A/N: Don't own, just thought I should throw it out there…..again….

So yeah, a lot of you had questions/hesitations about the last chapter, but don't fret, because the explanations for some of the events in the last chapter are in this one……

Before I get completely into that, I'm going to pass around a little lemonade, because let's face it, the characters have all been under a lot of stress and deserve a little fun……(and because now that I have been writing SFS, I can't get my mind out of the gutter….not that it is necessarily a bad thing)

Chapter Thirty-eight: Heartbeat

Nessie POV

Being totally surrounded by Jacob's arms and pressed tightly against his chest made me feel safe again. I couldn't explain it, but the ache that I had been feeling had just instantly disappeared when I saw his face in that airport. I grieved for so many long agonizing hours over him, and even though it was in vain, I still could remember the pain I had felt only days ago.

Never again would I let myself take him for granted. His love had always been handed to me, from the day I was born, and I had let myself become too comfortable knowing that it would always be there. True, he was my soul mate, and I was his imprint, but I planned to spend every day I was allowed to be in his presence showing him exactly how much he meant to me.

I didn't want to wait any longer to get married, I wanted to make it official that I belonged to him, and that he in turn belonged to me. I knew it was just cementing our love on a piece of paper, but it meant so much more to me that I could call him my husband. Happy marriages and love had always been things that I was surrounded by growing up, and I wanted to include Jacob officially in my family.

He was just as much a part of our family as any of the others. We didn't even use the word coven anymore, it was just a label. The lifestyle my grandfather had created for himself and my parents didn't fall to the traditional trappings of typical vampire behavior, if it did, then I would never even exist, much less be allowed to have a relationship with Jacob.

I still couldn't believe that my father had actually allowed us to travel to Seattle un-chaperoned. My mother had told me that he was more accepting of the changes in my relationship with Jacob, especially since we were getting married, but his easy going attitude when he handed us the tickets seemed out of character for him.

If I didn't know any better, I would think that he was trying to get rid of us. That made absolutely no sense to me, because the both of us had almost been ripped from our family, and usually my father was fiercely overprotective.

There was also something else in his actions towards me that seemed to be a little off, as well as my uncle Jasper. Neither of them had really left my side until we got to LA. Even in my practically comatose state, I could feel my uncle's effect on me. Waves of calm and ease flowed over me as I was locked inside my own head, protecting myself from the pain.

Alexei and his mysterious drugs certainly did a number on me. My behavior since we had returned was totally haywire. Every impulse I had was somehow amplified. When I was hungry, I was starving; when I was thirsty, I was overcome with bloodlust; when I was tired, I was exhausted; when I was, well…..horny, I was insatiable. My actions had become totally erratic and instinctual. Even an act as simple as taking a bath threw me into overdrive; I had practically forced Jacob to touch me like that.

"Ness," Jacob whispered in my ear as he nuzzled his nose along my ear, effectively quieting my inner monologue. "We need to get dressed; it's almost time to go down for dinner."

"Mmmmm," I hummed as I reluctantly opened my eyes.

Just as I was about to pull myself from Jacob's embrace, my stomach growled loudly, confirming my acceptance of Jacob's proposal. The mere mention of food, and not being attached to an IV for sustenance had my mouth salivating. A nice rare cut of meat was quickly flickering through my mind, causing my stomach to growl again.

Jacob chuckled and released me, and I pulled myself up from the bed, readjusting the towel that was wrapped around my naked body.

I walked over to the sofa and picked up the bag that held my new dress and took it into the bathroom. I was glad that we were in an upscale hotel, because they had a basket in the bathroom that had a hairbrush. I had never been so thankful for such a small necessity, but I wanted to tame my unruly curls before we went and had a nice meal together.

Once I had wet down the brush and run it through my hair, I retrieved the small bottle of hair gel from the basket and carefully ran it through my hair to try to smooth out the frizzyness it had accumulated during the brushing.

I could see Jacob moving around in the room behind me, and he looked up and smiled at me in the mirror as he pulled his boxers and dark jeans over his long legs. He looked so happy to be with me, and I was glad that we had some time alone to act like a normal couple, on a romantic getaway. Escaping into the fantasy of that made it a little easier to forget what we had both been through.

The dress he had bought me in the market fit perfectly, and it hugged my waist nicely before it flowed down to the floor. I wished that I could go to dinner barefoot, but I was glad that Jacob had purchased me a little pair of sandals when I was picking out my jeans. They luckily didn't have a heel, because I was still a little sore all over from being cooped up in a bed for several days.

Once I had adjusted myself and walked back into the room, Jacob was perched on the side of the bed, tying his leather shoes. His short hair was completely unruly and twisted in all sorts of different directions, but he still looked very handsome in his black button up shirt and dark denim jeans.

The restaurant in the hotel was nice, but it was not formal, and I was happy to be able to relax in that kind of atmosphere.

"You ready?" Jacob asked as he stood up from the bed and walked towards me.

I nodded my head and held out my hand for him to take.

His large, warm fingers wrapped around mine and he leaned down and gave me a chaste peck on the cheek. Jacob was always affectionate, and all of his little touches and kisses made me realize how lucky I was to have him.

We headed out the door and back to the elevator to go back down to the main floor where the restaurant was located.

The hotel looked fairly busy this evening, there were several people scattered about in the large sitting area that overlooked the bay, and the fireplace up against the windows was lit and glowing.

As we walked towards the entrance to the restaurant Jacob pulled me into his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. I sighed and leaned my head against his chest, enjoying the warmth radiating from his body into mine.

We were seated right away in a table that was at the window overlooking the bay. The light of the moon was casting a large silvery reflection into the water, and it reminded me of a simpler time that I had spent with Jacob alone. So many things had changed in the few years since then, and it made me smile that I was able to share these kinds of experiences with him.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob whispered as he leaned across the table to hold my hand.

"You," I answered honestly, looking into the deep brown of his eyes.

"And?" he asked with a large toothy grin.

"And how much I love being with you. I am glad that we were able to find each other again. I don't want to wait too long for the wedding."

He sighed and stroked the back of my hand with his large thumb as a sly smile crept onto his face.

"We could run away," he mused, sitting back in his chair waiting for my response.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. As much as I would love to just go somewhere and do it right away, I wanted to include my family in it as well. I could never do that to my parents or my aunts for that matter.

"I wish we could, but no Jacob, we can't do that."

"I know, I was just teasing. I want my father and sisters to be there too. When were you thinking you want to?"

I pursed my lips and tapped my fingers on the table, trying to figure out when would be a good time to do it. I didn't want to risk snow being an issue, and it was too close to November to do it before then, so I guessed a spring wedding would be the only option.

"March or April, maybe. Something when the weather starts to get warm again."

"Do you think we will have moved by then? I mean your father surely won't want to stay in Victoria too long. There are too many people who knew where we were. It might still be kind of dangerous."

"I honestly don't know, but wherever we go, I don't want to go far. I wouldn't want to take you away from your family again. I know how much you liked being close to the reservation."

He smiled at me and just as he was about to respond, the waiter came over to take our orders.

We both ordered the filet mignon, mine rare, and it was accompanied with something called a potato asparagus crisp. It sounded interesting, but I was just looking forward to the steak. Jacob decided to have something to drink, but since my stomach had been acting so strangely lately, I just ordered some sparkling water.

"So….I was going to say, I don't mind if we have to go somewhere far, that is what airplanes are for. Are you sure you don't want to try to stay to finish school? I know that you were looking forward to returning to class," Jacob said thoughtfully.

"It really doesn't matter that much to me anymore. I just want to be near my family, well, and you, but you are my family, so…."

He smiled brightly and the look in his eyes was so heartwarming. Jacob was filled with so much love for me I thought I might just burst. He truly was concerned with what I wanted out of life, I knew that he would be perfectly content to follow me anywhere as long as it made me happy.

"How's your shoulder?" I asked, because he hadn't put his sling back on after our bath.

"It's good actually," he said rolling it forward a bit. "A little sore, but I think it's all healed now."

"I'm sorry," I said looking down into my lap, I felt so guilty that I had been the cause of all of his injuries. If I had just let him come with me, or not even bothered to try to say goodbye to Nate, none of this would have ever happened.

"Stop it," Jacob said placing his finger under my chin and lifting it so I met his eyes. "Don't talk like that. I am fine, we are fine; I don't want you blaming yourself for this."

"Why not? It is my fault. I should be blaming myself for this," I said taking in a deep breath and trying to hold back the eminent tears.

"You died Jacob, because of me, I brought someone into our lives who killed you," I whispered averting my gaze back to my lap. I knew that this was probably not the place to be talking about something so dark, but the guilt had been creeping up on me for some time now.

"Well I'm not dead, so stop it; I don't want you to take yourself down this path Renesmee. We are going to be happy, and we are going to get married, and you are going to get over this eventually, because I don't blame you, I could never blame you," he said briskly.

I took in a deep breath and looked back up to him. His eyes were filled with concern, not anger, and I knew that he was only worrying about me destroying myself over this.

"Focus on the future, our future, the past is just that."

That was simple enough to say, and I heard every word of it, but letting go of something so monumental was difficult for me to grasp.

Before I could continue on my pity party, the food arrived and we sat in silence as we ate, occasionally making eye contact. Jacob would smile at me and brush his leg up against mine under the table, and it made it easier for me to try to forget what was bothering me.

The food was wonderful, and it made the knot in the bottom of my stomach go away. Maybe being tired and hungry was affecting my mood; I really should stop trying to focus on all of the negative things that have happened.

"Thank you," I said, smiling at Jacob as he pulled out my chair after we were finished eating.

"Anytime," he replied, taking my hand and leading me back towards the entrance of the restaurant.

We continued our silence on our way to the elevator, and I used the time to think about what really was important. He was right; dwelling on things would only make it harder for us in the future. He was safe, and so was I, and we should be enjoying our time together.

Once we got back into our room, I decided that I just needed to stop over analyzing things, and just go with what life threw at me, and us. I was never going to let myself be happy if I dwelled on the past and the unknown, and I didn't want to make Jacob unhappy by doing so, he didn't deserve that.

"Jake?" I said sitting down in the edge of the bed and taking off my sandals.

"Yes Ness?"

"I'm sorry for being so difficult, you are right, I am letting this go."

"Good," he said with a smile on his face as he removed his shoes and walked over to the bed, stepping in between my legs.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Hmmm……what to do, what to do……" I said running the palms of my hands over the cloth covering his abdomen.

He laughed at me and leaned down to whisper something in my ear.

"We are all alone for the night…." He started as he kissed along the side of my neck. "No one to interrupt us…."

He continued to run his lips down to the hollow of my throat and onto the exposed portion of my collarbone, causing me to tilt my head back and let out a little moan.

"Did you like that?" he asked innocently as he looked up towards me.

I shook my head and he chuckled against my skin, sending the vibrations through my chest.

"Good."

His hands slid up my arms to my shoulders and he slid one of the straps of the dress to the side as he continued kissing the upper portion of my chest.

I gripped onto his biceps as he knelt down on the floor, running his hands along the silky fabric on the underside of my breasts.

My breathing picked up as I could feel his warm breath through the thin fabric, running along the top of the neckline. Every touch was heating my entire body up, and it was making me ache for him. All of the negative thoughts were fading away with each soft caress and I was losing myself in his touches.

His hands slid up the front of my dress and softly pushed on my shoulders, laying me back against the soft mattress of the bed.

Jacob sat back on his heels and brought his hands down to the tops of my feet. I sighed and closed my eyes as I laid back in the pillowy softness, enjoying his warm hands on my bare skin.

Slowly he trailed them upwards, massaging the skin on the backs of my calves, lightly running over the ticklish soft skin behind my knees, and around to the front of my things. His breathing had become labored, and I could hear the steady thump of his heart begin to increase as his hands continued their path upward.

His thumbs grazed along the sides of my panties, and his palms flattened out once they reached the flat skin on my stomach, applying the lightest amount of pressure. I was sure that my chest was heaving wildly as I gasped for breath, the familiar sense of heat overtaking my body.

When his fingers grazed along the underside of my breasts, I arched my back off the bed and his hands continued their upwards movement, my dress being pulled up from my body in the process.

The rough skin of his palms grazed over my taut nipples and I hissed when they continued their path upwards once again, the tips of his fingers finding my collarbones and tracing along them.

My body was almost completely exposed to him, and I squirmed when his lips began to trail upwards with his hands, starting just below my belly button. My breathing was ragged and erratic as his hands moved back down slightly, hooking on the bottom hem of the dress and drawing it upwards.

I lifted my shoulders, allowing him to remove it from my body, and opened my eyes to look at him. His lips were pulled into a lazy smile and his eyes were hooded, clearly with desire, as he leaned forward and captured my lips with his own before he threw my dress from the bed.

I tentatively moved my hands to the buttons on his shirt, attempting to free them from their tiny holes with my trembling fingers. Once I had undone a majority of them, Jacob broke the kiss for a moment and pulled his shirt up over his head, throwing it over his shoulder before he leaned back towards me.

Instead of bringing his mouth to my lips, he nudged my jaw with his nose, so my neck was exposed to him. He began to leave wet open mouthed kisses along it, down to my collarbone and back up. He paused at the space of soft skin behind my ear and darted his tongue out to lick it before he blew warm air out of his mouth onto it. The sensation was amazing as he returned his lips to me, pulling the lobe of my ear between his lips, nipping lightly with his teeth.

I whimpered as he sucked it into his mouth harder and arched my body towards him, begging for more.

"Please?" I practically moaned as his hands ran up and down my sides in a torturous pattern, never quite touching where I wanted them the most.

Jacob smiled against the skin on my neck, snickering lightly as he gripped me by the hips, moving me backwards on the mattress. Once I was in the center of the bed, he leaned away from me, appraising his work, his eyes taking in my entire semi-nude form.

"You are so beautiful Ness, I love you so much."

I sighed and reached my arms out towards him, my hands barely reaching the button on his jeans.

He shook his head at me and stepped back, reaching down to remove his socks. I pouted at him and he smiled widely as he returned his hands to the button on his pants. He slowly pushed the button until it slid through the hole and returned his fingers to his zipper. My gaze was transfixed upon his hand as he slowly drew it down, excruciatingly slowly.

Once the last tooth had been unhooked, his hands moved back to the waistband of his jeans, hooking his thumbs into the fabric of his boxers as well. His eyes bore into mine, darkened significantly by his emotions, holding me in them as he slowly drew the fabric down his hips, revealing the graceful v of his pelvis.

I let out an involuntary gasp as the fabric drew down over his hips, revealing his very erect manhood. He smiled at my reaction, obviously enjoying my response to his body, as he bent over slightly, pulling them both over the lower portion of his legs before he stepped out of them completely.

My eyes flickered between his and his hips as he slowly strode the few feet back to the bed. My heart was threatening to beat out of my chest in anticipation of what was to come. Even though it had only been less than a week since I had been with him last, I felt like I was truly taking in the beautiful planes and taut muscles of his body for the first time.

When he reached the edge of the bed, he placed his hands flat against the fabric of the bedspread and slowly pushed them upwards, one on each side of my body, but not touching me. I was still panting and my legs were twitching as I could feel the heat emanating from his body as he leaned towards me.

As his hands became level with my hips, he slowly trailed them inwards, sloping up the sides of my them, hooking his fingers in the soft fabric of my panties, tugging on them lightly, teasing me as a small grin became evident on his face.

"Please?" I begged, as his hands slowly began to peel the cotton from my skin. I shifted my hips upwards as he drew them down my legs, his warm hands leaving trails of fire down them.

Jacob chuckled at me again and shook his head, continuing to be amused by my pleading.

Once my last article of clothing had been removed, he placed his hands on the tops of my legs, slowly pushing them apart as he leaned over to pull himself up on the bed, hovering over me.

As his hands reached the juncture of my thighs, he pushed his thumb lightly against my opening, earning a moan from me as I pushed my head against the mattress, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. Even that small of a touch increased the wetness that had been building since he began to taunt my body.

Jacob scooted himself up the bed on his knees, and then settled himself in between my legs as he moved his hands to the back of my thighs, bending my legs and pulling them around him.

I tightened my grip on his hips with my thighs and squeezed. He grunted and I could feel him rub lightly against my entrance, spreading out the moisture with the tip of himself.

He leaned down towards me, moving his hands up to the sides of my head to support himself as his chest pressed tightly against mine. His soft skin was brushing up against my breasts, causing me to tighten my grip on his hips once again and arch myself towards him.

"I love you," I whispered as I ran my hand along the side of his face and into his hair. He leaned into the touch and moved his mouth to the side to kiss my palm before he leaned down further towards me.

His lips were soft and warm against mine as he slowly ground his hips into my center, still teasing me, with the head of his erection.

After a few moments, he parted his mouth slightly and ran the tip of his tongue along my lower lip, asking me for permission to deepen the kiss. I gripped onto the back of his head tightly as I turned mine slightly, my tongue darting out to meet his.

He groaned at the sensation and slowly pushed his hips forward, sheathing his head inside of me. I moaned softly and leaned my head to the side panting as his lips brushed along my cheek and down to my jaw, his hot breath fanning out over my face.

Jacob laid there running his lips over my skin softly for a few minutes and then he leaned one arm down on his elbow, supporting his weight, as his other ran along my side and slowly moved to cup the backside of my hip.

I was gasping for air as his lips lightly sucked on the tender skin behind my ear and he pushed himself forward once more, gripping my hip tightly as he entered me completely.

"Oh god, Ness, you are so warm," he panted into the side of my neck as I arched my chest towards him.

He laid there softly rubbing his lips along my neck as he rotated his hips against my center, filling me completely.

The tension was building inside of me as he slowly, almost tortuously, drew himself out of me, almost completely, before he thrust himself back inside of me. I whimpered as he continued his slow pace, rocking his hips against mine each time he was fully inside of me.

"Faster," I begged as I leaned up to whisper in his ear.

He turned his head and lifted it back to mine as his pace quickened, his strokes becoming more deliberate and hard. His lips lightly brushed against mine as his heavy breaths fanned across my cheeks. I was intoxicated by his scent, it was enveloping me as his body merged with mine.

I slowly slid my hands down his back, lightly grazing my nails along his muscles as he kissed my lips more hungrily as his pace increased once again.

When my hands reached his hips, I unhooked my legs and placed my feet flat against the mattress as I reached down to cup his bottom. I squeezed lightly as I pushed my pelvis up to meet his strokes and he groaned against my lips, nipping at my bottom lip with his teeth.

I pulled him against me more roughly as he thrust into me harder, arching his head backwards to let out a guttural moan. His grunts and pants were stirring me on as I leaned my head towards him, sucking on the skin of his neck as I clung to him.

I could feel the muscles inside of me tensing as he continued rocking his hips, grinding himself against me with considerable force. He let go of my hip and splayed his hands flat against the mattress on either side of my head as he arched his back away from me.

The new angle was hitting me in just the right place and I threw my head back against the mattress with force as I arched up to continue to meet each of his strokes.

After a few more thrusts, I could feel my muscles tense again as my orgasm took over my body. I grasped onto Jacob as my back arched off the bed and I cried out in pure ecstasy. My legs were writhing against the mattress as my walls clamped down on him.

His thrusts became more frantic as he spurred on the aftershocks of my orgasm and I could feel his entire body tense against mine as he called out my name, his hot release spilling into me.

The look on his face was one of pure pleasure as he withdrew himself from me and flung himself against the mattress beside me on his chest, curling his arm around my waist and pulling me against him.

I turned my face to look at him and he was panting loudly; his eyes half open and glazed over.

He looked so serene as he basked in the afterglow of our love making, and I reached my hand into his hair, rubbing his scalp lightly as I tried to calm my own breathing. He hummed in approval as I continued running my fingers through his sweaty locks, closing his eyes tightly as his grip on my waist tightened.

We laid like that for a few minutes, just enjoying being next to each other before I yawned loudly, exhaustion overtaking me.

Jacob's eyes cracked open and he chuckled at me as he pushed himself up off the mattress.

"Let's get you to bed," he said as he reached to the head of the bed to pull down the covers.

I reached my arms above my head and stretched as a series of yawns came out of my mouth; causing more silent laughter from Jacob as he leaned over to cradle my body in his arms.

He turned me around to place my head on the pillows and laid me against them gently as he bent my legs and slid them underneath the covers. I closed my eyes and pushed my head against the pillow, reveling in the softness, as he pulled the covers next to me down and slid himself in beside me.

He laid his head on the pillow next to mine and reached over to pull me into his side, gently placing my head on his shoulder. I threw my arm over his chest and squeezed lightly as I placed a small kiss on the skin over his heart.

Jacob sighed and whispered words of love to me as I felt the sleep overtaking my body. I could feel him relax next to me right before I fell asleep and soft snoring filled the air.

When I awoke to the sound of an alarm the next morning, I groaned as I buried my face into the soft skin of Jacob's shoulder. I didn't want to awake from my dreams, they were no longer nightmares anymore, and they were somewhat comforting.

Jacob shifted me slightly and slid out from underneath my arm as he got up from the bed, placing a soft kiss to my forehead before he left. He walked over to pick up his pants and pushed a few buttons on the cell phone to shut off the alarm he had set so we wouldn't miss the first ferry of the day.

As I heard him move around the room, the soft rustling of clothing being pulled on filled the air as I returned once again to thoughts about my dreams from the previous night.

They were dreams I had experienced before, but somehow they felt like they were more memories than dreams.

I felt like I was actually running through the forest as I chased the tiny little bronze haired boy through the brush. He was giggling cheerily, soft tinkling laughter filling my ears as I started to catch up with him, the sun filtering through the trees to glint of his tanned skin.

As usual, Jacob appeared from behind a tree and scooped him up in his arms, tickling his sides as I caught up with them. This was usually where my dream ended, but suddenly, Jacob reached out to grab my hand as he held the boy with his other arm, and I saw his face for the first time as Jacob pulled me into his side.

His features were almost identical to Jacob's but he had my full lips and the most shocking emerald green eyes I had ever seen. I tried to reach out to him, but just as I almost touched the little curls on top of his head, the alarm had sounded and jolted me from my dream.

I groaned as I rolled onto my stomach and punched the pillow next to me. It was such a sweet dream, I really wished that I could have continued it, but I knew that we had to return to the family soon. We were lucky that we even got this much time away from them to be alone.

"Ness, you need to get dressed, it's already a quarter until six, we need to leave soon."

I groaned and rolled back over, shifting myself along the mattress until I reached the side of the bed. I threw my legs over the edge and used my hands to push myself up as my feet touched the floor.

Jacob smiled as I walked across the room naked to retrieve my new clothing from the shopping bag near the couch. I was glad that I didn't have to wear my old clothes again, they smelled horrible and I cringed at the thought of who's scent probably still lingered on them.

I grabbed my underwear from the floor and pulled them on before I began to pull the jeans over my legs. Even though I had exerted myself the previous night, I was not sore anymore, but I still didn't feel like myself. I grabbed a camisole from the bag and pulled it on before I threw my t-shirt on over it. It was a sage green color with a logo printed on it, and it was surprisingly soft.

Once I had adjusted my clothing, I walked into the bathroom to see if they had deodorant in their little basket of wonders. Jacob was attempting to wet down his hair so it didn't stick up in every direction and smiled at me as I bent down to look for the deodorant.

I pulled it out of the basket and opened it up, inhaling deeply before I moved to put it on.

As the scent entered my nostrils, my stomach clenched and I dropped the deodorant to the floor, throwing my hand over my mouth and bolting towards the toilet. The nausea was overwhelming as I dropped my knees to the cold tile of the bathroom floor and pulled up the lid. I heaved violently into the bowl as I held onto the seat to keep myself from falling over.

Jacob rushed to my side and scooped up my hair, holding it behind my head as he rubbed comforting circles on my back. The bile in my throat burned as I tried desperately to catch my breath, my stomach twisting again in another wave of nausea.

I leaned back over and the rest of my stomach contents appeared before me as I tried to hold myself up.

Once the clenching subsided, I sat back on my heels, and Jacob knelt behind me, pulling my head against his chest as he ran his hands up and down my arms. I closed my eyes and tried to regain my composure as my breathing slowed down.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I nodded my head and groaned as the vile taste of my actions permeated the inside of my mouth. I always hated getting sick, and somehow regurgitating human food was much worse than blood. The drugs that Alexei gave me must have still been working their way through my system.

We sat there on the bathroom floor for several minutes before Jacob began to stand, holding onto my arms as he pulled me up. Once I was fully upright; he moved his hands to my hips to steady me as I made my way towards the sink. I leaned over and splashed some cold water in my face, taking a drink and washing out my mouth.

I felt better once I had stood there for awhile; taking several cleansing breaths and I decided that I could forgo the deodorant for the day if I was going to have that kind of reaction to it.

I straightened my clothes back out and turned around to a very concerned looking Jacob standing in the opening to the bathroom.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" he said as I walked over to him and put my arms around his waist, laying my cheek against the soft cotton of his shirt.

He rubbed my back and sighed as we stood there quietly.

"We need to get going, your father will kill us if we manage to miss another ferry," he said, chuckling to himself. I guess we never had the best track record when it came to getting to ferry stations on time.

I released him and walked back into the room, rounding up my discarded clothing from the floor before I shoved it all into Jacob's duffel bag. He pulled on his shoes and handed me mine as I sat down on the small couch. I pulled them on and tied the laces, and he held his hand out to help me up.

We checked the room one last time before we left, and then headed down to the lobby in the elevator. During the ride down, I leaned into Jacob's side as I fidgeted with my engagement ring, the tiny emeralds glinting in the dim lighting of the elevator.

Once we were on the main floor, Jacob made his way back to the check in desk to check us out as I sat down in a comfortable chair by the main entrance. After a few minutes, he came over to me, helped me up, and put his arm around my waist as we made our way out the sliding doors of the hotel.

I was sad that this would be the end of our time alone together, but I was anxious to get home and see my family. I was sure that now everything was back to normal, Alice would be dying to begin planning the wedding.

The rental car was waiting for us when we walked out the door and the valet tossed the keys to Jacob as he held open the passenger door for me. His injuries seemed to have healed completely and he no longer needed the assistance of the sling for his shoulder.

Jacob got into the car and we made our way the few blocks back to the ferry station. This ferry was much longer than the one from Port Angeles, and we wouldn't be making it back to Victoria until well after ten thirty.

Once we pulled into the queue of cars waiting to load, Jacob hopped out and ran up to the ticket window, paying for our fares.

It didn't take long after he returned to the car for the ferry to begin loading, and once we were safely parked in the lower level of the boat, we made our way up to the top deck to enjoy the rest of the morning sunrise.

It was just after six thirty, and the boat was scheduled to depart at seven.

The front of the boat was empty as I walked up and leaned myself against the railing, staring into the dull gold of the horizon as the sun peeked up off in the distance. It cast a brilliant orange reflection into the water on the bay, and it was breathtaking to watch.

Jacob walked up behind me and placed one hand on either side of me and pressed his chest into my back, resting his chin on the top of my head. I felt so small in his embrace, but his imposing stature had always been somewhat of a comfort to me, he was my protector.

We stood there silently as we watched the sun move its way up into the sky, the only sounds we could hear were the soft hum of the thrusters, coupled with our breathing and our steady heartbeats.

I leaned my head back against his chest and closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply enjoying being this close to him. I would spend everyday wrapped up in his arms if I was given the choice.

Jacob pulled his hands from the railing and rested them on my stomach as he leaned down to kiss me lightly on the cheek.

I sighed and leaned my face against his as he rested his chin on my shoulder, his soft breath tickling my cheek as he exhaled.

The deck of the boat began to become more crowded as people made their way out to enjoy the morning sun. I barely noticed any of them as I leaned into Jacob. We were lost in our own little world as the boat began to make its way towards our home.

As we moved out into the open water, people began to make their way back inside as the crisp air whipped around the boat. It was becoming a chilly fall day, but the cold didn't bother me as I was wrapped up in Jacob's heated frame.

We could see small schools of fish and the occasional dolphin darting around in the waters of the boat and whenever one would get close enough, Jacob would nudge my cheek with his nose to point me in the direction to see them leap through the water gracefully.

The time passed by quickly as we traveled closer to Victoria, and I smiled brightly when I could see the Inner Harbour come into view. I never realized that I had missed it so much until that moment. Victoria was the city in which I fell in love for the first time, and no matter how many times we moved, it would always hold a special place in my heart.

Jacob slowly and softly stroked a small sliver of skin just above the hem of my pants as we closed in on the harbor.

I closed my eyes again and enjoyed the cool breeze on my face as we waited.

As I was standing there, a faint fluttering sound, which reminded me of a heartbeat filled my ears and Jacob halted the motions of his hand, and stiffened behind me.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered hoarsely in my ear as he splayed his hand out on my stomach underneath the soft cotton of my shirt.

I nodded my head and furrowed my brow as I tried to figure out where the sound was coming from.

"What is it?" I whispered as Jacob pressed a little more firmly against me.

He pulled his head up from my shoulder and turned me around, leaning me against the railing of the boat and kneeling down in front of me.

He pressed his ear against my stomach and gasped as his eyes darted up to mine.

"What?" I said, slightly panicked by his strange actions.

"You…..it……it's coming from inside you," he stuttered as his eyes widened.

I frowned at him. "What the hell are you talking about Jake?"

He pressed his ear against my stomach again and then stood up, pulling the small black cell phone from his pocket, he pressed a few buttons and held it up to his ear with a worried look on his face.

I could hear a voice come through on the other end as I my heart pounded loudly and I tried to figure out what was going on, but somehow I knew that something major was going to happen in our lives as my hands held onto my stomach tightly.

Edward POV

The plane ride back to Victoria from LA was pretty uneventful as we all sat in silence, not really knowing what to talk about. Bella was angry with me for sending Jacob and Nessie to Seattle, but I needed to get them away from us while I talked to Carlisle.

Jasper hadn't said one word to me about her possible pregnancy, but I could hear him thinking about it in the airport as he tried to assess Renesmee's emotions. She had been feeling everything in a more intense state since we had rescued her, and it was making him suspicious that maybe Alexei had been right.

I wasn't sure what to think about the possible implications of something of this magnitude. Bella's pregnancy had been hard enough on the family, and we had absolutely no idea what this kind of thing would mean for Nessie and Jacob. They had genetics working in their favor, but we still didn't know what the baby would be.

Nessie's body was much stronger than Bella's due to her breeding, but we had no way of knowing what would come of this until the pregnancy progressed a little further.

"What are you thinking about so intensely?" Bella asked as she squeezed the hand of mine that was resting on her thigh as we made our way through traffic in the Vanquish on our way back to Langford.

I didn't know if I should tell her about our daughter's pregnancy yet since we hadn't confirmed it. I definitely needed to seek Carlisle's guidance when we returned home, which is why I had sent Renesmee away for the day. The last thing we needed was her overhearing that conversation if it wasn't a valid claim.

Alexei obviously hadn't said anything to her before we got to them, and she was completely in the dark as to her potential condition.

"It's nothing love, I just need to speak with Carlisle when we return home. I was thinking about what I need to ask him, it's nothing of importance as of right now."

She scoffed at me, obviously detecting my lie, but I didn't want to upset Bella. I wasn't sure how she would react to me telling her she was possibly going to become a grandmother. Bella had never expected to be a mother, much less a grandmother.

Bella had matured considerably in her thirty years, but she was in no way ready to be a grandmother at that age, immortal or not.

"Fine, don't tell me, I will find out eventually," she said with distain in her voice.

"I promise I will tell you if it comes to fruition Bella, I am not intentionally keeping things from you. I will let you know what is going on after I talk to Carlisle this evening."

She sighed and fixed her gaze out the window next to her as we continued to make our way home.

We were the first ones to make it back to the house in Langford, and I sighed in relief when Carlisle's Mercedes was in the garage when we got there.

"Bella, why don't you head to our house and take a nice warm shower, I will be over once I speak with Carlisle."

I got out of the car and made my way over to her side, holding the door open for her as she exited. She had a pout etched on her features and I leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss as I brushed my fingertips along her cheek.

"Don't you try to dazzle me Edward, I expect explanations later," she huffed as she headed out the garage door, and broke into a run towards our house.

I made my way upstairs and to Carlisle's study where I could hear the faint sounds of keys being hit on the keyboard of the computer.

I knocked softly on the door as I reached for the handle, slowly pushing it in to find Carlisle seated at his large desk.

"How can I help you Edward?" he asked as he turned around to face me.

It is good to see you son, I am glad that you are home safely.

"I need your help Carlisle. Something unexpected has arisen, and I am not sure what our course of action should be."

He stood up from his chair and walked towards me, enveloping me in a hug and patting me on the back, before motioning for me to take a seat on the leather sofa along the wall. He sat back down in his chair and motioned for me to continue.

"I am not sure if it is true, but I suspect that Renesmee is pregnant. Alexei, one of her captors was going to terminate the baby, at least that is what he said when we found her. I am not sure if it is true, I detected no heartbeat, but her actions have led me to believe as much is true," I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Well Edward, we won't be able to confirm anything until I perform an examination on her, but it what you are saying is true, I have a feeling it will be a vastly different pregnancy than Bella's."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, as I met his concerned gaze.

"What should we do about this? I am not exactly sure how to tell my own daughter that she is pregnant. Jasper is the only other person who knows."

"You haven't told Bella?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"No, I didn't want to worry her if it was false, she never would have let me send Renesmee and Jacob to Seattle if she knew, but I didn't want to risk either of them overhearing us."

Edward, you need to be honest with your wife, but I understand, Renesmee needs to know about this first.

"I know, I feel horrible for keeping this from her, but I didn't know how to tell her, I don't know what her reaction would be to this. You remember her behavior after the imprint."

"She's not a newborn anymore Edward, and they are getting married, it is a very different set of circumstances. You need to tell her soon."

"I will, I just wanted to figure out what to do about this first."

He sighed and then leaned towards me; sliding his chair across the floor and placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Edward, when Nessie and Jake return from Seattle, I will perform an exam on her, and then we will know how to proceed."

"Thank you Carlisle, we will wait for confirmation before I talk to Bella about it, no need to worry her uselessly."

Whatever you think is best son.

I stood up from his study and made my way back to the front of the house. The rest of the family members had made their way back to the house. I could hear their thoughts as they relaxed into their bedrooms for the night.

I made my way out the front door and ran through the woods to our home, where I would spend the evening with Bella. We had both had a stressful couple of days and I was looking forward to being alone with her again as man and wife.

The next morning, my nerves were alight as I drove the Land Rover through the city, making my way towards the ferry station to pick up Jacob and my daughter. I had successfully avoided revealing the topic of my conversation with Carlisle from Bella by distracting her all night, but I knew that I would not be able to hold her off much longer. She knew that I was hiding something.

As I pulled the car up to the curb at the waiting area parking for the ferry line, I saw the boat approaching in the distance. We would only have to wait a few more hours before we found out for certain if my suspicions were true, and I honestly didn't know what I wanted the outcome to be.

Renesmee was an adult mentally, but I was not sure if she was ready to become a mother. She truly was Bella's daughter, and I was sure that she would love her child unconditionally, but it was not an easy situation to be put into.

Before I could get out of the car, Bella's cell phone rung loudly from the center console and I reached over to pick it up. The caller ID flashed that is was my cell phone, and I hoped that they had made it to the boat, I wasn't looking forward to waiting longer to get this whole situation sorted out.

"Hello?"

"Edward," Jacob's panicked voice filled my ear. "I think something is wrong……with Nessie…something is very wrong Edward, hurry."

A/N: I know I know, another cliffhanger, you should all be use to these by now……since I am a pro at them. Don't worry, you will get your fill later on this week, and I know that you all suspect what is going on……