All recognizable characters belong to their original owners, no infringement intended.

Chapter 7: Jealousy

Bella was radiantly beautiful, her inner turmoil was gone and she was at peace. Edward swept her into his arms and whispered in her ear in a moment so intimate, Tara had to look away.

"I'm better… I'm better, everything is going to be perfect now," Bella murmured softly in reply.

Less than a minute later, Jacob walked in. He eyed the broken door. "Did I miss a party?" he asked, shaking his wet head.

Tara reached up and slowly ran her hand over his jaw and down his neck, sliding the raindrops from his skin. His breath caught and he placed his hand on hers.

"Sort of," Tara said softly.

Jacob looked over at Edward's smiling face. "Hey Edward, taking a break from your normal constipated tortured artist look today?"

Bella danced over to Tara, and gave her a quick hug, saying to Jacob, "I guess he's just happy. While you were out in the woods sniffing out a wild boar or something, my sister here was changing lives."

Jacob tried to look wise. "Ah… so she knows about the sister thing now? What do you mean changing lives?"

The two women exchanged glances, and Tara attempted an explanation. "Well, that girl that Bella rescued last night came over and we made a connection. It's hard to describe. I think I kind of healed her, if you can believe that."

"I have absolutely no problem believing that," Jacob said with conviction. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he was aware of the audience.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened and the smile melted off of his face.

Jacob took note. "He's baaack. That's the party pooper we know and love. Was it something you ate?"

Edward held up his hand. "The Volturi."

"What's a Volturi?" Tara asked.

"Really old withered kinda vampire cops/high priests… they are bad," Jacob deadpanned.

"They are sending someone here," Edward said. "I'm getting a thought from Renesmee. She's really focusing. She doesn't know the details. I'm trying to read the minds of the Volturi leaders and everything is in confusion. I'm wondering if they are doing this on purpose so I can't figure them out."

There was a moment of silence and then Bella let out a shriek.

"Can I just get five freaking minutes of peace without some kind of monumental drama?" Her musical voice managed to sound grating as it gyrated through several octaves of irritation. "I mean, what is going on here? Is someone watching me to make sure nothing goes right over here?" she turned to Tara. "Get used to it. It must be in our genes. Now that you are here we are a double magnet for disaster, or exponentially more disastrous…. Math… whatever!"

Tara's mouth hung open and she looked at Jacob, who shrugged.

"Vampire hissy fit," he whispered, very loudly.

Bella let out another shriek of rage and Jacob tried to calm her. "Hey, listen Bells, nothing to fear. We already sent them running once." He flexed his muscles.

Now it was Tara's turn to be irritated. She didn't fully understand what the Volturi might want with them, but from Bella's reaction, she knew it could not be good.

"I fail to see how brute force is going to resolve this." She faced Jacob and her eyes were earnest. "These humans have enough predators after them, we don't need to be luring more here. If the Volturi are coming for us, we have to go, we have to run."

Jacob put a gentle hand on Tara's shoulder. "It's no use," he said softly, "They'll track you. I will protect you."

Edward interrupted. "He's right. We need to get a plan."

I just got a family and I'm not going to lose them now, Tara thought. "Any idea how long till they get here?" she asked Edward.

He paused, "It may be several days … maybe less. Renesmee is not sure, she lost contact with her source."

"Well…" she brushed her hands against her pants, "… first things first. Bella, didn't you mention you had some clothes for me? If I am going to face my destiny I'd like something a bit more "warrior princess" than jeans and a tank top." She wanted a chance to be with Bella and try to sort some of this out. Jacob was wonderful and exciting and way too brash to help her process any of this new information. Being with her sister comforted her and Bella seemed to feel the same way.

Bella goggled at Tara, but quickly caught her mood. She clasped Tara's hand and turned mischievously to Edward and Jacob. "Fashion show later at the big house."

Edward had spent too many years with his sister Alice to evince any surprise at this apparent non sequitur.

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I hope there is some real food. I strategize better on a full stomach," he said.

__

At the house, Bella showed Tara several trunks that Alice had shipped back from Italy. "Will I get to meet Alice to thank her?" she asked.

Bella sighed, "Alice and Jasper, that's her soul-mate, are still in Europe, I think. She sent me a message that she was going to try to meet up with my daughter." Her eyes were bleak.

"How long has Renesmee been gone?"

"Three months. I know she had to go… she was looking for someone she met once. I'm not sure if she will find him, or if he will be what she is seeking." Bella opened her locket and showed Tara a picture of a lovely young woman, "That is my Renesmee… Jacob calls her Nessie but you must never repeat that."

"What on earth? That woman is a ten-year old?" Of all the things Tara had seen and experienced in the past few days, this was the most surprising.

"You know how they say, "They grow up so fast" – well Renesmee was ridiculous. She was full-grown by the time she was seven. She is the most unique and wonderful person. You will love her. She had to go … she had to get away from Jacob."

"What do you mean? What did Jacob do?" Tara thought of the sadness and even bitterness that was in Jacob's eyes when Renesmee was mentioned.

Bella was quick to correct, "No … nothing like that. Jacob and Renesmee love each other."

Tara felt a flare of pain, and she sat down on the bed. Her mind filled with the picture of that lovely face.

"It's just that Renesmee had to find her own way. Since birth she had all of us and especially Jacob beside her. Edward and I were ready to let her go; knowing that she would come back to us but I don't think Jacob was ready. He was lost for a little while. I had to give him a project." She ducked her head.

"He's lucky to have a friend like you," Tara said numbly. "So what project did you give him?"

"Well… um… Don't be mad! I had him protect you."

Tara leapt to her feet. "What the heck are you talking about? Protect me?"

Bella's words came in a rush, "Well, I found you… and I was checking on you, but then you wrecked your car… and I got scared… and you seemed sad." she stopped, "OK, well I got nervous we were going to lose you so I had Jacob kind of stalk you for a little while."

Tara flopped back on the bed, hands over her eyes. "How long?" she asked in a pained voice.

"For the last two months or so..."

Tara thought of her life for the past few months, remembered the waiting and the sense that something was out there. It was Jacob. So near but so far. She blushed with embarrassment. He saw the old imperfect me. He knows what an impostor I am. Her next thought was, How the hell did I not notice a gigantic sexy man lurking around me in the suburbs? Things started to make sense to Tara, like how Jacob had greeted her like a long-lost friend when she first met him.

Bella hurried on, "Seriously, I'm glad we did – you have no idea how close you come to danger on a daily basis and Jake didn't seem to mind. It was hard to keep him from making contact. He was extremely enthusiastic about his assignment, except for the part about not talking to you. I had to threaten him into silence."

Tara sat up on the bed and faced Bella "Dearest one, you are a vampire, you are my long-lost sister, and you have had a werewolf stalking me for the last few months…" She fixed Bella with her green-gold eyes. "…Speak now. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"We knew," Bella whispered softly, knowing that Tara could hear her. "Jacob found out. All those trips to the doctor, the clinics…" tension hung in the air, "… and well, Jacob may have opened some of your mail."

Tara reacted as if shocked, her body going rigid. She looked at Bella through narrowed eyes. "So you decided to play god and save your terminally ill long-lost sister? Was all that stuff you told me about redemption and healing and the lost souls bullshit?"

"Does it feel like I lied to you?" Bella asked, looking at Tara earnestly with her golden eyes. "Does the difference you've already made feel like a lie?" She looked down at her hands. "I won't deny I was selfish. I didn't want to lose you, but everything I told you I believe was true."

Tara stalked over to the trunks and flung one open, momentarily distracted by the beautiful clothes. She knew that technically she could stay mad at Bella forever, but she realized that her sister's heart was in the right place and her anger quickly dissolved into gratitude for saving her life. I wasn't ready to go, she thought. She turned back towards the bed and flung a silk blouse at Bella.

"You are so lucky that a shitload of designer clothes covers a multitude of sins!"

Bella smiled, relieved. "I think you and Alice would get along very well," she said with an impish grin. "Hey, can I borrow that blue one?"

"Yeah, it really brings out the yellow in your eyes," Tara said and stuck out her tongue. She pulled out another beautiful piece. "This is hard. Help me pick out an outfit."

Bella looked panicked. "Let me get Carlisle's wife Esme. She's a lot more qualified in that department."

Tara was charmed by Esme. She looked like the loveliest kindergarten teacher she had ever seen. Esme clapped her hands in delight at the thought of dressing Tara.

"So what look are we going for?" she asked, full of businesslike energy as she expertly assessed Tara's features and shape. "I'm sure that Alice has given us some excellent choices."

"She wants warrior princess," Bella said, smiling.

Esme looked aghast. "But you are so pretty! Your features are so delicate," she said, expertly sorting through the finery.

"No, I don't really want to a warrior princess. I say outrageous things for comic effect at times," Tara said, chuckling. She could tell that teasing this sweet woman could be a very fun pastime.

Esme gave her a little reproving look and Tara and Bella laughed conspiratorially.

They settled on a pair of soft-brushed fawn colored slim pants topped with a light white silk knit T-shirt with a deeply scooped neck and soft-soled calf high suede boots that fit like a glove. Tara looked into the mirror, brushing her dark hair until it fell in soft waves against her cheeks and down her back. Her skin glowed radiantly against the white of the shirt.

"Ah, how did Alice know? I just wish could wear white," said Esme, looking down at her pale skin. "I used to tan you know, just a very little. It wasn't ladylike at the time but I loved being out of doors."

They heard a commotion downstairs and headed down.

Jacob whistled when he saw Tara. "You clean up nice," he said, his eyes warmly approving. He gave her a wicked grin when he noticed the fresh blush on her cheeks.

"It's good to see you with some clothes on," she joked, although she had become accustomed to his semi-nudity.

"So now that you are all decked out, can we get down to business and decide what we are going to do about the hordes of Italian bloodsuckers about to descend?" Jacob asked. They sat down in the living room, each of them looking seriously at one another. Jacob moved to put his feet on the coffee table, but stopped after a quick look from Esme.

"Sorry, momma vampire," Jacob said in a tone of affection. "I did wipe my feet before I came in."

Tara heard a slight sound in the doorway and caught a breath of lavender and salty air. Everyone else noticed at the same time. A slender young girl stood still, yet poised – like a ballerina about to leap. Her bronze hair was cropped in ringlets which curled around her lovely face and the chocolate brown of her eyes matched the slim-fitting leather coat that was belted tightly around her waist. She looked like a sprite just emerging from a blossom. With absolute certainty, Tara knew who this woman was.

The room erupted. "Renesmee!"

Bella embraced her and they spun around, then she flung herself into her father's arms and next into Esme's. She was engulfed in her family's love. Tara looked at Jacob. His eyes were riveted to Renesmee with naked longing.

Tara felt a rip inside her.