Yay! A brand new chapter! I cannot believe it! We're all caught up and back to a regular posting schedule. I will try to keep my posting schedule to wednesdays for as long as my muse holds firm.

A few things before we begin.

One, I will be touching upon the reasons for imprinting within the next chapter. I know many people are under the assumption that imprinting is for the creation of wolves and the evolution of stronger wolves. These are just theories as illustrated in book 2 of Breaking Dawn. Also Taha Aki's history would denote that since he was able to father many shifters with his previous two wives (since his third wife was his imprint) that to me disproves the theories of imprinting solely for evolutionary procreation. Third wife was named his true spirit wife because she was his imprint. I also think this name denotes that she is his soul mate, more so than any of his previous wives were, thus the imprinting. We don't know much about the reasons for imprinting other than what is written within these four books. This is merely my interpretation of what Mrs. Meyer has given us, so if you do not agree I will not be offended by that.

Two, if you're not following me on twitter, well you should be! I post teasers and discuss fics and generally have a grand ole time with my friends on there. So come join me! PemberlyRoseXOX is my sn on there.

Three, and probably one of the more important issues. You see this story has a rating of NC-17. I did this because, yes I do intend on having citrus in here at some point. (Just gotta build up to it properly you know?). For my readers on , the lemony/limey scenes will be only on Twilighted. This is to keep within accordance of 's TOS and generally to cover my ass. So if you're reading on both and you notice differences, (aside from changes in the editing process) that's why.

Furthermore the action/drama is about to heat up here and I am working tirelessly to keep the updates regular and consistent so that there will not be too much time between updates. I'm a reader myself and I despise it when it takes so long for an update after a cliffhanger chapter.

Also thank you to all who have reviewed so far, and the 65 or so of you on twilighted who have favorited this story here. Your kind words and encouragement are my bread and butter, it's oh so appreciated and keeps the writing flowing! A huge thank you to octoberiste for putting up with me this long. Ily bb! To my twitter lovies and my friends who encourage my writing even when my fragile ego decides otherwise. To Thomas who is my first straight male twilight fan that I've encountered! You crack me up with your blunt humor. And of course the wonderful shabbyapple for her swiftness in validating all these chapters for everyone.

I just finished chapter 15 and it's percolating in Octoberiste's inbox for our wednesday editing night. It's a long one but I expect it to be ready for postage by next week wednesday. (Sorry one update a week!).

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga characters and no infringement is intended, no monetary profit gained, yada yada. This plotline and the original characters, however, I do own. Please do not use, or recreate or translate without my consent.

Chapter Songs: Crystalized by The Xx, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve Pipe, Sweet Darlin' by She & Him, Material Girl by Madonna


Chapter Fourteen: Alice

Warmth. I was surrounded by it. Cocooned by it, even. Half of my body was draped against something hard yet it was moving rhythmically. The surface was impossibly soft and much warmer than I was. I snuggled in closer to it, not wanting to awaken just yet. Unfortunately the surface beneath me shifted slightly, groaning softly. I opened my eyes just a crack seeing the tawny skin beneath me. I realized that I was once again asleep upon Jacob's chest. My face flattened against his sternum and my hair fanned out over my head, cascading down over the side of him and onto the bed. The room was illuminated with the muted light of early dawn – muted by overcast. I was so sedate I felt myself drifting back into slumber. That was until his chest rumbled in gentle laughter.

I stuck my head up, my hair falling over in my face. I ran my hand through my curls up and out of my eyes. I met his gaze. His face was lit up in an amused smile, his eyes sparkling in mischief. "What are you laughing at?"

"You," he said simply.

My face flushed as I tried to run my fingers through my hair, but they got stuck in a mishmash of knots. I groaned in annoyance. It was a tangled mess. "Ugh, I have to go kill the cat on my head," I said. It was going to take me at least twenty minutes to get these snarls out. Sometimes curly hair was cruel and unusual punishment to a good morning.

"That's not what I was laughing at," he mused. His fingertips traced my jaw then to my lips, lingering on the bottom. I pushed aside the heat that built up in my body just from that intimate touch. I was getting better at managing my physical reactions to him the more time we spent together.

I gave him a speculative glance. "What were you laughing at exactly?"

He smiled a little and I felt myself lean back into him. My head found its spot perfectly in the crook of his neck. I felt my entire body relax against him. He really was the perfect pillow. "This seems to be a trend with us," he replied, motioning with his hand to our current position.

It had only been less than a week since I first slept over. I'd spent more time here in this bed than my own at home as of late. Three nights out of five I'd spent here wrapped in his embrace. The only nights I hadn't slept over were when he had patrol. Those days and nights were the hardest. The separation drove us both to the brink of insanity. He would work all day at the garage, and then run all night. I didn't know how he did it, but he did. As per our tradition I was there in the mornings following to feed him breakfast and sometimes spend the day. If it was his last night on patrol like the day before yesterday, I ended up staying the following night.

I moved my feet and realized that we were smack dab on his side of the bed, even in my dreams it seemed I couldn't be away from him. The one additional perk about our recurring sleepovers – no nightmares. It seemed my subconscious clung to the safety he provided and my body did nothing but accentuate that.

"Wow. Sorry – " I said, pulling away from him. "I really am a space invader right now." I chewed my lip as I sat up in his bed. I remembered our conversation from the first time I'd made him breakfast. Apparently I was developing boundary issues.

His entire bare torso shook in chuckles as he laughed at me. "I'm definitely not complaining," he reassured, pulling me back into his arms. He turned us over, directly in the middle of the bed. "'Sides, I like seeing you first thing in the morning. Messy hair and all." He hovered over me, resting most of his weight on his elbows as he leaned down to kiss me. His kisses were sweet, gentle, but the contrasting to the slight stubble that lined his jaw and chin. The sandpaper-y roughness only spurred me on to get closer. Something about the roughness felt so masculine and different. He tasted of spearmint and cinnamon. I giggled into the kiss as I spied from my peripheral vision a little tin of mints on his nightstand.

"Mints?" I asked, breaking the kiss.

"Nothing kills a good morning kiss like morning breath," he whispered back as he gently bit down on the angle of my jaw. I gasped slightly and turned back to him. His face was a little smug. I was sure he fully enjoyed making me do that. I pulled him back to my mouth. In retaliation I lightly scratched my fingers along his back. He tensed and his hands gripped the sheets.

"Evil..." he muttered between kisses. I whimpered as the kiss grew gradually more aggressive. We'd carefully drawn the lines around our physical relationship. The boundaries were thin and tenuous, like a line in the sand, but we were acutely aware of where they were. For the most part he let me lead, exploring what I was comfortable with in my own time. But then there were some times, like his pinning me beneath him or nibbling on my jaw, those were all advances made by him.

I could feel that both of us wanted more than just this. Arousal was a new sensation for me, and I was learning quickly how wonderful and frustrating it was. I couldn't imagine how much it must have irked him. However, he was nothing but a patient gentleman, letting me lead. We both knew it was far too soon for anything more despite what our bodies were communicating to one another. It was hard to resist. The way he laid against me, the gentle whisper of our mouths moving against one another. He'd molded us in such a way that I could feel exactly the effect I had on him, pressing into my thigh. It was thrilling but only served to make me want more than I could handle just yet. I opened my eyes as he kissed along my neck, inhaling my scent as he went. He let out a small whimper against my skin, something I was sure I wasn't supposed to hear. I nipped at his shoulder, leaving tiny rapidly healing marks in my wake. I noticed the light, how it danced along the ceiling, denoting a much later hour than I had originally thought. It wasn't early dawn...

"Jake..." I said in a voice somewhere between a whisper and a moan.

He hummed against my collarbone in reply, not bothering to raise his head.

"Jake, what time is it?" I ask finally.

Jacob reluctantly rose up and leaned over me to his nightstand, grabbing his watch. "'Bout six forty-five."

"Six forty-five? Crap! I was supposed to be home an hour ago!" I shrieked, pushing him off of me and down onto the bed. I planted one knee beside him and reached over him, planting the other at his other side to grab my cell phone from the other nightstand.

Off... Of course. I turned it on and saw four missed calls. All from Alice, naturally.

Jacob looked up at me and smirked. His fingers traced circles on my knees. As I listened to my voicemail I realized just how I was situated over him, straddling his waist. My face flushed, and the rest of me burned. Even though the initial action had been innocent this felt entirely prurient.

"Don't forget about our shopping trip in the morning, Ness. I have some errands to run if you're up for it first, then we'll redo your wardrobe. I'm thinking soft colors... Anyways, don't have too much fun, love you."

"Nessie, it's Alice. It's about five minutes until you're supposed to be home. Where are you? Is everything okay?"

"Renesmee, this is so not funny. We're supposed to be shopping today, call me please."

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, if you're not at this house in twenty minutes, I am leaving without you! Honestly, what could be so interesting in La Push that you ditch me for? It better not be for Jacob, I swear I'll break his femur if it is."

I deleted the messages and hung up before dialing Alice's cell. "Finally!" she trilled loudly into the phone.

"Sorry Alice! I overslept," I said as I got up from Jacob's waist to run around the room gathering my clothing.

"Overslept? Whatever. Just get here, quick. I have lots to do today, young lady, and you're holding us up!"

"I'm so sorry, Alice. I'll be home as soon as I can," I replied, ringing off with her. I quickly ran into Jacob's bathroom, changing into my clothing from the day before. I knew I was in for it the second I stepped inside that house. Emmett was going to never let me hear the end of it. Coming home reeking of werewolf in the same clothes I wore the day before. I looked around, unable to find my shirt. I stuck my head out the bathroom door trying to quickly brush through my hair. "Can you find my shirt?"

I could hear him rummaging around in the room. "Ness, I can't find it. Maybe you should just wear mine home?"

I came out in his shirt, my jeans and tossed my bag onto the bed. "Yeah, because that won't start Emmett off either," I muttered, mainly to myself.

Jacob chuckled, kissing my cheek before he crawled back into bed. He didn't need to be up for at least another hour. His bed looked so inviting, or rather, Jacob lying in his bed looked so inviting. I didn't want to leave. Quickly, I crawled on top of him just as he sat up to meet me – our faces meeting halfway. "I have to go."

"I know," he replied, his hands encompassing my hips. I was thankful I had jeans on to marginally dull the sparks his touch created. I smiled and leaned down, kissing him again. Just for a few moments I lost myself to his kiss. I deepened easily, intensifying the kiss exponentially with just a swipe of my tongue along his lip. Who cared about shopping anyways? His gentle coaxing pulled me full into his arms leaning against him as I sat on his thighs. Pure decadence. Forget about shopping, I was definitely staying.

My phone buzzed in my hand and I broke the kiss, rolling my eyes. It was Alice, again.

My whole morning just reappeared. Stop whatever you're doing and come home now, or I'm telling Emmett a salacious story as to why you're late. He'll never let you live it down if I do.

Ugh. Aunts – can't live with 'em. I gave Jacob one last lingering kiss, sucking on his bottom lip, before I got up from his embrace. "Text me when you wake up again," I said, throwing on my jacket, grabbing my bag, and heading for the door. My chest constricted with each step I took. I shook my head at myself. I needed to learn to live without him at least some of the time. I was becoming scarily dependent upon his company, and that just didn't work for me. I was an independent woman. I did not need to get all clingy and hyper emotional. He had to work. I had plans with Alice. I could have a life aside from him; I would make sure of that. I ran out to the car, waving to Amber and Leah, who were busily eating breakfast on the sofa.

I got in my car quickly in the light rain. I pulled my hair into a messy bun, not really wanting to deal with it anymore. The tires screeched as I pulled out of the drive. The drive home was going to be as short as I possibly could make it. I was going well over a hundred when I hit the highway, weaving expertly through traffic. I was lucky that no cops were out on the highway this morning. I would have had to pull the "I'm Charlie Swan's adorable teenage granddaughter" routine to get myself out of a ticket, which I had to do a couple times in the past. Worked like a charm, too. Within the hour I was pulling into the garage and darting my way up to the house. Alice stood on the porch tapping her Rock and Republic pump impatiently.

I slowed slightly, carrying my bag up the steps. "Sorry, Alice."

"I'm not amused. Do you realize I cleared my entire schedule for you today? That's a huge deal. I had to tell Mr. Nakumora and Ms. Seglitz that I had a very important meeting and I just had to reschedule." Her tone was strict, admonishing – worse than any scolding my parents could have conjured up. Disappointing anyone in the family carried this enormous weight to it.

I sighed and hung my head. "I'm really sorry. Jake doesn't have an alarm. We fell asleep watching movies," I replied and heard a rather large snicker followed by a hiss from just inside. "You didn't tell him something untrue did you?" I asked, worried she'd followed through with her threat.

Alice's face softened. "No. What were you doing, by the way?"

"Leah made breakfast," I replied, thinking quickly. I focused on keeping my face controlled, the blush minimal. "I was just about to sit down to breakfast when I received your message."

She gave me a suspicious look. "Uh huh. Breakfast? Really, you should try harder to be convincing."

I cocked an eyebrow at her in defiance. "You've never had Leah's waffles. They're amazing." At least that much was true. Leah wasn't the best cook at everything, but one thing she did know was breakfast food. Her waffles were probably the best human food I'd ever had, and I normally don't even like human food.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied my expression. I must have passed inspection because her face crumbled. "Okay. You have twenty minutes to shower and change."

I smiled widely at her and then rushed into the house. Inside I rushed past my parents, Emmett, Rose and Jasper. I ran up the stairs, ignoring them and the whispers and snickers that followed. I think I even heard Emmett mutter, "walk of shame". As I was almost half way up the stairs, I heard a crash. Emmett must have ticked Bella off again with his commentary.

I showered and changed in record time, meeting Alice downstairs in fifteen minutes instead of twenty. She eyed my attire – comfortable distressed blue jeans and a stretchy cotton shirt. My hair was pulled back in another messy bun and I pulled on a jacket. I put my wallet inside my smaller purse with my cell. In the living room, I found the evidence of the crash I'd heard. Emmett, booming in laughter, was on the coffee table which was now broken beneath him. So that was what that crash was. My mother stared down at him disapprovingly, her foot on his chest.

"What did I tell you about harassing my daughter?" she hissed angrily while Edward tried to maintain his composure.

"I guess we'll be making a trip to the furniture store today," he calmly said to Bella.

I ignored them even though the scene was rather hysterical. "Ready to go."

Alice grinned and we said goodbye to the family for the day. The sly smiles and tongue in cheek glances from Emmett and Jasper were not lost on me. My family was sure that I was up to something with Jacob, and they weren't wrong. I was sure Alice would find some way to get me to tell her something. She was like a ninja in that respect – a stealthy vampire ninja. I shook my head at myself. I was hanging out far too much with Amber. She would say something like that. I guess she was rubbing off on me in her diction and ways of speaking. We made it to Alice's Cayenne and I sat quietly trying not to further upset my Aunt.

About five minutes into the drive, she smacked my knee, hard. "Why are you so quiet?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Sorry."

"You apologize too much, Ness."

"I know. I am really sorry about this morning. I really did oversleep… you can even ask Jake. I'm sure he got a great laugh at me running around trying to find my stuff."

Alice giggled a little. "That does make me feel a little better. You've been spending quite a bit of time in La Push, lately..."

And that was her opening. I sighed and watched the road through the windshield. "I know. I'm becoming really close with Leah and Amber. Jake is going to teach me how to restore a car." I only lied on the last part. Sort of. I had been meaning to ask him to teach me. I wanted to share his hobby like he shared my insatiable love of books.

"Don't tell Rosalie that. She might be insulted."

I giggled and shrugged. "Rose'll get over it."

I sat patiently by the fitting rooms while I could hear Alice instructing the various salespeople on what she was looking for. This was where Alice could get frightening when it comes to shopping. While she may be small in height, she was rather intimidating to humans. Using the innate unconscious fear humans had of us – along with utter politeness – to her advantage. Who knew someone so tiny could be so terrifying? Quite the paradox for sure. Alice came in just a moment later with three saleswomen in tow. Each of them carried a large stack of clothing. I rolled my eyes. Alice just grinned and pointed to a fitting room while the women set up racks for me and systematically left us.

Shopping with Alice was nearly painless. I didn't have to walk for hours and comb through racks and racks of clothing, thankfully. This was the only painful part—the redundancy of trying things on over and over again. She knew my size and measurements by heart, however she always said, "You never know how something is going to look unless you try it on. It may fit and look amazing on a hanger, and then when you put it on it does nothing for you." Alice stood comfortably flipping through her latest issue of Italian Vogue. I tried on the first outfit – sort of trendy, but definitely different. I cringed when I saw the price tag. Four hundred dollars for a thin cotton shirt? Only Alice.

I poked my head out before I swung the door open, showing her the outfit, and making her giggle with my model strut.

"Now you're just trying too hard."

I giggled. "Might as well have fun with it since I am a living Barbie doll today," I replied. We continued to work through the racks of clothing. There were just as many yeses as there were noes. It was almost difficult to keep track.

"Oh come off it." Alice quipped, handing me another outfit. "You need a fresh wardrobe. Do you think I would drag you out here needlessly?" I gave her a chary look. She shook her head. "I am only doing this because it's time to donate your old clothing. We do this every season. You know that."

"Would have loved to see you try to get rid of Mom's Chucks."

"I bought her a new pair. She was less than thrilled but hey. If I have one function in this family, it's to make sure all of us don't look like we're less human." Alice knew she had more than one function.

"Right, because vampires would wear outdated clothing because they don't get out much?"

"You'd be surprised, but that seems to be a popular theory. In any respect, keeping the human population off our collective backs is our first priority. This is how I do it. Jazz and Bella handle the paperwork, which was so much easier before computers. I handle the money and the clothing. Rose handles the cars. Emmett buys the technology."

"Seems almost more trouble than it's worth. I mean to work so hard to blend in? Wouldn't it be easier to be like Tanya's family?"

"It would be easier, but it would be less fulfilling. Tanya's of a different era than any of the rest of us. So is Kate. Neither of them would have had to work for anything when they were human. Women were considered second class and to be taken care of until the women's lib movement of the Sixties."

I grinned as I stepped out in a white number lace blouse and elegant trousers. That was my area of expertise. "I know. I still wish I could have witnessed that for myself. I can just see you, Esme, and Rose burning bras at a lib march."

Her lissome shoulders shook with laughter. "Hilarious. We didn't burn any bras, but we did sign petitions. Even Edward did."

"The Victorian man signing ERA petitions? I'm shocked." Now that was truly intriguing. He may be able to read a woman's mind, but his attitude toward women was still rather archaic in some regards. Sure, he respected and loved the women in our family, but he also felt protective of them. Especially my mother and myself, even though he knew both of us were completely capable to take care of ourselves.

"I think it was because of his ability. He could see that women were equal just by being able to read their minds. Men are just as petty as women are sometimes. Just ask him about the first time he did medical school. He was the gangly kid to most of the 'men' in that society. However, he knew most of them were jealous because he was usually five to ten years younger and about three times as intelligent. It caused a lot of bad blood, no pun intended."

"So that's what made him so closed off?"

Alice shrugged as I changed again, this time a dress. It was pale cyan, form fitting, and Forties inspired. I loved it already. "He closed himself off long before Jazz and I came along. He started opening up a little because of me. I love my brother dearly, but he was so reserved and formal. I understood it, though. It was all he knew from how he was raised while I was just playing everything by ear. Did you know that I could tell you my favorite color but I didn't even know my own name? I had to get that from my hospital bracelet, even that just said Alice. Anything else I knew was from what I could see of the future."

I leaned against the wall as I took in her statement. I knew Alice still had no memory of her human life. Washed away before she was even changed from the sedation she'd been under in the asylum. "Do you think you saw Jasper before you were changed?"

She shook her head. "No, because I had no knowledge of what I would become, I think maybe I saw my end coming for me. When that caretaker took me away from the hospital, to keep me from James. I wish I could remember. It still bothers me that I can't even put a face to the vampire who turned me."

I wondered what that must have been like. Waking up with no memory of the past nearly twenty years of your life. Not to mention she woke up as a newborn, thirsty, and confused to boot. "I'm surprised you didn't go on a rampage or something. Newborns are pretty ferocious," I replied, recalling my limited knowledge of a newborn vampire. Although my experience was limited to my mother – she was by far the most controlled newborn Carlisle or Jasper had ever encountered – I knew.

Alice grinned. "It wasn't easy. I slipped many times before I found Jasper. Finding him made all the ugliness, the monster inside me change. I think it was because I had more to worry about. I had him to worry about. Worry to find our family. I knew that joining Carlisle was going to be the best thing for us, and I was right. He's so happy now, and it's because of all of us that Jazz has found peace," she mused. If anything at all, she was most proud of the growth her husband had made. His long battle with his thirst had always been cause for concern.

I looked in the mirror seeing how the formfitting dress looked. It accentuated my average amount of curves. At least I wasn't as small as my mother. Bella was petit all over. I was somewhere between her and Rosalie. According to Carlisle, I looked the most like Edward's mother Elizabeth in the overall shape of my figure with a bit of Renee thrown in there in the sharpness of my shoulders and the elongation of my neck. The dress was beautiful – a soft material that looked so natural with my complexion. "What do you think?" I asked. Alice smiled and instructed me to turn around. I caught a glimpse of my profile in the mirror. I felt my confidence rise as I imagined Jacob's reaction to something like this. His eyes would probably bug right out of his head. This wasn't my normal style. I was normally very laid back. However, I may rethink my approach to clothing if I dressed like this.

"I like it," she announced. "Do you?"

"I do. But where would I wear it? I mean, this isn't for everyday, is it?"

Alice grinned. "It could be. Women in that era wore beautiful dresses just to go to the bank," she explained.

"Yeah, but it wasn't exactly socially acceptable to wear anything but dresses," I replied.

"Very true," Alice agreed.

"Thank God for Katharine Hepburn; now I can wear pants," I quipped and we both giggled.

"She really did look good in a pair of slacks," Alice mused.

I could hear my phone buzz faintly in my purse by her feet. Jacob must be awake. I smiled as I went back into the fitting room to change.

"Alice, can you hand me my phone?" I asked, hearing it chirp again, signaling a new message.

I saw Alice's hand reach over the top of the door and drop my phone to me. I caught it with fluid ease. I smiled at his name and picture on my screen, and while turning around to read the message, caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My face was glowing with a luminous smile, and I couldn't help but feel mildly embarrassed at myself for the Jacob-centric thoughts that flashed through my mind and the reaction my body had in the instant I saw his name and picture. I was doing the pathetic schoolgirl thing again, but I didn't know if I really cared.

Hope you're having fun being Alice's life-size paper doll. For the record, I really dislike waking up to an empty bed.

I giggled a little and took a picture of myself in the dress from the mirror and sent it to him with the message: Sorry, honey, but this dress makes the separation worth it. Alice has impeccable taste.

No less than three minutes later as I was changing into another outfit, my phone buzzed. I finished dressing, a pair of distressed jeans that I loved and a three-quarter length long sleeve sweater that hung off my shoulders, accentuating my collarbones.

Please tell me you're buying that? I about dropped my phone in front of all the guys at the garage. No words to describe how beautiful you are.

My cheeks flamed at his compliments. Biased, of course. But that was to be expected. He loved me. I stopped then, as I did every time I thought those words. It was still so hard to comprehend that he could be in love with me so quickly. We'd been together all of two months. I realized it was also slightly ridiculous to assume it was too soon. If my family was proof of anything, it was that love held no set timetable. Was I ready for it? I didn't know. I knew Jacob was, that was self-evident.

Halfway through our shopping expedition, Alice and I found ourselves sitting at an outdoor cafe. Her coffee untouched. My tea had gone cold. Her eyes were roaming the open-air shopping district. My throat burned dryly as we watched the various humans walk around us. Thirsting after humans was indeed a regrettable part of our life. But Alice's face was far from predatory. In fact she seemed almost serene as she studied the various humans in population here. Her eyes collected their mannerisms, body language, and style of dress easily.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked and she cut her eyes over to me.

"Thinking about what it is to be human. I do this when I shop." Her face still held all its rumination.

I sat back, a little surprised by her answer. In all my years, I had no idea Alice liked to people watch. "You don't shop for the sales?" I teased.

The corners of her mouth lifted in amusement. "Contrary to popular belief I'm not all about clothing, Renesmee. Yes I like fashion. It keeps me connected to the pieces of myself that were lost so long ago. To humans who aren't faceless meals. They're people with families – they love others, and they have people who love them. Watching people go about their daily lives puts things in perspective for me. If I wanted to shop just for the sales, I would shop online. Things are far cheaper. I come for the connections. Like that woman over there, with her toddler," she said nodding over to our left. I looked seeing a woman no older than her late twenties, maybe early thirties, holding an adorably pudgy baby. Their deep mahogany complexions and mess of curls denoted likenesses between them. "See how she cradles him? The maternal instinct is so beautiful. A mother's love for a child is innate in every mother, even ones who end up doing the wrong thing."

We watched as the woman smiled at her child and he giggled, snuggling into her shoulder. Humans were so fascinating. Even though I was half-human, the fact that human life was precious and special was not lost on me. Instead it made me acutely aware of my own humanity. Seeing the baby boy in his mother's arms made me wish that I could have that one day. Who really knew if I could? It didn't seem fair to Jacob, to love someone who might not be able to give him a son, a daughter... If I couldn't have children one day, would he resent me for it?

I knew that the imprint would never allow him to show it, but deep down, would he? My phone buzzed again on the table, perfect timing to bring me out of my intense thoughts. I looked at it and couldn't help the smile that smoothed across my face. It was Jacob again. We'd been messaging back and forth throughout the day. His notes were always a welcome distraction.

The guys keep giving me Hell for checking my phone every five seconds. I miss you.

The pull tugged just a little harder around my heart and torso. I felt the twin ties that were taut and pulling in opposite directions in that moment, and I sighed deep in my chest, trying to make the slight ache go away.

I miss you too.

I heard Alice fiddling with her coffee cup and felt her eyes on me as I was typing. I looked up and her expression made my cheeks burn. "What?" I asked, sending the message and setting my phone down. I straightened my shoulders and met her imploring, amused stare.

"You smile like a fool every time your phone vibrates and swoon like a teenager every time you read a message. Who are you messaging so much?"

I chewed my lower lip absently. "Well, I am a teenager. And to answer your question, it's just Jake."

"Being a teenager is beside the point, honey. Just Jake, huh? The glow that keeps permeating your face every time you pick up that phone suggests that it's a bit more than 'just Jake', if you catch my drift. It's kind of adorable… in a slightly sickening kind of way," she explained, a complacent smirk on her face and an eyebrow cocked. I shook my head, looking away from her. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. "That's what I thought. It's okay to like someone, Ness. Does he know?"

"Does he know what I feel about him? No. I don't even know that myself."

"Oh, come on. It's kind of obvious. Seriously, Nessie, it's like you've picked up Jasper's ability. You're simply radiating all kinds of joy." She smiled and played with the spoon, absently stirring her drink. I imagined myself jumping across the table and snatching that spoon out of her hand, bending it out of shape, and tossing it somewhere far out of reach when suddenly I heard Alice saying: "So you two aren't together, then?"

My eyes widened. "What makes you think that?"

"The questions you've asked me today. I'm sort of an expert on fate and you've been asking quite a few questions about my fate and how I came to terms with that."

I couldn't help but be thankful that she couldn't see my future, or else she'd know for sure.

"So? I'm just curious is all."

Alice's eyebrow cocked at me. She wasn't buying any of that. "I may not be able to see your future, my darling hybrid niece, but I have spent decades connecting the dots and putting two and two together. And I've spent a heck of a lot of time surrounded by people who are desperately, hopelessly in love, including myself. You don't have to say anything. I still have plausible deniability, which would honestly be surprising. I just thought you'd like to know that you're entirely transparent, my sweet."

I sat there, shocked and slightly dismayed at myself .Was I really so obvious? "No privacy whatsoever," I muttered. Alice laughed. "What if Jake and I are just friends still, and he has no knowledge of how I feel about him? Has anyone thought of that?"

"Oh, believe me it's been debated upon. You can tell me the truth, you know. I wouldn't tell your father or mother if you wanted to keep this in confidence."

I gave her a petulant glance, realizing then that I should have expected for Alice to completely ambush me like that. How typical. I was too distracted by my Jake-centricity to see it coming. I was not, however, going to just lie down and spill all the arcane mysteries of my love life. I decided to buckle down and at least try my best to keep this secret for Jacob and myself, if only for a little while longer.

"Why does everyone think I'm hiding something?"

"You aren't? Because you seem to be. Running off to La Push every single chance you get. Your parents may ignore it out of respect for your privacy, but I know better. You come home a little sadder every time, like you hate leaving."

"I do hate leaving. La Push is like a second home to me." That much was true. I didn't have to feel the guilt of deceit when it came to how much time I'd been spending in La Push as of late.

"And this would have nothing to do with the fact you spend ninety-nine-point-nine percent of your time with Jake when you're there?"

"Well you have me there. I do spend a lot of time with him. He's my best friend after all."

"Best friend, true, but my husband tells me that's not enough for you."

Oh, so that's how she'd figured it out. "So, what did Jasper tell you? Of course I want more. Doesn't mean that I've acted on it."

"True. I just wanted to offer a friendly ear in case you needed advice. Love is quite a complex and intense thing for us immortals," she answered, miming with her cup to pretend to drink from it. Anyone else would only notice if they looked close enough to see no coffee had touched her lips.

"Who says its love? I don't even understand it myself," I scoffed. Truly, how could anyone else understand my emotions when I couldn't even comprehend them myself?

"Maybe you should talk to Jasper. He's keenly aware of your emotional state, maybe he could help you understand," she offered, tapping her fingertips on the tabletop. "Then again maybe I'm mistaken. I worry about you most of all, you know?"

"Why?"

"I can't see your future. Everyone else, I can, but you, the wolves, you're my blind spots. You're very important to our family. I don't think you quite understand that. That's both of your parents in you. Neither of them could ever see their own worth. It's why they're perfect for each other. But you? You bind us all together. We are a true family because of you. Before we were a coven masquerading around as a family."

"But you all loved one another," I offered, trying to sniff out a new mode of subterfuge. Was she trying to get me to spill the beans by trying to make me feel all mushy?

"We did. Before Bella, we all had our own individual things we loved. Sure we love each other. Living under the same roof for so long people tend to grow on you after a while. Bella gave us you. Someone we all could love and protect. Do you realize what you've done for each of us by just existing? Your father finally reconciled both sides of himself. He could no longer loathe the vampire part of himself because that piece of him was now a very large part of you. How could he hate something in himself that was such an enormous part of his own child? Your love of humans helped Jasper out immensely. He may credit Bella for his change in view point but you certainly helped. You love Charlie, Sue, Billy the same as you love any of us."

"Of course, Alice, they're my family. Charlie is a part of me," I replied. By that point in her monologue, I had lost fortitude, letting her loving words make me all saccharine. It was obvious that she was being sincere. I almost didn't care anymore about trying to keep my blossoming relationship with Jake a secret. Almost.

"I agree. You don't realize how special you really are. Jacob notices."

My face flamed once again at the mere utterance of his name. "He's sort of obligated to notice that. He imprinted on me."

"Yes, I remember. Jasper had to hold your father and Rosalie back. It took some time for everyone to get used to it. It was rather unexpected."

I smirked at her then. Of course it was unexpected. Who knew that Jacob's soul mate would be his best friend's daughter? In some respects, it was more than mildly hilarious. I knew it took everyone time to understand the imprint – the connection Jacob and I had. I understood it from the beginning. He was mine and I was his. Only then, it was a friendship, a guardianship. I trusted Jacob with the same fortitude that I gave my family.

"So why tell me all of this?"

"Because, I wanted you to see that you can come to me with anything. Your secret is safe with me. I know you won't admit it, but I just thought you should know I'm here."

I sat back, chewing over her admission. Did she know that Jacob and I were together romantically? Or did she just know of my feelings for him? Alice's stealthy ninja ambiguity was hellaciously frustrating, but I couldn't just ask her to spell it out for me. Even still, it was a comfort to know I could talk to someone within the family, though I wouldn't use it. I couldn't just yet. It felt too soon. I wasn't ready. The only real question was, when would I be?

AN: Thank you all for reading! As always feel free to leave your thoughts! Next update - Next week Wednesday!