A/N: I feel a bit evil after I left you all for a few days on a cliff hanging. So, here's an update!

Also . . . if anyone would like to read my newest story I just put up this evening, head over to my profile to check it out. It's a Nessie/Jake fic (Who's surprised). 17 years post BD, BUT plot twist . . . they actually did have a war and Jacob lost Renesmee to a guard member while on the run. Idea popped into my brain during my shower *shrugs*

Review, my friends! Let me know what you think. :)


Chapter Twenty-Three – They've Come For Her


it sung like a violent wind
that our memories depend
on a faulty camera in our minds
and I knew that you were truth
I would rather lose
than to have never lain beside at all

- death cab for cutie, what sarah said

oOoOo

Jacob ripped me from the arms of my frantic human friends, who clawed at me while yelling my name. The sound of the baby's screams rang in my ears as he dragged me out the door and pulled me into the yard. Blood was trailed all throughout the white snow. He stepped away from me and undressed, tying his shorts to his band before exploding into his russet wolf form. I hastily slipped on my sneakers before climbing onto his back. I wasn't even fully situated before he took off towards the woods; howling into the sunset sky.

Sobs wracked my body as fear began to set in. They had found us after only a few short, blissful weeks. Alice said we had years. What did that mean of my family's fate?

I could smell the sweet scent of Vampire in the air, and knew they were close by. How many? How many of them came for me? Where was the pack? Were they fighting?

I felt the impact of a rock solid, icy body. The impact sent me flying from Jacob's back; catapulting me into the air. My blood curdling screams could have been heard by the whole state, I'm sure.

I landed with a crash against the tree, feeling my body snap it upon collision.

"Jacob!" I brokenly screeched, my eyes opening as the vampire and I hit the ground. I looked around frantically while I was lifted off the ground by my throat. His red eyes glowed with rage.

I looked past his cloaked shoulder to see Jacob in human form, unmoving.

"JACOB!" I sobbed with a gasping breath.

I saw a flash of tan and the arm holding me in the air was ripped away from my throat.

Seth!

I hit the ground and scrambled over to Jacob. I shook his limp body furiously. My shaking hands grazed over his bare skin, hoping it would elicit some reaction.

"Nessie." He croaked out weakly. His eyes cracked open to glance at me for a moment, before the sound of Seth snarling distracted him.

He let me help him stand, but shoved me back behind him as soon as he was upright. "Nessie, you have to go! I need you to run!"

"I won't leave you!" I begged as I tried to pull him back towards me, but his feet were firmly planted. "Please, Jacob. Don't make me leave."

Hot tears were running down my face in a steady stream, blurring my vision of Jacob's sinewy back and the chaotic fight in front of us.

His head glanced at me over his shoulder with a deep set furrow between his brows. "I'm not asking, Renesmee. I'm telling you." He looked back to Seth, who was clearly beginning to tire. "Go, just go! I love you, please. I was born to do this. I have to protect you. Go, now! I'll catch up!"

He screamed as he looked back at me for a brief moment, before lunging towards the vampire. He phased mid air, leaving me alone while he tore the vampire off of his pack brother.

Tears fell down my face furiously as I ran, turning my back on the two of them wracked guilt through my conscious. I tried to listen for as long as I could. My ears straining to hear their barking and growling the further away I got. I nearly froze when I heard a loud yelp – from Jacob. I sobbed outwardly and pushed myself further, sensing I was falling deeper into the forest.

I wasn't sure how far I had run, but I was growing tired. My pounding heart was thudding so quickly and loudly; I thought I was surely on the verge of a heart attack. I tried to keep myself focused on my tennis shoes hitting the ground as I ran. The thudding of my heart soon was drowned out with the loud padding of my feet.

The rhythm of my heart grew calmer as I fell into a steady pace, darting between fallen trees and rocks. My surroundings blurred past me, as did the crickets chirping, the birds singing, and the ocean slapping against the nearby shore. I had yet to lose my footing, surprisingly.

Jacob was blaring through my mind; anxiety over his ability to protect himself at the forefront. That vampire was ruthless with his methods, nearly killing me in his pursuit. His ruby eyes were strictly predator. I shuddered violently at the thought.

Was he Volturi? Jacob hadn't told me that; he only said they're here. That meant they came looking . . . and had to be angry.

I felt my ankle collide with a hidden root, and tripped forwards. My face collided against some rocks, causing me to groan as I rolled over onto my back.

My chest heaved up and down as I laid there staring at the canopy of pine trees above me.

I sat up and brushed myself off, touching my sore ankle tenderly with a wince before glancing up at the scent that wafted over my face from the blowing winter wind.

A different vampire, but a vampire none the less.

"Shit, shit." I gasped to myself as I scrambled off the ground and took off. I glanced behind me and could see in the distance a blur of white coming my way.

I ran faster, and decided to change my course. I pushed through grass and bushes before exploding onto a rocky shore in front of the ocean. It was definitely not La Push – but I was still in Washington. I looked around, unsure of how to proceed.

I was lost, scared and alone with a vampire hot on my heel.

Great.

And – Jacob . . . could be gone.

I let out a shaky breath and took off again, despite the throbbing in my legs. I wanted to collapse. I wanted to give up.

I looked behind me. I saw and sensed nothing, so I decided to dive into the icy ocean with a deep breath. I swam deep against the strong current, hoping the intense waves would wash away my scent. I opened my eyes while submerged in the salty water, peering around me. Which way to swim? I had five minutes, tops, that my lungs could withstand being under water.

I swam quickly, trying to stick North. I broke out through the surface with a gasp and looked around. Green was still around me and I inhaled deeply, only smelling salty water and sand along with the usual Earthy smell that surrounded Washington. I paddled towards shore, and recognized I maybe swam about five miles from where I was before. I pulled myself weakly out of the water and collapsed onto the rocks. I know I shouldn't stop, but the pain in my body broke me from the need to get up and run.

A few drops of rain hit my cheeks and I growled.

"You've got to be kidding me." I hissed under my breath, and rested my head against the jagged ground. I looked towards the tree line, and pursed my lips. The rain could keep my scent hidden if I kept going . . .

I choked on a sob that shocked me when it errupted from my throat. I pulled my knees to my chest as the rain poured down on my already soaked and tired body. It was freezing, stinging my flesh with every pelt. Goose bumps rippled across my skin and a shiver escaped my chattering teeth. I was rarely cold; but right now I was feeling it for more reasons than just the weather.

Where was my Jacob? Was he . . . was he dead?

I recognized I had limited options when I squeezed my eyes shut. I could continue to run, and hope not to be found. I could go back and probably run into the vampires, or lay here and hopefully die of hypothermia (unlikely) before the vampire found me (likely).

None of those options were ideal, although the dying of hypothermia was a tempting option . . . but not plausible or tempting enough.

I forced my eyes open and looked to the tree line; there had to be something I could use as shelter while I rested. I could search, maybe come across some sort of log big enough for me or a cave. A bed would be nice, but that was definitely not out here. I needed to hunt if I wanted strength to move on, but my legs were in no mood to move. Not strong enough to run, and too weak to kill anything bigger than a squirrel it felt like.

I felt doomed.

I dragged my body along the ground, feeling extremely defeated in this moment. Usually, I adored the rain but lying in the icy cold storm was definitely not on my only-happens-in-movies bucket list as Seth liked to refer to it. I picked myself up and tried to calm my chattering teeth as I worked my way towards the trees. I caught the scent of some sort of animal immediately, and nearly cried for joy.

Food.

I searched the thick of the trees until my eyes landed on a bear moving slowly towards a den in the distance.

I blurred forward, the scent of blood giving me strength. I lunged in after it into the cave but froze when I heard squealing cries.

Damnit. It was a mother and that was my number one rule when it came to hunting.

No mothers and no babies.

The bear turned back to my presence and let out a ferocious growl, forcing me to stagger backwards. My legs throbbed as I jumped into action and pushed myself away, back out into the pouring rain.

The bear was right on my heels, snapping and growling.

Since when are bears this fast or am I just that tired? I saw a low branch and lunged towards it, my legs wobbling beneath me. I slid in the mud, and fell forward. I grabbed the base of the tree for support and scrambled up, heaving my body onto a branch so I could climb upwards.

I growled at it in warning, causing it to back down and huff. The bear lunged onto the tree and began to climb towards me.

"Give me a break!" I whined, and shimmied down the branch. I dropped down, my hands coming in contact with the bark and swung my body into the air. I watched as the bear remained in the tree while I took off.

I listened to my surroundings and grew impatient, all I heard was rain and I smelled nothing but the soggy scent of leaves and mud. I slowed my pace and found myself walking with slumped shoulders.

Time passed and soon night fell, my eyes were growing heavy but I knew I shouldn't stop. I walked aimlessly for hours, in no real direction with no real drive. My mind was playing all my memories of Jacob on loop, as if I never would see him again. I was alone. No family, no Jacob.

I was beginning the feel the effects of being freezing cold, and wet. Ice began to form in clusters over my skin and clothing. I tried to pull my cardigan tighter, and cursed myself for not wearing a coat. The rain was seeming to let up, but was being replaced by fluffy snow. The idea of hypothermia began to feel a bit more plausible now. I growled venomously at Washington's wretched weather.

I continued to stomp through the dense pine trees, mutting several curse words under my breah. I usually never felt cold or sick.

But for the first time, I was feeling both.

I grasped a tree as I heaved up the contents of my last meal, my fingers crushing the bark beneath my nails. I slumped my forehead against the tree and felt myself giving up.

My sense of direction was usually very good, but for all I knew in my current state of mind, I was going in damn circles. I thought I passed this particular tree before, but truthfully every tree looked the same in this endless spread of green.

The silence of the night struck me as odd as the snow fluttered to the ground around me. It was beginning to stick as the temperature continued to plummet.

I had gone North; North was Canada. I had to be close, right? I sighed, finding myself wishing for my friend Nahuel in this moment. He always had knowledge on the weather, direction, environment; he lived outside and I did not. The one time we visited his home land, I got us lost trying to insist I knew where we were going in the jungles he grew up in. I frowned to myself at the melancholy I was feeling from my memory.

Nahuel could lead me to my Jacob.

My head slumped back against the tree as I looked up at the canopy of green, now turning white from snow.

"I did this." I mumbled to myself, knowing my existence was the reason for all this heartache. I should have just gone with Aro when he offered as a child.

A snap of a twig brought me out of my thoughts, and I thought I could smell Jacob . . . It was difficult with how runny and clogged my nose was from the climate.

"Jacob?" I asked, hopeful. Scrambling to my feet as fast as I could, but a loud snarling caused me to stumble back.

The bushes rustled, and out jumped a muddy Jacob in wolf form.

I fell to my knees with a relieved sob. "Jake!"

He phased back and had me in his arms within seconds, holding me tighter against him than he had ever held me.

"Ness - you're freezing, honey." He whispered as he lifted me off the ground and cradled me in his arms tightly against his body. "I found her!" Jacob calls into the darkness of night

Not a second passes before my family blurs into the clearing, each and everyone of them. My teeth are chattering so intensely my vision of them is blurry, forcing me to believe I'm seeing things.

"Daddy, Momma." I croak out with a horse voice, shuddering against Jacob. He pulls me tighter into his chest.

I feel a blanket drape over me cautiously, and squint to see it was my Aunt Rosalie who did it. She looked at me with deep set concern on her porcelain face.

"We're here, love. You're not seeing things." My fathers smooth voice tells me as he gazes at me from a few feet away with my mother clutching him.

I wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug them, but I knew my body needed Jacob's warmth right now more than anything. Instinctively my hands clutched onto the soft blanket. I definitely needed warmth.

"Yes, Renesmee. When you're warm and out of this weather, I promise."

I nodded feebly and rested my cheek against Jacob's bare chest. I closed my eyes briefly and inhaled, "I thought I was going to die without you."

Jacob took off in a jog, but I didn't have the energy to ask where we were going.

"Home, mama. We're going home." He whispered against my hair.

With a whimper, I peered down at my hands with bleary eyes.

"My hands aren't touching you, ha - you can read minds now." I mumbled with a delusional smile right as I felt darkness encase my vision.


I groaned and squeezed my eyes tighter.

"She's coming to."

"Nessie, baby? Nessie, I'm right here. You're alright."

I swallowed to satiate my dry throat and groggily moved my head back and forth to the sound of Jacob's voice. I shifted a bit, and felt hot arms encased around me.

My eyes flashed open as I turned to see Jacob right next to me, in a bed I didn't recognize, in a room that smelled like my family.

I blinked and looked around, taking in the faces I dreamed about nearly every night.

"Momma, Daddy!" I yelled and scrambled to get out of Jacob's arms.

He refused to let go for a moment, and I noticed daddy frown at Jacob.

"She's not going anywhere, Jacob." My father said with slanted eyes. Jacob's grasp loosened and as soon as I was off the bed, I was in their conjoined embrace that I missed so very badly.

The feeling of their cool smooth, marble like skin calmed me instantly; making me feel safe and whole again.

"Oh, Momma." I sobbed, clutching to my mother tighter and burying my face in her mahogany waves.

I missed you more than you know.

I sent both of them with my gift, and relayed all the times I thought about them.

They looked exactly the same from when we said goodbye in September, yet drastically different.

"It appears, well - we quite missed domesticality." Daddy answered my thoughts and kissed my temple.

I looked around the room between their heads at where we were. It was a bedroom; one I recognized from pictures of my parents. We were in Forks, in their old home in Daddies old bedroom. The room seemed to be to be surrounded by greenery with little spots for light to peak through, something I had always dreamed about seeing. It looked exactly the way momma described it. I was comforted to notice a faint glow casting in from the early sunset through the wall of windows.

I looked at each and everyone of my family members, meeting their amber eyes happily. Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett were sitting on a sleek white sofa bed against the glass, and I noticed books stacked high on the floor next to them. A few lamps were dimly lit and I peered at the warm and eclectic artwork that hung from the walls. it all made for creating an relaxing environment.

Or that was just my Uncle Jasper.

I glanced at my blonde uncle who adverted his sheepish gaze to my Aunt Alice.

I let out a happy, tearful chuckle while I pulled away. "Are you staying for Christmas?"

My parents furrowed their brows in unison, but Momma smiled through it. She was hiding something.

"Renesmee -" My father began as he reach out towards me with a crooked smile that looked all to guilty.

I narrowed my eyes and stepped back. Jacob's hot arms encased me from behind and lifted me back into the bed. "Yeah, Edward. Are you?" Jacob said with a dark laugh against my hair.

"Is this about the vampires Jacob killed?" I pressed with a narrowed glance. "Tell me."

My voice was demanding and bold.

"Someone put a muzzle on that dog." Aunt Rose hissed while she blurred to a stance.

I felt my body seethe with hot fury at her disrespect for Jacob.

"Don't talk to my Jacob like that!" I screamed surprisingly loud, forcing all of my vampire relatives to flinch at my pitch.

"Renesmee, sweetheart." Momma began with a sympathetic smile, trying to divert me from any further outbursts. She gracefully slid down to her knees and grasped my hands with her own, cool ones. "We need to tell you something."

I began to feel panic constrict my airways. Was it Seth?

"Seth's fine." Daddy told me calmly, and stood behind my mother. Jacob's grasp tightened around me as his whole body stiffened being in this close of proximity of my parents.

"Renesmee . . . we didn't tell you the truth." Momma said softly, her amber eyes sparkling with tears that would never fall.

"What's going on?" I growled impatiently as the panic soared through me.

"The Volturi are coming, Renesmee. They want you."