A/N: Howdy! Sorry it took for-freakin'-ever to get this chapter uploaded but I tend to get very bad cases of writer's block. Sucks, I know. But if it's any consolation, I plan to upload a new chapter once every Saturday/Sunday.
Feel free to R&R and hope you enjoy!
Some dark part of my brain twitches and suddenly, I am washed with memories of this Rosalie person. Her brilliant smile as I, a babe at a time not so long ago, lay bundled in her arms. I feel a sharp pang in my chest. She cherished me. Not because of my ability. Not because I was some child prodigy, but rather that I was just a child. She had treated me as such at the time. And by the looks of it, she still does. Rosalie offers me a hand to help me up and I take it rising with her. Now that the shock has worn off, I note how cold her hand is. Just as I remember. Just like them. My jaw has gone slack, and I am speechless. Jacob steps forward from his corner of the room, gripping Rosalie's shoulder suddenly. She glances over at him and gives him an equally icy glare. I glance between the two, my mouth twisting into a wry smile.
It was obvious the two did not like each other in the slightest. Finally, Jake speaks up "Why are you here?" His voice is curt.
"Visiting my niece, what does it looks like?" Rosalie purrs as she removes her cloak revealing a slender body hugged by black leggings, matching ugg boots and a trench coat. Jacob growls softly. "Oh shut up, dog." She spins round elegantly facing him and her brows raise, her eyes widening at his nude form. She lets out a feral hiss at the sight of him naked. Her body turns rigid suddenly, bending her legs preparing to pounce. "You... sick sick creature!" She snarls through gritted teeth. Time slows for a moment and, scared that she's going to harm my Jacob, I race to fill the gap between them.
I find myself trapped between the two, their arms locked together in a struggle, as they both try with equal strength to repel one another. Glancing back and forth between them. Their expressions as well as their efforts seem to mirror each other. Beast v.s Beast. A surreal part of me tunes them out, as I recall that we are standing in the remains of a dank charred cottage within a room covered in blood. I see little point in disrupting their most charming reunion and decide to dismiss myself. A rather crude section of my mind wonders that as I exit the room, they will let down their defences and start a make out session. I roll my eyes at the prospect. I may appear a meek innocent little thirteen year old, but even I know what people get up to behind closed doors. Get a room... With more tasteful interior, at least. I sneak away through the back door and begin making my way back to the loch.
As I trace the shoreline with my aching feet I hear the familiar howl which is often an indication that somewhere, Jacob is engaging in a dramatic 'No!' as he realises I am not within his hawk-like view. You can imagine what it's like during school hours where we have our different classes for a whole hour. I grin at the thought of him in turmoil, before glancing over my shoulder to see if he had caught up yet.
For as long as I've known him, Jacob has always been overprotective of me. He claims it's his duty – something to do with his Imprinting thing. I believe he doesn't give me enough credit. I may have been young that day I was abandoned to his care by my own mother, but I could still understand the subtext in her words. My mother practically gift wrapped me to Jacob and direct mailed me right into his lap.
I have such short memories of my time spent with my initial family. I wasn't even fully aware that Rosalie was my aunt. My mother would only really speak of my other aunt, Alice. My memories of her are less fond. Her dishevelled black pixie cut and wide sparkling golden eyes were most unnerving in my mind's eye. What few memories I have of her are certainly not pleasant ones either. I recall her dropping a vase once and my mother became most displeased. Then the following day, aunt Alice had left and by then... My mother was beyond enraged. The scorn in her voice had been lethal if someone dared to mention that aunt afterwards. Last I heard of her, anyway. I assume my precious aunt didn't pay for a replacement vase yet; hence the unjustified despise. But my mother was merciless, constantly hateful; often without reason.
I recoil in shock as the freezing swell of the loch engulfs my feet. I stumble backwards onto the shoreline, panting a little as I try to compose the rising panic in my gullet. I take a deep breath allowing my shoulders to relax. I glance up at the clouds, trying to calm myself. Trickles of sun rays are beginning to claw their way across the sky, turning the blackness of night into a faint morning mist. Speckles of light begin to drift across the waters of the loch, highlighting the natural beauty of the area. "A nice view," says a familiar voice. My gaze darts up and there stands Rosalie. Her body is silhouetted against the rising sun, her body wrapped in a warm heavenly glow. Smiling down at me – again as if I were still a child. I regard her for a moment, eyes searching. I tilt my head then ask "Why did you kill Debra?" Her smile flickers for a moment, a shadowing casting over her face. I glance over and realise that Jacob has caught up.
He towers over me, holding his ground,dark brown eyes narrowed on her, his fists clenched. It is moments like these that I wish a shirt would materialize out of thin air and cover his sweat-drenched abdominals. They can be most distracting, and not in a good sense. Also, anything to temporarily mask that wet dog smell. Thankfully, though, he has had the sense to acquire some pantaloons. He gives a brief nod "Tell her, Rose." There is an unspoken demand behind his words. It unsettles me. If Rose detects this, she appears unfazed, pursing her lips, her body far more relaxed than his. "I was hungry of course." She replies. Rosalie glances down at me for a moment, smiling that obnoxious grin again. "I had to," She pauses eyeing me speculatively "You know what we are, don't you, little Renesmee?" I grunt then nod.
"More than I ought to." I murmur, pulling a sly grin that seems to puzzle her. Figures. But of course. She did not know of the truths that lie in the mist of my mother's mind. Lucky her, I think bitterly.
After some coaxing from a rather anxious Jacob, we begin to exchange our plans. Mine and Jacob's being to get as far away from here as possible. People don't tend to look kindly on the mysterious murder of an innocent old lady; particularly when the two teenage tenants she housed suddenly appear missing, having broken apart a dock after burning down her house. It's hardly surprising that we'd be seen as suspects. Am sure with some interrogation of my own, I could easily subdue those claims. And I would likely receive great pleasure via doing so. If only Jacob didn't have such a tight leash on me, then perhaps I could indulge in the bloodshed.
Rosalie's plan seems to be abit more simple. She reveals that she had been searching for me for some months. She seeks to spend time with me. The news is kind've unsettling news, however Jacob reassures me that this is good; that I may still have a family. His eyes seem to glaze over as memory sweeps him – no doubt memories of my mother. I dare to contemplate what disgusting acts would make him go goo-goo eyes at the mere thought of her. I have to fight the urge to growl, shoving my hands into my pocket, I walk further on ahead, head held high.
Fine, so what if he had some sick emotional ties to her? It seems pretty clear he doesn't any longer... or does he? I'm nearly brought to a halt at the revelation. I feel a cold shiver run through my veins. This reaction is... disturbing and inexplicable. I shake off the sensation and resolve to not think about Jake and Mrs Cullen engaging in activities that are meant to be of an intimate nature. The mere idea is beyond revolting. And not because it involves my Jacob, but rather it involves something being romantically involved with her; which I deem impossible.
We continue to hike further north, the glorious white mountain range towering over the small town surrounding Lock Fyne. The tips of the Arrochar Alps seems to glow in the brightening light of dawn. Wild grass swallows me up to my knees as we trudge along in the damp soil. We spend the whole day making our way to the base of the mountain where we are shrouded under the forest canopy. Rosalie removes her cloak and lays it upon the ground as a make-shift bed. "We can camp here" She says.
The remaining daylight is beginning to fade, casting shadows against the forest floor. I offer to fetch some wood, and instantly, Jacob is at my side. I roll my eyes. "Some privacy would be nice," I huff. He glances down at me, brows raised in astonishment. I continue to stray further from our camp, keeping my gaze fixed in front of me. For reasons I don't understand, I am angry with him. Merely being near him is starting to infuriate me, whereas conversing with him is near painful. His big brother, overprotective act is beginning to bore me. "Nessie..." He begins but I pivot to face him, snapping back at him "Do not call me that!" I am not in the mood to be little Nessie. "I'm tired of you smothering me! Rosalie is right, you are sick!" I turn away and fold my arms. I sigh, then kneel down and begin searching the ground for suitable firewood.
I hear Jake whimper, and somehow that small sound forces me to peek back at him. He's backed up several inches his hands now raised in a defensive gesture. "Ne.. Renesmee," he breathes "I... I'm sorry. I know things have been hard today, but... Ow!" It is at this point that I have decided to end his tiresome mumblings by throwing a rock at him. He slumps against a tree and begins staunching the blood seeping from his forehead. Non-chalantly, I pluck up my bundle of suitable wood and walk back to camp. I emerge out of the clearing and find that Rosalie has fashioned some temporary log love-seats out of some of the surrounding trees. I glance up at the night sky, and am dazzled by the bright stars.
I can feel my body instantly relaxing. So much so, that I almost drop the bundle. I close my eyes briefly and sigh before opening them again. I set the bundle down within the fuel-less firepit that Rosalie had made. With her assistance, we manage to get a flame going. She then lies back sprawled out onto her cloak, propped up on her elbow. She glances up and gives me a wry smile. "What happened to the dog?" She asks. I can't help but grin.
"He's off pouting, no doubt." I reply. She smiles warmly.
"I was worried for a moment. Did he stub his toe or something?" I smirk.
"Yeah, you could say that." I say, hugging my knees to my chest as I playfully rock back and forth on my log. My eyes are drawn back to the sky. Whenever I star gaze like this, I am reminded of a more peaceful time, as a soft nostalgic tune begins to fill my mind. These moments are fleeting, yet their comfort warms my blood. Being a dhampir, half vampire and half human, a deep rooted part of me draws me to the darkness. I feel more connected with that life than any other. A life as one of those creatures that stalks the night. I glance at Rosalie. She is one of those creatures. She is free to embrace the monster that she is. Me? I am tied down already, it seems.
My earlier anger quickly resurfaces, and I find my nails clawing at my jeans, ripping through them. Rosalie has noticed this. "Something on your mind?" She asks, concern edging her voice. I flush. "I was just thinking... All my life, I've been told what to do, how to do it, when, where and why." I pause, my eyes narrowed at the fire. Rage surges through my body, causing my shoulders to shake slightly. I sigh, in an attempt to defuse the tension in my body. It works mildly. "Just, for once, I would like to do what I want to do. This is my life after all." I grit my teeth "I am tired of being moved around like some mindless pawn." I spit the words, spite coating them.
Rosalie is watching me carefully. Her golden eyes are narrowed as she examines my expression, my body language. She bites her lip and glances down, her voice quiet "I know how that feels... To have your life planned out for you. At the time, I was happy, but now... Now that I've seen the true horrors of the world, I resent that." Now I am watching her intently; I don't know what she means, but the pain in her expression... it becomes palpable, condensed within a single tear. My body has gone numb with shock. So this woman was not always the free bird she is now. I suddenly feel foolish. All I can manage is a quiet "I'm sorry." She shakes off the sensation and gives a dismissive wave, wiping the tear away with the back of her hand. "Don't worry about it, Renesmee. Can't be sorry for what has passed. Time is now."
A rustling of the bushes behind us, indicates that Jacob is within proximity. I groan. He has managed to smear the blood from his minor flesh wound all across his forehead. I wonder idly if he's been crying. The thought makes me smile. He frowns at me, eyes narrowed and body rigid. He shakes his head then sits himself down on the opposite side of the campfire. His eyes continue to burn into mine. I beam a grin at him, tilting my head to the side. He gives a jittery shake of his head, expression unchanging. "D'you know how much of a bitch you can be sometimes?" Rosalie sits up instantly, gaping at him. Jacob sighs and raises a hand to halt her "Not you." He adds, turning his attention back to me, his brow furrowed. Yeah. He's pissed. I purse my lips, rubbing my hands together enjoying the heat from the fire. I do not answer. Let him continue, I think to myself. Let him get it all out, let him make a fool of himself. And that he excels at. "You're thoughtless, careless. You completely disregard everyone else!" He continues. Much like someone else I know, I note mentally. "You manipulate people," Like mother like daughter then My lips curl up into a sneer. He notices this, and instantly seems offended by it. "What? You think what I'm saying is funny?" Hilarious, rather.
I continue to lock gazes with him refusing to answer his question. He bails, shaking his head to himself, looking defeated. His body sags and he looks to Rosalie for back up. She merely shrugs, clearly caught in between here. She seems as startled as I was at his outburst. Granted, Jacob has rarely had moments like this. And even when he does, all I can think of, is the following. "Sticks and stones, Jake." I grin, wishing I could taunt him with another stone. He gives me a piercing glare, growls and then stalks off, leaving a trail of tension in his wake.
I grunt and turn my gaze back to Rosalie whom has settled back down onto her cloak. "What's gotten into him?" She asks. I shrug.
"Probably got a piece of silver stuck up his ass." She snorts. I watch his retreating figure. No doubt he's going to search for a dramatic spot to give an agonized wolf howl. I smile.
"Well, y'know what they say. He who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones."
The following day I find Jacob curled up in the far corner of the camp, the sun highlighting his glossy fur coat. Guess the fire made him feel too warm. I still resent him, and feel like I should do one of two things: A) Go over to him and kick him awake, or B) Apologise. I chose to do neither and instead, begin to assist Rosalie in clearing up our camp. Jacobs ears twitch in his sleep, as he eventually rises, stretching his large lean body in a massive yawn. Suddenly, a sick thought flutters into my mind; I prefer him as a wolf. I'm momentarily stunned because I don't know if I meant that genuinely or sarcastically. I shake off the thought. Clearly my mind is all over the place this morning. Probably because I haven't eaten in roughly a day. I check my watch; it reads 6:00am. Pretty early.
Rosalie's body suddenly freezes up. My eyes widen at her, but then a moment later, the scent hits me. An overwhelming heady smell that causes my mouth to salivate and my throat to constrict. A deep musky smell that makes for one intoxicating allure. There can only be one creature on this earth that could emit such a delicious smell. Humans.