A/N Jake and Nessie continue to take me by surprise. I decide that it's time to talk to Alice and then they decide to pull a prank on Seth and Elena instead. It's truly a fun job writing the two of them.

I hope that this timetable is indicative of the rest of the story. Once a week is a good system for updates, right? Of course I'll surprise you if I'm particularly productive one weekend, but this is the best I have to offer for now.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING REVIEWS ALREADY! I love it that so many of you that read A Different Kind of Love have stuck around for the sequel. I even have a few new readers who finished the first and have already moved on to Redefining Soul Mates. Keep the reviews coming and please share this story with your friends! :)

My family raced to the parking lot the moment the bell rang. Our situation was a bit different this year: Jacob had acquired a beautiful new Cullen car, a brand new, white Jaguar XJ that he shared with Seth and me. Rosalie drove Emmett, Jasper, and Alice in her BMW, and Daddy had convinced Momma to let them drive the Aston Martin this year. We were, not surprisingly, the envy of every student in the school, and Jacob and Seth took great pains to remind the school that the Jag was theirs.

Today, however, there was no great show in exiting the parking lot. The vampire side of my family was in and out before anyone could blink, while my car lagged slightly due to Jacob's shaking that he had attempted to control all afternoon.

Thus, sharing a ride with Jacob and Seth was, for the first time ever, frustrating, and only fueled my anger—correction, extreme irritation—with Alice.

"Your parents have no sense, Nessie!" Jacob vented. Seth nodded in terse agreement, only just focusing on the conversation as he sent a text message to Elena.

You say that like I'm unaware of the problem, I grumbled, using my gift to answer both of them.

"They're your family," Jacob returned hotly.

And yours, since the moment I was born, I reminded him softly.

"Don't put this on me," he warned.

"Don't you diss my family!" I finally voiced aloud. His words were hurtful; nobody spoke out against my family except for me, because I had the right to. Jacob was not in a position bring them down, even if their decision did not seem wisest, and I showed him my discomfort.

Jacob softened immediately. "I'm sorry, Ness," he sincerely apologized, his face drawn in concern. "You know I just worry for your safety, and this birthday party is the wrong way to assure that."

I smiled gently. I understand. I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts so I could project. My family loves me just as much as you do. Their pain would be just as great if something were to happen to me, which it won't, by the way. A smile tugged at the corner of Jacob's mouth, and I smiled widely in return. We'll discuss it when we get home and everything will be fine.

Jake nodded, his spasms temporarily appeased. "Thanks, Ness," he said. He turned to Seth in the backseat. "What's Elena say?"

"She's on her way over, of course," Seth answered quickly, happily. "The pixie didn't check with the herd about a huge gathering of vampires coming so near in the future." His voice dropped in enthusiasm. "There may be another treaty in the making."

"Perfect," Jacob groaned.

I understood his attitude toward the upcoming meeting. Even as a fellow shape-shifter, this land belonged to the Arikara, not the Quileute, and Elena could refuse to allow this convention if she so chose. Any civilized compromises would likely be settled between her and Jake. I slouched down in my seat.

"What is it, Ness?" Jacob asked immediately.

"I guess you and Elena will be hammering out treaty lines and conditions all afternoon," I muttered dejectedly.

He stared at me in confusion. "We don't even know if that will be necessary yet, Nessie," he said blankly. "If it does become a priority, it shouldn't take longer than an hour or two."

I didn't answer this time. I knew I was being petty, but the prospect of the two leaders being alone together, especially considering their level of regard and admiration for the other, put a damper on my spirits. It would be too easy for one or both of them to give in to the passions that had to be simmering beneath the surface.

Before Jake could think of how to approach my sudden change in mood, we pulled into the driveway, closely followed by Elena in a nondescript Honda Civic. Seth leapt out of the backseat to meet her at her door; he opened it and was greeted by an enthusiastic kiss from his one and only. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and Seth spun her in a circle, her long legs dangling.

I sighed, half in wonderment, half in jealousy toward her natural beauty and grace.

"Ness?" Jacob ventured again.

I faced Jake grudgingly. "I don't suppose I can blame this on PMS?" I tried to tease. It fell flat with my lack of inflection.

He frowned. "Not a chance," he confirmed. "What's wrong?"

I looked down, unable to speak, at my hands, which were twitching uncomfortably. Jacob placed one warm hand over mine, effectively stopping them from shaking, and lifted my chin with his other hand. "Can you show me?" he encouraged, his eyes concerned but hopeful.

I sighed again, capturing his hand in both of mine and replaying the scene from moments before, along with the envy I felt toward Elena and my resentment toward their inevitable afternoon of planning. Above all, I showed him my fear for the future, of how their families would be connected instead of mine.

Jacob stared at me, thoroughly stunned, while inside I beat myself up for sharing my thoughts with him. Didn't I know that my insecurities weren't grounded, that he loved me better than that? We had just spent an incredible summer together, culminating with our last day at the beach and the La Push cookout. My mind and heart didn't need to wander in this direction.

I lowered my eyes again, and Jacob sighed next to me. "Ness," he whispered with intense longing.

A banging on the window startled both of us and we jumped, searching for the intruder. Seth and Elena were on either side of the door, hands on the windows. They giggled at our expressions. "You looked a little too serious in there!" Elena called gleefully. "Just thought we'd lighten the mood!"

When neither of us responded, Seth said, "Lena and I are going for a run, but we'll be back in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

Without waiting for affirmation, the two joined hands and disappeared behind the house. This was a new tradition for them, spending time every week in their spirit forms. Elena believed firmly that their bodies and attitudes dictated by the shape-shifting genes were much more powerful than their human counterparts, and Seth wasn't about to argue, so the couple ran, played, hunted, and cuddled together in their animal forms in order to strengthen their bond.

Yet another relational aspect that I can't offer Jake.

Too late, I realized that I was still loosely holding Jacob's hand, so he heard every bit of my musings. I flushed in shame, knowing exactly what he was about to say.

Jacob's hand tightened around mine. "There's nothing about our relationship that I would change, Nessie," he said softly. He began rubbing my hand with his thumb in a comforting way.

"I imprinted on you for a reason, for thousands of reasons, that I would be happy to name for you if that would ease your fears," he continued. "If I were meant to lead Elena's herd, I would have imprinted on her. But I didn't." He paused abruptly, raising my head to face him. He stared seriously into my eyes. "I imprinted on you, Renesmee Cullen, and I am a better man for that. The La Push family is better for that. You've united what should be common enemies, because of who you are."

My heart swelled at his words, but there was one issue he hadn't addressed, so I moved to protest. Jake stopped me immediately. "And if this is about our alliance with Elena's tribe, you don't have to worry about it," he assured me. "That relationship was solidified through Seth, not through me. And really, it's perfect for him. He's too enthusiastic to stay in La Push forever, and he moved so easily from Sam's pack to mine and then back to Sam's….He never found his place before, and now he has, and I'm so grateful that he and Elena imprinted, for both of their happiness and for the new knowledge and friendship we have with the herd."

Damn it, Jacob had covered every base and there was no more room to be insecure. I sighed in relieved defeat.

Jacob read my emotions through our connection with a smile. "So you're okay?" he asked hopefully.

I smiled. "The only thing bothering me now is Alice's determination to throw me an over-the-top party," I answered truthfully.

Jake laughed and leaned in to kiss me. He placed his hand against my neck, cupping it, and squeezed my fingers with the other as he pressed his lips softly against mine. I responded fervently, climbing over the gearshift to sit in his lap and increasing the force and passion of our kiss. Our mouths molded together in a beautiful way, and I reveled in the warmth of his body and in the pleasant way that my body desired him.

Jacob released me from the kiss and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. We sat in his car for a few more minutes simply enjoying the chance to be together. I showed him how happy I was that we loved each other without any pressure to go further, at least for now.

Jake kissed my hair. "I'm happy too, Ness," he murmured.

After a few breaths, I sat up with a mischievous smile on my face. "What do you say we crash Seth and Elena's love party?" I suggested.

Jake laughed and hugged me quickly. "I love the way you think!"

Jacob scooped me up and helped me out of the car. We intertwined hands immediately and darted stealthily to the side of the house, stopping at the same moment to search for their scent. We faced each other.

"By the creek," we said in unison. I giggled.

The creek was Seth and Elena's favorite spot for cuddling-slash-making out, because it wound through a thick web of trees and gurgled loudly enough that they wouldn't be heard by anyone who wasn't specifically seeking out their sound. Unfortunately for them, Jake and I knew exactly what we were looking for and found them easily. Elena, in her elk form, was curled up against Seth's wolf form. She nuzzled his cheek and Seth licked her nose.

It was the cutest and most disgusting display I'd ever witnessed.

Before I could allow myself to feel repulsed or embarrassed that we were about to interrupt them, I projected a message through Jake's palm. I'm going to scale this tree and attack from above. Maybe you could splash them right before I drop?

Jake nodded enthusiastically and gave me a thumbs-up. It was such a perk having the ability to speak without speaking; and by the wicked grin on Jake's face, he agreed with me.

I darted up the nearest tree nimbler than a squirrel and alighted from branch to branch until I was directly above the happy couple. They were so enthralled with each other that the subtle shifts and sounds that Jake and I made didn't even register with them. I found Jake across the way and signaled that I was ready.

Without hesitation, Jacob dove into the creek with a powerful SPLASH that startled Seth and Elena so severely that they jumped up and bumped into each other. Taking advantage of their disoriented states, I let myself fall and landed gently but firmly onto Seth's back. I dug my hands into his fur and began flashing images that had no connection to each other whatsoever: Annalee's fascination with him; a birthday party with Quil and Claire; hunting down a newborn; shapes and colors. The pictures changed rapidly, and Seth flung himself around and barked in complete confusion.

Meanwhile, Jacob had the brilliant idea to, instead of tackling Elena, tickle her in every one of her sensitive points, and Elena was thrashing about and stomping her hooves in an attempt to deter Jacob's advances.

Eventually Seth managed to throw me off his back. I landed smoothly against a tree and dropped to the ground, immediately bursting into a fit of laughter. Seth howled in irritation and embarrassment before running behind a tree to phase back.

By the time I could stave off the giggles long enough to stand, Elena and Seth both had shifted back to their human forms and were shooting Jake and me the death glare. I glanced over at Jake, who was barely holding in his laughter, and we both collapsed on the ground, letting the overly loud but joyful sound ring out for the entire forest to hear.

Finally my sides hurt so bad that I forced myself to stop laughing. I stood and looked sheepishly at Seth and Elena, who still seemed to be holding each other for support as they watched Jake and my antics. "Sorry?" I offered.

Elena displayed the barest hint of a smile. "I'll hand it to you two, you certainly took us off guard," she commended.

"We could've killed you!" Seth blurted, looking horribly upset at what had just occurred.

Jake and I glanced at each other skeptically. "We knew what we were doing," Jake assured his Beta. "Besides, I heal fast, and Nessie is virtually indestructible."

"Still," Seth protested, but even he couldn't prevent a smile from spreading across his beet red face.

I smiled. "We just thought you two could use a little excitement this afternoon," I told him.

"No, you and Jacob were the ones in need of excitement," Elena corrected. She frowned. "What serious things were you two talking about in the car?"

I ducked my head in embarrassment. "A misunderstanding on my part," I admitted. "We took care of it."

Elena smiled with relief. "Well, I'm so glad the issue was so quickly resolved!" she said. "Seth thought that maybe he and I needed to break up your angst party."

"Guess we beat you to it, huh?" Jacob teased, elbowing Seth in the waist.

Seth shoved his arm away. "We'll get you next time," he vowed solemnly.

We all laughed. "Let's head inside," I suggested. "I'm sure Alice can't wait to shower us with details about the most epic sweet sixteen party in vampire history." My voice dripped in sarcasm.

Jacob grabbed my hand. "Don't forget the humans and the shape-shifters," he reminded me.

"Yeah, we're all a part of your history now," Elena agreed.

I smiled at my friends and we wound our way through the trees toward the Cullen house.