Chapter 18 "Hidden From View"
Disclaimer: Not SM and have no desire to be - well, other than having her money. Think of all the makeup we could buy then. *dreams*
Fade into me, fade into you
The two of us melting together
Until we become something new
And we can escape
And watch the world chasing to find us
Both of us hidden from view
If you fade into me
Fade into me
"Fade Into Me" - David Cook
JPOV
-0-
Looking around, I check to make sure everything is perfect. Leaving Ness at the door of the cottage was not the easiest thing for me to do, but I needed Charlie to see her come home and get settled in for the night for my plan to work. She was definitely confused when I told her to get ready for bed, but a quick whisper in her ear and she was blushing as she giggled. That chaste goodnight kiss on the cheek while Charlie watched is definitely not how I plan to end this evening with her.
As much as I am excited for what is ahead, my heart is still screaming in protest. While my setup will work and I know she will be comfortable tonight, I'd much rather take her home, to our place. Unfortunately, the house isn't ready for her yet; I still have a lot of work to do. Realistically though, the problem isn't the house, but me. Even if the house was perfect and ready for her, I can't have her there before she is ready to make it her home; our home. Once she steps foot in the house, I can't ever go back to staying there alone again. Until the time comes when we can be together with no conditions, this makeshift home will have to do.
After taking one last look around at my preparations, I turn to face the cottage. While small in the distance, I can see her bedroom light is now off. That is her signal for me that she is ready and Charlie is asleep.
I want to run, but I force myself to move through the woods as quietly as possible. When I reach her window, I gently tap against the glass with my knuckles. A few seconds later, the window slides open quietly and she peeks her head out. Unable to resist, I kiss her softly before she can speak. When I finally release her lips she sighs happily. I'm about to move back so she can slip out, but she grabs my face before I can do so.
"Do I need to bring anything?" she whispers softly in my mind.
"I don't think so- oh, pillows?"
She tilts her head in confusion. Instead of answering I give her a grin and wiggle my eyebrows. As I expected, she shakes her head, but she's smiling as she turns away from the window. A second later, there are two pillows being handed to me. In the next second, Ness climbs out and quietly eases the window shut.
"You sure this is going to work?" she asks, obviously nervous.
Smiling, I take her hand, "He's asleep, right?" She nods and my smile grows wider, "Then we are in the clear. Charlie leaves at five in the morning to go back to his place to get ready. He doesn't check on you before he leaves, my guess is because he doesn't want to wake you up."
"Just because he didn't check yesterday doesn't mean he won't today." She is still nervous about sneaking out. I get it, but there is nothing to worry about. It's my job to reassure her of that.
"This isn't based on just yesterday. This is Charlie's pattern when he stays here. All those times Edward and Bella went on long hunting trips and Charlie would watch you?" Ness nods slowly, remembering. "Bella asked me to be here by four to fill in the gap between when Charlie would leave and they would get back. Bella told Charlie is was ok to leave for work because there would be someone guarding you. As far as I know, she never told Charlie it was me."
"Why didn't she just have you watch me?"
Lifting my eyebrow, I look down at her with a smirk. She closes her eyes and sighs, "Right, Dad. No way would he agree to let you watch me alone. Especially lately." Tilting her head back up at me, she still looks concerned, "Didn't Dad ever ask who was watching me after Charlie left?"
Taking her hand, I start moving us back into the woods and I whisper back to her, "Bella never told Edward that Charlie was leaving you unattended. As far as he knows, Charlie stuck around until you were up and ready to go."
"Really?" she asks, clearly shocked by this news.
"Your mom has been in our corner for a while, Ness." Rubbing my thumb over her hand, I share as much as I know, "She wasn't thrilled when she found out about me imprinting on you, but after Edward made his deal with me, she's been working around Edward as much as possible to help me get time with you. She has always imposed restrictions as well, wanting you to have as normal a life as possible, but she also knew what I was going through."
"Wow."
"You ok?" I ask, feeling her heart rate shift and her breathing hitch.
She nods but I stop us, pulling her closer to me. When my hand cups her face, I feel moisture on her cheeks, "Ness?"
Instead of answering me, I see images of Bella float through my mind. Flashes of conversations between Bella and Ness follow. From what I can tell, she's remembering all the times Bella has gone out of her way to help Ness, and me, be together.
"She is pretty amazing," I whisper as her thoughts slow down.
"Yes. She really is. I just never realized how much she does for me. Dad is so- old fashioned. Mom and I talk about it all the time, but I never realized how hard she works to let me live my life; to appease him but also give me freedom."
"Why do you think I've kept her as my friend all this time? Your father can hate me all he wants, but as long as I'm nice to Bella, I have a solid chance to be with you."
When her eyes reach mine, I can't help chuckling, "What? It's true. Your dad may think he sets the rules, but Bella is really in control. She would do anything for you."
"I'm very lucky." She snuggles closer to me. When I feel a shiver move through her body, I get us moving again.
When we reach the clearing, she gasps. "Jake, you did all this for me?"
"For us," I whisper.
As she steps away from me toward the tent I've set up, I finally get a chance to see what she is wearing; short shorts and a tank top. No wonder she was cold.
When she turns back to me, there is a smile on her face but my eyes are drawn lower. With the cold, the thin tank top and her lack of a bra, her nipples are standing out begging for my attention. Before I can even think about what I'm doing, I feel myself fall to my knees in front of her, my mouth covering her breast through her tank top while my hand covers the other
Her moan is loud and fills the clearing. As my tongue teases her nipple, I'm so glad I made the decision to set us up out here. I don't like being quiet, and if we were still in the cottage we would have to be. No way Charlie would have slept through the sounds coming from her mouth right now.
"Jake," she moans, grasping my hair, "Jake- can't- stand."
Releasing her flesh from my mouth, I easily stand and pick her up, just as her knees start to give out. Moving quickly, I duck into the tent and place her gently on the waiting sleeping bag. Just as I'm about to meet her and continue my exploration, I remember the pillows I had in my hand before.
"Shit, hold on."
She's biting her lip and shifting her thighs back and forth. Growling, I force myself to run out of the tent. Grabbing the discarded pillows, I'm back in the tent faster than most people can blink. While it probably only took a few seconds, that small break felt like an eternity.
Thankfully, she hasn't moved from where I placed her. However, instead of biting her lip, she is now smiling up at me.
"An air mattress and sleeping bags?" She closes her eyes and I can see the blush moving up her throat even in the dark tent.
"I want you to be comfortable. I plan on having you fall asleep and wake up in my arms."
"But- we can still- I can still-," she clears her throat, takes a deep breath then her eyes lock with mine, "I can still touch your- cock?"
Tossing the pillows aside, I dive on to the air mattress, pulling her against me as I roll over on my back. When I stop, her eyes, full of excitement and happiness, find mine. "I love you," I whisper, and she smiles. What I'm about to say opens a very dangerous door, but I need her. "Ness, you can touch me- wherever you want."
"Really?" Her eyes dart back and forth to mine, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure that I need you, need to feel your touch. You have all night to explore- take your time, I promise, I won't rush you."
She takes a deep breath, hesitating for just a second before looking me in the eyes, "I want- what if I want to take off your clothes?"
Grinding my teeth, I try to hold back my excitement at her words. "That's fine, Ness." She replays in my mind our original agreement about her stopping if any clothes below the waist are removed. "As much as I know this isn't a good idea, and that we are pushing our luck and my ability to stop us, I need you. I need your touch. Just- don't be offended if I run out of here. If things go too far, I may have to get out to stop us."
"Ok, I understand, Jacob." She leans back, lifting from my chest. Before I dropped her off at the cottage earlier, I put my shirt back on so Charlie wouldn't get suspicious. In the process of getting everything setup, I haven't had the chance to take it back off. As her delicate fingers slowly undo the first couple of buttons, I'm glad I didn't take it off before now. Watching her take my clothes off is almost as seductive as watching her remove her clothes. Almost.
Once she has opened my shirt, she pushes one side away and leans her face forward. I feel her lips slide gently over my chest, just above my heart. "I love you, Jacob." Her eyes find mine and I'm struck by how peaceful she looks, "I promise to stop if it gets to be too much. I know you are protecting me, and I love you for that. As much as I want- everything, I know we need to take it slow, at least for a little longer."
"Thirty-one days," I choke out.
She tilts her head, looks away for just a second then grins, "Until my birthday."
"Yes. On your birthday, no matter what, you and I will be together. My deal with Edward wasn't just that your birthday was when I could tell you. Your dad agreed that your birthday was when you could decide what you wanted."
"I want you." There is no hesitation in her voice.
"You have me," I grin back at her.
"No, Jacob, I don't need to wait until my birthday, I know what I want now. I want to be with you always."
Threading my fingers through her hair I can't help the pride that puffs my chest out, "I hear you, Tathut, but as much as it pains me to say this, we need to respect your father. Once your birthday is here, we can tell him. Until then," I groan, "no matter how much I want you, we- we have to respect that he doesn't accept your decision until your birthday. What we've been doing, and what we discussed earlier, we can keep progressing, but we can't cross the line to sex."
She sighs, dropping her chin to my chest, "Ok, so thirty-one days. We can make it."
"Yes, we can. Plus there are a lot of things we can do until then."
"Like what?" she asks, a smile spreading across her face.
"Well, while I didn't approve of Embry's methods, he managed to keep Lillah- uh, satisfied- without sex, at least until he told her."
"What? How did you know about that?" she gasps.
"Because Embry is a blabber mouth. He use to be the best about keeping his thoughts to himself, but after he met Lillah, he lost that ability. Dude still can't keep his mind quiet. I'm not the only one with a countdown going on."
"Oh, right. Lillah mentioned he's having a hard time dealing with no sex after the baby."
I'm so surprised by this response, I lift up, almost knocking her off my chest. "What? And what do you mean by how did I know about 'that'? Did you know already?"
"Lillah and I were just- talking, and she mentioned that Embry didn't- make love- with her until he told her about imprinting; and that he isn't dealing well with no sex right now."
Narrowing my eyes, I can help being suspicious, "What all do you ladies talk about when we aren't around?"
She giggles, tucking her head against my chest, "I don't know, mostly about you guys. Apparently you are all a bit, how did Emily put it, pig-headed."
"I'm not pig-headed." Before she can start laughing I have to correct myself, "Ok, I guess I can be stubborn, but I'm not as bad as the others."
She lifts her eyebrows and gives me a knowing grin, "Fine, we are all stubborn asses when we want to be."
"I love your stubborn ass, though." She places a kiss against my heart again before moving up my chest. Her lips continue moving up, over my neck, as I lower back down to the air mattress. By the time she reaches my lips, she's laying completely on top of me.
The longer we kiss, the more she squirms on top of me. I can feel her nipples against my chest as her hips move seductively against my abdomen. Needing to keep her focused, I slide one hand from her hair, down her side to her upper thigh. Reaching over, I easily slide my hand along her skin, under her shorts. It's only when my hand covers her bare ass cheek that I realize something isn't right.
Jerking my head back from her mouth, I gasp out, "Ness, where are your- fucking hell woman- why don't you have any- what are you doing without panties on?"
When her eyes meet mine, there is a look of utter shock on her face. "What?"
"You had panties on earlier. Why'd you take them off?" I'm gasping for breath, both from my shock and the small war I'm fighting between my hand and my brain.
"I don't like to sleep with panties on. They get- bunched up."
Such a simple answer. I can't say anything, I prefer to sleep in the nude, but the surprise of finding out she only has on a pair of shorts and a very thin tank top has killed my brain.
"What? You never sleep with those on?" My voice is louder than I planned and even catches me off guard.
She doesn't seem phased though, "Jacob, what's wrong? Why does that matter?"
"It matters because, shit, I've slept beside you a lot. I've held you in my arms and you- no fucking panties? I really didn't need to know that."
She doesn't say anything. She doesn't yell, or argue back, or even cry. No, Ness just sits there, her lips over mine, waiting for me to get past this. I half expect her to roll her eyes at how stupid I'm being. Hell, I want to roll my eyes at myself.
As I take a few deep breaths and start to calm down, she lowers her mouth over to my ear. "Jacob, what do you normally wear when you sleep?"
"Nothing," I say, automatically.
She presses her cheek against mine, her tongue sliding over my ear as flashes from her reach my mind. Me, in my tiny bed from my childhood, a thin sheet covering my body as I toss and turn, my erection very obvious under the sheet.
"Yeah," I groan, "something like that."
This time, instead of a flash, I hear her voice in my mind, "I'd like to wear nothing, eventually. Feel your warm skin against mine as we sleep."
Simultaneously, we both groan out, "Thirty-one days."
She pulls back from my ear, giggling, "Until then, are you ok for me to continue?"
"Just one more thing," I whisper, unable to control myself after this most recent revelation. Pulling her face back to mine, I inch my free hand over her butt and forward. When my middle finger slides between her lower lips she arches up and away from my mouth.
"Oh! Jacob!"
I move slowly, taking my time. My finger is covered in her arousal and easily slides back and forth. As soon as I find her waiting clit, I press my fingertip hard against it and make small swirling patterns.
She is panting above me, barely holding herself together. A few more swipes back and forward to her clit and she is collapsing on my chest. Her mouth moves over my skin, screaming my name as her hips reach back against my finger, pushing herself down on my digit as she reaches her climax.
Her skin against mine shares every part of her orgasm; what she feels, thinks, and how her body reacts to it all. I'm still turned on from earlier and watching her release brings me very close to my own.
My first instinct is to just reach down in my pants, move my hand over myself and come quickly. However, I promised her earlier she could touch me. No time like the present to make that happen.
Using my free hand, I grab her hand and slide it down my chest while she is still slightly hazy. I leave it resting on my skin above my jeans while I unbutton myself. Once I'm able to access my throbbing cock easily, I return to her hand.
"Ness," I whisper softly, "I really need to come."
I feel her head move up and down as she softly whispers in my mind, "Ok."
"Do you want to help me?"
This gets her attention. Her head jerks up. Her eyes are wide and filled with excitement as she starts to grin. "Really?"
"Really."
Without another word, and before I can talk myself out of it, I lower her hand until her fingertips find my tip. My hips jerk forward on their own, her fingers sliding lower. I'm grinding my teeth at just this simple touch, my body screaming for release.
"What-," she is panting above me and I can feel every reaction her body is having, including the fresh surge of arousal. "How do I?"
Taking her hand in mine, I help her to get a grip then slowly slide her hand down my length.
"Oh- Jake."
"You ok, Tathut?" I ask, worried this is too much.
She takes in a shaky breath and I see her nod. She again speaks in my mind, "There is just- um- a lot."
"This is too much right now. Ness, I'm sorry," I say, starting to remove her hand.
"No, Jacob, I'm fine," her grip tightens in an effort to stop me from moving her hand.
"Fuuuuuck," I groan out, barely keeping myself from exploding.
I can feel her starting to panic above me. "I'm fine," I gasp out. On my next breath I manage one more word, "More."
It takes just a second for her to realize what I mean. In my next gasping breath, I feel her hand loosen it's grip around my shaft and again tighten. My hips push up, sliding her hand lower down my cock.
Returning my hand to hers, I guide her along, increasing her hand's pressure as she slides it up and down. At the same time, I begin moving my finger along her lips again. I only manage a few more strokes before I feel myself losing my ability to hold back any longer.
I manage to jerk both of our hands up over my head before I explode. As my body starts to jerk in release, my fingertip slides into her. She freezes for just a second then moans deep in her chest. Her hips twist, swirling the edge of my finger around her opening. Just as I'm starting to come down, she is once again finding her climax. Even though my finger is barely in her, I can feel her walls tightening even around just my single finger.
I'm going to need the next thirty-one days to prepare myself to make love to her.
-0-
"That's great, Mom. I'm so glad you and Dad are having a good time." Ness pauses, listening to what Bella says to her in return. "Yep, Jake is just taking me to dance now."
She draws small circles over my skin with her free hand while she continues to listen to Bella. I'm driving down the road, headed for Seattle so Ness can attend her weekly dance class. I can hear Bella speaking, but I'm not paying attention to what she is saying, my focus on the road ahead and the feeling of Ness touching me.
"Ok, we'll see you next week." She pauses. A moment later I feel a sudden rush of heat coming off of her skin. Twisting my head away from the road for a second, I see her entire face is flushed. "Mom! Ok, I promise, but you really don't have to worry about that."
She gives me an uncomfortable smile just as I force my eyes to return to where I'm pointing the car. With my eyes facing forward, I do my best to pay attention to what Bella is actually saying.
"Ok baby, I just want you safe. You really shouldn't do anything until Carlisle gives you the all-clear on the pills, but-. Oh, I have to go, your father is back. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom. Give Dad my love."
Ness ends the call and sinks back in her seat.
"That bad?"
She shakes her head then whispers, "She was worried about us- not being careful."
"Careful?"
Sighing, she leans over and rests her head against my shoulder, "Sex. She was worried we weren't using protection, especially since Granddaddy gave me the pills. She wanted to remind me that we don't know if those are working and that we shouldn't do anything without protection until we know how the pills will work."
"What makes her think we are having sex?" Since our date on Monday, Ness and I have camped out in our little tent each night. While we have done quite a lot with one another over the last few days, we both know the boundaries. It's been difficult, stopping myself, but it has also been amazing spending each night learning her body. She's ticklish, especially just above her hips. She melts in my arms when I nibble her neck. She is fascinated by my cock, spending more time than I thought I could handle just examining it. Last night she brought her sketchbook out to the tent and had me sit still for way too long while she drew me. At least I had something beautiful to look at, since I conned her into taking off her top while she drew. Once she finished, I spent most of the night worshipping her breasts.
Her soft giggle pulls me out of my thoughts just as she starts to share part of the phone conversation I didn't hear.
"Ness, I know what it is like to be in love with someone, to want them with every fiber of your being. I also know waiting to tell you was difficult on Jacob. You two have a lot to catch up on, and with your father and I away, it's a great opportunity to do so. Remember, those pills Carlisle gave you may not work just yet. Just promise me you won't have sex without protection."
"Ok, glad she doesn't beat around the bush."
Ness giggles and I feel her start to relax again. "If you need to nap, feel free. We are still about an hour away."
"Ok." She sighs, "One more week of them being gone. I miss them, but how am I supposed to go back to only 'occasionally' being able to fall asleep in your arms?"
Leaning over, I slide my lips over her hair, inhaling her sweet scent, "I don't know, Tathut. It definitely won't be easy for either of us. Maybe Bella can work her magic on Edward over the next week. Give us 'sleeping' privileges when they get back."
"Fingers crossed," she mumbles sleepily.
My phone buzzes in my pocket a short time later. Not wanting to disturb Ness, I do my best to gently ease it out of my jeans. Once it is free, I see it is a text message from Carlisle. I slow the car down and ease off the road.
Bella mentioned you are driving Ness into town for dance. If you are available, please stop by the house to discuss the results of your exam and application. Thank you, Carlisle.
I type a quick response and hit send as I get the car moving again.
No problem, Doc, be there shortly. ~J
-0-
Ness gives me one final wave before walking into the dance studio. I keep my eyes on her as a blonde girl even shorter than Ness bounces over to her, wraps her arm in Ness' and practically drags her away from the door. Ness must know her, unless that girl is a vampire, but I doubt that.
I thought spending so much time together would make our time apart easier, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Even though it is just a few hours until lunch, knowing I won't be able to see her physically hurts. However, I am eager to go talk to Carlisle.
The paperwork Edward mentioned last week was waiting at Dad's house when I stopped by. He didn't ask any questions, but I could tell he was curious. However, I didn't give up any information, not wanting to curse myself before I know for sure if this whole plan is possible. After filling everything out, I sent it back to Carlisle the next day. I'm surprised he has the test results already for my GED, since I just sent it in on Monday. I'm nervous that means I failed. I was never a great student; I could hold my own, but I preferred studying the inner workings of a car engine over the inner workings of a frog.
Pulling up to the house, my old beat up Rabbit just doesn't seem to fit with the statuesque house in front of me. Then again, my favorite raggedy jeans and t-shirt don't fit in either. Really, nothing about me matches this house, other than my love of the granddaughter of the owner. However, as much as this house is Carlisle's style, I've never felt unwelcomed here, at least by Carlisle.
"Don't you dare walk in here looking all proud! What the hell have you been doing with my niece all week?"
Blondie, on the other hand, is still the same bitch she's always been.
"Good to see you too, Blondie. Doc around? He asked me to stop by."
Before I can walk in the front door, she blocks my way. "Not before you explain yourself to me. I tried calling Ness last night. Multiple times throughout the night. She never answered."
"Ever think she was just sleeping? Remember, she actually does sleep," I know I'm pushing my luck with my DUH tone of voice, but really, it's feasible that Ness would sleep through Rosalie's phone calls. Of course, that isn't what happened. Ness just ignored the calls when she saw Rosalie's name show up on the screen. She didn't want to deal with Rosalie potentially asking to talk to Charlie or any other drama. I didn't argue, or course.
She narrows her eyes at me, "You are lying."
"Nope. Not lying. Doc will back me up on this one."
I'm thankful when I see Carlisle step up behind Rosalie and rest his hand on her shoulder. He gently eases her back away from the door.
"Jacob, thank you so much for making time to stop by and talk with me. And Rosalie, Jacob is not lying. Though if you've forgotten that Renesmee does sleep, perhaps I should run some tests on you. I'm concerned your memory might be going."
"Probably from all that hair dye she uses," I snigger under my breath.
Rosalie growls low in her throat and I can tell she is just about to strike. I sink low, prepared to defend myself when I feel a sudden calm come over me.
"Thank you, Jasper," Carlisle whispers. "Now, Jacob, if you'll just follow me."
With Jasper manipulating our emotions, I'm able to walk past Rosalie without her attacking. Her eyes are still narrowed at me, but that is the only sign of aggression still. Carlisle leads me into his office and closes the door behind me. He motions to a pair of chairs in the middle of the room and I drop down into the nearest one.
"So, be honest, Doc. How bad did I do on that test?"
Carlisle eases himself into the other chair and gives me a smile, "Jacob, I think you might be surprised by the results."
"That bad?"
"No, that good." He grabs a piece of paper and hands it over to me. "Jacob, you scored extremely high in quite a few subject. The only area where you had some difficulty was American History, but even there you scored well enough to pass that section."
Looking over the sheet of paper, I don't quite know what all the information means, but it seems promising. "So. I passed?"
"Most definitely. Your official GED certificate will arrive in the mail in the next couple of weeks."
"Ok." As excited as I am about the GED, that is only step one in the plan. "What about the application for the University of Washington?"
I cringe slightly as Carlisle takes a deep breath. When I hear him chuckle softly, I open my eyes. His smile is easy and relaxed, "It's being processed now. As soon as I had the GED results, I sent those straight over to admissions. Obviously we are well past the normal application deadlines, but Edward was able to work with the Dean of Admissions to make this happen. You should receive an email in the next couple of days with their decision and next steps."
"What do you think the chances are that I'll get in? Realistically, Doc."
Carlisle chuckles again, "I don't think you have anything to worry about. You are a strong candidate. If I may give you a little advice?" When I nod my head for him to continue, his smile grows, "Good. While I'm sure you'll want to take as many classes with Renesmee as possible, I would encourage you to consider a broad base degree path, like a liberal arts degree or maybe a business degree. Use this opportunity to learn as much about various subjects as possible. This will give you a chance to learn about a variety of topics, which I think you and Renesmee will enjoy discussing."
Considering his comment, I nod in understanding. I know Ness has been studying with her father for years, and Edward doesn't follow a strict public school education. He was teaching her Mozart when she was barely a year old. Taking a bunch of different classes will give me the chance to learn about topics that Ness has already studied. That means she can help me with the classes, if needed, but also I'll be able to discuss those topics with her.
"Excellent," Carlisle nods. His smile fades slightly as he continues to study me. "Jacob, is there something else you'd like to discuss?"
"What do you mean, Doc?"
He stands, but hesitates slightly as his hand nears my neck. When I don't flinch, trusting him, his hand slides over my skin. His ice cold fingers make me jump, but his words freeze me more than his touch.
"Are these bite marks?"
Ness hasn't bitten me since our first date. I've asked her all week how she felt, and every time she has told me she feels great. She's been eating more than I've ever seen her eat, though still very little compared to how much I eat. When I checked my reflection in the mirror the nxt day after our date, I didn't see any marks left on my skin, so Carlisle noticing something makes me worry.
"Ah- well, um- what do you see?"
He steps back and returns to his seat, "Pardon me, Jacob, I didn't mean to be so forward. There just seems to be two nearly imperceptible dips in your skin on your neck. I can't imagine even most vampires would notice it, but having studied the human body so much, it caught my eye. Has Ness," he pauses for just a second, seeming to consider his words, "has she bitten you?"
"Well- yes, technically."
"I see," he whispers. "Jacob, I hate to ask such a sensitive question, but I feel I must." I'm preparing my defense, ready to explain that we haven't had sex, that nothing has happened between us, when he asks a very different question. "Has she taken your blood?"
"Oh. Well, yeah- I mean, I told her it was ok."
"Interesting. May I ask," his hand covers his mouth for just a moment, like he is considering all of the variables, "has her body reacted favorably to your blood?"
"I think so. Why?"
Carlisle nods, "As I suspected." He looks away, still thinking obviously. A few moments later, he turns back to me, "A few years ago I ran some preliminary tests, comparing her blood to animal, human, and, well, yours. Similar to what I've found in her genes, her blood was most similar to yours. When I tried to mix her blood with the animal and human, it was a slow process for the two to merge together, weeks with animal blood and days with human blood. With you though, it was nearly instantaneous, the two samples merged and and worked together."
While it isn't unusual for Carlisle to sneak run a few tests here and there, I surprised he hasn't shared this information before now. When I ask, he shrugs, "I was trying to be respectful of Edward's wishes for your relationship with Renesmee. Taking someone's blood- well, it can be a very intimate moment."
"Yeah," I whisper.
"If I may ask, how have you felt since she took your blood? And, when was the last time she fed?"
"Fine," I answer, smiling. "Ah- it was Monday."
Carlisle smiles in return, "It does appear you have healed just fine. If you don't mind, when she returns from dance class, I'd like to run a few tests on both of you, just to make sure there aren't any further issues."
"Sure, that'll work, Doc."
-0-
A few hours later, I'm back in Carlisle's office, only this time, Ness is there with me. She is bouncing around, apparently quite happy to be back in my arms. While there is a perfectly good chair available next to me, she insisted on sitting in my lap. Not that I mind.
Carlisle has just finished running his tests on both of us. He left the room a few minutes ago to analyze a few things, promising to come back shortly. When he mentioned the biting, Ness blushed like crazy, but he calmed her down by explaining what he told me. While that helped, she still seems a little nervous.
"Do you think he knows, what all we've been doing lately?" she asks through her skin on mine.
"Nah, he just noticed some sort of invisible dent in my neck, that's what made him ask."
She pushes my head to the side and investigates my neck. "I don't see anything."
"I know, he said most vampires wouldn't even see it. I sure as hell don't see it."
She leans over and nibbles at the spot, teasing my skin with her teeth and her tongue. When the door opens again, she jerks back.
Carlisle is smirking when he reenters the room. "Alright, good news. Everything seems fine with both of you. Ness," he hands her a small box, "I'd like you to switch to these. They are a slightly higher dose. With the introduction of Jacob's blood in your system, your metabolism has increased dramatically, necessitating an increase in the prescription. We will continue to monitor on a weekly basis until we get the right balance. Please make sure you use additional protection to prevent pregnancy if you are sexually active while we work on getting the dosage right."
She nods, blushing like crazy when he mentions being sexually active. Thankfully, Carlisle doesn't comment on her reaction, continuing on.
"Once you are able to test your abilities on Lillah, please report back. As for feeding from Jacob," he pauses, looking her in the eyes, "I think he is your best resource for the nourishment your body needs. His blood is acting like a stabilizer in your body, mixing immediately with yours. This is causing you to need additional nourishment as your stomach is no longer filled with blood waiting to be processed. When you feel hungry, I encourage you to eat human food. Please start keeping a journal, documenting both feeding and when you are eating human food. I'd like to continue to monitor you moving forward for any additional changes in your body."
Taking a deep breath, Carlisle shakes his head, "You two are done, go home. I'll see you next week."
Grinning, Ness leaps from my lap, "Thank you, Granddaddy!"
Once I'm able to stand, I offer my hand to Carlisle, "Thanks again."
"Of course, be safe heading home."
We walk out of his office but before we can reach the front door, Rosalie is in our path.
"Why didn't you answer my calls, Renesmee? I was worried about you."
"I'm so sorry, Aunt Rose," Ness approaches her, giving her a quick hug. "I didn't mean to worry you. I spent yesterday with Lillah and Hallie and was just exhausted. I barely saw Jacob then just passed out."
"Hmmm," Rosalie leans back from her arms, still clearly suspicious. "I think Emmett and I might need to stop down in Forks one day this week. Just to make sure everything is ok."
"That would be great, Aunt Rose!" Ness gives her a wide smile, "I'd love to get a day with you."
Rosalie looks over at me and I manage to plaster a huge grin on my face, "Awesome."
"Alright, just let us know when you head down, Aunt Rose," Ness gives her another hug before turning back to me. "We need to go so we can get back at a reasonable time. I'm exhausted from dance. Night everyone."
Ness waves as I quickly get us out of the house and into the car. When we are a safe distance away and at a stoplight, I turn to face her, lifting my eyebrows in question, "Think she believed it?"
"Nope. She and Uncle Emmett are definitely going to make a surprise visit this week. I just hope someone else in the family has the decency to give me a heads up."
"I'm sure Carlisle or Esme will," I offer.
"I hope so," she sighs, leaning her head against my shoulder as I take off from the light.
Reaching for the knob on the radio, I turn the music up slightly and I hear her softly whisper in my mind, "Thanks, Jake. Just a quick nap."
A moment later, she is out cold. Even though my stomach is grumbling, I drive past Port Angeles without stopping for food since she is still sleeping. She doesn't wake up until I pull into the driveway.
"I'm sorry, Jacob. You must be starving." She pauses, before smiling, "Yes, you must be starving because I'm hungry."
"Yeah. The diner might still be open," I offer.
She shakes her head, "No need, come on, I'll cook us something really quickly. I just need to let Grandpa Charlie know I'm home."
She gives me a quick peck on the cheek before heading down to the cottage while I make my way up to the big white house. By the time I have the lights turned on in the kitchen, she is walking through the back door. Unfortunately, Charlie is in tow.
"Hey Jake. Ness mentioned she was going to cook something. I stayed a little late at work, so I wouldn't mind a good home cooked meal myself."
I give him a small wave and sigh. Well, this evening just got fun.
Ness grabs my hand, her words clear in my mind, "Sorry, when I mentioned food, he perked up. I couldn't tell him no."
"It's cool. Charlie, how was your day?"
Ness gives me a smile and I know that was the right answer with her. As much as I know Ness loves me, she also loves her family dearly, especially Charlie. This means a lot to her, so I want to be supportive.
As Charlie talks about his day, Ness leans over and grabs my hand again, "Thank you."
Ness starts cooking while Charlie and I toss back a couple of beers. Once dinner is over, Charlie moves to the big television in the living room, turning on the baseball game. When I look at her, she is glancing his way.
"Go join him, I'll clean up."
Ness smiles and gives me a brief kiss. Before she steps out of my arms, I press my lips against her forehead, "Dinner was amazing. Seriously, where did you learn that?"
"Lillah," she giggles, "and some Food Network. Have you seen Paula Deen? She's pretty funny."
She skips away from me as I shake my head at her. Before she exits the kitchen I speak as loudly as possible for her to hear, but Charlie not to, "I love you, Tathut"
She turns in the doorway for the kitchen, grinning, "Love you too, Jake."
There is a silly grin on my face, but I don't mind at all. She is amazing and I am one lucky man.
Now if I can just get into college, everything will be perfect. Crossing my fingers, I set to cleaning up dinner then join her and Charlie in the living room. She leans against me and while we watch the game, she recaps her dance class for me. When Charlie wakes up just in time for the end of the game, they head down to the cottage together, while I pretend to go to my car. Once he is out of sight, I head for our clearing.
I'm hopeful Rosalie doesn't decide to do a surprise visit tonight, because after just holding Ness all night, I'm eager to get my hands on her.
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A/N: Decided to save the author's note for the end, since there was so much goodness at the beginning! As a reminder, Tathut is our approximation for the Quileute word for "heart". Jake uses it as a term of endearment for Ness. We are quickly wrapping things up in this story, but don't worry, there are still a few more surprises left! We love hearing your thoughts, so don't forget to hit that review button.