AN: Sorry for the long delay everybody! I am taking upper-division summer classes, they are way hard and I had an exam today… successfully disposed of, so now back to the writing :-)

Thanks as always to my wonderful reviewers: Aiyami Sakura, tooki13, Renesmee is Awesome, Lus-In, MrsTaylorLautner.X, Sassy1515, evelyn-shaye, luv2beloved, haleena15, mysteryfan09, WannaBeStephenieM, Athena, Miamore, MayHopeCullen, seventeen4ever, ConradKCat, Author, x-rayLady, sonia48, Sam, NateNotorious, Tashibi, hotmessz, midtwilight, FLORA - AN ANGEL, daisykisses, Ariana Jade, 2012, Molly, 2placesat1x, and Guiltypleasure!

Yay Leah imprinted! For the sharp readers out there, this was the Emma reference (like Steph Meyer does) in this case, where two sets of siblings match up together. A couple of you brought up that Leah would have already seen Nahuel in BD – this is true but she didn't look in his eyes and she wasn't in human form. It seems from the books that human-human eye contact needs to happen (a la Jake locking eyes with Ness) in order for the imprint to take hold. So I just went with that for drama's sake, tee hee!

In this chapter, we get some Ness + Jake fluff.


Chapter Twenty-Four

Raw

The sun beat down on my wet skin, and a gentle breeze fluttered the gauzy scarf around my hair. I was glad Alice had insisted on buying swimsuits. My red and gold suit was adorable and fit in well on this fashionable beach.

With Leah on one side and Jacob on the other, we must have made quite a picture, even on this particular stretch of white sand, where beautiful was the norm.

Leah's black hair hung in short wet strands around her face, tilted away from me as she stared into Nahuel's eyes. Their hands were clasped together. Without either of them saying a word, they rose together and walked toward the frothy ocean waves.

After her imprinting, when she'd disappeared for several hours in the forest with Nahuel, Leah'd come back in the grouchiest mood I'd ever seen in her – and that was saying something. "Of course I would imprint on someone venomous," she'd said. "Of course. How perfect. How fitting."

Jacob said it was better that Nahuel, venomous though he was, was indestructible to Leah's tempers.

She appeared to have come to terms with the challenge and had been downright giddy for the past two days here in Rio.

Meanwhile, Jacob and I hung out, eating and swimming, trying to process the stress and violence of the past couple of weeks. This hotel was beginning to feel like a too-expensive waiting room. I tried not to think of what was happening back out in the jungle with the dying human mothers and my family, trying to help them. When I slept at night, I dreamt about fires and thunderstorms. During the days I was lazy, floating in the waves, pushing away the memories of swimming hard down this coastline, pursued by what I'd just done to Demetri. I ignored how I'd washed up along this pristine beach when it was packed with a million revelers and lit up by fireworks; during the day, it looked different.

I'd been slurping non-alcoholic margaritas with extra salt on the rims, brought to me by a deferential cabana boy with oiled skin. I spent a lot of time sleeping on the beach, in the sun, drinking in the heat, as though it would overheat my own blood and erase the fires that tormented my dreams.

"Don't feel guilty," Jacob said in his deep, resonant voice from beside me. He was holding my hand and read the undertones of my thoughts. "Aro brought this on himself. You realize that Nicole would have been changed, and she would have had that vision in front of the Volturi, whether we were there or not."

You're right, I hadn't thought of that.

"And Marcus would have reacted the same way. So stop blaming yourself. As far as Aro goes, I don't care how cultured that old leech was. He was a creep and he always has been."

But it's not just that. All of this is my fault. If I hadn't been born, the Volturi would never have tried to destroy us in the first place, and wouldn't have tried to out-talent us now. And then it was stupid me who ran down here, got myself kidnapped, and dragged you all into it again…

"Shh," said Jacob, rolling onto his side and placing a finger over my lips. "You are ridiculous, Ness."

But if I hadn't been born…

"You are acting like a sixteen-year-old," said Jacob, a repressed laugh shaking through his body. "What next? 'I didn't ask to be born?'"

A smile tugged at my lips. Fine. You're right.

"Blame Edward and Bella. They're the ones who must have skipped the safe sex lectures in health class…"

Oh, ew! Don't give me that mental image.

Jacob made a grossed-out face at me and I burst out laughing.

In the blue-green waves, Nahuel and Leah splashed and he leaned in to kiss her. About time, I thought.

"You're telling me," said Jacob. "Life's about to get so much more pleasant."
What are you going to do about the pack, though? I mean, the Clearwaters are imprinted on Brazilians. Then Quil's with Claire, back in Forks, and you and me…

"And Embry, who's starting to feel a bit testy about the whole thing."

He must imprint soon. It seems like that myth is going for one hundred percent.

"He's alright, anyway. Not like Leah was," said Jacob.

I wonder about the imprinting, though. Maybe it's not for reproduction, or having stronger wolf genes, because I thought Leah couldn't have children.

"Yeah…" Jacob mused. He clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back; I admired his muscled arms. "Maybe, being a strong half-vampire and all, that means Nahuel has super-strong… erm…"

I laughed out loud. "Stop right there!"

"I'll say no more."

We fell into a comfortable silence. I stared up into the blue sky; I could feel Jacob's eyes on my face.

Jake?

"Mmm?"

Do I really smell like a French perfume sugar factory?

"I love the way you smell. Like sugar and spice and everything nice."

You sure?

He laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Later that day, Jacob told me to get dressed up. I asked him why and he said, "I'm taking you to dinner. And yes, it is a date." He vanished, leaving me to get ready.

I was surprised. He'd never done this before. As I straightened my hair and flung clothing all over my room, unable to decide what to wear, it occurred to me that this was the first time I'd ever been on a real, official date. It made my stomach feel all fluttery. It's just Jake, I admonished myself. A couple days ago, you were at his side, killing vampires in the jungle. And he's already seen you in a swimsuit. And your underwear.

My rational thoughts didn't do much to reduce my giddy excitement, however. Alice was going to be annoyed that she wasn't here to help me choose my outfit, and Rosalie that she couldn't do my hair, but maybe I just wouldn't tell either of them.

Maybe this would be a special thing between Jacob and me.

In the end I decided on a cobalt blue dress, short and sleeveless, with an Egyptian-style gold mesh necklace made up of shiny interlocking plates. The necklace draped over my throat and shoulders. The hand of Alice was in my choice: while I'd been missing and they'd been waiting in Rio for me, Alice had apparently gone shopping for clothes for me, perhaps thinking that she wouldn't foresee her purchases if I wasn't coming back. And she'd foreseen this sci-fi style necklace at a jeweler.

I pulled on a pair of strappy sandals and dashed through to the other room, where Alice could have opened a clothing store with her purchases. I found a snakeskin clutch to carry my wallet and room card key and, of course, my cell phone. I was grateful to be back under the umbrella of wireless reception.

There was a knock on the door – Jacob. I took a last look in the mirror and almost didn't recognize the woman there. She was tall, graceful, with glossy red curls tumbled over one shoulder, sparkling eyes framed with black lashes, a coral mouth turned up in a subtle smile. For so long I'd been thinking of myself as a little girl, and I had been. I'm grown up, I thought, and it was a strange realization. Flipping my hair back, I dashed to open the door.

And was left speechless.

Who was this man before me, with a shock of ink-black hair, with skin the color of burnished copper, with the radiant white smile and snapping eyes? It wasn't often that I felt physically weak, but I did now. My hands tingled and my stomach turned over and my legs felt all melted.

His smile got wider, but he did not move; it was too much to hope that I was having the same effect upon him. We stood there grinning like idiots at one another, and then Jacob finally moved.

"Hi, Ness."

"Hi, Jake."

That broke the spell of worship and he grabbed my hand. "You look gorgeous."

So do you! You clean up nice, wolf. I noticed for the first time his gray silk suit and dark blue tie. Alice's doing, undoubtedly. I just wondered how she'd got Jacob's measurements.

His rich laugh echoed down the hallway. "I think you'll like where we're going."

Where are we going?

"You'll see." He stopped and swung his face toward mine conspiratorially. "And you should probably speak aloud. Otherwise people will think I'm talking to myself instead of talking to the drop-dead gorgeous girl on my arm. And that would be a scandal."

I giggled. I'll try. No guarantees, though. You make it hard for me to put some things into words.

"You have no idea," said Jacob, laughing again. "Come on."

Downstairs we walked through the glittering lobby, attracting stares (mostly, I suspected, because of Jacob's height) and found a long black town car waiting for us with a chauffeur. "Wow, Jake. You've gone all out."

"It's your first date. I need to make it really good."

I leaned up to kiss his cheek. My lips lingered and I thought, It already is.

The driver got out and opened the door; I exclaimed, "Fernando!" and grabbed his hand, giving it a hearty shake, remembering not to crunch any bones.

"M-Miss Cullen? You are returned?" The driver's face looked even more serious than I remembered.

"Thank you so much. You told my family where I'd gone – it was just a big misunderstanding. I'm so sorry to have frightened all of you like that."

He nodded up at Jacob. "Now he take care of you."

"Yes, he will."

"Good," said Fernando, nodding with gravity. "He will do a good job. He is big."

This made me giggle. "Thank you again."

"It is just my job, miss." Fernando left the door open for us and walked back to the driver's seat.

Jacob handed me into the car and I looked back at him, a little confused. I was a half-vampire who could tear the car apart… and yet he treated me like a fragile flower. I liked it. It made me think that maybe he wanted to take care of me. That I was a woman in his eyes.

His smirk confirmed my thought. "It is a date, remember?" His thumb brushed against my hand. "Ness."

Fernando drove us down streets lined with palm trees and mansions, shops and restaurants, glass windows that sparkled under the streetlamps in the darkening dusk. We pulled up to a restaurant overlooking the beach. Two huge bowls flanked the sides of the door, and an antique-looking bell was hung above. Jacob got out first, then held out his hand for me. Feeling impossibly elegant, I swung my legs out, but then straightened up too fast; I couldn't help my excitement.

"It's what they call a churrascaria," said Jacob. "Meat!"

"Meat!" I repeated, grinning, remembering to answer him aloud.

I wasn't much for human food, but barbeque I could handle.

The interior of the restaurant was eclectic, elegant, dim, and the people were dressed as we were, in bright cocktail dresses and tailored suits. The air was smoky with the aroma of cooking meat, and filled with the sizzling sound of juices dripping onto open flames, with the clink of glasses and the murmur of conversation another layer, and finally the joyful notes of samba music, playing low over an excellent sound system.

We were shown to an intimate corner table and I set my bag on the shelf behind me. The centerpiece pair of dripping candles leaned towards one another like lovers. I leaned towards Jacob. "Thank you," I said.

"You haven't even eaten yet!"

"I know. But still. Thank you."

He gave me a smile, gentle this time. "You're welcome. But it's kinda selfish, too – I've eaten everything on the Cipriani menu and good as it is, I need some serious steak."

I laughed. "What, the giant rat you ate out in the jungle wasn't enough for your delicate tastebuds?"

The waiter, who'd approached our table, looked at me like I was insane.

I touched Jacob's hand, resting on the corner of the table, and thought, And you told me to speak my thoughts out loud.

Jake ordered the full barbeque selection for the both of us, and steaks extra-rare. "I want them to be practically alive," he instructed the waiter, who nodded with approval. I squealed happily when the waiter was gone. I hadn't eaten anything bloody since before we went out to the facility.

The facility. I knew my face had changed and that Jacob saw it. I didn't want to darken the mood but I couldn't help thinking about my parents back out there, and poor Carlisle, and the two human women enduring any kind of agony. Death, or transformation, although what the difference was, I wasn't sure. The babies must have been born by now; it had been five days. And the women must have chosen to turn to vampires, otherwise my family and the Denalis would have been back in Rio by now. I hoped they were okay.

I didn't need to touch Jacob for him to know my thoughts. He whispered, "I know it's hard to think about. But it's good we came back. Bella was one thing, but… it would have been hard for the pack to be there, watching as humans were bitten and turned."

I opened my mouth to protest.

"Even by good ones, saving their lives," Jacob said quickly. "I see that it had to be done, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." He sighed. "Carlisle Cullen, man. I feel sorry for that guy."

I nodded vigorously. "I'm worried about all of them. Shouldn't they be back soon?"

"Why did you think we took a car instead of walking here? I didn't want Edward to track us down before the main course, in case they're back already." He paused. "We should be just out of range of his 'hearing.'"

I smiled. "But what if he happens to pass by us?"

"We'll have to just keep our thoughts…" Jacob leaned toward me, and his fingers did distractingly wonderful things to the palm of my hand, "… in the moment."

Breathing fast, I stared into Jacob's eyes. Then we were interrupted by the waiter, bringing a bottle of San Pellegrino and a pair of glasses. He poured the sparkling water for us and retreated.

"Besides," I said, as if we'd been in conversation, "I highly doubt my dad would interfere with our nice dinner. He's been surprisingly good about all of this!"

Jacob tilted his head. "You know, you're right. He's just been frowning, not outright saying anything. I think we're winning him over."

"I think you are," I said.

"No, it was your inability to survive without yours truly," Jacob said, placing a hand on his chest. "Edward knows that without me…" he took a deep, dramatic sigh, "it's just not worth contemplating."

I brushed my fingers along his knuckle. And he'd be right. Aloud I said, "Here, a toast," and took my glass. "To imprinting."

"To Leah imprinting!" Jacob added.

I snorted a laugh and sipped the sparkling water. It danced on my tongue. "The wolf with a bad attitude. Now she's cured."

"And none of us could be happier," said Jacob fervently.

"I'll drink to that."

The waiter brought us a first course of sausages on a bed of sliced fruit, followed by a dizzying array of meats on trays, decorated with gorgeous tropical flowers, and finally the rarest, loveliest, most glistening choice of steaks I'd ever seen. The blood pooled onto my plate, the exterior seared to perfection, the interior a raw bright red. Jacob and I didn't speak much during this time; we were too busy eating.

I paused to say, "Jake, there's only one thing wrong."

He stopped chewing and looked at me, worried.

"After this, I don't see how on earth we're supposed to go back to the cafeteria at Brighton High School."

He swallowed and laughed at me. "It's gonna be difficult, that's for sure."

"I don't feel like a high schooler right now."

"I don't think you are a high schooler right now."

When my steak was reduced to a swirl of blood on the plate, and Jacob was finally full, we leaned back and looked at one another. His arm extended out and I met his hand with my own; our fingers locked together. His skin was smooth on the back, calloused on the palms, rough and soft at the same time.

I was hyper-aware of our touch, of the warm current that seemed to flow from where his hand held mine. Feeling bold, I swung my legs toward him, out from beneath the tablecloth, so he could see my knees.

A faint smile moved his lips and his eyes flickered down.

It was the strangest feeling, but that he could see my knees was electric, as if he was touching them. His eyes and his mind were focused on me, and the growing smile on his face made me flush, knowing he could hear my wild thoughts.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Yes. Yes.

After he paid the bill and we were outside, Jacob suggested that we walk back. After all, we could see the hotel from here, down the long crescent curve of the white beach. We took off our shoes to walk in the sand. He fixed my hand into the crook of his elbow.

We didn't speak. The energy between us couldn't be named. I didn't care about anything else except Jacob, and I had the sudden urge to race down the beach, to be alone with him. A series of half-formed desires flashed across my mind.

Nervous, I glanced at Jacob.

He wasn't looking at me, but I could see the bright burning in his eyes as he stared straight ahead.

For two people who were immortal, the walk back seemed to take forever. The tension was so thick I was about to scream and then, finally, we were in the elevator. But, of course, there was a man to push the buttons for us. We weren't alone. I looked up into Jacob's eyes pleadingly. His fingers made trails down my arms.

I swiped the keycard to my room so fast that it was a blur. We rushed into the room and by the time the door swung shut behind us, we were in a passionate clinch, kissing madly. I was so caught up in the way Jake's lips moved against mine that I didn't notice someone in the darkened room, standing in the open door to the suite's balcony.

Jacob noticed first and he dropped away from me, tensing. "Oh, you."

It was my father, arms crossed.