Chapter 7: Family

Nessie's POV

Jacob's father stopped several feet away from me. He looked at me in curiosity. Like if he was trying to figure me out. He must've known my mother and since I look so much like her my appearance must've shocked him.

"Who are you?" he simply asked me.

"My name is Renesmee," I answered. "So you are Jacob's father?" I heard Jacob groan from somewhere within the car.

"So Jacob is here isn't he? I thought I saw him and heard him talking,"

"Yes he is in this car right here," I indicated toward my car. "But Jacob has this idea in his head that if he ducks and cover you will not find him," I heard Jacob groan even louder and say something about me "betraying him," as if being reunited with his father would be such a horrible thing.

The old man just shook his head. "Never thought I would live to see the day that Jacob came back home. Not after all these years," The sadness in the old man's voice nearly had me in tears. Just a few sentences into this interaction I could see just how heartbroken Jacob's father had been all this time. Whatever Jacob had done didn't mean anything to him anymore. He just wanted his son back.

"How did you find my son?"

"Technically he found me," I corrected. "Its kind of a long story that I don't really want to get into. But Jacob found me and helped me. He's the reason we came here,"

He just shook his head. "Let him know that if he's interested in seeing me he can come home any time he wants,"

I heard Jacob move inside the car. Then slowly, but surely he emerged from the car. Having finally gathered up the courage just to face his father. Or maybe it was just something about his father's words that inspired him to get up and face his father.

"Jacob?" the old man started crying as soon as he saw his son.

"Dad?"

Just like that I was watching two grown men crying. Whoever said grown men could not or should not cry were idiots. Everyone regardless of gender had emotions. Seeing them cry made me feel like crying as well. I turned away just to give them some privacy.

In that moment though there was only one thing that was clear to me. Jacob's father had forgiven him a long time ago for running away. He just wanted his son back. He just wanted to see Jacob again before he died.

Sarah crawled into my lap and I had to hold the girl tight to stop her from leaping outside. She reminded me of my own children. Always so overly curious and excited. She turned her head and looked at me pleadingly. I couldn't help but wonder what went through her young, intelligent mind. When I thought about the kind of loss she has already experienced in her short young life it made me hurt deeply for her. I lost my own kids and she lost her mother. If there was one thing we had in common is that we've both experienced deep, profound loss.

I loosened my grip on her and she immediately jumped out. She startled Jacob's father when she ran right up to him and started sniffing him. Jacob grabbed ahold of her before she could accidentally hurt the man.

"Who is this?"

"This is my daughter,"

"You're what? She looks so young,"

"She is only two years old. Her name is Sarah,"

"Two years old and can already phase?"

"Not exactly dad. Leah and I were both wolves when she was conceived. Leah gave birth to her as a wolf,"

"So she has been a wolf her entire life? But that is impossible. Nothing in our stories-"

"She's unique dad. Leah was the first woman to ever phase in our tribe's history so it makes sense that we never thought of what phasing would be like if you'd been born in wolf form,"

"Wow. Just wow," he said. "I have a wolf for a granddaughter,"

My heart melted as I watched grandfather and granddaughter get to know each other. For the millionth time that day I felt like crying again. This time it would be tears of happiness.

"Jacob I'm happy to see you again and I'm happy that you're back but why? Why did you finally come back after all this time?"

"I'm helping Nessie over here that's why. Remember that baby that Bella had 26 years ago?"

"The one that died you mean? Yes I remember her?"

Wow. A lot of people had been duped into believing that I was dead. I wondered how many people had fallen for my father's lies. How much damage had my father done with his lies.

"She's not dead. Edward lied. This is her. I'm trying to help her find the Cullens and I thought that maybe Charlie might know something,"

They both looked at me long and hard. I felt suddenly very self conscious. I hated it when people stared at me for no apparent reason at all.

"That would explain why she looks like Bella. Look there's going to be a bonfire tonight at the beach. Charlie and Sue will be there with the rest of the tribe. You three are more than welcome to come tonight,"

"Thanks dad,"

"Just happy to have you home son. Everyone will be interested in Sarah as well. Where is Leah? Is she with you? Sue has missed her as much as I've missed you son,"

Jacob hung his head low. "She's been missing for months now and I have no idea what happened to her,"

No more words were said after that. I guess what else could be said to that. I vowed right then and there that I was going to help Jacob find Leah as well. He was helping me so much the least that I could do was help him and his daughter in return. That's the least those two deserved after all they were doing for me.

We didn't do much after that but just hang out. Billy, as I had learned Jacob's father's name was, decided to keep us a surprise. Just to see everyone's reaction when the three of us suddenly showed up at the bonfire later. I loved seeing Billy, Jacob, and Sarah together. It made my heart melt with happiness for the three of them. Just because I could not be happy doesn't mean that I could not be happy for them.

At night we walked through the woods. Just Jacob, Sarah, and I. Billy had to be there ahead of time. I followed Jacob's lead and soon I could see a fire up ahead with people surrounding it.

"Wow everyone certainly got older," Jacob stated.

"Well what do you expect it has been 26 years,"

"No. I mean when we actively shift into wolves we don't age. I've always known that everyone else had quit shifting years ago but to see everyone in person. Looking much older than I look. Only makes it more real I guess,"

No one even noticed we were coming. That was until Sarah stopped and suddenly decided to start howling at the moon. Then suddenly everyone's attention was on us. It was so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop.

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