Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.

Rachel scampered excitedly around the house like a frightened mouse, fluffing pillows and lighting vanilla-scented candles, in hopes to somehow apologize to her sister in-law. Honestly, Renesmee thought she was overreacting over the situation, but the guilty gestures were touching nonetheless. If anything, Paul was the one that seemed a little more out of sorts, mumbling incoherently to himself while flipping through television channels.

"Really, Rachel, I feel just peachy. Can't we just that it's all water under the bridge?" Nessie inquired in attempt to convince Jacob's older sister. "Please? You don't have to work yourself to the bone over me."

"But, Nessie!" Rachel pleaded, clasping her hands together dramatically. "It's really no trouble at all. Isn't there anything I can do to make it up to you? I feel like the Wicked Witch's sister, because of this. I only wanted the truth about my lack of cooking talent. I'm so sorry, Nessie!"

And yet, last time when Jacob was the one to vomit his heart out, Rachel had stopped by with a can of Chicken N' Noodle soup.

Paul snorted loudly, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Yeah, I remember the time my friends were just trying to be nice. I tried to poison them, too."

"Hush, you!" Rachel scolded, her eyebrows arched in annoyance. "Why did you tag along anyway?"

"Eh. Jacob was worried about Nessie, and told Sam. So, I volunteered to babysit," Paul confessed nonchalantly, resting his chin on his wrist.

"Babysit?" the half-breed echoed, outraged incredulously. "I am not some infant that needs to be burped every hour!"

"Take a chillaxitive, princess! I was only joking around," Paul replied, arising from the soft sofa, and pulled Rachel to him protectively.

"I don't really care, Paul," Renesmee snapped, emitting a quiet snarl that only the shape-shifter could hear. "I'm kind of sick of everyone in the known universe treating me like I'm some porcelain doll!"

"Nessie," Rachel murmured nervously, somewhat offended, "we were only trying to help."

The bothered vampire-human sighed, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat quicken to a noisy battle drum. She coughed, "S-sorry," and escaped into the restroom, locking the door to stay calm.

It was stupid—fleeing into the area with a toilet and using it as a sanctuary in her own home—but she needed to get away from Paul and Rachel's scrutiny. No. Nessie could still hear them whispering, and she had to get further away.

Nessie cracked the window open for more oxygen, her body needing the cool breeze. She leaped out, immediately darting deep into the dark woods instinctively. Her inner voice screeched at like nails on chalkboard into her eardrums, begging her not to spontaneously combust into a sizzling puddle of sweat; but some other secret part of Renesmee could not—would not—conform accordingly, and it thrust her in a galaxy of convulsion.

Yet again, every fiber of the nine year-old woman's skin felt as though she had been thrown roughly into a boiling volcano pit, the magma bleeding through her pores. Muscles stretched, divided, and expanded at a rapid pace. A thousand daggers stabbed repeatedly at Nessie's sturdy, porcelain flesh like an iron sword cutting through papyrus. Nessie's knees transformed into raspberry jelly, eyes blazing like black fire, and bones pulling elastically.

Long claws replaced manicured fingernails; massive paws replaced petite hands and feet; dagger-like fangs replaced rectangles of pearly teeth; and finally white tufts of fur sprouted like wildfire through her pigments of body tissue.

Nessie lied down, seeking some comfort on the dusty ground. Why me?

"Gone?" Jacob roared ferociously, having just returned from ambushing an idiot newborn leech. "What do you mean she's gone?"

Paul grinned, shrugging sheepishly. "Look, I'm really sorry, Jake! I thought Nessie was going in there to hurl or something, but then Rachel said that she'd been in there too long and that we should at least check on her. No response. Then, I broke open the door, and followed her scent outside until it disappeared."

"I should have known better to leave you in charge," Jacob grumbled. "You two should just get the hell out of here before you make things even worse."

Sadness wrote itself all over Rachel's expression. "I'm such a screw-up."

"Yeah, okay. That much we know, Rach, but don't worry. I'll be sure to give you crap about that later after I find my wife," Jacob said, rolling his eyes. He didn't have time to drown in Rachel's self-pity. He would let Paul deal with that.

Still, it didn't make much sense for Renesmee to run off so randomly. Rachel already already called and alerted the Cullens, and she wasn't in any of their company. Where else would Nessie go? Urgh! Jacob wanted to rip his hair out from his scalp.

For the second time that day, Jacob phased into a large wolf in hopes to find his imprint. That magical connection would always guide his lost soul to hers, corny as it seemed. He ventured through the forest, lush with trees and fallen leaves. His oak orbs searched for a fast blur of auburn hair, and located nothing.

Where was she?

Jacob howled loudly, knowing that if Nessie was anywhere nearby she would rush to him like a lightning bolt. Farther and farther. . .

"Jake?" her tender voice murmured exhaustively.

"Nessie! How are-what?" His mind, befuddled and dismayed, couldn't quite grasp the idea of his half-vampire somehow turning into a. . . "Where are you?"

"Not so far, actually. Hold on a second." She responded, moving her new body to his whereabouts. It wasn't a difficult task; she recognized his musky scent and followed her nose.

"I don't understand this, Nessie."

"That's okay. Neither do I."

Jacob huffed through his wet nose as another wolf emerged from the pitch-black shadows, with fur like vibrant moonlight—a beautiful animal if he had ever seen one. He couldn't help but be endeared by this white wolf. Suddenly, he knew was Nessie always reacted excitedly to his wolf form, when he phased. Like a child, he, too, longed to run his nimble digits through Nessie's silken, alabaster pelt.

After all, she was kind of adorable.

"Thank you," she giggled, "Hmm. . . My dad's right. Your thoughts are pretty loud." Renesmee whined, trotting closer to him.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. We'll figure this out together," he assured.

Nessie would have smiled if she were in her regular form, infinitely appreciating Jacob's patience and tenderness. Whatever was happening, she trusted him absolutely to support her through it. That fact alone eased Renesmee's contemplative, confused brain as she tucked her enormous head underneath his. Her lungs expelled a sound not so different from a purr.

This was definitely a new way to be with Nessie, Jacob thought, and Nessie replied with a light pant. He had to admit that he quite liked the notion, snuggling his snout betwixt Nessie's shoulder and cheek, and flicked his tongue over the flapped shell of her ear.

"Step back a few feet," Jacob advised wisely, noting her relaxed breathing.

Naturally, Nessie followed his instructions. Jacob gradually morphed back into a human state—his handsome, confident stature full before her mahogany orbs. He walked over to the white wolf, and tentatively extended a hand. Alas, before Jacob could hide his palms into the albescent coat, Renesmee's body shook feebly.

When she felt like her usual self again, Nessie stood—body bare—dazed in front of her Native American lover, twisting an index finger around a thick lock of reddish-brown hair. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."

"That's not a problem," Jacob replied, and held his arms wide open.

Like the most instinctive routine in the universe performed thousands of times prior, Nessie ran to him, and let Jacob shield her from all other harms that might come. Nestling her face deep into the nape of Jacob's neck, Renesmee's lips ghosted over his warm flesh and hummed as she did so. Jacob felt his heart swell, among other things, while his feet backed them and pressed Nessie against a tree.

But then, the smarter half of his top brain halted any further movements.

"Wait, wait, wait! Oh, jeez! I'm sorry, Nessie! I don't mean to act like a horny college twerp, but-"

She laughed gently at the sight of him. "Don't be stupid, Jacob. Just relax a tad, huh? Let me show you how grateful I am to everything you've done."

His chest heaved a sigh, and cupped her flushing red cheeks between his hands and chastely connected their yearning lips together briefly. "You don't have to."

Nessie closed her eyes, leaning against the trunk of the tree as if it was a comfortable mattress, and stretched her arms outwardly. Her endless pools of milk chocolate fudge fluttered reopened, and she couldn't help but remember the first she'd really seen Jacob Black as a contender for her heart. He had simply smiled directly at her one day in his typical Jacob-ey fashion—mouth wide, teeth showed, and cheeks adorably dimpled.

"I know," the half-human half-vampire smirked, running a hand over her butterfly-filled stomach. "I still want to—here, hidden in a romantic forest, for the leaves and the sky to witness love as it was meant to be."

Jacob shrugged, grinning mischievously. "Well, when you put it that way, why the hell not? But on one condition."

"Name it, lover."

"Let me pay you back for the other night."