Lemonade alert! Some not-so-mild lemonade at the start. Jake and Nessie are rather happy to be back together, and not have the Volturi breathing down their necks any longer. They will be celebrating rather, ah, vigorously. And it's not as if they can get into any more trouble. Except for maybe Edward and Bella finding out and killing them. Needless to say, there will be a wedding sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for that. In the mean time, leave a review. It's greatly appreciated!
Nessie's Voice
"Sarah?," Jake echoed.
"Yes. Sarah Isabella Black. Sarah for your mother, Isabella for mine."
Jake grinned. "That's perfect. She could be Sable for short."
"Uh-uh. I'm not having my daughter named after a small, furry, rodent. No way." I giggled. "Bad enough you nicknamed me after a sea serpent of questionable existence."
Jake smirked. "Not so questionable from where I sit." He trailed a line of kisses from my right ear down my shoulder.
I gasped as pure fire raced through my blood and returned his kisses with feverish passion.
After both our pulses burst into flaming crescendos, I slipped down to curl at Jake's side in the crook of his arm with my head resting on his shoulder. I snuggled close to Jake, wrapping my entire self around him and inhaling his scent. It was spicy, infused with hints of pine and wood smoke.
We cradled our daughter between us, her cuddled in my womb and Jake's hand idly brushing across my swollen skin. I placed my hand to his cheek sharing without words all that I felt and wished for the forever ahead with him and Sarah by my side. I murmured, "I can hardly believe it. I've rewritten the story meant for you and I. We don't have to be torn apart because of our difficult paths."
Jake looked at me, puzzled.
"I never told you what Alice saw the day we got engaged and I had to run. She saw me standing alone or part of the Volturi ending the world. I just couldn't accept either path. Something had to change. There was no way I'd let us get separated , and I wasn't going to let Aro collect me. Especially if it meant I would help to end the world. That's why I had to go alone, and why I came here. Aro had to be stopped, no matter what it took."
He looked down at me. "I put the envelope in your backpack because I had a feeling there was a lot more that you couldn't tell me. And I wanted you to know that no matter what I will love you forever and for always."
I brought my mouth up to his, murmuring "I love you too."
Unfortunately, nature broke into our little haven. My stomach began to growl and I felt parched as if I hadn't eaten in days. Honestly, I wasn't even sure how long it had been.
Jake felt the rumbling of my stomach. "Let me go get you something to eat."
I began to protest that I didn't need waiting on, but Jake pointed at my dress. It lay in irreparable shreds on the floor.
He chuckled, "Love, out of the two of us, I'm the one with the most decent clothes."
"And yours are in that much better of shape?"
"Not by much, but enough to count." I allowed myself to be flattered as he continued, "You would be a stunning sight, but I'm not sure that's how you want to appear before everyone in Volterra including your parents."
I blushed. "Whoops. I didn't remember that happening."
Jake laughed, "You were a bit distracted."
When Jake returned with another goat and a heavenly pile of pasta complete with some kind of deep fried pastries for dessert he was wincing.
"I'm sorry, Nessie. You're going to have to eat and drink quick. A riot is about to break out. The rest of your family, along with most of your friends has arrived. The Guard has holed up with Marcus, and is refusing to come out or talk with anyone but you. Your mom is about to rip the first of the Guard to look at her cross eyed from limb to limb because she won't believe you're okay until she sees you for herself. Your father is trying to calm her down, but really doesn't trust any of them either. He'll join the mayhem at a breath from her. Nahuel has been trying to mediate, but he's not going to get much accomplished until you show up.
I looked up at Jake and frowned. "This may get complicated. I need you to figure out how you would feel about an extended stay here. After I destroyed Caius, the Guards that didn't follow Aro revolted but panicked without a Council leader. They elected me on the spot. I'm going to have to get them sorted out. They've got to understand they can survive on their own, and there is no way I am becoming even slightly involved with any new Council, but it's going to take some time."
I saw the effect of my words sink in. "I'll have to call Sam. He's going to need to take over my pack until I make it home. Hopefully it will be over quickly."
"I'll see what I can do when I get to them, but they're a bit upset and clingy right now. They've been through a lot."
Jake gaped at me like I'd grown a second head. "They've been through a lot? What about you?"
I mumbled around a mouthful of food. "Most, if not all, of them didn't exactly volunteer to become part of Aro's Guard. Besides trying to get used to the idea of independence, the entire structure of their lives has been shattered. Partially by their own hands. They held off and destroyed Chelsea and Jane while I finished Aro."
"Maybe I'll understand it better when I've had time to think about it. But no way in a million years are we staying here more than two weeks." Jake shook his head but new perspective was creeping up on him.
I chuckled. "I want to get home so Sarah can be born with her family and not with a bunch of nervy, clingy Volturi underfoot. And I want to get married on First Beach at La Push."
Jake smiled. "My feelings exactly. Now, let's go face the music. Just stay close by me. Things are going to get rather intense. You'll be dealing with a mess of Guards acting like preschoolers. I'll probably be ducking for cover when your parents find out we've pre-celebrated our wedding."
I looked up at Jake concerned and started to protest he could stand back awhile.
Jake put a finger to my lips. "I don't want to have to hide like some third rate villain. I'll just dodge when your mom goes postal."
I shrugged into the clothes Jake had gotten me. Another dress, and no more practical than the first. Yeesh. I was going to have to get some clothes for myself. I groaned inwardly at the thought of a shopping trip with Aunt Alice, but it would be unavoidable. If she hadn't already ordered a new wardrobe.
A few minutes, and a couple wrong turns later, I found myself in the middle of a mob. At least five different conversations were underway. Mom, Dad, and Uncle Jasper were dividing the Guard between them for a frontal attack. Garrett and Kate were talking about what to do now that the Volturi were gone. Uncle Emmett was pointing out to Aunt Rose how much he was looking forward to flattening Felix. Grandma and Grandpa were somewhere in the middle trying to keep everyone calm. Nahuel was blocking the hall into the Guard barracks, growling and snapping at any move forward.
"Hey!," I yelled audibly. When the mob didn't respond I yelled "Hey!" mentally with an image of me flattening anyone who didn't settle for good measure.
Thirty vampires froze. Mom and Dad were the first to react, Mom rushing to fold me into a hug.
"Nessie! Thank God you're safe." She held me for a short while sobbing tearlessly with joy.
Dad hovered behind her before finally wrapping the both of us in a hug. He murmured, "Don't ever scare us like that again."
With Mom's arm still wrapped around my waist and a look of shock dawning on her features I barked, "Everyone, calm down. No one will be fighting or ripping apart any of the Guard today. I'm alive - Caius, Aro, Chelsea, Jane, and Alec aren't. Marcus and the rest of the Guard joined me against Aro, so they're friends. You're going to have to go through me, Jake, or Nahuel if you still decide to go after them."
The room started to simmer down a little until Mom cleared her throat. Uh, Nessie, is that a bump?"
I nodded. "Yes, Mom. Sarah Isabella Black will be joining us in about two and a half months if my pregnancy continues at the rate it has been."
Both of my parents stopped cold. Mom would have fainted if a vampire could. Dad caught her and stood behind her reassuringly. He was the first to recover and snarled at Jake.
I held up my left hand, deliberately catching the engagement ring in the light. "I wasn't exactly unwilling, Dad. As soon as things settle down here, we're going back to La Push and getting married. Sarah will be born at home in Forks, if Grandpa is willing to deliver her."
Grandpa beamed. "Of course!"
Mom finally blinked and resumed breathing. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you are not waiting that long to get married. We can have a small ceremony somewhere near here then you can have a reception at First Beach. I want you married before that baby gets here."
I nearly choked. This was coming from my Mom who had to be practically dragged kicking and screaming into marriage.
Dad just glared at Jake.
I squeezed Jake's hand that I had taken and glared right back.
Mom settled down. "Nessie, darling, it's okay. This is just at lot to take in at one time. Your Dad and I love you, and we both only want you to be happy." She narrowed her eyes and lightly whacked Dad on the shoulder. "Don't we, dear?"
Dad finally nodded. "Truly, I can see that Jake worships the ground you walk upon, and will make you happy in a way no other man could. I just didn't expect the years to fly as fast as they did."
They wrapped themselves around me in a hug again. When we finally separated, I wrapped my arm around Jake as we walked toward the Guard barracks and on into our happily ever after. Which, after all, didn't have to end sometime.
