Chapter Two: "Universe" (Jacob's POV)

"Jake!"

A swarm of bronze curls flew through the air and a warm, sturdy body landed in my grip. My arms instinctively wrapped around her and I spun her around a few times, her legs swinging.

"Hey, Ness," I greeted her, kissing her cheek. "How are you?"

She pulled her face from my chest and looked into my eyes. "Excited. Ready to shop. I'm so glad you could come."

"Me, too, honey. You look really pretty."

Just like her mother, blood flooded her cheeks as she beamed. "Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

"Hey, Jacob," said two familiar voices behind us. Alice and Bella walked into the kitchen. "Nessie, are you ready?" Bella asked.

"I have to get my shoes, Mom." Nessie rolled her eyes as I set her on her feet.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Ness." Bella playfully swatted at her as she ran back into her room.

"You two look good," I told Bella and Alice. "Are we going to a mall, or Fashion Week?"

Alice snorted. "Fashion Week is most definitely not this week. And when I buy my ticket, I'll buy a fantabulous outfit for every night. I'll buy you a ticket, too, to see if I can improve that outfit." She laughed and ducked as I tried to muss her hair.

"Actually," Nessie said as she entered the kitchen, "I was planning on shopping for him today as well."

"Ness," I sighed. "I have plenty of clothes, and there is always the possibility that the clothes you buy me may get ripped into shreds."

"I don't care," she shrugged. "It'll be fun. Please, Jake?" She turned her liquid brown eyes to me and her lips slid into a pout.

Staring in the endless brown, I sighed. "Do I really have a choice?" Alice and Bella laughed as I surrendered so easily. Satisfied with herself, Nessie took my hand and squeezed it lovingly.

"Alright, time to go," Alice announced. "Rosalie is about to call me and ask what's taking so long."

In no time at all, we were walking through the doors of some mall in Seattle. I could see Nessie practically twitching with excitement as the smells of pretzels and new clothes hit our nostrils. Alice and Rosalie wasted no time twitching; they both sprinted as humanly as possible to the nearest store--some Italian name I had seen on numerous packages sent to the Cullens' house. Nessie gave me an apologetic smile and ran to join her aunts.

Esme and Bella laughed at the others' enthusiasm.

"Guess it's just us three," Bella said.

"I'll join them eventually," Esme said with a chuckle. "I just don't have that kind of stamina for shopping."

"Still not a shopper, Bella?" I teased.

"Not for me," she replied curtly. "I love to shop for Renesmee, but there is a fine line between shopping for and spoiling. Edward doesn't understand that. Neither does anyone else." She playfully elbowed Esme.

"She's my only grandchild," Esme defended herself. "And I have some money to burn."

"I know," Bella sighed.

"Hey, Bells," I joked. "If you want to trade bank accounts, I'm all for it. I'll be happy to take the pressures of unlimited wealth off your shoulders."

We all laughed. By then, we had reached the entrance to the Italian-sounding store. Alice met us there, taking Bella's hands and pulling her into the store. "Bells, they have this amazing dress in Edward's shade of blue. You just have to try it on."

Bella looked at me desperately. "A little help, Jacob?"

"No, Jake is busy, Mom," Nessie replied, taking my hand. "Come look at this, Jake. Please?"

I sighed and followed her to the men's side of the store. She was skipping, making her pink dress fan out and her wild ringlets bounce. As I pretended to be interested in the shirts she was pointing out, I asked myself inwardly why I put up with stuff like this.

Almost as if she had heard me, Nessie turned her brown eyes on me and offered me a radiant smile. Everything else in the store disappeared, and my mind went blank as she stood on her tiptoes to brush hair out of my eyes. Her touch was gentle but electric as every nerve in my body turned somersaults. As her finger ran down my nose and lips, I found the answer to my question.

For her. That's why I subjected myself to endless shopping and chick flicks and raw, bloody, disgusting hunting that she enjoyed so much. She was my answer, the answer to every question in the world, the absolute meaning of life.

Not only life, but the universe.

She was the universe.