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Imprinting

Absently playing with the promise bracelet around her wrist, Renesmee Cullen was deep in thought. A naturally curious child, she didn't like to have things unanswered, especially when she knew that the adults in her life could answer them but chose not to. Why they wouldn't tell her was a mystery, especially since everyone reacted so differently to her question as to what imprinting was. She knew that her Jacob had imprinted on her, but she didn't know what that meant. Emmett thought it was funny and it made Rosalie mad. Alice and Jasper were amused too, but Momma and Daddy weren't. Jacob got embarrassed when she asked. He had said it just meant she was extra special to him, but she didn't think that he was telling the whole truth. When she'd asked Daddy if he'd imprinted on Momma, Daddy had said that that was a wolf thing, not a vampire thing. Well she was a whole year old in human years, that should be old enough to have someone explain things to her.

Annoyed with everyone the little girl could only hope that her Grandpa got home soon from work. Grandpa Carlisle would tell her what it meant. If he said no, she'd refuse to let him measure her anymore and kick up a fuss the way Rosalie did when she wasn't getting her way. Emmett said nobody through a fit like Rosalie, but Renesmee was pretty sure she could do just as good if she really tried. Maybe she'd even break a bowl over Grandpa Carlise's head the way Rosalie had done over Jacob's last week. Of maybe a book, there were a lot of books in her Grandpa's study. Hmmm...an idea occurring to her Renesmee ignored her prior promise to stay in the living room and headed for the stairs leading up to the second floor. Nobody was home but her Emmett and Jasper, who were having a video game tournament and supposed to be watching her. They wouldn't miss her for a few minutes. Knowing time was of the essence Renesmee hurried up the stairs at a dead run, bounding up them without bothering to actually step down on more than six of them before she'd reached the top. Hurrying over to the study door she was relieved to find it unlocked, which wasn't always the case. Letting herself in without a qualm Renesmee headed straight for the book shelves, her eyes scanning titles as she searched out a book that would give her the answer she sought.

It was on the third shelf that she discovered what she was looking for, a large, hard covered dictionary. Climbing up to reach it, she pulled it out of the its place and than nimbly jumped down to the hardwood floor beneath her. Landing with the lightest of thuds Renesmee quickly sat down cross legged and opened the book up in her lap. Going straight for the I section Renesmee soon had a definition for imprinting.

Definition:

1. n. The tendency of young animals to follow the first moving thing they see. In the wild, this is usually the mother, but in captivity, where the mother may not be the first thing they see, they might follow a human being or any moving object. Source:Durrell, G. and L. Durrell. 'A Practical Guide for the Amateur Naturalist .com/cs/productreviews/fr/blbooks_'. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1989.

2. n.A kind of associative learning in which an animal rapidly learns during a particular critical period to recognize an object, individual, or location in the absense of overt reward; distinguished from most other associative learning in that it is retained indefinitely, being difficult or impossible to reverse. Source:Keeton, W.T. and J.L. Gould. 'Biological Science (4th Edition) .'. W.W. Norton & Co Ltd. New York. 1986

Closing the book the little girl frowned. She was even more confused now than she'd been before. She didn't see what any of that had to do with her and Jacob. Wait a minute...her brows coming together in concentration, Renesmee tried to remember why the definition sounded familiar. Aha. It was from that movie, the one about the girl and her dad who taught geese how to migrate. "Fly Away Home" or something like that. In the movie, the park ranger guy had said something about the geese imprinting on the girl because she was the first thing they'd seen and they therefore thought she was their mother. But what did wolves and birds have in common? They were two very different species after all. And if she had read it right, the book said that imprinting referred to creatures making the first creature they saw their mother, whether that creature really was their mother or not. How could Jacob imprint on her then, as she certainly hadn't been around when he was born. Her Momma had been just little when that had happened! And she definitely hadn't imprinted on Jacob, because Jacob hadn't been the first person she'd seen either. Her Daddy had been. And she knew he was her daddy and not her momma, so obviously vampire children didn't imprint on people, which proved how smart they were, Renesmee reasoned. Vampire children like her KNEW who their Mommies were, not impostors who just happened to be there when they were born. Of course children like her were very rare, so maybe she was generalizing too much.

"Nessie."

Turning her head Renesmee gave Jasper a big smile, which tended to get her out of any trouble she might get into.

Smiling back at her Jasper crossed the room and picked her up with one hand while the other picked up the book she'd taken from the shelf. "You aren't supposed to come in here without Carlisle's permission." He reminded her softly, thought there was no real censor in his voice. Returning the book to its former resting place Jasper looked down at her questioningly. "Why did you want the dictionary?"

A shrug of the shoulders was her only answer.

Raising an eyebrow Jasper shook his head and didn't press, assuming she didn't want to admit she'd read a word in one of her books that she hadn't understood. She had a vampire's ego, that was for sure. Amused at the idea he headed out of the room, balancing her agily on his hip. Closing the door behind him he headed straight back downstairs where Emmett was waiting with their game on pause.

)

"What were you up to, Monkey?" Emmett asked with a grin, winking at the little girl. He'd told Jasper the kid was probably just playing dress-up with Alice or Rosalie's things, but Jasper had insisted on going to check, just in case.

Winking back Renesmee just grinned back at her uncle.

"Now are you going to stay down here with us or not?" Jasper asked as he set her down on the couch. "Bella and Edward will be back very soon."

Reaching out she placed her hand on his cheek, showing him a picture of her sitting on the couch and her parents coming into the room.

"Good girl."

Ruffling her bright curls Jasper smiled than walked over to take his seat beside Emmett to return to their game. The room was once again filled with the sounds of guns and car crashes, leaving Renesmee to go back to her earlier contemplations. Curling up on the couch Renesmee tried to sort everything out in her mind. The key to this whole imprinting thing had to be the idea of mothers. She wasn't Jacob's mother and he wasn't hers. Her momma's name was Bella and Jacob's mother name was... What was Jacob's momma's name? Frowning Renesmee realized that not only did she not know the woman's name, but she'd also never met the lady in question. She'd met Jacob's daddy, Billy, so why hadn't his momma come to meet her too? It was really awfully rude of her not to.

Sitting up Renesmee decided to pose the question to her uncles. Sliding off the couch Renesmee walked over to her uncles' sides, standing between them while tapping her foot impatiently. She knew better than to interrupt while they were competing against each other. They couldn't accuse her of that if she was just standing there though.

Amused Emmett paused the game, seeing as he was winning anyway. "What's up, kiddo?"

Placing one of her hands against their cheeks she showed the two men images of her with her mother, her aunts, uncles and daddy with Grandma Esme, and Seth and Leah with Sue. Than she showed a picture of Jacob by himself, letting him feel her curiosity about why she had no image of a mother for him.

"Oh. She died. A car accident I think Bella said." Jasper offered. "You want to know why Jacob doesn't have a mother right?"

"Think it was the same accident that screwed up Billy's legs." Emmett added.

"Oh."

)

Her immediate question answered Renesmee went back to the couch to retake her seat. Her Jacob didn't have a mommy anymore. She'd died a long time ago, because Billy had been in a chair when her momma and daddy had first met. Her poor Jacob, it must be really sad not to have a momma. She'd been very, very sad when she'd thought she was going to have to leave her momma and daddy when the bad vampires had come to Forks. But how come Jacob's daddy Billy hadn't gotten Jacob a new momma, Renesmee wondered. She'd heard her momma and Seth talking about how Grandpa and Sue might get married, and then they'd be brother and sister, and momma would have a step mother and Seth would have a step father. Why didn't Jacob have a step mother? She knew that in a lot of books and movies step people weren't very nice, but Sue and Grandpa were very nice humans, they'd never lock up momma or Seth in basement or treat them badly like Snow White or Cinderella. Step parents, therefore, didn't have to be bad people.

A stray thought crossing her mind Renesmee cocked her head thoughtfully to one side as she considered it. Imprinting was about someone recognizing someone else as their mother...and Jacob didn't have a mother. Jacob had imprinted on her...so did that mean he'd decided he wanted her to be his momma? He did love her a lot, as much as she loved her own momma and she loved him just as much. Was SHE Jacob's new momma? Why had nobody told her? Things making perfect sense to her now Renesmee was horrified as to how bad a momma she'd been so far. She didn't get him food, or tuck him in, or read him stories like her momma did for her. They didn't even live in the same house! Why had nobody told her she was his momma? He must think she was a really bad one, since she'd never behaved like a momma was supposed to. She was a terrible momma.

Smelling the scent of her parents on the breeze coming through the open doors Renesmee headed out to greet them, her eyes wide and worried as she leapt off the porch and ran out to meet them as they bound across the stream. Running at top speed her daddy got to her first, scooping her up into his strong arms.

"What's wrong, baby?" Her mother demanded to know while her father cradling her against him, Bella wrapping her arms around both of them protectively as she sought an answer to her daughter's distress.

Of course since her daddy could read minds so he didn't have to ask. His response wasn't at all what Bella had expected though. Her husband was laughing so hard he looked like he might keel over at any moment.

Both females giving him looks of confusion and annoyance Edward wisely got himself under control long enough to explain the situation to his worried wife. "She looked up imprinting in the dictionary. She thinks Jacob thinks she's his mother."

Mouth opening and closing Bella had to laugh too, the two joining in as they realized how their daughter must have misinterpreted the definition.

"What's so funny?" Emmett called out from the front porch, and and Jasper having followed Renesme out.

"Wait till you guys hear this."

)

Arriving at the Cullen's house that evening Jacob let himself in as per usual, anxious to see Renesmee after a day away from her. Stupid council meetings. Since Sam was the alpha wolf of the reserve, not him, you'd think Sam's presence would be enough, but oh no, they both had to be there. Rolling his eyes Jacob left his shoes in the front area and headed towards the living room where everyone was gathered. Stepping into the room he wasn't prepared for the fact that everyone would look up from what they were doing and simultaneously break out into laughter or smiles. Taken aback, Jacob actually backed up a few steps in reaction.

"Hey, wolf boy." Rosalie drawled out, her tawny eyes practically glowing with inner glee. "About time you showed up. Your dinner's getting cold."

For some reason, this had them all going again.

"Okay.....what...was there some sort of accident with a container of laughing gas or something? Drink some clown blood recently?"

"You'll see." Was Alice's cryptic response as she smothered a giggle.

"Jacob!"

His world instantly rightening Jacob grinned as he bent down and opened his arms for his Renesmee. Holding her tight against him all was right in the world as he looked into her beautiful face.

"You should have told me when you were coming." Renesmee informed him in her best imitation of her momma. "Your supper was getting cold."

"Than I better hurry up and eat it." Jacob agreed, wondering why she was using the same tone of voice Bella used when lecturing Emmett about something.

Following her into the kitchen, the others hovering in the background, Jacob was surprised to see a large dinner platter on the table loaded down with hot dogs. rows and rows of hot dogs, all loaded just the way he liked them. There were twenty five in all with a large glass of milk beside them.

"Now eat them all like a good boy or there won't be any dessert."

Okay...he was definitely missing something here. Taking his seat at the table with Renesmee perched on his knee Jacob dug in, conscious the whole time of everyone watching him from various corners of the room. "Is someone going to tell me what's go-"

Bam, Renesmee stood up on his knee and whacked him upside the head before sitting back down. "Don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude."

Now the laughter was loud enough to hurt his ears.

Mortified and confused as hell Jacob finished the meal as quickly as possible, wanting to get that over with since there was something about this that was setting them all off. Nothing about the hot dogs tasted off, and he was pretty sure Bella wouldn't let any of them poison him. And what was with Nessie? Were Emmett or Edward paying her to behave this way? Offering her donated blood or something?

Once his dinner was complete Renesmee hopped off his lap and taking his hand tugged, motioning for him to follow her. Again he did so, the others following as before, unwilling to miss a minute of the action. Now Jacob was treated to being told to sit on the couch, with Renesmee than proceeding to tuck a blanket around him, get a book, and than reading it to him as though he were the child and she the adult.

"We should really tell him what's going on." Esme whispered, feeling a little bad as she watched the shape-shifter struggle to comprehend what was going on.

"Just a little longer." Jasper pleaded, his arm wrapped casually around Alice.

"You have to admit it's pretty sweet." Alice agreed, grinning up at her man.

Looking over at Edward Emmett shot him a questioning look. "You're getting this all on film, right?"

"Hidden cameras throughout the rooms."

"Sweet."

"You two are so bad." Was Bella's opinion, even though she thought this was all incredibly sweet and adorable.

Rosalie just grinned. "Which is why we love them."

)

Finally unable to take it anymore Jacob asked Renesmee to stop reading for a moment. When she put the book down to give him her full attention Jacob got straight to the point. "Nessie..why are you acting like you're my mother?"

Since pictures spoke louder than words in her case Renesemee reached out to touch his cheek, letting him see how she'd figured out that she was his momma and how sorry she was that she hadn't been a better one.

Mouth hanging open, Jacob couldn't help it.

He had to laugh too.