Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all. All credit goes to her for the lines utilized from her books.

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A/N: This chapter just about killed me. It has haunted me for weeks. I worked very hard on it, and would really appreciate your reviews! The last chapter only received 2 reviews. :(

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CHAPTER 6: DINNER AND A MOVIE

The whole house was covered in a layer of pastel pink, yellow and purple balloons. I was stuffed full of chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream, and joy. I held Jacob's large hand all day—literally never letting go. Mom and Aunt Alice had planned a "Princess Party," but I just called it the "Jacob Party." Mom looked annoyed, but I didn't care and Jacob could not have been more pleased. After our fifth swirl around the dance floor that Daddy built for the party, I sat down with Jacob on a bench under the maple tree in our backyard and began swinging my feet back and forth. I had on frilly white socks with bright pink satin shoes. They were my favorite.

"Happy second birthday, Nessie! Are you having fun or what?" Jake asked as he put his gigantic arm around me.

"This is a great Jacob Party!" I exclaimed.

Jake laughed with a satisfied look on his face. "You may not want to tell your mom and Alice that; they worked really hard on your 'Princess Party.'"

"Jacob?" I asked suddenly.

"Yeah, Nessie?" He rested his cheek on top of my head and waited for my onslaught of questions. Jake was used to my never-ending queries.

"Do you love me?"

"More than all the leaves in the forest," he said as he kissed the top of my head.

"More than all the sand at the beach?" I wasn't satisfied.

"More than all the stars in the sky, Nessie." His voice held promise.

"That's a lot," I said smiling, as I reached up and grabbed the hand that rested on my shoulder.

"Yup. It sure is. I'll love you that much forever and ever," he said in an animated tone, as he started to tickle me.

"And ever and ever?" I asked him between giggles.

"Yup!" he said mischievously, with more unrelenting tickling.

"Then it's a Jacob party." I said resolutely when he finally finished his torture.

"Good enough for me, Nessie." Jake had a smile plastered across his face that couldn't have gotten any bigger if he tried.

I knew my whole family loved me, but his was the most special. Everyone else was family; they had to love me. As far as I was concerned, Jacob's love was by choice, and that made it all the more important to me. All of a sudden, I wanted to make sure he knew that I loved him that way too. "Jacob?"

"Yeeeees?" he asked in a quizzical voice, with raised eyebrows.

"I think I'll love you that long too." His eyes went soft, as he flashed me the biggest smile in his arsenal. His warm arms just held me tighter. I was completely content.

"Come on in, Jake," I heard my dad say to my date from downstairs.

"Relax, everything will be fine. Just take a deep breath." I heard from the room below me. I wasn't sure if Grandpa was talking to Jake or my dad.

"You ready?" Mom asked me as Aunt Rose fussed with my hair in my bedroom.

"Is it possible for my response to be 'Not at all' and 'Absolutely' all at once?" I asked. The butterflies in my stomach had butterflies in their stomachs.

Mom laughed and held out the black Veda lamb skin jacket for me to slip on. "Remember to have fun, okay? Enjoy this. Alice and Jasper won't hover too much. I've already had a conversation with the both of them. They'll hang back, but be there if you need them."

"Thanks. You're the best, Mom." I gave her and Aunt Rose a kiss on the cheek and headed downstairs.

"Wow, Ness, you look beautiful," he said in an awed voice. Jake's eyes were as wide as saucers as he saw me coming down the stairs. He was wearing his "nice jeans," as he called them, and a chocolate brown dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I could hear his heart thudding a million miles an hour. I noticed sweat beads starting to form on his forehead. He looked so nervous. I didn't recall ever hearing him speak to me in that way before. He'd told me I was beautiful hundreds of times, but this felt different. For the first time, I felt as if he really saw me. My mind started racing: Nessie, you can't run up and him and kiss him because: a) your mind reading father is already listening to you talk to yourself like a crazy person, and b) please remember that you are still not thrilled with the situation! Calm, Nessie, just act calm.

"Thanks." I blushed.

"These are for you. They're your favorite, right?" He held out a bouquet of beautiful grey-lavender colored sterling roses with a nervous smile.

"They are absolutely my favorite! How did you know?" I asked as I took them from him shyly and walked with him into the kitchen to put them in water.

"We went to that flower show at the Vancouver Arboretum a few years ago, and you seemed to want to look at those the most."

"You noticed that?" I was so unbelievably flattered. I had always loved sterling roses.

"I always notice things like that." His voice wavered, almost embarrassed. In the kitchen, there was already a Lalique crystal vase with water waiting. Aunt Alice must have prepared it ahead of time for me. I put the flowers in the vase and hugged him. My butterfly's butterflies started to flutter again as I took in his warm, cedar scent. That was the first moment that I ever felt like a woman, loved by a man. It felt so real. Jake had been preparing for me long before I ever had any idea.

"Thank you. You just reminded me that you're you. Thank you." He pulled out of the hug first and smiled, looking at me in the eyes.

His whole demeanor changed. His posture improved, and his nervous eyes grew confident. "I'm just me, and you're just you. This is as natural as walking." I immediately relaxed. His voice was low and reassuring. He was so steady and so sure. It was like my old Jake, my rock, had returned—just more romantic. He'd been so different since I'd come home from Chicago, it was a relief to have my Jake back. "You ready to go? Alice and Jasper are meeting us at dinner."

"Dinner?" I snickered. "When you told me on the phone we were doing dinner and a movie, I thought you were joking." The return of "old Jake" had me so relaxed that it was easy to laugh with him again.

"No joke. I told you. It's the most classic date. Dinner and a movie. I'm doing this old school." He smirked at me as he led me out of the kitchen and to the front door.

"Bye, Daddy! I'm sure I won't be out late." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and we left the house.

Jake led me to his Audi S5 that Mom and Dad had bought him for his twenty-first birthday and opened the door for me to get in.

As soon as the engine turned on, "The Black Keys" started playing through the sound system. I couldn't help but smile. I loved "The Black Keys."

"You've really thought of everything, haven't you?" I said to him.

"Pretty sure." Confident Jake, I'd missed him so much.

"So...where are we going for dinner?" I asked curiously.

He smirked deviously. "It's a surprise, although it probably won't be for long." I just smiled and sat back to see where he was taking me. After two miles on Wantage Road, he made a right toward the tree-line onto a small side street that turned into a dirt road. He pulled to the side of the road behind my Rover.

"What the heck is my car doing here?"

"Well, the S5 isn't really very helpful on dirt roads, and we thought you might notice if your car keys disappear. Plus, you know how handy Alice is at grand theft auto, so I had her steal your car and bring it here so we could use it the rest of the way to dinner."

"Dinner is in the woods?"

"Yup! No more questions," he said with a chortle, he was having fun with this. As we locked up the S5, I noticed Jake pulling my spare set of keys out of his pocket. Sneaky.

He drove us another few miles into the foothills, and then stopped the car at a football-field sized clearing.

"We're here!" he said as he opened the trunk and took out a blanket and a picnic basket.

"We're going to have a picnic?" I questioned. Jake rolled his eyes facetiously.

"I told you, classic. What's classier for a date than a picnic?"

"You're good, Mr. Black." A smile was plastered on my face and wouldn't leave. He had really thought this out.

"Okay well, good. Go say hi to Alice and Jasper. I'm going to set up our picnic, and then I need to strip behind the Rover to phase."

"What? Why? I thought we were having a picnic." Now I was just confused.

"Yeah, but we have to get the food from somewhere."

I eyed him suspiciously. "I thought you said classic."

"Classic-ish. You're a half vampire, and I'm a werewolf. Some things have to be a little different," he said with a playful tone.

"Okay, I won't argue," I said through the smile that wouldn't leave my face. I walked—more like floated—over to where Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice were sitting on a large blanket on the north end of the field. Uncle Jasper was taking pictures of my Aunt with a wildflower garland on her head.

"Well aren't you happy," Uncle Jasper said with a grin. He was sharing in my elation.

"Yeah, I had decided that I was just going to try to relax and have fun, and Jake is making it so easy." I sat down next to my Aunt.

"Just so you know, we plan to cramp your style as little as possible tonight. We're going hunting too, but we're going to try to stay at least a half mile away from you. It's close enough, but far enough." Aunt Alice said in her sweet angelic voice.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate the attempt at giving us privacy," I said as I wrapped my arms around my aunt.

"Your picnic, per Jacob's specifications, is on the opposite side of the clearing," my Aunt told me, pointing to the south-east corner. As I looked in that direction, I spotted my chestnut colored wolf prancing toward me.

"Jacob, I love you and all, but you really do stink. Jazz, let's go. Stay close, you two. We are technically supposed to be chaperoning you tonight," Aunt Alice said. Then, she and Uncle Jasper were gone in a flash.

"You want to lead the way?" I asked Jake.

He nodded and took off at a moderate pace, so I could follow. We only ran for a short while before I smelled a pair of grizzly bears; Jake smelled them too. Watching him run was purely a thing of beauty. He was as graceful on his four legs as Aunt Alice on her nimble two legs. His tail bobbed up and down to the rhythm of his canter.

I held back, watching him take down the first bear quickly. As soon as he made contact with it, I started to charge for the second. Before I could get to it, Jake stopped me and nudged his kill to me. As I stepped up to the offering, Jake ran off after the second bear that was now sprinting away. He wanted to catch me dinner, how cute, I thought. I finished Jake's gift to me quickly, and just as I was dusting off the dirt from my knees where I'd knelt down, Jake was back with the other bear and dropped it at my feet.

"No, that one's yours," I said to him. "You gave me this one. I'm good. Really, you have it." One way conversations could get a bit frustrating.

He set the bear down right in front of me and huffed. "Okay, bossy pants," I said with sarcasm, and then looked him in the eyes. "Thank you."

After I sufficiently drained both bears, he lowered his body for me to climb on his back to take us back to the clearing. He dropped me off at our blanket, and he quickly ran to change back into human form.

"You really could have had that other bear, I didn't need it," I said to him, a little frustrated.

"Since when is this about need? We're going to be eating some human food, and I wanted to make sure that you had enough of your other type of diet to satisfy you." He smiled, seeming to almost enjoy my annoyance. Jake sat down next to me on the blanket and opened the basket.

"Tell me you're not having fun," he said slyly.

I gave him an exasperated look. "So, whatcha got in the basket?" I asked, changing the subject, not wanting to have to admit yet that this was perfect.

He started pulling out the items one by one. "We have all the essential Nessie favorites." He smiled. "Apples and bleu cheese, bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Cabrales cheese, tortilla chips and guacamole, fish tacos, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and blue Gatorade." He smiled, waiting for my reaction.

"Quite a smorgasbord!" I laughed. I couldn't believe Jake had gone through so much work for this.

"Well, I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for, so I just brought all your favorites." He was so proud of himself. Jake was trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing, but I wasn't buying it.

"This is amazing. Really, Jake, I'm kinda speechless." I took a bacon wrapped date out of the container and popped it in my mouth. "Mmmmm," was all that came out.

"I'm glad you like them. I had them flown in from that tapas place you loved in Los Angeles when we went last winter," he said as he popped one into his mouth too.

"Really? That's crazy! They're just as good as I remember! This is really nuts. You definitely went all out, didn't you?"

"Did you ever have any doubt that I wouldn't? I mean, I'm trying to win the heart of a Cullen girl—I can't exactly take you to Burger King." He smiled, and opened the container of guacamole and the bag of tortilla chips with "a hint of lime." They were my favorite. I could just lick the lime off all the chips one by one. "Try the guacamole. I made it myself."

"You made it?" I looked at him accusingly. I knew he never cooked.

"Well, Esme might have helped me a little… or a lot. But, I did almost everything; she just told me what to do," he said as he dipped a chip in the guacamole and held it in front of my face. I took a large bite. I was totally impressed.

"So how are my wooing skills?" Jacob asked after his fourth fish taco.

"Blue Gatorade and peanut butter cups," I said, smiling and motioning to the food around us, "I'd say your wooing skills are pretty awesome." His smile matched mine as he put his arm around me. I leaned into him and asked, "So what time is the movie?"

"Whatever time you want. Do you want to start it?"

"Here?"

"Yeah, I rented a projector and screen. It's in the car. Are you ready for the movie?"

"What movie are we going to watch?" I asked as I tried to inconspicuously inch closer to him. His scent was intoxicating. He was a mix of cedar, nutmeg and bergamot.

"What's your favorite movie?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, jeez, there are so many! Overall though? Probably Roman Holiday," I said, unsure which movie he chose.

"I remember you saying once that it was the best movie of all time." He reached into the basket and pulled out the DVD.

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?" I wondered if he could hear my heart flutter.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. "Hey man, we're ready for the movie, do you mind setting it up? Thanks, Jasper," he said and closed his phone.

In no time, a large white screen was assembled in the middle of the field, and the familiar opening scene started to play. This was so much more romantic than I had expected. I was overwhelmed by my attraction to him. I started to think about what it would be like if I took his hand. I'd held his hand a thousand times before, but this time I knew it would be different. I could feel myself being drawn to him. Was it just my long building relationship with him, or was it something more wolfy and mystical? I couldn't decide, but at the moment, I didn't really care.

As we watched Princess Ann walk "drunkenly" through Rome, I decided to go for it. I took his hand and wove my fingers through his.

"Thank you so much for all this. You have no idea what this means to me," I said. Electricity surged through my body at our touch. His hand, only slightly warmer, squeezed mine.

"I'm so glad. I just want you to know how important you are to me. I really hope I'm able to convey that to you." He rested his forehead on my temple and whispered, slowly and deeply. "When you took my hand, you have no idea what it did to me. I feel like the luckiest guy alive right now."

I just smiled. I didn't even know what to say to that. I was bursting with feelings that I'd never had before, and I wasn't sure yet what to do with them.

It then occurred to me that Uncle Jasper could probably feel the lust pouring off of me. How utterly embarrassing! I tried to calm myself and focus on the movie. I was only slightly watching the movie again when Jake started to stir.

"Are you comfortable? I should have brought chairs," he asked with concern.

"No, I'm fine, promise." I didn't want him to move, I was enjoying him next to me too much.

"Here, this'll be better," he said. He moved around to sit behind me with his muscular legs on either side of me, leaning back on his hands. "Now you have a reclining back rest." He smiled and motioned for me to lean back against him. I wondered if this was a "Dad approved" sitting position but decided that I really didn't care. Nothing seemed more inviting to me at that moment than resting against his warm body.

I leaned back and rested my head just in the crook of his right shoulder and neck. His scent wafted over me again, and I could feel myself melt into his body. Nothing in the world mattered at that moment. I was so enraptured by Jacob that I couldn't even think straight. He rested his cheek on the top of my head. I had completely forgotten about the movie and was just listening to the sound of him breathing. He was calm and steady. Amazingly sexy. He must have noticed that I wasn't paying attention to the screen.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"Which one? I have a million different things racing around in my brain right now," I said to him with a little laugh.

"Okay well, the main one. What are you thinking, Nessie?"

Still leaning against him, I turned my head up to meet his face. "Well," I hesitated. "I guess my main thought was that if you wanted to kiss me at some point tonight, I think I'd be okay with it." I was so shocked with the words that escaped my mouth. I had planned on saying something much less obvious, but there it was, what I truly had been thinking.

"Good to know," he said slyly and rested his cheek back on the top of my head. He let out a small burst of air through his nose, as if he was laughing to himself.

How humiliating. I thought. He was laughing at me. Was I going too fast? Was I not supposed to tell him that he could kiss me so soon?

"Nessie, calm down. I can hear your heart racing," he told me in his deep soothing voice. I inhaled deeply and let out a long, slow breath. "Better," he said. We sat silently watching the movie for what seemed like an eternity.

As a short-haired Princess Ann returned to her embassy, Jacob shifted his weight to one side, and with his now free hand, ran his fingers through my soft waves.

"Thank you for letting me take you out tonight," he said as gave me a one-armed hug around the front of my body squeezing my opposite shoulder with his hand.

I couldn't wait any longer. I twisted my torso around to look at him, my face barely an inch away from his. "Please don't make me ask you again," I said in the sexiest voice I could conjure up.

"You didn't ask; you told me that you would be okay with it at some point." His voice had a hint of sarcasm and a glimmer of that cocky Jacob attitude that I loved.

"Please," I said to him, pressing my forehead to his.

He searched my eyes for a moment. "You're sure?"

"Jacob…" I felt the need in me rising. If he didn't kiss me soon, I might internally combust. The heady feeling stirred throughout my body.

That seemed to be enough of a confirmation to him. His hands cupped each side of my face as he looked into my eyes and smiled. I closed my eyes in anticipation, drinking in the feeling of his hands against my face. Then his lips met mine, and I would have sworn that actual sparks flew out from us. My hands found the back of his head and gripped his hair. His warm full lips devoured mine. He had me in a trance as I opened my mouth, inviting him in. The intoxicating feeling of his tongue dancing with mine was the most intense experience that I'd had to date. He tasted sweet and savory all at the same time.

A small moan escaped my chest, and he held me even tighter. His body called to me. I realized at that moment how much I wanted him. How much I needed him. Completely overwhelmed by him, I let my hands roam over his muscular neck, shoulders and back. I considered tearing his shirt off, his warm skin calling me to envelop him. Then I noticed something else calling to me—his blood. I couldn't rip myself away from him, but fear was starting to creep over me as I worried that I might actually hurt him. His lips. So beautiful. So sensual, that I couldn't let go. His racing heart, pumping his sweet blood became the only thing I could hear. How divine it would be to taste him. The bloodlust in me piqued, and Uncle Jasper must have felt it.

"Ahheemmm! AHEM!" Uncle Jasper loudly cleared his throat trying to be as polite as possible while ending our little make-out session. Jacob broke our kiss and smiled widely at me. We both understood that there were no words needed. It had been perfect…except for the small fact that I had wanted his blood. Just a tiny detail. It took everything in me to keep from crying.

Jacob began playing with a curl of my hair. "We should probably get going. I don't want to bring you back too late." Jake said as he packed up the leftovers and blanket, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper joined us.

"You okay?"My uncle mouthed to me. I quickly nodded but wondered if I really meant it.

Jacob ushered me back to the car, and we got back to my house quickly. As he walked me to the front door, my hand in his, he turned to look at me on the front porch.

"You're so incredible. This is really the first night I've ever let myself see you in this light, and I have to say, Nessie, I like it. You're so unbelievable. Thank you for letting me take you out tonight," he said, smiling.

I smiled at him. "No, thank you. This was the best night. Really. Thanks for putting so much effort in to this. It was perfect." Except for the part where I wanted to tear into your neck and drink your blood. I added in my head.

"Good night, Nessie," he said, leaning down to give me a short kiss. I held my breath.

I walked through the door and immediately any joy that I had left was torn from me. My father was furious. Beyond furious. I'd never seen him like this. Uncle Emmett and Grandpa had him pinned against the wall, as he roared in rage at Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper.

"I trusted you!" he hissed. Venom seemed to pour from his mouth with his callous words.

"Edward! Calm down immediately. You're not helping anything," my mom said as she came to my side. "A little help would be nice, Jasper," she said, almost begging my uncle to help calm Dad down.

I saw my dad physically relax with Uncle Jasper's aid. "Get your hands off of me," he said to Uncle Emmett and Grandpa.

"Watch yourself, Edward," Grandpa said to him as a warning when they finally removed their vice-like grip from my father's body. I wasn't sure whether they'd been holding him back from Uncle Jasper or from just running away from the situation. My dad sat down on the couch with his head in his hands. Uncle Jasper sat down next to him and patiently waited for my dad to pull himself together. My mom gave me a hug and left to go sit on Dad's other side, and Aunt Alice came to sit on her husband's knee. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to stay for this or not.

"Edward, Nessie is fine. Everyone is fine," my mom cooed.

"We were supervising the entire time. They were only fifty yards away from us. We saw and heard everything as if we were sitting right next to them," Uncle Jasper said very matter-of-factly. He didn't like being accused of betraying my dad's trust.

"I watched their decisions the entire time, Edward. Promise. I knew Nessie was going to tell Jake to kiss her tonight, but I didn't think that was a problem. You told him he could kiss her when she asked. She asked, Edward!" Aunt Alice chimed in.

My dad sat quietly with his head hanging, staring at the floor. "You should have been sitting with them. There's no way they would have gotten so intimate if you were sitting next to them on the blanket," he said in a grumble.

"Edward, she's known Jake her whole life. It only makes sense for things to progress at a quicker pace now. He's practically been courting her for six years. He was a complete gentleman tonight. Look at her, Edward. She's a beautiful young woman." Aunt Alice gestured towards me. "She's her mother's daughter through and through."

He raised his head in my direction, but I couldn't even look at him. I was mortified and furious at his blatant overreaction. Without returning his gaze, I gave Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper a quick kiss and left the room, clomped up the stairs, closing my bedroom door behind me. I needed to think about the night's events without my family flipping out on me. Before I could get engrossed in my own thoughts, there was a faint knock at my door.

"Renesmee, can I come in?" It was my mom.

"Is Dad with you?" I wasn't ready to face him yet.

"No, it's just me."

"Come in, Mom," I said in a half-sigh as I flopped down onto my pink and green damask print couch. She came in and sat down next to me.

"First of all, are you okay? That was quite the scene to walk into," she said as she rolled her eyes. I laid my head down to rest on her lap.

"The night was so perfect, but then I don't know what happened. I've never had a problem like that before. Mom, I wanted to bite him!" I exclaimed.

"Well, honey, it wouldn't be the first time, and you know you're not venomous," she said with a giggle. "Everything was fine until that point though? You had a good time?"

"It was magical, Mom. I really felt like I was in a dream. He was seriously Prince Charming. Then all of a sudden, it was like I wasn't in control of my body anymore, and I was all over him..." I trailed off not knowing how to tell my mom the rest.

"I've heard of the imprint doing that. It's almost like an electric charge, from what I've been told. Emily said that they couldn't keep their hands off each other for months. I'm pretty sure they slept together the first night," Mom said. "Not that it would be okay for you to do that," she added for good measure in her serious Mom voice.

"Mom…his blood...I wanted it," I admitted, completely ashamed.

"You think your father didn't lust after my blood when I was human? Of course he did. You controlled it just like he did. You just weren't expecting it, that's all. Next time you'll be prepared for it."

"Next time? I don't think there will be a next time," I told her with tears welling up in my eyes. Too many things went wrong. The furious look on Dad's face when I came home was still in my mind. "So, which part is Dad upset about?"

"Your father just isn't adjusting very well to the idea that you're a young woman. He's mostly upset that your aunt and uncle gave you too much freedom to let the situation play out. He's upset about the level of intimacy during the kiss and about hearing Jake's thoughts about it on your drive home. Jacob was replaying it in his mind over and over, thinking about how amazing it was—and being a guy—thought about what could happen next. You seemed to really have an effect on him!" she said with a smile, trying to make me feel better.

"He was thinking about what could happen next?" I didn't want to even think about that yet.

"If he knows what's good for him, it'll stay in his thoughts and not move anywhere from there for a very long time. You don't have anything to worry about; Jake knows he'll have a whole coven of vampires ready to kick his puppy butt if he tries anything out of wedlock with our girl." A small smile crept up her face. I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"You said Daddy is upset about the kiss...are you?" I asked shyly.

"Oh honey," she said as she took my hand in hers. "No, I'm not upset. From what I heard, it was quite the passionate lip-lock, but no. I was the same way when I was your age, and I think things turned out pretty well for me." She kissed my hand and held it to her chest.

"But he's not mad at Jake for thinking that stuff?" I asked, a little confused.

"No." She gave me my hand back and turned toward me with her legs curled under her. "He knows Jake is just as ignorant as you are, and this is pretty much all new for him too. He hadn't kissed anyone since I kissed him before the newborn attack. That's why he was so adamant about the two of you being supervised."

"He thinks I'm ignorant?" I didn't like that my dad thought of me in that way.

"Well, not ignorant, but naïve about dating and men in general. It's nothing against you, Renesmee, you're just a bit inexperienced with this stuff and so is Jacob, that's all." I was silent as my mom stroked my hair. "How do you feel about everything up until the bloodlust?" she asked.

"It was just perfect. He was so great. I just hate this imprint. I hate how it makes me feel," I said with a sigh. "It was like all of a sudden, my mind was being controlled by something else. I want to feel those things on my own, but that wasn't me tonight. It was like I wasn't in control of my own body. The minute I started leaning against him, watching the movie, I was a goner. I was completely taken over by lust." I can't believe I just told my mom that.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that it's genetic, Honey. I don't know why you assume that was the imprint. I was the same way with your father. I tried to sway him so many times, but he was insistent on waiting. You're a sexual being, Renesmee, and that's okay. I know we've never really talked about it in this way, but maybe we need to. We were created to crave sex, and to enjoy it—when you're married. But for now…just enjoy kissing him. There is something to be said for restraint and for waiting. It makes it so much more special when it finally does happen." She smiled at me. "You'll figure it out. Promise. I need to go talk to your father though, he's about to go crazy. Get some sleep, baby. I'll have you shielded all night so you can actually be alone. I love you."

As I sat in my room, I heard my mother and father in the next room. Didn't they know I could hear them?

"Completely irresponsible. How could they? They were nowhere near Jacob and Renesmee all night. I wouldn't put it past Jasper to have inadvertently sent out sexual vibes that our daughter caught on to," I heard my dad say.

"Honey, it was the imprint. She couldn't help it. You've heard just as much as I have how strong the pull can be. We knew this. You knew this. She's practically the age I was when you and I met. You have to realize that she's not a baby anymore," Mom countered.

"I trusted Alice and Jasper to keep their eyes on them. Why didn't they stop it?" His voice held so much pain.

"They did. Jasper ended it as soon as he felt her bloodlust," my mom said as calmly and soothingly as possible, trying to protect my uncle.

"And that's another thing. How are we to handle this new development? I don't even know what to think. Now I have to worry about how she's going to handle that?" he said a bit accusingly. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Edward Anthony, you are being such a hypocrite. You lusted after my blood, but that didn't stop you from being with me, did it?" My mom sounded furious.

"That was different."

"Yes, it was. She's not venomous, and he heals almost as fast as we do. She couldn't really hurt him. You could have easily hurt me. You're right. There's a huge difference."

"I don't care if she hurts him. But I do care about what it would do to her. Can you imagine the pain that she'd feel if she ever actually hurt him? I still don't think you fully grasp the agony that I would have gone through if I had ever hurt you. My plans for myself, had anything gone wrong, were outright sadistic. You will never understand." He sighed. I imagined him leaning against the wall with one hand, the other pinching the bridge of his nose, head hung low.

"She can't hurt him!" Mom shouted. "Really, Edward, tell me what went so terribly wrong tonight? Our daughter was treated like a princess. She had a great time! He loves her so much. Is this about them, or is this really about your insecurities about losing her?" My dad was silent. That must have gotten to him. I tried as hard as I could to block out their arguing and focus on my own thoughts.

Tonight had been the most amazing night of my life. Jacob loved me. He went through so much work to make tonight perfect for me. I looked at the roses that Mom must have put in my room while we were gone. Jacob had noticed how I lingered at the sterling roses...he noticed. The thought that he was so concerned with things like that made my heart skip a beat. He was so perfect tonight.

I remembered leaning against him. His warm body, his scent, it was the most incredible feeling. Was it just my hormones running wild, or was it the imprint that made me unleash on him? My first kiss. It had been so gloriously spectacular. The way he wrapped his arms around me made me feel like the most important girl in the world, but then my half-vampire body betrayed me. I had lusted after his blood. I actually considered what his blood would taste like. I envisioned biting him on his collar bone, not to drain him, but just to taste him, and indulge in him. I loved the way his muscles met at that part of his body, and I knew at that moment that I wanted to sample what I felt pulsing below his skin. I was completely appalled with myself. How could I?

I heard footsteps pacing outside my door. I could only guess that they were my father's. They finally stopped, and I could see the shadow of his feet under the door. "Can I come in and talk to you?" he finally asked. His voice was strained and distorted. He didn't sound like himself.

"Are you going to yell at me?"

"No, I just want to talk with you."

"Have you apologized to Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper yet?"

"Can I just come in, please?" I could tell he was getting frustrated with me.

"Suit yourself," I said nonchalantly. He slowly opened the door and came over to sit down on the sofa next to me.

"I'm sorry you walked into that," he said with sad eyes.

"Sorry that I saw it, or sorry that it happened at all?" I asked incredulously. I wouldn't let him off the hook easy.

"Ness, they should have chaperoned better. That's just the way I feel. I'm new to the teenage daughter thing, okay? Can I call for a ceasefire?" His posture was hollow and defeated. He was begging.

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and with my arms crossed over my chest I leaned back into the corner of the sofa. He looked so pained. His eyes were sunken and had dark shadows underneath them. His hair was in more disarray than usual. We sat quietly staring at each other for a moment. You need a hug, don't you? I thought to him. His mouth twitched just the tiniest bit. He held out his arms for me, and I hugged him with all the love I could. After soaking in the embrace, he finally spoke in a voice I recognized.

"Are you okay about how tonight went? Do you have any questions?" he asked, finally with a more concerned fatherly posture than that of the tortured shell he'd been moments ago.

"Everything was so great until the bloodlust. I don't know what happened." I couldn't look him in the eye; it was too embarrassing. I sat hunched over staring, at my hands in my lap. This was not something I'd ever wanted to talk to Dad about.

He sat and thought for a moment. "You bit him a lot when you were a baby; when the imprint was probably strong and new. Perhaps you found that passion for him again…" he trailed off. I knew he didn't want to consider me having a "passion" for Jacob yet; I was still his little girl. He obviously wasn't ready for that. I could tell this was just as painful for him as it was for me. "...I know it's awkward to talk about, so I'll just leave this as generic as possible." He paused again to gather his thoughts. "In the heat of the moment, a lot of vampires will bite their mate. It can express another level of trust and intimacy. It's also a bit animalistic; vampires like to mark their territory," he told me with a smirk, not able to make eye-contact with me. I did not need to know about what he and Mom did for a "higher level of intimacy." As far as I was concerned, I was a test-tube baby.

"Ugh, thanks for the 'Vampire Sex Ed' lesson," I said sarcastically.

He turned toward me and rested his arm along the back of the sofa as he gave me his patented "I want you to pay attention" look. "You can't hurt him because you're not venomous, but I request that you eschew any such activity until you marry, if you so choose." His anxiety about the subject was apparent as he clawed the back of the sofa. He hated this conversation just as much as I did. "I'm telling you this to ease your mind about what happened tonight, not to give you any ideas or permission." He held my gaze for a moment, kissed the top of my head, and stood up. "You need to get some sleep; it's getting late." For a vampire, he was being very fidgety. He obviously couldn't handle any more of this conversation.

"Thanks, Daddy."

He paused in the open door frame and turned around to look at me again. "I need you to know that you're just so important to me. I'm sorry I went a little crazy, but you're my daughter. So cut me some slack here, okay?" He shot me his signature half grin, and I gave him a reassuring nod. He gently shut the door behind him as he left.

Alice POV

Edward was such an over-reactor. I had it covered. I knew that they were going to kiss, and that she was going to be tempted to bite him…but I also knew that she wouldn't! He had to at least give me some credit! If I had seen anything go wrong, I would have stopped it. In my opinion, the date had gone pretty flawlessly! Jacob was an absolute prince. He'd done everything Esme and I told him to do to help him prepare for the date, since he'd never really been on one. Overall, I think he did fantastic. He had made our girl so happy tonight!

Maybe I should have warned Nessie about how the night was going to wind up. I just didn't want to ruin it for her. She was being so indecisive now. One minute she'd decided to be with Jake, and the next she decided to run away. Every decision that she considered, all brought her to the same ending though. No matter what direction she chose, all roads led to Jake. She had flipped through twenty different scenarios for her future, but no matter what, I saw Jake being persistent and winning her heart in the end. That's why I was staying out of it. I wasn't going to let her know about the end of the night because it didn't matter. She would end up where she belonged no matter what.

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A/N

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