Disclaimer: Twilight is the creation and property of Stephenie Meyer. This fanfiction is nothing more than an homage to her series of books, which most of us wish never had to end. Any references to plot devices/characters/etc. used in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, or the draft of Midnight Sun belong exclusively to Stephenie Meyer. This is a fan-created story. I don't own the song by Lenka at the beginning of this chapter but it's great and everyone should listen to it!

Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for the splendid reviews! Lots of new people and lots of great tips and suggestions. Everyone has a note at the end of the chapter. 25 more reviews and I'll update again. All of my love and I hope you like Chapter 15! Happy New Year!

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But he's there in the dark.
He's there in my heart.
He waits in the wings.
He's gotta play a part.
Trouble is a friend.
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine.
So don't be alarmed if he takes you by the arm.
I roll down the window.
I'm a sucker for his charm.
Trouble is a friend.
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine…

-"Trouble is a Friend of Mine" by Lenka

Renesmee heard her heart thundering in her ears, her breath coming in heavy gasps as she pounded barefoot through the forest. The sound of an animal's paws thudded behind her, a throaty bark rising in his mouth. His teeth snapped once at her heels and she squealed, picking up speed.

"It's mine," she insisted hoarsely, pushing through the heavy brush, nostrils flaring for a moment as she caught another whiff of the deer.

The wolf didn't seem to agree. He was gaining rapidly on her and Renesmee had to fight to keep the lead.

Another burst of energy brought her to the edge of a large rock overlooking an open field. And there, in the center, was a large buck, his antlers spanning the length of Renesmee's body. She licked her lips in anticipation and prepared to leap.

The wolf appeared next to her, panting, his long tongue hanging from the corner of his mouth. For a moment, Nessie stared at him. He stared back, his wet nose sniffing her cheek, dark, coppery fur tickling her neck. She giggled softly. The wolf seemed to grin. He panted in her face. Renesmee groaned and pushed against him, "Ugh, dog breath, Jacob! Gross!"

She looked back at the deer, which stood suddenly frozen. She sighed, "He heard us."

The wolf bared his teeth. Renesmee breathed in once, hands curled, body crouched. She jumped and as she did, the deer bolted. Renesmee landed neatly on its back, taking it to the ground. Without hesitation, she sunk her small, sharp teeth into the jugular. Almost simultaneously, she twisted her hands around its neck, snapping it cleanly. She had been taught by her parents – kill humanely, quickly. The suffering of any creature was unacceptable. Behind her, the wolf had taken a bite out of the back leg. Renesmee drank deeply, grateful to be rid of the taste of mushy spaghetti.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ed slammed the front door behind him, shrugging off his coat as he walked down the hall, "Mom?"

There was no answer. He slumped down onto the couch, his hand reaching for the remote.

"Eddie?" his mother's voice called timidly from upstairs.

"Down here," he announced, flipping unseeingly through channels.

Darlene appeared at the top of the landing. She watched him for several moments. "Did you have a nice time?" she asked, reluctantly.

"Oh, cut the crap, Mom. I already know you hate the Cullens."

"They're monsters, Eddie! Of course, I don't like them."

"I don't suppose it would matter, at all, to you if I said I liked Renesmee?" Ed asked mildly. There was no trace of interest on his face.

"No, it would not," his mother said sadly. "They're vampires."

Ed pursed his lips, considering for a moment before he spoke. "I know that," he said, at last.

"Oh, Eddie…" Darlene whispered with horror.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………When she finally lifted her head, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, Nessie smiled. She'd always been partial to night-hunting. More challenging. She wandered across the meadow, finally slouching against a tree trunk.

The wolf stood over the deer, smacking his chops, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Renesmee wondered if, under different circumstances, she might have felt afraid. She doubted it. Wolves didn't scare her. Not many wild things did. Her family had instilled many qualities in her; fear didn't seem to be one of them.

She watched him through the darkness. He was almost eerie there in the middle of the clearing, large frame towering over almost everything. As if on cue, the wolf looked up, eyes glowing back in her direction. Silently, he padded towards her.

"So that was…an interesting date," she mused as he approached.

The wolf shook his head, ruefully.

"You could be a little more patient with Ed, though. He's really trying to be nice."

The wolf sat on his haunches, cocking his head to one side.

"I have to say, though," she admitted, "This was the best part of the whole night."

He bent his head, pushing his nose into her hands.

Renesmee smiled, "I love you, too." She buried her face in his fur, snuggling closer to him. The wolf sighed, happily.

"Sometimes I don't know which Jacob I like better. Jacob the wolf or Jacob the human…" she mused. "Right now, you're really soft and furry and you make a great pillow. But on the other hand…" she trailed off.

The wolf nudged her, as if to say, Finish your sentence.

Renesmee blushed, "Never mind."

He nudged her again, more insistently.

She shook her head.

He snarled, showing his teeth a little.

Nessie fluffed his ears, "Don't you growl at me, Jacob Black! I'm not scared of you."

The wolf was quiet, a look of frustration in his dark, expressive eyes.

"Besides, it's weird talking about stuff like this when you're in wolf form. I can't tell what you're thinking."

Immediately, the wolf was off, running through the trees away from her.

"Jacob!" Renesmee called after him. "Where are you going? I didn't mean you had to phase right now! Jacob!" She stood up, "Jacob!" She heard the sound of heavy breathing and followed it to a grove of trees a few hundred yards away. "Jacob?"

A flash of skin and then Jacob was visible, hiding behind a tree, "Nessie!"

"What?"

"I'm trying to find my pants. Can you…wait over there?"

Curiosity overcame embarrassment, "You're…naked?"

"Uh, yeah, Nessie. Just like I usually am when I'm trying to find my pants," Jacob said impatiently.

"Sorry," she said, covering her eyes obediently.

"I think they're over there somewhere," Jacob pointed to another cluster of trees close by.

"It's okay. I won't look."

Renesmee was suddenly hyper-aware of herself, of Jacob running quickly over the leaves, of the air moving between them. For a strange second, she imagined what might happen if she opened her eyes and saw him. The idea frightened her and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter than before. She heard the rustle of clothing and then, "Okay, I'm decent."

She cracked one eye open, hesitantly, and was staggered by his sudden nearness.

"So I'm human Jacob now. What's good about human Jacob?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist.

"Well…human Jacob can talk. And…" his warm skin was a shock. Renesmee shivered.

"You cold?" he pulled her closer.

"N-no. I'm not cold."

"You're shaking," Jacob looked concerned. He ran a hand across her cheek and Renesmee leaned into his touch. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I just…" Renesmee bit her lip. Impulsively, she pulled Jacob's head down to her level and planted a kiss on his mouth.

He stared at her.

"I just wanted to…is that…is that okay?"

"I'm pretty sure you can do that whenever you want to," Jacob breathed, bending his head and kissing her again.

Renesmee reached up and twisted her arms around his neck, successfully deepening the kiss.

She felt Jacob's arms tighten around her. "Nessie," he said, his voice husky.

She pressed herself as close to him as was physically possible.

Jacob groaned once and pushed her back several inches, "Okay, Ness. That's probably my cue to take you home."

"What? Why?" Renesmee looked confused.

"We shouldn't be…I don't know…playing with fire like this."

"What, like this?" she asked, teasingly, and experimenting with her new found skill, caught his bottom lip between her teeth.

Jacob growled and stepped back a couple steps, holding up a hand, "Renesmee, no. If you keep… if I…I won't be able to...to just stop. Just cut it out, okay?"

"Who said I wanted you to stop?" she asked, daringly.

He looked at her warningly, "It's not funny, Nessie. We're going home. Now."

Renesmee frowned and crossed her arms across her chest, "Do you love me, Jacob?"

"Yes, I love you. And that's why I'm saying 'no.'" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded unconvincing.

"How much do you love me?"

Jacob studied her for a moment. "More than my life," he said, at last.

Renesmee threw her arms around him again and whispered fiercely, "Tell me."

"I just did…"

"No. Tell me like this," she said, pulling his arms back around her.

"Renesmee…" he pleaded softly.

"Just kiss me, Jacob. I want to be kissed," she said, knowing that Jacob would never refuse an outright demand. He bent down obediently but she stopped him with a finger on his lips, "Like a grown-up. I want to be kissed like a grown-up."

He stared at her for another moment, making a silent decision.

"I need you to kiss me," she said seriously.

That was all he could take. Jacob pushed her up against the wide base of the tree, his lips on her neck, ear, eyes, mouth. His fingers wound through her tangled hair as he pulled her mouth back to his, making her gasp in surprise.

"That grown-up enough for you?" he chuckled.

Renesmee traced her hands across the muscles in Jacob's back and down the sides of his arms, still tensed around her. She felt a new heat burning her stomach with every touch.

"I love you, Nessie," he murmured into her mouth, his lips moving against hers.

Her knees buckled and wordlessly, he pulled her up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

It was Jacob who finally broke away, reluctantly, "I need to take you home, Nessie."

Thousands of tingling, pulsing sensations were hitting her at once. She felt like she was on fire. Desperate to hold on, she argued, No, let's stay here." She pulled his face back towards her. "I wish we could. You have no idea…" Jacob's breath caught in his throat as Renesmee began planting tiny kisses along his jaw line.

"Then let's! Who cares?"

"Um, your scary vampire family, that's who," Jacob said, trying very hard to concentrate.

"They won't care. I'm with you."

"I'm pretty sure they would care," Jacob said gently, running a shaky hand through his dark hair.

"Jacob?" Renesmee asked, her lips parted unintentionally as she stared at his mouth.

Jacob swallowed hard.

"Am I a good kisser?"

"Are you a--..?"

"I want to know."

"Uh…mmm…hmmm. Yup. Great kisser, Nessie."

"Good," she said, kissing him again.

Jacob felt every muscle in his body tense, the sinews in his back stretched and pulsed, his breathing growing ragged with each passing second. His back teeth grew sharper and he felt his bones pushing against his skin. He sighed in frustration.

Renesmee didn't seem to notice, her fingers grasping handfuls of his coal-black hair.

"Ness…" he whispered, feeling his form begin to change.

"Mmmm?" she responded, not stopping.

"Nessie…"

"Mmhmm?"

"Renesmee, I'm sorry I…"

"Ow!" she pulled back quickly, her lip bleeding freely.

Jacob looked apologetically, his body shaking, his face distorting growing longer and then shorter. "I'm so sorry, Nessie! Are you okay?" he asked, fighting to hold his shape.

"I'm fine," she said, licking the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just having a little trouble controlling…this has never happened before," he shook his head, frustrated as his ears lengthened.

She giggled.

"Not funny, Renesmee!" Jacob growled in exasperation.

"It's a little funny," she said, watching in fascination as his hair grew thicker, coarser beneath her hands. She thought for a moment and put her small hand on his cheek.

Sweet, simple images ran through Jacob's mind – Renesmee's memories…the ocean retreating down the shoreline, leaving the sand, polished and glistening and perfect…every leaf in every tree, rustling, twinkling, whispering high above their heads…the raindrops falling steadily, soaking through clothes and dripping down bare skin, never stopping in their quest for the thirsty ground.

Slowly, painfully, Jacob felt the shifting in his body cease. He let out a long breath, allowing his cheek to rest in Renesmee's palm.

"Let's go home, Jacob," she whispered

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Renesmee burst in the front door to see the rest of the Cullens, as usual, in various stages of repose throughout the room.

"Did you have a nice time, Renesmee?" Esme asked from across the room.

Nessie nodded, unable to keep from smiling.

"Oh, good!" her grandmother returned to her knitting, a satisfied look in her eyes.

"That's wonderful," Carlisle agreed, a stack of medical journals in his lap. Renesmee knew he would read all of them before the sun came up.

Edward looked up from the piano, taking in his daughter's flushed face, messy hair, and wildly beating heart. From where she sat in the armchair, Bella watched his expression change from amusement to slight fatherly alarm.

"I'm glad you're home," Bella grinned. "Your dad was just about ready to send out a search party."

"I love you, Daddy," Renesmee said tenderly, kissing his cold cheek before flying up the stairs to her room.

Edward shook his head resignedly at Bella. "I love you, too, Renesmee," he called after her.

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"Goodnight, Eddie," his mother said, doubtfully, as she climbed the stairs to her room.

"Yeah."

"Ed?" she called, her voice shaking. "Do you really have to do this?"

"It's like you said, Mom," Ed told her, his blue eyes void of emotion. "Monsters."

"But the girl. She's so…young. Not like the others."

The small smile playing at Ed's lips turned cruel, "She isn't like the others, is she?"

In the darkness, Ed's mother swallowed in fear, trembling, as she fled up the stairs. She would lock her bedroom door tonight. Just in case.

In the stillness of the living room, Ed laughed once. Then all was quiet.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………Notes:

Beedee97: Thanks for the comment. I think, sometimes, we forget about Jacob's heritage outside of the shape shifter thing and I like to imagine how he might react to the stupid people who don't know any better. So thanks for mentioning that – it's good to hear feedback about that kind of thing. And no, of course, it wasn't intended to be racist, atall. Thank you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter.

Nighttime writer: Late night Twilight stories are just my thing – glad we have that in common! :) Thanks! Happy New Year!

Wintermoth: I promise that Ed will see Jacob in his true form before this story is over. ;) How's THAT for a spoiler? Thanks! (runs from pitchfork)

Puddingirl13: Yeah, lots of author's notes. I just don't want to leave anyone out! Thanks for the reviews! I hope this chapter made the wait worthwhile.

xxxVAMPIREKNIGHTxxx: Thanks and Happy New Year!

Ms. Jacob Black: hohohohaha…(that's my evil laugh)…what did ya think? :)

aPPle-FrEAk: So I hope this chapter clarified the final conflict. Yeah, the last chapter was pretty fluffy but it sure was fun to write. ;) Sorry the plot's moving a little slow. I hope this made up for it. Thanks, as always, for reviewing!

A fri3nd: Finish? You want the story to be over? (sighs) Okay. Thanks! Sorry about the cliffies…

Hailey(:: Thanks so very, very much! Someday I hope to be in print, for real. Until then, I enjoy writing for you guys here online. If you are having fun reading this, then it's worth it. I hope you like Chapter 15!

Alicecullengirl: Well, I KNOW that's a compliment. I was not a Jacob fan for a long time, either. Glad you like him in this story. He kind of grows on you…Thanks for reviewing, again!

Pictures: Thanks so much! Let me know if you liked this chapter.

Polyphany: I love YOU! Thanks for reviewing all the time! It's so nice to know you're liking this!

Rhyadawn: Oh, the Emmett goodness. ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sasunaru-lover1029: You. Made. My. Day. Heh, do love Emmett – glad he's in character here! Thank you for another review! Can't wait to hear what you think of this new chapter!

CullensAreAwesome: Gosh, making me blush. Thank you! I hope this chapter is fun to read. Let me know!

Hollibell: Aww, I missed you last chapter! Thank you for two great reviews! Right about now, I hope you're doing a little "I-called-it. I-called-it. I-totally-called-it!" dance over your instincts on Ed. Go you!

AntiRebel: You're back! I had so much fun writing the bit with Edward and Emmett. Thanks for mentioning that and thanks for reviewing! I hope you like the new chapter.

Ninjanoni: Wow, that's a lot of reading – I'm glad you made it all the way through! Thank you for reviewing, too; that means a lot! Let me know how you feel about this chapter. :)

TaylorNicoleCullen: Thanks for reviewing! That's so nice of you. I totally see your point about first person. I will try very hard to make sure point of view is easier to follow. Since I didn't start the story in first person, I'm going to stick to third but I'm taking your advice into consideration for the future. I really appreciate the comments!

Settingsunrisingmoon: Thanks! I didn't want people to miss out on some Edward/Bella goodness…oh, and I totally want to know what you think about Ed! Lemme know…

Hplexmark: SO glad you enjoyed it! I wanted to write a light-hearted chapter for Christmas. It's going to get a lot darker and I didn't want to overwhelm people. Thanks for reviewing – and I love Jasper in the last chapter. He's so…so…well, ok, I'm just in love with Jasper, period.

Nikkipedia: You write an excellent review, you know that? Thanks for being so kind! I absolutely love writing scenes for Renesmee and Edward – can you tell? ;) I can imagine the decades he's waited to experience being a husband and father and how much those things mean to him. Plus, the fact that he can read minds and never ages – it's so interesting and complex. I hope you like this new chapter!

LadyButterfly21: What a helpful review! Thanks! I reread the Jacob/Nessie scene and you're right, there's some repetition there. I'll be looking for ways to develop and make things fresh. And I really hope this chapter clears up where the major conflict will be for the remainder of this story. And I think this conflict may help deepen Renesmee and Jacob's relationship.

Totally3rdGrade: Aww, thanks! I really have grown very attached to Renesmee. My firmest of writing convictions is that perfect people make boring characters. I hope you like this new chapter!

PrincessxofxthexAsylum: Oh, Emmett. He's such a funny character, he practically writes himself! Thanks for another great review! I hope this chapter is fun to read.

Kelol: What a compliment! Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy Chapter 15! PS: If you do find grammatical errors, please let me know and I will fix them.

Queen sable: Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Maddy: Maybe Bella and Edward have gotten better about being quiet. ;) Emmett rocks. Thanks for reviewing, as always! Let me know what you think of Chapter 15.

Sahara042: Thank you for an amazing review! I'll try to keep adding details, especially visually. I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter and I hope you try writing a fanfiction yourself! You might surprise yourself. Again, thank you very, very much. Your review was so wonderful. Let me know how you liked this chapter.