "We can check the plans in the morning. Sam, are you and Dad thinking about doing the carpeting upstairs and on the stairways tomorrow?"
He agreed with a kiss to my shoulder, "That’s the plan. We’ll also be checking on the baseboards while we do the carpet, to see if they’re all wood. None of the linoleum will come up until you go to take your test, though."
I nodded, "Oh, speaking of which... Dad, before you go to bed, I need you to write down that website for me. Leah, please don’t let me forget to call and schedule my GED test in the morning."
She nodded, then put a reminder on her phone as Charlie handed me a paper from his wallet. I put it in the pocket of my romper, then opened my box of Fiddle Faddle. Sam smiled at me, so I held it out to him, “Want some?”
He kissed my lips lightly, said thank you, then took a small hand full.
I dug in as we all talked. Finally, 3/4 of a box later, I was full. I handed the box to Sam, who nuzzled into my neck, “All done, my little Beauty?”
I nodded, "I’m full now. I can’t eat anymore. You can finish it." He nodded, snacking on the rest as we continued to talk with Charlie, Sue, and Leah.
When Sam was almost done, Leah got up to kiss my cheek, "I’m going to take the other spare room tonight, so there’s no chance of waking Paul. That leaves Jared’s old room, the new nursery, open to give you two more privacy."
I nodded, "Thanks, Leah. I think I saw spare sheets in that closet when I did the tour. I’m usually not a late sleeper, but who knows."
She laughed, "No worries, Bella. If you’re anything like me, you need to wake up a bit before you eat, so I’ll just wait to start until I know you’re up."
I smiled, "Night, Leah. Sleep well." She squeezed my hand gently, then kissed both Charlie and Sue on the cheek before leaving the room.
I looked over to the other couch where Charlie and Sue were. I couldn't help but grin at the sight. Sue was tucked under his arm with hers around his waist, and they were looking at each other with a loving expression. I was so happy Charlie found love again, especially in a wonderful person like Sue.
He whispered something in her ear, but by the blush that spread across her cheeks, I didn’t even want to know what that was about. Just… eww.
Sam chuckled, whispering, "Just don’t think about that, Angel, and all will be well. Are you almost ready for that massage I promised?"
I hummed at the thought of massage, "More than ready. It’s been a tense day."
Charlie and Sue stood, then he smiled at me, "Night, Princess. You want me to lock up?"
I looked up at Sam, “Jared or Kim will call if something happens and they need to crash?”
Sam nodded, so I said, "Yeah, Dad. Would you mind locking up for us? I was promised a massage to help get rid of all the stress of the day."
He chuckled, then I heard Sue whisper, “Ooh, that sounds wonderful.”
I nodded at her, hugging her to me, “Thank you, thank you… so very much for everything… especially making that man right there so happy.”
She squeezed me gently, "He makes me just as happy, Bella. You two have a good night, but remember what Emily said."
I nodded in understanding as she continued. “I’ll see you for a bit after work tomorrow, but then Seth is coming home. He doesn’t know anything.”
I acknowledged that, then let go of her. I hugged Charlie next, whispering goodnight. When I released him, he patted my stomach gently, “Is it crazy that I’m hoping?”
I chuckled, "It’s just a couple of weeks, although I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand the suspense that long. A blood test should tell us around 7-10 days after conception, and Emily thinks we already conceived, so I may just have to ask her if she’ll do one in 8 or 9 days. Then we should know for sure. I don’t think I could wait out a couple of weeks for Sam to be able to hear the heartbeats."
Sam nuzzled into my neck as he hugged me from behind, "I don’t think I can wait that long either, Angel. I'll want to know as soon as possible if you’re carrying our children."
I smiled, "Then I guess it’s settled. I’ll ask Emily tomorrow about doing the blood test as soon as the 8 or 9 days are up. Now come on, Mr. Uley… it’s time for that massage you promised me."
He swooped me up, placing kisses all over my face while saying, “It is, isn’t it, my sweet mate?”
Charlie chuckled, so I called over Sam’s shoulder, "Night, Dad. Night, Sue." They both laughed, calling their goodnights, then Sam kissed me passionately on the way up the stairs.
Bella's POV
This was all too much… too much to handle at once. I couldn’t process any more information. Sam took my face in his hands, looked into my eyes, then without looking away from me, said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Come on, Angel. You need a break for a few minutes. Would you like a warm bath, or would you rather go out to sit on the porch?"
All I could manage to get out was a shaky, "Quiet. Bath."
He swooped me up in his arms without another word. As we got to the stairs, I heard him ask Sue to make some tea for Emily to bring me, knowing she would want to look me over.
I didn’t register anything else until I was in the tub sitting up, with Sam’s arms wrapped around me as I hugged his body tightly. I felt his fingers dancing along my spine, then heard a feminine voice call softly, "Sam, I brought the tea. May I come in?"
Sam called for Emily to come in, but I couldn’t move from my spot to see if we were covered. I did smell bubbles, though, so I hoped we were.
Emily sat on the step up into the tub after placing the tea on the ledge, then whispered, “Charlie said that he’s known her to shut down when her mind becomes overloaded, so she can process everything.”
I felt Sam nod softly, "I felt her emotions. It almost seemed like she was in shock at first, but when I looked at her, I knew she couldn’t handle any more. She hasn’t really had any time to process anything since the night in the woods…"
I whimpered while tightening my hold on Sam, not wanting to talk about that, but he cooed as he kissed my shoulder, "Shh. You’re right here with me, Isabella, and we won’t talk about that night. Can you look at me, Angel? Show me you’re here with me."
I inhaled his scent deeply, then loosened my arms enough to look up at him. He smiled softly, "There we are. Can you talk to me?"
I nodded, whispering softly, “Sorry for scaring you.”
He chuckled, “It's quite alright, Sweetheart… but please, you need to slow down; take time to process things from now on.”
I nodded, then Emily said, “How are you feeling now?”
I thought for a minute before explaining, "It was just too much. The forest, imprinting, Dad and Sue, my GED, the move, house restoration, baby stuff, Victoria… I just didn’t have time to process any of it with everything happening all at once. Then I’m told I won’t just be bringing one life into the world, but two or more at once, and I'll end up having several children. That's not even mentioning that I won’t have a regular multiple pregnancy. I just couldn’t handle anymore. I’m still a little shaky, but I’m alright now. I need rest -definitely no more new information for tonight- but I’m alright."
Emily nodded in finality, then looked between Sam and me for a moment. "That sounds just like what I was going to say. I want you to either sit in here or crawl into bed, then talk at least some of this through with Sam. He is your rock through all of this, Bella, and you need to be able to just say to everyone else, ‘Stop… I need a timeout with Sam to sort out my head.’ Everyone will understand, because they need that sometimes, too."
I nodded, knowing she was right on many levels. "Okay. I see what you mean."
She smiled in reply, "Then I’ll go let everyone know you’re okay, which will leave you two to be together and talk. I’ll be here in the morning to check you over again."
I smiled, “Thanks, Emily… for everything.” She smiled and left the room quietly without another word, so I burrowed back into Sam’s embrace.
He continued his random patterns along my back as I whispered, "Don’t let me go. Please, Sam."
He tightened his hold on me while replying, "Never, Sweetheart. I’ll never let you go. I’ll always be right here to hold you."
I looked into his eyes. I knew right then that I had to tell him. I needed him to know.
"I’m scared, Sam. I love you, and I’m scared that with everything going so fast, you’ll slip out of reach. I can’t even bear to think about what would happen then. It hurts too much, Sam."
He hugged me to him, then whispered against my neck, "Say it again, Isabella. Please, tell me again."
I pulled gently on his hair so he would look at me, then said softly, “I love you, Sam Uley… with everything I am.”
Instantly, he was placing kisses all over my face, whispering between pecks, “I… love… you… too… Isabella… God… do I… love… you...”
I giggled, but he finally placed his lips against mine, turning my giggle into a hum. We kissed tenderly for a few moments, then he whispered against my lips, "I love you too, Angel. You won’t lose me. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere."
I let out a breath, then he asked, “Are you ready to talk?”
I nodded while saying, "Let’s lay back, though. I want to lean back against you."
He smiled, helped me turn around, sat me between his legs, then leaned back. I took a couple of sips of my tea, then leaned back against him, placing my hands on his thighs. He wrapped his arms around me, placing his hands low on my stomach. I touched his fingers, “How do you feel about this?”
I felt him smile against my shoulder, then he trailed his lips along my mark while whispering, "I can’t wait. Am I nervous? Certainly. Am I scared I’ll screw up? Shitless. I’m more excited than I could ever express, but I’m also worried about you and the pregnancy being too much on you. Mostly I just want to worship every inch of you for being able to carry our children inside of you. I know we can do this, Isabella. You are stronger than you realize, and together, I know we can do this."
I knew I needed to voice what I was feeling, so I bit my lip as I took a deep breath, then said, "I’m glad I’m not the only one nervous and scared. I never really had a good role model for a mom. I was the one who always took care of her, yet I don’t even know if that helped or hurt. She’s flighty and scatter-brained. What kind of role model am I going to be when it’s not just one baby, but two or more at once that depend on me… us, but you know what I mean."
He nodded, then seemed to think for only a split second before saying, "You’ll be a wonderful mother, Isabella. Look at what you're already trying to achieve for the pack. Unconditional shelter, a place for them to study and keep their grades up, offering to tutor if need be, plus wanting to make sure they stay fed. You're already teaching them manners, showing them how to care for themselves and their imprints the way they should. There are so many things, and you don’t even realize you’ve already taken them in as your surrogate cubs. If you ask any of the people downstairs, they’ll tell you the same thing I just did. You’ll be an excellent mother to our children. Now, what else are you worried about?"
I winced, "The pregnancy itself. Quil said they’d be strong. I’m just human, Sam. I don’t have super senses or strength… and I’m really small. I could probably carry one alright, but two or three? I’m afraid my body will give out, that I won’t be strong enough to handle them."
He cradled my stomach as he responded softly, "We’ll need to get the full information from Quil, but medicine has come along way since his generation was born. I’m sure Emily will be able to give us tips on what to do, and she’ll be keeping a close eye on you from now on. She might want to do things like boosting your dairy intake to help your bones stay strong, or make you stay off your feet once you get to a certain point in the pregnancy. There are many things that can help us. We just need to find out the full information, then talk to Emily to see what she suggests."
I bit my lip before asking hopefully, "You think I can do it? Really?"
He chuckled, “I’m still worried, but like I said… we can get through all of this together.”
I nodded while releasing another breath, "Okay. We can do this. We have a lot of people around that will help if we need it. It’s not like we’re alone with no one around."
Sam gave me a definitive head bob, “That’s the spirit, Angel.”
I smiled as I turned to straddle his waist, asking, "Just promise me one thing? Promise me we won’t lose us… that we’ll always make time for just you and me. I don’t want to become those parents that lose sight of the couple because of the family. Does that make sense?"
He smiled as he kissed me softly, “It makes perfect sense, and I do promise.”
I smiled, kissed him softly, then he asked, “Would you like to go back downstairs, or do you want to crawl into bed?”
I shook my head, “No matter how tempting being naked in bed with you sounds, I’d like to go back down for a while.”
He chuckled, then pulled the plug before setting me gently down on the floor in front of the tub. I got my towel and handed him his, then dried off. Next, I pulled the clip out of my hair that he had pinned my ponytail up with. I smiled at him, then went into my closet. I found my gray romper, a cotton racerback bra and thong set, then a pair of white and gray two-toned socks. After I dressed, I left my closet, only to see that Sam wasn’t in his.
I found him lounging on the bed waiting for me. I smiled at the sight while holding my hand out to him, “Ready to rejoin the crowd?”
He nodded, “As long as you’re with me.” He picked me up, wrapped my legs around his waist, cuddled me close to him, then we made our way back down to the great room.
There were a bunch of smiles and glad you’re backs when everyone saw us. I gave a smile in return, then said, "Thanks, guys. All I ask is that you please not mention Victoria, newborns, or the restoration any more tonight. Paul, when do you patrol?"
He shook his head at my subject change, “I’ll be going out at midnight, then call Sam at 6 when I’m done.”
I shook my head, "Get your ass up those stairs and find a bed. It’s almost 9 now, and you won't do anyone on the rez any good if you're too tired to keep your senses sharp and focused."
He ducked his head, offering a sheepish, “Yes, Ma’am,” but immediately sought Leah's gaze while wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
Leah chuckled in response, "Oh, no you don’t. You heard her loud and clear. March yourself right on up those steps alone, Buster. You wouldn’t get any sleep at all if I went up there, and you know it. I am not going against Bella on this."
He grumbled for a second, pecked Leah on the lips, then came to kiss me on top of the head, "Night, Bella. Thanks."
I looked at Jared, leveling my gaze at his smirk toward Paul, "You may not have patrol, Jared, but you do have school. I better not hear that you skipped tomorrow because you were too tired. Same for you, Kim. No skipping tomorrow. Both of you get sleep… whether it’s here, Sam’s (or rather Paul’s), or at your own homes… I don’t care where, but you need sleep."
They both nodded and promised, but when I didn’t get onto Leah about sleep, Jared whined, “Why does Leah not get scolded?”
I chuckled as I walked over to Sue, putting my hand on her shoulder, "First of all, Jared… you see right here? Her mother is in this room and knows I expect you all to get sleep. She can get onto Leah if she deems necessary. Second of all, Leah just said, and I quote, 'I am not going against Bella on this."
Leah laughed, but Sue swatted her arm, “No gloating, Leah, or you’ll get that talking to.”
I smiled, “Now that I’ve said my peace, I’m going to sit down and relax.”
Jared hugged Kim to him, "Sam, Bella? Do you need anything else from us tonight? If we want to get some sleep, we should be heading out soon. Kim’s mom wants her home tonight."
I shook my head as Sam said, “No, but make sure you do get some sleep.”
Kim hugged me, Jared kissed the top of my head, then they said goodbye to the others. I called out as they walked towards the side door, "Night guys. Drive safe." They nodded, then closed the door softly behind them.
As I sat on the couch in Sam’s lap, Sue called, “Bella, would you like a snack?”
I smiled, “Did you get the Fiddle Faddle at the store?”
She nodded with a chuckle, "I’ll bring it right in. What would you like to drink?"
I bit my lip as I thought, then answered, "Chocolate milk, please. A tall glass."
She nodded before disappearing into the kitchen with Charlie, then Leah sat next to us taking my hand. I could hear the worry in her voice as she asked, "Are you alright? I know what Charlie and the doc said, but are you really okay?"
I smiled softly at the concern she showed, "Yes, Hun. I’m really okay. I just hadn’t taken time to process anything since the other night when Sam found me. I had too much unprocessed shit in the inbox, so to speak. Sam and I worked through most of what was bothering me. The rest will be settled when we get all of the pregnancy information from Quil and Emily."
She nodded as she played with my hand, "We were all worried. Mom is giving me time off from the diner to come and help you. She said you need my help more than she does. I agree with her. I’d like to take you up on the offer of helping with the research. Kim wants to, too, but she won’t be able to help as much with school. If the offer still stands, I'll crash here, so that I can do breakfast in the morning for you. We can go over the plans and the samples as you relax in the morning."
I nodded, "That sounds perfect, Leah. Are you sure you can take the time off?"
Sue responded as she came in with my snack, "I wouldn’t have it any other way, Bella. She’s only there for a couple of hours a day. I really don’t need to keep her there, when there’s so much more she could be doing here. She wants to, and I insist."
I nodded, "Alright, then. I guess I have an assistant, now. We’ll need to get everything organized, so we’ll need a dividable subject binder to write our notes on for each room. Plus, I want to put copies of all of the printed out furniture orders in there. I also need all of the before pictures downloaded to my laptop, so we’ll need to figure out if the house is set up for wireless yet."
Charlie grinned at me, offering proudly, “The house is set up, and your laptop should already be configured into the root thing.”
I chuckled, “It’s a router, Dad, and who configured it?”
Leah answered right away, "Paul did it while you were sleeping on the couch this afternoon. He knew you’d want to get online with it soon, and didn’t want you to have to fuss with it. As he put it, you’re unplug-and-play compatible."
I chuckled at that as Leah continued, "I’ll text Kim to have her send me the pics from her phone, then we can plug mine into your laptop while we eat breakfast to have them transfer. Do the plans have notations of what samples went where?"
I looked at Sam, but he said, “I didn’t notice, Sweetheart, though some of the sketches might give you what you need.”
I nodded, "We can check the plans in the morning. Sam, are you and Dad thinking about doing the carpeting upstairs and on the stairways tomorrow?"
He agreed with a kiss to my shoulder, "That’s the plan. We’ll also be checking on the baseboards while we do the carpet, to see if they’re all wood. None of the linoleum will come up until you go to take your test, though."
I nodded, "Oh, speaking of which... Dad, before you go to bed, I need you to write down that website for me. Leah, please don’t let me forget to call and schedule my GED test in the morning."
She nodded, then put a reminder on her phone as Charlie handed me a paper from his wallet. I put it in the pocket of my romper, then opened my box of Fiddle Faddle. Sam smiled at me, so I held it out to him, “Want some?”
He kissed my lips lightly, said thank you, then took a small hand full.
I dug in as we all talked. Finally, 3/4 of a box later, I was full. I handed the box to Sam, who nuzzled into my neck, “All done, my little Beauty?”
I nodded, "I’m full now. I can’t eat anymore. You can finish it." He nodded, snacking on the rest as we continued to talk with Charlie, Sue, and Leah.
When Sam was almost done, Leah got up to kiss my cheek, "I’m going to take the other spare room tonight, so there’s no chance of waking Paul. That leaves Jared’s old room, the new nursery, open to give you two more privacy."
I nodded, "Thanks, Leah. I think I saw spare sheets in that closet when I did the tour. I’m usually not a late sleeper, but who knows."
She laughed, "No worries, Bella. If you’re anything like me, you need to wake up a bit before you eat, so I’ll just wait to start until I know you’re up."
I smiled, "Night, Leah. Sleep well." She squeezed my hand gently, then kissed both Charlie and Sue on the cheek before leaving the room.
I looked over to the other couch where Charlie and Sue were. I couldn't help but grin at the sight. Sue was tucked under his arm with hers around his waist, and they were looking at each other with a loving expression. I was so happy Charlie found love again, especially in a wonderful person like Sue.
He whispered something in her ear, but by the blush that spread across her cheeks, I didn’t even want to know what that was about. Just… eww.
Sam chuckled, whispering, "Just don’t think about that, Angel, and all will be well. Are you almost ready for that massage I promised?"
I hummed at the thought of massage, "More than ready. It’s been a tense day."
Charlie and Sue stood, then he smiled at me, "Night, Princess. You want me to lock up?"
I looked up at Sam, “Jared or Kim will call if something happens and they need to crash?”
Sam nodded, so I said, "Yeah, Dad. Would you mind locking up for us? I was promised a massage to help get rid of all the stress of the day."
He chuckled, then I heard Sue whisper, “Ooh, that sounds wonderful.”
I nodded at her, hugging her to me, “Thank you, thank you… so very much for everything… especially making that man right there so happy.”
She squeezed me gently, "He makes me just as happy, Bella. You two have a good night, but remember what Emily said."
I nodded in understanding as she continued. “I’ll see you for a bit after work tomorrow, but then Seth is coming home. He doesn’t know anything.”
I acknowledged that, then let go of her. I hugged Charlie next, whispering goodnight. When I released him, he patted my stomach gently, “Is it crazy that I’m hoping?”
I chuckled, "It’s just a couple of weeks, although I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand the suspense that long. A blood test should tell us around 7-10 days after conception, and Emily thinks we already conceived, so I may just have to ask her if she’ll do one in 8 or 9 days. Then we should know for sure. I don’t think I could wait out a couple of weeks for Sam to be able to hear the heartbeats."
Sam nuzzled into my neck as he hugged me from behind, "I don’t think I can wait that long either, Angel. I'll want to know as soon as possible if you’re carrying our children."
I smiled, "Then I guess it’s settled. I’ll ask Emily tomorrow about doing the blood test as soon as the 8 or 9 days are up. Now come on, Mr. Uley… it’s time for that massage you promised me."
He swooped me up, placing kisses all over my face while saying, “It is, isn’t it, my sweet mate?”
Charlie chuckled, so I called over Sam’s shoulder, "Night, Dad. Night, Sue." They both laughed, calling their goodnights, then Sam kissed me passionately on the way up the stairs.