Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Sorry. If it was, though, I would have done just a few things differently...
AN: Thanks so much for all the love! So glad everyone is enjoying the re-post of this story! I do so love my Emmett!
Emmett POV
I was sitting out on the front porch when Edward came out. "Hi," he said, sitting next to me on the step.
"Hey," I replied glumly.
"What's up?"
I sighed. "Seriously? Rosie wants me to do this? Is she fucked up in the head or what?"
He leaned against the railing. "I thought you were all for this, Emmett."
"I am, I just…I'm going to kill this chick. I'm going to kill her and then Rosalie will kill me. I'm so screwed…" I put my head in my hands.
"It'll be okay, Emmett," Bella said, walking out onto the porch as well. "I have a good feeling about this."
I looked at her. "No offense, Bella, but usually when you think something's a good idea we end up in serious shit."
Edward growled next to me, but Bella laughed. "That is true," she agreed softly. She sat on the step below me and leaned her head against my knees, looking back up at me with her expressive eyes. Even though they were no longer the brown of her human days, they still were able to convey her emotions clearly enough. "Emmett, you are a good person. If Edward could do this I'm sure you can."
"Edward was a virgin, Bella!" I growled, standing up and walking onto the stone walkway. "He didn't know what the hell he was doing so he was soft and gentle and loving and I'm none of those things!"
She walked to me and touched my arm, saying, "You are all of those things, Emmett. Sure, you're playful, but you love your family. You'd do anything for us including this."
I let out a little grumble and she smiled. "Remember when I first came into the family? Remember James? You could have chosen to not have gotten involved. I know Rosalie didn't think I was worth the effort, but you did. Because you didn't want to see me or Edward get hurt. You are good, Emmett. And you'll be good at this. Talia is tough. I remember before Jake started phasing, he was already ten times stronger than me."
"Yeah, but, you were a puny little human girl," I reminded her.
She laughed. "That I was. But if a puny little human girl can get it on and survive with a vampire virgin, can't an almost wolf handle an experienced vampire man?"
I blew out a breath. She was right. I could do this. I had to do this. For Rosie. "You're right."
She nodded. "I usually am."
"I thought that was Alice."
She shot me a grin. "Alice sees the future. I'm right about present things."
"Ed, your wife's modesty is unprecedented," I chortled as he came down the steps.
He chuckled and pulled Bella into his arms. "I know. Come on," he stage-whispered into her ear. "Fancy a couple's hunt? I've suddenly got an urge to be a sloppy eater."
I groaned. "Spare me the details."
"Then quit projecting me images of Rosalie naked."
I thought of looking over myself in the mirror earlier in the day, flexing my muscles after I got out of the shower.
"Eww," Edward said in a rather unmanly tone.
I laughed. "Serves you right." I watched them go back into the house and heard them asking Esme if Renesmee could stay here tonight so they could have a little alone time, which, of course, Esme more than readily agreed to.
I heard Nessie giggle as Jake must had grabbed her and soon enough they came out the door, both laughing as she was hanging upside down in his arms.
I grinned at them. It amazed me how similar Jake and I actually were. We were both a little immature at times, but we were both good guys. I was so intent on watching them that I didn't smell her until she was right next to me. "They're cute together."
Immediately I stopped breathing and just nodded. She looked at me and grinned. "Hey, brother!" she called out to Jake.
"Yes, anti-wolf?" he replied as Nessie scampered up onto his shoulders, biting his ear. He tickled her side and she fell, him catching her just before she hit the ground. "That's what you get, little girl for biting a wolf."
Talia laughed at their antics. "Come on, if I'm staying here I need to go to the store. Wanna ride?"
He nodded. "Wanna come, Ness?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Grandpa Carlisle said he'd teach me a new song on my violin." Carlisle was an excellent violinist and between him and Edward, Nessie was becoming quite the musician. She had no interest in learning any of the other instruments various family members played, but I had a feeling one day she'd want to learn to play the drums from Alice, the flute from Esme or the guitar from me or Jasper, who was teaching Bella. Rosalie played the harp beautifully, but often didn't wish to play it, perhaps because that was part of her human life, and its memories were still too hard to relive.
Just then, fingers snapped in front of my face. I blinked and looked at Talia. "What?"
She grinned. "Where did you go just then?"
"In my own little world, but its okay, they know me there."
She giggled. "So, you want to ride with us?"
I'm sure my eyes almost bugged out of my head. "You want me to ride with you? Shut up in a car? Alone?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, and hell no. Jake is going to ride with us and Jasper said he would accompany us as well."
"You're going to have two blood-thirsty vampires in the car with you?"
She nodded. "But I've got one tamed wolf in my corner."
"We'd eat Jake alive," I said with a grin, showing off my sharp back teeth.
She smiled. "I somehow doubt that. Plus, I figured the doggy smell might help you fight off the urge to eat me. Besides, you'll be in the back seat. I'm driving."
"And what are you driving, little miss?" I asked her.
"My baby…Spike."
"You named your Bronco?"
She nodded. "I named it after my first dog. He had a heart defect and died when he was only a year and a half old."
"I'm sorry," I replied earnestly, hearing the slight hitch in her voice.
She smiled. "I was twelve. He meant the world to me."
"How weird was that? Were you ever worried your dad would eat him?"
She giggled. "You are an idiot. But you're funny. No, my dad made it a point to try to avoid phasing at the house."
"And your mom?"
"A female wolf can't phase once she finds her soulmate."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because she has to procreate."
"That must suck. She's out there like a brood-bitch?"
Talia nodded. "I'm surprised you know dog language."
"My human family raised hunting dogs."
She nodded. "That would explain it then."
"What?"
"How you're able to be around me. I had wondered. While I don't smell like a full phasing wolf, I do have some of the scent. Rosalie doesn't seem to think I smell very nice. Bella has been okay, Jasper tends to avoid me. Everyone else seems indifferent."
I nodded. "Well, Rosalie hates the wolves, so that explains that one. Jasper is avoiding you because you're still human, and I'm guessing Bella is okay around you because of her close ties to Jake."
"You mean Renesmee."
I shook my head. "No, I mean the fact that Jake wanted her to, well…"
"Ah…" she said as recognition dawned. "I see. I had wondered about that."
"Why?"
"Because, their souls are very closely linked. They were meant to be close when Bella was human so that Jake could find his way to Renesmee."
"Really?"
She nodded. "Nessie's soul was clinging tight to Bella for that first opportunity to be conceived."
"Clung to her? You mean like a ghost?"
Talia laughed again. "Well, kind of…ghosts aren't real, but the ideas behind them are."
"Meaning?"
She smiled. "Meaning ghosts are souls that are waiting to be returned to bodies."
"So, that whole 'Ghost Hunters' show is real?"
She chuckled. "Not exactly, though some people can see the souls in waiting."
"Like the 'Ghost Whisperer'?"
She shot me a look. "What?" I asked. "Jennifer Love Hewitt is hot and she's got a nice rack."
She shook her head. "I hate I asked. Come on, vamp-boy, let's ride."
I grabbed her arm and she stopped. It was the first time I'd touched her without trying to kill her, only the second time total. "Yes?" she asked me.
Her smell overcame me then and her eyes narrowed as she managed to shrug off my hand and pushed me away with an almost primitive growl. Wow. I wasn't expecting that. "Watch it Emmett. I am strong, but you can kill me if you drain me."
"Will we be able to do this?" Even I could hear the fear in my voice as I motioned between myself and her.
"Make love?" she questioned softly.
"Have sex," I stated flatly. I only made love with my wife. That had to be understood.
A sad look crossed her face but was gone so fast, I wondered if I imagined it. "Yes, Emmett. We will be able to have sex and you won't kill me."
"How?"
She smiled and oddly enough, patted my cheek. "Keep the faith, my dear. Everything is well in hand and things will happen as they should. After all, everything happens for a reason." And with that, she turned and strode to her Bronco, sliding behind the wheel and turning over the engine.
It wasn't in top performance, but it sounded decent. Jake came over and called shotgun and Jasper slid into the back. "Coming, Emmett?" he called.
I took a deep breath, determined not to breathe for the entire trip. "Yeah, I'm coming."
I slid into the vehicle and she took off with a speed I didn't realize a human possessed. "Wow, mind keeping it under two hundred there Richard?" I shouted over the sound of spitting gravel and squealing tires.
She grinned. "I'm not King Petty, but I'm pretty damned fast." She fiddled with her stereo, which I noticed was new and rather nice for such a crappy piece of machinery and cranked on the music.
"Hope you don't mind," she said as Edwin McCain came on with the song, "The Promise of You". It was coming from her MP3 player, which I noticed she had hooked into the system.
The promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe, yeah
"This is chick music!" Jake whined. Actually, it wasn't. I was a big Edwin McCain fan myself.
Talia grinned. "Last time I checked, I was a chick. Go with it."
What secrets sleep in the heart of a man
And so much love wasted it slip right through my hands
You see it in the eyes of the lonely
As they make their weary way
Shimmer in the eyes of the longing
And I hear it say
That was when she started singing…
The promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
To believe…
Our eyes met in the rearview mirror and I once again saw another life… I looked down at my hands, they were tanned a very dark color, and obviously I spent a lot of time out-of-doors. "Lydia," I called in an odd accent. "Finally, I am home."
What secrets sleep in the heart of the night
And my Dreams of salvation
Are slipping out of sight
In the shimmering moments of the twilight
The closing of the tide
Whisper on the wind of a rescue
A savior in time
I had spoken to a gorgeous dark-haired woman. Her hazel eyes met mine and we began to kiss.
The promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
"I need you," she whispered in my ear. I was powerless to stop her even if I wanted to and eagerly slid my hands under her flowing skirt, grabbed her ass and not even waiting to undress her, I picked her up and plunged myself into her.
And all this time I've been fighting my own private war
And all this time
You're the peace I searched for
We began to move then, whispering words of love and desire. She was perfect, my angel, and I couldn't believe I'd been off fighting in that damn war leaving her alone. "Never again, I'll never leave you," I whispered as we moved. "I will always find you…"
The promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
She cried out and clamped down hard on me, almost pushing me out with the force of her orgasm, triggering mine and I spilled every ounce of my seed into her.
"Dominic…" she breathed as she kissed my ear.
The promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself…to believe
Jasper shoved me roughly. "What the fuck man? Did you take a little mind trip there? Can you not wait twenty fucking minutes before you jump Rosalie so you have to day-dream about her?"
I shook my head, trying to figure out what was going on. My eyes met Talia's again and she just smiled. I wasn't…comfortable talking about my little 'trips' in front of Jake, so I just smiled and said, "Sorry, Jasper."
He shrugged. "Well, try to keep the lust to a minimum, okay? I'd hate to have to jump Jake."
Jake grinned and gave him a one-finger salute. Talia pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot and I rolled my eyes. "Really? Wal-Mart?"
She grinned. "Hey, human here, and last time I checked, money was tight for me, so yes, Wal-Mart."
We got out and I groaned. "Hello, Hell…it's been so long."
Talia rolled her eyes. "Hey, Jake, better call your dad, see if he needs anything."
"Oh yeah…" He grabbed the cell-phone Bella made him keep on him and walked off to call Billy.
"Feel free to roam around, gentlemen, this won't take long," she murmured as she grabbed a cart and wheeled away from us.
She was right. Only fifteen minutes later, I found her at the checkout. She was working the self-checkout counter like a pro. "Done this before?" I asked.
She jumped and clutched her heart. "Thanks for scaring the shit out of me. I can't smell you coming up on me in amongst this sea of people."
I grinned. She was right, it was hard to pick out an individual scent, but I had no trouble finding hers. "I'm not going to eat you in the middle of the Wal-Mart."
She shot me a look. "Sure, that's what they all say." She picked up two bags and I picked up one as well. I didn't want to snoop, but I couldn't help myself as I looked in the bag. Deodorant, allergy medicine, tampons…wait, what? Eww…
She giggled. "Don't snoop if you don't want to know," she replied, accurately reading my facial expression.
"So…are you…" Damn, did I just ask that?
She sighed. "Just wanted to be prepared in case your super-sperm didn't take."
I scoffed. "Please. I'm so potent you'll probably have a litter. wolf-girl."
She giggled again. "You are funny. A litter…" She shook her head and we walked out to her vehicle.
"Ever think of upgrading?" I asked her, inclining my head to her Bronco.
"Constantly. But this piece of shit has gotten me across the friggin' country, so I've gotta show him some love. Besides, my dad bought me this. He said it would keep me safe since I never started phasing."
I detected just a hint of sadness in her voice at that. It must really suck to not be what you always thought you would be. And really, I didn't understand why her being a whatever the hell a soul seeker was, would stand in the way of her becoming a wolf in the first place.
She slid into the driver's seat and pulled out a twenty ounce Pepsi and a pack of peanuts. "What are you doing?" Jake asked.
She grinned. "Watch and see." She poured the peanuts into the drink, swirled it around a little bit and took a sip. "Try it." She handed the bottle to Jake and he sipped it.
"Hey, that's not bad," he commented.
I grinned. "I haven't seen that done in a long time." I remembered my older brother doing that with a glass bottle of Pepsi back home. I used to think I was so cool doing what he did.
She grinned at me in the mirror. "It tastes better with a glass bottle for some reason, but they're doing away with those now. It's a shame. So many things change."
"You're young. Where did you learn that?" I asked her.
She smiled, though I could still sense some of that earlier sadness in her voice. "My Papa, my grandfather. He used to take me huntin'…"
"For Vamps?" Jake said.
She rolled her eyes. "For rabbits. We hunted together for rabbits. Anyway, we'd always stop in the mornings at this breakfast place on the way and then in the afternoon when we'd finished huntin' we'd stop in at The Pantry and grab a Pepsi, a pack of peanuts and a pack of nabs. Of course, he liked to get Mountain Dew, but I was a Pepsi girl. He showed me that little trick. I've never thought of doing it differently after that."
I chuckled. This girl was just full of surprises. The ride back to town was a bit quieter as we all seemed to be in our own heads. She let Jake have control of the radio and he was blasting out the new Flo Rida song, which I liked, so I just closed my eyes and leaned back, enjoying the music.
When we got home, it was starting to get dark, and as such, we all went our separate directions, doing our own thing with the evening. I was heading to mine and Rosalie's room around nine o'clock when I heard Nessie saying, "Talia?"
My brow furrowed and I inched closer to Nessie's nursery. I heard Talia answer her, "Si bebe?"
"Will you teach me Spanish?" Nessie asked softly. It was odd. Edward and Alice were teaching her Italian and Jasper was teaching her French, but so far, she'd not acted interested in any other language, though, she had made Jake and Billy promise to teach her Quileute.
"Sure, but why do you want to know?" Talia asked her.
"Well, you're going to be my aunt now, so…"
"Honey, I'm not going to be your aunt. Where did you hear that?"
"Well, you're having a baby with Uncle Emmett…"
I groaned and I heard Talia echo my statement. "Honey, I'm having a baby for your Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie because she can't have babies."
"But Chance said…"
I heard Talia's heart rate pick up as she gasped. "You talked to Chance? When? Was he here?"
"Yeah, he was here when you were out."
Who is Chance? I wondered. The house didn't smell like a stranger when we'd returned.
"Have you told anyone that you talked to him?"
I could hear Nessie's curls tumbling, so I assumed she was shaking her head no. "No. Daddy thinks he's imaginary when he sees him in my mind."
"So he's visited you before?"
Another rustle of curls, and I didn't know if it was a yes or no.
Talia let out a sigh of relief. "Can you block your thoughts from your daddy?"
"Yes. Mama taught me how."
"Good. I don't want anything Chance tells you to leave your head. He knows better."
"But Talia…"
I heard the covers ruffle and I assumed Talia was tucking Nessie in again. "No more of that. Everyone will meet Chance when the time is right. Anything he tells you, you don't believe until you see it. Okay, chick?"
"But Tally…"
"Enough Nessie. There is a reason why he was supposed to stay away. Things may be altered if he talks to the wrong person."
"But I love Chance." Nessie said, and I heard the pout that was no doubt on her face.
"As do I, but the timing has to be right. Okay? I promise everyone will meet him then."
"And they'll all love him?" Nessie asked hopefully.
"I hope so," Talia replied, so quietly, had I not been a vampire, I wouldn't have heard it. I heard her give Nessie a kiss on the forehead and I slid down the hall to hide in one of the other guest rooms as I watched her walk out of the nursery.
This whole thing was odd. Something was definitely up. I waited a few minutes and then followed her scent to the front door, where she was standing out on the porch, talking to…no one.
"Damn it, Chance. You are supposed to be careful." She stopped, obviously listening to…something.
"I know she'll be fine with it. Of course, but still…her father can read her mind. If you tell her something that alters the events…" She must have been cut off because she laughed. "For someone that has as serious a job in life as you do, you sure have a hilarious outlook on it. You would get along well with Emmett."
She paused and in a speed I didn't know a human had, she flung open the door. "Ever heard of privacy, Emmett?"
I stepped out onto the porch with her. "Who are you talking to?"
"None of your business," she snapped, her chin jutting out stubbornly.
"It is my business if you're plotting something."
She turned her head slightly, and I knew she was listening to something I couldn't hear. She smiled. "Emmett, meet Chance, Chance, meet Emmett."
I looked at her like she was crazy, which, I was beginning to wonder if she was. She rolled her eyes. "Chance is one of those unattached souls I was telling you about."
"So Nessie can see him?"
She paused. "She can see whatever Chance projects himself as."
"So are all souls either male or female?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No, they're not. Which is why some people find their soulmates with the same sex. Occasionally they are in the same sex bodies."
I shivered. Dude, I wouldn't want to find my soulmate only to realize he was a guy. It must have been plain on my face, because Talia swatted my arm. "What is odd for you, others find completely normal."
"So is Chance his past life or his future one?" I asked.
She shrugged. "He hasn't informed me of that."
"So, you see a lot of them?"
"I can't see him. He's not letting me. But I can hear him and he's a wise-ass."
I laughed. "I like him already."
She rolled her eyes. "I figured you would. Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Good night, Emmett. And Chance? Get the hell out of here. I'd hate to have to send someone after you."
She turned then and walked back into the house. It felt eerie knowing there was a…soul hanging out around me. "Um, so, guess I'll see ya around, Chance," I muttered before going back inside myself. Even though I was a vampire, I had the feeling I was walking into the Twilight Zone.
I walked upstairs and found Alice in my room, going over stuff with Rosalie. "Emmett! Just the man I wanted to see!" she squealed, jumping up.
I sighed. I don't know if I could handle over-hyper Alice tonight. "Yes?" I queried.
"We got the plane tickets all lined up and we're leaving in a week, okay?"
I sighed again and nodded. "What's wrong, Emmett?" Rosalie asked me softly. I sat on the bed and she came up behind me, wrapping her arms around me. She kissed my neck and I pulled her around so she was sitting in my lap.
I heard Alice leave quietly, shutting the door behind her. Good riddance. I couldn't take the little wench on vampy speed tonight.
"I feel like we're doing the wrong thing, Rosie," I whispered.
She tried to pull away but I held her fast. "You don't want this." There wasn't a question in her tone.
"Of course I do, I just…I feel like when I do this, I'm opening up Pandora's Box. I feel like nothing is going to be the same again."
"Well, it won't," she told me. "But it'll be better. You'll see."
"So you're feeling better about this? About her?" I asked.
She shrugged. "It's…hard to see what attracts you to her, but I'm glad you are, to some degree. You will need to be attracted to her in some aspect. And it makes sense. She is the best for the job thanks to her wolfy blood."
"You don't think that will mess up the baby though, do you?" I asked.
"I asked Carlisle about that. He seems certain since the wolves and the Halflings like Nessie both have twenty-four chromosomal pairs, she will be compatible to the fetus and it won't be an issue."
"Well, that's good."
"Mmm-hmm," she growled as she started licking my neck. "So don't worry about it. Everything will work out in the end."
Everyone kept telling me that, but I just couldn't help the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something wasn't going to go right.
Rosalie switched to my ear and licked it, causing me to become aroused quickly and she smiled evilly as she palmed me through my pants. "Come on, Em, you need to relax. Let me help you work out the kinks…"
I growled and pulled her all the tighter to me, grinding our clothed cores over each other. "The only kinks I want are the ones in the box in the closet."
She laughed and was up in a shot before coming back with our 'sex box'. Since Nessie, we'd had to keep our toys locked away. "What's your pleasure tonight, Emmett?" Her tone was coy, as was the smirk on her face.
I grinned and lay back on the bed. "Ladies choice."
AN2: So…yes, I'm creating more confusion and strife. It's what I do! Hopefully you enjoyed. And remember from the top AN…please review! Reviews equal love! If not for me, do it for Emmett!
