A/N: So, I've been gone for months, and I apologize. RL has been so busy that writing time hasn't been available. I am doing an internship, working, and taking 2 classes. Yes, I am a wacko. That being said, Jacob and Nessie have decided once again that this is not the last chapter. *sigh* I know. It's bothering me too, lol. This chapter came up to 20 pages, and it wasn't even where I wanted it, sooooooo...I split the chapter up. Now, that means that there will be an update that comes sooner rather than later since most of it is written already. YAY! The outtake is being worked on also. I really want this story completed by the end of this month. I will try so hard to do this!

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story, despite my inability to update in a timely fashion.

I don't own anything Twilight related. Any lines you think are familiar come from Breaking Dawn, which I also don't own.

From last chapter: Protection and love was all I could offer Nessie. And as far as Bella was concerned, that was more than enough. But would it be?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Chapter 6- Remember Me

Jake's POV

Song: Loreena McKennitt- Dante's Prayer

Despite wanting things to be as easy as possible for Nessie, I knew she felt the tension that hung around all of us over the next few days. She didn't say much, just showing her brilliant smile and occasionally reminding each of us a fond memory she shared with us. She danced around the house, reminiscent of Alice, as she followed her family members around just to be near them.

And I just sat and watched the faces of these vampires, these people, my family.

Two days before we left for the clearing, Edward and Carlisle decided to spend some time there alone. We had strategized, and Eleazar figured, and Sam and I agreed, that it was likely the Volturi would track Carlisle or Edward. Carlisle was a choice because he was once one of them. Edward was more likely since they knew he'd never leave Bella, and in turn Renesmee. While Bells didn't want Edward or Carlisle to go, she knew it had to be that way. She confided her fears to Edward, and he approached me.

"Jacob," he called out to me as I sat on a large rock on the Cullen's property. I needed a break from the vamp smell in the house. There were just so many of them!

I stopped thinking for a moment to listen for Nessie's breathing pattern. When I heard that it was a normal, sleeping one, I answered, "Here I am."

I would do almost anything he asked, anything but leave. If these moments were going to be the last….

"Don't think like that, please," he chastised me. "I am not asking you to leave. In fact, I am asking you to stay with our girls until you all join Carlisle and me in the clearing. Bella knows that no one would dare attack the house with all of these vampires around, but she would feel much more comfortable if you did not go on patrol and remained with Renesmee instead."

"Sure, sure, Edward. She didn't even have to make you ask," I nodded, absentmindedly.

"She wants you now, Bella does," he said as he clasped my shoulder. "Please help me make her feel safe."

I patted him on the back. "That's my job, Vamp Daddio," I smirked at him, trying to add a bit of levity to the strained discussion I knew we were about to have.

He looked up at me and tried to smile, although there was still a hint of sadness around his eyes. They were bright gold today, since the family had hunted often to keep their strength for the battle that could come to pass.

"I know you will protect them with all that you are," he stated gravely. And with that, he walked to the edge of the forest to wait for Carlisle, a pained look on his face as he turned around, I imagined to take a final look at a house that he might never see again. His anguish was crushing.

I ran to the back door just in time to meet Carlisle. He was carrying out some large equipment, and I asked him if he needed any help, knowing already what his answer would be.

"No thank you, Jacob. This is just the tent for Renesmee for when she joins us in a few days time as well as some provisions for her, in case there are no animals for her to hunt. We will see you soon," he assured me. "Take care of Emmett while we're gone. The women can take care of themselves."

We both laughed. As he walked away, I thought about Carlisle and what a good man he was. No matter what anyone said or what he thought about himself, he was the kindest person I had ever known. Huh, to think I can say that about a vampire. It's amazing what a few months can do.

Walking into the house, I was assaulted by the smell of sickeningly sweet vampire. It was disgusting. I was used to the Cullens and even Ness' semi-floral sweet smell, but all of them at once was completely nauseating. I breezed through the living room and up the stairs to where Ness was resting. If I were going to stay the night, I wanted to be with her, and I knew that was where Bella most likely was.

I peeked in and saw my rosy cheeked angel asleep with a smile on her face. I couldn't help myself but take her hand to rest it in mine so I could see what she saw.

It was snowing, and the Cullens were all outside in a forest. There were polar bears around as well as penguins and unicorns (really, Ness…unicorns?). Emmett was throwing snowballs at Edward, making him angry and making everyone else laugh. Alice kept jumping and spinning in the air. Carlisle and Jasper were sitting on a rock, taking in the scene while Bella and Rosalie took turns twirling around my Ness. She was laughing, and it sounded like wind chimes, so magical. All of a sudden, she stopped and looked toward the opening far at the end of the forest.

"JACOB!" she screamed. "Momma, where's my Jacob?"

She began running around the area, screaming my name. I couldn't see myself there. I wanted to call out to her, but I couldn't because I knew for a fact that I wasn't there in her dream.

She fell to the snow covered, dirty ground and let out a piercing shriek. "Nooooo, Jacob!" she wailed.

Her loud wailing knocked me back into reality.

"MOMMA!" she screamed. I tried to reach out to her, to tell her that I was right here, but her screaming drowned out my voice and her hands kept slapping mine away. Bella came running in, fear evident on her face.

"What happened?" she called out to me as she scooped Nessie into her arms and rocked her. It wasn't working; Nessie kept screeching.

"Nightmare, she's having a nightmare and won't let me touch her," I whimpered. I knelt next to the bed where Bella and Ness were rocking. I couldn't breathe, waiting for Bella to coax Nessie from her bad dream.

"Shhh, sweetie, Momma's right here. And so is Jacob. Wake up, wake up!"

I heard a creak and immediately crouched, ready to phase if needed. My eyes scanned the room, and I immediately relaxed being that it was Esme, Rose, and Emmett in the doorway. Bella waved them in as she continued to whisper to Nessie. Rosalie sat down on the bed also, eyes wide as Nessie screamed for Bella to find me over and over. Rose put her head on Bella's shoulder, wrapped her arm around Nessie and rocked with them.

The screaming eventually ended, but the whimpering continued.

"Ma, ma, Momma. He's gone…they took him. He's go-go-goooone!" Tears streamed down her cheeks and her breath caught.

"Please, Bella, do something," I begged.

So this is what absolute terror feels like.

"I can't take it anymore," Emmett growled as he stalked over and grabbed Renesmee, very gently, out of Bella and Rose's grasps.

"Ness, it's Uncle Em. I found him. He's right here. Wake up, Jacob's here," he repeated over and over until the wailing ceased. She clung to him, and her breathing returned to normal. After only minutes, she opened her eyes.

"Uncle Em," she gasped, her voice raspy from screaming. "Where is he?"

"He's right here, baby girl. Look, he's worried about you. See him? Come here, pup, so she sees you," Emmett called as he turned her around to face me. Her eyes lit up, yet more tears came streaming out.

And then, she did something she had never done to me before. She had bitten me, teased me, cried for me. But never this. She slapped me. Right across the face.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" Esme gasped as she picked Nessie right out of Emmett's brawny hands. "That was completely uncalled for. You owe Jacob an apology!"

"Grammy, he promised. He promised me he'd be with me forever, and he would never leave me. I knew it in my dream that he wasn't there. He's a LIAR!" she hissed at me.

I was stunned, the sting from her slap still evident on my face and in my heart.

"I never left you, Ness. I was outside on the rock talking to your dad. I could hear you breathing from where I was. I never left you," I whispered. "I made a promise."

"You let them take you," she cried. "You let them take you away from me, and that's not keeping your promise!"

"Who took him, sweetie?" Esme inquired.

"The bad vampires."

"Aw, Ness. The Volturi can't stop Jacob! Tell her, Jake," Emmett encouraged.

I couldn't speak because my heart was broken. Broken for her, the little girl who was with her family and unicorns in her dreams, but didn't have me there and was unfulfilled. I hated the imprint more than ever at this moment, knowing that if, God forbid, something did happen to me during this "visit" that she would possibly feel this way forever. I never consulted anyone whose imprint or wolf had been denied or passed away. It was never even something anyone considered. And she was right. I did break my promise in her dream. I had promised to go with her wherever she goes.

I felt warm little hands on my cheeks. "Jakey, did I hurt you?"

I looked up and saw her tear-stained face, her eyes wide with worry. Worry for me. She was just like her mother.

"I'm hurt that I wasn't in your dream," I admitted. "I would never let them take me on purpose, Ness. I would fight as hard as I could, especially for you. But it's important for us to understand that they might be stronger." I hung my head.

"Momma will protect you, Jake. She'll put you in her bubble with me and Daddy and everyone, and you won't get taken away. Won't you, Momma?"

"Yes, honey. Jacob is already in my bubble," Bella guaranteed.

I was still a broken man as Nessie climbed down from the bed and into my lap. "Let's rest, Jakey. We're going camping soon! Daddy and Grampy went to set up the tent. I've never been camping before!" She smiled and showed me a picture of us roasting marshmallows, something she had seen on TV.

"I'll see if we can roast marshmallows, Ness," I replied, worn out from this whole ordeal. She, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened. It was amazing how the mind of a child could easily bounce back.

"Hop up on the bed, Jacob. I'll cover you both and stay with you until you are asleep," Esme promised. Once I was situated propped up against about a bajillion pillows with Nessie on my chest, Esme covered us and sang heartfelt words to a beautiful melody.

Just as Nessie was falling back to sleep, she asked Esme, "Grammy, what is that song? Did Daddy write that?"

Esme shook her head. "No, sweetie. Daddy didn't write this one. This is a beautiful song all about remembering the people we love. Now, go to sleep, and no more scary dreams!"

Cast your eyes on the ocean, set your soul to the sea. When the dark night seems endless, please remember me.

The importance of those words practically whispered in the dark was not lost on me. The faces of all those I loved, vampire, wolf, human, and Ness all revolved around those words in my mind as I slept.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Song: Yellowcard- Light Up the Sky

Once we were reunited with Carlisle and Edward in the clearing, Edward made sure to find time for Ness to have her roasted marshmallows. Even though she knew this was not a fun camping trip, she wanted to at least have a little of the experience. None of us could deny her that, and felt genuine enjoyment as we watched her make a mess of herself with the sticky concoction and watched her get excited about the snow.

Sadly, and hopefully she was unaware, we all had the same look on our faces as we cast glances at one another: despair. None of us wanted to admit that this moment right now might be the last time we laughed, the last time we were together, or almost all of us.

I shuddered as I thought that this might be the last night I am with Nessie. A pain tugged in my chest; it was my heart breaking a bit.

Edward's eyes slowly danced to mine. I knew he heard my thought, and I immediately regretted it. We all had something to lose in this. He would also lose the meaning of his entire life, two of them, if anything happened. He continued to stare at me, his eyes piercing me, sharp as knives. I realized he was trying to tell me something, and I wished that he were a wolf-brother so I could phase and hear him. I just said what I thought he'd want to hear and what he already knew.

If something happens, I'll protect them, Edward. And you promise me the same. You'll check in on the pack and my dad if something happens to me. Please?

Edward nodded stiffly, and his eyes flickered over to Rosalie, who had caught our silent exchange. She looked more miserable than I had ever seen her before, her hands clutching Emmett's forearms as he laughed at Ness playing with the marshmallow. Rose's eyes were once again trained on Nessie.

Soon after, Ness and I escaped to the tent to catch some Zs before the arrival. Before I fell asleep, I looked over and noticed Bella and Edward sitting near our sleeping bags, holding hands and staring at us and then at one another, not saying anything. They were in such pain, I couldn't look anymore and succumbed to sleep.

"Jake, wake up, hurry." Bella's voice sounded urgent.

I rolled over, careful not to wake up Ness in the process, and crawled out of the tent. The air was crisp, and the snow was lightly falling over the world. If we weren't worried about impending doom, we might actually think that today was going to be a beautiful day. I stood silently with Carlisle, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie, watching the edge of the forest. Our supernatural eyes saw nothing yet, save for my wolf brothers and sister approaching the clearing. I turned to Edward, and he nodded at me before I even said anything aloud.

"Go to them, Jacob. We'll be right where you can see us," he promised.

I walked as far as I could go before losing the sound of Nessie's breathing. They phased to human form, all of them, and stood with me.

I knew that this was a moment for our tribe. It might be the last moment that we, the warriors of our clan, stood together as one. I had to say something good, so I summoned all of my Alpha bravado.

"Brothers and sister," I began. "Wow, that sounded like the beginning of a sermon at church."

Everyone laughed, and they all nodded, encouraging me to keep going.

"I wanted to have this big, long Alpha speech planned for you tonight, but I decided that it's better if I just spoke from my heart. When we all started this phasing journey, some all alone (I nodded to Sam), some of us together (I nodded to Embry, Quil, and Seth), and some unexpectedly (Leah hissed at me), I don't know if we ever saw a day where it might all end so quickly. We have always been strong and with an advantage, but here today, we might not win." Heads bowed.

"Tonight, we might have to fight once again along our Cullen brothers and sisters as well as their friends. For this time, the fight is even more important. It's not only for the safety of the vampires, it is for the safety of us all." There were murmurs of 'yeahs' and 'for us all' that went through the packs. I looked to Sam who smiled at me.

"At the risk of sounding cheesy, I want to thank all of you for being my family. We have known one another since forever, and I know that my association with the Cullens, and now especially with Ness, has not been easy. Thank you for not giving up on me, thank you to those who followed me. Let us all pledge right now that if something happens to any of us, the packs will take care of the loved ones left behind. Let us pledge to keep our brothers and sister safe. And let us pledge to show these nasty vamps exactly what they are up against if they mess with the Quileutes!"

Cheering erupted, and hugging commenced. Sam and Leah even hugged fiercely. When I came to Quil, he gently punched my face and smiled.

"Did Ness like her gift?" he asked, already knowing, I'm sure.

"She loved it. How about Claire?" I countered.

"Claire, too! She ran around the entire pavilion on the rez during the party, showing everyone she could. I was really happy, Jake. Thanks." He looked at the ground. "We'll beat them, Jake. We won't let them touch her, you know that, right?" Quil promised. He smacked my face, and I laughed.

"I know you won't. I just…gotta psych myself out, I guess," I shrugged.

"Let's phase to wolf, just in case, everyone!" Sam called out. He walked over to me and hugged me.

"Ready, Alpha brother?" he smirked.

"Hells yeah!" I gave him a high five.

We all phased to wolf form and began the march into the clearing. I saw Bella with Nessie attached to her neck from a ways away, but I couldn't stand how far apart we really were.

Go to her, Jake. Seth's mind found mine.

Thanks, Seth. Keep in touch with me, okay? I howled.

He yipped back as I ambled out of the forest to join my other family. I could still hear Sam and my pack's minds as I settled in next to Bella and felt a tiny hand running through my fur. I immediately calmed down as did Ness. I turned my head to look at Bella and winked, letting her know that I wasn't going anywhere.

Edward hissed to the north of where we were standing. We knew that the time had come.

They were here.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Renesmee POV

Everyone was nervous. I could feel it as I hung on tightly to my Momma. She told me she loved me, but then she said something funny. She told me that we would always be together in our hearts: me, her, and Daddy, and that when she told me to, I had to run away with my Jacob.

That made me heart sad. I loved Momma and Daddy and wanted to be with them wherever they went, and I wanted Jacob to be there, too. I wanted Auntie Rose and Uncle Em, Grammy and Grampy to be with us. I wanted Auntie Alice and Uncle Jazz to come home now. I wanted all my wolf-people, too. And what about Grampa Charlie and Sue?

Why did these mean vampires have to come and bother us? I knew that they thought I was a bad thing, but I wanted to show them that I wasn't. I wonder if they would let me show them. I'd have to ask Daddy in his mind when he wasn't busy like he is right now.

I touched Momma's face and showed her a picture of Jacob in wolf form. She kissed my forehead and stuck her chin out. I turned my head in time to see my Jacob, my wolf-man, coming out of the forest. Jacob was very handsome as a person, and he was a very handsome wolf, too. He was so strong. I knew that if the time came, when Momma told me to run away with him, that he would protect me. I had my bracelet on, and I jingled the charm that said 'Always' in front of his wolfy nose and ran my fingers through his fur. He stood up on his back legs and nuzzled me.

"Jakey! Your nose is all wet!" I giggled.

His mouth stretched out into a wolf smile before winking at me and settling in next to Momma and me. I turned my face the other way for a minute, hoping to catch a look with my Daddy. I saw he was holding Momma's hand, so I reached down and pushed my palm against the top of his hand.

I love you, Daddy, I showed him. His hand flipped over quickly, grabbing mine and Momma's, and squeezed us. Then I heard a scary noise. Daddy hissed, something I didn't like when he did. That meant he was mad, very mad. He never got mad at me like that, but sometimes he did that to Jake or Auntie Rose. This time was different; this hiss was scary. And then I saw why.

The bad vampires…they were here. I twirled Jake's fur around my pointer finger and buried my face in Momma's shirt.

I was scared.