All Bark, No Bite [Jacob & Edward]

28

Jacob feels like he's in some kind of weird dream. He's stretched out across a bed staring up into the bright overhead light as Carlisle tinkers with equipment. Edward's standing next to him in full PPE, face shielded in a mask and Jacob's suddenly very thankful for the random surges of pain. He doesn't have to actually focus on Edward's face, how his eyebrows are furrowing despite himself. He's thankful he doesn't actually have to focus on what he's committed to. 'Cause he knows that something isn't going right, but no one's going to blame him for ignoring it and focusing on the contractions that feel like they're hitting one after the other. 

"Okay, it's time." He can hear Carlisle saying and Jacob's not sure what he's expecting, but everything after that feels like it's happening to someone else. He's sure the procedure has started, but he can only hear the bed groaning with the force of Edward's hands as he clamps down on the edges. Jacob can see him glancing steadily at the door, but he feels like he's floating. He feels like he could simply float away, and maybe the only thing keeping him in place is Edward's death grip on the bed. 

Carlisle is saying something in the background, but Jacob can barely parse his words. The doctor keeps up a constant chatter and, by the tone of his voice, whatever he's trying to get to Jacob is meant to be reassuring.

Edward's eyes aren't finding his. 

It's not the strangest thing. It wouldn't be odd for his eyes to be watching Carlisle or Esme, but his mind seems to be outside of the room. He's leaning protectively over Jacob now and Jacob can feel the rumble of his voice in the air. His tone sounds urgent. 

His eyes finally find Jacob's and his brows only furrow further.

"Jake, you alright?" It sounds muffled and distant, almost as if Jacob's hearing it through ear muffs. Jacob wants to answer him, but he's not sure how. 

He feels like he's experiencing everything through molasses. Out of all of the warnings Carlisle had given him, he doesn't remember this one. 

The only thing that brings him out of his sluggish state is a loud piercing cry down near his stomach. It's like a switch has been flipped. He glances down, trying to see past the bright lights and equipment, to see Carlisle handing off a sobbing, pink baby covered in fluid. It takes Esme heading his way for him to realize that it's his baby. She leans them down to quickly lay them against his chest for a brief moment.

"It's a girl." He hears her whisper. 

Just like that, he's back down on Earth. His baby girl. 

Jacob can't gather much from her appearance as she wails, only calming down for the time she makes contact with Jacob's skin, but Jacob can tell that she's a bit hairy.

She's gone as quick as she's here, rushed off to be cleaned up with the promise that she'd be back soon. Jacob wants to watch her disappear and wait patiently for her to return, but as soon as she's gone, Carlisle's talking again. 

"Okay, you next." He hears him hum.

Jacob can feel his heart clench. He's suddenly very much aware that this is the moment. This is the moment that he's been dry heaving and crying over for what feels like forever. Edward must sense his fear because he's back to leaning over him, even though his eyes are on Carlisle. 

There is a moment of silence that feels as if it stretches on forever before he hears another soft cry enter the room. Jacob feels his heart stutter in his chest as he watches Carlisle lift up another baby, relieved smile on his face as the baby's cries grow louder with each second.

"There you are," Jacob can hear Esme saying as she saunters back into the room with their little girl wrapped in blanket, "you had your daddies worried for a second."

"Another baby girl." 

Even as Esme rushes to make sure the incubators are ready, Jacob feels as if he's in some kind of weird dream. Edward's staring over at the twins in awe and Jacob's not sure if it's because they'd actually somehow managed to make it this far, if it was because they looked tiny in their little incubators, or if it was because he hadn't managed to make a boy.

They'd had two girls and both of them were very much alive and fighting Carlisle trying to put tubes up their noses and hook them up to machines. 

Jacob's not even sure what to think of it, but he's very much aware that he could no longer ignore the way Edward kept eyeing the door.

"What is it?" He sighs as he gingerly shifts on the bed trying to get comfortable.

"Good news and bad news." Edward sighs, finally looking over to Jacob. 

"Bad news first." Jacob decides, wishing that he could just lay back and close his eyes. Even if he couldn't sleep knowing that the kids were laying right next to him, he would at least like to pretend to sleep.

"The Volturi are closer than we thought they were. In fact, they're the reason that Bella's now immortal." He grumbles, eyes finding the door again.

"...Good news?" Jacob sighs out, shutting his eyes.

"Bella's been caught and, for some reason, she seems more pissed off with them than she does with us. She's agreed to help in the effort to fend them off." 

Jacob's not sure how he feels about that and he doesn't have it in him to take the time and think about it. He's had a long day and if Bella says she wants to suddenly die for him, so be it. At least she'd be dead. 

Jacob doesn't share that particular thought with Edward as he slowly scoots further down on the bed.

"You should sleep." Edward suggests, shifting around next to Jacob, "but before you go, I need to give you something." His voice is all soft and he's looking like he's suddenly very nervous even though Jacob just popped out two of his children.

Jacob is almost offended by the way he looks like he's about to start sweating now.

He watches as Edward rifles around in his pockets, pants still rustling because he hadn't even taken the time to remove the protective gear. He finally finds what he's looking for, fishing it out and popping open a little, black velvet box before sitting it on Jacob's chest. 

Jacob's suddenly aware that maybe Edward hadn't given him the entire run down, or maybe he hadn't given it in a way that would make Jacob feel as if the world was ending today. The way he places the ring down in front of Jacob without any of his usual flare for the dramatics has Jacob's stomach sinking to his feet.

He struggles to find anything to say, but Edward doesn't seem to mind as he gives him a kiss that definitely feels like one you'd give if you didn't plan on seeing someone again.

Then, he's out of the door, leaving Jacob to stare down at the box.