So this one may be a little short as when I wrote this chapter is came to nearly 8000 words and so I have split it over three now…this bit is more of an explanation of why Edward is against Jake and Nessie having a relationship…the next focuses on where Jake has been and what happened to him that his mind has been trying to repress…. Anyway like I said it's a little on the short side… Please let me know what you're thinking as I'm not Edward and don't have his mind reading ability ;). Love Tink. XX

JAKE POV

To say that Edward looked angry, when I walked into the den, was the understatement of the fucking century, he looked ready to kill. There was a faint glimmer in his golden eyes I did not like and I felt my own hackles rise in response as he hissed at me. Oh shit, angry fucking father time.

"Give me one good reason why I should not throw you out of here, dog," he said his voice calm and even yet no less venomous or threatening.

"Edward I-" I began, not quite sure how I could even begin to defend myself but trying to stay calm, wolfing out would not help my cause. I needed to explain this to him, let him know how I felt. Nessie was my life and I couldn't say no to her, she was everything to me.

"Did we not talk about this Jake? Did I not ask you specifically to keep your hands and your feelings to yourself…Yet still I find you in my daughters bed, with your hands on her, touching her… your thoughts about my child, because make no mistake she still is a child when it comes to those sort of things"

"I couldn't help it, she was sick…it's the imprint" I tried to rationalize it for him, knowing he would not be able to comprehend the pull of the imprint, to recognize it's power over me.

Edward rolled his eyes with a sneer, "I'm so sick of this imprint bullshit mutt, all her life, the times when she wanted you rather than me, when you gave her everything she asked for, when you didn't let her have boundaries, when you kept her out past curfew, when you gave her candy, when you took her around humans, 'it's the imprint'…that was your justification for everything"

I growled a little and drew myself up to my full height, determined not be intimidated by him "There is nothing I can do about this...you know as well as I do that I have to give her what she wants, what she asks for"

"So now she was asking for it?" he was incredulous and laughed chillingly "…she doesn't have the first clue what she wants… she's still a child Jake"

"She was sick Edward and hurting…I had to help her, I couldn't just leaver her like that…I had to help her somehow"

"How? By pawing her? How does that help anything you son of a bitch?"

I growled, the insult hitting me deep and felt my body begin to quake with anger.

"It wasn't like that… but I just couldn't help it" I bit out, unhappy myself about my lack of control around the woman-child I adored.

"Of course you couldn't help it...why do you think we tried to keep her away from you the second we realized what was wrong with her…we knew it would have this affect…that you would struggle to ignore the demands of your body… or of hers… and we didn't want to put either of you though this… neither of you are ready Jake, despite what you may think…this isn't fair, on anyone…we talked about this, you agreed with me, said she wasn't ready"

That had been then and this was now, spending time together, trying to ignore the hungry, curious looks she gave me when she thought I wasn't looking, it was torture. The thought that I was making her unhappy because I wasn't giving her what she really obviously wanted, was hurting me physically and emotionally.

"I love her Edward and I think she feels the same about me…why shouldn't we be happy? Why shouldn't we be together?"

I watched as he visibly gritted his teeth, his anger still alive, acting as a catalyst for my own.

"Because you have a huge chunk of your life missing…who knows where the hell you've been or what's happened to you…you could put her in danger and not even know it" he snapped, his hands going through his hair.

"I wouldn't do that to her…I wouldn't put her in danger"

"Don't you get it? You wouldn't know…what happens if they come back for you?" He was snarling, pacing the room now, his anger building again. I could sense it, taste it in the air and at the back of my throat.

"No one is going to come for me, you're being ridiculous Edward" I tried to keep my voice calm but it was a struggle.

" I didn't want to bring this up Jake… I didn't want to do it like this… but I have seen your dreams, the things they do to you…the things they have shown you… Nessie…you don't think I know where you've you been or who had you…the only thing I don't know is why" he said his voice dangerously quiet as he stared at me.

I felt the blood leave my face; he knew who had taken me? He had seen the nightmares I suffered, the torture I had endured during my captivity? Why the fuck hadn't he said anything to me? I could have some answers now instead of nightmares and the constant worry that those things they did, that I did to Nessie, were real.

"I wouldn't put her in that sort of danger Edward...I love her too much to let her be harmed, she is my life"

"Jake, it's the Volturi… do you really think that you have a choice? They wanted you for something, so they took you and then just as easily as they had taken you, they let you go…they sent you here Jake, why do you think that is?"

I felt the trembling grip my body that forewarned of a shift and fought against it, I needed to know what danger I was in, what danger I was putting Nessie in. I shook my head.

"If all that is true, why did you let me stay here…knowing that I could put her in harms way?" I growled, furious that he would allow her to be in such danger because of me.

"This is the best chance we have of protecting Nessie…keep your friends close…."

"And your enemies closer" I finished bitterly for him. So it was down to this, I was his enemy now.

"No Jake, you are not my enemy" he said, this time calmer "but whatever is coming for us, for you…it's better to be faced head on...with our eyes wide open… to know what we are dealing with, then we can protect you both… but I'll need your help"

"I don't need protecting…I can take care of myself but you're right…I shouldn't be here…you've seen what they did to her...I'm putting her at risk just being here. I need to go back to La Push, back to my pack"

"I don't want you to leave and Bella would have my head if she thought I'd pushed you out… but if I find you have even looked the wrong way at my daughter, let alone touched her…you will be out on your ass so fast your head will spin…she is not ready for that kind of relationship...despite what she thinks...how could she be when she doesn't even understand what's happening to her"

I nodded heavily; guilt wracking me, reminding me that she was still a child, no matter what my body thought and if me having a relationship with her was going to put her in danger then it was out of the question. There had to be some distance between us.

"I need your promise on this Jake, I can't leave you alone with her anymore if I think that as soon as my back is turned you will be in her bed again"

It went against everything in me to promise not to be with my mate, not touch her, hold her, to be with her in the ultimate way.

"Dammit Jake, this is for both your sake's…deal with what's happened to you, what could happen to you if the Volturi come back and then you have my blessing to pursue a relationship with Nessie… but until then she is off limits"

"I will try Edward but the pull of the imprint is strong…you can't imagine how strong"

He tapped his head and smiled, though it held no humor "Oh yes I do, I got you both up here remember…if you love her Jake you will stay away from her…if you don't then you will have to leave…she is my daughter, my only child and I will do whatever I have to, to protect her even that means breaking her heart…don't test me on this Jake, I promise you won't like what happens"

I was torn, torn by my love for her. I had to do what was right yet I knew it would hurt her, could I be that strong, hurt her to protect her, it just seemed so wrong to me, went against everything I stood for, went totally against the imprint. To love her I had to hurt her, I had to wait.

"You've waited all her life Jake, a few more weeks is not going to make that much of a difference I promise you" this time his tone was gentle, almost understanding.

How could he understand? How could he know the pain I went through in reigning in my feelings, the pain I would go through in hurting her. Breaking her heart would break my own.

"I am her father…when she hurts, I hurt"

"You really think I'm in danger…that they will come back for me?"

Edward nodded his face grave "They do nothing without a reason…they will be back and maybe for you both, maybe for us all…Aro is very shrewd, he leaves nothing to chance… as I said everything he does has a purpose…all we need to do is find out that purpose…but there is something I could try if you are willing"

I looked at him warily, wondering what voodoo mumbo jumbo bull shit he was planning on pulling on me.

"What?" could I help it if I sounded cagey?

"I want you to try and remember your night mares…then I can try and see beneath the obvious layer of your mind, the layer you remember to your subconscious to the stuff you are repressing"

I eyed him and crossed my arms over my chest defensively "I'm not sure I like the idea of you poking around in my head"

He sighed "This is one the best chances we have to find out what is going on…what happened to you…what could happen to you …I've got Alice watching the Volturi but after the little stunt you just pulled, her and Jasper burst out of here pretty quickly"

I stared at him bemused "What the hell does all that have to do with Tink and the gloomy fairy?"

Edward frowned glaring at me, as this should be obvious "Jasper is an Empath what you feel, he feels," he clarified," but thanks to you we're going to be operating blind for a few hours"

A few hours?

Understanding dawned and I was chagrined, who knew the gloomy one was such a stud?

"What would I have to do?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest, feeling a little defensive.

"Just think about the things you've seen in your dreams…show me your nightmares and I will try and pick up any details in your subconscious"

"I don't understand how this will help" I grumbled, unwilling to have him poking around in my head, seeing my true nightmare, the ones which contained Nessie.

"I can pick up on things you may have missed…I understand they way the Volturi operates better than you…there may be something however small which could hold the key to your disappearance"

I nodded quickly before I could change my mind, if I wanted to keep Nessie safe and protect her then surely I could submit my mind to him for a little while.

"Before we do this…I want you your promise that you won't hold anything you see or hear against me…no matter what happens you will not stop me from seeing Nessie…I want your word"

"Jake I know you've been through a lot…some of the things they did to you were horrific...I know none of this is your fault" he said but I wasn't worried about what they had done to me, more what I had done.

Though I couldn't be certain, I was sure there was something hiding inside me, something I had done which I wasn't proud of, something I was blocking out. Some of my nightmares had started to recur, yet I only got so far before I woke up gasping for breath and wanting to call Nessie's name.

"Jake you have my word that nothing I see will change anything…I know you love my daughter and would never hurt her"

I nodded briskly "I warn you Ed, it's not pretty"

"Your thoughts never were" he said dryly and looked over at the sofa pointedly.

I followed his gaze "So how do you wanna do this? No offense but I don't think I'm gonna be able to concentrate with you staring at me…you're a bit off putting if you know what I mean"

He chuckled "I imagine so…the important thing is that you relax, don't try and force it, just remember your dreams and I will try and do the rest"

I snorted, "Well that's fucking simple then…hey presto I just remember…why the fuck didn't I think of that?"

"Jake" he cautioned me and I sneered, not wanting to admit that I wasn't looking forward to reliving my nightmares, I wasn't scared…just… not comfortable.

"Okay, I get it...relax…remember" I muttered and threw myself down on the sofa, closing my eyes. I heard him continue to move around the room and it made me edgy, the relaxation I'd been ordered to feel didn't come. Where was the gloomy fairy when you needed him? Oh yeah he was making out with Tinkerbell, I remembered with a snicker, as Edward continued to move around the room.

After a few minutes he was still and I fought against the urge to peek and see where he was.

"By the fire place" he chuckled obviously in my head.

"Will you please stay out of my head until I get his right" I muttered and crossed my arms behind my head trying to comfortable. Luckily or unluckily for me there were a lot of Cullens and this meant a big sofa, I could stretch out and unusually there was still room left for me.

Taking several deep breaths I forced myself to relax, to try and picture in my head what I had lived through night after night. Gradually I felt my body grow limp and heavy, my eyes drifting closed as I arrived back in my nightmare……………..