High Noon

A One-Shot based on the Twilight Series

1. This all seems vaguely familiar…

Jacob Black

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. – Plato

Well I wasn't exactly a good person, but I wouldn't really consider myself a bad person. Truthfully, I think I am not one to consider rules set in stone. To me they are more like guidelines. Ok, so I might have stolen that line from some pirate in a well recognize movie but when Johnny Depp has a point who am I to argue with him?

I followed some rules, disregarded others. I was pretty good most of the time about the rules that came to Nessie because well Edward could read my mind and he was not nice when he was angry. The bloodsucker, as I still playfully called him, was not easy or fun to deal with when he was angry. Not that his wife, and my best friend Bella was any better. It had been easy to stay on the good side of the over-protective moody first and only time parents, but Nessie was turning four this year and it was beginning to become increasing difficult to follow rules.

My life had become one sad science fiction movie, the kind that I might have walked out of because it was farther from the ends of the earth on realistic. But here I was, imprinted hopelessly to a girl who physically looked fourteen, actually was only about four, and mentally averaged to somewhere in-between the two ages. I shook my head because I tried not to think of how strange it all was. Instead I looked under a tree where the reason for my current predicament lay, my whole life was under that tree and I just smiled brightly at her.

Renesme Cullen was beautiful and we all had known she would be. I mean come on, combination of Bella who was more than a tad bit attractive when she was human and perfect super-model Cullen. The kid was bound to be something nice to look at and it didn't cease to amaze me how daily she seemed more radiant than the day before. I was busy staring at her golden curls shaping perfectly around her face before I noticed what she was doing.

"Nessie, what are you doing?" I asked already annoyed with the answer I knew was coming. Occasionally I surprised myself with how well I knew her, she changed so constantly still that it was hard to keep up. But Bella had often pointed out that I was one of the most perceptive people she had ever met.

"I was going to put on my gear, I wanted to try riding for a little while before I have to be home." She tossed her hair gently at me.

This is where the rules came into play and why it had become increasing difficult recently. The problem laid in the fact that Nessie was no longer a child, nor was she an adult yet but a thriving rebellious teenager. Edward and Bella had realized a few months ago that her attitude had changed, she was no longer a sweet innocent child and Carlisle had laughed when he pointed out that it was because it was time for them both to get a dose of their own medicine. Renesme was a teenager, and not just any teenager but the child of difficultly stubborn and dangerous magnet Bella and eternally moody seventeen-year-old Edward. Yes, Nessie was going to be a hand full. Currently she had become fixated with the idea of riding motorcycles, and I wasn't against it and not just because I rarely could deny her anything but, because I thought it might be fun.

Edward had expressly forbid the idea though when he had heard her thinking about it last week. But here she was getting ready to ride the motorcycle, and all I could do was laugh at how much this was Bella and Edward's own fault. I would let Edward know that, no matter how much he growled at me. If he hadn't left Bella many years before, if she hadn't been so dangerously broken that she sought danger then maybe there would be no motorcycle craze in their daughter. But I suppose that was our history, and maybe I should respect the Cullen's request to not let Nessie ride.

"Nessie your father didn't want you to ride." I sighed.

"But he said I could ride if you were driving. And it was too sunny for him to pick me up from school." She pouted. She was right of course. I had to pick her up today because of the sun. I laughed at her determination and I knew it would only be days before she convinced Bella to convince Edward to let her ride. I laughed at her and beckoned her to me.

Her smile lit up her whole face and I was painfully reminded of Bella again, of the years before. For a moment it was her eyes, pretending to smile at me, as I led her to her own destruction and I shuddered. I had changed, grown up in those years that Nessie had been born and grown before me. I wasn't as reckless as I once was, though I still wasn't as worrisome as Edward would like me to be when around his daughter.

"But I drive." I said instantly and Nessie nodded as she slipped her arm around mine, almost knowing what I had been thinking. Sometimes I believed the she had gained her father's ability to read minds, or that her own ability had been expanded and she hadn't told us because she wanted to keep it her secret. Carlisle had assure me that it was not very possible that she could do that, but he had swore to pay more attention just in case.

She had thrown her backpack unceremoniously onto the ground and I shook my head. Again a moment of deja vu washed over me, in a garage so many years ago with soda cans and a promise to be responsible for a few days a week and reckless in-between. Edward was going to kill me. I laughed again though and took off at all speed, weaving thru the trees around us. Nessie was showing me her thoughts as we rode, mostly just pictures of places she had seen that she wanted me to take her. We had done this many times before in the last three months, since she had started high school I think she realized there was more to the world than just her family and Forks.

I thought about what had led me to these unfamiliar woods as I accelerated, knowing how to entertain Nessie. Edward and Bella had delayed their entrance into Dartmouth for two years, while Nessie had grown a bit and they had some time to themselves. But the family had to move, because there was no way that Carlisle was going to pass as a man pushing near forty and he had hit 36 in Forks. So it was decided that the whole family would move and remodel the house that Edward had bought in New Hampshire. All the Cullen children were enrolled at Dartmouth as college students, and Carlisle was working at a local hospital and occasionally gave lectures at the University. Esme was even working in Hanover; apparently she had a knack for house design and loved working with colonial styles.

In this place is where last year Nessie had been enrolled into high school, to experience it for the first time, in an almost human manner as all of the family had insisted. The Cullens had also insisted, well mostly Bella had demanded and everyone had agreed that I should finish high school as well. I had been more able to refuse than Nessie though, because they were not my parents and she at least looked the part. I could no longer pass for high school student like the rest of them had for decades. At the end of that fight, Edward had suggested that Esme tutor me and that I earn my G.E. so that I might be able to get into the college that Nessie got into. Edward knew how to get to me it might have something to do with the guy's mind reading abilities.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I felt Nessie's phone vibrate in her pocket. I veered and headed back towards her books, I assumed it was time to go if someone was calling her. I was surprised when I stopped the bike to find that she had apparently turned off her phone.

"Ness who was on the phone?" I asked curiously. She leaned into my back and I could feel her smile, she was going to try to be sneaky. I knew what was coming, she touched me and I could see her thoughts in my mind.

I recognized that it was the day before; I had been out working because I was insisting on trying to make my keep with the Cullen's. So I worked on and off doing day work with construction companies, until I got my degree or at least that is what I had promise Esme. Edward had picked Nessie up from school, she had hung out at a nearby coffee shop until it was dark enough for him to come and get her. I felt a pang of guilt, leaving her alone for the afternoon when I knew she was fighting with her friends, but she didn't give me enough time to dwell about her loneliness. Her thoughts moved to showing me the next moment in her memory. While in the car, Edward had discovered that she had failed an English Literature exam and was a little less than pleased. I laughed as Nessie showed me that she had known all the answers, because she had studied for the exam but she had fallen asleep during class and didn't actually answer any of the questions. It seemed that Edward also saw that his daughter had fallen asleep and her dream state is why she had failed. Unfortunately it seemed that Nessie had been staying up to late, possibly staying out to late with me. Edward, being high strung and all felt it was inexcusable to fail in her first and possibly only attempt at high school. Edward of course had insisted that she be home early from school for the week and threatened to institute a bedtime if she didn't begin to act more responsibly towards her schoolwork. That is why the phone had vibrated.

"You were already supposed to be home?" I asked. She giggled and kept leaning into me. Yes she was trying to be cunning because I wouldn't want to move from here either while she was holding onto me so tightly. It was strange because she was almost a normal temperature unlike the rest of the vampires. She was so different and still the same, but her hands were not like the ice that burned occasionally when Bella or Esme hugged me. I mused that together we would average to the "normal" temperature that a human being should be, but who really wanted to be human anyway?

"Do you want him to kill me?" I asked.

"Daddy won't hurt you." She said calmly. I laughed again, if only she knew how many times Edward had wanted to kill me.

"Your mom might." I responded. She shuddered and I knew that there was no denying that Bella might kill me.

"He is being unfair." She stated. I laughed again, Edward understood unfair.

"You are never going to get anywhere with that argument." I shrugged.

"They are just going to watch me do homework until they go to class tonight." She groaned.

"Its more to make sure you do your homework." I corrected.

"I do it most of the time." She rolled her eyes as I stretched out a leg and hooked her book bag with my foot.

"Nessie you are worse than me at doing your homework." I grinned.

"You've been in high school longer than I have." She scrunched her nose at the words high school. Nessie often felt like high school was a waste of time, something her family denied. Moreover, Edward, Bella and Carlisle alike were sure that Nessie would physically outgrow the possibility of attending high school several times. It had made it final at that point because the Cullens were all about mortal experiences, living life and all that jazz.

"Well, let's see who finishes first?" I joked. The phone vibrated again and I knew that Edward was going to come looking for us soon.

"If we don't get back before their class starts you are going to get yourself grounded." I laughed. "And then what am I going to do with my time?"

"Build me a motorcycle, besides they have never grounded me." She shrugged. I laughed at her determination again; yes Nessie was a hand full. As she wrapped her arms around me, I took off at full speed on the bike again. It was amazing some of the things that I had built into this bike, the brakes were particularly handy and I laughed at the reason I had picked the top quality parts. Bella had also been a hand full, and shouldn't have been allowed near anything remotely dangerous.

We reached the house in no time and it was unnerving how much I felt like this was home. Here in the mist of woods that my people were probably driven from centuries ago, deserted to the rest of the world stood the Cullen household. This house didn't look much like the home that had been left in Forks.

I hit the brakes as we reached the beginning of the wooden stairs that led to the ancient looking porch that wrapped around the house. Sitting on the porch swing Edward and Bella looked down to us and I could see the familiar anger. There were going to be more rules to break, they were going to be presented in a second. I grinned knowing I was up for the challenge.

I knew that I would be that bad person finding a way around them, if any of them made my girl unhappy. I knew it and they knew it, but they also knew that my concern for her wellbeing did not just extend to making her happy. If the rules were acceptable, if they were for her own good than maybe I would be able to be the good person who didn't need rules. I wondered for a second if Plato had ever been in love.

I hopped off the motorcycle and grabbed her book bag from her so she wouldn't have to carry it. I didn't offer her my hand to help her down, and I felt Edward glower at me from behind. He was always one for manners, I sighed, already started on the wrong foot with him today.

"Yes." He responded to me before I said anything. God I hated that he could hear everything that I thought, years now and I still hadn't gotten use to Edward being in my mind all the time.

"You should be." He growled again. I shook my head. Keep clear thoughts I chanted to myself. But before I could really clear my head the shouting began.

"A motorcycle. Absolutely not. Aren't you in enough trouble?" Edward demanded. I glared at Nessie; she did that sometimes on purpose. Sometimes I believe she got pleasure out of how much she could upset her father, and even her mother.

"Edward, calm down." Bella whispered softly. If I weren't already use to how quietly she sometimes spoke to him, I would have not even noticed the words. It's just a motorcycle Edward, Bella rode one too.

"Yes, and you were almost the death of my wife. So forgive me, if I prefer that my daughter doesn't also go thru her rebellious phase with you, who knows what kind of cliff she might jump off of." Edward growled at me and my mind wandered to that memory of pulling Bella out of the currents, half dead. Edward and I both shuddered at the memory; no Nessie wasn't going to jump off a cliff Edward. I wouldn't let that happen, I thought and he nodded curtly at me knowing I was sincere.

"Renesme, didn't your father ask you to be home early?" Bella asked. Her voice was the steady song, the melody it had turned when her heart stopped beating. Sometimes I caught myself listening to her old voice in my head, only sometimes, today was not one of those times.

"I lost track of time." Nessie responded.

"Jacob?" Bella questioned me. I grinned at her warmly, and I felt the familiar presence of Nessie's fingers intertwining themselves in mine while we stood there being looked down on by my friends, by her parents.

"I didn't know." I shrugged sheepishly, but at least it was the truth. Edward sighed.

"Yes, she didn't tell him." I think I saw Edward roll his eyes at that fact. A failed test man, like you never failed a test. I thought.

"I haven't." He shrugged.

"Are you two talking about me?" Nessie demanded.

"Not the entire world revolves around you princess." Edward gave her that stupid smile he gave Bella all the time. At the word princess Nessie knew she had been forgiven for arriving late.

"I don't have to be home early anymore?" She asked hopeful.

"That's not what he said." Bella took a warning tone.

"But…" She started.

"You sleep little one, which means you must get enough sleep to be awake for class. It's a responsibility thing." Bella soothed her only child. "If you can't manage to go to bed at a decent hour on your own, we have to help you along."

"I don't want to be responsible." Nessie grumbled.

"Better reason to teach you the trait. I expect most of your homework finished before we must go to class." Edward swooped his hand motioning for her to go inside and then catching the door and holding it open.

"This is what manners looks like Jake, I think we might need to start on those lessons as well." Edward grumbled at me, but he was smiling and I knew he didn't mean much by it. He was just more old-fashioned than I was and he knew there was little point in trying to change me at this point. Bella floated along behind us as Rosalie ran to Nessie's side.

"Edward wasn't too mean was he?" Rose petted her head.

"Blondie, no one is as mean as you are." I laughed.

"This was probably your fault Dog." Rose snapped back at me playful. We didn't love each other, exactly, but I don't think we hated each other either. I actually think Rose would miss me if I left now. She constantly spoiled Nessie, and sometimes we would stay up late at night coming up with perfect presents for our girl.

"Rosalie, stop spoiling the child." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, something he only did when exasperated I had noticed.

"Aunt Rose," Nessie started but Edward cut her off.

"Not tonight Renesme." He said sternly and Nessie frowned at him.

"Better listen to him Nessie. He won't budge much tonight." Alice laughed. Alice was sitting on the other side of the room, playing some new game that her and Jasper had found. Jasper seemed to be beating her which was a first, I was curious as to how the game was played. It must require little thought and forethought because if Alice couldn't see how to keep herself in the lead.

"She's probably cheating." Jasper laughed, probably feeling my perplexity.

"Jake, I made dinner for you. And don't forget to take that exam I left on the kitchen counter for you." Esme shouted from up the stairs, vampires had annoyingly good hearing and memories.

"Yes." I said and quickly added, "Ma'am." When I saw Edward's disapproving scowl.

"I am going to go eat and do my own work, try not to get into too much trouble with your folks while I'm gone." I whispered to Nessie, though I knew everyone in the room could hear me. I think I even heard Emmett stifling a laugh, and mumble something under his breath.

I walked into the kitchen, following the strong scent of the dinner that Esme had made me. She was into making Chinese cuisine lately, and I wasn't going to lie she was pretty much amazing at it. I sat down at the table, where my plate was set up next to a stack of papers that were my exam a pen and a little note. Esme was entirely too motherly.

I picked up the fork and skimmed the note before even looking at the exam.

Jake -

Remember you have to do well on this test, so focus.

Focus, right I was suppose to just sit here quietly like a good boy. Eating a dinner made by a vampire mother hen in a kitchen that was only used for my benefit. Focus, when all I could think about was the series of new places that Nessie had shown me she wanted to go. I would have to have a serious discussion with Bella, or maybe Rose soon about how best to present the idea of me taking Nessie anywhere to Edward. I knew we would have to wait until after she was fully developed at least, though I was suspecting we might have to wait a bit longer than that before they were ready to let her go. It definitely was Rose that I should go to with, as I don't think that Bella would accept it readily either. Rosalie though would want Nessie to experience everything and anything she wanted even if it was with me and away from them. There were places that the girl wanted to go that had far too much sun for her family.

I took some pleasure in knowing that Nessie was finally growing up, I didn't know how Embry was handling being so hopeless for a now six year old. Nessie had only been six for about three weeks, well maybe longer but it wasn't long. I only had to play dress up and tea party so many times before she was past that stage in life. Maybe this was how imprinting worked, a little like love at first sight, but more like the world knew what kind of girl I needed. Someone like Bella Swan, someone so beautiful, so smart, so unbelievably strong that she could be reckless and quicker than I could have hoped for. I was never good at patience, so maybe the world had dealt me the right card because Renesme Cullen was never going to be boring.

I sighed, focus, I had to finish this exam before Nessie finished her homework. I also heard fighting and I had a slight fascination with watching the vampire brothers playful fight with each other. It was like pay-per- view fights, but so much better. And sometimes I would get to try at Emmett, I had yet to win but one of these days that big brute was going to have a bad day.