Catherine (J. Black)

Chapter Twenty Four

Jacob sits with Catherine's head in his lap as Rosalie paces behind him, Carlisle paces too, trying to figure out what the hell to do now. Jared stands against the wall waiting, just in case he is needed, Leah stands with him chewing on her thumb.

"How long has she been out?" He asks. Rosalie looks to her watch.

"30 minutes" she answers.

"This is the longest..." Jacob adds, Carlisle nods.

"Alright" Carlisle looks to Catherine. "Okay..." he moves and places his hands on either side of Catherine's abdomen and frowns. "Okay" he states. "Feels like it's trying to get out itself" Jacob and Jared share a look before Jacob looks to Carlisle.

"Meaning?" he asks.

"The baby is going through the motions..." Rosalie tells Jacob. "Trying to make his way out"

"And Cat?" Jacob asks.

"I think this is her bodies way of copping" Carlisle answers feeling the baby move.

"So she's going to be okay?" Rosalie asks, Carlisle looks to her.

"I still can't say" he admits and then stands rolling his sleeves up. "Okay, Jacob....if baby is ready to come out....I say we help him along..."

"You want me to...shift?" Jacob asks, Carlisle nods.

"Yep"

"In here?"

"Yep...." Carlisle looks to him. "Try not to hit any of us" Jacob breaths out a small laugh and slides out from under Catherine's head, Rosalie takes his place. Leah and Jared move to Jacob.

"Jake" Jared starts, Jacob nods.

"I got this, I can do it, for Cat" Jared nods and pats his shoulder, Leah and Jacob share a nod before she and Jared move across the other side of the room to stand with Emmett and Jasper. Rosalie strokes Catherine's hair and shares a look with Jacob, he nods and then phases as far from them as he can get without being out of the room, Jacob-wolf now stands with them. He looks to Carlisle who nods and pulls Catherine's shirt up baring her abdomen to the wolf. Carlisle takes a pen from Rosalie as she offers one, he draws a line across Catherine's stomach and looks to the wolf.

"On the line" Carlisle warns. The wolf nods and steps closer, but before he can do anything Catherine's back arches and there is a scrunching sound.

"What was that?" Jasper asks.

"Carlisle?" Rosalie asks as the doc moves to Catherine and touches her stomach.

"He's bitten through the amniotic sac. It has to be now Jacob!!" the wolf steps closer, Jacob then hesitates biting his girlfriend and his imprint open.

"Mutt!" Rosalie snaps. "Now!!" Jacob-wolf looks up at her. "Please" she begs softer. Jasper blinks a little and frowns as Jacob-wolf finally bites into Catherine's flesh, Leah and Jared look away. Carlisle moves in as soon as Jacob-wolf steps back, Jacob phases back and covers his mouth.

"Out the window" Rosalie tells him, Jacob nods and moves to throw up out the window. Carlisle pries the two parts of skin apart.

"Emmett" Carlisle states. "Hold this" Emmett looks conflicted, this is gross, beyond gross but she's his sister. "Emmett" Carlisle states again, Emmett moves and holds the two sides of skin but looks away and to Rosalie who reaches over to strokes his cheek.

"I love you both, but this is beyond weird" he tells her. Rosalie nods. Jacob wipes his mouth as he returns to them, Carlisle elbows deep in his girlfriend.

"I got it" Carlisle states and pulls out a tiny ickle baby, Jacob states at the baby, his baby, his child. Carlisle looks to Jacob. "A boy, it's a boy"

"Niklaus" Jacob tells them, Rosalie smiles a little, Jasper steps closer and frowns deeper.

"I can't feel her" he tells them, they look to him.

"What?" Carlisle asks.

"I can't....feel anything from her...." Jasper looks alarmed to Carlisle as Rosalie clocks on.

"No" she states looking down at her sister, Carlisle stands and hands Niklaus to Jacob who curls his hands around the baby.

"Save her, please" he begs, Carlisle looks to him sadly.

"I don't think I can....I don't know how to....if she was human....then I would know what to do...but I don't know how to bring a vampire back...all of this...none of this was supposed to be possible..." Carlisle threads his fingers through his hair, the usually composed doctor is falling apart. "And I don't know how to..." Jacob shakes his head.

"No, no, you have to do something" He begs. "You have to bring her back" Rosalie presses her forehead to her sisters as Emmett squeezes her shoulder.

"I'm sorry" Carlisle tells Jacob who moves around him to kneel on the floor with his son.

"Cat" he whispers, begging her to wake up, to get up, to be okay, to just be alive. He can't do this on his own. He looks down at Niklaus, greeny blue eyes staring up at him. He touches the boys cheek. "I'm sorry" he tells him. "I'm sorry"

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

Edward stands in the doorway to Catherine's room, Jacob sits against the sofa with Niklaus in his arms, Catherine's body still laying behind him, Jacob looks up at Edward.

"You win" Jacob tells him. "You win" Edward shakes his head.

"This isn't....I didn't want this"

"I hope you're happy" Jacob tells him looking down at his son. "I hope you and Bella are so very happy.....you get every thing you want...." Jacob nods and strokes Niklaus' head. "And Cat....well....she gets nothing" Jacob stands and moves closer to Edward. "And if it wasn't for my son, I would hit you for ever hurting her, for every thing you did to her" Catherine bolts upright sucking in a lungful of air, her first since 1935, she coughs and heaves in another breath as Jacob and Edward now stare at her. She clutches a hand to her chest and lays back down.

"Oh what the hell!???!!" she complains.

"Cat?" Jacob moves towards her as rubs her chest over her heart, she frowns and places her hand over it. Beating. Her heart is actually beating inside of her chest. Jacob and Edward both stare at her, she looks between them.

"Hey" she greets. "What happened?" Jacob laughs with relief and moves to her, sits on the edge of the sofa.

"We have a son" he tells her softly, she smiles and looks to him.

"Niklaus?" she asks, he nods as she sits up looking to the teeny tiny bundle in his arms. Jacob presses his palm to her cheek and she leans into it. Staring at him. He frowns.

"Cat" he states. "Your eyes" Jacob looks to Edward.

"Cat" Edward catches her attention, Catherine looks to him and Edward's eyes widen.

"What? What is it?" she asks.

"Your eyes....there.."

"Human" Jacob finishes. Catherine looks to him and places his hand on her chest. He stares at her.

"Do you feel that?" she asks.

"Your heart is beating" Jacob answers, she nods.

"And I'm breathing....I need to breath....I'm alive again" she laughs as Jacob kisses her. Edward vanishes, heading to find Carlisle.