Chapter 4 – The Aftermath

Nessie was given her grandfather's sweater, which was slightly too big. Then he ran after his sons to try to be the peacemaker. Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Bella walked Nessie home.

Once she was sitting at the dining room table, fully clothed, a plate of breakfast food set in front of her, the four women sat around Nessie. They all had eager looks on their faces. They seemed like young girls at a slumber party, waiting for some juicy gossip.

"Now, spill!" Rosalie urged. Indeed, they all wanted to know about Renesme's first night of romance.

At first, she was hesitant, but soon, Nessie got really into the story. She didn't miss any detail. It seemed like the coldness and anger and worry back in the field was an act. All five girls giggled at the right moments and sighed when needed. They all tensed when she started describing being an animal.

That was the shocking part. It had never happened to any of the others before. Bella remembered Edward destroying pillows and the bed frame their first few times, but that was to stop himself from going too far. Both Jacob and Renesme were biting and clawing each other, and they were already as far as possible it seemed like.

"Maybe it's a werewolf thing?" Alice inquired.

At that, there was a loud bang and all heads turned to the front door. Everyone thought the men had finally come back. What they weren't expecting was Leah storming in and yelling, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? I TURN INTO A WOLF FOR ONE SECOND AND I SEE MY BROTHER CHASING AFTER JACOB WHO SEEMS LIKE HE WAS JUST IN A LIFE OR DEATH BATTLE!"

Then Alice realized something. "...Just..." she whispered. At the curious--and angry--looks she gets, she replied, "Leah just said it looked like Jake was *just* in a battle. He got those scars last *night*! Leah, don't you heal insanely quickly?"

Leah was still fuming, but at the news that he received the scratches the night before, she became worried. The woman nodded her head then asked, "What happened?" Finally, her eyes rested on Renesme. The girl's whole face was marred by cuts. Any exposed skin was like that too. The cuts seemed similar to what Jake's skin looked like, from what she could tell in his wolf form. Her eyes bulged as she repeated, "What happened?"

Rosalie giggled. "Oh, nothing. It was just a little experiment, to see what happens when a half-wolf and a half-vampire have sex without anyone knowing." She giggled again, and so did Alice.

"Apparently, the parents didn't like it too much," Bella added. "Oh, sweetie, what are we going to do about your skin?" she worried as she turned back to Nessie, finally facing reality.

Leah let out a short, harsh laugh. "Nothing," she answered. "Her skin will be like that forever, if it was Jake who gave her those scars. See, if a vampire bites us, it's a scar, so now I understand why Jake is still bashed up. Isn't that true for if a vampire bites a vampire? I guess it's also true if we bite you guys. Those guys are now officially more scarred up that you're man, Alice. Congrats." It was true, that they were now more scarred up than Jasper. Most vampires don't bleed. But Nessie still has a beating heart, and bleeds just as much as Jake can. That has to have an effect on scarring.

Thinking she could defend Alice from Leah's jab, Nessie stated quietly, "Werewolf tastes really good."

Leah gasped and stepped back while Nessie's family burst out laughing. Another booming laugh was added to the girls' as Emmett stepped through the open front door.

"Nice one, Nessie!" he complimented, then took a seat in front of the wide-screen. The TV turned on and he was absorbed into whatever sports game was playing. Jasper came in after him, carrying the human Jacob under one arm. He placed him on the couch and walked off to who-knows-where. Alice hesitated; unable to decide where she was most needed, then got up to find her husband. Finally, a glum Edward came through the door; he was being carefully watched by his father. Seth stayed outside, seeing as he didn't have a change of clothes on him and doesn't like being exposed.

Careful not to look her father in the eye, Nessie rushed over to Jacob, who looked unconscious. She grabbed his cheeks with both of her hands and shook his head a bit. He would not wake.

Finally she turned on her father, whom she was not afraid of anymore, for her anger was too much. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, FATHER?! WHY WON'T HE WAKE UP?!" she screamed at him.

The television was muted. All heads turned to Edward, who was still standing close to the front door, perfectly still. He looked at his mangled daughter, the child he thought he knew. She looked older than the last time Edward really looked at her. She seemed more mature. Even the lines covering her skin made her look older, but not like wrinkles. She seemed more independent, too.

Finally Edward spoke. Calmly, he stated, "A few blows to the stomach and head will not kill him. He would not fight me, but took defense." Edward turned his head away in shame. "I was thinking rashly. He and you are in love. And nobody knew that you had to be careful, that you would hurt each other. It makes me feel like it is my first time all over again. I wanted to kill myself for bruising Bella up the way I did. But she did not mind. Jacob hated himself for seeming like half-wolf last night. He pleaded that it was your idea, that he was seduced. All men have that excuse, including me." Finally he looked into Nessie's eyes and said, "But Jacob also said that he is sorry. He still takes half of the blame, which is his own rightful half. But I don't think anyone is to blame except me. I should have told Bella immediately what was on your mind as you left last night. Then none of this would've happened."

Nessie looked up at him, pondering his words. "No," she said at last. "You couldn't have stopped me. It would've happened any other night, without either of us thinking about it beforehand. You can't stop what has already begun." With that, she leaned down, kissed Jacob's forehead, and walked out of the house, to her own. Only Jasper, who had come back into the room at the yelling, knew that Nessie was crying.

Author's note: aww...poor little Nessie!! thought Jasper should have a little extraness in the story. that's his extraness. MUA HA HA!! seriously though, edward is trying to apologize, and he turns it into "it's my fault, like everything else in the world. you're an accident. you're my fault" blah blah blah. seriously, edward, stop taking the blame for everything! you're driving bella nuts! though i do like it that the weight is lifted off of the guilty and you are left w/ the burden, its just too much. remember the burning man? do we want that again? no matter how much i hate you, edward, i do not want you to burn. leave that to jane. hmm....i smell ideas coming on!!