Author's Note: It's been a ridiculously long time since I've written fanfiction, especially for Twilight. You may know me from "Tempting the Lion," which I wrote under my former penname AngelicPirate. I plan on finishing that…hopefully. Much thanks to Jademoon for beta-ing!

Hope you enjoy this little one-shot. Review if you like.

"Doubting Fate"

It was two o'clock in the morning in Forks. Nestled within the rainforest was the Cullen cottage, quiet and drenched in moonlight. In one of its fairytale bedrooms, Jacob lay tangled with Renesmee, his long fingers exploring the auburn curls that covered their bodies like a makeshift blanket. Jacob had just begun to fall asleep when he caught the unmistakable scent of Edward and Bella returning home from the hunt. He leapt off the bed immediately, his muscles rippling with tension. His wolf form ached to make itself known.

"They already know," Renesmee whispered in a husky voice. Jacob turned to look at her, his breath unsteady. Her heavily-lidded eyes watched him with certainty. She reached up to trail her hand across his naked back. "Stay." Her touch made him want to continue what they had been doing earlier…but Jacob heard Edward's ferocious grunt somewhere outside the window. He cringed and struggled to keep his thoughts off Nessie. Cars, motorcycles, anything mechanical.

"But…," Jacob gasped.

"They know you've been sneaking in here at night."

"They do?" he whispered, even though the vampires could hear everything.

"Yes," Renesmee answered and sat up next to him. She yawned and combed out her disheveled hair. Rosalie had cut it three weeks ago to her shoulder. It had since grown to her hips. "How could they not with that God-awful scent of yours?"

"Hey, you never said I – "

Renesmee giggled and jabbed him playfully in the back. "You smell like pine trees and rain to me."

Jacob grinned at her for a moment, before realizing that he was supposed to be out of her bedroom by now. He knew Edward and Bella's tempers. "I've got to go."

"I have it on very good authority that my parents did the exact same thing before they were married." The couple heard a series of grumbles. "Dad, please," Renesmee groaned. She gazed up at Jacob again and her arms slinked around his broad, russet shoulders. "They understand we're responsible. They understand our situation." She pulled him back down to the pillows.

"Do they?" Jacob stammered, still wary over having two vampire parents in the house who were more than ready to tear out his limbs. This was the first night he and Nessie had done anything more than sleep together. Usually, he climbed in through her window, cuddled up next to her in bed, and was gone by dawn. Nothing more, nothing less.

Tonight, they had engaged in a rather intimate session. They weren't exactly testing their limits…Jacob was pretty confident he had enough self-control. The question was whether Nessie was capable. They hadn't consummated anything yet, but it was damn near close. Imagine if we had, Jacob gulped. Edward snarled in the background. Well, if we did, I'd be dead by now.

It wasn't his fault Nessie was his soul mate. It wasn't his fault he kept thinking about her. It wasn't his fault he felt the overwhelming need to be attached to her every moment of the day. Bella and Edward knew this helplessness.

Nessie situated herself against his hot chest and gave a contented sigh. "You're warmer than usual," she observed and Jacob could tell she was losing consciousness again. "Like lava or the sun…" He tried to suppress a snort; she sounded too much like Bella sometimes. He resumed stroking her hair.

Suddenly, he began thinking about it. The future. He didn't know what prompted him to begin obsessing about it, but he thought about it nonetheless. Nessie had nearly reached her full maturity. Only a couple months to go. What would happen then? Ugh, the future. Hadn't it already been set? He was looking forward to spending eternity with Nessie, but was she? He was bound to her, but she had all the time in the world to make the decision to stay with him. They had forever. He'd understand if she wanted to consider other – he gritted his teeth and tried to think of something else.

"Jacob?" Nessie asked and Jacob jerked in surprise.

"You're awake?"

"Your heartbeat grew faster." She stretched to kiss his chin. "Mom and Dad have given us our privacy."

"It's not that."

"What, then?"

"Didja ever think about the future?"

"What about it?" Nessie groaned.

"I dunno…about us."

"What about us?" Her voice was cautious.

"What we'll be like in ten years. Will we even be together?" Jacob's hand tensed on her hair.

"I didn't even think that was a possibility."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just want you to live your life," Jacob said. He could sense Nessie's confusion by the way her eyebrows furrowed against his skin.

"I am."

"Are you?"

"Jacob…" Renesmee sat up and leaned over him.

"Renesmee," he started and he saw her wince at the formality, "are you sure you want this?"

"What?"

"Are you sure you want…me?" Renesmee backed away and sat propped up on her knees.

"I thought that much was obvious," she said, playing with the ripped seam of Alice's designer nightshirt. Jacob had accidentally ruined it. He leaned his shoulders against the headboard and sighed. How could he make it better? He didn't mean to sound like an ass.

"We're going to be around each other for a long time and…I think it'd be good if you'd explore…you know…other options…You're aware of your other options, aren't you?" Jacob tried to argue.

"I know what's good for me."

"You're still young." He moved to the foot of the bed and reached for his discarded jacket.

"No, I'm not," Nessie replied firmly. He glanced back and saw her clenched teeth and Bella's eyes steaming with anger.

"Don't you wanna go to college? Get a job? Move out of Forks?"

"Without you?" she whispered, sounding almost childlike.

"No, of course not. I'm just saying…don't you want to try and live normally?"

Nessie laughed and rolled her eyes. "Right…normal."

"But there are so many great human experiences!"

"And I'm only half. What's this all about, Jake? Why are you pushing me away?"

Jacob shrugged. "I'm not, it's just…there are others, you know. Other guys?"

Nessie glared and shook her head.

"You are the only one."

"You're so stubborn!" Jacob blurted and dragged his hands through his hair.

"Blame my mother," Renesmee said. "All I know is that we are meant to be together."

"Just because I've imprinted on you doesn't mean you've imprinted on me." Jacob sank his teeth into his tongue and tasted blood. That certainly did it. Nessie locked her arms around her knees, trembling. She was clothed in shadows.

"I know you don't mean that."

Jacob grappled for words. Of course he meant it! It was the truth, wasn't it?

"I love you, Jacob. I've known it since I was in the womb. You felt it too. I know you did. Our connection was cemented from within my mother." Renesmee crossed to the foot of the bed in a second and framed Jacob's face in her palms. He gasped and his eyes focused on hers. "Remember this?" she questioned and transferred her memory of his imprinting. Jacob smiled vaguely. "And this?" They replayed their first kiss a few months ago.

"People change. I know I won't, but you might," Jacob persisted.

"Never."

"It could happen."

"My life is yours, and yours mine. There is no explanation for it. It just is."

"I just want you to be happy," Jacob murmured.

"I'm happy with you, Jake. Always." Nessie's fingers reached to cradle the back of his head. The feeling of her fingers through his hair relaxed him and he drew her closer.

"Alway –," he started, but Nessie shook her head.

"Ssh. No more speaking," she ordered and kissed him.

Okay, Jacob silently agreed as ecstasy overwhelmed doubt and they began conversing without words.