Nessie was sitting on the porch at Jake's house. She had finished her book a while ago and couldn't get her mind to settle down. She was nervous that something went wrong. She just wanted to know what happened and to make sure he got out okay. It felt like half the day had gone by. After a few more minutes of sitting outside she heard the motorcycle engine coming down the road. It only took a few more seconds until she was able to see the bike coming down the road. She stood as he pulled into his drive way and got off the bike.
"How did it go?" She couldn't wait any longer. She made her way down the steps and caught him before he was able to go into the house.
"They were asking the same questions. If I have heard from you. If I knew where you could have possibly have gone. They are getting desperate now." She could see the hurt in Jake's eyes. She knew it was a tough spot to be in but she couldn't let them know just yet.
"What about the letters?" This was the one thing that could make it so they knew where she was.
"Well I had to come up with a plan to make it look like they didn't appear right before I got there and right after I got there. I put them in a spot that with the wind blowing would push it up towards the house in the middle of me being there. That is why I had to stay so late I was waiting for the wind to come and take them." She let out her breath. She didn't realize she had been holding it in.
"Did it work?" Jake moved around her and walked up the stairs.
"Yes it worked. Each one read their note but didn't say it out loud. After they got through the notes they made up more ideas where you could be and how the notes got here. They didn't piece anything together." Once Jake was done talking he turned and went into the house. Nessie did feel bad she knew this was taking a toll on him. It was hard for him to know she was safe but have to lie and act like he had no idea where she was. She followed him into the house.
Nessie couldn't see him in the living room. She made her way through each room in the house until she was at the last room. She knocked on his bedroom door. She heard movement but no one came to the door. She made her way into the room and saw him sitting in his chair that was in the corner. She moved closer to him.
"Jake I haven't said it enough. Thank you. I know how hard this is and I want to let you know that I am truly grateful that you are doing this for me." She sat down on his lap and gave him a hug.
"Nessie I would do anything for you." He gave her a hug back.
-Back At the Cullens-
Edward was pacing the living room once again. It had been four months since he had seen his daughter. He was still trying to find out where she could be. Alice wasn't able to get any premonitions about where she could be. He wasn't able to see in anyone's thoughts that they knew where she could be. He was at a loss for words. He was more upset with himself that he wasn't able to see that this was going to happen. He felt Bella come up and put his arm on his shoulders. She was the calming effect that he always needed.
"Edward take a breath. You don't need to stress yourself out." He just nodded. He knew that she was right but he had lost control and he was still trying to figure it out to get it back. It just felt like something was missing and until he got Nessie back that is how it was going to stay.
"I know but I just feel like there is something that I am missing. How is there no trace of her? Her scent stopped when she left the cottage and no one has been able to pick it up since." Bella brought him over to the couch and made it so he would sit down.
"What about Alice not being able to see anything about her. That has never happened either. There are so many different questions that can't be answered."
"Edward I understand how you feel. We got through it the first time though. She will be found just like before. Let her cool off remember she is your child. I remember someone leaving me thinking it was the best for everyone." She was right there. Edward did leave her once when he thought it would be the best way to protect her. He was wrong.
"Okay you are right. And I am sorry that I ever made you feel this way."
"I know it wasn't on purpose. I do believe there is one person who is hurting more than you. Alec has never dealt with something like this before. I want to make sure that he is okay out of all of this. I do truly believe that he has feelings for our daughter and right now she is breaking his heart." Edward looked up at her. She was right Alec didn't have to go through it before with Nessie leaving. When she left the first time she ended up spending time with him.
"Yes I have been making sure to find time to get him out of the room." Bella sat down next to her husband. She was stressing just like he was she was just able to keep it hidden better than he did. She knew why Nessie did it she just wished that her daughter would have come to her or someone in the family before she took off.
They heard the engine shut off and the door open before the smell came through the house. Bella went to the front door to greet her best friend. She knew that he had to be taking this hard. The last time she left it took a toll on him. Jake was just getting to turn into the living room when he saw Bella standing in the door frame.
"Hey Bells" She gave him a smile and a hug.
"Hey how are you holding up?" He just gave a small smile.
"I am doing fine. Been out with the pack seeing if there is anything that we can catch onto." Bella moved out of the door frame and let him come into the living room. With more people hearing Jake in the house they started to come into the living room.
Alec was the last one that joined everyone in the living room. He didn't look like his normal self. He looked depressed and like anything could set him off. Jake felt bad knowing that he knew where Nessie was but he couldn't say anything to make Alec feel better. He couldn't think of anything about what he knew or than Edward would find out what he knew. Bella went back to sitting with Edward. Jake took the seat that was in the corner. This had become an occurrence that happened every few weeks. Everyone would get together to go over what they have found out. In the beginning it was a lot of guessing that didn't turn into anything. It was basically just a way for them to all get together and talked about what was going on.
It had been a few hours and Jake was here longer than he normally was. He had to make sure that the notes blew up into the glass door in the kitchen. It took longer than he thought for the wind to lift it up. By the time it did Bella was in the kitchen with a few of the others. Jake wasn't sure what they were grabbing but they got up. It might have been to just be moving and not sitting anymore. Bella was the one who brought the notes in.
"Everyone this just blew against the door." Jake let out a sigh when it was Bella that came across the notes.
"What is it?" Edward was up standing next to his wife.
"They are notes. They have my name, yours and Alec's name on the front." She gave each person the note that had their name on it. They all watched Alec leave and go to his room.
Once he was in his room he sat down in the chair that was in front of the tv. He opened the note and paused because he could smell her again. He had to look around to make sure that she wasn't there. Seeing that she wasn't there he returned to looking at the note.
Alec,
I am sorry that I took off like I did. I know that you wish you could see me. But I know that if you knew where I was and if you could talk to me then you would try to tell me that Aro wouldn't be able to hurt any of you. I wasn't going to let what I decide be the factor for everyone else. I should let you know I was given a choice to break your heart or watch everyone I love die. I couldn't do either but thinking about it now I am sure that I have broken your heart in some way. I didn't mean to do that. I do love you and I miss seeing you. Please know that when I believe everyone will be safe from me I will come home. I am always watching and don't stop living. Have fun and enjoy spending time with my family. Stop being in your room all the time.
Yours
Nessie
Alec looked at the note and just kept reading it over and over. He knew that Aro would never be happy with the fact that he left to be with her. That he would do anything to get him back but to threaten Nessie and make her decide he had no right to do that. He just want to tell Nessie that everything would be fine if they just stayed together. Alec could hear what the rest of them were saying downstairs. He didn't have any desire to go and join them. He wanted to think about everything he just found out.
Edward was reading his note and he could see everyone was watching him. He knew everyone wanted to know what it said and who it was from. He finished the letter and read it one more time. He wanted to make sure he got everything before he shared it with anyone else.
"The letter is from Nessie. She is just letting us know that she is safe. That when the time is right she will come home but for now she needs to stay away to keep us safe. No one can know where she is so that if the time comes we don't have to lie."
"Mine says the same thing. That she misses us and doesn't want any of us to stop living. She says that she still can see what we are up too so she will know if we stop." Everyone started throwing out questions. Jake knew that this was his time to leave.
"I am going to head out. I will let you know if the pack comes across anything." He gave everyone a wave before he made his way out the door. He was glad that everything went smoothly and no one knew that she was with him. He knew that he would feel the wrath of everyone in that house if they found out that he had Nessie the whole time. He got on his bike and made his way back towards his house.
