a/n: i'll edit it later

Edward's trying his best to move safely. He wants Jacob to be protected, but he doesn't want a giant, flashing brigade of cop cars surrounding them as they make their way across town. He wants just enough protection and discretion to get Jacob and Co. to their destination without too many questions. So, he gets a couple of cars from Emmett. Nothing too flashy but nothing that James would recognize. 

They're in the middle of four cars all heading towards the dock and Edward watches as the car in front and the one furthest behind turn off in different directions. They'd be heading for a private plane while the last two cars guided Edward and Jacob towards the peer. They park and watch as Stanley and Weber get out of the car in front of them and survey the area before Edward climbs out and guides Jacob towards their boat. 

It's admittedly less discreet than the cars, but Quil and Jacob would have to be on the thing for a couple of hours and Edward didn't want to make the trip any harder on them than it had to be.  Embry and Quil quickly join them and Emmett doesn't waste any time pulling away from the peer. James was fast, unfathomably fast and too smart for them to linger. So, they drift off towards the island before the sun can even find its way into the sky. 

Edward can feel relief wash over him despite himself. He should know better by now, but he can feel himself relaxing into the bed. It sits in the middle of the room that resides below the deck, it feels safe. They're only an hour into a six hour trip and he's lulled himself into a false sense of security. Anything that could go wrong definitely hasn't had time to go wrong yet.  

He realizes that when he looks over to see that Jacob's gone pale next to him.

"Hey, you alright?" He asks, shuffling so he can get a better look at the man. 

He hadn't put a lot of thought into things that could go wrong that didn't pertain to James. So, his mind immediately starts racing, fueling scenarios that range from improbable to impossible. 

Jacob doesn't say anything. He keeps his eyes down, but Edward can see that they're unfocused, like he's placed all of his attention elsewhere. Edward's about to ask again when he hears a low groan leave him before his hand shoots out to grip the little nightstand on his side of the bed. 

He's about to ask what exactly is wrong when Jacob abruptly stands up from the bed like he's been stung and heads for the bathroom before slamming the door shut. Not soon after he hears the man retch. It could be morning sickness or motion sickness, either way, Edward should've definitely seen this coming. 

He'd chosen to go by boat for Quil's sake. Quil was way too far along in his pregnancy to go on a plane and Jacob went wherever Quil went so that's why they were currently cooped up on a boat. Though, Edward had the sneaking suspicion that this would've been the outcome regardless. 

He manages to quietly slip into the bathroom and makes himself comfortable behind Jacob, rubbing at his back as he empties his stomach. When the spell of nausea finally seems to subside, he wraps his arms around Jacob's waist and listens to man grumble about something that he can barely discern. 

"Sorry, best I could do." He hears himself mumble into Jacob's neck. 

He'd bought this boat around the time that he and Bella had gotten engaged. He'd basically given the thing away to Emmett and Jasper and allowed them to use it for whatever they pleased, but he'd gotten this unexplainable urge not too long after he'd met Jacob and had asked Emmett to modify it a bit. There were fewer rooms, but the ones that were there were larger and lusher and the bathrooms had a little more space. Everything was less 'sleek' and instead felt softer, more homely. The modifications had been gradual, mostly unintentional but, at least subconsciously, he knew Jacob would eventually step foot onto the thing and he'd tried to make it as forgiving as possible. 

Jacob turns to look at him, clearly perplexed by the statement, but Edward doesn't say anything, moving to help him up from the floor.

Edward sets himself up again, thinking that this could be an easy enough fix to a not-so-complex problem. He shouldn't even be surprised when they step out of the bathroom to a frazzled looking Embry, who'd clearly been looking for them.

"He's having contractions." Is what he blurts out as soon as his eyes land on Edward.

It could be nothing. Could just be a couple of false contractions, he was far along enough for it to be the case, but he doesn't waste time on what-ifs as he follows Embry across the hall. He's expecting maybe Quil to be hunched over in pain or lying in a certain position with the hopes of alleviating discomfort. What he isn't expecting is to stumble in and see Quil standing in front of the bed, staring down at a wet patch on the floor, an expression on his sweat covered face that says he's just as perplexed as they are.

Quil's scared. Jacob can tell from across the hall. Hell, he could probably sniff out the scent from his room in Forks. Though, that's not the only thing he smells. Embry's clearly shaken up a bit, Edward's sweating but doesn't seem as out of his element as Embry and Quil, and he doesn't know if he could forget the smell of someone giving birth if he tried. He'd picked up the scent from a crime scene where a pregnant woman had come home to find her husband lying in a pool of his own blood, and it had yet to leave him. 

Jacob can hear them rushing around, Edward calling orders over to Embry who's trying his best to stay focused on following said orders. He can hear Edward telling Quil that he's "doing a great job" and his sweat glands, and what little sweat he produces, don't betray him. Jacob wants to be over there, wants to be of some use, but he feels as if he's walking using someone else's legs as the boat rocks underneath him. 

Don't you dare. He hears ring out in his head, and for a split second, he thinks he's lost it. He thinks this damned boat ride has taken all of the sanity he has left.

He hears a muffled "push" across the hall. 

Older cousins are going to worry regardless of what's happening to them and I think Quil has enough on his plate, Jake. He hears Edward's voice inform him in what must be his best 'placate Jacob' voice, but he's definitely not saying any of this out loud.

Jacob lets out a sigh and leans against the headboard, his mind focusing on Quil's sudden spike of pain as an intense contraction hits him. He can hear muffled cursing permeating through the walls. He can hear Embry trying to comfort Quil, but he can sense Quil's irritation with every word that comes out of his mouth. 

"Look at that, crowning already." He hears Edward inform the two. 

The statement is followed by a wave of relief. 

It's short lived for Quil as yet another contraction hits. There's a loud, long grunt where Jacob tries to focus on something else, but there's not a lot to focus on when there's nothing on the walls, there's nothing personal about the room, no hidden items to snoop through there's no signal for miles, there's nothing. He just has to listen as the grunt fizzles out into a whine. He can smell the tears before they can even hit the air. 

"Shoulders are out. On the next one, give me a nice, hard push, okay?" 

Quil doesn't take the request as well as he'd taken to the previous statements, but he says nothing as he pants, trying to catch his breath after the last contraction. It feels like it's been minutes, but Jacob looks over to the clock to see that it's been hours. 

The only thing that takes his eyes off of the time is the loud cry that rings out in the air. 

"A baby boy." Jacob hears Edward huff, clearly amused by something that Jacob can't see or hear. 

If anything, Edward could commend Quil on his timing. 

Jasper pops up five minutes after Edward was done cleaning up the baby and Quil. His face says he's clearly confused by the smells permeating through the ship until he catches sight of Quil holding a blanket to his chest.

"We're here." He says, eyebrows shooting up and mouth slightly parted, before he whips around and makes his way back up to the bridge.

"You might want to get back over there." Embry informs him, eyeing the door across the hall.

Edward wouldn't think too much into the suggestion, if it weren't for the way they both glance at him with a look in their eyes that said he clearly was not about to have the typical "you won't believe what just happened" conversation before sending Jacob to meet his cousin. It's a similar look to the one that they give him when he's pissed Jacob off. Embry looks as if he pities him.

He steps into what was supposed to be his and Jacob's room for the remainder of the boat ride to see the man looking up at him as if he was the one who'd just pushed out a 7 Ibs 3 oz human on a boat. 

"Jasper says -" 

He's cut off by a quiet hum that was most likely supposed to be a sentence. He saunters over and kneels down in front of the bed, hand running over Jacob's thigh.

"C'mon, let's get you onto a real bed." He mutters before standing to help Jacob up.

He's unsteady on his feet as he rocks back and forth, his eyes glazed over as if he's putting everything into just staying upright. He doesn't say anything until they've made their way off of the beach and onto the deck of their temporary abode and it's only coherent enough to warn Edward to move out of the way as he barfs in the sand nearby. 

Edward wonders if plane turbulence would have been more forgiving as he finally gets Jacob into some proper air conditioning. He allows Emmett to hall their luggage up to the house, instead focusing on running Jacob a bath as the man hugs the toilet bowl next to him. He's been sweating profusely since he'd stepped foot onto the boat and it had only gotten worse as the unforgiving sun shone down on the beach as they made their way up.

Jacob lays in the water like he's too exhausted to even move his arms so Edward slips into the tub and helps him clean up. It's the first time Edward's gotten the chance to really focus on him since they'd found out that he was pregnant and he, admittedly takes advantage, hand coming up to caress a faint bump that was forming low on Jacob's belly. He says nothing, eyes closed as his head rests on the back of the tub. He's exhausted. Edward slips the hair tie out of his hair and washes about 8 hours' worth of sweat out of the strands. 

Eventually, they make their way towards the bedroom, Jacob dressed in an oversized t-shirt and Edward in a pair of shorts as they shuffle out of the bathroom. Jacob almost gets a chance to close his eyes before there is a knock at the door and Quil shuffles in with a little green baby blanket in his arms. 

Jacob knew better. He wasn't fitted with all of the knowledge that pertained to pregnancy. He hadn't even thought about babies or getting pregnant or anything related to the subject until Edward had made himself so apparently there. He couldn't not think about it after, but he still didn't know everything there was to know. He did know that senses heightened and the need to be around the pack, protecting the pack, taking care of the pack would get stronger. What he didn't know was that he would feel everything. He could feel all of these urges and emotions at once. On top of that, he couldn't do anything. He just had to sit there and hope that everything would be okay as he tried to hold down what little was left in his stomach after the first round of vomiting. He feels overwhelmed. 

So, seeing Quil standing there holding the swaddled baby, Embry not too far behind him, he feels as if he could implode.

"Hey, they can come back later." He hears Edward's muffled voice as he presses a kiss into the top of Jacob's head.

He's not even sure if he says anything, but he hears the door close a minute later with a quiet click.

"He alright up there?" Newton asks as he knocks the sand out of his shoes before stepping inside. 

"He's sleeping." Is all Edward divulges as he looks over the contents of the fridge. 

He's looking for something light enough for Jacob to keep down. Edward had gotten used to him being able to keep down a solid meal and now they were back to soup and crackers. 

"Quil said he 'had a moment'." Newton informs him with a pointed look, clearly fishing for more information.

"He's pregnant, Newton." Edward reminds him and watches as he seems to take this into account, head bobbing back and forth.

"So, he cried?" Newton continues to push as he stares at the can Edward slams onto the counter. 

"If he did?" Edward doesn't mean for it to come out with as much bite as it does, but he's had a long, stressful couple of hours and the entire point of them coming here was for it to be relaxing. 

It was supposed to be a nice change from the station and all of the shit going on there. He could get Newton babbling in Forks. 

Newton's eyes are like saucers when he finally looks up. He looks startled as he puts his hands up in the air. Something about it reminds him that this man knows nothing and if Edward doesn't get himself in check, he could put his entire family in danger. 

"Sorry, man. I-I was just worried about him is s'all. Don't think I've ever seen him cry before you...Not to say that you're the reason he's crying!" Newton says stumbling over his words.  

Something in Edward's facial expression must change because he rushes to clarify.

"I just...he's a lot more, uh, emotional when you're around. Which is a good thing! Not to say that him crying is a good thing, but it's much healthier than him bottling it all up." Newton looks like he's started to sweat.

He opens his mouth before closing it and then he opens it again.

"He was really excited about little baby Quil VI," He finally says, shoulders slumping a little as if he's giving up on his stuttering and stumbling, "so when big Quil comes back looking all worried, I get worried." 

"He's his cousin, Newton. He's always worried about him. Having a homicidal maniac chasing them while they're pregnant tends to stress some people out. Just let him rest." He explains as calmly as he can. 

Newton looks like he's about to say something irritating when Leah knocks on the door holding what looks to be a little pot of something and Edward can finally feel the first wave of actual relief hit him.

Jacob wakes up confused. The ceiling is unfamiliar, the walls are this off-white color that was broken up by large windows. The bed is too soft, the duvet too feeling as though it's never been used let alone washed. 

Seeing Edward standing in the doorway, eyes watching him carefully, is what snaps him back to reality. The memories start flooding back. The boat, the sick feeling, Quil...

He glances over next to him as if his cousin would be waiting for him there. 

He's in the house over with Embry. A voice softly says. 

It's clearly Edward, but his mouth isn't moving. He's about to ask what the hell that was when Mike pops up next to him, shit-eating grin already in place.

"Dude, Quil popped out a Quilette." Mike says, beaming as if he's the proud father. 

Jacob blinks a couple of times as his sleep-addled brain tries to comprehend the words. 

"What?" He hears his voice slur out. 

"Your cousin had the baby, man." Mike says, looking a little more concerned than he had when he'd bounced in behind Edward.

Edward, who hadn't spoken a word since he'd stepped in the doorway, finally opens his mouth.

"Quil really wants you to meet him."

Him. A boy.

Jacob stands up from the bed and has to catch the nightstand as his world spins.

"Whoa, you have to eat something first." Edward says as he guides him back down to the bed.

Jacob barely even registers the soup as he quietly sips at it. 

Quil was waiting on him.

The trek downstairs and over to the next house felt like he was on death row, heading towards the chair. Both Edward and Mike have a hand on him as if he's just going to collapse if they're not holding him like he's a prisoner. The only stop is when he needs to wash his hands and they don't let him go until he's standing in Quil and Embry's doorway to their new bedroom. Quil is curled up on the bed, eyes closed, but Jacob knows he's been awake since they'd entered the house. Jacob waits patiently for his eyes to open. He watches as he moves ever so slightly to reveal a tiny baby sleeping under a green baby blanket. Jacob makes his way over slowly, cautious despite the fact that Quil was inviting him in. 

He looks exhausted, hair tousled and eyes half-lidded, and that tends to be enough to make a new parent a little on edge. Though, a little, tired smile finds its way onto Quil's face once he sees Jacob's. 

Jacob stands in front of the bed, eyes just taking in the sight in front of him. Quil clearly isn't satisfied with this as he slowly sits up and carefully scoops the baby into his arms before gently holding him out for Jacob to take into his own. 

"Meet Ember." He says softly, and Jacob's not sure whether it's for his sake or Ember's. 

He's pale with a little tuft of hair at the top of his head. He barely weighs anything and is apparently immediately aware when he's no longer under Quil as his little eyes peer open to analyze his surroundings. To Jacob's surprise, he doesn't immediately start to scream. He just stares up Jacob unimpressed before beginning to wriggle a little. He spends about a second doing that before he decides that he'd rather go back to sleep. 

Jacob blinks a couple of times.

"Ember?" He says, glancing over at Quil, who's got this look on his face that Jacob can't quite describe. 

He doesn't get more time to figure out it either as Quil's face breaks into a shit-eating grin to match Mike's.

"Didn't think you'd get the first name, did you?" 

Jacob's eyes flick down to the baby in his arms and it suddenly dawns on him that he hadn't asked what they'd name him. He'd been so caught up in his own shit that he hadn't even thought about the fact that Quil hadn't brought it up himself. All of that time they'd spent cooped up in his bedroom and he hadn't remembered to ask. 

Jacob glances back up at Quil, who's clearly enjoying himself.

"What's his middle name?" Jacob hisses out and watches as Quil shrugs as if he wasn't the one who named him. 

"It was Mike's idea."

Jacob turns to look at Mike to see that he's conveniently hidden himself behind Edward.

"You can't lie and say 'Jace' isn't cute!" Comes somewhere from behind Edward's head.

Jacob turns around to hand Ember back over to Quil. When he turns back around, he knows Mike is gone by the smirk on Edward's face.