3. Jacob's Story Part 1

(7 Years after the Volturi Winter Confrontation)

Jacob smiled as Renesmee blew out the candles on her birthday cake. Though she had countless birthdays to go this one marked a special occasion since it marked the end of her growth; forever at seventeen.

The cake was three tiered and there were three of them. Enough to feed a room full of wolves and their families.

Aside from the Cullen's, Sue and Charlie were at the party as well as the many wolves and their families: Billy, Sam, Emily and their two month old twin boys, Thomas and Levi, Paul and Rachel, Collin and Brady, Leah, Quil and nine year old Claire, Embry and Seth. The only one missing from the party was Jared, leaving his seven year old son, Jax, in Sam and Emily's care for the day but his absence was the exception.

Gatherings like this between Jacob's Quileute family and the Cullen's had become the norm since their partnership seven years ago when they stood up against the Volturi to protect Renesmee.

Ever since imprinting on her the night she was born, Renesmee had become as much a part of Bella and her family as much as Jacob's and that included Sam and his pack and since then Jacob had become part of the Cullen family permanently, spending all his time at the glass house and the cottage since that's where Renesmee was.

As he watched her, Jacob thought about the past seven years. Nothing special or major had gone on since their confrontation with the Volturi. Things remained normal, as normal as they could be for vampires and werewolves without the added stress of any enemies.

Shortly after then, on the next day, a new treaty had been drawn up between the Cullen's and the Quileute's.

Both groups would be able to come and go as they wished however given the two Alpha's and the two separate packs, the original land boundaries remained when in wolf form with Jacob's pack residing in Cullen territory and the boundaries would remain so for the foreseeable future.

The major changes began to come when Paul was the first to stop phasing. Rachel was ready to leave Forks. She had gotten a new job in Portland, Oregon and could not imagine leaving Paul behind so with the threats gone he decided it was the best time to go with her.

A year later Sam and Jared quit their wolves so they could live their lives with Emily and Kim.

Only Collin and Brady remained of the Uley Pack but neither opted to join the Black Pack, enjoying the silence that came with only two wolves, well almost silence given Jared's state of mind these days which they had come to ignore unless he called out to them which he rarely did.

Taken out of his quick rundown of things, Jacob turned when he heard laughter. Claire and Jax were laughing while Seth, in wolf form was jumping up and down like the pup he was.

Unlike their fathers and the newest tribal council, this new generation would have no secrets. Seeing their uncles as wolves would be their normal much like it had been for Billy who had seen his own grandfather take on the form of the wolf.

"Hey," Renesmee said coming up to Jacob with two plates in hand, "Can I offer you a piece of cake?"

Jacob took the plate and smiled, "Thanks."

He dug his fork in and took a bite of the vanilla sponge, chocolate cream filling and purple frosting cake.

"Wow," he said, "Are you sure Alice made this?"

Renesmee smiled and shook her head, "Every year you ask the same question and every year the answer is the same."

"But every year she never makes the same kind of cake."

"Well you know my Aunt Alice she never likes to repeat herself."

Renesmee took a bite from the cake on her own plate. While she still preferred animal blood, when she absolutely had to eat human food she preferred sweets like cake, candy and ice cream. She would on occasion eat the healthy human foods but still with the type of tolerance a person who didn't like potatoes but was forced to eat them had. And unlike ordinary humans, Renesmee didn't have to worry about cavities or weight gain from too much sugar.

"So I've been thinking about what you can get me for my birthday," said Renesmee.

"You mean other than the gift I got you?"

Renesmee smiled, placing her hand on the hand crafted amulet that matched Jacob's tattoo on one side and her family crest on the other.

"Which I love by the way, thank you but there is something else."

"Okay what is it?"

Renesmee placed her hand on Jacob's cheek, not wanting to say it out loud.

Jacob's eyes widened, "You're kidding right? You know he can read our thoughts right?"

"After seven years you still can't be afraid of my dad."

"No, I'm not afraid."

"Jacob."

"Okay so I'm a little afraid, I just don't want to die on your birthday."

"You won't die and if you do I'll die with you, simple as that."

"Comforting but not helpful. It's not as simple as that and you know it. I don't want it to seem like just because you're fully grown now that I'm taking advantage of you."

"But you're not. It's my choice and I'm choosing it. Please Jacob, it's what I want."

Jacob smiled at Renesmee. There was nothing he could ever deny her.

"Okay tell you what," said Jacob, "I'll wait until the party dies down and then I'll go talk to them.

Renesmee placed her hands on Jacob's shoulder and leaned her head on her hands, "Thank you."