Time didn't pass quick enough for Nessie Cullen. The whole weekend she was worried sick about Hunter. Edward had heard Emmett's thoughts before they got to the house and immediately he and Bella were asking her if she was alright. She assured them that she was fine but she just worried about Hunter. Edward saw the horror stricken look on Hunter's face through Emmett's and Nessie's mind and wondered himself why he got that expression on his face.

That Saturday Jacob came back from his visit to La Push and he noticed that Nessie wasn't herself. She explained what happened on Halloween and Jacob didn't like it that much that she was worried so much over him.

Sunday was much the same. She went on a hunting trip with her parents and Jacob but didn't do much. She just sat under a tree while her parents ran around the woods hunting their meal. Jacob joined Edward and Bella for a little while but then went back to stay with Nessie. She insisted that she was fine by herself but Jacob wouldn't have it. She sighed but gave in knowing it would lessen the worry from Jacob and her parents. Jacob laid down next to her and she cuddled up to his warm fur.

She jumped when she heard a branch snap from somewhere around her. She gripped onto Jacob's fur and looked around, fully alert. But Jacob wasn't tense like her but his body shook. Nessie recognized that instantly. He was laughing. She turned to him with a confused look. He opened his mouth and his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, the corners of his mouth turned up as if he was smiling.

He let out a small howl and seconds later a second howl echoed his. Then a sandy colored wolf broke through the brush. Nessie grinned and jumped to her feet. "Seth!" She cried and ran over to him. Seth barked happily and grabbed her shirt in his teeth and tossed her onto his back. She squealed and then laughed, throwing her arms around his gigantic neck.

Jacob growled at him and Seth rolled his eyes and let out a whimper. Jacob growled again, this time lower and laid back down resting his head on his paws.

Seth turned and ran through the woods, slow enough that Nessie didn't have to hold on for dear life. She sat up but gripped onto Seth's fur tightly and laughed as Seth ran, skillfully avoiding trees.

Seth came to a stop once they reached a meadow. He let out a little whine and pointed his nose in one direction. Nessie followed where he was pointing to and smiled at the sight. In the middle of the meadow, Edward and Bella laid in each other's arms, fully absorbed in each other that they didn't even notice the wolf and their daughter looking at them. She sighed contentedly as she watched them, they were so beautiful with their skin sparkling in the sunlight. She loved watching her parents together. Their actions always proved how much they loved one another. When she was younger she would get disgusted by it, just like any other little kid, but as she grew older she grew into a helpless romantic and loved watching her parents together. They usually always sat near one another but if for some reason they were across the room from each other they would throw longing and loving glances at each other.

"Seth," She whispered to the sandy wolf she was perched on. Seth lifted his head in answer. "I think they want to be alone."

Seth nodded in agreement and slowly backed into the woods. Once he was far enough, he turned and started running in another direction. They must have run across all of Washington, at least that's what it felt like to Nessie.

When they finally returned to the spot they left Jacob they found Edward and Bella already waiting for them. Nessie jumped off of Seth's back and wobbled for a moment. She grabbed onto Seth's leg for support and she heard him chuckle. Her normally perfect bronze colored hair was tussled from being windblown and her cheeks were a light shade of pink but she had a grin on her face.

"Seth what did you do to my daughter?" Edward asked taking in Nessie's appearance.

Seth pulled his muzzle over his teeth, bearing his teeth in a grin and plopped down into a sitting position.

Edward, after staring at Seth for a minute looked at Jacob. "Thank you."

Jacob lifted his head and let out a little bark.

Bella walked over to Nessie and started to fix up her hair. At her daughter's confused and slightly annoyed look she explained, "Better me than Rosalie."

Edward smirked and the two wolves howled with laughter.

Monday morning, Nessie was up and ready to go to school earlier than usual. Of course Edward or Bella didn't have a problem with her being up so early but Jacob didn't want to get up.

When they finally got Jacob up, Nessie had to wait (very impatiently) for Jacob to finish his cereal. When he was done, she pulled him out of the seat, leaving his bowl still on the table. They all piled into the Volvo and Edward drove at his normal speed to get them to school.

Nessie hopped out of the car, called a quick goodbye to her parents and didn't even wait for Jacob before sprinting into the school. Jacob grumbled as he climbed out of the car and followed after where Nessie had gone.

She waited impatiently through her first three classes, and for the first time in the few months she's been in school, she glanced at the clock every few minutes. When the bell rang signaling the end of her third period, she got out of her seat and practically ran towards her English class. She skidded to a halt once she entered the room and got looks from Mr. Newton and her classmates but she ignored them and looked toward Hunter's desk. Part of her was relieved that he was there but the other part was still worried because his head was buried in his arms on his desk.

She walked over to her desk and plopped down. "Hunter?" She called out to him but he didn't answer. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm gently, "Hunter?"

He jumped up and looked around frantically, "I didn't do it!"

If she wasn't so concern she would have been amused. There was a red spot on his face from where he was leaning against his arm and his brown hair was tussled.

Once the sleepiness cleared from his brain he looked over at her and put on a warm smile. "Oh hey Nessie."

She shot him a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine." He replied. "Tired."

She nodded once and bit her lip. "I was just wondering cuz...on Halloween..."

"Oh yeah," He waved his hand non chalantly. "That was just my father, I thought he was mad at me or something. Turns out he planned a last minute camping trip, we were hiking ALL weekend." He scoffed a laugh and shook his head. "My legs feel like Jell-O." He groaned and stretched. "I'm not as in shape as I thought."

"You're father is really that scary?" Nessie asked and thought of her own father. He was a VAMPIRE and although he wasn't pretty when he was mad, she would never be that afraid of him.

"Yeah." He answered and raised his eyebrows. "He's pretty scary especially when he's mad. But yeah," He quickly changed the subject, "We got home late last night so I didn't get much sleep."

"He didn't let you stay home?"

He scoffed. "What are you kidding? I could have a deadly disease and he would still send me to school."

"Education that important to him?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Or he just really likes his privacy."

Nessie hummed quietly and carefully observed him. She sensed something was off about him. Like the times he came in bruised, he would be a lot more distant like he was trying to hide something. She replayed what he said in her mind, "He's really scary especially when he's mad." His father must have something to do with it.

"Why are you giving me that look?" He asked.

"I'm just..." She hesitated. She couldn't just bring it up, could she? ' I think your father is abusing you'. Either it would be true and he wouldn't want to talk about it or its false and he would be angry that she accused his father of such a thing. And even if it was true, she couldn't say it in the middle of the classroom where other students were listening. "...nothing." She sighed and shook her head, turning her eyes to the desk.

"You don't have to worry about me."

She looked back over to him and gave him a half smile. "I like worrying about you. You're my friend."

Hunter's eyes widened and a look of shock spread across his face. "Wait a second, I was right? You're worried about me? Wow, I just took a shot in the dark there."

Her smile widened just a little and she placed her hand over his. "Of course I was worried about you."

He smiled at her, the warmness reaching his tired eyes. "Thanks." He turned his face away for a few seconds and muttered under his breath, "Glad someone does." A normal human wouldn't have heard it, but Nessie wasn't a normal human. Her smile fell and her brow creased in concern. He turned back to her and he still had that warm smile on his face. "You don't need to worry really."

She gave him a skeptical look but nodded. She could tell she wasn't getting anything straight from him. Maybe she could bring him home and Edward could pick something out of his mind, or maybe Jasper could read some off emotion that he was feeling. Or she could get Alice to look into his future to see if she sees his father doing anything to him again.

Or maybe she was over analyzing things. Maybe Hunter's father wasn't abusive and he was just klutzy like he said he was.

"Hey are you feeling alright?" Hunter's voice interrupted her thoughts. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at him.

"Yeah, fine, why?"

"Your hand is hot like you have a fever or something." He replied.

Her eyes widened slightly and she moved her hand away quickly. "I'm fine." She replied quickly and avoided his gaze.

'Crap! Crap! Crap!' she yelled at herself in her mind. She had let her guard down. She had gotten a hold of controlling her ability. She knew she could never show a human her way of communicating. And she could control her ability without thinking about it...except when she was lost in thought. Like she just was. She prayed that her ability was under control and Hunter didn't see any of her thoughts. He would've said something right?

She let out a breath and closed her eyes. She sure hoped so.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. "You don't look so good."

She glanced at him and saw no traces of suspicion on his face. Unless he was really good at acting, she didn't let her ability slip. She felt herself relax and she smiled at him. "I'm perfectly fine. Fit as a fiddle." She furrowed her brow a little. Where did that come from? No one said that anymore. She realized with a small shake of her head that she had been hanging around with her century old family too long.

However Hunter was amused by it and grinned at her and so she grinned right back. The bell signaled the start of the class and she bit her lip before turning to face forward.


"Did you see his face?!" Hunter burst into laughter as he and Nessie walked side by side into the cafeteria. He paused one second to try and imitate it but failed and only kept laughing, stumbling a little on his feet.

Nessie laughed right along with him, her smile, the perfect mixture of Bella's and Edward's, lit her whole face. Many of the students had gotten used to her presence by then but they turned and stared at her again as her musical laughter filled the cafeteria. She ignored most of the stares but caught one. Dave Conrad hadn't bothered her since that one day in September. But she occasionally saw him staring at her while she walked down the hallway. It was usually a look of longing mixed with lust but the stare she was getting right then was nothing of the sort. His eyes were narrowed into a glare and in fact, he wasn't just looking at her, he was also looking at the boy next to her. She took a quick glance at Hunter who was replaying the funny scene that happened in English class, oblivious to her distraction. She realized that Dave was jealous of Hunter. Not only did he have to deal with Jacob in the way but he also had to deal with Hunter. Just to tick him off, she slipped one arm through Hunter's and laughed at what he said. For a split second, Hunter was taken off guard but then he smiled and continued on with his story.

She saw Dave's glare intensify and she gave him a look as the corners of her mouth turned up in a smirk. She flipped her bronze curls over her shoulder and with a skip in her step walked towards their usual table.

As usual Jacob was already waiting there. He had given up standing after a while and was just slumped in his chair with his head resting in his hand, impatiently waiting for her to get there. He had also taken up the habit to get his food BEFORE they both got there so he wouldn't have to go online with Hunter and could stay and talk with her for a few minutes alone.

He usually had a scowl on his face when the two approached but that day when he saw them coming, his frown was intensified. He almost had the same look that Dave did. Which meant one thing: he was jealous.

Nessie shot him a look and he raised one eyebrow. She looked down at her arm linked with Hunter's and then looked back to Jacob, rolling her eyes.

Since Jacob had told her about the imprintment it had constantly been on her mind. She noticed it more when Jacob was being protective. He acted like an overprotective boy friend and until she learned of the imprintment she hadn't thought much about that coincidental fact. Since she was little, Jacob was her best friend, and besides her parents, the one she felt closest to. But lately her feelings had been growing for him. She was getting older and seeing the world through different eyes. A couple of years ago, Jacob was just Jacob to her. But now she saw him differently, she noticed how tall he was, how hot (temperature wise) his body was and how handsome he was. How bright his smile was when he was truly happy (which usually only occurred when they were alone), or how the sound of his voice and his laughter made her heart flutter.

But as of late, her growing romantic feelings for him have been conflicting with her annoyance from his reactions to Hunter. He was an innocent human. Her friend, a human friend that she is so grateful for. Unlike Dave, Hunter was actually nice and Nessie still couldn't understand the detestation that Jacob held for him.

She let go of Hunter and took her usual seat next to Jacob. Hunter took the seat next to her so she was in between the two boys.

"Hi Jake." She greeted with a bit of fake happiness. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows, smiling an obviously fake smile at her.

"Hello Renesmee."

She frowned at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey Jacob." Hunter greeted warmly like he did everyday, hoping for the chance that maybe that day Jacob would like him.

But as usual, Jacob's eyes flickered to him and he grunted and then looked back at Nessie. Nessie shook her head at him giving him a disbelieving look. She scoffed and turned to Hunter. "Hunter do you want come get lunch with me?"

Both Hunter's and Jacob's eyes widened.

"I thought you didn't eat school food..." Hunter said, sounding confused. That was true, she hadn't eaten a meal in the two months she's been in the school.

She shrugged. "I can make an exception." She stood up and Hunter got up slowly but Jacob was quick to stand. Nessie turned around and gave him a seemingly innocent look. "You don't have to get up Jacob, you already have your food." She reminded him pointing down at the tray.

Without looking at the tray Jacob narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl. She lifted her eyebrows quickly and then took Hunter's hand and dragged him past Jacob. She quickly looked over her shoulder at him and saw that he hadn't moved and his whole body was tensed and his hands were curled into fists at his sides. Normally she would have been worried but she knew he would never phase in the middle of a crowded cafeteria. And he had been a wolf for almost eight years, he had good control of his temper. She huffed and turned back to face forward and got on the lunch line.

She saw Hunter looking at her with a funny look.

"What?" She asked.

He opened his mouth to speak, and then hesitated a moment as if trying to figure out the right words and then finally spoke, "Are...are you and Jacob in a fight?"

She sighed. "He's just been really getting on my nerves lately." She said it slowly and clearly making sure Jacob could hear her.

"It has to do with me doesn't it?" He asked.

She gave him a small smile and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it okay? This is between me and Jacob and that's it."

He nodded. "Alright."

The lunch line moved slow and it was almost fifteen minutes before Nessie and Hunter got their food and sat back down at the table. Jacob was sitting down again and was poking his macaroni and cheese with his fork and didn't even look up when they sat down. There was still food on his plate, which was odd considering it usually took Jacob less than two minutes to eat his meal.

The lunch table was quiet the rest of the time. Hunter and Nessie occasionally broke into conversation but Jacob didn't say a word.

He didn't say a word in any of their other classes either. In Phys. Ed. he spent time with some guys he had met and started talking to during the course of the year. Nessie didn't even bother to ask them if she could join them. Instead she just hung around with a group of girls who barely noticed her presence.

When the final bell rang instead of meeting Jacob by the locker room, she walked quickly, using a bit of her vampire speed to head towards her father's silver Volvo. She pulled open the door before Edward even got a chance to step out. She slid into the seat and slammed the door closed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her father was silent for a few seconds which meant he was reading her mind.

"What did he do?" He asked finally, surprisingly calm.

Nessie turned to him and looked into his topaz eyes still a bright gold from his hunting trip the day before. She couldn't find the words to express everything so she just shoved her hand out and placed it on his forehead telling him everything she was annoyed with Jacob about.

Before he got a chance to speak she cut in, "Can we just leave him here? He's a stinkin wolf he can find his own way home."

Edward's lips twitched upward but then he gave her a look. "Ness, you know that's not right."

She rolled her eyes and sunk down in her seat and glared at the floor. "So now you choose to be nice to him." She muttered.

Edward sighed but then his eyes were drawn to the window. He saw Jacob standing at the entrance to the school, his arms crossed over his chest. Without a word he started the engine and started to drive off.

Nessie shot up, surprised and looked out to the window looking for Jacob and then looked back at Edward. "You're really gonna leave him here?"

"He asked me to." Edward replied and Nessie quirked an eyebrow.

"He said both you and he needed some alone time to cool off. He's going to go running."

Even though she was annoyed with him, she felt dread course through her. "He'll be back right?" She asked nervously.

Edward turned to her with an amused expression. "I thought you were mad at him."

Nessie frowned at him. "Dad."

He chuckled lowly and turned back to the road. "Of course he'll be back. Jacob could never leave you." She didn't miss that he gripped the steering wheel harder and almost bit out the last phrase. "You know how you feel when you're away from him for twenty four hours?" He asked. "He feels the same except more strongly. I guarantee he'll be back tonight or at the latest tomorrow morning."

Once she was assured that Jacob was coming back she felt relief but then she remember she was annoyed with him. "He could go for a week." She mumbled. Her annoyance increased when Edward chuckled.

"It's a good thing Jasper and Alice went on a hunting trip." He remarked.

"Why is that?" Nessie asked, staring out the window at the quickly passing scenery.

"Jasper would have gone insane from all your different emotions at once."

She turned to give him a look but only found herself smiling at the amused look on his face. She bit her lip and bit back a chuckle.

Dad?

"Yes?"

I love you.

A different, loving smile crossed his face and he looked at her quickly. "I love you too Ness."