Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Stephenie Meyer does.

Smashing Pumpkins – take me down. This is a really sweet song, and I think it suits beautifully to the whole Jacob-Nessie-imprinting-thing, and to this chapter. Youtube!

Truth

"You know that I care for you, that I always have. Ever since I laid my eyes on you for the first time."

He looked down at our entwined hands, struggling to find the right words.

"You've been my little sister, my best friend, the one and only that really understand. All I ever wanted was for you to be safe, for you to be happy. You know that I love you".

A warm feeling started to spread in my stomach. It was not the first time he'd told me this; ever since I was a little girl he had always let me know that he cared for me. I knew he meant it in the meaning between friends, but it still warmed. He continued.

"You mean everything to me, and being with you have always been as easy as breathing. Then, in the last couple of weeks something started to change. I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but that night, on Monday, I understood what it was. I was afraid it would ruin everything, because I didn't know what you wanted and how to keep it from you"

I shook my head. "I'm not following you"

"I don't blame you" He laughed nervously. "I guess what I'm trying to say...is that..."

He drew a deep breath and I could hear his heartbeat accelerate.

"Nessie... I've imprinted."

The warm feeling turned to ice in my stomach. I felt all the blood drain from my face. I was right. I was going to loose him. Imprinters didn't have time for others than their imprintees. I felt dizzy.

"No, you don't understand!" he hurried to say, reading my face.

He put his hands on each side of my face. "It's you, I imprinted on you."

"What?" I managed to croak out.

He hugged me then, wrapping his big arms around me, pressing my face against his chest.

"It's you, silly, it's always been you. Don't you understand? Ever since the time I first laid eyes on you I've loved you. It's always been you."

He kissed the top of my head and pulled back to look at me.

"Feeling creeped out?"

I shook my head in a daze.

"Uhm. No. A little. It's just... how... why didn't you tell me?"

"I've always wanted you to have a choice. You do have a choice. I was afraid that if I told you too soon you would feel like you had to be with me, like that was expected of you. It's not. You can do exactly what you want, date whoever you'd like. I just want to be a part of your life."

"So all this time, since I was a little girl... you've..."

"Yes. But you knew this. You knew I loved you. You know how it's like, I've told you how it works before. Like Quil and Claire. You've been my little sister and my best friend. It was nothing romantic about it. Until..."

He suddenly stopped and looked down. The warm feeling in my stomach came back.

"Until?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, still looking down. "Some weeks ago it started to change. I wanted to be closer to you. I wanted to kiss you instead of hug you. It felt different than before. I didn't understand what it was, until this Monday. When you went to take that shower... "

He was still looking down and seemed too embarrassed to continue. I lifted my hand to his cheek. Please..Tell me. He peeked up at me before he turned his attention back to the sheets.

"I...You went to take a shower, and I just couldn't stop thinking about...I mean, I could hear..." he paused, and to my surprise I could see his cheeks redden. He cleared his throat shakily before he continued. Now he was talking so fast the words almost blurred together.

" I've never been feeling so guilty in my entire life. And then you came back, and... Well it didn't help. All I could think about was how much I wanted to go over to you, and kiss you, and hug you, and touch your hair... I couldn't tell you, because I knew you didn't have those feelings for me"

I drew my breath in disagreement, to say that he was wrong, he couldn't know that. But I couldn't get myself to say the words. He noticed though, and sent me a thoughtful look before he continued.

"I tried to act normal"

I snorted

"Well, I did!" he insisted with a smile. "I just didn't know how to. It felt like I could just look at you and you would know. I wanted to hold you and... But I was convinced you would notice that something was different. That this would ruin our friendship. So I didn't."

"Clever. That makes sense." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He gave me a quick grin.

"Probably not. I'm just a confused wolf"

Then he turned serious.

"You were sleeping uneasy. One night your hand touched my forehead all accidental, I swear, and I saw that you were dreaming about me. Worrying. And I just couldn't bring myself to stop watching. And tonight it was worse than ever. You dreamt that I would leave, that there were someone else. I had no idea that was what you thought. You couldn't have been more wrong. It wasn't right to keep this from you any longer."

His smile was nervous. I felt like my head was about to explode.

"So, what now?" I said. "What do we do?"

"What do you mean?" he said "We'll do whatever you want to do"

I closed my eyes. " I mean, what do we do about us. Does this mean that we can't be just friends anymore? Besides, it's weird. You've been in love with my mom. My mom. You've kissed her and everything. It's just...weird."

He was about to say something, but I cut him off.

"How did you manage to keep this from them anyway?" I opened my eyes. "My dad..."

He was looking intently at me, almost a little apologetic.

"They know?" I burst out. "Everyone know? They've known this all along, everyone but me?"

"Nessie. Of course they know. Even if your dad wasn't a mind-reader, something like this would be pretty hard to hide. You know why I didn't tell you. It's your choice, remember?"

I was speechless. This was just too much.

"So what now? I mean, do you need, like, an answer from me or something? Because I don't know. This is a lot to take in, Jake"

He started to shake his head while I was still talking.

"No. I just wanted you to know, so that you wouldn't make the wrong conclusions. We'll be friends. Best friend. Don't think about it".

I turned around in his arms and buried my face in the pillow.

"I don't know Jake"

He froze.

"You don't want to be friends with me?" he said slowly.

"Off course I will, stupid"

I peeked up at him and felt his arms relax around me.

"I just..." I hesitated, trying to find a way to phrase it. "I guess I'm just not sure how to. I'm afraid it would be awkward, like it has been this week. I don't want that."

"It won't be." he shoot in "You know now".

" I'm afraid that we would loose the friendship we have. I mean if we were to be more than friends, if that happens..."

Jacob lay very still, listening. His arms around me tightened marginally.

"...then what if we find out that it doesn't work out, or something, and things get awkward again. I can't loose you as a bestfriend Jake. Ever. So I don't know, even though I have feelings for you. You're too important."

He put his hand under my chin and turned my head up so that he could look at me. His eyes were wondering.

"You said you have feelings for me?"

I blushed. I guess I did say that. Well it was true. Sort of. I think. Definitely. Maybe.

I looked down. "I think so. But I think I still see you mostly as a friend. I don't know. "

He smiled his most Jacobish smile – warm and radiant. My answer had clearly made him happy. I smiled back.

We lay like this for a while. I studied his face, and he studied mine. I still couldn't quite believe what just had happened – it was a lot to take in. I remembered my earlier fears; that Jake had met someone else. I'd even considered he'd imprinted on someone. Hell, I'd been right, too. He had imprinted. Only seven years ago, and on me. That was an unexpected twist. Imprinting. Weird thing. To have someone chosen for you, not to be able to choose freely...

"Jake." I burst out, realizing something, my voice alarmed.

"What is it?"

"Imprinting. It's...forced, isn't it? You don't really have a choice. You could imprint on a horrible person, one you actually hate, and not be able to do anything about it."

"Well, it's true that you can't choose who you will imprint on. But..."

"So you simply had to feel like this, you didn't have a choice. If it weren't for the imprinting you wouldn't even like me, we wouldn't even be friends. You don't love me by your own free will."

I was horrified. All my life, everything with Jake, was because of this. It wasn't real. It was forced into happening by some freaky, wolfy rule. Like drinking a love potion – it happens, but it's not real. I got myself up in a sitting position, close to hysteria.

"No, Nessie, you've got it all wrong"

Jacob got up and wrapped his hands around each side of my face, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"It's not like that. The imprinting happens because it is perfect. It's like two parts of the one piece. The other half. If you weren't perfect for me, if I weren't perfect for you – it wouldn't have happened. And lets say the whole imprint-thing didn't exist – don't you think I would have loved you anyway? If you were perfect, the one and only person in the world that was right? I definitely love you by my own, free will. Don't you worry about that"

I nodded slowly, looking down. I was feeling dizzy again. It was just too much. He hugged me then, leaning my head against his broad chest.

"I love you", he said for emphasis. "For ever, if you want me to".

He lay back down on the bed, and opened his arms for me to lie down beside him. He draped the blanket over the both of us and put his arm under my head. I curled up against his side and closed my eyes. It felt good. It was all terribly confusing, but good.

"I'm going to need some time", I whispered, my eyes still closed. He knew what I meant.

"I've got all the time in the world. This is your choice."

"I just need to adjust to it. Get used to it."

"Of course. You're taking this remarkably well, you know. I was sure you was going to freak out, like, more."

He laughed nervously as he leaned his head on top of mine, and I felt my eyes close.