Stranger Love

18

"I'm pregnant."

The words hung in the air between them. Jacob had already expressed his happiness and confidence in them as parents, but Eleanor couldn't help the fear the struck her heart at the thought of giving life to an innocent little person. That was more responsibility than she really wanted to even think of. Eleanor blinked at her tears. "I'm so scared. We didn't plan this at all. We wanted to wait. I mean, we're just kids! Sam and Emily don't even have kids yet. You have a pack to run. I don't know if I can keep going back and forth with everything going on. How are we going to do this? I-I can't- Jake, I can't-"

Jacob crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around them, comforting both of them. He ran his hand over her hair in a calming manner. His voice was gentle in a way she hadn't heard before. "We'll make it work. Teenagers have kids all the time, and we have our lives figured out just a little more than they do. Do you know how much support you have behind you? You have the pack, the lee- Cullens. Charlie and Sue and Billy. Rachel will come around to the idea when we tell her. You're my entire life. Sam understands that. You even have support from his pack."

"You aren't mad?" Eleanor whispered against his bare chest. They'd gone over it before but she still wasn't sure Jacob was actually okay with this or if he just wanted to make her feel better.

"Of course not," Jacob spoke as if it were obvious. "We're having a family, El. A baby."

Eleanor pulled in a breath and looked up at him. She offered a tiny smile. "Yeah, we are. We really are."

"Have you gone to the doctor or anything?" Jacob asked.

Eleanor shook her head. "No. I wanted to tell you first."

Jacob pressed a kiss to her head before hugging her again. "We'll figure this out. I promise. Nothing is going to hurt you or our baby."

Word got out quickly about Eleanor and Jacob's secret wedding. Sam's pack wasn't too happy about it, and Paul griped about how it wasn't fair he didn't have the chance to propose to Rachel first. Sometimes Eleanor would get odd looks from people on the reservation. She did her best to ignore them. Her worry was more on what Jasper and her new family would think. Edward was the only one that knew. She was silently grateful no one knew about the pregnancy yet. Eleanor knew it was only a matter of time before the pack and Edward found out, and once they knew the rest of her new family would know. She wasn't ready to tell anyone but knew she needed to see a doctor. She contemplated what to do, stroking her fingers through Jacob's short hair, lying in bed one night. Jacob was snoring softly, the sound comforting her.

"El, honey, are you still awake?" Jacob mumbled a short while later. His voice was thick with sleep.

"Go back to sleep," Eleanor answered. 

Jacob was more awake now. He shifted to look at her. "You're thinking too hard about something. I can feel it."

Eleanor giggled despite herself. "Sorry. I've been thinking about what to do. I need to go see a doctor, but I don't know anyone here. I'm really nervous."

"Just go see Carlisle at the hospital," Jacob said tiredly. "He won't mind. Besides, I guess he's family now."

"I want to know how far along I am before we tell anyone," Eleanor blurted. "I know the chances of something happening before twelve weeks are higher. I just don't want to get everyone's hopes up, you know?"

"Come here," Jacob said. He moved and pulled her into his arms. "Nothing is going to happen to the baby. Both of you are going to be perfect."

"I know," Eleanor whispered. "I still want to know, though."