A/N I am not Stephenie Meyer, I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn. This is nothing more than a fan's attempt to prolong her enjoyment of this amazing series. I am not being compensated in any way for this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
The same goes for references to various songs and movies. I own nothing.
I apologize in advance for this chapter. I finished chapter 17 last night and I absolutely hate it! I realized most of the problems began in chapter 16 so I have to rewrite it as well… Nessie is too whiney, Jake is too weird, and the story is so far off track from where it is supposed to end up I may never get there. ARGGGGG!
Here is a bit of fluff I salvaged from chapter 16 to enjoy while you wait for the story to continue. I'll pull this as soon as I finish the re-write, so don't worry about how OOC everyone is.
Chapter 16 (for now)
"Oh come on Jake, what's it going to hurt?" Embry asked, as he looked longingly at the bank of electronic equipment in the pavilion, holding an iPod just inches from the docking station.
"I imagine it will hurt like hell when Rose rips your arms off for touching her sound system." Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head. "But hey, it's your funeral."
"Sweet!" Embry exclaimed as he connected the iPod. The sound of Billy Dean singing, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" blasted out of the speakers and sent a flock of loudly protesting parrots into the sky.
"Come on guys, let's dance!" Embry shouted with glee as he ran and slid on his knees into the center of the pavilion. Leah, Seth and Quill immediately joined him. Nessie was delighted and amazed as she watched this group of close friends perform a complicated line dance.
Jake grinned at Nessie, grabbed her hand, and pulled her onto the dance floor. Nessie laughed out loud as she copied the fancy footwork and intricate moves of the group. She was an excellent dancer and had the routine down perfectly after just one repetition.
After just a few songs, Nessie recognized the play list and hoped Embry had asked Emmett for permission before borrowing his iPod. Emmett, unlike Rosalie, was usually a good sport about such things and was generous by nature but it was always a good idea to ask first.
Some of the line dances were familiar but some of them she had never seen before and it was obvious from their complexity that they were wolf pack originals. No human could keep up or perform the advanced athletic moves.
Some of the dances were light hearted and fun with lots of hopping, spinning, and bouncing. Others were more primal and predatory. The floor shook and reverberated as they stomped their feet in unison. She felt the beat in her chest and deep in her gut as the familiar slow burn in her throat signaled the onset of blood lust. She diverted the energy into the dance and felt a connection with the members of Jake's pack as they danced around her and with her.
Nessie recognized the song as Jake pulled her out of line and whispered "Rumba". The music and steps were familiar but the dance felt completely different. They weren't performing for her family, she wasn't a child, and Nessie felt like she was flying as Jake twirled her away and then pulled her back into his arms where he held her tightly against his body. Her lower back pressed against his rock hard stomach as he slid his hand low on her belly. She had to remind herself it was just a choreographed part of the dance. She followed Jake's lead letting his body and the music take control of hers.
As the music faded, Nessie noticed that Jake's pack had stopped dancing and were looking at them with a mixture of shock and admiration.
"Jake buddy, when did you learn to dance like that? That was so cool!" Embry said appreciatively and then winked at Nessie. "Nessie, that was just plain hot!"
Nessie was afraid Jake would react badly to Embry's comment, but he just laughed as he pulled her in close to his body. He rested his chin on the top of her head, crossed his arms casually around her waist, and gave her a hug that lifted her off her feet, before he answered.
"Nessie went through a 'Dancing With the Stars' phase a couple of years ago. She had a huge crush on that Olympic speed skater that won season four. She made me learn each one of his routines so we could perform once a week, just like the competitors on the show. That's why we have this pavilion. Emmett and I built it for her birthday."
Nessie remembered watching the recorded shows repeatedly with Jake and making him practice with her till they knew each routine perfectly. Her family took turns playing the roles of the three judges on the show, and to their credit didn't always give them perfect tens. They also took turns competing. Jake and Nessie won, of course, but Jasper and Alice came in second much to Rosalie's dismay.
"Yeah, well you have to admit Apolo Anton Ohno is really hot!" Nessie fanned her face with her hand and exhaled dramatically through pursed lips.
Jake laughed and said, "Oh he is, is he? Well, let's see how you feel about him after this next dance. I intend to make you forget everything about him, even his name.
"Embry, find 'I Like to Move It' will ya?" Jake asked. "I know it's on there somewhere 'cause Emmett sings it all the time. Just be sure it's the dance mix and not from the movie sound track!"
It was one of Emmett's all time favorite songs. Especially when ever he was trying to get Rosalie's "attention". His dance moves were more than just suggestive. The longer Rose ignored him, the more obscene Emmett became. If she didn't respond at all he would start singing
"Big and Chunky" and dancing around her like Moto Moto from the animated movie "Madagascar 2". That usually earned him a smack on the head. Nessie couldn't figure out why Emmett loved to tease Rose when he knew it would only piss her off. He must get some kind of pleasure out of it.
Jake pulled Nessie close and whispered in her ear. "You remember the Samba routine, right? We are going to do it exactly like Apolo and Julianne performed it, okay?" He grabbed her hand and spun her away from him, smiled his sexy crooked grin and nodded at her as the music started.
Nessie blushed as she remembered how Jake had insisted on toning it down, claiming her parents wouldn't give them a good score if they didn't. "Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? You really want to do this routine in front of your pack?" Nessie giggled as Jake placed his hands on her thighs and moved her hips in a circle with his.
"Hell yeah Nessie, let's show 'em how its done!" Jake laughed as everyone hooted and cheered.
Nessie had forgotten just how much fun it was to dance with Jake. It was more than just fun now. It was sensual, exciting, and exhilarating. It was almost as pleasurable as making out with him and definitely more socially acceptable. She promised herself that dancing would be a regular activity from now on. She was breathless when the music ended but not from exertion. Nessie was pleased to note that Jake's heart was beating quite a bit faster than normal.
"Hey guys, guess what song I just found?" Embry's mischievous grin made the group wary. Everyone groaned in unison when "We're All in This Together" from "High School Musical" started blaring out of the speakers. Leah and Embry looked at each other with smirks on their faces and began lip-syncing the lead parts as they danced. Jake and Nessie joined in and before the chorus everyone was hamming it up.
Nessie was laughing so hard it was hard to talk. "Okay, I know why Jake and I know this routine. I went through a HSM phase before Dancing With the Stars. It seems reasonable to assume Claire did too, so that explains why Quill knows it. What I am dying to know is how come Embry, Leah, and Seth know all the words and all the moves for the entire song?"
Leah and Embry were both grinning with their arms slung over each other's shoulders. Leah pointed at Quill and said, "Blame him. He kept going over and over the routine in his head for months."
"That would have been bad enough, but it was actually much worse." Embry added, "Once Quill let it slip that the rest of us knew the song and dance, Claire wouldn't let anyone rest until we performed it with her at her elementary school talent show. Once Paul's pack found out, they made sure the entire Rez and half of Forks was in the audience."
"It really meant a lot to Claire, especially the standing ovation, so it was worth it." Quill said.
"Seeing Leah in a blond wig was a hoot. She makes a great stuck up cheerleader." Seth laughed as he dodged his sister's fist.
"Hey, knock it off Seth. Leah looks damn hot as a blonde." Embry was not fast enough to dodge Leah's elbow to the ribs. "Ouch Leah! I meant that as a compliment. You know I think you're hot just the way you are."
"And…. We're done." Leah said as she unwrapped herself from under Embry's arm.
A/N I had lots of fun with the first part of this chapter. Line dancing werewolves may be a little out of character, but I got a kick out of picturing it. If you would like to see the dances Renesmee and Jacob performed just go to YouTube and search Apolo Anton Ohno Rumba (or Samba).
