In my drawings case there is a stack of pictures, each picture in turn describes the lives of Jacob and Renesmee. Each painting tells a story, big or small or silly, and recently I decided to use them to tell the story of Janessie, the way I always wanted it to go. A story for each drawing, in chronological order (more or less).
Let's get started!
Chapter 1 - Shopping with the Girls
Renesmee didn't even get to unpacking her bursting-at-the-seams suitcase, when Alice's head popped in her door.
"We're going shopping!" she declared with such enthusiasm, that Nessie couldn't say no to her. Sighing internally, she turned to her mother, who was perched on the bed beside her. The latter was busy with leisurely taking cloths out of the bag, then folding them in in-human speed.
"Mom, do I have to?" Nessie pleaded, and even though she tried not to sound childish, nonetheless she was back for a moment to being mommy's little girl.
"Renesmee, honey, you know that I can't control Alice. As far as I'm concerned I'd much rather spend the evening with you here at home, just you and me and dad, and maybe a glass of champagne to celebrate your return."
Renesmee had just returned the previous night from her great trip to Europe, in which she explored all by herself France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and everything in between. She was finally old enough, of fourteen human years, otherwise of twenty hybrid years. The trip was a lot of fun and filled with adventures, but it was good to be back home, in good old Forks. It was grey too, but the grayness had its charms, in Nessie's opinion, in preserving the stability of the routine. Her blue room had always made her feel cozy and warm, and her mother's golden eyes sparkled as she smiled fondly at her adolescent daughter.
"Furthermore, all she ever talks about lately is the shopping she plans to do with you once you're finally back. It's the only thing that had kept her sane in the meantime. Essentially everyone in the big house is going crazy because of her, so if we won't go out with her today, one can't tell what might happen."
"Is it that bad?" Nessie asked on a whisper.
"Uncle Jasper suffers in silence, but Uncle Emmett has decided to go live in a cave for a while, and lately Rosalie seems as if she actually considers joining him."
That was severe. Rosalie would never live in a cave. Even if it was with her burly husband Emmett.
"She does know that I'd bought a bunch of clothes in France, right?"
"Knows and doesn't care. In any case I think she will make you pose in them for her later on. Just a heads-up."
Nessie sighed again.
The shop owner didn't know what was happening; one moment the shop was a peaceful place with classical music playing in the background, and the next it was conquered by a small woman with black pixie hair. The woman's friends appeared a little frightened themselves.
"What do you mean you don't need more clothes? " Alice resented, and Nessie wished she'd never tried to reason with her rationally. "You are always in need of more clothes, what with your growth and all…" She paused as she remembered. "Oh right…"
Nessie smiled and tossed a stray curl from her eyes. "Exactly! I stopped growing six years ago!" She said triumphantly. They were worried at first, when her growing process continued beyond the date that Nahuel predicted, but ultimately Carlisle, her Grandfather of a doctor, stated that the growth was over and that there was nothing to worry about.
Her Grandpa Charlie, however, thought it strange that he could no longer scold her for growing 5 inches taller whenever he turns around. It was their private little joke.
"Oh well - so what, it's not the only reason." Alice insisted in her ringing voice. "You also haven't seen Jacob yet since you came back, and you have to look beautiful and sophisticated for him…"
"Alice!" Bella frowned at her sister-in-law, eyeing her daughter's flushed cheeks. Nessie buried her face in her hands and in a desperate attempt to escape them, grabbed a random garment from the shelf and nearly ran into the fitting room.
"What did I say?" Nessie heard Alice tell her mother in a low voice. She spread the folded garment and discovered that it was a long tank top dress in burgundy. Oh well. She began to undress.
"You know exactly what you said," she heard her mother answers somewhat impatiently. "You know very well that they had fought before the trip and that she hadn't mention his name the whole time she was in Europe…"
"What, do you think...?"
"Yes, they hadn't found the opportunity to reconcile. And the subject of the argument was that she was leaving for more than a month, and since she went and did it even though he was opposed to it, he was probably not so happy about it…"
Nessie thought she was going to die. If only they would stop discussing it so nonchalantly! She tried not to think about it the whole trip, and now there was no escape. She slipped the dress over her head and pulled it down her body. The dress was a little tight and reached her flat sandals, and she assumed that it was supposed to look that way. She heard her small aunt remarks, "Well, this is all the more reason to try to please him now that…" She fell silent as Nessie unlocked the cell and stepped out to face them.
Her mother raised an eyebrow; half a smile tightened her lips as her eyes scanned her figure from head to toes. Alice cleared her throat. "Well," she uttered cautiously, "it definitely looks… Boho-chic. Yes. Add a wide-rim hat and let down your hair, and it would be perfect."
Nessie looked at her hesitantly. "Are you making fun of me?"
Alice raised her hands to signify that she was innocent. "Not exactly, I mean, I don't think that Boho is your style, but hey, with your body and your colors, maybe it could work..." She went over to her and pulled the elastic band from her coppery hair, spreading it over her shoulders. "This deep burgundy color actually looks great on you, even though I might have offered it to you in another outfit, such as..." Nessie didn't wait for her to complete the thought, and cut her off. "Great! Throw it in," she returned into the cell, and before shutting the door saw Alice reach for a cloth that caught her eye in the same color.
She finished squeezing herself out of the tight dress when a pile of clothes landed on top of her within the cell, and only thanks to her vampire instincts she managed to catch them at the last minute over her head. To her surprise and annoyance she could hear Alice telling her mother quietly (why did she think she couldn't hear them? She too had a keen sense of hearing), "What was he doing all this time? I wondered why we hardly saw him around."
"What does he have to do with us, when Nessie's not around?"
"Emmett rather likes him. And me too off course, but it's not me that shares his fondness of fast cars."
"Yeah, well, I think he had it pretty hard as it was. I went to visit him at home one day, and his father told me he was burying himself in his schoolwork. I guess this is his way of handling the whole thing…"
Renesmee groaned loud enough to silence them both, and hastily put on the other dress. It was in the same shade but the skirt ended right above her knees. The shortness of it compensated for a rounded and fully covering neckline, and a small peplum skirt completed the fashionable cut. She leaved the cell and turned her back to her mom, who got the hint and fastened the long zipper.
"Well?" Nessie faced her aunt in a wide stance, her hand on a hip, ready for battle.
"Yes, yes, totally yes. You're taking this. You look so mature, and sophisticated, doesn't she look mature?" Alice asked Bella excitedly. Bella nodded almost imperceptibly, smiling encouragingly at Nessie and amused at Alice.
"Now try on these boots!" Alice was already shoving a new stack into her hands, which contained camel-colored boots which Renesmee would have never thought of buying on her own. But what can you do, Alice knew what would look good and what was in trend, and she trusted her. And even though she didn't let herself think about it by no means whatsoever, she did want to look her best the next time she'll see Jacob.
She stood in front of the mirror in another outfit, Alice flying around her happily and her mother holding her hand, passing on strengthening thoughts. She loved her little bouncy aunt, but occasionally she tended to become bossy. Using her special gift, Renesmee delivered her mother the thought, When do you figure we'd get out of here? As an answer her mother said in a regular voice, "a couple of hours, at least. But afterwards we'll get some ice cream, what do you say?"
"Ice cream…" Nessie murmured dreamily. That would have to sustain her, since she already knew that it was the beginning of a particularly long day.
The party was in full swing, vampires and wolves mingling relatively easily, the humans among them are sometimes used as implicit intermediaries. All of Nessie's favorite people arrived for her homecoming; the Cullen family with all four of its perfect couples, her friends from the Res, Paul, Embry, Sam and especially Seth, along with their spouses. Her human grandfather Charlie came too with his partner of ten years Sue, who Renesmee was very fond of.
All of her favorite people came, except for the one that mattered the most. She dressed up, put on her makeup and did her hair thinking of him, but he wasn't there. After she entertained everyone with trip stories, the initial excitement subsided somewhat and she could relax a bit from all the talking. She sat with a pat on the couch next to her father, who in turn laid his arm around her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her temple.
Why did I bother to wear this dress? She thought of the white dress, which abstract flowers climbed up its skirt all the way to her waist. The cleavage was just a hint, but it was a big one. When it got colder she added a vivid green sweater that accentuated her hair color. She looked amazing, but the eyes that she wanted to linger on her were not there.
"Your mother had Alice inviting him," her father answered her thoughts. Renesmee was accustomed to have her brain as an open book to him, even if sometimes she would have preferred to keep her privacy. He has heard her anxiety and strong desire to see him again, and didn't need to hear his name in her mind to know who she was thinking about.
Nessie laid her hand over his cold one, passing her exact thoughts to him. What if he doesn't want to see me anymore? And Edward replied, "Nonsense, Buttercup. If there is anyone that misses you around here, it's him. He can't stay away from you for long."
I wish, she sighed internally. "Want some punch?" Jasper poppep up behind them, and handed her a tall glass filled with pink liquid. "Thanks Jasper," she smiled at him gratefully. He must have sensed her feelings and decided a little alcohol would help relax her some. He smiled back and went to stand next to his wife Alice, who was engaged in conversation with Sarah, the very pregnant wife of Seth. From what she had heard, Nessie gathered that they were planning to have a baby shower. First baby was always a source for much fuss.
Renesmee stared out through the glass walls of the living room in the Cullen's, and sipped her punch. Her grandmother Esme sat down to play the piano, Emmett and Rosalie were arguing about some nonsense, and the wolves were discussing pack business with Bella. Carlyle was advising Sam's Emily about her second son measles, and Embry's girlfriend stood near Sarah and Alice and looked astounded from everything. Humans and super-naturals mixed. Nessie knew it well, since she herself was a mixture of the two, a perfect combination to the people who loved her, but not without drawbacks.
No, there were drawbacks too.
"This punch isn't doing its job very well," Edward commented on her melancholy thoughts. "Would you like to dance with me? Slow dancing?" The music that Esme currently played could only go with slow dancing, and Nessie smiled with a bit of effort. "Let's dance."
Edward stood and held out his hand, helping her off the couch. Nessie let him pull her near the piano, then laid her head on his shoulder. At twenty she was already his height. The height was definitely one of the more pleasant aspects of her supernatural heritage.
They danced slowly, and after a while Alice and Jasper, Seth and his wife and more couples joined them. Nessie smiled. They all joined in order to cheer her up, so she won't feel lonely and silly, and she appreciated their thought.
Edward raised his head, looking to the large windows. Renesmee put her palm on his hand and questioned, what is it, dad?
He lowered his voice and muttered, "It's him, I can hear him approaching." His thought hearing range was quite wide, and he could identify people from long distances, especially ones he knew.
Her heart started beating fast, and she searched his eyes. "Really?" How far? What is he thinking?
"Renesmee Carly!" he scolded her. "You know his thoughts are personal, and only he can share them with you." She gave him puppy eyes and he groaned his surrender. "He isn't mad, okay? That's all I'm going to say." Nessie beamed at him in a way she knew would melt him. "Thanks, dad."
He was closer now; she could hear his heart bit. The sound always calmed her in the past, but now it only made her nervous. She pictured how he'll look walking in. He was so beautiful to her, and she hadn't laid her eyes on him for so long… "Renesmee," Edward complained and she took her hand off of his pale skin, suddenly grasping she was sending her direct thoughts to him the whole time. Sorry, she apologized.
He was very close and she stared at the floor, afraid to see him. Moments later he knocked on the door, making Nessie to stop being aware to anything but him. Up until now she hadn't realized how much she missed him. Carlisle opened the door. "Jacob, what a pleasant surprise to see you here."
"Yeah…" his voice was blank and her heart beat so fast she knew only the humans in the room couldn't hear it. The rest pretended not to notice for her benefit. "You too, Doc." He added as if regretted being cold, and Nessie smiled. He will always have a warm place in his heart for her vampiric grandpa.
"Come on in," Carlisle invited him in. Renesmee pulled away from her dad and turned.
Jacob stood in front of her, and he had never looked more handsome, or more miserable. His brown skin looked paler than usual, his black hair grew plenty in the time she hadn't seen him and was covering his eyes with spiky edges. His dark eyes bored into her with heat that alarmed her, but were so familiar at the same time. Then he looked remorseful.
"Hi, Nessie," he said and she almost melted.
"Hi…" she replied.
"Nice party," he commented.
"Tell that to Alice," she shrugged.
"I will," he responded.
What happened to them? Since when were they this distant, politely speaking strangers? She desperately wanted to see his smile, the guy who was her best friend ever since she was born, and now he looked as if he went through an ordeal he was only now beginning to recover from. She had to do something about it.
"Jacob, I…" she started.
"I'm sorry," he interrupted.
"You're sorry?" she looked at him with wide eyes, "I should be sorry!" and now he looked like a kicked puppy. "Sorry, Jake." She said with remorse. "That's all I wanted to say, that I'm sorry."
He sighed deeply and looked around, catching the stolen glances from everyone around them. Except for Emmett everyone tried to pretend no to listen to them. Emmett was beaming at them contentedly.
Jake said, "Would you like to go outside with me?"
"Outside?" she was speechless.
"You know," he lowered his voice and leaned down to her, and she breathed in, her eyes searched for his. "Everyone here is dying to watch our show, but I'd rather have it without prying eyes. They won't hear us in the woods," and just like that he was her Jacob again.
"Take a coat," her mother said behind her, handing her a coat that proved she had expected Jacob's move. When it came to him, she was better at telling the future even more than Alice. "Nice seeing you, Jacob," she smiled at him, and he looked at her with gratitude. They went outside.
They walked in the clear night in silence, until they got far enough from the house. Then Jacob stood and turned to her. Renesmee stopped too.
Jacob drank in her appearance, and couldn't help but compare her to how she looked when she was younger. Her hair was still shiny, thick and curly in the same deep red hue that always managed to catch his eye (Edward loved teasing him that it was the exact same color as his own hair). She was still small compared to him, but he had to admit that she was no longer the little girl that rode his back and built sand castles with him. She was a woman now, and he could no longer deny it. Her body was developed in a way that made it harder not to notice her. Her sweet face was not just the embodiment of innocent sweetness anymore, but the face of a woman who had seen the world and knew what she wanted. He loved her big brown eyes, a trace of her human mom, her cute little nose and pink lips, which had never grabbed his attention quite like at this moment. She was also long legged so the height difference between them was only by a head. On the one hand he liked it, but on the other hand it made him feel the distance between them even more.
"Jake, you've been quiet for a long time," she said nervously, pulling at her coat. "Did you want to say something?"
He heaved a sigh, casting his eyes aside. "Nessie..." he started helplessly, then said the first thing that came to mind. "I missed you like crazy."
She blushed but thankfully replied, "I missed you terribly too. I'm sorry I ran off like that, under your nose. And I know it was the longest we were ever apart since I was born, but it was my one chance before heading to college..."
"I know. I was an idiot. I was so sure you'll always be here that I totally lost it. But I hadn't the right to..."
"You totally had it! I was so afraid to tell you I was going away and ended up telling you only the day before... It makes sense for you to be mad, and I should have stopped being a coward and just told you. I had planned to talk with you on Skype …"
"We could have, and maybe it would have been somewhat better if we had Skyped, but me and my stupid pride..."
"Don't say that, you're my best friend, I should've considered your feelings."
They both fell silent and looked at each other, suddenly speechless. Eventually Renesmee smiled hesitantly. "So, are we still friends?" she asked.
"Obviously, if you don't think I'm a total jerk."
"Jacob black, sometimes you are a jerk, but I don't mind. You're my jerk."
His hands surrounded her and his familiar heightened heat came suddenly from every direction when he hugged her. "Jake…" she sighed his name. When he pulled away he smiled apologetically, "but don't do that to me again. I'm not sure I can handle another departure of this magnitude."
"I hated it too. I promise."
They started toward the Cullen house. Upon his request Renesmee told him all about her trip. She spoke only of silly things, like famous sites she had seen, since she sensed that he wouldn't be able to handle yet hearing about new friends she had made. She will keep those to herself for a while.
They spent the rest of the evening compensating for lost time, and after Renesmee had finished telling him all of her entertaining stories, he told her about his progress at school. He was planning to open a garage and run it by himself, so he took business administration. In fact, in the two months she was gone he had finished his last papers and tests, and now was expecting to get his BA. Nessie was so happy that she hugged him again.
At the end of the evening he walked her to her room. Edward and Bella smiled at them as they passed them in the living room of their small house, but Edward has also added a warning look. Jacob rolled his eyes as he walked her to her door.
Renesmee turned to him and leaned against the door frame. "So, thank you for walking me home."
"No problem, Ness. Thank you for letting me. And for forgiving me." She chuckled, patting his arm. "Thank you for forgiving me too."
He realized she was looking at him expectantly. "Good night," he added sheepishly.
"That's it?" She asked indignantly, and he puzzled. "What is? What else did you want?" His eyes lingered on her lips again, and he cursed his straying eyes. Edward coughed in the living room.
"You walked me practically to my bed, and you're not going to hug me goodnight?"
Jacob grinned. "Come here, little vixen," he teased, and embraced her with everything he had. God, he missed her so much. Her soft body fitted perfectly with his and he sighed thinking how perfect she was for him. He rested his head on top of hers, and almost laughed with relief when her small hand touched the skin of his neck, and she slipped him a thought. How he had missed this silent communication with her. She thought; I'm glad that we've made up. I wouldn't have survived another minute of us fighting. Then she showed him a picture of her, lying in her bed looking utterly miserable. The picture was exaggerated and almost comical, and he chuckled with relief. It was good to be with her again.
"Me too, Nessie."
AN: Aaaaand that's it for today. What did you think? Did you like it?
I should have warned you, this series is going to be full of fluff. If you're into fluff - you've come to the right place.
Next up: finding out about the imprint!
R&R and have a lovely day!
