Again I apologise for the delay but I had a bit of an emergency when an idiot behind me forgot to use his brakes and killed my car. Nasty man! Everyone was ok, just a little sore and it was hard to type for a while.

I have started up a twitter account: ellainaff

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It seems the last chapter wasn't as bad as I thought. I just don't like hurting Jacob I guess.

He's about to have a little melt down, but it's all going to be OK, I promise!

Chapter 14 – Melt Down

NPOV

I can't believe that Seth actually likes me back. I was sure that Jacob would laugh at me and remind me of how much older Seth was than me. I just hoped that he would consider dating me in the future. I turn 16 in a few weeks, but it will only be a few more months until I am physically 18 and an adult. I don't think my parents would agree with me on that one, but really they were just going to have to accept that physically I am almost an adult.

Then Jacob started apologising for Seth liking me and making me feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable? I was over the moon, almost giddy with joy. This meant that Seth didn't see me as a child; he was attracted to me as a woman. It was more than I could have hoped for so soon.

"I really like him Jake!" I was gushing now. "Are you sure he likes me. No, of course you're sure or you wouldn't have told me. Why were you apologising for him liking me? It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable, it makes me feel... AMAZING!"

As embarrassed as I was that I was just spewing words out, I didn't care because my Jacob wouldn't care and would be happy for me that I have found someone that I care about. And it's not like he'd ever have to worry about Seth acting inappropriately toward me. Seth is always so nice and sweet and he is one of Jacob's best friends. Of course Jacob will be happy for us!

"Jacob, this is all just so perfect! You know how we were talking the other week about whether we'd be able to find anyone more perfect than each other? Isn't it even more perfect that I end up with one of your pack, one of your brothers! I'll never have to worry that the two of you won't get along. We could even double date, if you ever get a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, when you finally come out!" I teased, but for the first time ever Jacob didn't respond to my teasing at all. In fact, he looked quite ill.

"Jacob," I panicked. "Jacob, what's wrong? Are you sick? Did you eat something bad?" It must be food poisoning or something for it to have come over him so quickly. I was upset for a moment that he was ruining my moment, but gave myself a quick mental slap to snap me out of it. Jacob needed me to focus on him now. "Come on Jake, I need to get you to Carlisle before you get any worse."

He suddenly looked up at me with a lost look in his eyes. It scared me because his expression was so searching that it was almost like he didn't recognise me. "Come on Jacob, please? We need to get home." But he just looked back at the rocks at the edge of the cliff, staring blindly.
I knew that I had no hope of lifting him, so called for help. "Momma, please help me!" I begged when she answered on the first ring. "Somethings wrong with Jake, I think he's sick but I can't get him to move. I can't lift him by myself." I was almost crying with frustration at my weak body. If I were a full vampire I would be able to lift him with no problem. "Please get Carlisle Momma." I begged.

"I'll be there in 2 minutes." She replied, and from the wind down the phone, she was already running for help. I hung up and turned back to Jacob, wrapping myself around his shoulders from behind, trying to comfort him and myself. What on earth could make him so sick? He is a wolf, so his immune to almost every illness known to man.

Before I knew it, my mum was kneeling at our side, staring at Jacob with a pained expression. She must be just as worried as I am. Looking around I notice that no-one was with her. "Momma, where is Carlisle. Jacob needs him now!" I shouted.

"Renesmee honey," she said, soothingly. "I know you are terribly worried about Jacob right now, but I need you to leave us and go back to the house. Just wait there for me, please?"

"No! I am not leaving my Jacob when he is like this!" I insisted. "I won't!"

"Renesmee go now! Trust me OK, I know what is wrong with Jacob." She looked up at me and must have seen that I wasn't going anywhere because she continued, "If you don't go now as I have asked, I will have your father come and drag you back, do you hear me?"

I couldn't believe my ears. My mum had never spoken to me like this before in my life. I'd never heard her speak to anyone like that. "Momma... I..." I couldn't finish as I felt tears well in my eyes. I turned and ran for home like she'd demanded, falling into my Daddy's arms when I met him at the door.

BPOV

"Jacob?" Crap this was bad. "Jake honey, talk to me. Please!" He just sat there, staring into space. I'd never seen Jacob looking this lost. Even back when he thought it was me he loved and realised that I was choosing Edward, he'd never been this bad. I didn't know what to say to him, so I did all I could do and held him tight.

I don't know how long we sat there like that, but ever so slowly he began to rock back and forth. Then, a while later he began to shake, and eventually his tears began to escape silently down his face. The pain I felt watching my best friend go through this was almost unbearable, so I couldn't even imagine how he felt.

Finally after what seemed like hours, his tears dried up and he came back to me. "Jacob honey, I know you are hurting right now, but please talk to me."

"Bells, what's happening to me?" he whispered. "I feel broken."

"Honey, you've just had a huge shock I know. I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to warn you." I knew when I saw Renesmee dragging him into the woods that I should have stopped them. I should have prepared him for this news.

"You knew she was in love with him?" he asked me, staring deep into my eyes, searching for answers.

"Jacob, she isn't in love with him!" I knew that Jacob would think this, and again kicked myself for not preparing him better. "It's just a crush, I promise you!"

"A crush?" he asked, his spirits visibly lifting slightly. "You mean, she's still mine?"

"Of course she is still yours. She is your imprint Jacob!" I had to make him understand, make him OK with this. "Please understand Jacob, she is a teenage girl. Last night she had a scare, and then her very good looking friend came to her rescue and took care of her, bringing her home safely. She simply idolises him."

"So, they aren't going to go out together? We can tell her to get over it?" His eyes were suddenly hopeful.

"I'm sorry Jake, but I don't think that would work. If I thought that I would have put an end to it last night when she told me." I was afraid this was going to set him off again, so I tried to put this as gently as I could, "We will need to let this thing run its course. Let her work this out for herself."

"You mean we let her date him?"

"If he likes her back, then maybe." From the look in his eyes I could tell that Jacob knew that Seth had feelings for Renesmee. "But Jacob, what you need to remember is that no matter who Nessie dates, who she gets a crush on, who she thinks she loves... It will always be you Jacob. She is going to be yours. You just have to be there for her and support her. She'll realise that you are the one for her. Trust me... you're hard to resist!"

Finally that got a smile out of him. "Too late, Mrs Cullen! This ship has sailed!" he teased back. "GAH! I feel like such a baby now. Talk about an overreaction!"

"No Jacob, you don't need to put on a brave face for me. I know what it feels like to believe that you have lost the love of your life, remember. You were there for me when I needed you and I love you so much for that, so I promise I will be here for you. Wherever, whenever." I promised, feeling the shadow of the pain from all those years ago on my heart again, thinking about Jake suffering in that same way.

"Thanks Bells," he grinned at me. "Love you always."

"Always." I replied as I pulled him to his feet and led him back to the house.

JPOV

As we walked back towards the house, we discussed how I was going to set up my two best friend and not freak myself out. I felt so lucky that I would have the excuse of Seth's punishment to postpone any possible dates for the next month at least. Hopefully Nessie would get over this crush thing by then anyway.

"I honestly doubt it Jacob," Bella said apologetically. "Think back to your teen years, would your feelings for me have gone away if you were kept away from me for one month?"

"Aw crap Bella, I'm just going to make it worse, aren't I?" How the hell am I going to fix this?

"It's not your fault though Jacob." As much as I knew Bella was right, I still felt that I had done something wrong for this to be happening. "And you can't change the punishment that you have given to Seth for your own needs."

"I know Bells, I know." We walked on in silence for a few more minutes, neither of us in any rush to get back to the house.

"You know Jake, as much as this crush might be over in a matter of weeks, I think you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that this crush might develop into something more." Fuck, that's just what I need, them to fall in love after all. "Since Seth has feelings for her too, if you are going to go ahead and help set them up together, you have to let this thing run it's course naturally. You can't tell Seth that he can date Nessie, but not feel anything for her, not treat her as he would a normal girlfriend, it wouldn't be fair on either of them." I could hear it coming and was singing "la la la la la la" to myself as loudly as I could in my head to drown out the inevitable words. "Are you prepared for their relationship to become physical? What if they decide to have sex?"

"Bells! Don't even go there alright? Let's just cross that bridge when we come to it." Just the thought of Nessie with Seth made me want to throw up.

"Jake, I'm no more ready for Renesmee to be in a physical relationship than you are, but she'll soon reach her full physical maturity. If she decides that she is ready, I honestly don't think we'll be able to stop her." All I could do was growl.

Finally, we arrived back at the cottage and Nessie ran out to hug me.

"Thank goodness you are ok! What happened? Are you sick?" she looked so worried about me that I felt bad for upsetting her.

"Sorry Nessie. I'm fine, I promise. I just have some things on my mind at the moment." I explained, hoping she would leave it at that.

"What things Jake? Why can you talk to my mum about it and not me? I thought I was your best friend!" she looked so hurt that I couldn't talk to her.

"I'm sorry Nessie. It's just... To be honest I guess I'm just a little shocked at how fast you are growing up! What happened to my little girl?" she started to protest so I just continued. "Your mum is obviously the best person for me to talk to about this. Her and your dad are the only ones who are going to understand these feelings I'm having." Well, not quite but it's a good enough excuse for her right now.

"So you want me to stay your little girl forever?" she asked sarcastically. "You are my freind Jacob, not my parent! I'm not thinking of marriage here, you know! I just want to start dating, and I have found a boy that I like and that I think will treat me right. I thought you'd be happy. I thought you'd be relieved that it's someone that you know and trust."

Time to suck it up and be the good imprint that she needs I thought to myself before smiling at her and saying, "Of course I'm happy for you Ness! I just needed some time to get my head around this thing." She frown instantly turned into a beautiful smile as she listed to my explanation. "I think that you and Seth will make a really cute couple. You are going to have to be patient with him though, no dating until his punishment is finished. One month."

She looked a bit upset at that, so I continued, "If at the end of the month, Seth is interested in you and you still feel the same... well, I guess that will be up to the two of you to sort out." Just saying that made my chest hurt, but Bella and Edward were both smiling proudly at me so I guess I am doing the right thing.

"So... you're telling Seth that I like him?" Nessie asked, suddenly looking unsure about it.

"Nessie, I'll leave that up to you." I might agree that she can date him for a while, and I'll have to let Seth know that I am okay with him dating Nessie for a while, but I decided that I would need to leave it at that, for the sake of my sanity. "Even with his punishment, you'll see him at school."

Edward interrupted, "Renesmee, make sure you remember that this is one more secret that must be kept at school. They will not approve of their Janitor dating a student."

"So you are okay with me dating Seth too Daddy?" she asked in surprise. "Is it because he saved your life once? What did he do Daddy?"

"No Renesmee, it's not because of that. I'm not sure how you even know about that, but no. How he saved me... that's a story for another time." Edward couldn't help but laugh at her. "I'll admit, he's not who I thought you would end up dating, but he's a good kid and I trust him."

"What? Who did you see me dating, Daddy?" she asked innocently. I looked up at Edward to see him tongue tied for a moment, obviously trying to not look at me.

"Er, um, I... Um... I don't know Nessie." He managed to get out before excusing himself & Bella.

"Well, that was weird!" Nessie sighed at me once we were alone. "Daddy obviously had someone in mind for me. Probably Nahuel or something. Like I'm going to just fall in love with him because he's the only other male half vampire. Yuck!"

I found that comforting to know at least that was one guy I wouldn't have to worry about, but realised that even if she dates Seth for only a little while, there might be other crushes, other boyfriends that I would have to deal with before I get my chance. How the hell am I going to survive this?

Although Jake is still suffering a little, he's coping ok. I'm going to skip the story along a bit now because there isn't going to be much happening other than the obvious, and no-one is reading this to see Nessie finding love with Seth. I'm going to get to the good bits for you!