A/n: Yep, not mine.

Chapter 8

Jacob's POV

How could that . . . that . . . bitch treat Nessie like that? I thought over and over again. Renesmee didn't even know her, and vice versa. Renesmee didn't provoke her . . . well at least I'm pretty positive she didn't. But that girl had something coming for her.

I took Renesmee's advice and ran to the restroom. Then I decided that that location might not be the best place if some kid was in there and I happened to explode. So I changed course and ran outside. Yeah, I could get a detention for leaving school property during school hours. But then again, I could also get a detention for destroying the bathroom. And I'd also have to pay for it, most likely.

Just my luck, I thought as I took off again towards the forest in the back part of the parking lot. Eddie-boy was probably listening into my thoughts right now, wondering where I was going.

Just need to calm down a bit, I told him.

The second I approached brush tall and wide enough, I phased. The air shifted, the world suddenly became a lot warmer, and a shiver went down my spine and quickly spread throughout the rest of my body.

And the quiet of the area around was no more.

Leah and Seth had always been a part of my makeshift pack, so they knew I was here. Sometimes Sam would know I was here, too, but only if I wanted him to, which was more frequently than it used to be now ever since I imprinted.

Jacob? Seth wondered innocently.

Yep, it's me. I replied.

JAKE!! Wherever he was, I could feel that he had started running faster.

Jeez, bro, calm down. It's only Jacob. Leah was running too, trying to act annoyed, but she was also just as excited as Seth. Okay, okay. I admit that I'm glad to hear you. How's it going?

Oh, just fine. It's only Nessie's first day of real school and I haven't been a complete nervous wreck, oh no. I've just been sitting on the sidelines while she made new friends, a new enemy, and while a kid madly flirted with her.

Seth whined. That bites, dude. Sorry.

Not your fault. It's just . . . ugh. Am I supposed to be this protective of her?

Leah let out a sarcastic bark. Yeah, because we would totally know, the ex-girlfriend and the twenty-some year old who looks sixteen.

I laughed. Seth growled. Leah continued, Okay, so I regret calling myself the ex-girlfriend. I'm over Sam, he's in my past.

Good plan, sis, Seth countered, when do you hope to actually achieve that?

Watch it, baby brother. She put emphasis on the "baby."

Okay, guys. I'm all for the sisterly-brotherly love, but since I have no siblings to call my own, I'm out. Ness is expecting me back.

Seth whined. But Jake! We just –

It's fine, dude. I'll talk to you later tonight.

Phone, text, or mind?

Whichever one I see fit. Bye.

With that, our conversation was at an end. The world became warm again, the air moved once more, the fur grew back in (as gross as that sounds), and my human features took over the wolf ones.

I put my clothes back on and made my way back inside the school and into the Art classroom. Nessie was right where I had left her, except the interrogating chick had left, fortunately for her. She was painting . . . something . . .

Her beautiful brown eyes looked up when I sat down and she flashed her bright white pearly teeth, "Better?"

I smiled back, "Much. Sorry for the explosion back there."

"You didn't explode here, so no need to apologize." She turned back to her . . . painting.

She noticed my stare at the swirl of dark and bright colored canvas in front of her, "I'm not really the artistic type. The assignment was to paint our biggest fear and/or fears."

I knit my eyebrows together. If Renesmee has any fears, I'll be sure to take care of them, and she knows that. "What are your fears?"

She bit her lip and looked down, "They're stupid. If I told you, you'd freak out. And I don't want you to do that in less than one class period."

My hand gently touched hers, "I promise I won't freak out. Please tell me?" I lowered my head to meet her downcast eyes. I smiled goofily at her and her smiled and playfully pushed me back up.

Nessie examined her canvas, "It's a picture of," her voice lowered to a whisper, "the Volturi." Her tiny palm became face up underneath mine now and I tighten my fingers in response.

"I know you know I would never let them come near you." She shrugged at my response in an "I-know-that-but-it's-still-what-I'm-most-afraid-of" way. "Ness, tell me you know that."

"I know that," she spoke.

"And tell me you know that if something bad ever happens to you, I'll be right there behind you to save you," I tried to make eye-contact, which I did, "You are my life."

A small smile tugged at her lips, "I know." She paused to look at the canvas in front of her, "But I can't change the painting now. I'm all done."

I paused to look at the canvas, too. Then an idea sprung. I reached across her and grabbed a paintbrush, dipped it into some brown paint, and brought the brush to the surface of the lower right hand corner of the canvas. Bristles came in contact with the painting surface and soon a small paw print had been painted.

I smiled at my work, "There. Now it's finished. And you'll always know that I'll whoop Volturi butt anytime, any day."

Renesmee smiled, "I will always know that." She paused, yet again, "But what you said before, about protecting me and stuff, you make it sound like I'm the only girl you've ever loved or even dated, if you can call us 'dating'. Anyway, back to subject . . . am I the only girl you've ever loved?

I bit my lip. Now wasn't the time to tell her. "Hey, why don't we start on my painting of my biggest fears?"

A/N: Boring chapter, I know. Sorry. But it will get interesting soon! Trust me!!