(Thomas POV)
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Leah asked as the front door closed behind Edward and Jacob.
Edythe didn't take her eyes off the entryway, but still answered before I could. "Jacob's angry. Edward's worse. But neither of them is going to do something that can't be undone."
Leah snorted softly. "That's a low bar."
"It's the bar we have," Edythe said, and her tone made it clear she wasn't joking.
Bella sat on the couch, folded in on herself, hands resting over her belly like she could keep the world out if she held tight enough. Her eyes went to the door every few seconds. Waiting. Bracing.
I forced myself to move, because standing there watching her fade wasn't helping anyone.
"So," I said to Leah, keeping my voice light on purpose, "are we on lunch now, or is this still one of the Hobbit bonus meals?"
Leah's stare was immediate. "Ass. And yes. Elk... Now!"
Edythe's mouth twitched. "You asked."
I returned the half smile and went to the kitchen, pulling the elk from the fridge. Cutting it into strips had become a habit, easier for Leah, faster for me. Leah drifted close enough to steal a piece straight off the cutting board.
"Leah," I warned, without heat.
She chewed, unrepentant. "Just making sure it still tastes fresh."
Edythe leaned against the island, arms folded, watching Leah's face with that sharp, protective focus that had become constant. She wasn't smothering Leah, Edythe had learned how to hover without going overboard. And privately, I think Leah likes being looked after like this right now. The pregnancy makes her feel a little vulnerable.
The front door opened.
Edward and Jacob came back in with the kind of silence that meant nothing had been solved, just contained.
Edward didn't look at anyone. Jacob went straight to Bella.
"Can we all give them a little space?" Edward finally asked, voice controlled and flat. "Just to talk."
Rosalie was already on her feet. "No."
Edward's head turned slightly. "Rosalie."
"I'm not leaving her alone with him," Rosalie said, not even trying to soften it. "Not when you dragged him outside so the rest of us couldn't hear what you said."
Jacob's jaw tightened. His eyes flicked toward Bella, then away again like looking too long hurt.
Bella lifted her chin. "Rose, it's okay. I want to talk to him. He won't hurt me."
Rosalie didn't move.
Edward's voice stayed measured, but there was a crack in it now. "I will stay with you, Rose. I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm asking you to let her breathe for five minutes."
Rosalie's stare didn't change.
Esme's voice came quietly from the hall, firm in that way that made everyone listen without realizing they were obeying. "Rosalie. Bella is asking."
Rosalie held it another second…then her shoulders shifted like she'd swallowed something sharp. "Fine," she said. "But Edward stays where I can see him."
Edward nodded once, like that was all he'd expected.
I looked at Leah and Edythe, "Let's head upstairs. That should be plenty of space."
Leah hesitated for just a moment before nodding. Edythe agreed and started for the stairs. I quickly started to plate the Elk strips I had cut when Leah reached around me and grabbed a slice, placing it in her mouth with a mischievous smirk. I just shook my head, not really minding, but enjoying the game it had become between us.
Jacob, already halfway toward the couch, stopped short like he'd run into a wall. His nose wrinkled. "What the hell, Leah?"
Leah didn't even look guilty. She chewed, swallowed, then met his eyes like she'd been waiting for someone to comment.
"You've got a lot of nerve making that face," she said flatly. "You spent months eating fresh kills. No seasoning. No plate. No shame."
Jacob's mouth opened, then closed. Whatever comeback he'd planned died on impact.
Edythe's mouth twitched like she wanted to laugh but didn't want to risk it setting anyone off. She touched Leah's elbow, steering her toward the stairs.
"Come on," Edythe said, soft but firm. "Let them talk."
We moved upstairs together. Not rushing—because Leah couldn't rush right now even when she wanted to—but not dragging our feet either. Halfway up, I heard Bella's voice drift up from below, thin but steady.
And Jacob's, rougher.
I didn't try to listen. I didn't want to know.
When we entered our room and closed the door, the difference was immediate.
Downstairs was triage. Voices kept low. Movements measured. Everyone pretending they weren't counting Bella's breaths.
Up here… we were allowed to plan.
Leah sank into the lounge chair Edythe had dragged in here despite Leah saying she didn't want anything. I set the plate of elk on her lap and then lifted her feet into mine, thumbs finding the places that had been aching since the baby decided it liked sitting on every nerve it could find.
Leah let out a slow sound of relief. "If you tell anyone you're doing this, I'll deny it."
"I'll deny it for you," I said, and started working the next knot out of her arch.
Edythe perched on the edge of the bed, watching with that pleased, possessive calm she got when the people she loved were right where she wanted them. She reached over, took a strip of elk from the plate, and held it to Leah's mouth like Leah was royalty.
Leah bit it off, chewed, and then pointed at Edythe with a warning look. "Don't start."
"I didn't say anything," Edythe replied, innocent and utterly unconvincing.
"You're thinking loudly."
"I'm thinking about our future," Edythe said, voice sweet. "And how I'm going to win every argument in it."
Leah snorted. "Good luck."
I pressed my thumbs into Leah's instep and felt her body loosen another notch. "Okay," I said, "since we're up here in the room where we pretend the universe isn't trying to ruin everything… let's do the important thing."
Leah's brows lifted. "Which is?"
"Names," Edythe said instantly, like she'd been waiting for permission to strike. "I have a list."
Leah's eyes narrowed. "Of course you do."
Edythe smiled and began counting on her fingers. "If it's a girl: Elaraim. If it's a boy: Ephraim. If it's twins…"
"No," Leah cut in, immediately. "Absolutely not."
Edythe blinked. "Those are family names."
"They're historical figures," Leah shot back. "I'm not calling a baby 'Ephraim' like he's going to be born holding a staff and dispensing prophecies."
"That's discriminatory," Edythe said. "Some babies are born with great gravitas."
"Your baby would be," Leah muttered.
I couldn't help it…I laughed, and Leah's toes flexed in my hands as she tried not to smile.
"Fine," Edythe said, drawing the word out like she was humoring us. "Compromise. Middle names."
Leah narrowed her eyes again. "You don't do compromise."
"I do," Edythe said. "I simply do it in a way that still gets me what I want."
I leaned my head back against the chair and let myself enjoy the ridiculousness of it. "We don't even know what we're having."
Leah's hand slid to her belly, protective without meaning to be. "Ultrasound didn't work. Again."
"Because your child is stubborn," Edythe said promptly, like it was already a proven diagnosis.
"No," Leah corrected, "because your child is stubborn."
Edythe's eyes lit up. "Our child."
Leah looked away like she wasn't going to get emotional in front of both of us, not for anything. "Whatever. It kicks like it's trying to escape."
I worked my thumbs into the ball of her foot. "If it's a boy, he is going to be tall."
Leah scoffed. "Because you're a giant freak?"
"Yes."
Edythe's smile turned wicked. "And if it's a girl, she'll be terrifying."
Leah's eyes flicked to her. "Because of you?"
"Yes," Edythe said, pleased. "And because she'll be raised by you."
That earned Edythe a look from Leah that was almost fond. Almost.
I kept my tone light, because this was the room for it. "Where are we living when this happens?"
Leah answered without hesitating. "Our house. For now."
Edythe's gaze sharpened. "Close enough to my parents for Carlisle. Close enough to the treaty line that the tribe can't pretend you don't exist. Close enough to the hospital if we need to lie convincingly."
Leah stared at her. "You rehearsed that."
"I prepared," Edythe corrected.
I squeezed Leah's foot once and then switched to the other. "And college?"
Leah's mouth twisted. "I'm not giving up vet school."
"I wouldn't let you," Edythe said, like the idea offended her personally.
Leah's eyes narrowed again. "You don't get to 'let' me."
Edythe leaned in, unbothered. "Fine. I will, however, aggressively support you."
Leah made a sound like she was trying not to laugh. "That sounds worse."
"It is worse," Edythe said, satisfied. "You're going to have an entire coven backing your homework."
I pictured Carlisle proofreading Leah's papers, Emmett and Rosalie trying to build her a "mobile vet clinic" out of a truck, and pure chaos… The image loosened something tight in my chest.
Leah shifted in the chair, finally getting comfortable. "Okay. Fine. We can talk about stupid names."
Edythe's eyes gleamed. "Excellent."
Leah held up a finger. "But if you say 'Ephraim' again, I'm naming it Beau, or Kandy."
Edythe gasped like she'd been stabbed. "That's violence."
"It's consequences," Leah shot back.
I looked between them, still massaging and tossing in an idea here and there. Just to add to the chaos.
Downstairs could keep the fear.
Up here, we were allowed to build a future out loud.
It was during a lull in our conversation that we heard the front door close with more force than usual. Edythe stated the obvious, "Jacob must have realized he couldn't change Bella's mind."
We all stood and went downstairs to check on Bella. Despite my fears, she looked good. Not happy, but her skin looked less grey, and there was more energy in her than there had been for the last few days. It only took a minute for me to see why. Bella had the cup Carlisle had brought to her with blood in it. He must have decided it was working because it looked like he had refilled it.
Edward stood a few feet away, rigid, watching her like he couldn't decide if he wanted to grab the cup and throw it through the wall or kneel and thank God that it was helping.
Rosalie had taken her place again, right next to Bella. So close their shoulders nearly touched.
Carlisle's voice stayed calm, but his eyes were intent. "How do you feel?"
Bella blinked a few times, like she was taking inventory of her own body. "Less… sick. And honestly, a little hungry."
That was all it took to change the air in the room.
Not joy. Not a celebration.
But the first thin strip of hope anyone had been able to hold without it snapping.
Edward exhaled…one sound, almost a laugh and almost a sob, and turned his face away fast, like he refused to let anyone see it.
Carlisle smiled at Bella, "That's very good. Let's give it a little more time, and we can try to get you some solid food. Is there anything that sounds particularly good?"
Bella looked at Edward, and she gave him a slight smile, "Maybe some eggs?" She suggested like it had a hidden meaning.
Edward's face looked truly warm for a moment at her words, then his eyes went wide, and he turned his head towards the front door. Without saying a word, he stood and ran towards the security pad on the wall and typed in some numbers. Right away, the metal shutters closed over every window, and the doors double-locked.
He finally spoke words out loud that sent shivers down my back and flame in my head.
"Jacob is coming back with Seth in tow. Sam wanted to attack the house… He thinks we are bringing a threat to the tribe." His eyes didn't just look at Bella, but also looked at Leah. That's when the flames in my head grew so hot the rest of my body felt cold.