A/N:
I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. They are property of Stephanie Meyer.
Chapter 6. – Anticipation
RPOV
I woke up early that morning. As I ran down my staircase headed to Jacob's room, Nan appeared at the bottom.
"Jacob needs to rest, honey. How about we do a little online shopping?" She held my hand as we rushed to her computer. "There's a preview of our favorite designer's spring collection, and you know the best pieces are limited edition and must be ordered well in advance."
I sat in her lap as she clicked around on the computer. She wasn't pulling up any websites, only photos she had saved to a folder titled 'Prep'. Curious.
"Oh I love that one!" I bounced in her lap as I pointed at a white linen halter dress with a shirred bodice and lace trim.
My taste in clothing ranged from traditional and conservative to vibrant and ruffled depending on my mood. Some days I felt more subtle and reserved, others I was very outgoing and full of energy. I guess it was just part of growing at warp speed.
Nan showed me at least fifty different ensembles and had me narrow the collection down to thirty. We also picked out several swimsuits, hats, hair accessories, and shoes. It was almost as fun as shopping in an actual store – which reminded me of the shopping trip Jacob and I were taking later.
"Nan, may I wake Jacob now?"
"I don't think that will be necessary. It sounds like he's in the kitchen." She patted my leg to motion me to get up.
Jacob was standing in front of the open refrigerator, still wearing his pajamas- cotton pants and a snug fitting tank top. He looked half asleep and disheveled, his hair falling into his eyes.
"Good morning, sunshine! Did you sleep well?" Jacob said to me as he noticed us approaching the kitchen. All signs of tiredness disappeared instantly and his face filled with my favorite smile, the one that he saved just for me. Esme patted him on the back..
"Go sit down, hon. I've got it."
"No, I can do it. Really."
"Jacob, that's not necessary." Jacob stopped trying to argue with Nan about matters like this long ago. He came and sat in the stool beside me at the counter.
"Yes, I slept quite well, and you?"
"Pretty well, actually. I had a wonderful dream. Thanks for letting me sleep late. You didn't have to do that." His voice was sweet and low. I wasn't about to tell him that Nan practically forced me to not wake him.
"I'm really excited about our shopping trip! Actually, I've been shopping with Nan all morning on the computer. My spring wardrobe is going to be amazing!"
"I bet! Your Nan has excellent taste." He paused for a moment. "We might be doing more shopping than I originally thought. You don't mind, do you?"
"Did you really have to ask? Of course I don't mind. So where else are we going?"
"I'm not sure yet. I've got to figure it out."
"I hope you don't mind the informal breakfast, Jacob. I figured you'd like to get your day started rather than wait around for me to cook," Nan said as she placed his plate in front of him.
"No, this is totally fine. I lived on Eggos for a little while." He probably wasn't joking.
"Nessie, why don't you go get ready for our shopping trip? Dress comfy; we'll be gone for a while," he said as he shoveled waffles into his mouth.
"Sure, Jake." I kissed his warm cheek before I hopped off the stool beside him.
Dad and Emmett were in the family room, which was outside the entry to my playroom.
"Hey sweetie, how are you this morning?" Dad asked me from across the room. I ran and hopped into his lap. Emmett leaned over and gave me a big squeeze.
"'Mornin' squirt," Emmett said, grinning.
"I'm wonderful, daddy. Jacob and I are going shopping and for ice cream." I gazed into my father's golden eyes as I spoke to him.
"Have you seen him this morning?" His expression seemed expectant.
"Yes, I sat with him while Esme made him breakfast. Why?"
"Oh, just curious. So what are you shopping for? Surely you're not going to drag Jacob through those boutiques." His sarcastic half smile appeared.
"Well, Jacob needs some shoes and a hair cut, and I need some new books. He mentioned going somewhere else as well, but wasn't sure where exactly. It was strange."
"I guess you better go get ready then, huh?" Dad kissed me on the cheek and stood me up.
"Okay. I'll find you before I leave. If you see mommy, will you send her to my room?"
"Yes ma'am. I certainly will."
I stepped into my dressing room and walked around, trying to pick the perfect outfit. Jacob would probably be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Hopefully he would at least wear jeans a Cullen had purchased for him. My love for Jacob was unconditional, but I loved it when he tried to dress up just a bit. Ratty jeans and shirts with holes are fine for the shop, but going in public requires a bit more.
My mind wanted the ruffly stripes and cupcakes outfit, but I settled for something a bit simpler and ordinary- jeans and a cream colored peasant top with brown ballet flats. I sat down at my vanity table to fix my hair. Mom came in as I was brushing.
"May I?" she asked, holding her hand out for the brush. I handed it to her.
"So, have you seen Jacob this morning?" Why did everyone keep asking me that??
"Yes, why?"
"Just curious. Where are you two going?" Mom started piling my curls into an intentionally-messy-yet-refined up-do, placing two simple clips on the sides to keep the stray hairs out of my face. She always tickled my neck when she finished pulling my hair back. I snickered and giggled.
"I know some, but not everything. I know we're going to a book store, ice cream shop, shoe store, and somewhere to get Jacob's hair cut. Have you seen it? It's out of control."
"There, you're all ready. You have the most perfect hair. It's so soft and silky."
"Thanks. I get it from my mommy. Well, except the color." She smiled at me as we both looked in the mirror at my finished hairstyle.
Jacob was waiting for me downstairs on the sofa in the playroom. Surprise, surprise, he was actually dressed pretty nice. He didn't purchase anything he was wearing. Boot cut jeans, casual brown loafers, a button down striped shirt, and a brown belt to top it all off. His hair was impossible to manage at this point, but he still looked handsome.
"Wow, I feel under-dressed." Jacob looked bashful.
"No, you look perfect. Did Alice tell you what I was going to wear?" I asked.
"No, why?"
"Because we match so well. Didn't you notice? Brown shoes, our jeans are almost the same color, and the cream color of your shirt matches the main color of mine."
"You're right. No, I had no idea what you were wearing. I was expecting something a bit more... casual though."
"Well, are you ready to go? Or do you want to change?" I could tell by the look on his face that he was fond of our coincidentally matching outfits.
"No, I'm ready. Where are we going first? Hair salon?"
"Absolutely. I cannot stand this mop. I can't do anything with it and it keeps falling into my eyes."
It was about 45 minutes to the area of Portland we were headed to. We took dad's silver Volvo. It was one of the least showy cars we owned. Carlisle offered to buy Jacob a car on numerous occasions, but he refused. Dad kept the Volvo, despite the fact that he had purchased a Porsche. I figured he kept it for Jacob. It's what he drove the most, and he was the only one who drove it anymore.
Jacob was a much more cautious driver than any of the others, particularly when I was in the car. I didn't understand the difference, it's not like I could get hurt.
"I have a surprise for you, Ness," Jacob said as we approached crawling traffic. I loved surprises.
"What is it?? Are you taking me to the boutiques?" My voice about two octaves higher than usual. Jacob grinned and glanced over at me as we crawled down the road.
"No, it's something a bit more exciting than some fluffy boutique." He paused, adding to my suspense. "We're going out of town."
"Are we going to Forks??! It's been three weeks. I'm so ready for a trip to Forks! That's awesome, Jake!" We were supposed to go last weekend, but mom and dad were busy.
"No, it's a bit farther than Forks." We locked eyes, traffic at a stand still. My eyes widened even bigger than before. "We're going to......... Isle Esme!!!"
"Oh my gosh, you're kidding?? Are you serious!?" I literally bounced in my seat. I was so jealous every time a couple came back from the island.
"We really are going, Nessie. You, me, the whole family." Excitement filled the air.
"I can't believe it! I was beginning to think children and pets weren't allowed there." It sounded like a joke, but I really felt that way. "Oh, that explains Nan's 'Prep' folder full of Spring and Summer outfits."
"We're leaving in two weeks. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone though." Traffic had started to move again, so Jake had to focus on the road.
"I have a feeling we'll be there for at least a few weeks. Nan ordered me a month's supply of summer clothes." Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper would stay for weeks at a time. Carlisle had work, and mom and dad never liked being away from me for too long, so they usually only stayed for a week or so. "I just can't believe it! I'm so excited!!!"
The hair salon was our first stop, thank goodness. Jacob looked like a new man after the stylist finished. He tried cutting his own hair many times, but it always came out uneven. His hair was just over an inch long on top and styled spiky, which probably wouldn't become a permanent style.
We held hands as we walked through the book store. I picked up several classics that mom recommended. I tried to help Jacob carry the overwhelming stacks of books I picked out, but he wouldn't let me. Instead, he insisted he could handle it. Jacob was adorable when he was being chivalrous. Actually, he was adorable all the time, but particularly so during his moments like this.
We went to the mall instead of individual stores, so we could get all of our shopping done in one place. He had a long list written in what looked like Nan's handwriting. He read over it and jotted some notes down as we ate our ice cream cones. The list consisted of simple things like swim trunks, flip flops, snorkel gear, beach toys for me, and so on.
We walked around the mall and found most of the things we needed, and stopped by the sporting goods store on the way home for the few things we couldn't find. Shopping with Jacob was fun, I was surprised. Of course, he didn't get googly eyed at the thought of boutique shopping, but we joked around as we walked, and I enjoyed his company anywhere.
The weeks leading up to our trip were the longest two weeks of my life, longer than the weeks before my playroom was finished. Every night I went to bed early, just to make the time pass a bit faster. Every morning I woke up later than usual. I spent my days doing my normal activities – playing with my family, going for walks in the garden with Jacob, running around outside, and hunting. My life was filled with love and fun activities. The anticipation was making my existence seem mundane. Knowing that such an amazing trip was just days away made everything else seem boring and routine. Finally, something out of the ordinary happened. Two days before our departure, three large boxes appeared on the front doorstep. It was my vacation wardrobe. All of the girls gathered around me in my dressing room as we opened the packages. It was as if they were all six year old little girls again.
"Would you look at this one?? How adorable!" Rosalie pulled out a ruffly dress; the main fabric was bright pink with white polka dots, with zebra stripe print accents. "Try this one on first!" I had a feeling I'd be in the dressing room for a while.
"Look Nessie, it's the one," Nan said, with emphasis on 'the one.' She held up the one that I fell absolutely in love with on the computer screen. The same designer made it that made my graduation gown. This was similar, but more casual and tea length instead of floor length. It featured five cascading rows of champagne colored organza and tulle ruffles and a simple shirred silk bodice. It was a halter, one of my favorite styles for warm weather.
"Oh my gosh!! Do you see the shoes anywhere?" I paused, looking around the frock covered hardwood floor. "Here they are. Okay." I stood on the pedestal in front of the three way mirror and slipped the dress on. It was perfect.
"Nan, how on earth did you get all of these outfits made in less than two weeks?" My hand waved toward the floor and boxes.
"Well, hon...." Nan's eyes shifted around the room as she searched for the right words. "Money talks. Plus I already had several of the ones I knew you'd love made a little while ago." I twirled around on the pedestal as the gals talked about how gorgeous it was and how stellar the designer was.
I hardly slept the night before we left. Which was fine, I had plenty of time for sleep on the endless flights to South America. I woke up at 4:00 am and couldn't fall back asleep. Dad came up to check on me.
"Hey honey, is everything okay?"
"Daddy, I give up. I'm done trying to sleep. May I please just get up?" The puppy dog face was in full effect. There was so much energy buzzing in my little body that I just couldn't stand lying in bed for another second, but I truly felt exhausted.
"Alright, do you want to come hang out with mom and I on our balcony? It's a beautiful night out."
"Sure." He picked me up and carried me across the house.
When we got to the balcony, he laid me down on a chaise and placed a blanket over me. I didn't get as cold as a normal human, but if it was cold enough I would get a little chilly. Considering it was November, it was a possibility.
Mom scooped me up and cuddled me in her lap on the chaise. She rocked side to side, stroking my hair. Eventually, I relaxed enough to sleep for a little while. When I woke, the sun was starting to rise. It was still earlier than I usually woke, but I felt rested now.
The sunrise was beautiful. I didn't get to see very many, since I was usually sleeping at this hour. Pink and lilac were slowly creeping across the night sky, with streaks of orange shining from the direction where the sun would pop up at any second.
"'Morning, sweetie. I'm glad you got more sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you." She squeezed me closer to her.
"Is there anything I need to do besides get myself ready? Is Jacob awake yet?" Jacob was like my pet, he followed me around everywhere. I loved my parents more than anything in the world, but Jacob was my best friend, my only friend really. Everything was fun when he was around.
"Jacob woke up a few minutes ago, he's showering." I figured he'd still be sleeping. I was his alarm clock most days. "I need to get freshened up; can you get yourself ready this morning?"
"Yeah, that's fine," I said as I yawned and crawled off mom's lap.
"I'll come fix your hair though. I laid the outfit I want you to wear on the chaise in your dressing room. It's cold here, but it'll be about 80 in Brazil and Houston. Oh, and bring your polka dot raincoat."
"Yes ma'am."
The outfit mom picked was right where she said it would be, a light cotton dress with matching leggings. I dressed in a hurry and headed to the kitchen, hoping Jacob would be in his usual seat waiting for breakfast. I was skipping down the hallway until I heard Jacob coming out of his room. I ran and barreled straight into him, knocking both of us to the ground.
"Good morning, my Jacob!! I'm so excited!" I squealed as I planted kisses on both his cheeks.
"I know, I could hardly sleep last night. Are you just about ready to head to the airport?"
"Well, yes. But don't you need to eat breakfast?" I was dragging him by the arm to the kitchen, too impatient for human speed. I tried to seem tolerant, but it was useless. Thankfully, he settled for Eggos again. Esme and the others were occupied with getting all of the luggage to the foyer, and heaven forbid he try to cook for himself. Ever.
He hoofed down his food quickly, but it didn't do us much good. We had to wait for all of the luggage to be brought downstairs and loaded into the cars. For some reason, everyone was moving at human speed, which was unusual considering we were getting ready to go somewhere so spectacular.
We couldn't have picked a better day to be in the public eye, but it was still nice enough to permit flying. I stood on my balcony with Jacob while the luggage was being loaded into what I assumed was a few cars in the garage. I hadn't put much thought into the logistics of commuting eight vampires, a wolf, and a half-breed an hour away, or the remaining sixteen to eighteen hours away. Panic began to set in.
"Oh my gosh Jake, do you have a passport?!" It just donned on me. The words rushed out of my mouth faster than I could process the thought.
"Of course. I'm sure you do, too, hon. Don't worry about a thing. Cullen's never miss a beat." His smooth voice usually comforted my worries away, but it wasn't working.
My thoughts had been so wrapped up in the trip itself that the important things never came to mind. If we were gone for longer than a week or so, we would need to hunt – but where? And for what? Would Grampy remember to bring his medical bag, just in case Jacob gets hurt? How would he get it on the plane? Did someone check the weather in Rio de Janeiro? How on earth will all ten of us and our mountain of luggage get from the mainland to the island? Or even from the house to the airport?
I didn't realize it, but my hands were clenching the banister and I was chewing on my lip.
"What's wrong, Ness? You okay?"
I cleared my throat, hoping it would clear any worrisome tone. "I'm fine." I tried to sound as peppy and excited as possible. It didn't do me any good.
"'Fine' isn't a feeling. Talk to me." Jacob's voice was pleading. How could I not talk to him?
"It's nothing, really. I think it's just sleep deprivation, nerves, and excitement all mixed together." I took a deep breath in and out. "Can we go find Grampy?" I gave up on trying to conceal the affliction in my voice.
"Sure. They've gotta be done loading the car by now," he said calmly, apparently my brief explanation was enough to placate him.
I pondered on his last statement, 'the car'. How much sleep had he gotten? We didn't own a car that would hold ten people - our largest fit five, but it was tight - much less ten plus 25-30 pieces of luggage. The thought brought me back to my intentions of finding Grampy, I wanted to run but Jacob refrained my speed to a human pace.
We were still down the hall making our way to the foyer, when I noticed a man in a suit exiting through the front door, pulling the last piece of luggage behind him. Carlisle turned around to walk away, but I called out to him urgently, my voice sounding more disturbed than intended. He looked at me, his face had gone from smooth and calm to worried in an instant as he heard my voice. His eyes darted to Jacob, whose face was calm and collected.
"Good morning, sweet pea! Is everything alright?" He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.
"Yeah, um... can we talk for a few minutes? I mean, I know you're busy, but I'm just—"
"Of course, can we walk and talk though? We've got a plane to catch, you know. Unless of course, you'd like to stay home for a few more days?" He chuckled after his last sentence. He must have known it wasn't anything urgent, because he was hardly taking me seriously.
I rambled off my numerous questions plus several that I hadn't thought of before as we walked at human pace up to his study. Naturally, Grampy and everyone else had already thought of everything, plus things that even my impromptu questions hadn't covered. Most of his answers were vague, but he verified that he had each of my concerns taken care of. Inside his study, he reached into the filing cabinet and pulled out a stuffed manila envelope.
"Alright, it's time. Meet me in the Foyer." His voice was low, but directed at everyone in the house. "Renesmee, this isn't like you. You never worry so much. Everything will be fine, I promise. Would you like to speak with Alice to confirm?" A smug grin crossed his face and he pulled me in for a hug. "I want to see you smiling, darling." His thumb massaged the furrow in my brow.
I let out a deep sigh and cooperated, leaving all of my worries in his study and planting a big excited grin across my face as we walked down the stairs where everyone else was already waiting, carry-on bags in hand.
Grampy distributed the contents of the envelope – passports, identification, plane tickets, and other documents.
"Alright, do we have everything?" Grampy said as he let out a deep breath. Before anyone could speak, he said "Okay, lets go."
We walked out the front door; I stood in the back of the line as my family filed down the pale brick stairs outside the front door. After leaning around mom, who was standing in front of me still inside the house, I finally saw the two SUV limousines. A gentleman was holding the door open to the one just past the shrubs, the closest one was full of our luggage. The previous gentleman was struggling to fit in the last piece of luggage, using all of his strength to lift what was likely Rosalie's entire vanity cabinet. It looked like a reverse order red carpet event - we were all filing to the luxury vehicles instead of out of them.
Everyone looked like movie stars; some going to a movie premier, others just out on the town for the day. Mom was wearing a pale blue cashmere sweater dress with leggings, which went well with dad's pale blue knit sweater and dark jeans. Jacob wore comfortable jeans and a well fitting t-shirt. He was becoming accustomed to dressing like a Cullen.
A t-shirt and jeans was a t-shirt and jeans to him, and if the label was 7 For all Mankind or Target brand, it didn't matter to him. So if designer was on top of the stack in his closet, designer is what he wore. Esme had started buying him nice shoes, since all he would ever wear was ratty sneakers – or new sneakers if he was feeling spendy. Maybe he was beginning to spark an interest in dressing nice.
He looked well put together today. Jacob would look handsome in anything, but today especially. His t-shirt was a worn burgundy color, snug around his biceps and chest. His denim jeans were soft and hung just right, not too loose and not too tight. His shoes were brown leather slip ons, nothing too fancy, Doc Martins or Steve Maddens maybe. He looked like a model straight off the Saks website.
"If you don't stop looking at my clothes, I'm going to go change," Jacob said as he glanced out of the corner of his eyes at me and flashed a sarcastic smile. "Do I really look that ridiculous?" I reached up for him to carry me and touched his cheek as I situated myself.
"So you like it? Really?" he responded to what I had shown him- an image of how his attire fit in perfectly with the rest of us.
"Your clothing doesn't matter to me. But yes, I do like it when you dress up a bit. It amplifies your natural handsomeness." I never wanted to tell him that, but I couldn't bring myself to lie to him. He could probably see it on my face if I had anyhow. I wanted him to be completely himself, not changing anything for me. Now, of course, he would wear designer clothes more often. He flashed the grin he saved just for me, eyes sparkling though the sun was buried deep in the clouds. I felt the need to show him another image, one of him in his shop wearing a worn out tee and jeans with holes in the knees. "I like everything you wear."
The inside of the stretch Escalade limo was comfortable, plenty of leg room for all ten of us and then some. Jacob was kind enough to take a long shower this morning, apparently, because no one was holding their breath. He smelled nice to me all the time. Rosalie was the only one who would still make remarks about his smell – though they were less common since I'd politely asked she stop – and occasionally Emmett joke around about it.
The windows were rolled down and the sunroof was open, so that helped the ventilation. Jacob and I sat in the very back, just below the sunroof and beside two open windows. This was most likely the plan all along, but no one said anything to direct us to these seats.
When we arrived at the airport, we split up into groups of two and three. Dad came with Jacob and I while Mom walked with Alice and Jasper. Everyone else was in pairs. We let the distance span between us, so as to not draw attention. We stopped at a stand to buy sweets for the long flights ahead of us. Sugar didn't have the effect on me that it did other children. Nothing absorbed in my bloodstream, I just liked the taste of it. The only taste I liked aside from blood was that of sugary goodies.
We were the last ones to board the plane. I was so thrilled to see that we would all get to sit together. All along I figured we would continue the charade of staying split up, and part of me even wondered if we would all be on the same flight.
The stewardesses were very kind to me. They kept saying "You are just the cutest thing" and similar complements. I hated that they spoke to me like I was a child, their voices an octave or two higher than when they spoke to my family, but they didn't know any better. It was all I could do to talk back to them using childlike cadences and grammar. It was extremely rare for me to come in contact with people who didn't know what I was, so I was a bit out of practice with putting on a childlike show.
One of them noticed I was getting fidgety and offered to take me on a personal tour of the plane. When we concluded the tour, she suggested that maybe one day I could be a pilot. I refrained from giggling as I thought briefly about asking Carlisle for flight lessons. Maybe in a few years.
I slept for a long portion of the trip, cuddled up in various laps. I hadn't developed the patience that the other Cullen's had. They could sit for days without moving. I, on the other hand, still had a lot of childlike tendencies when it came to things like this. I was passed around from person to person in attempt to keep me entertained. Nan explained the story of how Grampy had given her the island. Grampy went over some of the logistics of how all of us and our luggage would get to the island – he had rented a rather large yacht. Alice told me about a few things that will happen while we're there. I couldn't wait to see all of the birds she mentioned.
Rosalie and Emmett gave me the 'G' rated version of their first time going to the island. Jasper talked about how amazing it was that Alice could read Jacob now, and his ideas of what we could all be capable of if we just tried hard enough. Mom and dad recapped their first trip to the island, the 'G' rated version. Mom told me the story of her pregnancy again. She always left out pieces that others had already told me – like how I broke bones and how no one was really sure what would happen or what I would be. When it was Jacob's turn I asked him to tell me some of the old Quileute legends again.
The trip was incredibly long, much longer than I had expected. Between all of the sleeping and endless conversations, it was a blur. Two limos awaited us at the airport in Rio. It took a little while to get our luggage loaded into the second limo. Those minutes were the longest of the entire trip.
A/N:
Let me know what you think!
If it's not obvious by now, I love to dress my own daughter in custom boutique clothing. It's adorable. The champagne colored dress mentioned above as "the one" was inspired by an actual dress made by one of my absolute favorite designers. You can find out more about her by google searching 'like flowers and butterflies' (since posting a link is such a pain lol). The graduation dress in Chapter 4 was also inspired by one of her original pieces. Katarina is truly one of the most talented custom designers out there. If you've got a little girl in your life, whether it's a daughter, niece, or cousin, check the etsy shop out! She's got everything from hair accessories to couture gowns.
You can find pics of the outfits mentioned in the photo album for this chapter: picasaweb dot google dot com/fairytalesfanfic930/Chapter6