Catherine (J. Black)

Chapter Twenty Three

Leah and Catherine sit laughing with one another, Leah licking at a spoon from her ice cream bowl.

"Okay...what else?" Leah asks looking to Catherine.

"Strawberries," Catherine tells her. "They're something I've always missed....and chocolate, there wasn't much though when I was human, the 20s was more about the sweet rather than the chocolate....but Rose, every weekend she'd take the 2 cents our mother gave her as 'spending' money and she'd walk to the nearest store to buy me a chocolate bar" Leah smiles at her.

"You were close? As humans?"

"She was my big sister" Catherine answers. "I looked up to her for everything...." Catherine grabs Leah's hand and Leah looks to her.

"Cat?" she asks.

"I'm fine" Catherine manages through clenched teeth.

"No, you're not" Leah moves closer. "What is it? Do you need me to get Jake?"

"No, it's nothing, it's just a twinge" Catherine lets go of Leah. "Sorry. I know you're not a fan of us"

"I like you" Leah tells her. "And you don't stink...and it's not so bad as long as I stay in here" She shrugs. "Plus kind of getting used to the smell.....and you are carrying a mini wolf" she teases. "Who's going to be awesome by the way..." Leah tells her smiling. "I just have this feeling" Catherine looks to her.

"Thank you, Leah" Catherine tells her, Leah smiles back.

..................

Jared laughs nudging Jacob, he and the pack walk through the trees back towards the treaty line.

"Come on though, Blaze? You really thought that was a good name?" Embry teases.

"Phoenix?" Paul snorts.

"Hey, Cat said she wanted different" Jacob argues.

"Well they're different alright" Quil mumbles.

"What did you settle on?" Sam asks.

"Nikaus" Jacob answers. "He's going to be called Nikalus" the wolves all nod, they all like it.

"Nice" Paul states. "What if it's a girl?"

"Cat's convinced it's a boy" Jacob answers. "Won't even think about girls names...though I think her sister has, which will be handy if it is actually a girl"

"You could just go with Nikki" Quil offers. Jacob looks to him. "Like a shorter version"

"Hadn't thought of that" Jacob states. "Thanks" Quil smiles and nods. "I kinda like it" they share a smile, both having missed each other as friends.

.......................

Back at the Cullen house, Alice, Esme, Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle stand in the room with Edward as they wait for Bella to wake up. Emmett and Jasper had argued about it, wanting to sit with Catherine instead, even with Leah around they'd rather be with her, which is where Rosalie is, sitting with Catherine and the she-wolf. The room freezes when Bella's eyes open, she bolts up and crouches defensively against the back wall, Edward is leaning across the operating table that had been her pyre, his hand reaches out towards her, his expression anxious. Emmett and Jasper stand in front of Alice, Esme and Carlisle, like there is a danger, Alice peaks around Jasper's elbow with a huge grin on her face.

"Bella?" Edward asks, low, calming, but still with worry thick in his tone. "Bella, love? I'm sorry, I know it's disorienting. But you're all right. Everything is fine" Edward reaches out and tentatively stokes his fingers across her cheek, Bella throws her arms around him. "Urn... carefully, Bella. Ow" Bella yanks her arms away folding them behind her back, she was too strong now.

"Oops," Edward smiles.

"Don't panic, love, you're just a bit stronger than I am for the moment"

"I love you,"

"As I love you," he tells her before kissing her again, someone clears his throat. Emmett.

"You've been holding out on me," She accuses and Edward laughs.

"It was sort of necessary at the time," he reminds her. "Now it's your turn to not break me." Carlisle steps around Emmett and walks towards her swiftly; his eyes are only slightly wary, but Jasper shadows his footsteps.

"How do you feel, Bella?" Carlisle asks

"Overwhelmed. There's so much. ..."

"Yes, it can be quite confusing."

"But I feel like me. Sort of. I didn't expect that." Edward wraps his arms around her.

"I told you so," he whispers.

"You are quite controlled," Carlisle muses. "More so than I expected, even with the time you had to prepare yourself mentally for this."

"I'm not sure about that."

"It seems like we did something right with the morphine this time. Tell me, what do you remember of the transformation process?"

"Everything was... very dim before. I remember the baby couldn't breathe..."

"Renesmee is healthy and well, What do you remember after that?"

"It's hard to remember. It was so dark before. And then... I opened my eyes and I could see everything"

"Amazing," Carlisle breaths, his eyes alight. "I want you to think – to tell me everything you remember, Oh, I'm so sorry, Bella," Carlisle apologizes immediately. "Of course your thirst must be very uncomfortable. This conversation can wait." Bella looks around the others. Noting a lack of Rosalie and Catherine, she's not all that bothered about the latter. As for Rosalie she walks in and moves straight to Carlisle, he looks to her.

"We have to do it now" Rosalie tells him. Carlisle nods as Bella frowns. Rosalie turns to the door. "Leah!" she states.

"I'm going" The she-wolf yells back running out the house to get Jacob. Carlisle looks to Bella.

"Hunt....we'll explain everything later" He offers.

"Why? What happened?" Bella asks looking to Edward who looks to the other, Rosalie glaring at him, he looks to Bella. "What is it?"

"Cat" Edward answers, Bella rolls her eyes. "It can wait though"

"No, tell me" Bella asks, Edward looks to Rosalie as Carlisle leaves the room, Jacob and Leah running past and up the stairs. "What happened?" Edward looks to Rosalie again, the blonde smirks.

"She's pregnant" Rosalie answers, Bella looks to her.

"No, she's not, vampires can't..."

"Well turns out the mutts got super sperm or something" Emmett teases. "Cause...Kitty's popping a mini wolf sprog out" Bella looks to Edward who shrugs.

"This is unbelievable" Bella mutters.

"Why?" Rosalie asks. "Cause you had to be the only one? Because only you get to have a happy ending? Catherine's earned this, she deserves this more than you do, that's for sure"

"Blondie!!" Jacob shouts. Rosalie looks to Emmett who nods, they both leave the room.