a/n: i don't really have anything to say, i just wanted to put this here.

Edward's not sure how long he's expecting Jacob's patience to last. If someone had presented this odd, little scenario to him a good six months ago, he would've said about a day. Past Jacob had about as much patience as a small child on Christmas morning. He'd tear off his own arm to solve a case. This Jacob, his Jacob, lasts about a week before he's going to Carver's under the guise of "meeting up with Mike for lunch". Edward knows better. He knows Jacob's felt cooped up despite his previous excitement at the news. Edward assumes his wolf had made him more enticed than he would've been previously by the idea of pregnancy. Now, he's getting texts from Emmett, who's standing at the entrance of Carver's watching Jacob grimace at whatever it is that Newton's shoving into his mouth. 

Edward wants to leave him be despite Emmett's protests. Despite their earlier fight, he doesn't really want to restrict Jacob from doing what little he can do. Jacob's spent enough time chained to this bed due to illness. Though, Edward's instincts are telling him to give Mrs. Roger's son a prescription for some fancy sounding Theraflu and get to that restaurant as fast as he can. 

The cops may have eyes on James, but he could move much faster than a standard cop car and he could certainly murder that entire restaurant of people before they'd even realized he'd left the location they'd pinned him at. Edward knew these things, Jacob may not. Plus, as a new dad, he's allowed to overreact. Pretty sure Bean is counting on him to be the irrational one. 

"Did you just call my kid 'Bean'?" He practically can see Jacob scowling at the nickname.

Maybe it's not detective work. Maybe Jacob's just there to tell Newton about Bean, but James has already proven that he can take out a target in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded place, this exact place, once. What's going to stop him from doing it again?

He eventually folds, cancelling the rest of his appointments for the afternoon. He shouldn't be around people who are contagious anyway, he doesn't want Jacob getting anything that may find its way onto one of his coats or on his hands despite the amount of times he sanitized them in day. 

He steps into the restaurant and immediately catches sight of Jacob while Newton immediately catches sight of him. He doesn't bother with pleasantries, pulling up a seat from an adjacent table to their table and plopping down into the chair. Jacob's glaring at him before he can even get comfortable. He tries to be as casual as possible so as not to completely spook Newton.

"Yeah, Emmett told me he'd fold me like a lawn chair if I didn't get my ass up here." 

Emmett had called in order to let him know where Jacob was and Edward had floated the idea of being overbearing. Emmett called him stupid, threatened him a time or two, and then hung up. He'd thought about it some more after the call while sticking a popsicle stick down some sickly kid's throat and now, he was sitting here pretending like Jacob didn't look like he was going to maul him to death.

"Couldn't you have picked a better restaurant? One that he doesn't bring his ritzy girlfriend to?" Edward asks, eyes darting over to where Emmett's grinning at the woman like she'd hung the fucking moon.

Newton tries to say something but it's garbled due to the fact that he looks like he's about to shit himself. He looks between the two of them like they're his parents about to berate him. Edward's not sure what he's walked into, but if Emmett wasn't watching him every time he looked like he was about to stand, he may have left them to it. Maybe waited out in the car.

Jacob's not going to tell him. Lately, he's like Fort Knox when he's angry. Whatever it is that they're keeping in between them, he'd have to wring it out of Newton, who's avoiding all eye contact. 

"Spill, Michael." Edward sighs, grabbing at the basket of gunk that looked like it was mostly cheese and not much else. 

Newton lets out a nervous chuckle before collapsing like a flimsy deck of cards.

"We lost sight of James." He spews, recoiling back in his seat. 

Edward's not sure what face he's making, but Newton looks like he's about hurdle over his seat and attempt a swift exit. He wouldn't make it very far; Edward would make sure of that. They'd lost eyes on James and he thought, with his flaccid brain, that it was a bright idea to sit in the middle of the restaurant where James started his little reign of terror.

Edward could kill him. 

Edward could reach across the table right now and slowly strangle him, but that would be wasting time. 

"Well, I'm sure you could get that poor excuse for a school lunch to-go." Edward says, threat clear in his voice. 

Newton nods like some kind of deranged bobblehead and motions for a waiter to come over. He gets his slop put into a container as quickly as he can. Edward can feel Jacob's eyes on him, but he'll deal with his wrath when he's safe. Mike pays for whatever monstrosity he's about to carry home with him while Edward corrals Jacob towards the car. 

He has this look in his eye. It's foreign to Edward. He doesn't have the time currently to dissect it, though 'cause it's quickly replaced by a different expression that Edward doesn't need to analyze much to understand. He knows fear when he sees it. Jacob's got his eyes glued on something over Edward's shoulder, body pressing further up against the car. Edward doesn't waste time, yanking the door open and lifting Jacob inside in one smooth motion before locking and slamming it shut. He spins around and, sure enough, finds himself staring at James.

He's stalking around cars, eyes on a target that's unknown to Edward right up until it's too late and Mike's hanging by his skivvy, visibly shaking. Edward turns towards the car door, mouthing for Jacob to get down before he slowly stalks around to get a better look. He gets about a second before a hand is pushing into his chest so hard that it feels like he's been stabbed.

"Well, well what do we have here?" James mutters, eyeing Edward as if he's shit under his shoe. 

Edward says nothing, making sure he doesn't look back, doesn't check to see if Jacob's moved.

"A little birdie told me you'd know where to find what I'm looking for." James hums with a smirk. 

Edward acts clueless, squinting at James like he's the one with something to lose here. 

"You might want to get out of here before the rest of the force shows up." Edward mutters.

The fist now grabbing his shirt, pushes further as if it's trying to open a wound of its own.

He's about to say something. Opens his mouth like he's about to give Edward the monologue of a lifetime, but the immense amount of sirens headed their way has him whipping his head around and allows Edward enough time to push him into the car adjacent to them. The car groans underneath him as Edward puts as much force in it as possible.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Edward hisses, ignoring the hand that's scrambling to try to rip his arm out of its socket. 

James peers towards the lights, towards Edward, and then back towards the lights.

"You know damn well who I'm looking for," then he's pulling Edward's arm back so hard that he can feel the pop before he's being sent into the passenger's side of his car. 

He's out of the parking lot before an officer can even spot him. 

Jacob's shaken up. He can tell by the way he's climbed into Edward's armpit and made a home there. He can also tell by the way the nest is doubling in size before his very eyes. He's pretty sure none of Quil's pregnancy pillows were in here yesterday. Along with that, he can practically smell the guilt radiating off of him. He constantly looks like he's about to start crying. Matter of fact, Edward was sure that he was sniffling when he wasn't around to hear it. 

Edward, of course, doesn't have it in him to be mad. He lets Jacob crawl up under him and kneed at the pillows around him like a little, distressed cat until he collapses on his chest. He lets him mope until he's exhausted and then he lays there for about three hours while he naps. 

Emmett had taken Mike home. Mike, who looked like he'd seen Jesus' return, was a shaking stuttering mess. Though, Edward would bet his entire aching arm that the man was stupid enough to be loyal to a fault. He hadn't said anything, probably couldn't say anything with how bad he was trembling. 

So, someone had told him something. Someone had sent him after Jacob. 

Though, if he were looking for Jacob. He'd have seen him before Jacob could even catch sight of him. He would've been stalking him, waiting for him as soon as they stepped into the parking lot. He hadn't made any attempt to get to him either. Maybe he hadn't been there for him. 

Edward replayed the scene in his head for the hundredth time. 

"You know damn well who I'm looking for."

He hadn't been there for Jacob. 

He'd been there for Edward. He thought Edward knew where Bella was. There was a good chance he'd followed him right up to the restaurant. If he'd followed into the restaurant, there was a good chance he'd followed him here. Edward blinks a few times as the realization hits him directly in the face before he's scooping up his phone.

To: Emmett, Jasper
We have a problem.

Edward contemplates moving. He dances with the idea of finding somewhere else to stay so that Jacob is safer. Only thing is, this is the safest place that he could be. A house full of werewolves was the last place any sane vampire would want to be. Edward wasn't an exception; he was just a little off kilter. 

Crazy enough to let a sleepy Jacob kiss him with his post-nap breath.

Crazy enough to contemplate distancing himself to keep Jacob safe. 

Though, the selfish part of him. The part that marked Jacob, the part that was willing to kill on his behalf, wasn't letting him. He'd practically pledged his own stupid form of loyalty that night so, here he was, tucked under Jacob's thumb.

"He wasn't coming after you," Edward mumbles into the top of Jacob's head, peeking down when the man peers up at him, "he was looking for me."

Jacob doesn't miss a beat.

"You leave me and I'll kill you." Jacob mutters into his neck and Edward's not sure how romantic a death threat can be, but his heart does get all warm and fuzzy at the proclamation regardless.

"That's sweet, but you're not safe around me as long as he thinks I have information. So, we're going to need an actual plan, Honey." He informs Jacob, who grimaces at the endearment.

"Isn't that what you have your minions for?" Jacob grumbles, clearly heading back towards lightly snoring into Edward's shoulder.

Edward lets out a sigh. So, they were relying on his boneheaded brothers. This should be good. 

"Fine, but your henchmen are going to have to up the security." Edward mumbles despite knowing that he's definitely talking to himself at this point.

That's how Edward finds himself sitting at Jacob's dinner table with Embry, Seth, Leah, Emmett, and Jasper. 

"So, if he thinks you have information, why don't we just move you somewhere else?" Emmett asks, confused as to why this was a complicated problem.

"'Cause Jacob will kill him." Leah provides as if it's an answer that's just as apparent.

"You don't just leave a pregnant werewolf." Embry mutters, peeking around the corner as if he expects Quil to waddle in at any moment. 

"Noted."

"So, we'll just have to make this place look more packed with werewolves than it already is. Either that or up the security to the point where it would be too much of a risk." Jasper provides.

"Easier said than done. Wolf packs don't mingle like that." Seth informs them. 

"Security system it is then. The police might not move fast enough or be able to do enough, but you'll know when he's in the area." Jasper concludes.

"And while you're doing that, we'll be shaking up things at the station." Emmett says in a way that tells Edward that he really shouldn't ask what he means by that.

"Great."

Jacob's a bit frazzled. He wasn't exactly hiding it; it was clear as day for at least Edward to see. He was clinging to him like he'd die if he wasn't somewhere near him. Thing is, he's got a lot of emotions fizzing around in his brain. He'd been irritated earlier, he'd admit it. He didn't want Edward making it a habit of following him around as if he wasn't his own person. As soon as he'd stepped into the restaurant, Mike had gulped like they were in a fucking cartoon. He'd felt like he'd created a tether that he was now regretting. This kid was going to give Edward a reason to handcuff him to the bed frame.

He was already expecting to argue his case, not caring if they were in public or not. He was his own person. He was expecting Edward to make just as much of a scene. What'd he gotten instead was Edward quietly prodding Mike for information, him silently threatening him, and then a madman attempting to hurt them. Much different than the verbal public brawl he'd prepared himself for. 

Worst off, he'd enjoyed, at the very least, Edward threatening Mike into oblivion.

It wasn't an uncommon feeling to experience when you were bonded with someone, to enjoy being protected, but it doesn't make it an easier pill to swallow. He'd made the executive decision to give up some of his autonomy and he'd do it again, but he felt the incessant need to push at the boundaries he'd might as well set for himself. That'd almost him killed.

He'd almost gotten them killed. 

He'd almost taken his entire family out.

"Hey you're still not moping, are you?" Quil asks, nudging at Jacob's back with his arm.

He's back in his spot with about ten pillows propping him up, courtesy of a distressed Jacob about two hours ago. He'd started collecting soft items with "nice" smells like that was going to make up for the dumb decision he'd made. It hadn't been his idea to go into Carver's, but Mike said that he had something important to tell him and Jacob thought it'd probably be the perfect time to tell him about how his time off was going. Er go, the break down he'd had and how that somehow resulted in a baby. 

"Hey, you know he's not mad at you? I don't think he could be if he tried." Quil calls over to him. 

He should be furious. Jacob would be mad; he should definitely be mad.

The bed groans a little as he peeks over Jacob's shoulder to see what he's doing.

"And, to be honest, I think it was a lesson you'd have to learn at some point. At least you're both okay." Quil says a bit more timidly.

Jacob sighs into Edward's pillow, which he's stolen as his own, and finds something else in the room to concentrate on. 

"Like early on, I almost fainted in the middle of the woods because I thought I could still keep up with the rounds." Quil says with a shrug.

That's not a raving lunatic trying to kill him, but Jacob will take it. 

Great.