All the usual thanks, Nikki, Dani and Angelz1114577 & Whitlocked from PTB :o)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters, they belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 8

Nessie PoV

Rose looked up from the juice she was pouring as I walked through the doorway. She sighed and tilted her head to one side, her eyes reflecting my sadness as she took in my face. Placing the juice carton down, she swiftly crossed the kitchen and pulled me into a tight hug against her cold, hard body, rubbing my back comfortingly as we stood there. We stayed like that for a while before Rosalie pulled back a little, lifting one hand to gently brush my curls out of my face and push them back over my shoulder.

"Nessie," her voice was sympathetic as she looked into my eyes. "What's been going on?" I looked back at her, afraid to speak for fear of the tears returning. Instead, I raised my hand to her face, placing it carefully onto her ice cold cheek and I showed her everything that had happened yesterday, including what had happened with Nahuel. Embarrassed, I edited heavily the part where Jake and I had sex, but showed her the part where he had watched my dream, before running out. As the images ended I moved my hand away again, watching Rosalie's face carefully to try and gauge her reaction. She rolled her eyes, her face showing signs of exasperation. "Stupid mutt," she uttered as she pulled me into another embrace.

We'd always been close, and as I'd grown, our relationship became more like that of sisters than aunt and niece. Rose had always stood by me, no matter what decisions I made, to make sure that I was happy. She'd even gone so far as to support me against my Dad, when he was so strongly opposed to me moving in with Jake without getting married first. She was formidable when she had committed to a course of action or a set of beliefs and her demeanour now, told me that she was firmly on my side again.

She pulled away and led me over to the kitchen counter where she'd laid some breakfast out, pulling a stool out for me to sit on, and then walking around to the other side of the counter to sit opposite me. I ate quickly, suddenly ravenous as I realised that I had barely eaten a thing in the last twenty four hours. She watched me for a few minutes, her face contemplative enough for me to realise that she was trying to work out a solution to the whole mess.

"Nessie, I'll help you as much as I can, you know that don't you?" she asked, her eyes fixed firmly on me. I replied with a confident nod of my head. "So, discounting the shooting star shivers," her eyes twinkled playfully as she said this and I couldn't stop my lips turning up slightly into a smile at her. "How do you feel about Nahuel being here and wanting to see you?" I dipped my head for a moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling. I looked back at Rose who was sitting patiently, waiting for me to answer.

"Well, shooting star shivers aside," I raised my eyebrows and smiled before quickly becoming serious again. "I completely understand his reasons and I feel the same way. I reached across the counter with one of my hands and grasped one of Rosalie's firmly. "You know I love you guys as much as it's possible to love anyone. You're my family and I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job of raising me, but I know exactly where Nahuel's coming from when he wants to get to know me. Nobody else quite knows what it's like to not be one thing or the other, to not be like anybody else." Rose was looking a little sceptical now and I could guess where her thoughts were. "I know he has sisters, but they were raised by his father who he despised. You know what he thought of all of us when he visited before to help us, Rose, how it made him feel about his parents and himself."

My voice had increased in pitch and volume and my last statement almost came out in a wail. "If we both want this friendship, then I don't actually see what the problem is?" My breathing was ragged now and I sat looking at her as it slowly eased and became even again. Her voice was level as she replied to what I had intended to be a rhetorical question.

"The problem Nessie, as you know, is the shooting stars." I looked at her, knowing that she was right but being unable to acknowledge this aloud. "So if we count the shooting stars in, same question; how do you feel about Nahuel being here and wanting to see you?"

I pulled my hand back, slamming my elbows down onto the counter and dropping my head roughly into my hands at the same time, my fingertips splayed and tensed across my forehead and my thumbs digging into my cheeks. Frustration filled my head as I struggled with the question.

"Argh! I don't know!" I pulled my hands away from my face, my elbows still on the counter. "I just…don't know!" I closed my eyes briefly and rubbed them with my fingertips, sighing deeply before opening them again, and turning the palms of my hands upwards as I focused on Rosalie. "I've never had anything like this with Jake," I folded my left arm down in front of me and leaned my head on the fingers and thumb of my right hand. "It's always been easy. It's felt right…natural." Rose was looking at me, concern on her face. I continued hurriedly as I noticed. "It's good, don't get me wrong, just no shivers. No shooting stars." I pulled my lips tight into a small sad smile and sighed again, folding my right arm down over my left.

"Do you love Jacob?" I understood that this was relevant given the discussion we were having, but it still cut deep that she felt she had to ask. My face contorted with pain, but I managed to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow again.

"Of course I do," I whispered. "I just can't see where all of this jealousy is coming from, this strange behaviour. Why's he so upset about it? All he needs to do to make me happy enough to not doubt anything is to be himself. Instead he's turned into this awful, angst-ridden character that I don't recognise." Rosalie looked as though she was going to say something but then appeared to change her mind. There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"Nessie, do you think you could change your mind about seeing Nahuel again?" I thought carefully and then shook my head. As much as I loved Jake, I needed to do this for myself, to have someone, a friend that I could relate to on another level.

The answer to this question was obviously the one that Rosalie had been working toward, the one that decided what would happen next. Rosalie looked sure of herself again and stood up from the stool.

"You can't stay here to try and work this through, it'll never happen. You need to be away from the dog," I grimaced as Rosalie referred to Jake this way, it had been a long time since she was upset enough with him to revert back to the canine insults. "Until he can sort his head out and control his jealousy, he's just going to make things worse for himself – and you. Edward and Bella won't be able to help you on this one either Ness, your Mom's got too big a soft spot for Jake and trust me, Edward really doesn't need to know what's going on in your head right now. I'm going to see Carlisle, see if he can persuade Edward and Bella to track down Jake and talk some sense into him. You go and pack a bag, I'll be back soon."

I was confused at her last words.

"Why? Where are we going?" She smiled conspiratorially.

"Well, as far as everybody else is concerned, you're coming to stay with me for a few days while everything calms down here."

"And as far as we're concerned?" She placed her hand on my shoulder, still smiling.

"That's exactly what's happening; only there's slightly more to it than that." I raised my eyebrows at her, waiting for her to explain further but she turned and left the room, calling out a reminder to me about my packing as she walked out of the front door.

I sighed and headed back toward my bedroom to get ready, wondering what on earth Rosalie had planned. I was sure that I must be right to feel wary about whatever it was if it was a secret from the rest of the family, that wasn't generally how the Cullens worked. I got washed and dressed and started packing my bag, my mind wandering to Jake, wondering where he was. Thinking about him now and knowing that he was hurting started a pain of my own building in my chest. I took a few deep breaths until it was under control then zipped the bag up. I scribbled a note to Jake, sticking to the basics, that I was going to stay at Rose's for a few days, that I'd miss him and see him soon and that I loved him. I left it on his pillow and walked out of the room to wait in the kitchen for Rosalie to return.