CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Jake? What are you doing out here?"

"I told Paul that I'd take his shift tonight, figured you might like some company. Especially since you ended up spending last night with Emmett and Edward."

I could hear the mocking, even in his thoughts, but I was glad he was there. "So, how's Nessie?"

"Great, she's on her way over to the main house, she's meeting Dawn tonight."

"Already?" I was sure that meeting would take some time; Edward and Bella were extremely protective of her. I hoped that if they were letting them meet that meant things were going well.

"I think Bella is nervous, but Edward seems to think it's fine, and he should know."

We sat in the silence, both of us lost to our own thoughts. I could hear that Jacob was thinking of Nessie, meanwhile I let my mind wander, trying to picture what it would be like when Dawn and I met for the first time. Well the first time she would be aware of me. I couldn't help but think of how I acted when I found her, I was still mentally berating myself, I hadn't been unkind to her, but I wasn't nice either. I just hoped that I would eventually be able to make it up to her.

My body tensed, "Relax, it's just Nessie and her parents going to the house" I could feel Jake sitting up taller, creeping forward a bit to watch Nessie as she cut through the path to her grandparents. I watched too, seeing Edward and Bella look in our direction. Edward waved his hand, acknowledging out presence out there.

I crept closer, keeping pace with Jake. Glad that it was a moonless night, but still not wanting to risk getting too close. We stopped at the tree line, clearly able to see in the kitchen windows, but sure that regular eyes wouldn't be able to detect us.

It wasn't long before we could see Dawn and Nessie sitting at the table, their bodies rocking back and forth, "What is going on in there, what are they doing?"

"Listen, I think they're laughing." And they were, the sound was like music to my ears. I felt the tightness lessen from my chest; her laughing had to be a good sign, a sign that she was healing. I couldn't stop the smile, hearing her happy made me happy. I know that I gave the other guys a hard time when I heard their mushy thoughts, and saw them act like love-sick school boys around their imprints, but I finally understood, not just from the outside, but what it meant that you were so completely devoted to someone.

"Alright, no need to start composing love sonnets over there." Jake interrupted my musings.

"But I was thinking of a Haiku;

Dawn sits with Nessie,

Their laughter fills the night air,

The wolves sleep alone.

I heard the snort; it's hard to laugh when you're in wolf form. "Em, what has this chick done to your mind? A haiku? I thought poetry was supposed to rhyme?"

"Some of us are just more cultured than others."

"You two are going to make me vomit if you don't stop." Leah's thoughts mixing in with ours.

"Just wait, when you imprint you'll know what it's like."

"Like that's going to happen." I could hear the bitterness in her voice.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, I think they went upstairs."

Jacob and I got up; trotting around the corner of the house, looking up when we saw a light flick on, "check out those windows, they're huge."

"Yeah, but now I can keep a closer eye on her."

"You guys sounds like peeping toms." I could hear the distain in Leah's voice again.

Jacob answered, "we're not peeping, just keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't get in any trouble, if a pillow fight just happened to break out it would be rude not to watch, you know to make sure neither one of them gets hurts."

I could feel the disgust from Leah, but I had to agree with Jake, we were just being prudent.

"Pudent? Didn't realize you paid attention in school." Jake jerked his head up, "look, someone picked up a pillow."

No pillow fight between them, and it was weird, seeing them through the window was like watching a TV show, but without the volume turned on. I lay down, resting my head on my paws, I loved seeing Dawn like this, relaxed, calm, happy. It was great to finally see her laughing, smiling after all she had been though.

We watched for a while, a comfortable silence between us. I've known Jake, well I don't have memories of not knowing Jake, so for a long time. All the time we spent together, growing up, now we were in the pack, and we even lived together, well with Quil and Jared too. I saw a shadow go across the window, someone walked into the bedroom. I sat up; relaxing when I saw it was only Bella. Must be time for Nessie to leave, I watched them get up, walking out of the room, my eyes fixed on Dawn until I couldn't see her and the light flicked off.

I looked over at Jake, his head down and his eyes closed, "Nope not asleep, just resting my eyes."

I could see movement downstairs, but didn't want to move myself until I knew where in the house she was going to next. I heard the back door opening, then the voices of Nessie and her parents.

"It ok if I walk Nessie home?" I knew Jacob's thought wasn't for me it was for Edward.

"Yes, that would be fine." He paused, "I could hear you in there, and we're going to have to talk about pillow fighting."

I felt Jacob phase, I did too. It was so much easy to talk when you could use words. Jake and I both came around the corner. A giant grin spreading across his face when he saw Ness. He reached up, scratching his head, "Sorry Edward, I didn't mean it in a bad way, was just illustrating a point."

I knew Edward wasn't really angry, probably not even slightly upset, he just liked to remind Jake that even if he was imprinted to Ness, Edward was still her dad, and he could hear his thoughts. At least that wasn't something I would have worry about with Dawn.

"Don't be so sure of that." I heard Edward responding to my thoughts, "she's practically family, especially to Esme and Carlisle." I heard him tell Bella what I had been thinking.

"Embry, I don't know, Edward and I are probably easier to deal with then them two, guess you'll eventually get to decide for yourself." Bella laughed. "Come on Renesmee, time for you to go to bed." I watched Jake fall into step next to Ness, the three of them walking back to Edwards cottage.

Edward sat on the porch steps, looking at me, "So is this going to become your nightly ritual? Staying under her window all night long?"

I looked away, a flush creeping over my face. I wasn't a fan of the vampires, not the way Jake and even Seth were, but there were times, especially lately, that they didn't seem so bad. I saw a light turn on in Dawn's room; I raised my head back, unable to stop myself from trying to see her. I knew I didn't need to answer his question, he could hear it plainly in my thoughts, I would be there for her until I knew she didn't need my protection, however long that ended up being was still an unknown.

"What is she doing?" I saw the curtains move, could hear the window opening above us. Edward and I slipping back to where the yard met up with the woods, not wanting to risk that she might somehow overhear or see us.

Edwards face was calm, a smile slowly spreading on his lips. "She's relaxed, she doesn't know that's what it is yet, but she can pick out your scent."

I stood there, too stunned to speak, watching her move away from the window, my eyes never leaving where she had stood. I watched her come back over, the outline of her unclear, realizing that she must be wrapped in something, her gaze never leaving me, even as I watched her watch me.

I could hear Jake making his way over the where we were. "Can she see us?" His eyes flicked towards Dawn; even in the darkness he too could see her sitting at the window, her head resting on the glass, her gaze on me.

Edward assured us her thoughts weren't of seeing me, he laughed, "Esme told her that she could have my old bedroom, she's feeling a little overwhelmed by the generosity."

Looking at Jacob, "She also thinking of Renesmee, she really liked her."

After she fell asleep Jake and I told Edward he didn't need to stay with us, that we were sure Bella was waiting at home for him. Jake and I phased back; it was just more comfortable for spending the night in the woods. In a while I could hear Jakes breathing get deeper, his thoughts less in my mind. I knew he was sleeping. I just sat, watching her sleep, smiling as I saw Esme come in and out of her room checking her throughout the night, grateful she had someone there, even if it wasn't me, at least not yet.

I was aware of Leah going off duty in the early morning hours, hearing Jared, Seth, and Noah start their shifts. After a quick check in, letting them know that everything was so far quiet at the Cullens I went back to watching. I could see the sky fading to purple at the horizon, morning was coming. It hit me, this was the first night since I had found her that she hadn't screamed, she had slept through the night. As angry as I had been at Carlisle for yesterday, as difficult as I knew it had been for her, I knew it had been worth it, Carlisle and Sam had both been right.

I watched as the sun made it's way over the mountains, the light fading from purple to red and pinks, then finally to daylight. I saw the curtains moving again, she was awake. With the movement, and the open window her scent filled my lungs. I breathed deep, being so close, and so far away was a sweet torture. The curtains fell back and I could tell she had left.

I nudged Jake awake, "Come on bro, let's go home."