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*Jacob's POV*
"Five minutes." I warned her. I knew she needed a few minutes to herself, but for what, I had no idea. I did, or said something that had upset her - that much I knew.
I turned to walk back to the ceremony, but wanted to stay with her and demand her to talk to me, but I grew up with sisters. I knew how they were at her age, or rather her size. Whatever was bothering her, she needed to be alone. I had to learn to respect that.
I stood at the alter, behind Paul and listened to the service. Five minutes was almost up. I knew she always took me seriously when it came to time limits. She really must be upset. I looked down at my hands, trying to figure out how I could make it up to her. I smiled when I imagined me pulling her out on the dance floor. That would make her feel better. I nodded to myself, took a deep breath, and glanced at the back of the church once more. No Renesmee.
I listened through the music playing and the echo of voices in the room as Rachel and Paul repeated their vows. I couldn't hear her. I listened harder thinking it was the beat of the piano that was drowning out her heartbeat.
My dad cleared his throat from his seat and my eyes shot to his face. His eyes were wide with concern as he stared at me.
I moved my eyes to Renesmee's empty seat and then glanced at the back of the church, silently letting him know I was looking for her.
He followed my gaze, threw my a slight smile and wheeled himself to the back of the church to bring her back in.
I took a deep breath, calming myself. She'd listen to him. He'll bring her back in.
A few minutes later my father wheeled himself back in and immediately I noticed he was empty handed.
At the same time the ceremony ended and I pushed past Rachel and Paul as they walked back down the aisle.
"I'm so sorry." I whispered as I rushed by my sister.
"Well?" I asked as I stood over my father. My arms shook, but it wasn't from me ready to phase. I was completely and utterly terrified.
"She's not here, Jake." My dad spoke slowly.
"What do you mean? Check the bathroom." I stepped around him and walked into the ladies bathroom. "Renesmee!" I called out nervously.
No answer.
"Ness?" I fought to keep my voice calm.
No answer.
I leaned against the sink, my stomach was in a knot. Every beat of my heart send a wave of pain through my entire body. It made me feel sick to my stomach. I knew the pain of heartache before. But this was worse than that. I would gladly accept the pain of a broken heart over this kind of pain.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and splashed cold water on my face to keep myself focused. "She's outside." I whispered to myself. Picturing her bouncing around the yard outside the church.
I stormed out of the bathroom and in a tight line was Paul, Seth, and Sam. Their faces were an identical mask of horror.
"What?" I snapped.
"She's not outside, Jake. Maybe you should sit down." Sam's arms were out in front of him as if he was going to catch me. It was then that I realized the room was spinning. It was spinning because I was swaying back and forth on my feet. Feet that I could no longer feel.
"I don't need to sit."
"Yes, you do." Sam insisted.
"Why?" I demanded.
"There's a scent outside that doesn't belong to any of us. It…." Sam trailed off so he could take a deep breath.
My hands balled into tight fists. I was trying to keep the panic inside. I had to keep a strong face.
Sam stepped towards me, placing both his hands on my arms to hold me upright. "Jacob, the scent disappears with hers."
"No!" I screamed out. What have I done? Why did I let her go off on her own? She was mad at me. She was hurt. I let her go.
"Jake, we'll find her."
I shook my head slowly. "No, she's fine. Call Carlisle. Call Esme… Alice has her. She went back there."
Sam shook his head slowly. "I wish that was where she went, but it wasn't the Cullen's scent."
"I'm going." I growled. The panic in me was turning into rage.
"You can't go! Jacob, we don't know where she went." Seth tried reasoning with me.
"Jacob!" Alice's high pitched voice froze us all in place.
"Easy, he's not stable." Jasper warned her.
"Of course he's not!" She hissed back at him and hurried over to me.
"Alice! Did you find anything? Where is she? You know? How could she get away like that? How could I let this happen? I need her back, Alice. We need to get her back!" My questions rolled off my tongue. I didn't have control over my pleading. I knew I was being weak in front of everyone. But my whole world was crashing down around me. The reason for my existence was missing. I couldn't function without her. I couldn't breath.
"Hey, hey," Alice spoke quickly, stepping between Sam and I so she was directly in front of me. "We'll find her."
"Bella. Edward. Bella…" I trailed off. They put her life in my hands. How could I let them down? How could I let Renesmee down?
"Esme is going to contact them if she can get through." Alice spoke soothingly.
I turned to face Rachel, tears in her eyes. "I have to go." I whispered through my own tears.
She nodded and hugged me. "I hope you find her, Jake. I'm so sorry." I stepped away from her and she shoved Paul in my direction. "You have to go help him."
"Rach," he looked around at the guests standing silently around us.
"If it was you missing, I would do anything in the world to get you back. I couldn't image the pain he's feeling right now, Paul. Help him find her. He needs you more than I do right now. That little girl needs you more than me."
"I love you." Paul spoke quickly and leaned in to kiss her.
I closed my eyes and turned away. My feet were moving before I told them to. I was flanked by the entire pack of wolves.
It felt weird to be running with the pack again. But I was still only connected to Sam. He kept his mind open so I could see the others, and know if someone got to her before I did.
Sam was right though. Her scent ended by the road. She got into a car.
I snapped my teeth together, growling. I knew the scent. It was Eli. I flashed the image of him in my head for Sam to give the others.
He was interested in her. It's his scent now. I know it.
Where would he have taken her? Sam repeated Seth's question for me.
I don't know. I don't know! I didn't know where he was from. I didn't know where he could be going.
We ran until the sun began to rise. I heard Alice's faint cries as she called my name. I threw myself forward, running as fast as I could to reach her.
When I arrived at the Cullen's house, they were throwing bags into Carlisle's car.
I growled impatiently.
"Edward sent me a vision. She was brought to them." Alice choked out.
I snapped at the air in front of me. Today was the day I would take down the volturi.
"We're going, too." Alice nodded, agreeing with my unspoken words.
I hurried around the corner and phased back, throwing on my suit pants and slipping my arms through my white button up shirt. I didn't bother to button it up as I hurried back into the garage.
"How long will it take to get there?" I asked.
No one answered me. I figured it would be too long for me to handle. So I didn't ask again.
"We're ready, bro." Sam said as he walked into the garage with the rest of the pack behind him.
I shook my head. "We've lost too many for you to come along now. We're attacking on their land. They're going to be ready for us."
"She's a part of us because she's a part of you, Jake. We protect a pack brother's imprint just as he would. We'll bring her back home, and we're going to do it together."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Thanks." I whispered.
It seemed to take forever to get to Italy. It was dark when we arrived. We ran in silence, everyone focused and ready. The guards outside the gates were easy to take down.
"Some guards." Alice grumbled as Sam and I finished them off.
"You guys have to walk through in human forms. There's not enough room." Jasper informed us.
I nodded and we quickly phased and put on the same clothes we wore to the wedding.
"Alice, stay behind us. You know they want you to join them. If you don't have to get involved, then don't." I told her.
She nodded and slumped back with Esme, letting Carlisle and Jasper lead them.
I was at the front, leading everyone through the halls.
I started to run when I could hear Renesmee crying and Bella screaming for Edward.
We burst through the door and Renesmee's eyes shot open to look at me. In the instant she saw me, it was obvious the entire world was listed from her shoulders. She smiled despite the fact that Eli and someone else was holding her.
I scanned the room for Bella and Edward. They were both on opposite sides of the room. Each of them being held back. Edward was still as he watched me, but Bella had to idea. She was still thrashing herself, making it very hard for the three huge vampires that were holding her, to keep her in their grasps. I was sure if they could sweat, they would be.
"Well, well, well. Didn't expect you to come." The leader, Aro, I think, stood up and walked slowly towards me.
I tried keeping my trembling under control. I wasn't going to fight in front of Renesmee.
"How did you find her so quickly? I was very careful with my planning." Aro said as he paced in front of me.
"She's not yours. She belongs in my care. Hand her over and you can live." I decided to start with a compromise. I didn't want to scare Renesmee.
"But her parents broke the rules, therefore she belongs to us know."
"Like hell she does!" I growled.
"Let me go!" Renesmee growled. I was startled by her fierceness that I turned away from Aro to look at her.
Aro laughed lightly. "Go on, let the little one go. She can't get far."
"Jacob!" Bella gasped just as Renesmee was let go. I half expected her to run towards either Edward or Bella, but she flew across the room and leaped into my arms.
I hid my face in her hair as I tried keeping my sobs under control. Luckily mine were drowned out by her own.
"Make this quick, and let her go. You're services as her caregiver are no longer needed." Aro's voice sounded far away. I was focused on Renesmee, safe in my arms.
Her arms were locked around my neck and she whipped her torso around to face Aro. "Back off!" She barked. Her voice was startling. Anger erupted from her that I have never seen before.
"You can say your goodbyes, little Renesmee, but you belong in our care now. It was discussed the day your dog took you and ran. Your parents promised to stay with me as long as you were left alone. If they didn't, well, you would join us as well."
"That was never the plan!" Bella growled, throwing her body again.
"But is was, young Bella."
Renesmee wiggled in my arms and I placed her on her feet, keeping my hands on her shoulders.
She took a step away from me and I stepped with her. She was the one to take the protective stance in front of me as Aro spoke to Bella. She was protecting me…
I glanced over her dirty torn dress and slipped my button up shirt around her. She didn't seem to notice me putting it on her.
Aro turned back towards me and Renesmee crouched down even more, growling. He laughed at her and leaned down so he was at her level.
"I wont harm him."
"I don't believe you." Her voice was sharper than blades.
"There's no reason to not believe me, child."
"Leave Jacob alone!"
I couldn't believe the change in her attitude. I expected my innocent Renesmee to be this terrified mess, instead of the strong-willed little girl standing to protect me. I could tell Edward and Bella were both trying to grasp that as well.
"Well, I see a few we would love to have stay with us." Aro was looking directly at Alice.
"In your dreams." Alice grumbled. "I know for a fact that you're not going about this the right way, Aro." She stepped through the line and stopped when she reached me. Out of instinct, my arm shot out to stop her from going any farther. "Never have you forced someone to join you here. It's against your rules to hold an immortal child under your watch. You going to raise her to drink human blood? To be the immortal child you go around and destroy? He's giving her a human life where she's learning the values of growing up in the human world. You take her in and vampires everywhere are going to come down on you, thinking you created something you fought so hard to destroy in the past. You want to start that war again, Aro?"
He was silent for a moment as he stared at Alice, then looked down at Renesmee. She had him. He sighed deeply and knelt in front of Renesmee. "You may leave with your dog, but it's your parents who hold your life in their hands. They made me a promise."
"We'll stay." Bella said quickly.
"Why?" Renesmee sobbed. "What's the big deal? Because she can protect you? Because his mind reading gift is better than yours? It's not fair!"
"Life's not fair, child." Aro answered her.
Renesmee took a deep breath and shoved her hand in his. My hand tightened on her shoulder and she reached behind her and took my hand with her other. She let me see what she was showing him.
She was pleading with him through her visions. She was showing him how much it hurts her to be without her parents. She's wondering if he would be upset if he were to lose his most proud members of the guard, and making the connection to her loss. Her vision's changed and they became a warning. How angered she is that I have to stand here in danger. Her final image was a promised one. She imagined herself older, standing with her parents and I as we watched a pile of ashes burn. Her innocent mind couldn't place faces in the fire, but she envisioned black cloaks.
"I will take that into consideration, little one." Aro sighed and stepped away from her. Such a vivid gift you have. I've read many minds in my time, but none so lively as yours," Aro sighed, deep it thought about something.
"She'll never walk in your shadow!" Edward growled.
"Well that would be her decision once she becomes of age." Aro shrugged and stepped away from us.
"Release." Aro said with a wave of his hand, and Bella and Edward were let go. "For the child, to prove to her that I'm not evil, say goodbye." He said and turned back to look at Alice, sighing heavily. "Do think about joining us. You all could be together again."
"It's just a matter of time before you let them go, too." Alice hissed.
Aro smiled warmly and backed out of the room. "Watch them!" He called over his shoulder as he left.
As soon as the door shut, Bella and Edward both darted across the room. Renesmee was in both their arms before I could blink.
"I'm so sorry you had to see this place." Bella said as she rocked her in her arms.
"It was worth seeing you, though." Of course Renesmee found the light in this situation.
"Stick close by Jacob, please." Edward begged her.
"I will, daddy."
Bella hugged her tightly and whispered something into her ear, so low that I couldn't hear.
Renesmee smiled and nodded. "Okay," she answered.
Bella placed her daughter back on the ground and leaned into Edward as she raced back to my open arms. Tears streaming down her dirty face.
I locked my arms around her and walked up to where Bella and Edward were standing. I kissed Bella's cheek. "I'm so sorry about all of this."
"He had us all tricked… even Edward." Bella said softly. "I don't blame you."
Edward nodded, agreeing with her. "But don't let it happen again." He added.
"I swear." I vowed.
"Love you." Bella forced a smile and touched my cheek, then dropped her hand to Renesmee's back.
"Love you, too, Bells." I spoke through my tears and backed out of the room.
The rest of the pack engulfed me in a tight circle with Renesmee locked in my arms.
I glanced at the rest of the Cullens as they spoke quietly with Bella and Edward, before I walked away, once again, leaving my best friend behind.
