~Bella P.O.V.~
"Oh. My. God." My head snapped up from against Edward's shoulder.
"What?" He asked, meeting my eyes.
"We just left Tanya and Jackson alone!" I said, the realization finally hitting me.
"Is this about the whole mate thing?" Edward asked.
"Yeah. You get all that stuff. Is she right about it?" I asked. I wanted to be sure so neither one got hurt.
"She's right. When you meet your mate you can feel it inside of you. Like, you know it's them; there's something that shifts in you… Yeah, it's really hard to explain, but when she saw Jackson she just knew. It's like how you loved Renesmee the first time you saw her. You just knew that she'd be your little girl, forever. It's that kind of feeling that you get when you first meet your mate, but stronger than that." He said with a smile. "I saw the look on her face and I know that's what I looked like the first time I met you." His smile grew with his last sentence.
"That's the same way Jake explained imprinting." I replied.
"They're kind of the same thing." He chuckled.
"So vampires and werewolves do have something in common." I said, a smile playing on my lips.
"As much as it pains me to admit, yes, yes we do." He said with his usual, yet amazing, crooked smile on his mouth. I just laughed in reply, laying my head back against his shoulder. "And don't worry: Tanya isn't going to force herself on him. She's going to give him a choice whether or not he wants to fall for her. That being said: she's not going to completely shut him out either." He explained, resting his chin on my head.
"Let's be honest here, why wouldn't he fall for her?" I looked up at him.
"You never know." He snickered.
"I just never thought that this life could affect my old one. I mean I knew it would, but I just never thought about it." I told him.
"It's something you never want to think about. I get what you're saying." He said sympathetically. "But hey, Jackson becoming a vampire won't be all bad. You wanted to be one when you were human, remember?" He added, playfully.
"I remember." I giggled, letting my head relax against his shoulder again.
"I'm glad you waited though." He murmured.
"Me too." I smiled, gazing at Renesmee sleeping soundly on the couch next to us, her head in Carman's lap.
"I'm just happy Tanya finally found someone." Kate entered the room, her fingers intertwined with Garrett's. "Even if he's your cousin." She winked at me as her and her mate sat down next to Edward and I.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked playfully.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She answered, batting her eyelashes. Once she was done with her innocence act, we heard the door open. Tanya came into the living room with a smile playing on her lips. We all were looking expectantly at her, waiting for a story: hopefully a good one.
"Can I help you?" She asked sarcastically, looking at her blond sister.
"Yeah, you can actually. How was dinner?" Kate asked, a mischievous grin on her mouth. That made Tanya's smile grow even wider.
"It was great, actually. His parents are really nice and his little brother's absolutely adorable."
"What'd you think about Brittney?" I chuckled.
"He nicknamed her Britt the Bitch and it's the most fitting thing for her. Hopefully she'll like me though." She said with a laugh.
"Why would you want her to like you? She sounds awful!" Kate asked.
"Because I'm one-hundred percent sure, without a doubt, positive that Jack's my mate." She replied, her smile absolutely glowing.
"Oh, Tanya! I'm so happy for you!" Kate squealed, running over to hug her little sister.
"Thanks, Kate." She said. Everyone in the living room was smiling, all happy that Tanya finally had her mate. From what I've been told, finding your mate is the most amazing feeling in the world. If it's anything close to what I feel for Edward, I can start to understand.
"But he was acting really strange on the car ride home." She said, worry coming across her face.
"What was wrong?" I asked, hoping my cousin was okay.
"He got really shaky and was burning up. And not like a fever hot, but like he was literally burning up. I asked if he was okay, but he just played it off, saying he was fine. I wish I could've stayed a little longer and made sure he was alright." Tanya said. Edward looked at Tanya and said:
"I'm sure he'll be alright. It could just be stress from moving. If you want I can go over later and make sure he's okay."
"Thanks Edward, but I'm sure he's okay. I'll probably call later." She said.
"That' a good idea. The offer still stands though." Edward said. Tanya smiled at him and replied,
"Thanks again."
~Jackson P.O.V~
By the time I pulled into the driveway, I was drowning in my own sweat. Without even thinking of turning my car off, I ran inside.
"Jackson?" My mom called after me as I romped up the stairs.
Not even bothering to take off my clothes, I turned the shower on all the way cold and got in, not before emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet.
I felt like I was on fire, like literally.
I heard the sizzling of the water, felt the steam of it evaporating off my body as my vision started to blur. The last thing I saw before I passed out was the figure of a tall man.
~Bella P.O.V.~
"Has he called yet?" Kate asked, about three hours later. Edward had taken Renesmee home about an hour ago and Tanya, Kate, and I were just lounging around the house while the other's hunted.
"Not yet." Tanya replied: her head buried in a pillow.
"That jackass." Kate grumbled.
"Hey," Tanya sat up to glare at her. "He's probably just sleeping. Human's do that you know." She said with a playful grin.
"Maybe, but still." She murmured as my phone went off in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the caller I.D.
"Speak of the devil." I snickered.
"Jackson?" Tanya asked.
"His mom, actually." I laughed. "Hi, Aunt Karen." I answered, holding the flimsy phone to my ear.
"It's me, actually, Bells…" Charlie answered awkwardly.
"Dad?" I replied.
"Yeah, um, you see: I forgot my phone at home and she wanted me to call you." He explained.
"At home? Where are you?" I sat up, starting to get concerned. Kate and Tanya sat up too, just watching me.
"The hospital, Bella." He said carefully.
"Who's hurt?" I asked.
"Jackson passed out earlier." He sighed remorsefully. "He was awake for a while but still has a really high temperature. Like really high. Like the doctors don't know how he's still alive." He explained. I looked at Tanya, who had clearly heard the whole thing. Her face was blank, vacant even. Kate just wound her arm around her sister's shoulders, unsure of what to say.
"Should we come there or-"
"No. Not tonight. He's sleeping now anyway and it's late. Plus visiting hours are almost over; we're getting kicked out any minute now. He'll be okay until tomorrow, Bells." He told me.
"But, dad-"
"Bella, please relax. Jackson has Carlisle watching over him right now. He's in good hands." He added. That calmed me down a little bit.
"Okay. Tell Aunt Karen to keep me posted, okay?" I sighed, feeling defeated.
"I promise, Bella." He said.
"Thank you." I said.
"Bye, Bells." He told me.
"Bye, Dad." I said and hung up. "Tan, you okay?" I asked.
"I knew he wasn't okay! I knew shouldn't have left him!" She exclaimed, getting up and flashing to the window, using vampire speed of course.
"There was nothing you could do. This would've happened with or without you babysitting him." Kate explained in her very blunt, sisterly way.
"I know, I know." She sighed, walking back to the couch and sitting next to me.
"Jackson will be fine, Tanya." I smiled reassuringly at her. "Seriously." I added when she didn't seem convinced. "I mean it. That boy has had some crazy medical history." I said with a chuckle.
"Like?" Kate asked, her eyebrow rising.
"Well, when were kids, Jack had to get twelve stitches in his head because he tried to walk through a door and missed." I told them, igniting a laugh out of Kate and a sad smile from Tanya. "He's going to be fine." I repeated with a smile.
"I believe you." Tanya smile grew.
"Good. Jack's a big boy. He can handle himself." I snickered.
"Only until Tanya gets a hold of him." Kate joked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tanya snapped playfully, whirling around to glare at the other blond.
"Nothing, nothing." Kate said with a grin, once again putting on her innocent act.
Yeah, right.
~Jackson P.O.V.~
Burning.
Everywhere.
I jerked up in bed, hearing a weird sizzling sound.
Scared, I looked around the small room that I had the fortune to have too myself. Seeing nothing, I sighed and let my smoldering body relax against the bed; only to snap back up in alarm when I saw the thick layer of sweat on my body boiling, yes, literally boiling, on my skin.
"Jackson Matthew," a voice said out of nowhere, scaring me even further, to the point of me falling off the bed with a loud thud.
"W-Wha?" I mumbled, my eyes flying around the room. I gasped and twitched backward when my now widened eyes fell on a very blurry, dark figure in the corner.
"Relax, my son. Breathe. You're going to be okay." The figure replied, stepping closer to me.
"S-Stay back!" I exclaimed.
"I'm here to help you." He reasoned, stopping in his tracks. I still couldn't see a face.
"Who are you?" I snapped, crying out in pain as felt the inferno I called my body intensified.
"I'm your father, Jack." He told me, his eyes that mirrored my own in every way, locked in with mine.
"What are you t-talking about?" I choked as tears started forming in my eyes.
"We can talk later, I promise. Right now, we need to focus on you." The man said, appearing by my side, putting a hand on my bare, very sweaty shoulder.
"W-What's happening to me?" I asked, as my hands felt like they were exploding. "M-My hands burn!" I screamed, doubling over in pain, huddling myself over my hands, which hurt the worst.
"Let's get you out of here." The man whispered. "Jackson, focus on a place. Anywhere you want to go." He instructed. I listened, thinking about the coldest place I could think of: the North Pole. I felt the man pulled me into a corner and the next thing I felt, cold air blowing on my, feeling like Heaven.
Let me rephrase that: feeling like Heaven for like two seconds before my hands literally burst into flames right before my very eyes.
"Jackson, look at me." The man ordered. I tore my eyes away from my burning hands to look at the man that called himself my father. He was knelt in front of me, his face centimeters from mine.
This was my first time getting a good look at him: He wasn't just any man…there was something about him that was…Godly… His skin was pale and he had brown, wavy, afro-like hair, a goatee, and was dressed in goth-like clothes, clearly not appropriate for the snowy weather surrounding us.
"We need to get you calmed down." He told me. I nodded, just as the tears started streaming down my face. "You need to focus the burning. Channel it into your core." I nodded again; squeezing my eyes shut and took a deep breath, feeling the cold air meet my sweltering body. My heart rate decreased, and my hands went out. "Good job, son. Just relax, keep breathing." He said, as the burning started to reseat into my upper stomach, right around my diaphragm.
I moaned in exhaustion as the pain evolved into a warm, comfortable feeling and my body gave out in the next second, collapsing against the man.
"I am so proud of you, my son." He mumbled kindly into my ear, just as my eyes fluttered shut.
And I was out.
~Bella P.O.V.~
"-So tell me again, what happened?" I asked, very puzzled, into the receiver of my phone. I heard shuffling on the other end.
"Really, Bella? Your poor daddy has told you what happened like four times." I heard Jackson's snide voice joke.
"It's really good to hear your voice." I said sincerely with a smile.
"Oh c'mon, Bells. Don't make me get all teary-eyed." He replied; I could hear the smile in his voice.
"You're obnoxious. You know that?" I said playfully.
"Yeah. I do." He snickered proudly.
"How're you feeling?" I asked.
"Better. I must've slept off whatever was wrong." Jackson explained. "I had a crazy dream though." He laughed.
"Really? What was it abou-?"
"Oh hey, I got to go. The Dr. Cullen just came in." He told me.
"Okay. Tell Carlisle I said hi." I laughed. "I love you." I told him, just as Edward, Tanya, Kate, and Garrett entered the room from outside.
"Yeah, love you too." He said quickly, almost to the point where I wouldn't have understood him if I wasn't a vampire.
"Who were you talking too?" Edward asked, leaning in and kissing my lips quickly, but lovingly as I hung up the phone and slipped it into my pocket.
"Jackson." I smiled sweetly. "He's going home today." I explained, looking at Tanya.
"Good." Her face brightened. "What was wrong with him?"
"I don't know. He had a really high fever and then just slept it off, I guess." I shrugged, just repeating what I was told.
"That's really weird." Edward said, his eyes narrowing.
"One thing about Jackson, he's really weird. In a good way though." I looked up at my husband.
And every word of it was true.
~Jackson P.O.V.~
"Alright, bed." My mom pointed at me as we walked through the door.
"Yeah, I have one of those." I said as I walked into the kitchen, immediately opening the fridge.
"You just got out of the hospital. You should be resting." My dad interjected.
"I feel fine." I shrugged, pulling out leftovers from last night's dinner and popping them into the microwave.
"Well, I guess you're feeling fine enough to start school a week early, then." My mom said, walking into the kitchen about a minute later.
"Um," I fake coughed. "I'm actually starting to feel pretty," Another cough. "Sick. Uh, yeah." Cough. "Bye." I said, grabbing my plate out of the microwave and scrambling up the stairs, forgetting to grab a fork.
Well, crap.
About an hour of contemplating life choices later, I picked up my phone and dialed the number. My heart was pounding, threatening to break my ribcage, as I waited for he-
"Hello?"
"Uh, h-hey, Tanya." I stammered, running my fingers through my hair again.
"Jackson, hi!" She said what sounded like happily.
"What's up?" I asked, sitting up and throwing my legs over the side of my bed, my black basketball shorts falling loosely around my legs.
"Nothing really, just sitting around. What about you?" She replied. Oh crap, I'm on the spot: Now or never, Jackson; now or never.
"Same here. Just thinking about you." I told her, as I popped my dorky, black-rimmed, rectangular glasses on my face. Yeah, smooth.
"Aw, you're sweet." She giggled.
"Only to you." I smiled to myself.
Let's see where this leads, shall we?
~Bella P.O.V.~
"What's going on?" I asked when I saw Kate with a huge grin on her face. Edward, Rose, Emmett, and I had just home back from hunting.
"They've been on the phone for two hours!" Her face lit up as she turned to face me.
"Tanya and Jackson?" I asked, feeling the smile on my face grow.
"No, Bert and Ernie." She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Yes, Tanya and Jackson!" She squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down.
"I swear: you're more excited about this than I am." Tanya snapped, turning around to face us on the couch with her hand over the speaking part of her phone.
"I'm just happy for you, dear sister." Kate giggled, saying the last part tantalizingly.
"What was that, babe?" Tanya said into her phone, turning back around.
"Aw, she called him babe!" Kate scoffed. Tanya had the biggest smile on her face as she gave her sister the one finger salute, flipping her off as we all heard Jackson mutter something flirtatious into her ear. Kate returned the gesture, winking at her before prancing from the room in search of Garrett.
"We should go check on Renesmee." Edward muttered to me, hinting that we should leave Tanya alone for a while, to flirt with my cousin.
"Go easy on him, Tan. He's still innocent." I chuckled, winking at her and then taking Edward's hand before leading him out of the room.
"Oh, trust me, Bella. No he's not." She called after us. "Oh, nothing, nothing." She continued into her phone.
I cringed.
Ew.
~Jackson P.O.V.~
"What do you guys think Chiron meant by: 'We're not the only ones looking for the boy?'" Grover asked, mocking someone else as the trio stalked down the darkened sidewalks.
"I was too scared to ask." Percy replied, his hand in his pocket ready to unsheathe his weapon, just in case.
"Probably just Luke or something." Annabeth shrugged, throwing her hood up, hiding her face.
"Whoever this Jackson Mercer guy is, he must be important or something." Grover shrugged, popping his crutches he didn't actually need in one hand and shoving the other one in his pocket.
"You heard who his father was: one of the big three. It's kind of important we get to him before Luke and his cronies do." Annabeth explained. "Plus Zeus is angry. This could be bad."
"Why is Zeus angry?" Percy asked.
"Were any of you listening to Chiron?" She turned to glare at the boys. "Since Hades lied about breaking the agreement, he's wagging war. Your father is trying to mediate." She explained, looking at Percy.
"Oh." Was the only reply out of the boys.
"Jackson? Did you fall asleep on me?" An amused voice giggled, pulling me from yet another weird dream.
"Huh?" I mumbled, opening my eyes slowly and remembering I was on the phone.
"You fell asleep, didn't you?" Tanya repeated; her voice was amused.
"No, no, I was awake the whole time." I lied, my voice groggy and slurred.
"You sound so cute when you're tired." She laughed.
"I'm not cute; I'm manly as hell." I said defensively, grumbling the last part.
"Whatever you say, dear." She giggled. "Go back to sleep. We can talk tomorrow. Or, later." She told me, noticing the time.
"Okay." I mumbled tiredly.
"Goodnight, Jackson."
"Goodnight, Tanya." I murmured, almost inaudibly and hung up a second later.
I like you.
Hey, guys! What did you think about the chapter? Please let me know if there's anything you didn't like about it, or even liked about it so I can keep doing it. Review and stuff, if you don't mind. That would be super helpful. Like seriously. Sometimes I feel discouraged and feel like no one likes my story if I don't get reviews... SO help a sista out. :) Thanks for reading!