Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
A/N: SM/Bella mentions in Breaking Dawn that Jacob doesn't like Nessie to be so close when he phases, so I thought it must have been a big leap for poor Jake to let Nessie near him when he's already phased into a wolf. (You know… 'Cause the boy was so afraid of the girl's own mother getting too close to her.)
Jacob couldn't imagine a time when his heart had raced nearly as fast as it did now—not even when Bella had lunged for his throat a couple of weeks ago after she found out his nickname for his daughter. That was a breeze of fresh air compared to the present.
Now when Jacob stared into a small puddle of rainwater, gazing down at something that wasn't quite his own reflection, but instead the form of a monumental, russet wolf.
While Nessie was always reluctant to hunt for animal blood when Carlisle could easily retrieve leftover donated human blood from the hospital, she still went along with Bella and Edward on their daily hunting trip. The experience was apparently boring as she skipped over the detail completely when she told Jacob about her day using her special means of communicating.
So Edward and Bella (but mostly Edward) devised a solution to this problem. Since Jacob and Nessie should have been natural enemies, and thus should have competitiveness mixed in to their unique bond—he could make hunting a contest, a game. In which case, Edward logically suggested he should hunt with Nessie from now on, but he could only do so as a wolf.
"I don't know about this, Edward," Jacob had expressed, scratching the back of his head.
Edward never got the chance to reply because Nessie had put her hand on Jacob's massive forearm, and wore an adorable, little excited face while she showed him pictures of them stalking prey together through the forest and seeing whose kill was the largest.
And Jacob couldn't say to 'no' to those big brown eyes of hers.
Now there he stood, on all fours, waiting for the miniature squirt to show up.
As he continued to stare at the stranger werewolf, Jacob didn't very much think he was particularly frightening, but then again he wasn't so easily scared because A) he had been a werewolf for some time now and should be used to it and B) his wolfy appearances were a bit tame considering all the horror movies he had ever watched with Embry and Quil.
On the other hand, Nessie was just a little girl still—all innocent and naïve—not ever have been near Jacob when he was phased. He didn't want to risk scarring the girl for life and causing her to never want to see him ever again.
That wasn't something Jacob could ever be ready to handle; that would be impossible to cope with. Jacob needed his Nessie for survival, needed her to keep his feet planted to the earth. There was no way around that fact.
Although, to be fair to her, Nessie was no ordinary three and a half-week old infant, didn't even look like one for that matter. She was the size of a small two-year old and practically owned the mind of someone in their thirties. Also—and the most important detail—Nessie at least had a small inclination that Jacob was something not exactly human; he was special. That much she already knew.
So this was kind of inevitable.
At last, he heard the tiny thrumming of Nessie's exhilarated heartbeat and smelt the sickeningly sweet scent of a vampire.
Blondie.
Crap. Well, Jacob hoped she wasn't going to do anything to provoke the angry beast side of himself, since that could possibly endanger Nessie. No, that wouldn't—couldn't—happen. As her protector and friend, Jacob wouldn't allow himself to lose control like that. He refused to do to Nessie what Sam did to Emily.
Let's get this over with.
The horse-sized wolf slowly and carefully walked toward his imprint, giving her six feet of room. Jacob sat, anxiously waiting for Nessie's reaction.
She was the size of a bunny in comparison to his height. So unbelievably short, so unquestionably vulnerable.
Rosalie set Nessie down hesitantly, her golden orbs hard with worry.
"Just be gentle with her, mongrel," Rosalie cautioned him carefully, her voice riddled with concern and dread. She already knew that Jacob, no matter how incredibly immature he may be, would never do anything to intentionally harm Nessie. . .
For a long, drawn out moment, the half-human half-vampire child stood next to Rosalie, examining the giant wolf in front of her eyes. Jacob had yet to identify any trace of fear in those widening brown eyes that looked best on Nessie's face. If he had, Jacob would have immediately transformed back into a regular person.
His supernatural mind felt the Clearwater siblings phase. They had such great timing. . .
"So how's it going?" Seth questioned, happily curious.
"Yeah, we're dying to know!" Leah added, though Jacob had already seen the apprehension behind her thoughts. She, too, was fond of the little monster and didn't want her so close to wolf Jake.
"Sorry, guys. I have to focus on Nessie right now, and I can't have you two in my head. You have to phase back!" His brain roared frantically in the Alpha tone. "I'll tell you guys about it later."
"Okay, buddy. Good luck," Seth said, bidding Jacob adieu.
They were gone. Phew!
Meanwhile, little Nessie began to steadily make a B line toward him with her arms extended, reaching out to him. Then, she stopped, standing next to him, and looked up. She buried her wee hands in his copper fur, feeling for the soft, fluffy texture.
She wasn't afraid of him in the slightest.
"Jacob," Nessie murmured gently, still petting the wolf's legs.
The Alpha could have howled in triumph, for this was the first time his imprint had spoken his name out-loud. Victory!
"You're a nice doggie!" She exclaimed giddily.
Woah! Did the small fry just call the leader of the wolf pack 'doggie'?
Rosalie sniggered.
Jacob lowered his head down and Nessie started scratching behind his ears. As much as he would never confess to it, that did feel really good. That itch had been bothering him for the past five minutes.
Nessie halted her work, her nostrils flaring while she caught the delicious scent of juicy blood pulsating through the veins of a mountain lion. She had a predatory glow in her milk chocolate eyes; Jake was getting sort of hungry himself.
The shape-shifter got up, his silhouette casting over Nessie's petite form.
A smirk played at the ends of her mouth.
"On your marks, get set. . ." Rosalie clapped her hands together as Jake and Nessie took a racing stance. "Go!"
A whoosh of deep russet fur and ivory skin flashed pass the tall spruce trees. It was on like Donkey Kong!
That was just another new piece of Jacob Black's paradise.