Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
"Dude, you proposed?! That's great!" Quil exclaimed happily, slapping his best friend, Jacob Black, on the back as the pack guarded La Push Beach that night.
"What'd she say?" Seth Clearwater questioned taking note of the sickened expression plastered on the Alpha's expression.
Jacob exhaled sharply, tortured by this inquiry. Had they all been fazed as werewolves at the time, explaining the story would have been much simpler. But fate had never been particularly kind to him, so naturally, the replay of events were forced to repeat in his head so that he could tell his pack.
"Nessie said that she needed some time to think about it," he answered after about a minute of his own ponderings.
"Oooh," Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry remarked in unison, obviously taking this answer to be a very bad sign. They all looked at their leader with sympathy; unable to comprehend was can possibly could be running through his head, and had no words that could somehow make the situation seem any better. However, Seth—being the eternal optimist he was—decided quickly that he would attempt to comfort his friend.
"Don't feel so bad, Jake. You know how Nessie likes to keep you on your toes," Seth said, offering a friendly grin. "After all, since Charlie and Mom have gotten married, I should know her tendencies. I am her step-uncle."
Leah rolled her eyes at her little brother, her pessimistic notions of love ready to be expressed. It was about time that this imprinting nonsense be stopped once and for all. And if Jacob's heart needed to be broken for everyone to realize its wickedness, then so be it.
"Jacob, I'm only speaking as your friend here, but no girls says, 'I need time to think about it,' and is still going to have the intention to accept your proposal. That's something you need to understand."
"Gee, thanks Lee-lee," said a now pissed off Jacob with sarcasm dripping from his tone, and frowned. "But if you really want to help, don't talk."
If Jacob had been having and doubts about the current problem before, they had just quadrupled in size thanks to Leah's addition. And, oh God, Jacob mused in panic, what if he ended up like her? Bitter and alone? He shuttered, picturing himself as an ancient, old fart with false teeth, a rocking chair—which in all fairness, wasn't such a bad frame of mind, except that the devastatingly gorgeous Renesmee was absent from the tiny daydream.
"For real," Embry spoke up, glaring at Jacob's 'beta.' "Just because Sam dumped you for his soul mate, doesn't mean-"
"Watch it, pup," Leah hissed, glowering dangerously.
"It doesn't mean you have the right to assume Nessie would reject Jacob's proposal when you don't even know her," Embry concluded, not the slightest bit afraid of the fierce charade Leah Clearwater put on for the world.
"I was being practical!?" She yelled.
Seth wince, fearing that Leah and Embry's hazardous proximity might cause trouble when no one was quite in the mood to break up a little squabble between pack members; but Jacob, acting at the alpha—bless his heart—pushed the two apart with a scowl, "Do you two need a Juicy-Juice? Or a time out? Quit behaving like children and act your age!"
Leah rolled her eyes. Embry grunted.
"Anyway," Quil muttered, desperate to change to subject as an awkward silence settled into the air, "how long has it been since you proposed?
Jacob shrugged."Two days. Why?"
"Well, how long would figure 'some time' to be?" He inquired.
"At most, I would say about a week or so," Jake retorted with a sad smile.
"Maybe you should talk to Edward," Embry suggested.
"Nah, man. Nessie would hate me forever if I invaded her privacy like that," he sighed, never going to admit that he had actually considered that. Running his enormously long fingers through his recently cut hair, he continued, "I should just call Nessie and tell her to forget about it."
"Like that's seriously going to help you," Leah commented bluntly, shaking her head. "If anything, it would be even more awkward for her. C'mon, a guy who proposes and takes it back? Jacob, have you ever heard of a soap opera?"
"I'm sorry, Seth," Embry apologized.
"For what?" The youngest shape-shifter questioned, with a perplexed blink.
"You have to be related to her," he replied, gesturing to the female pack member. Leah pinched him. "Ow!"
Quil rolled his eyes. "Hey, Nessie loves you just as much as you love her."
Seth nodded in agreement. "Yeah. She's crazy about you, remember. You should be so worried. Before you know it, Nessie will be here with an answer. Regardless of the outcome, you two will still have forever, right? Nessie does love you, man, and that's never gonna change."
"Oh, Seth! You're such an innocent," Leah laughed, ruffling her baby brother's already-messy hair.
"Stop that!" He complained, swatting her hand away.
Jacob turned his head to the right, catching a glimpse of copper tendrils. He double-taked, realizing that it was none other than Renesmee herself in a green sundress, walking up the beach with something small and circular in her hands.
He looked to his pack, "I'll be right back."
"Good luck, buddy." Seth encouraged.
"Sure, sure."
Then, he sprinted to the half-human, half-vampire, who was looking miserable as he drew closer to her. She wiped away the small trickles of tears from her cheeks, avoiding her lover's concerned gaze.
"Hey," he greeted nervously.
"Hey," Nessie repeated, sorrow in her tone. She opened the palms of her hands, revealing the reconstructed Quileute promise bracelet he had given her as an engagement token just two days and a half ago. For Jacob, it was weird to see Nessie's wrist bare when she had worn it all the time as a child. "I, um, thought that it was best I return this to you. It seemed like the right thing to do."
Jacob shook his head, the heart in his chest sinking into his stomach as the bracelet was being shoved into his grasp. "No, Nessie, I want you to keep it. Just because things with us didn't go as I hoped doesn't change the way I feel about you—imprinted or no imprint. You're the best person there is, and I wouldn't want you to marry me if you weren't entirely sure. I'm still yours if you want me to be."
A ghost of a smile twitched itself steadily onto Renesmee's lips as she looked up to meet Jacob's sad brown eyes.
"No, I couldn't do that, Jacob," she whispered softly, putting her hands to his cheek. Caressing the skin, Nessie allowed her thoughts and feelings to flow into Jacob's mind. Immediately, images of them sharing a life together—creating a life together—flooded into his head. "I wanted to return this bracelet so that you can give it back to me at our wedding."
Instantly, sadness was replaced with relief, hope, and love in Jacob's spirit for this treacherous, evil girl he felt so strongly for, as an ecstatic grin crept onto his handsome face.
"You mean—yes?" Jacob questioned, only slightly disbelieving. She was too good to be true.
Nessie nodded excitedly, her milk chocolate eyes beaming up at her soul's perfect counterpart. "Yes, Jacob Black, yes! I want to be your wife so much that it's been killing me inside every second of every minute that I'm not with you," Nessie stopped, becoming choked up.
The half breed removed her hands from her hands from Jacob's face, and tried fanning away the oncoming tears. Jacob gently took her wrists in his hands, and brought her closer. His lips brushed against her closed eyelids, kissing the tears away.
"I just want to spend forever with you," she concluded, opening her eyes. "Forever and ever."
Jacob, full of devotion and passion for the most unexpected person in the world, could no longer contain his joy. He put his hands under her armpits, gently lifted her off the ground, and the couple twirled around together while he 'woo-hooed' before placing her back down. Nessie wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck, pressing their figures together, and they at last molded their lips together in a passionate kiss.
"Yeah! Go Jacob!"
And with that and other various shouts, Jacob and Renesmee were made aware of their tiny audience of wolves. The two blushed, but remained focused only on each other.
"Wait. So why all the suspense," Jake questioned.
"Aunt Rose's idea. She said that it was a way for me to keep you on your toes, and that you would appreciate in a few years," Nessie retorted, giggling. "Forgive me?"
"You, my little monster, will pay dearly one day."
"Oh, yeah," she challenged, quirking a quizzical eyebrow, "and how's that?"
"Nessie, Nessie," Jacob tsked with a delicate smirk, "I know how you love surprises. Why would I spoil it?"