A/N: This is Renesmee's second/fifth birthday. Hope you like it!

September 11th, 2008

I stared mindlessly at the TV, watching the Packers tight end get trampled without an ounce of interest. Emmett had the opposite reaction, practically jumping out of his seat and throwing a tantrum. I couldn't bring myself to care as I was mostly tuning out the game anyway, channeling all of my energy on dissecting the noises from upstairs. Bella, Alice and Rosalie had her up there getting ready for nearly an hour and a half and I was growing really antsy. How long does it take to dress a five year old?

I tried my damndest to be patient, knowing it was all for her party and wanting her to feel special. She loved when they all dolled her up and that sole fact kept me planted on the Cullen's living room couch, resigned to silently stewing with impatience instead of running up there to kidnap her. My only solace was her giggles or loud exclaims every few minutes. Ness didn't speak softly on a normal day, but when she was excited, her voice bounced off the walls. Today, she was turning biologically two and Carlisle determined her intellectual development to be around five, so that's what the candles said.

Edward came in to wait with us and he seemed agitated too. Neither of us did well with her prolonged absence and we were both pretty spoiled in that respect, so ninety minutes felt like an eternity. Everyone would show up in the next two hours and I know Ness was excited to see Charlie and my pack. They all adored her and since she couldn't exactly socialize with humans or go out in public, her time at La Push was an escape. She loved to play with Claire, so Quil and I took them to the beach pretty often. In the past few months, she went from simply taking things in and comprehending them to dishing out her thoughts and developed a little sass. She formed her own opinions and the guys had a field day watching her argue, so they tended to pick fights with her just to watch her attack.

With Billy, she could probably stab me in front of him and he'd clap. She had him wrapped around her finger almost as much as she had me snared. And Rach was just as whipped, though she blamed it on the pregnancy hormones. Nessie was always curious and eager to learn new things, but she was obsessed with the concept of a baby growing inside Rachel. I brought her over to their house early this week and Rach tried to put on a movie, but Nessie just rubbed her stomach and spoke to it the entire time. I figured the novelty would wear off eventually, but she had been preoccupied with the baby for over a month now and her fascination only made me love her more- which I thought was totally impossible.

Edward's growl distracted me. "Don't you dare, Rose." I jumped up, eager for an excuse to grab Ness but Edward shook his head and I slumped back down. Emmett and I were obviously confused about his outburst, so he explained with his jaw clenched the whole time.

"They wanted to put makeup on my baby." My jaw clenched too and Emmett chuckled. What the hell are they thinking? She's a little girl.

Edward seemed to settle a little at my thoughts and I rolled my eyes. Contrary to everyone's beliefs, I was in no hurry for Nessie to grow up. I was already lucky that she'd be fully grown at seven years old. I didn't need her to rush through the small window of childhood she had any quicker than she was forced to.

I heard her speaking and tuned in when she spoke my name. "Do you think Jacob will like it?" My heart swelled at her nervous tone. They all chorused back affirmations, but she didn't respond and I wanted to run up there and tell her how exceptionally beautiful she was to me. My chronically humble, oblivious girl had no idea how breathtaking she was, especially to me. Hell, she could come downstairs in a burlap sack and I'd still be bowled over by her appearance.

Before I could contemplate how to sneak up there, I heard them open her bedroom door and descend the stairs. She practically flew down the steps, but halted at the bottom, staring with wide-eyed innocence at us. Her curls were half drawn up in an elaborate hairstyle, with the rest cascading down her shoulders to rest at her waist. She was wearing a lavender, lace dress that kind of poofed out at the bottom like a princess dress. It was perfect on her. She was perfect.

She fidgeted with a portion of the lace pattern at her waist and peered warily up at her father. "What do you think Daddy?"

He beamed and beckoned her over. "You're stunning, my love. You always are, but that color looks lovely on you." She grinned and skipped over to him with her normal self-confidence. She hopped into his lap and pecked his cheek. She just as quickly jumped back down and turned like she was coming toward me, but Edward grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up. She shrieked in surprise and broke into a fit of giggles. It was the best sound I'd ever heard and it filled my entire body with warmth.

She leaned into his neck and placed her hand on his cheek to transmit a thought. It drove me unreasonably nuts when she did that to other people because if she whispered, at least I could hear it. I was a complete hypocrite, because she did it to me all the time and I felt smug knowing her secrets and hearing her thoughts no one else had access to. She trusted me wholeheartedly and that faith was my proudest accomplishment to date.

He sighed at whatever she sent him and let her go. She walked over to me and smoothed out her dress with adorable nerves. She stared at my chest, not daring to meet my eyes. "Jake? Do you like it?"

I scrunched up my face like I was considering her question, ignoring Edward's fierce glare. "Hmm, I don't know. Can you twirl for me?" I was fighting off the grin somewhat successfully, but I know she heard the playful note in my request. She gave me a small smile and spun around in a revolving gesture, moving so fast that she blurred in front of me.

"Show off," Emmett taunted. He liked to rile her up too and she was quickly becoming a worthy opponent, so he knew he could only get away with it a little longer before she castrated him. She paused to hiss in his direction, grabbing my knee for balance as she slowed. I stared at her loose curls, swaying around her frame as she stopped and the slight blush on her cheeks from exertion.

"Yeah, honey, you're gorgeous." She gave me the 'I love you' look and launched herself into my arms, curling against my chest.

Her warm breath washed over my neck and left a tingling sensation. "Thanks, Jake." She stayed in the crook of my neck as the Cullens finished setting up and everyone settled around us in the living room. Bella came to sit beside us and her expression was strained, clearly displeased with our position but she was getting better about swallowing it. I nudged Ness and she sat up, shifting to her Mom's lap without complaint. She dozed there for a little bit and I watched the way Bella cradled her head, kissing her nose every few minutes.

Bella seemed to take her rapid aging the hardest, probably because of how dependent Ness used to be. Nessie would get upset if I left for any considerable amount of time, but it was nothing compared to the fit she'd throw if Bella left her. That phase only lasted for her first year or so and I know Bella was devastated when she stopped needing her there all the time. Most moms had at least a few years where their child was attached to their hip, usually longer if it was a girl, but Ness outgrew that immediate closeness so quickly. It didn't seem fair to either of them and it was one of the reasons I mourned her quick aging.

Ness shot up in her mother's arms when the front door swung open. She seemed a little startled, but a beautiful smile spread across her face when she heard Charlie's voice.

"Where's my little girl?" She flew across the room into his waiting arms and he staggered back. His face betrayed his surprise but he quickly recovered, scooping her up. We had warned at least a million times to act somewhat human, but whenever she was excited or angry she tended to slip.

He gave her a big kiss on the forehead and set her back down. She did a little twirl at human pace and grinned.

"Don't I look pretty?" I rolled my eyes as Charlie gushed. She knew she owned everyone in the room and flaunted it. They joined us on the couch, stuffing Charlie between Ness and Bella. He didn't seem to mind.

She put her little hand on his cheek and his eyes glazed for a moment. I gritted my teeth and tried to fight the jealousy. I knew I was too possessive but I couldn't help it. I distracted myself by watching Edward to gauge his reaction to whatever she showed Carlisle. He had a tight smile that I couldn't interpret.

"She's tattling, Bella." Edward said. Bella groaned and leaned into Charlie's shoulder. His arm immediately went around her and he squeezed her to him. When Charlie refocused, he just kissed Bella's forehead and I knotted my hands together in frustration. I wasn't used to being out of the loop and I didn't like it.

Bella poked Ness in the knee. "You're a rotten snitch." Ness immediately pouted and moved to come sit in my lap. She tended to do that when one of her parents got angry with her and I think it was out of comfort, but it only pissed them off more.

I was eager to have her though and automatically bent to her ear. "What did you tell Charlie? You can't keep secrets from me." She giggled and pressed a palm to my face.

Bella was hunched over in the red lounge chair at the cottage with a sad expression. Ness was trying to color and ignore it, but it kept bugging her until she couldn't take it anymore. She climbed into Bella's lap and kissed her cheek.

"Why are you sad Mommy?" Bella gave her a soft smile, but Ness knew it wasn't her real one.

"I just wish I could come to the beach with you and Jake." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. Ness knew she was faking.

"Why? Did you want to come swimming with us?" Bella laughed lightly at the question and shook her head.

"No, baby. I just miss my Dad a little." Ness thought about that answer and kissed her cheek again.

"Well, you can spend time with my Dad. He's pretty sweet when he's not mad." Bella laughed much harder this time and she squeezed her almost too tight.

"That's a good point. Thanks, baby." Ness heard my car pull up and hopped off Bella's lap to meet me outside. She called out "bye Mommy" and ran over to me. I picked her up and she snuggled into me, feeling warm and safe.

She pulled her head up to look at me. "I need your phone." I laughed at her and gave it up automatically. She called Edward and he answered after the first ring.

"Jacob, what's wrong? Is Renesmee okay?" She giggled at his nerves.

"It's me Daddy." She heard his sigh of relief and felt how much she loved him.

"What is it, my love?"

"Mommy needs a kiss." He chuckled and she heard a whooshing noise on the other line. The call went dead and she knew he'd be here any minute. She handed me back my cell and noted the smile on my face, making her smile.

"Okay, take me swimming."

I hugged her as the memory ended, proud of how thoughtful she was. I could never get used to watching something through her eyes. I loved feeling and seeing everything in her mind, most of all her view of me. She seemed a little embarrassed and burrowed her face in my neck.

I knew Bella was struggling with Charlie's move to the reservation, but I made a mental note to bring it up at the next council meeting. It wasn't like I could completely dissolve the treaty, but no one fought me hard when I gave Nessie immunity. Maybe Bella could visit from time to time.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Sorry, Bells. Sue and I have just been getting situated, but I can come visit more."

Bella just nodded and he chuckled. "Maybe we can throw Renesmee a party every time I come since she's growing like a weed." Ness perked up at that and blew Charlie a kiss. I went to ruffle her hair and there was a hiss from across the room.

"I'll kill you." Alice warned me. Ness went rigid in my arms and I felt her coiling like she was going to spring so I rubbed her back. Even when it was play fighting, she didn't take kindly to anyone threatening me. I tried not to be smug about that. It didn't work.

Luckily, the whole pack walked in and she got distracted. It was comical how fast she shot out of my arms, eating up all the attention. Everyone wanted to hug her and compliment her dress. Once she greeted them all, she dragged Claire upstairs to show her the three story, Victorian dollhouse Rosalie bought her.

Quil and I watched them go with probably mirror expressions. Claire was nearing six now, so she was still ahead of Ness developmentally but Ness was the outgoing one. Claire was really shy around everyone but Quil and Nessie was the only one who could pull her out of her comfort zone. I hated separating from her, but I was getting better at it over the past few months. I knew she needed her own space and girl time with Claire less than fifty feet from me was palatable. I really tried to distract myself and headed into the kitchen. I caught up with the guys and ate some of the appetizers set up.

Embry had bailed this morning in favor of a hot date, but he assured me this one was serious. Yeah right. Seth had just started classes at Wash U and was eagerly scouring the campus, hoping to find his imprint. He was studying finance and claimed that his passion for accounting made him enroll but I didn't buy it. I couldn't blame him for searching and I might have been in the same boat if I hadn't already found my girl. He was also planning a Christmas trip with Leah, Sue and Charlie to Turks & Caicos. I tried to imagine going on a family vacation with the Cullens one day, but I couldn't picture it. Edward snorted from across the room.

When Billy, Paul and Rachel came in, I counted in my head and got to six before Ness came barreling downstairs. She ran over to Rachel and dropped to her knees.

"Hi baby, how are you doing today?" She paused like Rachel's stomach would respond and then started up again.

"Did you miss me? I bet you did. I missed you so much." She planted a kiss on the belly portion of Rachel's dress and I watched my sister fight off tears. Totally whipped. Billy's eyes twinkled watching her and I couldn't keep the grin of my face. He bent to lift her onto his lap and she snuggled into him easily. He wheeled off down the hall and I knew he was giving her the birthday gift he brought. It was one of my Mom's necklaces. It had a gold chain and a morganite teardrop gem. I didn't know a lot about jewelry, but I knew it was my Mom's favorite and Bella cried when I showed her a picture of it this morning. I took that as a good sign.

Rachel and Paul came over to me and I laughed at Rach's face. She was clearly choked up and blubbered an excuse. "I just love her so much. She's so sweet with the baby." My sister was in full hormonal pregnant lady mode, so I was just thankful it was tears today and not anger.

Rach kept going. "She's going to be such a good mother one day." I tried to shut off my mind. Be brain dead. Don't think about Nessie. Don't think about babies. Don't think about our babies. Shit.

I winced and started reciting football rosters in my head. Aaron Rodgers. Andre Johnson. Jason Witten. DeAngelo Williams. Drew Brees.

I was saved by the sound of Leah's altima pulling into the driveway. I basically ran out of the house to meet her, not daring to glance behind me. She was stepping out of her car and she straightened up as I threw my arms around her.

"Hi Leah, talk to me. Tell me about anything." She bristled under my touch, but I didn't care.

"Okay, crazy. Craig dumped me." She tried to play it off, but she was clearly upset so I gave her a real hug. I knew she was really devastated, because she didn't even fight me on it. She had been dating Craig for about a year and was convinced he was the 'one'. They were pretty nuts about each other, but she didn't imprint on him and I knew that was driving her crazy. She tried to force it and I talked her through it because I felt the same way with Bella. That all felt like a lifetime ago. I didn't want to get her hopes up, but I was still holding out that she'd find her imprint. She was adamant that she didn't have one and when things became really serious with Craig, she wanted to tell him about everything.

My first inclination was to outright refuse but I took a deep breath and tried to sympathize. Her logic was relatively sound; imprints were human and they got brought into the inner circle so why couldn't she let in the guy she wanted to be with? We went back and forth about it in the council and I fought on her side mostly because she was my beta and one of my best friends. I knew how badly she wanted this and I ached for her now, knowing it must have all blown up.

She actually sniffled against my shoulder and I tried to hide my surprise. Leah never cried. Not when she broke her elbow flying off Embry's dirt bike at 12. Not when Sam imprinted on Emily. Not even when Harry died.

"Aww, Leah. What happened? Did he really take it that bad?"

She scoffed. "He told me to see a fucking psychologist."

"Okay, so that's bad, but maybe he just needs some time." She was shaking her head before I even finished talking.

"He thinks I'm insane. It's over." Her voice broke on the last word.

"If that's really true, then his loss. You dodged a bullet." I was trying to be comforting, but she just laughed humorlessly and pulled out of my grasp.

"That's just what people who got dumped say so they can sleep at night." I chuckled too and she wiped her face with the heel of her palm. I saw her closing back off and pushing down her emotions. I wanted to stop her, but I heard Ness call out for me from the house and Leah solidified the mask.

"Come on, let's head inside before the birthday girl misses you." I just followed her up the steps and walked into the entryway to see my beautiful girl donning the necklace and a gorgeous smile.

"Look what Billy gave me. It's so pretty." Leah agreed, but Ness looked at her with an expression I couldn't interpret. That circumstance didn't sit well with me. I always knew how she was feeling. She didn't hug Leah either and that surprised me more. They weren't very close, but Ness hugged everybody.

Bella came in and said a quick hello to Leah. "Baby, we're cutting your cake in a few minutes." Ness nodded, but she seemed a little absent all of a sudden. Now I knew something was wrong. The promise of processed sugar always made her feel better and she was almost disinterested. I threw her over my shoulder and she shrieked as I carried her upstairs to her bedroom. I tossed her onto the bed and sat down next to her.

"What's wrong, Nessie?" I was even more confused when she got a sour expression and turned her head away.

"Nothing." Her voice was soft, despite her severe attitude and I wracked my brain to figure out what was bothering her. I reached for her hand to put it on my face and she yanked it away.

"I can talk, Jacob."

"So talk," I was basically pleading at this point and she scowled at her comforter, still not meeting my eyes.

"Why were you outside with Leah?" She was barely whispering and I never felt so confused in my life. I didn't even bother with a filter.

"I was trying to focus on something so your Dad couldn't read my thoughts. I heard her pull up and let it distract me."

My heart wrenched in my chest when her eyes watered. I wanted to reach out and hug her, but I settled for running a hand through her hair. She took in a deep breath and finally looked straight at me. Her lip quivered as she spoke. "You were holding her."

It all clicked in my mind as I stared at her hurt expression. I didn't consciously pull her toward me, but within a second she was pressed into my chest and I held her just gently enough to avoid crushing her. She relaxed a little against me and I stroked her hair as she calmed.

"Leah was sad, honey. I was just trying to make her feel better. Like how you hug Mommy when she's sad." She nodded into my chest and gripped my arm with her little fist.

"You're mine." The words were muffled as she spoke them quietly into my shirt and I almost thought I misheard her. I felt more than a little dizzy as they registered in my brain. You're mine.

I bent to kiss her forehead and struggled to keep my emotions at bay. "Yeah, honey, I'm yours." She didn't need any further clarification so I just held her, brushing my fingers through her curls, until Bella yelled up to us. I tried to pry her off, but she wouldn't budge, so I just stood with her wrapped around me and made my way to the stairs. I didn't want her to worry anymore tonight.

"Do I have to carry you everywhere? You're getting heavy, kid." I joked. I exhaled when she took the bait and smacked my shoulder.

"I'm the birthday girl. You have to do what I say."

"Yes ma'am." Little did she know that was a permanent arrangement.

We walked into the dining room and everyone was already gathered around the monstrous pink and purple cake. White icing spelled out 'Happy Birthday Renesmee' and there was a giant '25' underneath it.

Ness giggled. "Jake, I'm older than you! I'm 25!" Everyone laughed, except Alice who was glaring fiercely at Emmett. He caught her eye and grumbled.

"I told them to put 2/5 . I don't know what you want from me." He ducked as the pixie threw a fork at him and it stuck upright in the wall.

Bella reigned them in. "Let's just sing Happy Birthday, so my baby can eat some cake." She winked at Ness, who was basically bouncing in her chair. Edward picked her up and put her on his lap as everyone sang. When we finished, Edward poked a finger in the icing and smeared it on her nose. Ness cried out and I think Alice turned a shade of purple. I just watched my girl shove frosting right back into Edward's mouth and howled at his obvious disgust.

Billy wheeled over to my chair and clapped me on the shoulder. "So Rach and I are the whipped ones, huh?"