A?N- The heat is coming, it's coming lol but there is a little more drama to go through and a little misunderstanding to sort out before we get to the good stuff... and I'm uming and ahing about how their little story is going to end, and so far I've come up with an idea and although the idea is kinda... mean, to them an to the readers, it's one I haven't read yet so I'm sticking with that and trying to work through that. And 1bffwltgs feel very honoured lol and while I'm thinking of it to wordslinger, Blayze-Raine, BellaFlan, TwilightObsessionx, hippigirl88 and Chay2193, thank you for your "loved it"s, "very good"s, "looking forward to more"s and "Well done! :)"s lol and I'm happy to be sharing this with you all XO Read and enjoy =]

8) Truly falling

I combed my fingers through my hair after I toweled it dry as much as I could and pulled it into a loose braid. Now that my hair was out of the way, I pulled on my canary yellow singlet and my black tights. I slapped some cream on my face and plucked a few stray hairs from my eyebrows before dashing out of the bathroom and sliding down the stair handrail.

I had prepared to leap of the end of the rail, but Jacob plucked me off a split moment before I had primed myself for the leap.

"Got ya!" he grinned as he pinned me to the ground hovering over me.

I giggled and squealed when he released me to poke my sides and swung my foot up to hit him in the stomach.

"Oh, is that how you want to play?" he grabbed my ankles and drew me upward so I was hanging above the ground; my hands didn't even skim the floor because Jacob was holding me that high.

"JACOB!" I swung my arms back to wrap around his legs and struggled my feet against his grasps.

"What?" he sounded so innocent I would have kicked him if I could.

"Put me down," I asked. "Serious, I'm starting to get blood rushing to my hand. I mean head. Let me go."

I felt him switch both my ankles to one hand and reach down to wrap another arm behind my waist and slowly rotate me so I was standing again. While one hand of his stayed around my waist, the other hand let go of my feet when they touched the ground and cupped my face while I pressed a hand to my forehead and braced my other against his chest to get my bearings.

"Sorry, honey," he said as he stroked his thumb across my cheek. "Are you okay?"

I laughed out loud and patted his chest to reassure him. "Jake, I'm fine."

"Positive?"

"I'm sure," he dipped me backwards and I squeaked a little before gripping onto his huge arms.

"Come on, honey. I'd never drop you," he said as he supported me with one hand and waved the other in the air before of my face.

I sighed and thought I know towards him as I pressed my palm to his cheek and projected images of him rescuing me when I would trip over rocks or my own two clumsy feet. Thanks, Mom, I added at the end.

Jacob chuckled and straightened me again, wrapping his arm around my waist and walking us forward toward the kitchen.

He stopped us just outside the door way and tilted my head towards his. His face blocked out the light and I close my eyes when I felt his hot lips caress mine. I brought my outside arm up to circle around his neck and pull him a little closer while I rose on my toes a bit so he didn't have to bend down as far.

"I love you," he whispered to me as he drew back and removed my arm from his neck.

"I love you, too," I answered at the same time I rested my head against his chest.

He kissed the top of my head and we walked into the kitchen and straight into my fathers glare.

"Jacob," Dad said way too composedly.

"Edward, be logical," Jake replied, removing his arm from around my waist so he could show his hands in a defensive position. He stepped away from me when my father stepped towards him and crouched.

"No! She's too young," my father took another deliberate stepped forward that Jacob matched with a deliberate stepped backward.

"Daddy," I warned. "Do not touch him."

"It's alright, Nessie," Jacob said with a brief glance at me. "Edward, I love her."

"Does she even know what you did to her?! Does she know what you wanted to do to her?!" Daddy spat at him. A low snarl escaped Dad's chest and he crouched lower in his aggressive crouch.

Jacob changed his ploy from a defensive stance to an equally aggressive crouch and matched Dad's snarl with a deep threatening growl of his own. They snarled and growled at each other and Jacob fought hard to stop his quivering body from phasing.

I had never been scared of my father or of Jacob, but they both truly frightened me now.

"Stop it," I whimpered when I was pressed against the wall. My eyes were burning and we're in danger of over flowing when my Dad spoke again.

"If you so much as touch her I swear to whatever God there is that—" my father's threat was interrupted with a hiss from my mother.

"Edward! This is neither the place nor the time. You knew it was going to happen, so why is it bothering you? Give it a rest," Mom ordered them. Neither complied.

"NOW! We will discuss this at a later date. You're being ridiculous, both of you," Mom accused.

After another long second, Dad straightened up and stalked back over to his place beside Mom. She glared at him and whispered something to him when he returned to his place but he just looked at the floor to avoid her angry gaze.

Jacob hadn't moved and still had his eyes trained on my father across the room.

"Jacob," my mother said softly. "Jacob, go to Renesmee. She needs you."

I let out a trembling breath and felt the tears stream down my face when he turned and looked at me with apprehension glowing in his eyes.

"Nessie," Jacob uncurled himself and took a step towards me.

I don't know why, Jacob would never harm me, but I flattened myself against the wall further and tears shed themselves faster.

"Nessie? Sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you; I never would," he whispered. He took another cautious step closer and held his hands out towards me. "Honey, I'm sorry. Just… please, come here. I love you."

I released another shaky breath and pushed my self off the wall and into Jacob's chest where he wrapped his arms around me and pressed hot kisses into my hair. I allowed my face to nuzzle its way deeper into his chest and enclosed my arms around his broad waist.

"I'm sorry, darling. I'm so sorry, I never meant to frighten you," he breathed into my ear.

I just nodded and interlocked my fingers so they wouldn't come apart when he pulled me back to look at my face.

"I'll never do that again, I promise you," he vowed as he wiped the tears from my face with his fingers and lips.

He lifted my into his arms when he finished and I let my arms reposition themselves to wrap around his shoulders and permitted to face to drop forward and relax on his shoulder while the entire family moved to the lounge room.

"This sucks," I muttered when Jake and I had been seated on the sofa.

He respectfully sat me a few inches away from him but those inches were too far away so I had crawled closer to him and sniggled into his side, pulling his arm down to hug around my waist while I let one of mine drape over his stomach.

"Renesmee," my mother said to get my attention.

I looked up at her and was taken aback at the look on her face. She looked… hurt, and worried and sad. She looked lost and really close to tears though she couldn't cry. I had an abrupt gut feeling I was going to be crying enough tears for both of us just from her expression.

I shook my head at her and mouthed Mom. Firstly because I was lost for words, secondly because I had lost my breath and thirdly because I didn't want to know what was so bad she wanted to cry but couldn't.

"Renesmee, sweetie, I have something very important to tell you. First of all, I want you to understand that not everyone is like us; not everyone is immortal. Honey, sometimes mortal people get very sick, and sometimes they can be helped, other times there's no—"

I felt rude for cutting Mom off, but I was not going to jump through loops and run around in circles to get this story. If she was going to give it to me, she would give it to me straight.

"It's Grandpa Charlie isn't it? He's ill isn't he?" I asked in barely more than a breath.

Sometimes you're family being vampires and having supersonic hearing came I handy. Every other time was just down right frustrating though.

Mom bit her lip and nodded a yes before her head fell forward and her shoulders started shaking not long after. Dad rested a hand on the back of her neck and held her hand.

I pushed myself away from Jacob and knelt down on the floor in front of Mom, pressing my hand to her cheek and saying I love you, Mom. I'm here, too. I'm so sorry, but we can get through this.

Mom shook a little more violently and picked me up like an infant, resting me in her lap and I couldn't help but bury my face in her shoulder like I used to as a youngster. As I knew I would, I bawled even tears for the both of us and Mom rocked me to and fro to soothe me.

Mom sat there with me for hours it seemed, just rocking back and forth and shushing me and kissing my hair and cheeks and forehead correspondingly.

I didn't want to know, but I did need to know the answer to the question playing in my mind.

"Momma," I whimpered into her neck. "Momma, how long?"

I held my breath while I waited for her voice to answer me.

She took a deep breath and whispered, "Three months."

Three months. Three months.

I let my breath out shakily and nodded. Three months left with my Grandfather. Just three short months. My heart was falling, plummeting; and there was not enough strength in me to watch it. Let alone catch it.

Three months and then he's gone. Forever.

The tears overpowered me again.