Reunited

"Bella Cullen," I said sternly. "Everyone is staring again. Ugh, I hate this. I want to go home. And the store's about to close. Aren't we done yet?" I resorted to whining as if I were really "my age".

"Renesmee," she said sweetly. "We only need to find one more thing, and then we can be on our way. I swear sometimes I don't know where you get your impatience from."

"Ugh," I groaned and checked my cell phone for the 700th time since we'd entered the furniture store. "It's getting late. I should be there when he arrives." I said this mostly to myself, but I knew she heard me.

I hated shopping with my mother. Scratch that. I hated going anywhere public with my mother. Don't get me wrong, she was fun to hang out with and we always had a blast together. But I sometimes wished she could be like other moms. Moms that embarrass their daughters in the dressing rooms by making them try on hideous outfits. Or moms that tried to act cool around your friends by singing along way too loud, and off key, to current Top 40 hits in the car. Nope, I had no such luck. Instead, everywhere we went my mother seemed to draw the attention of every man in the vicinity. Try as she might to avoid it, she just seemed to attract the helpless stares of the male population. My mother is, to say the least, beautiful. She didn't need the aid of beauty products or vain superficial rituals to keep her looking young and radiant. In fact she didn't even attempt to keep up her appearance. She just was, and it really creeped me out when older men, with their wives in tow, gawked at my mother's forever frozen at 18 years old beauty.

Thank goodness I turned down Alice's offer to join us on today's shopping adventure, I thought. Having my pixie-like aunt around only made things worse when combined with my mother's beauty. Alice was just as painstakingly beautiful, but with her also dancing and flitting about the store it was much harder to keep the stares to a minimum. So I had to endure this little shopping spree for new furniture with just my mother. She'd spent the last twenty minutes staring at two, seemingly identical, ivory couches. A look of pure confusion painted her face. She crossed her arms over her chest, shifted her weight to her left foot and began to tap the right one lightly. This was obviously a habit she had developed in order to appear human in public.

"No wonder I hate shopping," she murmured. "We really should have brought Alice. I know that if I choose the wrong one I won't hear the end of it. Heaven forbid the couch doesn't compliment the drapes or something." She laughed to herself as my impatience began to grow. I reached up to touch her face with the palm of my hand. Using my "gift" I showed her exactly what I was planning to do. This particular projection included calling her mommy and jumping up and down on one of the cream couches in front of us.

"Alright, Renesmee," she sighed. I followed her the cash wrap. "No need to be so melodramatic. We can go."

"Finally!" I squealed with delight. My mother laughed at my enthusiasm as I pulled her by the elbow out of the store.

I got into the passenger seat of her silver Ferrari, which didn't seem so out of place among the other sports cars Los Angeles had to showcase. The car was practically brand new. It still wasn't her favorite vehicle, but after much persuading by my father, she agreed to drive it for the duration of their visit. Just as the engine purred to life my cell phone softly vibrated in my front jean pocket. I quickly retrieved it and flipped it open.

"Jacob!" I squealed again making my mom laugh. "Oh, hi dad," I said sullenly and sunk back into the soft leather seat. "Yeah, we're on our way back to the house. Okay. See you in a bit."

"What did he want?" My mom asked nonchalantly. I knew it was only for my benefit that she asked; after all it was obvious that she'd heard everything my father said as clearly as if she were the one on the phone with him. But my mother hated to seem like an eavesdropper, so she always asked.

"He was just wondering when we were coming back. He said he's getting anxious having you drive around this city without him." We both chuckled.

"I guess some things never change. And what about Jacob?"

As if on cue my phone vibrated again. Two quick buzzes. I eagerly read the text message: Hello love, I'm finally here. Can't wait to get you into my arms. J. I could feel my cheeks turn red, and prayed my mom didn't notice. I silently cursed the bright city lights. Hm, never had this problem in Forks, I thought.

"He's just arrived," was all I said. I tried to even out my breathing but I was starting to lose control. I could feel my palms begin to sweat and my heartbeat speed up. I hadn't seen Jacob in two weeks and the butterflies I'd been feeling all day multiplied until it felt like my entire body had fallen asleep. I was numb with anxiety.

"Renesmee," my mother broke into my thoughts. "I want to talk to you about something." I took a deep breath, waiting for her to continue. "I know that your relationship with Jacob is…special. But you're still my daughter and I feel like I have to talk to you about certain things."

"Mom! You don't have to give me 'the talk'," I interrupted before she could go any further. "I've already read all of Grandpa Carlisle's books about human anatomy…I think I have a good grasp on the subject of my biology." To my surprise my mother laughed.

"Wow," she let out a heavy sigh. "You truly are an amazing girl, Renesmee. But that isn't exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh," I said, a bit embarrassed. "So…what'd you want to talk about?"

"Well, I never really understood the whole 'imprinting' thing. But I see the two of you together and it's pretty obvious that you have a real connection. I just want to tell you that sometimes feelings can get in the way of what is right. I want you to always remember that you have choices. And that you shouldn't let anyone get in the way of that or your happiness."

She grew quiet. I realized that she was remembering the love triangle she had gotten herself into when she was "younger", which just so happened to involve my Jacob and my father. Yup, welcome to the world of the supernatural. Wordlessly I pressed my left palm to my mother's cheek.

"Yes," she said when I drew my hand back. "I know that what you feel for him resembles how I feel for your father. I guess I'm just worried about you."

"Mom," I sighed. "I've told you a thousand times before; I can take care of myself. I'll be more than fine."

"I know, I know," she said. "It's just, well, think about it. You're only 10 years old to me and you're already moving out and going to college-- away from me and your father. And I know you're well beyond your years, but still, I'm your mother, and I just…worry. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to you in a couple days," her voice cracked at the end.

"Mom, calm down," I had to stop her from rambling any further. "Would I have made all these decisions if I didn't think I could handle being on my own? And plus, I won't really be on my own. Jacob will be with me." My heart always skipped a beat when I said his name aloud. Since I was born my family had moved twice resulting in having to spend the occasional week without Jacob, because of his obligations to his pack. The last two weeks was the longest I'd spent away from him so he could tie up a few loose ends in La Push. And now, according to Jacob, there wouldn't be anything to ever keep us apart.

"But why did you have to pick Los Angeles?" She whined, I chuckled.

"Because it's some place I've never been. And no one else in the family can really say they've lived in LA," I said.

"Hey, that's not totally true," she cut in.

"Normally," I amended.

"Okay, you're right," she conceded.

She didn't press the subject any further. I hated keeping the real reason I'd chosen LA from my mother, but it was necessary. Ever since I was born I've lived a more than sheltered life. Once I had grown and matured enough to attend high school I was always under the ever watchful eyes of my parents as well as my aunts and uncles. With the threat of being captured by the Volturi for experimental testing, my parents hated leaving me alone for more than overnight. I hated that I couldn't do anything "normal". Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I was different, special. But I'd spent most of my life thus far living as someone who was such. I wanted the chance to live out my human side, without my parents. I wanted to learn how to deal with conflict the human way, build friendships the human way…I wanted to live the life my mother had given up. I knew that if I told my mother the truth, though, it would break her heart, metaphorically speaking of course. I just hated being the cause of any type of sadness, especially my mother's.

We drove the rest of the way home, winding through the dimly lit Hollywood hills, in silence. This was fine for the both of us. I was too excited to talk, anyway. I had to focus just to keep my breathing regular. My mother pulled into the gated driveway, all the windows glowed. My father and uncles had spent the last few days renovating a 1950's 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom Victorian that sat overlooking the rest of the city into a one-story 2-bedroom, 1.75-bathroom modern abode for Jacob and me to share while I attended the University of California, Los Angeles.

I pushed my door open before my mother even put the car in park and sprinted for the front door. I could hear my mom laughing behind me. I ran up the steps and shoved the stained glass door out of my way and bounded right into something hard. It felt like I'd hit a wall. My father and uncles must have put up a new wall today, considering my own strength I was shocked to find that whatever I'd hit was still standing. It took me another second to realize that I hadn't run into a something, but a someone. I looked up, way up, into the dark eyes I'd been missing for the last two weeks.

"Jacob!" I screamed, jumping up and throwing my arms around his neck. He caught me midair and pulled me to him.

"Whoa, Nessie, where's the fire?" He said into my hair.

"Shut up, Jake! I've missed you so much!" I squeezed him tighter. I couldn't believe how much I missed the feel of his hot skin on mine, it made my skin tingle. But what really sent shivers all throughout my body was his scent. His intoxicating, rustic, earthy fragrance that I'd been neglected from for too long.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he chuckled.

We stood there, well I was clinging to him, for much longer than either of us realized when someone behind Jacob cleared their throat. I was so caught up in seeing Jacob again that I'd forgotten my entire family was in the house. I finally released Jacob and slid down to the floor, his hands were around my waist, guiding me. I peeked around Jacob, gathered in the foyer was my entire all-Vampire family. Yup, they were all there: Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme, who didn't look like they would have a 10-year-old grandchild, let alone a college-attending grandchild; Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice; Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett and of course my father and mother. I didn't even realize my mom had come into the house.

"Geez, Ness, why don't you guys get a room," Emmett teased in his bellowing voice. Rosalie elbow him in the ribs, but she was smiling.

I let out a heavy sigh. I'd secretly been hoping that my grandparents, aunts and uncles had decided to leave for Quebec sooner, rather than after my reunion with Jacob. It was bad enough having my parents here to witness. I grabbed Jacob's hand and spun him around so we were both facing the family. Everyone was smiling, modeling sets of perfectly white teeth.

"Hi Jake," she said, stepping forward to hug him.

"Hey, Bells. You're looking…good," Jacob said when they'd separated.

"Thanks. Could say the same to you, but I'm getting dizzy from that smell you've brought with you," she teased. We all laughed, even Jacob.

Everyone had apparently already greeted Jacob when he'd first arrived, and now they were all staring at me. Each one of them had a look on their face I rarely saw. Their eyes were wide with awe with their eyebrows pulled together. I knew that if they were capable of the action they would be crying. Even, Emmett, my big-burly-muscle-ridden uncle, looked like he was near tears.

"Geez," I said. "What's with you guys?"

"Oh, Nessie," Alice stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. "We just can't believe how grown up you are. It seems like just yesterday you were running around La Push's forests clinging to Jacob's back."

"Well, actually that was only a couple weeks ago," Emmett chortled. My accelerated aging was always a popular joke subject with my uncle, especially since my parents were skeptical about me making it past my 10th (earth)birthday. In fact it was because I had made it this far that they even considered letting me go to a college without them. My father kept pressuring me to attend Dartmouth, but I opted to stay on the West Coast, while they returned to the East.

"Alright, everyone," Esme said. "Let's give these two some time to catch up." She began to escort everyone out of the foyer, my father lingered in the doorway to the right that led to the living room.

"Actually," he said to me and Jacob. "I'd like to talk to the two of you for just a minute." Great, I thought, cause that's the sentence I want to hear right now. Ugh, it's like my parents know when to kill the mood. Edward through me a disapproving look and I blushed.

Jacob didn't seem to mind my father's request and squeezed my hand trying to calm me down. It never ceased to amaze me how in tune he could be with my emotions. I let out a quiet sigh.

"Sure, Edward," he said calmly. "What's on your mind?"

Ah, yes, I thought, what is on this mind-reader's mind. Edward smiled at me this time.

"As you both are aware the decision to let you two live here on your own was not easy for your mother and I to make," Edward spoke to both of us, but I knew his little speech was directed at Jacob. "But we trust you, Jacob, to make sure that Nessie is taken care of." Yup, there it was, my father's inconspicuous way of threatening Jacob. Despite Jacob's intimidating 6'7 muscular build, Edward had a way of speaking that made Jacob seem like the 16-year-old boy he'd first met back in Forks.

"Of course," Jacob said simply. "I will do anything to make sure that she is safe and happy, just like I've done since the day she was born." Edward kept his eyes fixed on Jacob, and it took me a second to realize what he was doing.

"Dad!" I mentally scolded him for questioning Jacob's sincerity. It was one thing to read my mind, but quite another to question Jacob's actions.

"Sorry, Ness," he said sheepishly. "I had to make sure."

"Alright," I rolled my eyes. "Time for you to join the others." I finally released Jacob's hand and pushed my father into the living room.

I turned back to Jacob and smiled weakly at him. "Ugh. Sorry about all that."

"Eh, no problem. Used to it by now," he reached out his hands for me. I was more than happy to take them. We stood for several moments just staring into each other's eyes.

"So," Jacob said quietly. "You going to show me the rest of our place?"

"Our place," I repeated. "I think I can get used to the sound of that." He smiled, his most Jacob heart melting smile.