How can you just walk on by
Without one tear in your eye
Don't you have the slightest feelings left for me
Maybe that's just your way
Of dealing with the pain
Forgetting everything between our rise and fall
Like we never loved at all
Like We Never Loved At All – Faith Hill
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Super huge Thank You goes out to all the lovely reviews, Fav Story Alerts, Fav Author Alerts, and twitter comments about this story that I've started getting recently. It means so much to me so to thank you all, here is a brand new chapter!
Thanks to my beta for helping me out with this one – Rain-It-Shall, you rock!
Twitter: (at)TwilightCakes.
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The next morning, Edward paused in mid-sentence as he listened. Stefan stood hesitantly outside the library, trying to decide how to best approach the group that was gathered inside the next morning, all of them deliberating over what to do about Damon's eminent return. Everyone knew that it would only be a matter of time before Stefan's brother returned to Denali, and they wanted to be ready when he did.
"Come in, Stefan," Edward said gently, turning his head toward the door. Jasper gave him a questioning look, but Edward simply nodded as Stefan walked in.
"I wanted to talk to you all," Stefan said quietly, looking around at the group of vampires around him. The entire Denali coven, minus Rosalie and Bella, were standing with Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward in the library. Rosalie and Bella were up in Renesmee's room, talking to her about what had happened the past few days with Damon.
Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but a pensive look crossed his chiseled features. He looked almost unsure of how to start what he was about to say. Jasper sent a wave of calm over the room to at least give Stefan a chance to speak clearly and freely; he was obviously nervous. The Cullens and the Denalis all stood in a half circle around him; still, patient, and ready to hear what he had to say.
"Go ahead," Edward said slowly, scanning the young vampire's thoughts. Stefan spoke clearly, but softly.
"I know that…after what has happened with Renesmee…that you're all quite set on taking care of my brother if and when he comes back."
"Hell yeah," Emmett growled. Edward shot him a warning look, and he quieted in response.
"But what I wanted to ask you to consider is this: Damon is my last link to my human life. I left my family behind for their own safety, and …he is all I have left. I'm somewhat happy with my life here in Alaska, with Eleazar and his family, but…please keep in mind that he is my only remaining family."
Edward glanced around at the rest of the room's occupants, reading their thoughts. They were surprised at his request, but not all of them had made up their minds about what to do with Damon just yet.
"So you would let him live?" Tanya suddenly asked, her voice ringing out in the large room. Stefan gave her a pleading look.
"I want to believe that he can be good again."
"He hasn't done much to prove to us that he can," she retorted, her voice gentler this time.
Stefan looked at her, his perfect features drawn and almost tired looking. "Tanya, I only ask you to consider it. You of all people should know the bond between siblings."
Tanya glanced across the room at Kate, and she knew he was right. Kate wasn't even technically her sister, but all of their time together had made them grow irrevocably close. The death of Irina had nearly shattered her family.
"I do," she admitted softly. "But we have to consider that he might still be quite dangerous, Stefan."
"We don't want to hurt the boy," Eleazar said to him. He pulled Carmen up against his side. "But we have to remember what is best for everyone; Damon, you, our family, and the rest of the world."
"He's not going to get away with taking our Nessie away," Emmett growled. Jasper shot him a dirty look across the room, and he stifled.
"May I remind you Emmett, my daughter went. Willingly. What happened a few days ago is not entirely Damon's fault. Renesmee only egged him on my indulging in his recklessness."
Emmett paused, knowing Edward was right. Damon hadn't 'kidnapped' her at first, like they all had said. At first, Renesmee had gone willingly.
The room fell silent again for several more seconds as everyone contemplated what to do. The quiet was nearly deafening to Stefan's ears.
"Please, just…before you all rip him to shreds, remember what I've said today. That's all," he said sadly, dropping his eyes to the floor. He walked out of the library, a group of very shocked vampires in his wake.
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When Stefan exited the library, gently closing the wooden doors behind him, he was shocked to hear the soft pitter patter of Renesmee's hurried footsteps on the stairs leading down to the Great Room. He watched her approach, his breath catching in his throat. He had missed her in her short time away; he couldn't deny that.
Renesmee stopped in front of him, giving him an awkward hug.
"Hey, I need to talk to you," she said softly, biting the corner of her lip. Stefan nodded, following behind her stoically. Through the windows, she could see Jacob and his pack sitting in wolf form on the snow covered patio just outside. Jacob had loudly proclaimed that morning that he didn't trust the situation they were in at that moment enough to phase back into a human.
As she walked down the hall with Stefan following her, Renesmee found herself getting more and more nervous.
One thing at a time, she reminded herself. She led him up to the third floor to Eleazar's office, which she knew was thoroughly insulated and practically soundproof for privacy. She didn't want anyone to hear what she was about to say.
"Stefan…" she began slowly, "I have to admit something to you. Two things, actually."
He paused, his face dropping. "I think I already know what at least one of them is."
"You do?"
He nodded. "But go on."
She took a deep breath, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. "Stefan, I used you." It hurt her so much to finally say the words, but she knew it had to be done.
Her words hung in the air for a moment, both of them staring at each other in shock. He couldn't believe she had actually said it, and neither could she.
He nodded. "I know you did."
She exhaled quickly, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry for what I did. I led you on and used you, and I see now how cruel that was. But…the other thing I wanted to tell you…"
"What is it?" he prodded gently. He had known this conversation was coming, but that still didn't make it any easier.
"I wanted you to know that…it wasn't all bad. I mean…I did – I do – have feelings for you. It's just that Jacob-"
He nodded, holding up his hand. "Your mom and dad told me," he said. "So you know now?"
She shrugged, nodding. "I mean, I still have to talk to him about it. But yes, I know now. I know about the imprint, and…although I don't know the exact details, I've figured it out. I know that I'm supposed to be with him now, Stefan. And I'm sorry that I had to use you and hurt you along the way but…it took us coming together like we did for me to realize that I belong to him."
"This isn't something you could have figured out before you pursued me?"
She looked up at him, shocked. "You pursued me as much as I pursued you."
Stefan bit his lip, knowing that she was right. He had known this talk was coming since Jacob had returned. Knowing the inevitable the past few days had been a torturous experience that he never wanted to repeat.
He sighed softly, looking down at the fine wooden desk where he sat. "Renesmee, I'm not mad about you wanting to be with Jacob. I'm hurt about that…but…your parents explained it to me, and I understand it. I'm….disappointed and sad, but I'm not angry."
"You're not?"
"No. But I am angry about something else."
"Tell me, Stefan. I need to know so that I can take responsibility-"
"Saying that you'll take responsibility won't fix it either, I'm afraid."
Renesmee closed her mouth, hurt at his words. She knew then that the damage she had done to Stefan would never be undone, responsibility taken or not.
"What I'm angry about is the fact that Jacob returned to you, came up to Denali…and Renesmee…I saw what happened between you two when he walked through the front door. Something changed in you when you saw him. I could see it, feel it…everyone could."
She lowered her head, nodding. "I know," she said softly.
"But even after everything changed and he was back, you still continued to play with me. You knew that I wasn't the one you wanted. You knew that you would pick him the moment you slapped him across the face. Then you dragged me into this...sick love triangle for no reason. All I ever wanted to do was love you and have you by my side forever. And instead, you continued to jerk me around the use me…you made me look like a fool."
Tears stung at her eyes as she listened to Stefan explain how she had broken his heart. In that moment, she realized that breaking someone's heart was almost as painful as having her heart broken. Neither side was even remotely bearable.
"I know," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."
"And…you take me out of the house, kiss me…make me crazy! And…it just kills me that I let you!"
"Stefan, I did do those things, you're right-"
"But you don't understand. I let you do it, and I knew all along that this would never work. I loved you so much that I didn't care if I was going to get hurt. I loved you, and that was all that mattered to me. I wanted you with me for always, and instead…I get shown up by a dog," he spat.
Renesmee blinked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stefan…"
"And you know what? I'd probably do it again if I knew that for even one second you would pretend to feel that way about me again. That's the sick part."
She was silent, tears still pooling in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have indulged you after Jacob came back. I should have made you chose right there. I saw the way you looked at each other, and I just…I was sick about it because I knew! I knew, Renesmee. I knew right there that it was over between us. And you knew it too. That's the horrible part of it. We both knew, but you were the one with the power….and I let you play with my emotions the entire time knowing that you wouldn't pick me."
"So why did you let me?" She suddenly asked.
"Because I cared about you so much that I would have done anything for you. In my own moment of stupidity I actually still thought I had a chance, Renesmee. I see now that that was….completely stupid of me."
"Stefan, I'm sorry. I'll say it for the rest of forever if it would help. I feel terrible about what I did to you, and I want to fix things between us so badly," she pleaded, choking back tears. Stefan watched from Eleazar's desk, his green and golden eyes expressionless.
"Will you still let me explain?" she asked hopefully.
"What is left to explain?" he questioned.
She bit her lip again, nearly drawing blood. "I just wanted to…explain about Jacob and…why I did what I did."
"I can promise that whatever you have to say won't make my life any easier, unfortunately."
She nodded again. "I know. And I'm so sorry. I know that my words can't make it better…but please at least hear them. Will you at least do that?"
He looked at her, his piercing green and golden eyes staring at her. "I can. And I meant what I said…it doesn't make it any easier. But…I can see that what you have with him…its fate. And if I've learned one thing in this…existence of mine…it's that you can't fight fate. I pity anyone who tries."
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After talking with Stefan, Renesmee wasn't sure if she could handle any more emotional stress. However, she knew that she had to. If she had learned anything these past few days, it was that she knew what kind of woman she wanted to be, and how she needed to go about doing it – no excuses. The little girl was gone, and in her place she was determined to be a woman, an adult. And sometimes, adults had to do things that they really really didn't want to do.
But the hard part was over. Stefan had been hurt, and she had been hurt to have to say those things to him. She did not regret anything she had shared with him in the past few weeks. Her only regret regarding him was having to hurt him, because even though it was inevitable, his pain was still her own. Hearing him say some of those words to her had been heartbreaking, but she knew she deserved to hear him. They hurt because they were true. She had managed to drag an innocent bystander into her at the time downward spiraling relationship with Jacob. In turn, she had created a messed up love triangle hat neither of them deserved to be involved in.
She made her way through the house, looking for Jacob before she remembered they were all outside the house on the back patio. Suddenly, the need to talk to him was overwhelming. She wasn't sure what would be said in this talk with him. After everything that had happened, she needed to know the truth. She knew more than she had originally, even though no one had informed her of the details just yet. She hadn't given anyone the chance to confirm her discovery about the imprint because she wanted to hear it from his mouth and his mouth only.
Once outside, every single wolf on the patio stood up in a hurry, sniffing at her nervously. She glared at all of them sternly, clearly telling them to keep their distance.
She eyed the tallest one, who stood the farthest away from the group. She pointed to him firmly and spoke.
"You…follow me. The rest of you, stay here. I have to talk to Jacob."
Jacob twitched his tail in an annoyed fashion, eying her with his wolf eyes. She walked up to him and put her hand on his muzzle, speaking softly.
"I know you want to talk to me, too. Come on. We won't go far, just out of earshot. Please?" she asked, looking into Jacob's eyes. He chuffed, twitched his tail again, and followed her across the snow-covered lawn.
"Okay," she sighed once they were far enough away. "Phase back," she gently commanded.
Jacob shook his wolf head, still eying her nervously. For a moment, she briefly considered talking to him in wolf form, but knew that they wouldn't get much accomplished. He was just so much easier to talk to when he was like this sometimes. But what she wanted to talk about today were things that he and he alone had to tell her.
"Please?"
Jacob looked around nervously, but trotted behind a large tree to phase. She heard the air change for a split second, and then Jacob walked around the tree in his human form. He fastened the button on his cargo shorts, his bare feet digging into the snowy ground. Her eyes quickly glanced at the view of his bare, tan chest before averting them so that she didn't look suspicious. They stood there together, not speaking for a few moments. His dark eyes stared into hers, conveying no emotion.
She was almost sure that she was going to have to make the first move when he suddenly fell to his knees in front of her. His large arms grasped her around her waist, his shaggy head pressing into her stomach as he hugged her tightly. Tight, jagged breaths left his throat as his chest heaved against her body. Renesmee's eyes widened in shock as she placed her hands on his head and looked around in a panic.
"Jacob!" she gasped, trying to bend down, "Jacob, what's wrong? Stop, stop! You're scaring me! Jake, what is it?"
He breathed in several more panicked breaths before looking up at her. She was shocked to see that his eyes glistened with tears that threatened to spill over onto his cheeks.
"Jake, what's wrong?" she asked, reaching down to grasp his hot face in her hands. He buried his nose into her sweater one more time, breathing in a deep breath.
"Ness," he choked out, squeezing her tighter. "I…I thought you were gone for good. I thought you weren't going to come back to me," he panted, looking back up at her.
Renesmee sighed, pulling him up from the ground. He stood, towering above her, and she quickly pulled him into a hug. "Why would you think that? I was just mad Jake…"
"I know, but…when you left it almost killed me Ness."
"Jake, I will always come back to you. It was stupid of me to leave, it was stupid of me to not listen to you, and…this whole thing is just so ridiculous…I just want it to be over."
"I don't care!" he said firmly, hugging her against his chest. He hugged her against him for several moments, both of them holding each other tight. It felt so good to be in Jacob's strong arms again, and she could feel her body reacting. She felt lighter, happier, and more complete to be in his arms like this. It felt good; it felt like she was whole again.
"You stupid dog, you should be more upset with me," she muttered against his hot skin. He laughed a deep, throaty chuckle and stroked her bonze curls.
"I should, yeah…but...I wasn't mad as soon as I saw you."
She pulled away to look up at him. "Jake, when I saw you I slapped you."
He grinned. "I liked it."
"Did not!"
"Did too."
"I can't believe you."
"Yes you can."
"You're dumb."
"I know. You like it."
"I do. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."
"I hate it when we fight."
"Me too."
She hugged him tightly again, reveling in the way his burning hot skin felt against her cheek.
"You should still be angry with me."
"I am angry…but not with you. I'm angry with myself. I'm older and…I should know better."
"Jake…" she sighed, lifting her head up to look at him, "You can't keep letting me get away with things like that. I mean…things are different now…and…I have to take responsibility for them. You can't just forgive me like that. It makes it too easy for me, and that's not how I want things anymore. I want to be a grown up and…I guess that means I'll have to be treated like one when I screw up. Which I will. But you can't just let me off the hook, Jake."
He frowned slightly, making a face. As much as he was looking forward to his imprint being a grown up, he wasn't sure he liked this new deal. He wasn't used to staying mad at her, or making her do things.
"I don't like that," he finally said. She gave him an exasperated look.
"You're not making this any easier for me, you know."
"Good," he grinned cockily. She shoved him away and began to pace in front of him.
"You can't let me get away with things anymore Jake."
He nodded, and then gave her another smile. "But I like you how you are."
"You can't though. I have to grow up and start acting like it. I don't want to be a child anymore, and therefore I don't get to act like one. If I do something that's immature, I want to know it!" She insisted. He wasn't making this easy on her.
"But Ness…you're my little Nessie, you're not a grownup….you're just you."
She fumed, her eyes growing wide. "No!" she snapped. He looked shocked for a moment that she would yell at him like that.
Renesmee was livid. He still saw her as a little girl, one that needed everyone to help her and fix things and do things…she was at her wit's end. Huffing, she walked across the clearing and selected a medium sized pine tree. Carefully maneuvering through the sappy needles, she gripped the base of it and yanked, uprooting the tree. With vampire speed, she ripped every branch off of it and tossed them to the ground until all that was left was a spindly looking spear that stood twenty feet high. With a girl-ish grunt, she heaved it in the direction of a large oak tree. The spear-like pine trunk collided with the bark of the oak, the frozen wood making an awful noise as the pine tree was driven into it. Shards of ice and snow fell to the ground all around it.
"Does that look like your little Nessie?" she growled. Jacob's eyes lit up for a second, enamored with her show of strength and fiery attitude. His eyes glinted mischievously.
"Well, spruces are known for their weak root system, and they aren't generally that hard to-"
He stopped and laughed when she stalked over to him, giving her best vampiric hiss. He laughed as she walked over to him, placed a hand behind his neck and quickly jumped into his arms. Renesmee growled, leaning in toward his neck, her razor sharp teeth bared. She ran them gently along the pulsing vein in his neck, causing his skin to form goose bumps. She hissed again appreciatively, leaning back to look him in the eye.
"Is that like your little Nessie?" she practically growled again. Jacob's eyes were wide as her expression changed into one so sultry and wanton-like that he almost dropped her. She leaned in closer, grasping his cheeks in her hands. He tried to concentrate on her rapid heartbeat instead of the increased blood flow to his crotch as she seductively ran her lips against his jaw. When she found his mouth, she reached out with her pink tongue and traced his lips with it, wetting them slightly. He nearly came undone when she pressed her mouth against his, kissing him sweetly. Then the kiss changed into something more aggressive as she applied more pressure and kissed him again and again. She began to pull away, but not before slowly taking his bottom lip in her teeth and biting down slightly. He felt his manhood twitch as her teeth came down harder, making the tiniest cuts along the inside of his lip. He heard her groan slightly as she pulled away, her chocolate eyes hooded and lust-filled.
His hands gripped her as he held her up against him, thankful that he could hold her above his waist and not against the throbbing in his pants.
"Was…that like your little Nessie?"
His wide eyes were her answer. She listened to his heartbeat speed up as she stared into his dark eyes, and couldn't help but feel smug satisfaction at what she had done to him.
She jumped down from his grasp, turning away from him. She took a few steps, her finger tracing her lips where they had been on his mouth just seconds before. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she snorted.
"Sorry," she quipped. Jacob still stood frozen in the clearing, his hands still extended like he was holding her. The dumbstruck look on his face was priceless.
"Are you okay?" she asked, glancing at him again. Her eyes drifted down to the awkward looking tent that was slowly disappearing from his shorts, and he seemed to snap out of his daze.
"Uh…yeah," he said slowly shifting uncomfortably where he stood. His face darkened, and she realized with a giggle that he was actually blushing.
"That wasn't fair of me," she said softly, walking back over to him.
Jacob blinked a few times, looking at her with a strange expression on his face.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, I…I…you're right Ness. You're not a little girl anymore…I just…it's just hard to see after so long."
"You realized it the night before you left," she huffed quietly. "You seemed to think I was grownup then."
He laughed softly, coming even further out of his trance. "No, I knew you weren't, not even then. That wasn't fair of me to do, Nessie."
She smiled, walking back over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tightly again.
"You need to realize that I'm a big girl now, Jake. You can't keep treating me like a child. I want to be…seen like a real adult now. It's time."
"You really mean it?" he asked, resting his chin on top of her head. She nodded.
"I mean it. And that means that you have to be angry with me when I mess up and let me deal with it. I don't want everyone to let me take the easy way out anymore by cleaning up my messes. You all have to realize that."
He was silent for a moment, thinking about the past few months.
"I was so hurt when you left…I just …I thought I would die. I felt like I did die while you were gone. Ness….I can't be without you. I can't be mad at you."
She pulled away from him suddenly, looking him square in the eye. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
Renesmee watched as his eyes instantly became nervous. He remembered that they had yet to discuss the imprint.
"You could have told me, Jake."
"Y-you know?"
She nodded. "But I need to hear you say it. You're not a protector, or a friend, a babysitter, or just my mom's best friend, are you?" she asked softly. He shook his head, looking down at the ground. She placed her hand on his cheek and showed her the epiphany she had had the day before in the woods when she realized that he was his imprint.
Jacob's eyes glazed over as he watched her come to the realization of what had happened while running home yesterday through the woods. Renesmee also showed him her confusion about who he had imprinted on before – was it someone at school? Someone else? Was that why he had left her in the woods back home? He watched as she spoke with Damon about the imprint, his filthy lies poisoning her thoughts. He realized that when he imprinted, he felt scared and lonely, when he should have told her about the imprint in a calm, relaxed, even romantic setting. He felt like a jackass.
"Ness…I…"
"Please, Jake. We've been through so much…just tell me the truth. You imprinted. You imprinted on me. Didn't you?"
He nodded. "Yes, Nessie. I didn't imprint on someone else, and I sure as hell didn't kiss you for no reason in the woods. I imprinted on you, Ness. It's true," he grudgingly replied.
She felt a giant weight come off her chest as she stared at up at him, never having seen his eyes look so expressive. He felt like a weight had just been lifted off of him as well as he looked at her. Her face broke into a smile, and he soon followed.
"Really?" She gasped. She had known for almost an entire day now, but to hear him say the words…it was an incredible feeling to finally know the truth. He nodded excitedly, his shaggy hair falling down around his eyes. She grinned up at him, gripping his arms tightly in her joy.
"I'm your imprint, no one else?"
"Yeah, it's always been you, Ness. I wanted to tell you, but Edward-"
She pressed her fingers against his lips, silencing him. "Jake, I don't care. Later. Just…tell me what it means," she insisted.
"It means…that I'm whatever you want me to be."
"Forever?"
"Forever," he stated firmly. She smiled, exhaling choppily. Her stomach was alive with nervous but happy butterflies, and she could barely contain her excitement. Finally, something good was happening!
"I'm whatever you need, Ness. Friend, protector, big brother…boyfriend, lover, or…whatever you need," he added, tripping over the last few words. He shook his head, glaring off to the side. "That sounded corny, I-"
She cut him off again, suddenly not even caring. "Jake, all I need to know is that we'll be with each other always. Forever."
He nodded. "Until you order me away. You couldn't pry me from your side. From now on…things…things are going to be different, Ness. I thought I lost you and…it woke me up."
"It woke me up, too," she said softly, staring into his deep brown eyes. He smiled, relieved at her words.
"Good…I…I can't live without you, Nessie. I don't wanna go through that again, and I'd do anything to….You're mine, and I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to prove it to you."
"I'm yours?" she asked coyly, cocking an eyebrow at him. He laughed nervously, his deep voice echoing off the trees.
"It works both ways. I'm kinda yours, too," he admitted sheepishly. His dark cheeks flushed slightly at his admission, and her heart swelled.
She laughed, and then placed her hands on his cheeks to show him her joy. He smiled, watching the pictures she flashed him: happiness, devotion, relief, satisfaction…love…
"You really feel like that?" he asked happily, his eyes lighting up even more.
She nodded. "Now kiss me, stupid," she laughed before wrapping a hand around the back of his neck. She pulled him down to her, pressing her lips firmly against his. There would be no mistaking what she was feeling now.
Jacob froze in a moment of shock before he was able to react to her lips against his own for the second time that day. She laughed against his mouth as he jumped a bit and then quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to his body as he could. The only sound in the forest was that of their lips coming together as they rejoiced for what had just happened. He was hers, she was his, and everything was out on the table.
This kiss wasn't to prove a point, and it wasn't to make him uncomfortable or nervous. This kiss was theirs and theirs alone. As she kissed him, all of her feelings of love and devotion for him came through. This was who she was meant to be with, and no one else.
As their passionate kiss ended, he pressed his forehead against hers and sighed contentedly.
"I never thought I would be this happy…ever," he admitted softly, reaching up to touch her cheek with the tip of his large finger. She blinked, looking up at him through her misty eyes. She was so happy she could practically burst.
"I didn't either," she added. She placed one last, chaste kiss on his mouth before he stood straight up, suddenly rigid.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes widening. She froze, listening carefully. Her ears picked up a steady whirring sound, and seconds later Alice burst through the trees with a slightly panicked but triumphant look.
"He's here?" Jacob guessed quickly. Alice snarled daintily, raising her chin.
"Yes, only this time, he slipped. I saw him!" she replied, taking Renesmee's hand. "Let's go!"
Renesmee took one last look at Jacob before he backed up a few steps and burst into wolf form. Alice pulled her through the trees, making her legs go faster than they would have if it was just her running. Before she could blink, they were safely back at the Denali house, surrounded by her family. She made it inside the house where she stood with the rest of her family in the Great Room, looking out the large glass windows to the patio. Jacob stood there with his pack, along with Emmett, Jasper, Eleazar, Garrett, and a very worried Stefan.
Renesmee's heart went out to him as she watched Stefan practically gasp for breath and pace behind the front line of wolves and older vampires. His face clearly said what everyone was thinking: if they got their hands on Damon, they would kill him.
Her heart broke for Stefan in that moment. They were about to separate him from his last tie to the human world, and all they could think about was ripping Damon to shreds.
The house and yard were silent for several long, painfully quiet moments. She stood inside of the house, but could hear everything clearly through the tall glass windows that divided them. Outside, it was as if the wolves and the male vampires were the front line, waiting to strike.
Then, she heard it.
Damon.
He came ripping through the trees that lined the large backyard in a black and white blur. Her family reacted, adjusting themselves in front of her so that she was nearly out of sight. Outside the glass windows, Jacob and his pack began to growl and snarl. They kept a tight formation around the house, each one of them baring their teeth with their ears flattened to their heads. Her vampire family all readied their stance as they saw him, each one of them reacting like a real vampire. She had never seen her friends and family seem more menacing and vampire-like than they did right then.
He slid abruptly to a halt in the middle of the yard, his eyes scanning the crowd before him. Renesmee had to admit that he looked a little surprised by the wolves, but otherwise seemed triumphant.
Beside her, Alice growled like an irritated cat and eyed him with her fierce, blackened eyes. She tightened her grip on Renesmee's arm. Damon heard her through the tall glass windows, and his eyes narrowed at her. When Alice saw him look at her, she hissed as if to challenge him. If Renesmee wouldn't have been so terrified, she would have been proud of her tiny aunt.
He stood in the yard, frozen like a statue. Everyone waited with baited breath to see what he had to say. Finally, he spoke.
"Well well, Renesmee, you've got quite a collection of monsters here to do your bidding, don't you?" Damon sneered. The afternoon sunlight hit his perfect face, sending glittery rainbow beams dancing across the nearby snow.
She sucked in a breath as his eyes bore into hers, a chill running down her spine. It became clear in that one look that he intended to make her pay for what she had done to him in Vancouver. Even through the glass windows, he struck fear and panic into her with just one look. Bella quickly stepped in front of her daughter.
"What do you want?" her mother hissed through the glass windows. Damon snorted. He eyed Edward, who was eying him.
"I'll go out on a limb here and guess that the moody looking one is the mind-reader?" he asked in Eleazar's direction. The older vampire tried to remain calm; much like Carlisle would have in that type of situation; ever the patriarch and peacekeeper of the family.
"Damon, you are correct. That is Renesmee's father, Edward," he replied calmly.
Damon raised an eyebrow at Edward. "Hard of hearing are we, Daddy?" he taunted Edward. Edward, the vampires that were outside, and the wolf pack still stood a good fifty yards away, but Renesmee was certain that they could close that distance quickly if needed.
"I could end you right now," Edward growled. Emmett stepped closer behind him, growling in agreement, and several of the wolves pawed at the ground and snapped their jaws.
"NO!" Stefan bellowed, flashing down to stand in between his brother and her threatening family members. His eyes were wide with panic as he stood between them, his own skin sparkling in the sunlight.
He turned to face Damon. "Why are you here?" he asked him sternly. "You've been gone, you got Renesmee to leave with you…and…that's not what she wanted... Why are you here Damon?"
"She didn't want me, but she obviously didn't want you either," Damon sneered at him. Stefan's shoulders sank a little as he glanced over his shoulder and back up to the house where Renesmee stood.
"No, but that's no reason to fight, Damon. Fighting will only bring you more misery. You won't win this fight. Look around you. Don't do something rash."
Damon laughed. "Well, brother, it would appear that you have underestimated me."
Renesmee shifted uncomfortably, and Alice gave her a worried glance. She knew that Damon's shield was in full effect by the nervous way her aunt was acting.
"You see," he continued. "I didn't come here to seek revenge, as tempting as that was…I came to warn you."
"Warn us of what?" Edward demanded. He glanced back at Bella and Renesmee inside the house, and then back at Damon. He frowned, still trying to unsuccessfully scan Damon's mind.
"To warn you that I'm not the only one intrigued with your daughter, Edward. I know another group of vampires that would be very interested in her now that she's full grown…and they'd also be interested in her choice of mate," he answered. "Now, I think you know what I'm referring to."
"The Volturi have agreed to leave us alone," Edward growled, his hands shaking slightly as he balled them into fists.
"True, but that was awhile ago from what I gathered. Don't you think they'd be interested in attaining your little hybrid daughter before she gets much older? I wonder if they know she's thinking of choosing a werewolf for a mate! The possibilities…" he taunted, his red eyes glowing.
Edward snarled. "We have no way to know what her body is capable of. Neither do they-"
"Precisely my point," Damon interjected. "Don't you think they would be interested to see that Renesmee is thinking of trying out her reproductive abilities with a werewolf? I'm sure they would have a problem with that little detail," he sneered. "Especially Caius."
It was no secret that the most volatile member of the Volturi family loathed both werewolves and shape shifters.
"Damon, you wouldn't go to them," Stefan pleaded. "Don't be stupid."
Damon growled viciously, his eyes narrowing on his brother. "Don't you tell me what to do, little brother. It's been two long, bloodthirsty years for me, and I wouldn't mess with a stronger vampire if I were you."
"Damon, be logical. You can't take us all on-"
In a flash, Damon had Stefan pinned to the ground in a hold that could have easily snapped Stefan's neck. He had recently fed by the looks of his glowing crimson eyes, and Stefan was no match for him, like Damon had already pointed out. Renesmee shrieked and bolted out the glass doors to stand with her father. Bella raced up behind her, and she and Edward both put a protective arm in front of their daughter.
"Damon, no!" she pleaded, her voice cracking in desperation. Damon's head jerked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes meeting hers.
"So you don't want him, but you don't want me to kill him either?" he laughed. "Evil, Renesmee, but I like it."
"You won't kill him!" she demanded, lunging against her mother's stony arms that held her back.
"I'll do as I please…" he growled back. Jacob suddenly let a fierce growl rip from his lips, and Damon's head jerked up with a twisted smile.
"What is it, mongrel?" he spat.
Jacob looked over at Edward, who shook his head. "Jacob, no!" he insisted firmly. "It cannot come to that."
"What does the beast want?" Damon shouted at Edward, who gave him another scowl. Jacob let another growl rip from his chest, and Edward drooped his head in defeat.
"He wants to speak to you himself," Edward replied coolly as Jacob ducked behind the house.
He quickly phased and pulled on his shorts, striding confidently around the house and into the yard where Damon stood, still holding his brother in a dangerous grip. He could end Stefan's life with a flick of his wrist that would surely end in nothing short of decapitation.
"Well well, it walks upright and can speak!" Damon mocked. Jacob's face remained blank yet daunting as he stalked up to the vampire in the middle of the yard.
"We end this now," he stated firmly. Damon looked up at him from where he held his brother on the ground.
"No, Jacob, don't do it!" Stefan pleaded from the ground. Damon yanked his head back further, warning him to silence himself.
"We end this, here and now," he repeated. "Fight to the death."
"Jake, no!" Renesmee sobbed, lunging again against Bella and Edward's arms. Jacob turned his head in her direction, but didn't look at her.
"Let's put this to rest. You won't stop until you get what you want, so this is the only solution."
Damon paused, looking up at the half naked man in front of him. It all seemed too easy…
"That's what you want though, isn't it?" Damon questioned as he glared up at Jacob. "You want me to take the bait, and then you all rip me to pieces, isn't it?"
"No. I don't fight like that," Jacob insisted. "We can end this."
Damon stood, releasing his brother and backing away. "That's what you want. I've got other plans."
"Jake, stop it! No!" Renesmee pleaded to him. He glanced back at her lovingly, then back at Damon. His expression immediately turned back into a hard air and he stepped away from Damon slightly, as if he was confused.
"You have to do what she says, don't you mutt?" Damon cackled, his red eyes bright with this realization.
Jacob just stared at him, not a trace of irritation or fear on his face.
"Before this is over, you'll remember what I've just offered you," Jacob replied in his firm, Alpha tone.
Renesmee felt chills race up and down her spine as he confidently strode back to stand next to her. Warmth and safety practically radiated off of him as he stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders to hold her back. She was glad Jacob was alright and wasn't going to fight, but was still worried for Stefan, who was holding his neck and slowly backing away from his brother.
"I'll get what I'm after, you'll see. You'll all see," Damon snapped. His lips curled around his teeth as his eyes scanned the yard. His grip on Stefan's neck stayed iron tight.
"And just what is that?" Edward questioned. Damon's head whipped around to glare at him, his red eyes suddenly icy.
"I want what's mine," he growled.
"You don't want to kill me. That won't help you at all. I don't know what you've got...planned…but…killing me won't help," Stefan choked through Damon's grasp. Damon visibly faltered for a moment, his expression breaking.
With a hiss, he shoved Stefan the rest of the way to the ground, snapping his teeth at him in warning. His hands slowly loosened his grip, and then they dropped. Stefan coughed and grasped the snowy ground, his eyes large as he panted in relief.
"You always were the weaker one," Damon growled. Stefan stood in a flash, his hands clenching in anger at his sides.
"Leave us in peace if you want to be evil," Stefan snapped at him. "I don't want you here if you're going to act like a barbarian, Damon. Destroying these people's lives when all they've tried to do is help you get used to being like we are. Leave if that's how you are now."
Damon's eyes shifted to Renesmee and Jacob. The entire family stiffened, but remembered Stefan's plea not to kill his only brother. Renesmee could tell that they were barely hanging onto their agreement by a thread.
He grinned devilishly, as if he knew what was going on – the light catching his teeth menacingly.
"Renesmee," he purred, stepping closer to her, "I remember what you did to me in Vancouver, with your little gift, and I plan to get you back tenfold, you little bitch," he growled at her through clenched teeth.
Her heart thrummed wildly in a panic as his glare washed over her, chilling her to the core. She had never seen so much hate balled up into one person before in her life.
Instinctively, she stepped backwards, away from Bella and Edward's arms that had formed a steel blockade in front of her. She flinched slightly when she was met with a warm, pulsing wall of flesh at her back as she bumped into Jacob's chest. Alarmed, she moved her head to look at him as he stood behind her, towering over her and almost everyone else around them. He protectively squeezed her shoulders, growling softly as he locked his dark eyes with Damon's piercing, crimson gaze.
He's protecting me…After everything that has happened, he's protecting me from an extremely dangerous vampire, she thought with shyness and awe. Another glance behind her gave her a tiny peek at his bulging chest as he seemed to almost shake with anger.
"Touchy touchy!" he trilled, mocking Jacob. He pointed at her, his pale finger glittering in the sunlight. "This isn't over."
And just as fast as he had arrived, he was gone in a flash. Before she knew what was happening, the entire wolf pack, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Bella were off after him. Alice stayed behind with Jacob and the rest of the family, turning and hugging her niece. Jacob finally got his turn, wrapping his large protective arms around her body and squeezing her tight.
"You idiot, you could have been killed!" she whispered as they embraced.
"What did you do to him?" he asked, changing the subject and utterly in awe of Renesmee.
She felt her cheeks grow hot as she felt everyone's eyes on her all of a sudden. "I just…showed him really bad things. I stunned him temporarily so that I could escape," she admitted. She had told her mother and Alice what she had done to Damon, but no one else. It was her triumphant secret.
She spotted Stefan in the yard, standing away from the group. She gave Jacob a pointed glance, and he nodded, heading into the house.
"Stefan," she breathed, darting over to his side. She grasped him into a tight hug, and he was noticeably surprised.
"What, I can't hug you?" she asked, pulling away. He sighed sadly, his eyes dropping to the ground.
"I wasn't expecting you to, no," he admitted. "Thank you, by the way, for what you did back there. I know he seems awful, but…"
She silenced him. "No, but nothing. He's your brother, Stefan. Your real life brother. No matter how awful he is, nothing changes that fact. I know he's awful but no one here expects you to just turn your back and watch him be murdered…even if he is the devil," she added, rolling her eyes. Stefan cracked a very grateful smile.
"You get me," he murmured. She hugged him again, urging him into the house.
"I still want to be friends, Stefan. Can we at least do that?" she pleaded when they reached the doors.
He smiled sadly at her, raising his beautiful green and golden eyes to meet hers. "I can try. But…I loved you, Renesmee. I really did. I still love you, to be honest, even if you do…belong to Jacob."
"I know," she said softly, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did to you?"
"I can try."
x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx
After the wolves and her father left with their search party to chase after Damon, Renesmee went inside to find Jacob.
"There you are," he sighed, looking up. "I'm gonna go join the chase. They couldn't have gotten too far."
"I wish you wouldn't. I wanted to talk to you about-" She stopped herself short of saying, 'the imprint'. Glancing around nervously, she whispered, "Things…"
He nodded, grasping her hands in his. "Gotcha. When I get back, Ness, I'll tell you anything you want to know, okay?" He looked down at her, his eyes darkening as he spoke. She got the feeling that talking wasn't all he wanted to do suddenly. She nodded as her stomach twisted nervously, but in a good way. He gave her a cocky smile, then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
It was meant to be a short kiss, but she took matters into her own hands when he tried to pull away.
Renesmee grasped his cheeks in her hands, kissing him while showing him pictures with her gift. She was feeling rather brave, so she showed him a brief flicker of the thoughts she had had in the shower while in the Vancouver hotel room. The heat she craved to feel…kissing him...alone…his arms wrapped around her….
Jacob broke the kiss, his eyes wide. "What was…what…was that?" he finally panted, taking a step back. She gave him her best coy smile and tried not to lose her nerve.
"Something I wanted to show you is all," she replied. Jacob looked at her for a moment, and then a smile crept onto his face.
"Will you show me more later?" he asked.
She nodded. He grinned at her, and she felt her heart swell with love for Jacob…her soul mate…Her stomach did another nervous flip as she watched him dash out the back doors and out of sight into the darkening evening light.
The search party had been out for several hours now, and they still hadn't heard anything. She wasn't completely positive what they wanted to accomplish even if they did capture Damon – did they hope they could talk him out of going to the Volturi? Suddenly, the weight of everything that Damon had threatened came crashing down on her.
What if he was right about her not being able to have children? What if he was wrong? On one hand, the Volturi would probably leave her alone if she couldn't really have children, thus crushing their plans to study her. However, if he was right about her being infertile, what would she do? Between escaping Damon, figuring out that Jake had imprinted on her, and Damon's near murder of Stefan, she hadn't had time to really worry about that just yet.
Would Jacob still want her if she couldn't have children? Would it matter at all? She still felt like she was entirely too young to worry about these things, but they were being forced into her face. For a split second, she worried that her family wouldn't be able to protect her from the Volturi a second time. What would happen then? Her mind swirled with pictures of dark, scary dungeons and sharp looking medical tools held by menacing faces…She shuddered. It was all too much to bear.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked, appearing next to her in the kitchen. Renesmee's head spun around to look at her aunt, surprised by her silent arrival.
"Ness, you look like you're really upset. What's bothering you?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Alice…" she mumbled.
Alice walked closer to her, encircling her niece in her marble arms. "Nessie…show me," she offered.
Renesmee sighed, still unsure if she wanted to divulge just how big of a freak she was feeling like right now. Sure, Alice was a vampire, but that's what she was – a vampire. A full vampire, not some half breed that wasn't even sure of what she was capable of.
She pressed her hand to Alice's cheek, showing her all of her worries about reproducing, Jacob not wanting her anymore, the Volturi experimenting on her…and most of all, her hatred and shame for being such a freak.
"You're not a freak," Alice insisted firmly when she was done. She hugged her close and tight, only releasing her when she felt Renesmee relax. "You're a beautiful, unique woman with an extremely bright future. You'll see!" she assured her niece gently.
"I hope you're right. It's just hard sometimes, Alice. I'm getting better with all of this, but…sometimes it's still hard."
"Are you worried about Jacob?" Alice asked thoughtfully. "I mean…I can see that you are, but…Ness, we've all watched you two together for years. I wouldn't worry about that."
Renesmee's eyes widened as she remembered something else she should be upset about.
"Oh yeah, and why did no one think to tell me about this imprinting business?" she demanded.
Alice looked panicked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "Some secrets aren't ours to tell," she reminded her.
Renesmee sighed, knowing that Alice was right. Something that big certainly wasn't hers or anyone else's to tell. It was Jacob's.
"You need to sit down and talk to him about all of this once we get Damon sorted out."
"You say that like it'll be easy," Renesmee huffed.
Alice gave her a knowing look. "I can't see him well or…at all sometimes," she admitted bitterly. "But it's not over yet, sweetie. Old Alice has some ideas!"
Renesmee laughed at her aunt referring to herself as 'old', when suddenly Alice's eyes glazed over slightly for a few seconds. She came back to the present, blinking her golden eyes several times.
"Alice, what is it?" Renesmee asked, panicked.
Alice shook her tiny head and patted Renesmee's hand. "Nothing to worry about! I just have a phone call to make!"
With that, Alice danced off and left Renesmee alone. She trudged to the Great Room to look out the tall glass windows. All she wanted was Jacob here, home safely, so that she could finally talk to him and ask him all of her questions. Alice was right - talking to Jacob would surely make her feel better about everything. However, he was out somewhere in the darkness, hunting down the evil vampire that had tried to kidnap her and take her to their enemies – the Volturi. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest as she thought about the way he had protected her today in the yard with Damon. He would literally do anything for her, and he had proved that to her time and time again.
She waited by the windows for most of the night, eventually drifting off. Rosalie eventually came downstairs and found her sleeping and balled up on the couch.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," Rosalie whispered, scooping her up in her arms. Renesmee opened her eyes sleepily as her aunt carried her up the steps to her bed.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked softly. Rosalie pleased to be asked, eagerly complied and laid in bed with her until the next morning.
"Are they home yet?" she asked as soon as her eyes were open. Rosalie turned her blonde head to look at her, shaking her head.
"No, sweets, they're not."
Renesmee sat up, sighing. She brushed her coppery hair out of her eyes. "What time is it?"
"Almost nine. You must have been tired," Rosalie answered in her silky voice. Renesmee smiled at her dazzling aunt, leaning over to hug her tightly.
"Thank you, Rose. It was nice to have someone with me."
Rosalie beamed. "I'm just happy you're home safe, okay? No more running away."
"Were you worried about me?"
"Yes, very much. Although I was relieved to have Jacob around yesterday…he really did prove that he would have ripped that silly Damon apart and…I'm grateful for that."
Renesmee's eyes widened at her aunt's words, but knew that if she made a big deal of it she would never hear them again.
She made her way down to the kitchen, where Alice sat on one of the high stools, happily bouncing her leg.
"Why so excited?" she asked her. Alice gave her an 'I'm not telling' glance and rolled her golden yes. Renesmee just shook her head and began to eat her breakfast of grapefruit and yogurt despite the disgusted glances from her aunt.
Later in the morning, there was still no sign of the search party. She was beginning to worry. Renesmee picked up a book and restlessly began to read it, not even paying attention to the words – nothing seemed to help pass the time until they would be back.
She jumped when she heard feet in the driveway. Then…on the steps. And weirdly…someone rang the doorbell. No one ever rang the doorbell around here…she thought.
"It's for youuuu," Alice sang from the other end of the house. In a flash, her aunt was standing beside the front door, a satisfied grin on her face. Renesmee leaped up, eager to see who was behind the door that Alice was so excited about.
"Alice, if this is clothes…"
"Just open it," Alice pleaded. Renesmee swung the door open and was immediately attacked by a pair of strong, pale, but warmer arms. He laughed, pulling back to look at the shocked expression on her face.
"Nahuel!" she gasped, a smile covering her face. She looked at Alice in shock, who was grinning back at her.
"Alice, did you-"
"After yesterday, I thought you could use a little heart to heart with a hybrid. And when I saw that Nahuel was traveling around the United States, I decided to give him a call."
"Yes, we ran all night!" he exclaimed, giving her another hug. Renesmee backed up, giving her old friend a confused look.
"We?"
Nahuel grinned again. "Yes! We!" he laughed.
He stepped to the side, and Renesmee caught sight of two of the most beautiful looking women she had ever seen.
"Ness, meet my sisters. Well, I should say half-sisters. Isadora and Estrella."
Renesmee smiled at them warmly, but froze for a second when she heard it. The two women stood barefoot in the driveway, silently looking back at her with tentative smiles on their faces.
They stood silent except for one noise – their rapid, thrumming heartbeats.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
As my friend Jezunya says, "Just click the review button and bang your head against the keyboard. I will appreciate the effort."
Oh, and by the way, if you haven't read Jezunya's 'To The Wolves', shame on you. It's one of my absolute favs out there, even if you're not a Jake/Ness shipper usually. The creativity of the world she had created makes it worth reading for that fact alone. So go, and tell her I sent ya!
And remember to check out my new Seth fic – 'Love This Pain', and my new Kate/Garrett 1shot 'Love Runs Wild' that is a slight spinoff of Untouchable – it's Kate and Garrett's story of what happened kinda behind the scenes of this story.
TODAY is the last day to vote for it in the 'We Want Garrett' contest, so please vote?
Voting is here: http:/www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/u/2303411/EvilTwinsCopyrighted
Thanks guys. Now review!