Chapter Two: Ambush
A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I hope you like chapter two.
Three days after the incident with Jacob, Uncle Emmett ambushed me.
"Nes-Quik!" He boomed, coming into my room. He lifted me off my bed where I had been writing in my journal and gave me one of his bone crushing hugs. Which meant I couldn't breathe for a few minutes.
"Emmett, stop calling her that!" My mother shouted from downstairs. She tried to get my full name to be the norm but she was fighting a lost battle. Ten years of Jake calling me Nessie kind of defeated her purpose. But since when did Uncle Emmett listen to my mother? I had to agree with her though. Nes-Quik was pushing it. I'd rather be nicknamed after the Loch Ness Monster than chocolate milk.
Uncle Emmett released me and started laughing as he flopped on my bed. I fought the urge to groan. There goes another box spring...
"So, Nessie girl, how's life?" he asked while I still recovered from my hug.
I was confused at the question. "Um...it's good?"
He gave me a "yeah right" look.
"Uh huh." he said, " So that's why you've been holed up in your room for three days avoiding your family. Because life is good. "
I was surprised to say the least. Out of all the people who could possibly notice something was wrong...Uncle Emmett?
I sighed and closed my journal, resting it on my nightstand. I wasn't getting out of talking. Uncle Emmett was shrewd, he would know if I was BSing him. Besides, I didn't usually hole up in my room for three days. He was right, I was avoiding everyone. I wasn't doing it for any other reason than privacy. I didn't want my father knowing about what had happened and as it was he would hear my questions and insecurities and if he knew then it inevitably followed that my mother would know, then Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper and on through my family (immediate or extended) until there wasn't anybody that didn't know about what happened with Jacob and I would never hear the end of it.
Uncle Emmett put his arm around me and hugged me to him, more carefully this time.
"What's wrong Ness?" He asked, concern starting to show.
"I don't know." I said quietly, tucking my head under his chin.
"Is it the Border Collie?" He asked.
My head came up and hit the underside of his chin with enough force that if he'd been human, I would have broken his neck.
How did he guess?
I was too stunned that my devil-may-care uncle had guessed at the problem to be mad about him calling Jake a border collie. Again.
"How did you know he had something to do with it?"
He laughed.
"Nes-Quik what else could it be? I know you've been sneaking unchaperoned hunting trips behind your parents backs."
Betrayal flashed through me. Alice promised she wouldn't say anything! Uncle Emmett read my look.
"Nessie, relax. Who do you think helped Alice cover for you?"
"You?"
"Hell yeah!" he grinned. "Don't look so surprised. Much as I love your parents, they need to lighten up. Besides, it makes life interesting."
I snorted. Trust boredom to be a reason for my uncle to do anything.
"You know Ness I can always bust his knee caps. Or break his legs." Uncle Emmett said casually, even somewhat hopefully.
I pulled away from him and jumped off the bed. "Uncle Emmett!" The mere thought of my uncle even giving Jake a noogie had me incensed.
A booming crash sounded and Uncle Emmett and I looked towards my door in surprise where Aunt Rose stood, fuming, holding part of my door in her hand. Behind her stood my mother, with a look of resignation on her beautiful face. Great... I guess I had yelled too loud. Not hard to do in a house full of vampires.
"What did you do to her!" Aunt Rose shrieked, starting towards Uncle Emmett in such a way that I almost felt sorry for him before I thought about him harming Jake. He was off the bed and against the wall before I could blink. He held up his hands to ward her off.
"Babe..."
"Don't you 'babe' me," Aunt Rose snarled. She turned to me, as furious and beautiful as a lioness. "What did he say Nessie?"
My mother spoke up before I could say anything.
"Rose, maybe I should talk with my daughter before you rip Emmett's head off."
That's when I realized that the audience to this disaster had grown. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper were in the now crowded doorway with none other than my father, who to my surprise was smirking. What was so funny?
"Rose," he said, coming into my room.
She turned on him, hissing. "What?"
His smirk grew.
"Emmett offered to break Jacob's kneecaps. That's what upset Nessie."
I frowned. My father was getting way too much satisfaction out of his revelation.
My mother sighed and rolled her eyes. Aunt Rose turned back to Uncle Emmett with a suspicious look.
"Is he telling the truth Emmett?"
"Would I lie to you?"
And she believed him. Despite his crude behavior, Uncle Emmett was unfailingly honest, especially to Aunt Rose. She had no reason to question his word even if Daddy hadn't heard his thoughts.
The tension in the room started to thin out and I was grateful for Uncle Jasper's pressence.
"If it pleases the court," my mother spoke up wryly, "I still want to talk to my daughter. Alone."
As the rest of my family filed out the door, Uncle Emmett winked at me. "Offer's still on the table Nes-Quik."
"Shut up, Emmett," Aunt Rose snapped, pushing him out the door, but not before I saw the grin on her face. A look of concern passed between my father and mother, before he too, left.
I shut the door and turned to look at my mother. She opened her arms to me and I threw myself in them.
"Tell me whatever you can," she whispered, holding me tight.
*********
A/N: well...this was a little bit of a filler. Just trying to bring in the rest of the Cullens. the next chap is probably gonna be filler too....but hey filler chaps are necessary :) hope you enjoyed chapter two!
