That night, Jacob and Renesmee stayed up late into the night, looking at old photo albums in front of the fireplace at her parents cottage. For Jacob, many of the memories from the pictures were only about three to four years ago but they seemed ages ago-so much had happened in the time that Bella had come to live in Forks up to now, it almost seemed unfathomable that only about five years had gone by.

"Oh my gosh, look at this one." Renesmee tugged on his fingers and his eyes fell to a photo of him with her sitting on his shoulders-she was just a small toddler then, her hair curly and everywhere with a big toothy grin as she pulled on Jacob's hair.

"You were so freakin cute, you know that?"

"Were?! I still am!"

He looked at her, laughing. "Yes you are, my dear."

"god, I can't believe you'd just sit there and let me pull on your hair like that…" she turned the page to another one of her a little bit older and passed out on Jacob's chest on the couch in the same room they were in now; Jacob had fallen asleep as well and Bella had taken the opportunity to photograph them. This was one of Renesmee's favorite pictures.

"Yeah, that's a good one of us-I like it." Jacob commented softly from beside her as she turned to the last page. It was a picture of her at her last birthday party she'd had with Jacob before he left. He'd made her a carved charm bracelet with a wolf's head for the charm. The picture was of him crouched down beside her just after he'd given it to her and she'd hugged him tightly, kissing him on the cheek; he was smiling brilliantly in the picture-and even now as he looked at it. "This one is by far my most favorite of us, Ness."

She nodded and smiled as she brushed her hand over the smooth surface of the picture-her eyes shining.

"Hey-Ness what's wrong?" Jacob brushed the hair behind her ears to reveal the side of her face as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.

"Nothing I just-I just miss those days-being together with-everyone all the time-being with you."

He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and she laid her head on his shoulder as more tears followed. "Hey, I know but it's gonna be ok because I'm here. I'm here and I'm not gonna leave you again, Ness-I promise I won't. You don't know how much it killed me to be away from you the first time like that-it killed me everyday, Nessie you have no idea."

"What-what did it feel like?"

Jacob hesitated, wondering if he would give away the imprint too soon but then he felt that she had a right to know at least a little part of it; she was bound to find out sooner or later and on Jacob's part, he hoped it was sooner. He bit his lip as he looked into her dark, doe eyes that were just like her mother's. "Well-it was like every time I had a thought that was about you-which was pretty much every single thought in my head-I'd get this painful stab in my chest. Because I knew how far away you were and that it would be awhile before I would be able to come back. And the further we got from Washington-the more my chest hurt. It felt like there was a steel cable that-"

"Anchored you to me. And-the further away you went, the more the cable strained and tightened-like it was trying to pull you back to me." She finished softly as her wide eyes stared back into his in wonderment. "-and it hurt like hell and every day it grew worse and worse sometimes making your eyes sting with tears because it just hurt so much…and then the pain goes down into your gut and you just feel it deep down and it's always with you-even in your sleep you can feel it." Her voice grew to just above a whisper as her fingers absently searched for his and wrapped around them tightly.

"Ness-how-how did you-"

"Because I feel it too, Jake-Right here!" She put his hand to her chest and he felt her heartbeat racing erratically.

"So you do feel it." He whispered as his hand slipped a little lower on her chest, resting completely over her heart.

She felt the strange chill down her spine but it was more powerful this time and she felt strange fluttering sensations in her stomach. "Jacob-what is it exactly that we're feeling? I know it's not just anything-it's something-special. Different isn't it?"

He bit his lower lip again, looking down at her fingers as they brushed over the top of his. "Yes, it is, Ness-but I don't know if right now is the time to-I don't know if I should tell you until I talk to your parents first."

"Oh com'on, Jacob! I'm tired of feeling something that's so strong but I don't have any idea what it is and no one will tell me; I've asked Mom, Dad and even your dad! No one will tell me anything!"

"Renesmee." He took both her hands in his. "I promise you I'm not trying to keep any secrets from you its just that this isn't something that I wanted to tell you until you were old enough to understand it-and plus, its my place alone to be the one to tell you-if anyone else were to tell you-it wouldn't be right."

"It has something to do with your legends, doesn't it." She looked him straight in the eye and he was always amazed at how frank and direct she was; she was fearless and it was moments like this when she didn't seem like the little girl he knew, at all.

"Y-yes, it does. But that's all I'm going to say for now, ok? Please just trust me on this, Ness. I promise you I will tell you as soon as I can; I just need to talk to your parents first. It's the right thing to do."

"I don't get why you have to talk to them first instead of just after-it has to do with me and its my life, not theirs!" She huffed in frustration as she stared into the flames of the fire blazing in the fireplace.

Jacob shook his head slightly as he took her chin between his fingers, turning her face back to look at him. "You. Are so much like you're mother, you know that? You're so fucking stubborn just like she is."

"Well I guess that's my prerogative and like Dad, you'll just have to deal."

His eyes widened as a surprised smile played on his lips. "Oh really! Is that so? Well excuse me, Ms. Cullen I'll remember that next time I'm in the line of your verbal firing squad."

She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile but that was impossible when Jacob was around; he always made her smile no matter how sad, angry or pissed she was and he knew it.

"Alright Miss you need to get to sleep; I've kept you up way past the time you're parents would like, I'm sure." He stood, pulling her up with him, being careful to not make any sudden noise-even though he knew vampires didn't sleep, he still didn't want to interrupt whatever Bella and Edward were up to.

"I'm not even-tired." The last word she uttered with a yawn and Jacob rolled his eyes, laughing.

"Yeah, surrreee you're not." Just then, she leaned all her weight against him, yawning again and laughing again softly, he picked her up bridal-style and carried her down the hall to her room. Pushing the door open with his foot, he leaned his back against it to close it behind them. Walking over, he laid her down on the bed gently, pulling the light covers over her slender, curvy form up to her shoulders. He brushed the hair off her forehead as he leaned down to plant a gentle kiss there. "Goodnight, Beautiful."

"Jake?" She whispered just as he was about to close the door.

"Yeah?"

"Will you be back tomorrow?"

He flashed her his brilliant smile that he reserved just for her, sending that now familiar chill up her spine. "You bet I will, Gorgeous-now sleep good. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Yes Honey, I promise."

She blew him a kiss just as she always did when she was little and to her surprise, he remembered the little tradition and made the motion of catching it in mid-air with his hand and blowing it right back at her. She giggled as he smiled again, slowly closing the door.

"Goodnight, Jacob."