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Although this chapter doesn´t contain any dancing penguins I have to say that I thought about it ;) ;)

I´ll try to get the next chapter in here very soon...

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Volterra

We walked steadily and apparently unnoticed through the last part of Volterra. The reason we had saved this part for last was that it was the part that was closest to Aro´s castle. We had all hoped that we would find her before we had to go anywhere near this place.

"Wow the smell of bloodsuckers is killing me," Jacob complained as we got closer to the castle.

Edward and I didn´t answer. We knew what went on behind the walls of the castle in front of us.

Jacob had no idea. Hopefully he didn´t have to find out.

We were very grateful that Alice had gotten the messages from Nessie but the deadline was devastating.

"Edward what if we´re too late?" I asked. I didn´t really want to know the answer, but the question was torturing me.

"We can´t think like that, love. I swear to you I will find her. I will never stop look." Edward answered.

"Neither will I," Jacob said. He sounded furious at the thought of us being too late.

"I don´t know what I will do if we don´t find her. Looking for her at least gives me a purpose. A purpose for going on. For me to continue to breath," Jacob nearly whispered it out but the hurt in his voice was obvious and devastating.

My heart ached right along his.

"We know you love her with every fiber of your being Jake," Edward said. "And believe us when I say that Bella and I both know how impossible life seems without true love in it. We can´t even begin to express our gratitude towards you for being here for us and for Nessie yet again. We don´t know how we can ever repay you."

Jacob stopped walking and looked down to the ground.

Edward clenched his jaw. "Jake," he said.

"What is it Jacob?" I said. I didn´t have the patience for these mind games at this point.

Jacob looked up into Edward´s eyes and they just stared at each other.

"This is not the time to have that discussion, Jacob," Edward hissed.

Jacob didn´t move his eyes from Edward´s. He looked like he was frozen to the ground.

"What discussion Jacob?" I asked. It was like he couldn´t hear me.

"Edward?" I turned to face Edward instead. I wasn´t going to tolerate being ignored.

"He knows how we can thank him," Edward said. He didn´t take his eyes of Jacob´s either. What an odd reaction I thought.

"Sure Jake, whatever you want you can have it," I said.

"Bella, not now," Edward hissed.

"I don´t see the big problem Edward. What could he possibly want that he doesn´t deserve?"

Finally Edward took his eyes of Jacob´s and turned to face me. Why did he look so conflicted?

"He wants our permission to tell Renesmee the truth. He wants to tell her how much he loves her and then he finally wants our permission to never take his eyes off of her ever again," Edward explained.

I was stunned.

How could I not have seen this coming?

Jacob certainly deserved our eternal gratitude for what he was doing right now and for everything he had given up just to be with us. But I couldn´t help feeling that he was taking advantage of the situation. Edward was right. This was not the time for this discussion.

"I agree with Edward, this is not the time to decide anything like that Jake," I hissed at him.

"Bella I need her," Jacob pleaded.

I scowled at him when he pleaded with his eyes.

"Jacob Black you never play fair when there´s something you want do you? You are not allowed to make her feel like she has to love you. This time I will not let you manipulate things" I was practically screaming at him.

I regretted the words just after I had spoken them. I wasn´t really trying to hurt him I just hated the thought of him pleading for permission to act on his love for my daughter. My daughter who grew up way too fast.

I did hurt him. He lowered his eyes to the ground and his shoulders fell down.

"I´m sorry Jake, I didn´t mean it like that," I said stretching my arm to touch his arm. "I just want to find her first and then we need to sit down and talk this through. Edward and I know that we can´t wait forever. But I know that you can see why this is not something you don´t want to force a decision on. For your sake and Nessie´s, Jake. Please be patient."

In the previous seconds I had flashed the memory of Jacob manipulating me into kissing him before the fight with Victoria. Manipulating me into finding the hidden love for him in my heart. He had taken an advantage of the situation back then and I wasn´t about to make another forced decision.

I was mad at him for using this to try to force our hand, but I never meant to hurt him like I had.

"Please forgive me Jake," I said pleading.

Edward rolled his eyes to the back of his head, he sure didn´t think I had anything to apologize for.

Jacob just nodded his head once but he didn´t look up from the ground.

"If you´re done then maybe we can continue," Edward said obviously annoyed.

"Off course," I answered and took his hand in mine.

The sun was still hiding behind the clouds while we moved down the small alleys. We had come across a few buildings that could have matched the description, but each time we were disappointed. We didn´t find Nessie´s scent around any of the buildings.

I let out a huge sigh.

"So much for mother´s intuitions," I said with disappointment and regret.

"Don´t blame yourself, love," Edward cooed lovingly. "Never blame yourself. We had to try."

"But we have wasted so much time," I cried out.

"Maybe we should ask for help," Jacob suggested.

"Help?" I asked back.

"Not in a million years, Jacob," Edward answered Jacob.

I looked at Jacob, he was looking up to the castle, wondering.

"NO," I said. "Certainly not Jacob. That is the most absurd thing I have ever…"

"But they have means, Bells," Jacob said. "They can help."

"We do not need the help of the Volturi to find our daughter Jacob. That would never end well," Edward hissed.

Jacob looked very puzzled.

"But I´m sure you have thought about it," Jacob was trying to reason with the both of us.

"You don´t just ask a favor of the Volturi and expect not having to give something in return," Edward snapped back. I could hear a growl building inside his chest.

Edward and I both knew what kind of payment Aro would find fitting to bring Nessie home safely. Maybe Jacob was oblivious to the fact that we would not be returning home with Nessie if we did ask for Aro´s help on this. Or maybe he wasn´t that oblivious and saw it as an opportunity to be able to do what his heart wanted to do with Nessie.

No, I couldn´t think that of my best friend. He wouldn´t sacrifice our lives to have his way.

I would gladly sacrifice my life, my safety and my immortality to keep my daughter safe. But I would not risk Edward´s and I knew he wouldn´t risk mine.

Besides there never was any guaranties when it came to Aro. A promise is only a promise to Aro as long as he has something to gain from it. That would mean that our sacrifice wouldn´t keep Nessie safe for long. As long as Aro or any of the other Volturi was around we were never safe.

Jacob looked conflicted.

"Then I´ll go," he then said. "I´ll join the Volturi as their little guard dog if they help bring Nessie home safely. I love her more than my own life and I want her to be safe and happy."

Tears were pressing their way to the corners of Jacob´s eyes. He was dealing with the fact of letting her go and face eternity without her.

He truly did love her.

"We will not let you do any such thing Jacob," Edward said. He was warning him with his eyes.

"If you truly want Nessie to be happy you will not leave her. Not like this. Do you think that she could ever live with herself if you had sacrificed your own freedom? Do you think she could ever be happy? If you think any of those things then you don´t know her as well as I thought you did. She would blame herself and you know it."

Edward was right. Maybe Nessie wasn´t aware of her feelings regarding Jacob at this point but some day she would be. And then she couldn´t live with herself.

Jacob didn´t speak. I knew the look in his eyes. He was hurting. His heart was missing the most important person in his life. He had been so strong throughout the whole thing keeping his eyes on the price. But at this point he was close to snap. He had reached his limits.

"Jacob," I said looking at him. I knew exactly how he felt. I could recognize how my own face and eyes must have looked that day in the forest when Edward said goodbye. "It helps a little if you try to focus on her voice in your head. It keeps you moving," I said to him.

He looked like I was insane.

"I know it hurts," I said, "but it might help. It might make you feel closer to her somehow."

He closed his eyes.

"Let go off me I said. You´re hurting me!"

Jacob snapped his eyes wide open. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

Our heads all turned at once to the town square. There was no doubt in any of our minds. That was Nessie´s voice.

There, there cupcake. Don´t be such a pain," we heard a man say to her. A woman giggled in the background.

"This won´t work. I won´t let it," Nessie called back.

I crouched and so did Edward.

Jacob was shaking with fury. He was close to phasing.

Edward´s phone was buzzing in his pocket but we ignored it.

In a matter of seconds we were all in the town square. We didn´t care that we ran across the town faster than humanly possible. All we cared about now was getting to her.

"Let go off her," Edward snarled.

I was standing right beside him still crouching and growling towards the two unknown vampires who held Nessie between them.

"No!" Nessie shouted. "Get out of here mom, dad, Jake. It´s a trap. Hurry."

She looked at us in panic. Her eyes locked with Jacob´s big eyes for a second.

Then she looked up right behind us with terror in her eyes.

"Noooooo," she shouted once more while she was fighting to get out of Simon´s grip.

Jacob nearly flung himself towards Simon when we heard there was someone behind us.