A/N

"Life Sucks" just passed 500 reviews! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Thank you so much to everyone that has ever reviewed this story, especially to the ones that faithfully R&R each new chapter. I LOVE you guys!

I am not Stephenie Meyer, I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 36: Homeward Bound

~***~

"But I don't want to stay in your room! I want to sleep with Alejandro!" Luca was distraught and pitching a hell of fit. Nessie actually felt sorry for her. Until… "Nessie and Jacob are not married and they sleep together!" Crap! Way to go Luca.

"Not tonight, they aren't. Nessie will sleep in our room." Edward was in full-blown protective parent mode and Nessie was not happy about it.

"I'm sorry Daddy, but that is not your decision. I have been sleeping with Jake for weeks and I am not going to change that just because it offends your Victorian sensibilities. We aren't having sex…" Jake, Edward, and Bella groaned. Emmett and Embry snickered. Leah just rolled her eyes. "Well we aren't!" Nessie stomped her foot. "Even if we were, it's none of your damn business!"

"It is permissible for Luca to share my bed. She has not had the procedure yet."

"What the hell are you talking about Alejandro? What procedure?" Jasper was also in protective parent mode. It seemed once he accepted the task of socializing Luca, he also accepted the role of surrogate father.

"You know, the procedure that makes sexual intercourse safe for virgin hybrids."

"WHAT!" Everyone was shocked and confused except for Edward, Luca, Alejandro, and Marcus.

Edward groaned and looked like he might gag. Marcus enlightened everyone. "Due to the unique physiology of hybrids it is safest to surgically rupture the…"

"ENOUGH!" Jacob roared. Nessie felt light-headed and dizzy. This was something she had not considered. She knew that Carlisle had taken care of her mother's obstetric needs during her pregnancy and now that he… was gone… someone else would have to help her when she and Jake started their family. Since they weren't planning on getting pregnant right away, Nessie assumed her mother or one of her aunts could get a medical degree in time to manage her pre-natal care and deliver their babies.

It sounded like she would be needing the services of a vampire OBGYN before her wedding night. Edward was the only vampire medical doctor Nessie knew of and there was no way she would allow her father to perform that procedure.

"Don't worry about it Love, we'll find someone qualified. Edward looked at Nessie with compassion. "Marcus, who did Aro use for these… procedures?"

"The human fertility specialist he recruited for the 'Progeny Project'. Unfortunately, the man perished during Caius' attempted coup d'état."

"I am qualified to perform the procedure." All eyes fell on Morgan. "I am actually a pediatrician but did quite well during my OBGYN rotation as an intern."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marcus was incredulous.

"You didn't ask, and it never came up." Morgan shifted baby Carl to her other breast and ignored the excited buzz created by all the whispering vampires.

"Is it painful?" Nessie wondered, not realizing she had spoken out loud.

"Oh yes, it is extremely painful." Nessie and Luca both cringed at the same time.

Luca had tears streaming down her face as she held her arms tightly across her belly and rocked back and forth. "Sorry Nessie. It isn't really. The doctors use pain medication first." As soon as she apologized; Luca drew in a huge breath and exhaled with obvious relief.

"Luca, it does not amuse anyone here when false information is used to cause unnecessary stress or fear in the heart of another." Jasper admonished her with patience and kindness.

"I'm sorry Jasper. I won't do it again." Luca obviously felt better, but her eyes were still spilling tears down her cheeks.

"That's a good girl, darlin' I know you are trying hard and Alice and I are very proud of you." Nessie fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Jake gave Nessie a squeeze and whispered, "It's okay, Nessie. You don't have to do this."

She put her palm on his cheek and let him know ,in no uncertain terms, that she would do anything to make the physical expression of their love possible.

"I mean it Ness, I can wait as long as you need. I love you… "

"I know, Jake. I love you too." She said it without thinking. Was that was the secret? Speak before you think?… Maybe Emmett could give her lessons.

~***~

It was a stressful night for everyone. Alice and Jasper forced Luca to stay in their room. Every time Jasper lessened his emotional control over her, Luca cried for Alejandro. Every time he heard her cry, Alejandro begged and pleaded with Jake to let him go find her.

Leah argued with Embry until he agreed to spend the night alone with her, which meant…

Sophie cried for Embry, George cried because Sophie did, and baby Carl cried because… well, because he was a baby.

Nessie sat in the bed across from her parents listening to all the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. She refused to sleep and glared at them until it was time to leave for the airport.

They had to get there before sunrise since it was going to be a sunny day. Everyone was exhausted. Even the vampires that never slept seemed out of sorts. Once again everyone divided into small groups for the journey from the hotel to the airport. This time Nessie didn't have any problems, probably due to the three bags of blood she drank before they left. Everyone agreed it was too risky to attempt to smuggle stolen blood into the airport.

The chartered jet was luxurious. Nessie and Jake took full advantage of the oversized and fully reclining seats. Jake pulled her close and she slipped one of her legs between his. Nessie put her palm on Jake's cheek, kissed him soundly, and replayed her fantasy of giving him a massage.

"Mom! Shield our thoughts. I am in no mood to listen to Daddy hiss and snarl all the way to Washington!" Nessie decided she had been more than accommodating by giving in last night and not insisting she stay with Jake. They were both asleep within minutes of takeoff.

When she woke up with her back pressed against Jake's belly, Nessie was sweating. Sometime during the flight they must have shifted positions entangling their arms and legs. One of Jake's massive thighs was across her hip with his lower leg wrapped around her and tucked between her ankles. Nessie was cradling his forearm against her chest as if it were a baby.

Jake moaned her name in his sleep and slid his open hand down her chest until he spanned both her breasts with his splayed fingers. Nessie gently but firmly pulled his hand back up to her face and kissed his palm.

"Mmmm… Nessie…" He almost growled her name and pulled his hand back down the front of her body… this time rubbing and kneading her belly as he rocked into her backside.

"I don't care if he is asleep, Bella. He's going to be unconscious or dead if he doesn't get his filthy hands off my daughter!"

Crap.

~***~

It was completely dark when they landed in Seattle. And cold. Nessie shivered when she first exited the aircraft. Jake wrapped his arms around her from behind and she was instantly warm. It felt so good to be cocooned in his embrace—safe, warm, and… ah-oh…

"Give it a rest, Edward. I am tired of having to keep my shield up all the time. What were your thoughts like once we were engaged?"

"I know, I know, but… she's my daughter!"

"Yeah, well she's my daughter too and soon she is going to be Jake's wife so like I said. Give it a rest." Nessie felt a thrill run down her spine when her mother said "Jake's wife".

Apparently Jake liked the sound of it too. He squeezed her, lifting her feet off the ground and whispered in her ear. "Soon Nessie, very soon." Nessie was glad Jake was holding her securely because her knees completely gave out.

Nessie's heart stopped when she spotted the two female vampires wearing long black coats. Volturi! She realized her mistake when Esme broke away from the group and ran—much faster than she should have—straight for them and fell into their arms.

Of course… Garrett, Tanya, and Kate would be there to greet them.

Nessie didn't have time to process what was wrong before Jake pushed her roughly behind his back and started to shake.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE!" Jake roared, scattering other passengers and even a few security guards.

Garrett called over his shoulder, "We'll meet you at the car," as he and Kate ushered Esme away from the commotion.

Nahuel?

"NAHUEL!" Alejandro also abandoned all pretense of using human speed as he closed the distance to his half-brother and wrapped his arms around him. Nahuel looked shocked but to his credit he just patted the boy's back and looked questioningly at Tanya.

"Surprise Sugar!" Tanya smiled at Nahuel who beamed back at her. He finally pried Alejandro's arms off his waist and pulled back to study his face. "His name's Alejandro, he is your half-brother and this is..." Tanya faltered, not quite knowing how to introduce Luca.

"Luca is my mate." Alejandro proudly announced, pushing his underdeveloped adolescent chest out like a peacock.

"Not so fast, Son. You need to slow down and hold your horses. Luca is too young for you to be claiming her as your mate." Jasper was definitely in parental mode.

"No, I am not too young." Luca argued. "If Dr. Oliver had not died before my procedure date, I would have been given to Adamo before I even met you." Luca shivered involuntarily and Nessie remembered with a shudder of her own why she should be kind and patient with the girl.

"Why do you refuse to give her to me? I desire her and she desires me." Alejandro's face paled and his eyes widened in fear. "Do you plan to give her to another?" His demeanor changed instantly. His dark eyes flashed with anger and he balled his hands into tight fists. "Or do you mean to keep her for your own pleasure!"

"No! No, of course not. All I'm saying is that she is much too young to be 'given' to anyone. That's not how we do things in this family. Once you both are physically, mentally, and emotionally mature then you may choose your mates. It has to be a mutual decision. You and your mate must choose each other. Do you understand me?"

Alejandro nodded solemnly. "Yes Jasper, I understand."

Nessie studied Nahuel from behind the safety of Jake's back and wondered if he might try to win Luca for himself. He hardly took his eyes off Tanya and Nessie felt that as long as Tanya did not grow tired of him, Nahuel would not be a threat. He seemed to be making a special effort to avoid looking at Nessie or Jake; and that was just fine with her.

Tanya took turns hugging everyone and Nessie noticed both Nahuel and Bella narrowed their eyes when she seemed to hold Edward a little too tightly and a little too long. "Oh Edward. I'm so sorry for your loss. Carlisle was such a dear, sweet man and I will miss him so much." She looked like she was going in for another hug but Edward pulled Bella into his side under his arm.

"Look at you Renesmee! Oh my how you've grown!" Tanya pulled her out from behind a growling Jake and wrinkled her nose as she drew close to embrace her. Nessie knew that Werewolves smelled bad to vampires, but she was still insulted by Tanya's disgusted reaction to Jake's scent.

As soon as Tanya released her, Jake pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Nessie noticed he was taking quick shallow breaths through his open mouth. Maybe Jake had gotten used to her family's scents but could not tolerate other vampires. Or maybe it was just an act to return the insult.

~***~

Nessie's stomach twisted with anxiety when she spotted Sam, Emily, Paul, Rachael, Jared, Collin, and Brady. They were here to take Jake's pack to La Push but why did they all come? They looked extremely tense and Nessie realized they were uncomfortable around her family and friends even though they were good vampires.

"QUIL!" A pretty, young girl with long black hair pushed between Emily and Sam and ran straight to Quil. She had grown so much, Nessie didn't recognize her at first. Quil dropped his bag and closed the remaining distance in less than a second. He grabbed her under the arms and tossed her into the air before nearly crushing her in a bear-hug. Claire wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck then cried, "Oh Quilly, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Claire Bear. You have no idea." Quil closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Nessie knew he was savoring her scent. When he opened his eyes they were locked on hers. Quil silently mouthed "thank you" before he turned and walked to Sam's group. Nessie once again felt a small stirring of pride for her part in making this reunion possible. She also felt a pang of nostalgia for the way she and Jake used to be like Quil and Claire. She didn't want to go back to just being best friends, but she did miss the easy, effortless way they used to relate to each other.

"JAKE!" Rachael pushed Nessie out of her way and wrapped her arms around her brother. Nessie tried not to let it bother her, but damn it that was rude. Jake laughed and hugged her back. She is his sister. Of course he is happy to see her. I have no right to feel jealous.

"Oh my gosh, Rach! When did this happen?" Jake was grinning his face-splitting-ear-to-ear smile, but he was not smiling at Nessie. This smile was for his sister. Nessie gritted her teeth when Jake placed his huge hand on Rachael's round belly. She knew she was completely irrational but she was jealous. Horribly, blindingly, seeing-green, jealous.

As soon as she saw an opening, Nessie wormed her way back under Jake's arm, but he hardly noticed. He was completely enthralled with his sister's pregnant belly. "Hey Paul! Congratulations Man! This is awesome!"

Nessie had never felt intimidated by Jake's size. Ever. He was by far the largest of the group, but when she noticed Jared, Sam, and Paul's intense stares, she cowered against Jake's side. He gave her a reassuring one-armed hug, but his attention was focused on the other men.

Sam gripped Jake's shoulder. "We need to talk." His eyes darted to Nessie's for a split second before staring meaningfully at Jake. "Alone." Jake nodded in agreement, and Nessie felt another wave of jealousy and resentment wash over her. Already the Quileute's were trying to separate her from Jake.

She clung to him possessively even when Jake tried to unwrap his arm from around her shoulder. "Nessie let go. I'll be right back." She felt like he punched her in the solar plexis. Her breath escaped in a sudden "whoosh" and she couldn't remember how to inhale.

Nessie couldn't believe that Jake willingly left her standing alone in a crowd. She could forgive him for deserting her while they discussed their urgent and secret pack business. She could overlook a few minutes of back-slapping conviviality and joking around with his friends. But when Jake continued to ignore her, feelings of jealousy turned to betrayal.

What if a human got too close and triggered an episode of blood lust? What if Nahuel suddenly took an interest in her and tried to kidnap her again? What if she decided to just leave with her family and the people that really loved her without saying good-bye. Would he even notice?

Nessie turned and walked away from the boisterous and obnoxious group of Quileutes. She wrapped her arm around her Mother's waist and tried not to cry. "Renesmee Love, where's Jake?" She just shrugged her shoulders, not trusting her voice. She put her palm on Bella's cheek and replayed the last fifteen minutes.

Edward frowned and Nessie knew he was watching the rerun in Bella's mind. He pursed his lips and nodded. She didn't like this feeling of "Us versus Them". What ever happened to "Nessie and Jake" and nothing else matters? Hot tears stung her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The sound of Jacob's gleeful laughter pierced her heart. He still hadn't noticed she was gone.

"Jasper." Edward whispered so low Nessie barely heard him, but Jasper's pure vampire ears got the message. Edward looked meaningfully at Nessie then nodded at Jake. Jasper paused and Nessie knew he was reading her mood.

Jasper winked at her, and then turned his back.

"NESSIE!" Jake's booming voice sounded panic-stricken. "NESSIE WHERE ARE YOU! Let go of me Sam. NESSIE!"

"Jake is getting close to phasing so you better let him know you're safe." Bella smiled and gave her a little push in the right direction.

"I'm over here Jake." She muttered under her breath. His head snapped up and he crossed the crowded room in two giant strides. He pulled her roughly into his chest and pressed her head over his pounding heart.

She was still angry with him, but she desperately wanted to kiss him. She wanted to show that pack of dogs that Jake belonged to her. She was reaching for his face when he pulled back and glared at her.

"Nessie, don't you ever do that to me again. Do you hear me? I felt like… like you were… gone."

What right did he have to be mad at her? He was the one that pried her hands off his arm and left her all alone.

Serves you right you son of a bitch.

"WHAT? Are you mad at me?" Nessie realized too late that her palm was on his cheek. Jake grabbed her chin and forced her to look in his eyes. Her lower lip trembled like a small child's and fresh tears ran down her face.

Jake's expression softened and he cupped her head in his huge hands. He wiped away her tears and looked searchingly into her eyes. "What's wrong, Baby? What did I do?" Nessie was tempted to make him figure it out on his own, but he looked so vulnerable. Her palm was already on his cheek, so she showed him.

Jake kissed her palm and pulled her head back onto his chest. "I'm sorry Baby, you are always my top priority. You know I love you, right?" His heart was still pounding from the fright Jasper had given him, but it skipped a beat when she refused to answer him.

~***~

Jake walked with Nessie and her family to the parking garage. Jasper and Emmett had already loaded all the bags into the luggage rack on top so they were just waiting for everyone else to arrive. It took a few minutes to get everyone sorted into the two vehicles. Alice sat on Jasper's lap and Sophie sat on Emmett's, making it possible for eleven people to fit in one van.

Morgan insisted that baby Carl ride in an infant car-seat even though everyone tried to assure her it wasn't necessary since he was half vampire. You would think that one little human mother against more than a dozen vampires didn't stand a chance. They all waited patiently while Marcus fetched a car-seat from the rental booth.

Morgan and Marcus sat in the very back with screaming baby Carl safely buckled into his infant seat between them. Tanya climbed into the driver's seat with Nahuel beside her and Alejandro next to the window. Luca whined about not getting to sit next to Alejandro, but finally agreed to sit behind him. Nessie crawled in after her and scooted over to make room for Jake, but he didn't get in. He put his palms on the seat, leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Nessie, I have to meet with the council tonight. It looks like it's going to be a long meeting so I'll see you first thing tomorrow, okay." He didn't even wait for a response. He slid the door shut, tapped the roof of the van twice, and bounded off toward a rusty old pick-up truck.

Quil sat behind the wheel in the cab with Claire glued to his right side and his arm draped over her shoulder. Everyone else was sitting on a "U" shaped wooden bench that hugged the sides of the open-air truck bed. Jake vaulted over the tailgate and the truck rocked with the sudden impact. Sam and Jared were sitting on the bench next to the cab and slid apart making room for Jake in the exact center of the group. Nessie could hear them laughing and joking across the parking lot, even with the windows and doors of the van closed.

I hope it rains all the way to La Push.

~***~

A/N Leave a review before I post the next chapter and I will send you a preview.