NDR 8

I apologize for the delay on posting. Back at work fulltime, and threw my back out. Will try my best to post weekly, but also just signed up for a creative writing class. Please be patient. Thank you for all the great reviews, keep them coming. Think most of you aren't sure what to think of the wives news, but we'll see. Enjoy. SM owns everything.

Renesmeè's POV

"grRRRRREAT! First the asshole has the balls to order me to go to school. Then he decides that I need GROUNDING! How DARE he? I'm practically old enough to live on my own! I don't need some DOG for a stupid guardian. I could go to another state and present myself as a full grown adult, go to college, rid myself of… Oh who the heck do I think I'm kidding? Leave Grandpa Charlie? Never! Now, where the heck are the sheets. He expects ME to sleep on the couch? How the hell can I go to school after a night's sleep on that? Stupid, dumb,…"

"Could you keep your muttering down Ness? I'm trying to get some sleep up here, and your derogatory mumbling is keeping me awake."

"Yes, master."

I walked outside deep in thought. "I wasn't talking out loud. I was thinking dark and derogatory thoughts! Yes, I was grumbling in my throat, but that shouldn't have disturbed him. What the hell is going on here? I can only project my thoughts into other people's minds when I'm touching them! This is weird. I wish Daddy or Grandpa were around to help me!" I sat down on a log as the tears started to slowly trickle down my face. Times like this I really missed my family. They at least had understood special powers. I didn't have anyone to turn to now. As the tears dried up I looked around. I realized in my fit of pique I had walked about a mile from the house. I was thirsty. Time to "eat".

About three hours later I let myself in the back door quietly. I was feeling better with a full stomach, and didn't want to wake up Jake. The feeling of being full had brought back some rationality to me. I had disobeyed. Grandpa would have grounded me too, and I could sleep anywhere, Jake was too big for the couch. Which he was now sitting on.

"Nessie, we need to talk."

"AGAIN?" I swear I whined. "Why again?"
"Well, first off, I need to be able to trust you. That means, knowing that if I told you to go to school, that you're in school, not jumping a plane to Seattle or New York or somewhere else."

"That's reasonable. As long as Grandpa is here in Forks I don't have family anywhere else. I have no need to go anywhere else."

"Alright, that's good to hear. Thank you for clearing that up. I got really freaked when I saw you in the hospital. The grounding is still on. But you can have your bed back at least. The carpenters are starting tomorrow."

"That's great! But you kinda gave me the impression that you had several things you wanted to discuss. That was two. What else did you have on your mind?"

"There was one other thing." He sighed. "Nessie, you said you can only show people what's on your mind, right?"

"R…ight" I said hesitantly. "Why?"
"I think either your power has grown or…"

"Or what?"

"Or there's a link between the two of us. When I asked you earlier to stop grumbling, and you left, I could still hear you." He grimaced. "And then when you started 'hunting' I saw everything."

I looked carefully at him. "You could hear me a mile from the house?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry you miss your family. I wish Carlisle was here to help explain things too. I don't know anyone who can explain. How far did you go on the hunt?"

"About ten miles, you mean you saw the whole thing?"

"Yep. You're a pretty good hunter, I'd like to go with you next time."

"Wow! I wonder how far out you can still hear me?"
"Wanna see?"

"How?"
"Well, you have your cell phone, right?'
"Yeah?"

"Take it and go out on a run in as straight a line as you can. When I stop hearing you, I'll call you."

"Cool." I left and went out the back door.

"Hold on a minute. You know how to tell how far you've gone?"
"Generally, yeah."
"Take a pedometer with you, and then we will have an idea exactly. Here, take mine." I took it and left. About half an hour later the phone rang. "I just lost you. What does the pedometer say?"

I took it off and took a look, "600 miles. WOW!"

"Ok, sounds like its part your powers, and maybe a connection. Come on home." I turned around and headed back. I was confused. What sort of psychic connection? Maybe it was just my powers. Oh, wait, he could hear my thoughts. Maybe go back to where I turned around.. The phone rang.

"Take however long you need. See if there's anything you remember about shielding yourself?"

"My dad couldn't shield, Aunt Alice couldn't shield, Jasper couldn't shield."

"Well, maybe sit where you are and try, or life is going to be difficult for both of us."

"Ok. See you in a while."

Jake's POV

Crap. First when I tried to go to sleep I couldn't, her smell was too intoxicating. Then when I was just getting past that the sound of her muttering epithets and talking about running away had me worried until she focused on Charlie. Then, when I asked her to keep her voice down, and heard her leave I realized that what I was hearing was not her voice, but her thoughts! What the hell was that all about? She had shown me her power, but that had been with a single touch! This appeared to be more a reversal of what Edward could do. I lay there tossing and turning, my guts turning inside out with the stress on the imprint bond the grounding, her anger, and her scent had put on it. Geez, why couldn't life be simple.

THEN I got to see her hunting trip. It simultaneously disgusted and fascinated me. Fascination at the lithe way she ran down an elk, and her neatness at draining the carcass. Disgust at her eagerness for blood. However, that was her nature, and at least she did eat human food too. God, what was this! Was it the pack mind? Was it her powers changing with age? Was it a combination of both? Maybe her powers were increasing with the imprint.

At that thought it occurred to me that we couldn't talk mind to mind. But then neither of us were in wolf form. That was when a fresh wave of guilt hit me. Here was a minor that I now had legal guardianship over, and not only had I imprinted on her, but because of that imprinting she was going to become a shape-shifter too! If Bella and Edward were still alive, I'd be dead! I lay there until the guilt, worry, and smell just drove me out of the room. When she came back in, I told her that she could have the room back. I let her think I was just easing up on her a bit, but honestly, I wouldn't be able to get any sleep in there, much as I loved her smell. She seemed just as freaked by whatever was going on, and eagerly took me up on my suggestion. Partly the reason I suggested it was so that I could have a better idea whether it was her power or the imprint.

When her thoughts stopped reaching me and I called I was shocked. 600 MILES! That was double the distance the pack ever managed. And in half an hour, that girl was fast, even for being half-vampire! While she sat and thought I phased. "SAM!"

"No need to shout. What's up Jake?"

"How early on were the girlfriends able to hear your thoughts, or you hear theirs'?"

"Not until they shape-shifted. Why? What's going on?"
I ran the last few hours through my head.

"That is weird. You can hear her, but she can't hear you?"
"Yeah, and I can hear her at a distance of 600 miles!"
"Whoa, that's double the distance of the pack!"
"I know. Any ideas?"

"The only thing I can think of is what you already concluded. The combination of her powers and the imprinting is causing early thought sensing. I will say that there is an advantage."

"What's that?"
"If she ever disappears again, you'll know it before she goes too far of her own will, and if, God forbid, she's taken against her will, you'll know it too."

"Wow. That's a great peace of mind maker thought! If she's ever taken against her will! One more worry for me! But who would take her?"

"A nasty boyfriend, whoever killed her family, another vampire?"

"Great. Now I have to worry about boyfriends!"
"Well, you want her to have a normal life. Right? Bringing your guardian to prom will raise eyebrows. And she's pretty popular. Why shouldn't she have a boyfriend?"
"UGH! Go away. I'm going to phase back. You gave me more worries, not less."

"At least you don't have to phase to hear her thoughts!"
"I don't know if that makes things better or worse!"

"Hey, Jake, why can I talk to you this way, and not the other way? You're in wolf form right?"

"Nessie?" From both of us

"Yeah, who is Jake talking to?"

"It's Sam."

"Sam! I can hear you too?"

"Looks like it. Look Nessie, go home. I'll talk to you guys when you get there."

"OK."

Knowing what Sam wanted I phased back to human. Half an hour later we were all seated around the kitchen table.

"Nessie, This is Sam Uley, he's the leader of the wolves, Sam, Nessie."

"Hi Nessie. Ok, there's some sort of connection between you and Jake. You heard most of."

"All of that conversation. What is "imprinting" and what did you mean by normal life?"
Uh, oh. We had a problem here.

"What problem Jake?"

"Ok, Nessie, here it goes. Werewolves imprint on the woman, or man they are meant to be with for life. Quil has imprinted on your friend Claire for example."

"But she's only twelve!"
"Yeah, he imprinted on her as a two year old."
"EWWW!"
"No, not that way. He's her protector, friend, now. When she's old enough things will change."

"And she, I have no other choice?"
"No, but you guys won't want any other choice."

"We'll see about that!"
"Look, I wanted you to have a "normal" life. I still do! Date (my stomach twisted at that), go to college, get a job. We'll talk after that."

"I will do all that, and if I find someone else?"

"Then you marry (I hurt at that idea) someone else."

"Well, thanks for letting me choose."

"You're welcome. Now, please, go take a long hike. I need to talk to Sam."

She left, slamming the door behind her. Half an hour later…

"You're in for some tough times Jake."

"I know, hopefully, she doesn't stay mad long. I hate having to ask her to go for a hike everytime I need to think though!"

"That works both ways man!"
"I know."

"Bonfire tomorrow night, bring her, she should officially meet the pack."
"OK. Have some rare steaks please."

"UGH!"

Well, well, well. Nessie has powers and then some. Please review!