Hello! :-)

Just wanted to respond to a couple of reviews before I get started:

anubisfreak: Yes! Homeschooled and proud! ;) I love it.

Atlanta098: Thanks for your review! I do love HOA, Switched at Birth...and definitely Adele! She's great!

Tdgat: I definitely see your point! :-) I will admit Nessie's gift slipped somewhat when I was writing this story, but mainly because I think now that she's grown she'd use it less. It was definitely a big part of her childhood but I like to distinguish the two. In regards to the touching thing, I definitely get what you mean. As you will see in later chapters, they DO get more affectionate, but right now this book is taking place right after they made their relationship official. Thank you for your comment!

And thanks to everyone else who reviewed, too! It's so fun to get reads/feedback on this!

Enjoy! :-)

-HomeschoolGirl :D

Disclaimer: All these characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

©HomeschoolGirl 2012, or at least this actual post is. The characters, not so much. But anyway, please don't use this as your own. Thanks!

Chapter Three: Frightened for a Moment

The words hit me with such force I staggered on my feet. Jacob caught me before I could hit the floor, cradling me in his arms. He whipped his head around at an alarming rate, looking from person to person.

"Help me, anyone?"

Dad rushed forward, lifting me up. He carried me to the couch. Mom gasped a little as my eyes rolled back in my head. I hadn't expected such impact. I hadn't…

I leaned over, my stomach heaving. Shivering black cloaks, pale faces, smiles of happiness has they advanced upon the kill. But worst, the fact that they had been planning to harm my family.

Because of me.

"They can't come…" I finally managed to gasp, covering my face. "We, we have to stop them. We have to go there. I have to go there."

Rosalie hissed from beside me, wrapping a stone-cold arm around my shoulder. "Never, Renesmee. We wouldn't dare to put you in such danger."

"I can't let them come here and kill you," I said, the tears starting. Jake watched helplessly from the doorway, arms extended as if to help me.

"That's out of the question," dad spit through his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "Worst comes to worse, we face them. No, not even that. We run!" His eyes darted over to mom, and I saw pain swell momentarily on his features. She noticed it, too.

"But you said it wasn't for sure," Jacob muttered, kicking the wall with his foot. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his khaki shorts.

"It's not," Allison answered in her trilling soprano. "They're trying to make up their minds about it. I saw brief flashes…" She rolled her eyes. "I think Caius has something to do with this. Aro wasn't the one talking to Jane."

I shuddered at the mention of one of the Volturi soldiers, Jane. She was sadistic, evil, and cynical. A lover of pain, and a giver of it. She worked through the mind, making you think you were under immense agony. Dad had been the victim of it, but mom, with her powers as a mind-shield, wasn't affected.

I felt a little relieved, though. "You'd tell me if it were worse?"

"Of course," Jacob answered for them.

I wasn't satisfied. I noticed how no one else volunteered so readily to please me.

"You'd tell me, right?" I repeated.

Dad relaxed his tense shoulders. "Yes, I suppose we would."

"But before it gets that far, I go there."

Mom shook her head. "It won't come to that, Renesmee. You have to trust us, here. We've dealt with the Volturi before. When they want something they'll get it, and right now they don't particularly want to come here."

I shook my head. "You guys wanted to make a big deal over my birthday. Well, I'm full-growth, smart, and sensible. Plus I'm legal. You guys cannot stop me from going to Italy, and you know it."

Jacob was convulsing. I stood up, placing a steady hand on his quivering shoulder. "Jacob…calm down. I'm fine."

The shuddering ceased, although little spasms still rocketed down his spine. "Okay…I'm fine…I'm calm…"

I smiled, leaning to peck his lips softly. I saw Dad wrinkle his nose with disgust. He had seemed to be over his aversion to Jacob, yet sometimes the flickers of annoyance broke through. Especially since he and I were involved.

"What makes you so willing to give me whatever I want?" I demanded suddenly, crossing my arms and smiling at him. "Is it because I'm so cute?"

To my surprise, he looked uncomfortable. "Of course."

I looked around the room, frowning. "Why are…"

Alice suddenly gasped, pulling my attention away from the matter. Dad's eyes were locked on something far away, too. Reading her thoughts.

All at once, they relaxed, and everyone seemed to sigh in relief.

"They've decided to wait," the two said in unison.

Everyone was suddenly smiling. Mom came up to me, hugging my body securely to hers. Dad came and wrapped his arms around us both.

"I told you everything would be okay. Now come on, let's celebrate!"

I thought it a bit unnecessary that they had brought a cake, but it was Alice's idea. Jacob and I were the only ones whose systems could digest human food. I didn't much care for it, preferring to drink animal blood, but I ate a small sliver just to please them.

Jake, however, didn't pass it up. Soon he had gobbled down three pieces. Esme wrapped up the rest for him to take to Seth, Quil, and Embry. His three best friends were also members of his wolf pack.

None of them aged, because they were all, well, werewolves. More or less. The proper term would have been "shape shifters." On top of that, wolves were the only thing that could destroy vampires, besides their own kind.

I didn't understand why La Push had two wolf packs. Jake told me a long while ago that it was because of the amount of vampires that lived here in Forks. Changing happened when vampires were nearby. But the curse only affected heirs to the original spirit warriors-Jake had been one of the first five to change in this decade. Over the past seven years, more had joined the packs or stopped phasing altogether, so that twenty total wolves had come and gone. The other pack, not Jake's group, consisted of a guy named Jared, two kids, Colin and Brady, a fourteen-year-old named Alexander, fifteen-year-old Reid, and the eighteen-year-old Jonas.

"Thanks for the party," he said with a grin as I walked him out to his car. I forced a weak smile.

"Some party, huh? Got scared with the Volturi, had to eat cake, and act happy."

"Sure you don't want to come back with me?" He offered hopefully again. "We could go cliff diving, or hang out with the pack, or even go motorcycle riding."

I smirked. "Sounds tempting but…"

"You have to pass?"

"Yeah."

I could feel eyes on the back of my head, and knew someone was watching our teasing exchange.

Jacob growled under his breath. "Does Edward have to be so protective?"

"He loves me," I said with a laugh.

Jacob's eyes suddenly sobered. "He's not the only one."

My laughter choked off, and I sighed. "Yeah, Jake, I feel the same way."

He pulled me close, and I pressed my cheek to his. We stood there like that for a long moment, before Jacob tensed and pulled away.

"Edward's glaring at me."

"Tell him to…"

"What? Go jump off a cliff?"

I laughed, burying my face in his shirt. "Jacob!"

He wrapped his arms around me again. "Nessie, I never want to let you go. You know that, right?"

I opened my mouth to say something equally romantic and mushy, but before I could, a low hiss sounded behind us.

"I'd better go," I said, pulling away from him. His black eyes sparkled.

"That was the blond Barbie. Apparently, I'm annoying her by touching you."

"It messes up my smell," I said, wrinkling my nose. "But you smell fine to me, Jake. And they smell pretty good to me."

"You sound like Bella," he said with a chuckle. "She was confused about that, too, when she was human. You know, Ness, I think you're more human than all of us."

This brought me up short. "I…we…"

"I know, I know. 'Jacob, I'm the least human.'" He mocked my voice weakly, and I laughed. "But your heart beats, you blush…"

He ran a finger up my cheek. In response, a deep red coursed through my veins. I sighed wistfully. "That feels nice."

"What, the blush?"

"Your hand," I admitted shyly. "My family is so cold."

Another hiss, this one in distaste. I recognized my dad's light tenor at once. I stepped back fully, smiling through my teeth.

"What are you going to take home?" I asked, realizing we'd driven my car.

He ripped his shirt off. "Running sounds pretty good."

I turned away. Removal of clothing was an inevitable thing for the wolf pack. Their clothes didn't fade in and out of existence when they phased. They ripped to shreds, inconveniently

Jacob laughed from behind me. "I'm tempted to take my pants off, just to test Edward's patience, but I think he might kill me."

I rolled my eyes, turning back to him. I avoided looking at his bare chest as best as I could. Instead, I leaned forward, kissing his cheek lightly.

"'Bye Jake."

"See ya, Nessie."

And then he was off, through the trees. I looked after him longingly. How I wished Jake could take me, and I be his forever. Marriage seemed the only solution to this. Though it was objectionable, it didn't sound bad. Jacob hadn't brought it up, though. So I doubted he was ready for that level of commitment.

When I came back in, dad was laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, shuffling my feet nervously.

"Your thoughts," he answered, snickering some more.

"What about them?" I was getting a little angry now.

He smiled softly, sensing my distress. "Nessie, Jacob's far more committed to you than you can ever realize…"