Disclaimer: Twilight is the sole possession and creation of Stephenie Meyer. I don't own nor do I profit from using her characters, or from this piece of fiction.

A/N: Hey guys! I know, I know, if you follow any of my other stories, I am way behind at updating. However, over the holiday season I was given the chance to compete in Better in Texas' Winter Wonderland Contest where I wrote a one-shot piece of fan fiction. It too was titled "Hidden," and had the characters you will find here. I enjoyed writing it so much and felt there was more story to tell, so I've decided to turn it into a full piece of writing. I have every intention of finishing my other works, but I wanted to go ahead and get this out there. Let me know what you think! Xoxo- Ginja

*** Chapter 1 ***

I remember the moment I lost him.

Not because I felt the severing of some sort of invisible string that linked the two of us together, that was strictly a Jacob-type thing.

I was never the one who was tied like a dog at the end of a leash, no, I was the anchor that held him in place. Or as Jake would say, I was the sun and he was destined to circle around me, day after day, on a pre-destined path that he couldn't step off of nor did he want to. The earth doesn't question its orbital tract; it just falls in line because that's what it's supposed to do.

No, I remember the moment I lost him because I saw it with my own eyes. It's like some sort of sensory memory – the temperature of the frigid air that winter, the sound of Jacob's howl of pain mixed in with his body hitting the ground, the picture of those two filth-covered nomads as they clawed savagely at fur, the surge of adrenaline that came when I turned and saw what was happening, knowing that he wouldn't survive the inflicted wounds.

That's my imprint.

The imprint in my brain that I can't erase no matter how hard I try.

And believe me, I've tried.

That brings us to my current location at a table for two in the Tunnel City Coffee shop, with a mess of textbooks, notes and my laptop covering every inch of space save for the now-cold cup of coffee and remnants of sugar-laden pastry.

After I said my final farewell to Jacob on the reservation, I demanded that we leave the continent. There weren't enough miles I could distance between myself and LaPush. Mom and Dad, not to mention the rest of the family, were quick to grant my wish, and we spent a year hopping all over Europe, but it still wasn't enough. I decided I needed more focus, something that demanded my attention with a framework of requirements that must be met so my mind had less time to wander.

So, I went back to school. College to be exact - Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, home of the Ephs. I had finished high school with Jacob by my side on the reservation, allowing us both time with our respective families, but after receiving our diplomas, neither of us felt the need to spend our days in a classroom, much to the chagrin of my father. This new plan to continue my education had Edward over-the-moon thrilled, and most days, I loved it as well.

At the moment, I'm just trying to prepare for next week's finals and then the school will shut down for the winter holiday. Even though most students were frantically studying in hopes of doing well on their exams, there was still that undercurrent of excitement at the prospect of having a few weeks off. Christmas decorations were on display everywhere you looked, the music in the background of the coffee shop had switched to holiday tunes 24/7, and peppermint mocha was all the rage once more. I wish I could share in the world's enthusiasm, but every December came with baggage of the day I lost him. As much as I've tried and succeeded to pack that memory away, it still fights its way to the center of my thoughts at the end of each year.

I frowned in frustration with myself for getting distracted, especially when I had studying that required my attention. Closing my eyes and placing my fingers on my eyelids, I pressed slightly causing the black to brighten slightly, as if maybe the action could push the images back into my skull, back to their hiding place. The action of cutting off my line of sight caused some pop band's rendition of "It's a Holly Jolly Christmas" to ring even louder in my ears, and I cursed whatever song writer had put pen to paper on that annoying melody. Oh by golly indeed.

I didn't even bother to open my eyes when I heard him sit down. I'd recognize his scent and the sound of his footsteps anywhere, the intentional steps of a vampire trying to pose as a human.

"Rough day?"

"Could you possibly explain to me how it is that Henry the Eighth continued to find wives, even though he had a knack for offing them left and right? Who cares about being queen if you can't keep your head attached to your shoulders? Run for the hills! Hop the next ship to France! I seriously doubt he was as good looking as Jonathan Rhys Meyers made him out to be," I asked conversationally as I dropped my hands into my lap in a huff, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust to the intrusion of light once more.

"I'm old, but I'm not that old, darlin'" leaning back in the chair opposite me, Jasper grinned at me from across the table, "so, I can't say from personal knowledge, but if I had to guess, I'd say it all comes down to power. People will always do what they can to get their hands on as much of it as they can obtain, even marrying half-crazed kings."

"I don't know….between the corsets and those dresses where your boobs are being flattened and pushed up to your chin, I'm not sure I wouldn't just choose the life of a peasant girl. You know, just living on my family's farm, taking care of the cows."

That caused him to throw his head back and laugh, and I couldn't help but smile myself. I loved my family, but Jazz and I? We have a special bond.

Maybe it's the fact that I decided to major in history, and that happens to be one of my uncle's favorite subjects. The family all had their opinions of what I should study for my first stint in college, but in the end, I was the one who chose history for my own reasons. If I was going to spend the rest of eternity walking the world as a vampire hybrid, I might as well take a look back and try and take in all I'd missed before staring towards the future. Jasper enjoys debating with the professors, especially those who think themselves "experts" on the history of this great nation, so he signed up with me and we share more than a few classes.

But if I had to pick the moment that linked us together, it'd be the same day I've been trying not to think about. Funny how in one breath, fate can tear two people apart and in the next she cements two lives as one. Jasper never questioned my decision to end Jacob's murderers. He didn't try and reason with me or talk me out of it, and after the deed was done, he didn't tiptoe around me as if I had somehow twisted into this "thing" that wasn't there before.

Hell, I was still Renessmee Cullen, daughter of Bella and Edward, favored niece and granddaughter, darling of the family, and previously Jacob Black's imprint.

Only now, I was also the girl who ordered two men to take their own lives, and I refused to look away as their bodies burned, and I wish I had found closure in the action but I hadn't. A measure of satisfaction maybe, but it still wasn't enough payment for the crime they'd committed by killing a life so innocent. Given the chance, I'd probably bring them back and execute them all over again, hoping that maybe ending their existence once more might be the key to peace.

And Jasper understood that. After we'd left the woods that day, he helped me grieve, but he didn't treat me like I was broken. The rest of the family acted as if the moment had never happened, choosing to focus solely on the tragedy that was Jacob's death. We Cullens can be professionals when it comes to denial. So, of course, I gravitated towards Jasper's honesty, and we'd been fast friends ever since.

Realizing I'd drifted off into my own thoughts for the second time since sitting down at this table, I shook my head and grabbed my coffee cup only to grimace at the dark liquid that had grown cold in the cup. Jasper leaned forward and removed the mug from my hands, replacing it with his own, which was still steaming. Instant refill for me, no pretending to drink for him – it was a win/win situation.

Placing his cup on an open textbook, he gave me the critical eye that let me know he was testing the air, trying to get a read on my emotions. Knowing that I could try and override the airwaves with a shot of annoyance but he'd immediately pick up on my diversionary tactics, I wasn't surprised when he asked a little too innocently, "Something on your mind?"

I took a closer look at him, at the way he'd just crossed his arms, stretching the soft grey flannel across his shoulder, noting that this wasn't so much an emotional check-up as an inquiry.

Alice.

Go figure, my future-seeing aunt had a premonition of something, and Jasper wasn't here asking me out of genuine curiosity, but as a way to open up a discussion about something she'd already seen.

Gritting my teeth and sighing, I leaned back and crossed my own arms, our stances now mirroring one another, though his was laid back and mine was tense as I wasn't in the mood to talk about what I wasn't ready to talk about. I ground out, "What did she tell you?"

Knowing I wasn't in the mood for bull shit excuses as to how Alice couldn't help what she saw, her visions just came to her unbidden, Jasper shot straight with his response, "She can't see anything definite, as you haven't made up your mind about the details yourself. However, it seems you want to take a little trip over the winter holiday…. alone."

Avoiding his gaze, I broke our mutual stare down by choosing to occupy my line of sight with the people walking by on the sidewalk, their bodies wrapped in a rainbow of scarves and thick winter jackets. Such care free lives they led, just bustling through the holidays, trying to figure out the perfect gift. I envied that. For as much freedom as one might think immortality offered, it often felt like the wonder was stripped away when things seemed silly or mundane in the grand scheme of a supernatural, never-ending existence.

My voice was soft, hoping he'd feel more than I could express in a simple sentence, as I explained, "I just need a break this year. I'm suffocating, Jazz, and I need the chance to breathe free for a moment."

Jasper merely sat there without speaking, taking it all in. Whatever Alice had seen, my brief explanation, the raw emotions that I allowed to bleed out unseen but felt by him in the caffeine-soaked air of the coffee shop, he gave weight to each one before nodding in acceptance, and I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he would support me on this. Well, that was at least one member of the family in my corner.

"They're not going to like it," he stated the obvious and I snorted in a 'duh' manner.

"I'm not a child, Jazz, nor am I some collectible vase that needs to be kept in a special case, safe from the dangers of the world or anyone's dirty fingers," I said defensively.

Hands held up in surrender, he soothed, "Darlin', I'm not the one who needs convincing here. I just wanted to talk to you about it first and warn you that you better broach the subject soon, cause Alice can only keep things hidden for so long. She's playing the overly energetic Christmas elf at the moment, trying to decorate every square inch of the house and shop for a million things we all don't need, hoping that if she's busy enough, your dad won't catch on."

"That's not an act, Alice would be like that whether she was trying to cover for me or not," I pointed out.

"True," Jasper agreed with a fond smile for his mate, "But, if Edward catches word of it from her rather than you…"

Waving off his concern because I really didn't want to hear the truth in it, I shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Hearing someone clear their throat just over my shoulder, I saw Jasper stiffen in his chair and immediately smiled with amusement at the gesture. He's kind of cute when plays protective uncle.

A tall boy with blonde hair, cut close to his head stepped into my line of sight, his own worn backpack slung over one shoulder while his free hand held a to-go cup. I recognized Toby, who shared my Russian history class. He was smart, not brilliant by any means, but he kept up with the discussions and even had something interesting to share now and then. I gave him my best dazzling smile, causing him to blush. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jasper roll his eyes at the exchange.

"Hey, Toby," I decided to end the awkward silence, "How's it going?"

He gulped before nodding, "Good. I see you're busy studying for Professor Hendrick's final. He makes it out to be a beast, but it really isn't that hard if you've been taking notes throughout the semester. He doesn't stray from the material he presents in class."

With a relieved laugh, I feigned, "Well that's good to know. Between my cousin here and myself, I think we've got all the lectures covered."

He stared over at Jasper who was less than amused by my classmate, and quickly turned his eyes back on me. Poor kid doesn't realize just how dangerous my "cousin" truly is.

"I was wondering if maybe, after finals were finished, you'd might want to grab something to eat. I'm heading back home next week, but I've got some time this weekend."

"That sounds lovely," I preened, encouraging him with my voice, "If you give me your phone, I'll give you my number."

I quickly typed in my contact info and handed it back to him, letting our fingers touch long enough to send a little jolt of magnetism his direction as I stared into Toby's blue eyes. He had half a brain, seemed like a nice guy in class, and was attractive enough that I could make it work.

Smiling a little brighter over how well his invitation had gone, Toby started to step away, saying, "I'll give you a call on Thursday and we'll figure something out."

I waved my fingers in dismissal before turning to Jasper, who had that little wrinkle between his eyebrows as he stared at me. Kicking him under the table, I chided, "Stop giving him the death glare. He didn't do anything to you or me for that matter…yet."

I laughed at Jasper's grimace, but he only reasoned, "Ness, that boy is nothing but a walking bucket of lust."

"Who said I wanted something serious?" I questioned, "He finds me attractive and I've got an itch that needs scratching. Seems like a perfect match to me, a little after finals stress relief could do this body some good."

"I did not need to hear that," he muttered.

I placed my hand on his, sending him a memory of a few nights ago when Auntie Alice was more than a little on the noisy side while she and Jasper were holed up in their room and snarked, "Yeah, well, I didn't need hear that either."

If he had possessed any blood to blush, Jasper would have, but he did at least try to look slightly shamed. I only laughed as I started to pack up my mess of books and papers, continuing with my best bitch smile, "You were saying?"

Grabbing a couple of texts himself, he hurriedly replied, "Nothing, nothing at all."