Hey everyone! My exams are finally OVER! I'm now free to write my fanfics…until the next term comes along. :( *SIGH*

Anyways, our favourite Cullens and the wolf pack are BACK! I'm so happy to be writing about Jake and Renesmee again! :):):) Thanks for putting up with my absence, I love you guys.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga.

Chapter Nine: Surprise

*Renesmee POV*

"Where are we going?" I asked, for what was probably the millionth time. But I couldn't help it. I was dying to know! But my parents absolutely point-blank refused to tell me. I had tried emotional blackmail, pleading, throwing tantrums. I had even done my best puppy-dog face.

But my parents were unmovable.

I huffed and turned to the window, looking outside as we drove to the airport. My family was so big we had to split up. My dad, mom, Jake and I were in his Volvo. Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose took Aunt Rose's red convertible, and Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice would take their silver Audi Coupe, which Aunt Alice had bought a few months ago.

Jake was beside me, and I was curled up into his side. At this point, I looked like a seven year old, so he looked like my big brother. That thought made me happy.

Mama had told me that we would be best friends forever. Jake would forever be at my side, and that thought made me ecstatic beyond belief.

Dad groaned.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Jake asked. "Oh, nothing. I just remembered I left my favourite book at home."

Vampires were excellent liars. I knew that. But I had lived with them for long enough to notice the subtle differences. Whenever my dad was lying, or he was hiding something, he would pinch the bridge of his nose. (This also happened when he was angry, which, unfortunately, I had found out first-hand.)

He was pinching the bridge of his nose now, and his eyebrows were scrunched together. Definite signs of lying.

But what could he possibly be irritated about now? No one had even said anything, and I had just been thinking of Jacob…

Jacob.

Every single time I thought something positive about Jake I'd notice this reaction in my dad. He was really annoyed every time it came to something with Jake and me.

"Ness, stop examining my facial reactions, please," my dad called out, and I turned red. I wished like anything that I could inherit Mama's shield so I wouldn't have to try to protect my thoughts anymore.

Dad snickered. "Too bad."

I gave him a half-pouty, half-scowling look, and turned my attention back to the view outside, trying very hard not to think about anything.

XXXXX

"Jacob POV*

"Rio de Janeiro?" Ness exclaimed. "That's where we're going?"

Bella and Edward shared a look. "No, darling," Bella said smiling at Edward. "It's just a stop along the way."

Edward smirked, and I figured I was probably better off not knowing what the hell they were talking about. Whenever Edward got that particular look on his face, it probably meant that it was X-rated. As in Jacob does not need to know this unless he wants to puke.

Edward rolled his eyes at me.

I ignored him, climbing onto the Cullens' private plane, where the rest of them were waiting. Yes, the Cullens had their own plane, because it would apparently kill them to travel at the same speed as the rest of us boring, slow humans.

"Exactly," my former enemy snickered as he walked past me. I glared at his back. Bella rolled her eyes at me. Even your own wife thinks you're ridiculous. Take that, Cullen!

Edward shot me a look which clearly meant Shut the hell up now unless you want to be ripped to pieces.

I did the safe thing. I shut up.

Even I knew when not to push things with Mr Drama King.

"Hey!" Edward protested. "I'm not a drama king!"

Bella snickered. "Are you sure you're talking about yourself, love?" I high-fived her as Edward glared at both of us. I shrugged at him. "The truth hurts man," I said, parroting what he had said to me a few months ago.

He lowered his voice so that Renesmee, who was happily chatting with the little pixie, couldn't hear. "Don't forget that I'm your future father-in-law, mutt."

I didn't say anything. My mind was still adjusting to the fact that one day Edward freaking Cullen, the guy I had once hated with a passion, would be my father-in-law.

"Yeah. So you better check yourself."

Edward walked off. Bella stayed beside me, obviously realizing that I was a little…taken aback.

"Jake?"

I looked up to meet her butterscotch eyes. I tried to laugh, which sounded fake even to me. "I'm fine, Bells. It's okay."

She studied me. "It's okay, Jake. When Ness comes of age, we're fine for you two to be with each other."

I looked over at Renesmee, who was laughing at something Alice had said. She turned for a minute, and caught my eyes. She smiled at me happily, and she looked like the child she was, sweet and bright and innocent.

Would I really develop feelings for her?

It seemed unthinkable now. Maybe a little part of me would always remember her as the bright and happy girl she was, instead of the intelligent and kind young woman she would grow to be.

Bella seemed to know what I was thinking. She gave me a knowing smile. "Yes, it does seem far-off now, doesn't it? It seems like just yesterday I was holding her for the first time and now she's nearly two years old…even though she looks like she's seven. I'll never let go of her, no matter how old she is. She'll always be my little nudger."

We stayed together in companionable silence, watching Ness as she skipped over to Edward and looked up at him with warm milk-chocolate eyes.

"Thank you," I blurted out suddenly.

Bella looked surprised. "What for?"

"For…for holding on to her. For keeping her through everything. For fighting for her even though the odds were stacked against you," I said quietly. It was now that it really hit me, the price that Bella had paid for keeping Renesmee.

"I knew it couldn't happen any other way," Bella replied, her voice low. "I told you before; I could no more kill her than you. And I would never have it any other way."

She slipped her hand into mine and squeezed, thankfully not too hard otherwise she would have broken my bones.

It felt like old times; Bella and I just hanging out in my garage, spending time together. Easy, uncomplicated times, before Edward came back and everything went spiralling out of control. But now I was beyond glad that he did. Because every single pain I had had, every single time I had felt hate towards him, all of it was just part of a chain reaction that finished here.

With me finding Ness.

The girl in question skipped gleefully towards us, her eyes bright and sparkling. "Mama, Jake, Daddy says you have to sit down now, because we're going to take off."

I had not been on a plane many times in my life, but more than Ness, who had never experienced it. She, however, had the luxury of stretching her legs out, walking across the plane to stare out of the windows, and all sorts of other comforts that were certainly not available on normal planes.

Esme walked over to give us a motherly smile. "Come on, Jake! You don't have vampire balance, and we certainly don't want you to get hurt before the holiday!"

Her voice caused a pang in my chest. It was a mix of love and concern, the same tone used by my mother whenever she used to take my temperature, or tuck me into bed with a hot water bottle.

"But I really don't want to go, Mom!" I whined, sitting at the kitchen table and polishing off blueberry pancakes.

She turned, holding a dishcloth. "Jacob Black, do you really think you can fool me with your 'I'm sick' excuse all the time? There's nothing wrong with school!"

"But Mom, my stomach hurts! Right here!" I said, pressing in the middle, right around my navel.

Rachel scoffed. "He just wants to get out of that Maths test Mr Taylor's setting today. He spent all day yesterday with Quil and Embry instead of studying for it."

"Did too!" I protested hotly.

"All right, then what's a denominator?" Rachel quizzed, raising her eyebrows.

"It's-um-it's when-" I stammered. Rachel had caught me out, but in my defence who wanted to study for a stupid fractions test anyway?

"Ha!" my sister shouted triumphantly. "Knew it!"

"All right, Rachel, that's enough," Mom scolded her gently. "Go eat your food."

"Mom, I'm serious. I really don't feel good," I complained, clutching my middle. I wasn't lying. I had a really bad ache.

She knelt down beside me and kissed my forehead. "Look, I have to go into town today. If you be a good boy and go to school, I'll get you some of those chocolate chip cookies you like so much. If you feel really bad, you can come home, but make an effort, okay Jake?"

"Okay, Mom."

Her eyes held a warm, loving look as she hugged me. "I love you, Jacob."

"Love you too, Mom."

That ache hadn't gone away the whole day. It was in the middle of the day, smack-dab during Mr Taylor's maths quiz that the news had come. I remembered thinking I was lucky to get out of the test, but after seeing the look on my principal's face, and the words she spoke, I'd have given anything to take that quiz a hundred times over and fail.

"Jacob?"

Nessie brought me out of my reverie. I blinked and looked down to see her looking at me, concerned. "Jake, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Ness," I said absentmindedly. "Come on, let's sit down." I noticed a stubborn look on her face. Unfortunately, I knew that look. It was the exact same look Bella got whenever she was pressing me for answers.

Trust Nessie to notice when I was thinking about my mother. She knew my mom had died, but she didn't know the exact details of it, and I had never told her. I had never told anyone how I really felt about my mother's death, preferring to keep it to myself as a sacred memory. But Ness was the one person I could not keep secrets from.

And she wouldn't let this go.

Sure enough, the moment we sat down, she turned to me and placed her hand on my cheek, replaying the last few moments. Her memories clearly focused on the look on my face. I looked like I was in pain, and this was what worried Ness so much. She wanted to help me.

Edward shot me a sympathetic look. "I think it's best if you talk to her," he whispered.

I sighed. Ness was waiting, her face curious.

"I was thinking about the day my mother died," I told her, and her face softened, as she put her hand on my cheek. She showed me an old photograph of my mother, found at my house.

"Yes, it's her," I said sadly, my voice a little choked.

She looked at me sadly. She would grow up in a family of immortals. Charlie, and Sue were the only humans she knew, and they wouldn't die for a long time. The only experience with death she had ever had was when Irina was killed during our confrontation with the Volturi.

She was close to crying herself, not knowing how to comfort me.

I knew all this because of her hand that was still on my cheek. She was inadvertently transmitting her thoughts to me. I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay," I told her. "Honestly. I still miss her, but I'll remember her with happiness. You see, the people we love never truly leave us."

"Really?" she questioned.

"Yes. You can always find them in here," I said softly, pressing her hand to her heart.

She thought about this, and then smiled, before curling up in my lap, her head on my neck. "You won't leave me, right?" she said suddenly, sitting bolt upright, and staring at me with anxiety.

"Never," I promised.

"Never," Ness repeated, before she rested her head on my shoulder and fell asleep.

*Bella POV*

I gave Jake a sympathetic smile.

I knew he had never talked about his mother before-not to anyone. And I knew that he had to be sad, even if he tried to hide it.

Renesmee was fast asleep as we flew, and Jake looked like he was going the same way, his eyes drooping, nodding off occasionally before remembering that Ness was curled up on him.

The third time he did this, I took pity on him. "Jake, give her to me," I offered gently. "Nah, it's okay, Bella," he said, yawning his head off. "Jacob Black, it is clearly not okay. Now give Ness to me."

He was about to protest when he saw the look on my face and gave Ness to me without argument. Everyone, even Jake, knew not to argue with me when I got that particular look on my face. I had no idea what it looked like, but Edward said that my eyes narrowed, my lips set into a firm line, and my chin jutted out.

I settled my sleeping daughter carefully in my arms, and Jake slept immediately. I noticed that both their hands were linked together, Renesmee's tiny hand clasped firmly in Jake's, their fingers intertwined. I smiled and ruffled Jake's hair.

Even in sleep, they knew when they needed each other the most.

Edward groaned from beside me. "What's wrong, love?" I asked him, although I had a suspicion.

"This!" he whispered fiercely, indicating their locked hands. "I just…you don't get how hard it is, Bella! It's my daughter! I don't want to give her up!"

I gave him a look. "Edward. We talked about this."

"But she's my daughter!" he whined some like five-year old.

I tried not to laugh. "Edward, I was Charlie's daughter too. Do you think he loved me any less than you love Nessie?"

"But he had seventeen years before he had to give you up! I only have six! Six years, Bella! After everything, I get her for such a short time."

"Edward, you have to let her go someday. She'll always be our daughter. She'll never love you any less even if she goes with Jake," I tried to comfort him.

Edward shot me a sad look. "Bella, you know as well as I do that that just isn't true. Remember how Charlie got pushed to the background after I came along? You were willing to hurt him, although it killed you, just to be with me."

I wanted to argue, but I knew Edward was right. My parents had become second priority to Edward, as much as I had hated it.

I put my hand in his. "Well, we'll just have to enjoy our time with her, then," I said softly. "That's all we can do."

"That's all we can do," Edward repeated, and we held our daughter tightly the rest of the flight.

XXXX

*Renesmee POV*

"Please, Aunt Rose? Pretty please with cherries on top?" I asked, doing my best cute face.

Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett were the two people who could never resist me. Big and strong Uncle Emmett was really a big softy at heart when it came to me, and he couldn't stand my "pouty face", as he called it.

Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice spoiled me rotten, but I knew Aunt Alice would never spill, much as she loved me. Aunt Rose, though, was a different matter. She found it hard not to give me what I wanted.

She tried, though. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, honey," she said firmly, but I detected a slight trace of weakness in her voice.

"But I really want to know!" I pleaded, putting on the charm full-blast.

She groaned. "Why are you doing this to me, Renesmee?"

I said nothing but looked up at her hopefully.

She caved. "All right, we're going to-"

"ROSALIE!" Daddy yelled, glaring at her. "We agreed on this!" He stormed over, and picked me up.

"And you, young lady," he said, tickling me, "are too much like your mother for your own good."

I giggled.

We were in Rio de Janeiro, speeding across the ocean in a beautiful white yacht. I still didn't know where we were going, and I was too impatient to wait for my parents to tell me.

Daddy twirled me around in a circle and set me down abruptly, a excited gleam in his eye. "We're here!" he announced.

I whirled around, running to the far corner of the boat. "Where?" I asked eagerly, searching the waters.

That's when I saw it.

The island seemed to almost rise up out of the water, looking like a tropical paradise from the glossy pages of a magazine.

"What is this place?" I asked breathlessly.

Mom spread her arms wide and smiled at me. "Renesmee, this…is Isle Esme."

Okay, yeah, this chapter was stupid.

I really wanted to put this chapter up after my long absence though, so here it is. Remember: Reviews equals happy me.

Till next time!