AN: SORRY! I know, I'm late! But this one is longer, so hopefully that makes up for it! Before we get to Chapter Six, I just want to say how happy I am that The Foster has reached 20 reviews! I know it doesn't seem like much, but I can never express my gratitude towards the people who have reviewed/followed/favorite/ read this story! It means much more than you could possibly ever understand! Now... Onto Chapter Six... Enjoy!
Chapter Six: My Nessie (JacobPOV)
She was beautiful. Even more beautiful than what I remembered her to be- more beautiful than the wildest image my boyish mind had thought up. She still had the bronze hair, so bronze that it was nearly blonde. She was the same height as Bella, still, so we knew her height hadn't changed. Which wasn't surprising. When Nahuel had come all those years ago to help stop the Volturi, he'd stopped aging at roughly six years- a year younger than Renesmee now. Her chocolate brown eyes was another thing that had changed- instead of projecting every emotion she had, her eyes were guarded, hiding the way she felt. Her facial structure had matured more, also, making her look just a little older.
Her sense of style was clearly different, too. Instead of the "pink, pink, pink!" she always wore, it seemed to be more like… "black, black, black!" It was almost like she had never known another color.
We had waited to see if she noticed anything about the Cullens- other than the weird color of their eyes. When she didn't, we decided to see if she still had her usual "Renesmee Diet"- which consisted of mac & cheese, fruit, steak, and, of course, blood. But Esme had, of course, out-do herself, yet again- making "Renesmee's Diet,"- minus the blood, though we had that handy- potatoes, salads, and cornbread. And she had made a lot. She had also invited Charlie and Sue, Billy, Leah and Seth, Sam's pack, plus Emily, and all the imprint, minus Claire, so I guess the food wouldn't go to waste.
Everybody had gotten here before I went to wake Nessie up- nobody had wanted to disturb her, just quite. We all sat around the living room, waiting on her to get down here.
"Was she awake when you went to go get her, Jacob?" Bella asked, already wringing her hands together. Edward rubbed her back. I sat next to Edward on the couch.
"She was, but I think she was asleep until I knocked. She still looked tired." I replied.
Bella nodded, and looked back down at her lap.
"It'll be alright, love." he whispered, and kissed her hair.
She nodded again.
"He's right, Bells." I told her. "She'll remember us eventually. It might not be any time soon, but in the near future, we'll have Nessie back- our Nessie." I grinned, as a small smile touched Bella's lips.
"Okay, kids, don't drink the red 'kool-aid,' okay? We want to see something." Carlisle told us, coming into the room with Esme.
"The blood?" Edward asked.
Esme nodded. "Yes."
"I want to see if she still has a draw to it." Carlisle explained.
"If she still has a draw to it? Like… If she still craves it?" I clarified.
"Exactly. She won't know what it is until she remembers what she is. We already know that her body needs the blood, but I can guarantee that she hasn't gotten any in the last two years. If she hasn't, she's probably hasn't had the correct nutrition she needs."
"Is that harmful to her?" Emily asked.
Carlisle merely shrugged. "I don't know… It could be, I guess. It is for a human," he concluded.
"And why not be harmful to her considering she is half human, right?" I asked.
"I suppose." Carlisle stated. "But Nessie could also live on human food, as well. It might've affected her differently."
Nearly every head snapped up as we heard a door close and footsteps come down the stairs.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked Sue. She just shrugged.
"Nessie's on her way down," Seth answered, a goofy grin on his lips.
"Guys, be careful about what you call her, too. I doubt she remembers who 'Nessie' is." Bella warned us.
We all nodded.
"Right," I mumbled. I didn't like that.
"Jake, take your own advice." Bella told me.
I laughed and rolled my eyes at her. "Sure, sure, Bells."
When Renesmee came into view on the stairs, you could hear the breathing of the Cullen's and my breathing stop. She was wearing the same clothes she was wearing earlier, but she had a plain black headband pulling her hair back away from her face. She wasn't wearing any shoes, either, just grey socks. She was looking down at her feet, and judging from the look of concentration on her face, she was making sure she didn't miss a step. I guess she had acquired her mother's lack of balance.
Edward laughed, causing everyone turning to look at him. He, though, turned to look at me and nodded, still laughing.
Bella looked at me. "What did you think?" she asked, only loud enough for the people who had super-hearing to hear.
I answered her in the same volume. "I'll probably regret this, but I thought that she had acquired her mother's lack of balance."
Bella glared at me. Then she swiftly reached for the pillow she was leaning against, and my hands swiftly shot up, protecting my face, as I felt it hit against my wrist. Ow! Who knew a damn pillow could hurt so much! Then I reconsidered. She is a vampire… I knew I'd regret it… I brought it on myself. I slowly lowered my arms, exaggerating a bit.
Edward was still chuckling, but stopped whenever Nessie- Renesmee!- reached the bottom of the staircase. He patted Bella's leg before standing up to greet her.
"Renesmee, I'd like you to meet some people, if you're up to it." he approached gently.
She hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Sure."
Edward lead her by placing a hand gently on her lower back. Renesmee immediately tensed, stepping away from her father's hand. He looked more confused than he did hurt as she moved.
"This is Charlie, and his wife, Sue- Bella's father and stepmother. Leah and Seth, Sue's children, Billy and Rachel- Jacob's father and sister- and Paul, Rachel's husband. Uhhh… Jared and Kim, Embry, and Quil."
Renesmee looked a little overwhelmed.
"Do you need me to repeat it?" Edward asked, seeing her expression.
"No. I think I got it… Charlie- Bella's father- and Sue, with her kids, Leah and Seth. Billy- Jacob's father- Rachel and her husband Paul- Jacob's sister and brother in law… Then… Jared and Kim, Embry and Quil."
Everybody looked at her, shocked. She still had the memory we all hated. It got us all into massive amounts of trouble with her. And nobody liked a mad Nessie. She was really the Loch Ness Monster whenever she was mad. That scary.
Jasper was the first one to speak. "You're right. You must have great memory." he told her, voicing what we were all thinking.
Renesmee scrunched her face and shook her head. "Not really… Just good with names."
Jasper nodded, and watched as Carlisle came into the room, Esme close behind him.
"Food's ready," she announced.
"Good. I'm famished." Seth exclaimed.
We all got up and headed to the kitchen. We all grabbed a plate- including the Cullens, though they took a lot less food than everybody else- except for Renesmee. She awkwardly stood by the doorway, watching everybody take their plates and load them up with food. I sat my plate down, food piled high, on the counter, and walked over to her. As I approached, she looked up and smiled.
"Why are you not eating? Aren't you hungry?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.
She shrugged, and a haunted look crossed her face, but it disappeared in a second. "I'll wait... You know, until everyone else gets their food…"
I scrunched my face. "Why?" I asked again, gently.
She just shrugged again. "Most families want that." she whispered.
"We're not most families." I told her.
Renesmee grinned tightly. "Sure."
I studied her expression as she turned back to watch the family get food. Talking to her made me happier than I'd been in years, even if she was being sort of stand-offish. But she deserved to be. She'd been dealt one hell of a hand at life the last four years.
"Why don't you believe me?" I asked.
Her answer was immediate, though she didn't look at me. "Because all families say that. 'We're different, honey. It'll be different this time, we promise. You'll never have to go back to that place.'" She rolled her beautiful brown eyes. "Then, two weeks later, I find out that they just want the money the state gives them by someone picking a fight, and the brain-to-mouth filter disappears." She shook her head, her eyes clearly not seeing the scene in front of her in this moment. "It happens once, you think it's just that family. Twice, you lose trust in the families. But when it happens every single time… You lose trust in yourself." She focuses her eyes back on me. "That's why, Jake."
"Ness-" I stopped myself and grabbed her arm- not tightly, just enough to keep her near.
"Yeah?" she asked. Though confusion flashed in her eyes, I was relieved she answered me.
Then, there was a flicker.
One minute, I was standing in the kitchen. The next, it had all fallen away at the sound of words.
"That... sounds familiar… Almost too familiar… Why… open up to...stranger? Is he a stranger?... doesn't feel like a stranger…"
I quickly looked over at Edward. He was looking over at me, victory flooding his face.
"Jacob?" Her voice pulled me out of thoughts of victory.
"Sorry, ummm…. Look, Nessie… I know you don't trust us. I also know that you don't think there's a reason to, but you need to believe me when I say that nothing will happen to you here. Nobody will let it. Everybody that's at this dinner tonight already cares for you. Don't forget that, okay?"
She looked at me for a moment, and I could feel the wheels in her head turning.
Don't trust them, Renesmee… never turns...good… you… that… Don't… -lieve him… Even if…be pretty convincible.
When she nodded, it proved to me that she didn't know this power I let go of her arm, she went to go get food. I stayed at the door wasn't my Nessie. Nessie never lied to me. Sure, there were points in her life when she'd lie to her parents, but I always knew the truth. For instance, once Renesmee stayed out past curfew. She told her parents that she stopped to hunt after going to school. However, I knew that she really went to a party. I think the only reason she told me that was because she needed a ride home after her ride had gotten totally wasted. I'm sure that she would've told me either way, eventually, though.
A growl intruded my thoughts. I turned around to face the dining table, and saw Edward glaring at me.
Oops…
Faster and quieter than what he knew Renesmee, or the other humans, could catch, he spoke. "Why have you never told me this?" he demanded.
I answered him in my mind. " I promised her that I wouldn't . You know I can't go against the imprint. Whatever she says, I have to do."
He rolled his eyes and spoke again. "Whatever… Blame it on the imprint. Whenever she remembers, consider you both grounded."
I grinned and rolled my eyes.
Everyone, excluding Charlie, Sue, and Nessie, were sharing glances between Edward and me. They'd heard his side of the conversation, but not mine, so I knew that it was confusing.
Suddenly, everyone in the room turned to watch as Nessie- who was still getting food- walked by the pitcher of blood. Nobody breathed as we waited to see what she would do. She never even paused as she did so. I let out a sigh, picked my plate off the counter, and gently prodded her. I cast a glance back at Edward in time to catch his nod.
"Renesmee, you want some Kool-Aid?" After I sat my plate on the table, I walked over to the pitcher, got out two glasses, and started pouring some into a cup, even though I didn't plan to drink it. I needed to see if she would at least try some… Maybe it'd be one step closer to her getting her memory back.
I could feel the many pairs of eyes on my back as they tried to decipher my plan.
I looked up at Nessie, and finished pouring her glass.
She shook her head. "No thanks."
"You sure?" I asked, quirking a brow, and picking "my" cup. I held it to my lips, and tried to mentally prepare myself for the horrible taste that was to come. Carefully I took a sip, quickly swallowing it. I could hear the disgusted sounds from the other wolves.
You think it was bad to watch? Try being the one to drink it.
"It's… Really… Good." I choked out.
I quickly sat the cup down, but I didn't do a very good job at hiding the disgust. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice as I scrunched up my face, involuntarily. When I looked back to the table, the packs, Charlie and Sue were looking at me with a weird mixture of shock and disgust on their face. The Cullens, however, looked like they were holding in their laughter. Fuckers. Renesmee was the only one who had a neutral face.
"God… How the hell do you drink that?!" I asked Edward.
His laughter escaped a little, which he covered with a cough. "Pretty much the way you did. Minus the face." he answered quietly.
"No, thanks, Jake." Ness said, going back to eating.
I didn't bother to pick up the cup as I walked back to the table.
"Yeah, I don't blame ya…" I said quietly. The Cullens, minus Esme and Carlisle- because, ya know, their the nice ones- were laughing at me.
"Taste good, Jacob?" Emmett teased.
I grimaced and took my seat next to Ness. "Tasted great, Emmett."
Dinner passed smoothly- smoother than what I think we'd all anticipated.
Renesmee didn't speak or do anything but eat the tiny portions of food on her plate unless someone spoke to her directly. Which is yet another thing that this Renesmee didn't have in common with my Ness. Nessie would talk about anything.
FLASHBACK:
We were sitting on our beach, listening to the waves crash against the sand, the wind blowing through Nessie's bronze waist length curls. She was curled up in my arms, her head leaning against my chest, as she faced the water. I was leaning against the tree that Bella and I would often come to before. Nessie's hands were on both of my arms, keeping the link she had open.
She had just finished her story about how awesome she thought cliff diving was. It was a weird topic to be able to talk about it for nearly thirty minutes.
"How do you do that?" I asked with a laugh. Not that I was complaining. I loved listening to her talk like her life depended on it. It was adorable.
"How do I do what?" she asked through the link.
"Oh, so now you're tired of talking, huh?" I laughed. She just nodded, and I went on to answer her. "But how do you talk so much about seemingly weird topics?"
After a moment of contemplation, she answered aloud. "Because, there are some instances when the silence gets uncomfortable. Or when people are fighting. If there's some sort of conversation going that either makes people forget what they were fighting about, or you have an awkward silence. I don't like it. Filling it up with pointless conversation gets people talking again."
"So you don't like the silence?"
"No."
"Can I ask why?"
She hesitated. "Because I think of the time the Volturi came. It was quiet most of the time as they 'contemplated our fate.' Every time it gets quiet, I think of that, and so I think of ways to make it go away. But sometimes, when I'm with you, it's okay, you know?"
I kissed the side of her head, but spoke with fierce determination. "They will never do anything to you, Renesmee Cullen. I promise you."
That was the last night I saw her.
END FLASHBACK
Until now. When I told the Cullens that Renesmee was afraid of the Volturi, and had been for years, that's the first place we looked for her. And whenever we couldn't find her there, no one had any new leads, though that didn't stop us from continuing our search.
"So, Renesmee, do you do any sports?" Emmett's voice snapped me out of my reverie, thrusting me into the conversation it appeared he had just started.
Renesmee pushed her food around in her plate. "Umm… No, not really." she answered.
"Really?" Rosalie asked, trying to keep her talking. "Nothing? Track? Basketball? Softball? Cheerleading?"
Renesmee just shook her head. "No… I actually haven't been to a school in a few months."
"Why?" Blondie questioned.
Renesmee shrugged. "I guess the last few families they've put me with just didn't care enough."
Nobody had a response to that.
"Renesmee, we've already enrolled you in Forks High School. They somehow found your transcripts from the school you attended in California." Carlisle told her. "The papers are inaccurate, so the principal would like you to attend the summer school there for a few days so they what classes to put you into in the fall. It starts next week."
Renesmee nodded. "Okay. That's fine."
That awkward silence that seemed to follow us tonight, found us again. Great. Nobody was eating anymore, everybody had stopped about thirty minutes, but nobody wanted to get up.
"Ooh! I've got an idea!" Alice exclaimed, making everyone at the table jump. "Let's do karaoke!"
"Alice…" Bella started.
"Bella. Don't start. We're doing karaoke." Alice interrupted, and got up from the table, my guess was to hook up the karaoke machine.
We all glanced around the table, and a collective sigh went through us.
This was gonna be a great night.
AN: So? What did ya think? Yes, no? Maybe so?
I think my favorite line in this is: "But when it happens every single time... you begin to lose trust in yourself."
Please, Review!
~Em