Chapter one: Surprise.
I ran quickly through the lush green woods behind my house, the scent of a wild animal burning in my nostrils. I avoided the trees that whirred by easily, following the scent down by the river where it disappeared, but this didn't deter me. I crossed the river quickly and then abruptly turned, crossing paths ahead of the animal. It wouldn't be long now. Our paths would have to cross. And soon.
I heard a rustle in the bushes ahead of me and I sprung lightly, landing on the back of a large russet colored wolf. It dug it's claws into the soft soil beneath it's paws and skidded to a stop.
I got thrown over it's shoulders and landed with a loud thump!, knocking the wind out of me. The large wolf towered over me, it's black eyes glowing in the setting sun. It let out a low growl and it's teeth came to my neck, barely touching my neck.
The wolf suddenly licked my face from chin to forehead and chuckled when I made a face.
"Hey! Jake!"
He just chuckled and ran into the woods again. It wasn't long before he was back. He took long evenly matched strides, his long, tan legs showing , as he was wearing shorts.
"What's wrong Ness? Couldn't take me?" he said, chuckling again.
"No!" I growled, throwing him a distasteful look, my hands clenching into fists.
He laughed at the expression on my face.
"Oh really?" he asked, one eyebrows raised.
"Yes- really." I retorted, curling into a low crouch and then springing at him.
He landed on his back, me on top of him, pining him down. I knew he could easily overthrow me, but he made no attempt to as he put his hands lightly on my waist. My heart thumped unevenly in my chest and my palms felt clammy as I looked into his black eyes, a slight smile on his face.
Why was that always happening nowadays?
He sensed the change in my expression and was instantly worried.
"What's wrong, Ness?" His face wore an uncharacteristic frown.
I looked away, unsure how to answer. So instead I avoided it altogether.
I slid off of him, and onto my knees in front of him. He sat up, facing me, the same frown still there on his face. I shrugged. "Nothing. I think maybe I'm just hungry."
He laughed, instantly relieved. "Okay, well then let's go back to the house.", he suggested.
I sat on the ground, not showing any signs of moving as I watched him stand in one fluid movement. I felt my mouth opened like a cod fish and I worked quickly to snap it shut again.
What was wrong with me?
I got up, trying to look as graceful as he had, but feeling as if I had failed miserably. He had his back turned to me and he looked over his shoulder at me. "Do you want me to phase or do you want to take it easy going back?", he asked, holding his hand out to me as I walked to his side.
I thought about it for a moment, trying to focus on his question instead of the way his hand felt in my own. Trying to forget how the warmth of his skin against mine made me shiver.
"Let's just walk. We can go past our spot." I suggested. He smiled, always the same old Jake. Always up for whatever I wanted to do.
We started at a quicker pace than a normal human would have walked at. But then again, which of us had ever been normal.
"So," he started, and I gulped, the sound loud in my own ears, "What are you doing the night of your birthday?"
I felt my eyes widen in shock, as this had not been the topic I thought he would've brought up. I shook my head once to clear it. Of course this would have been what he wanted to talk about.
It was customary that the night of my birthday Jacob took me out to dinner and then we spent the night at Billy's hanging out with the wolves. Why would it be any different this year?
I rolled my eyes. "You never know. Of course I could always find something to do. I could play monopoly as a last resort." I smiled up at him and he looked down and grinned at me, squeezing my hand slightly.
"Well then, Miss Cullen, would you be so adverse to the thought of spending the evening with me?" he asked, being all formal. It sounded to me as if he was mimicking my father. I laughed, trying to make it sound light, but I could hear the panic in it. I only hoped he couldn't.
"Why of course I will, Mr. Black." I replied, being just as formal as he. "Don't we always?" He smiled, again, and I smiled back. It seemed like I was smiling a lot more when I was around him…
He dropped the formal pretense. "Yeah," he mumbled, "but things are different know..." He looked down and I wondered what he meant, though I didn't make my confusion known.
We walked through the large bushes at the very edge of the white house's lawn and the smell of my Father's cooking wafted through the air. I heard Jake's stomach rumble loudly and I laughed at him, but was stopped by a ferocious growl from my own stomach. This time it was his turn to laugh.
"Let's get you inside." He said, tugging me along towards the slightly opened door to the house.
As we walked in, I was greeted by a hug from Rose. I wrapped my arms around her hard body and hugged her back, reluctant to let go of Jacob's hand.
"Happy 8th birthday, Nessie." She crooned in my ear. I felt a blush creep up my face at her words.
"Aunt Rose." I complained, pulling away to look at her, "You know it makes me uncomfortable when you say it like that. I'm physically at least 21. And mentally, probably older."
She laughed, obviously not taking my request seriously. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to make another complaint when something registered.
"Wait, what do you mean? Why are you telling me happy birthday now? It's not until tomorrow." I asked in confusion.
She looked over my head towards Jacob, letting an annoyed look glide over her features. "I thought you were supposed to tell her, dog?" she said in an accusing voice.
He shrugged, untroubled by Rosalie's hostility. "I didn't get around to it, okay? She said she was hungry."
Rosalie huffed in frustration and put her hands on her hips as Jacob took my hand again and pulled me to his side. "Well, you'd better inform her now, seeing as how you're out of time."
I looked up at Jake, not knowing what to expect, but relieved to see that there was no hint of worry or anger at all showing on his face. "Actually, I was planning on telling her at dinner."
Rose look furious for one second, but thought about it before her features smoothed and she gave him a look of understanding. "Ah…", she said, "I see now. Okay. Well, not a bad idea, mutt."
Jacob smirked at her compliment. "Of course it's a good job. I thought of it." A sharp growl came from the kitchen, obviously directed at Jacob and his statement. He just laughed. "Okay, so Alice played a pretty big part of it, but I still think I should get most of the credit."
I rolled my eyes and led him into the kitchen, pardoning us with the excuse that our stomachs were going to eat themselves if we didn't fill them soon.
When we walked into the kitchen a unique scene was splayed before us. Grandpa Carlisle, Grandma Esme, mom, dad, alice, jasper, Emmett and now Rosalie were all gathered around the kitchen island. Cooking.
I stopped mid-step as I saw that they had cooked all of my favorite foods. There was steak, pork chops, lamb, basically all of the main meat dishes. For desert there was pies, cakes, cookies, the whole shebang.
"Wha-?! What is all of this?!" I asked, utterly dumb founded. There were nine smiling facing enjoying my reaction.
"Why, it's your birthday dinner." Grandma said, tugging me into an embrace. I hugged her back, still shocked.
They all began talking now, as they sat me down and served me and Jacob extreme amounts of food. We talked the entire night, until I was full and leaning back in my chair.
When this time came around, Jacob cleared his throat, calling attention at the table.
"Okay," he began, "Nessie, as you may have guessed so far, we have a surprise for you."
I looked around the table at the smiling faces around me and gulped.
Jake laughed at my expression. "We're going with our friends in La Push for a vacation!"
I just looked at him.
It took me more than a minute to process what he was saying.
Vacation. They were usually public weren't they?
I gasped as I understood what he was saying.
"Oh My GOD! Are you serious?! YES!!" I got up and started dancing around the dining room while they all laughed at me.
"Of course there are limitations you must follow while in public." Dad began. And even the promise of rules didn't damper my mood.
"Okay! Fine! I don't care- I'm just happy I get to go OUT!!" I said, squealing again in delight.
He laughed again. " I know." He said, subtly touching his forehead.
Oh. Yeah. He could hear just how excited I was in my head. I stopped dancing and sat back down. It must be loud in my head with all of my excitement.
Sorry papa.
He smiled at me. "It's fine, dear. I'm used to it." He reached towards mother and grabbed her hand. She smiled at him.
It was only a while longer before Alice shooed everyone away, claiming that she needed to start cleaning.
As me and Jake walked to the cottage, we stopped by our place on the beach. There were large, smooth boulders in miscellaneous circular patterns. I sat down on the largest stone and patted the spot next to me, signaling that he should sit down as well.
He sat down and took a deep breath, then opened his mouth as if to say something before stopping and trying again.
"Renesmee…", he began slowly. He rarely ever used my full name, so I was automatically on guard. "Do you know- did I ever tell you about …imprinting?" He asked me, looking out into the waves gliding smoothly onto the sand at our feet.
I gulped and hesitated. Yes, I had heard what it was before, and I knew that I was the object of Jacob's imprinting, but at the time, I had no clue as to what that implied.
Suddenly, it all clicked. Why I felt so awkward around him all of a sudden. Why I got all nervous at just the thought of touching him.
I was in love. With Jake.
I looked up at him and found he was watching me. Watching all of this going through my mind. On my face.
"Oh…" I said, looking down and letting myself trail off.
He gulped, nervous too. "Yeah, oh."
I looked up at him again, trying to see why he was bringing this up now. What his motivation was.
"What about it?" I asked, hesitantly when he didn't go on.
"Well," he began, playing with my fingers like he always did when he was nervous. It calmed him. "I was just wondering, if you're feelings…if they had changed." I looked down at the sand at my feet, pushing it around slowly, giving me some time to distract myself from the situation at hand.
"Have you…changed your mind?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't big on the details, but that's the only reason I could think of for him having brought it up now. If he had changed his mind. If he didn't want me anymore.
"No! No- that's not it at all! I just…it seems like you had grown more…wary of me than usual. I wasn't sure I was bothering you, or if it was something else…" he trailed off uncertainly.
"Well, yes. How I feel has changed…" I stopped when a pained look crossed his face, and I continued quickly, assuring him. "But, it's more for the better. I- I think I love you. I think I have for a while." I paused, waiting for his reaction, but he gave none away. "Have…you changed how you feel…?" I didn't know if I wanted to do this yet. Didn't know if I could.
"No." he said strongly, surely, and I felt my face fall.
"Oh." I said, looking down again. My face was a bright crimson color.
He wrapped his arms around my waist. A warm hot fire that comforted me, even though it shouldn't.
"I've always loved you. In a way. That could never, and will never change." He looked me in the eyes. They burned a place in my heart, and a deeper love for him than I had ever felt etched itself into my soul. My heart. My entire being.
I leaned closer to his face, and he closed the distance, his lips covering my own. A burning fire. A smoldering heat made it's way from the pit of my stomach up my throat. My arms locked around his neck, pulling him closer to me.
He didn't pull away from me until we needed air again. We were both panting, and he chuckled slightly.
"Well, I guess this means I'm going to die pretty soon huh?" He asked with another chuckle.
I felt my face fall in despair. "What?" I asked sharply.
He laughed at my expression. "I just meant your dad."
Oh. Damn.
I sighed and he laughed again. "Well, it's not like they didn't know it was going to happen." He kissed the top of my head and picked me up bridal style, standing up.
"I'd better get you home before they have another reason to kill me" He said after seeing my confused expression. I sighed.
"I suppose so." I said reluctantly as he began running through the woods at a brisk pace.