I will be going away tomorrow until Monday, so no updates until I come home. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Also I will be keeping the poll open until Tuesday, so go vote and let me know whether I should write my next story or not. I already have the first chapter written, but I will not post it on here until I have some more feedback. I am also giving members of my forum a chance to read the first chapter. Most of you should already know I have a thread open in the FanFiction section of the forum where I go into some detail on my new idea. If you would like to join the forum and reply to that thread, I will be more than happy to PM you the chapter I have written. If not, then I will let everyone know Tuesday on the forum whether or not the story will be posted on here. Once again, I thank you all for your support. To everyone who already voted, and the ones on the forum who already read the chapter, I thank you for your support and feedback.

"You really had no idea?" My dad asked me for the fourth time since we got home.

I shook my head. "No, I had no idea when I would see either of you again. I almost didn't even get up there and speak."

"That would have been bad," My dad threw his arms around me and crushed me against his chest. "You have no idea how proud I am of you."

"Thanks, so you and Derek seemed to have hit it off."

"He's a good kid, he's always been a good kid," he shrugged.

"No special powers?" I smiled, wiggling my fingers to indicate how I used my hands to transfer my thoughts into others' heads when I was younger.

"No," my dad chuckled. "Nothing that doesn't involve him being strong. He's a lot bigger then he was as a human. We're assuming this is his talent. He's tough."

"That's sort of cool. I mean, he used to wine all the time how I was stronger then him. "Now he doesn't have to worry about that anymore." I looked from where I was, tucked under my dad's arm, pressed against his side on the couch, and found Derek talking with my mom, Carlisle, and Esme. He towered over my mom, that was something I was going to have to get used to.

"Yes, he does," my dad's eyes narrowed. "He's got to learn his strengths still. He can hurt you."

I rolled my eyes. "It's D--" his hand clapped over my mouth, and I immediately started to laugh.

"Do not tell me, 'It's Derek, he wouldn't hurt me.' I know he's more than capable of hurting you." My dad let his hand fall and I smiled up at him.

"Sorry," I shrugged. "It's a habit. I still see Derek as my best friend. The guy who held a memorial service if he stepped on an ant."

"I did that once, and it's because I felt bad." Derek yelled from across the room.

"You remember that?" My mom asked him.

"Sure," he shrugged. "I held onto a lot of memories with Nessie. That was, and still is how I keep myself calm around her. I can smell her scent, hear her heartbeat, but the memories remind me how important she is to me."

I jumped off the couch and ran across the room. I was happy no one stopped me as I wrapped my arms around Derek's waist. "Thanks, that made me feel so much better. I've been feeling so guilty about all of this." I ignored my father's chest pressed against my back, his hands gripping my shoulders. He was tense, ready to rip me from Derek's arms the second he thinks of hurting me. I wasn't scared.

Derek seemed to ignore everyone around us as well. Jacob stood behind Derek, ready to pull him off of me the moment my dad gave him the green light. I looked up at my best friend, now my brother and he took my hand as we walked towards the front door.

"Jacob, let her go." I heard my dad hiss. "His thoughts are clean."

"Yeah, until he gets her out of our sight."

"He just wants to talk to her. His thirst is under control. They need to talk. Let them go. She's my daughter, I think I know how to protect her."

"Then it's you I'm coming after if he lays a finger on her."

"Ok, lets not ruin this day for her." My mom snapped. I turned slightly, looking over my shoulder. She had placed herself between Jacob and my father. I silently thanked her.

Derek opened the door and let me step out first. The night air was warm, but Derek's icy hand in mine kept me cool.

"You scared me." I whispered as we walked down the front steps of my house.

"I scared me." He whispered back, both of us looking at our feet.

We stopped when we got to the sidewalk, I didn't want to go much further, just in case I needed my father or Jacob. I sat down on the curb and Derek followed.

"Ness, I had no idea who I was. The only thing I could think about was how good you smelled the first time I saw you. Well, as soon as I woke up I could hear your heartbeat, smell the b-blood that p-pumped… through your body…" Derek slid away from me, but I clutched at his arm.

"No, it's ok. Don't think of that, just talk to me. I want to know everything. I'm not scared of you, Derek. You wont hurt me. I don't think you have it in you to hurt me."

Derek let me slide my hand down his arm and interlace our fingers. He nodded slowly. "I don't think I have it in me either. I think about it, like it would be so easy for me to just pin you down… but I can't. I see your face and I don't see food, I see my best friend. It took a lot of concentration to think that way. Bella and Edward took a lot of your clothes to the island with them. I think I know your scent better then I know anyone else's. Bella even wore your clothes a few times when we would go hunting. Those days were harder. She wanted me to be used to hunting with your scent nearby. Granted, it wasn't as strong as what your giving off now, but it helped. I only was distracted by your scent on her a few times. But Edward was there, and I could stop myself before I hurt her."

"Wow," I breathed. My parents were going to the extreme to make sure I wasn't going to be hurt by him.

"Yeah, but the island was beautiful. I can't believe it's ours--I mean yours."

I laughed, squeezing his hand. "No, you had it right the first time. My dad gave the island to my mom as a place for us to go as a family. You're a part of the family now. I spent my entire childhood there."

"I know, Your room was still made up for a young girl. I do have to say, that was one hell of a playroom. I think Bella got bored some nights when Edward and I would play until the sun came up."

"My poor mom." I laughed.

"Yeah, I mean, I always knew they loved each other more than I have ever seen two individuals love another, but he will drop anything the moment she gives the word. Like, we were playing one of your racing games. I was totally beating him, then your mother comes in, stands in front of the TV and I, you know, tried leaning around her to see where I was driving. But Edward, just looked up at her like he was waiting for her to give him some command. Here I am, trying to kick his ass in this game and he goes all googly-eyed as soon as Bella comes walking in. So she leans down and kissing him, where, I don't really care… there was a videogame on. Now I was winning because his car just sort of did donuts in the middle of the street. And Bella mentions that she wants to go swimming--which I heard about your fish friends, kind of gross, but they weren't there--anyway, she doesn't even finish her sentence and Edward shoved the remote onto my lap. Seriously? How can I play with two remotes? You need two people to play! HELLO!"

I laughed as Derek spoke. His words jumbled together as he spoke with the same excitement he's always had. Only this time, he didn't have to slow down to take a breath. "I love you, Derek." I chuckled.

"Love you, too." He lifted our hands and laid his arm across my shoulders.

"I'm glad you liked the island, and I'm glad your ok."

"I did, your parents were tough on me most of the time, I got mad at them a few times, but that's when Edward would force Bella inside."

"You fought my dad?" I gasped.

"Once, but when she does her shield thing, it hurts when she doesn't want you touching the thing she's shielding. I learned not to mess with her quickly. I always knew there was a reason why I feared that woman when I was human."

"She's just protective over my dad."

"That I know, but there were many times her and I walked the beach, talking. She remembers being changed, she told me the whole story. What a birth. But I'm glad she fought so hard to keep you. Who would I spend the rest of eternity teasing?"

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed punching his side, it hurt me instead of him. "You wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for me. You'd be off at some college right now…" I realized my words and they turned serious. "Derek, do you regret being saved? Do you wish you were still human and at college like your parents think?"

"No," he answered quickly. "I couldn't be happier right where I am. Who wouldn't want to choose a life where they stay young and good looking forever? Plus the added bonus, I'm stronger than Superman!"

"Superman's not real." I groaned.

"See I'm stronger!"

"You're insane."

"Nope… well maybe a little. I have so many things going through my head at once."

"Welcome to the vampire world." I groaned.

"Ness," Jacob called impatiently from the front porch.

"He's not going to trust me with you, is he?"

I shook my head. "No."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "That's actually going to piss me off."

"Cool it. He worries about me. You hurt him and I will be the one to kill you."

"I'd like to see you try." Derek chuckled.

"Renesmee, it's getting late."

"Are you her parental authority? I don't see her parents telling her to get inside."

My breath caught as I listened to Derek's words. I have never seen him lose his temper.

"I just don't trust you with her." Jacob said coldly.

"Deal with it." Derek stood up, blocking Jacob's line to me. "We're family now, I'm not going anywhere."

"I suggest you move before I--"

"That's enough!" I yelled jumping in front of Derek.

"Jacob, back off." My dad added, suddenly standing in front of him. "He's fine. They're just talking."

I saw the pain in Jacob's eyes and understood. He was terrified, knowing how easily Derek could snap and kill me before my father could even take a step towards us.

"It's ok," I sighed. "Jacob's right. It's getting late." I met Jacob's gaze and his shoulders relaxed. Without looking behind me at Derek, I closed the space between Jacob and I. I gave him exactly what he wanted. Me, safe in the protection of his arms. I knew he was protecting me from nothing, but that wasn't the way Jacob thought. And there was going to be no changing his mind on the matter either.