Hi everyone, sorry for the epic update fail, you all know that sometimes RL is a pain. We are getting close to the action, so I promise to try and update quicker. Thanks to those who have stuck with me and waited patiently. I hope you enjoy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours later, I could still feel the imprint inside, gently tugging, pulsing, reminding me I was alone again. But it was comforting, a sort of pleasure pain. Strangely enough it helped in a weird sort of way. The discomfort, the ache helped me to know that I was loved and that I was part of something that was bigger than anything I had ever known. It reminded me of Jacob's love.

Sam and Emily didn't say a lot, but I could feel their eyes on me, Sam especially. It still irked me that he had tried to turn Jake away from me, to stop us from being together and happy but I had to trust and believe he would keep me safe. After all he had no choice.

That was the beauty of alphas orders; they had to be obeyed whether the wolf wanted to or not. Jake as rightful Alpha had told Sam to do what ever it took to keep me safe. He was powerless to act any other way.

There was nothing he could do, even if Emily, as his imprint, had asked him to hurt me, he would have no choice but to refuse. Alphas over imprints. But that was the only reason I knew I would be safe, Sam couldn't refuse Jake as his alpha.

In the hours that had passed since he left, I had tried not to worry, tried to think positive but it was hard. Last time he had returned home, he was beaten, physically and emotionally. I couldn't bear to see him that way again, though it had lead to our coming together at last. My head knew he was more than capable of dealing with whatever waited out there but my heart refused to listen.

Across from me Seth fussed over the baby as he reluctantly handed her over to her father. I wanted to chuckle at the look of consternation on his normally happy face. Was that how it had been with Jacob and me? Had he fussed over me, been reluctant to let me go? I wished that I could remember, I wondered if he remembered and hoped one day he did. Things came back to him at odd times and bit-by-bit he pieced things together but there were still some gaps and we didn't know if they would ever be filled.

Seth glanced away as Sazi left the room, either the spell she held over him was broken or he simply couldn't bear to watch her leave his sight. His eyes met mine and I could see the question in them. I grinned knowingly, well smirked was more like it and was thrilled to see a little blush stain the tips of his ears.

"What?" he asked sounding more amused than hostile.

"Nothing, it's just amazing for me to an imprint first hand."

"You've seen lots of imprints first hand, Emily and Sam, you and Jake-"

"I meant now that I know what it means, an imprint like mine, a child imprint…what's it feel like?"

Seth exhaled slowly "God Nessie that's like asking how long is a piece of string? Shouldn't you be asking Jake this stuff? He won't be pleased when he finds out I been talking to you, remember Lee?"

"I'll handle Jake," I was so confident in his love for me that I had a feeling I could get away with just about anything.

"I just want to know how you feel. I was only a baby when Jake imprinted on me and I didn't want to bring it up, some of my questions might seem a little, um, insensitive and I don't want to offend him"

Seth chuckled dryly "But it's okay to offend me?"

"You can take it Clearwater."

He huffed out another breath and was silent for a long moment, "I can only speak for myself, I mean I've been in other wolves heads but that's not me you know…When I first saw Sazi, everything in me shifted and moved it was an almost physical sensation, not painful just different…it's like she became the centre of my world…the only thing that keeps me here…I feel like I was born to take care of her, protect her from everything and everyone, even Sam and Emily sometimes."

"I bet that goes down well with them."

He shrugged "To tell you the truth I don't really care…my job is what's best for Sazi and if I don't think they're getting it right, I tell them...her happiness is what matters to me not theirs."

It didn't amaze me that the power of the imprint should take over the power of a parent; I was beginning to understand that the wolves felt things, took things very deeply, on a primitive, instinctive level.

"So you brave Sam's wrath on a daily basis huh?"

"And Emily's too...don't let that sweet façade fool you, she can be one mean mamma bear when she's riled up…but when I look at Sazi I know it is worth it, I would do anything and everything to protect her. After all we shift for a reason, we shift to protect, why wouldn't we feel the same way about our other halves."

My stomach knotted a little, this was getting into delicate territory and one I was not sure I was ready for.

"You think of her that way already? I mean… you wa-"

"Jesus Nessie, no! That's sick…I just meant I know one day when she is ready, I will be there waiting for her and I will protect her forever…its part of that finding your perfect mate thing we all have going on."

"Why do you think wolves imprint?"

"Honestly I don't know and now I really don't care...some say it's to pass the genes down to the next generation to the person who is our best genetic match for a future –"

"But that can't be right…you're Emily's second cousin, surely that can't be the best genetic match…inter breeding and stuff" I felt my nose wrinkle even as I spoke.

"Ew Nessie, you've been hanging out with us too long…listen this is not common knowledge to anyone outside of the family, so please don't share this but Emily is not actually biologically related to us...she was adopted, that's how she is the same age as Lee…if she was related to us I don't think that I would have imprinted on Sazi…the same way that Sam didn't on Lee. If Sam was going to imprint you would expect it to have been on Lee, she's a wolf too but nothing happened…it took different genetics to set off the imprint, or at least that's what I think."

"I don't know what you mean"

"If you think about imprinting happening to provide the next generation of wolves with the best genetic match, it makes sense. When Sam and Lee dated he had already phased a few times and should maybe have imprinted…then wham Emily comes to town and he imprints, fresh DNA add to this Emily and Sam's DNA in Sazi, creating more new DNA and it happens again."

I nodded slowly; I supposed it made a little sense. The old pack of Jacob's grandfather and Levi Uley was close knit, and none of them imprinted, maybe DNA was the answer. That would also explain Jacob's imprinting. As a hybrid I carried the best human features but with some vampire like qualities. If Jacob and I had a child then perhaps it would carry with it the best of all three worlds, giving it even more protection.

"Can imprints be broken?"

"That's a difficult question; the legends of our tribe would have us believe that only death can break an imprint but look what happened with you and Jacob."

"But the imprint wasn't broken…he had only forgotten me hadn't he?"

A pain tugged at my chest as I considered the thought that maybe I was wrong and I could lose him again.

Seth shrugged and shifted where he sat clearly uncomfortable even thinking about broken imprints.

"If that was the case then why did he imprint all over again? Why did he not suddenly remember you?"

Seth was right. Jacob told me himself he had imprinted again when he came home.

I opened my mouth to reply when I noticed Seth turn his head toward the door, not even a millisecond later Sazi's cry filled our ears. Fascinating. He had reacted to Sazi's distress, to her cry before it was even audible and was out the door before I could blink.

Seth's words floated around in my head for the next few minutes and I began to worry anew. If it was true that Jacob re imprinted on me then who is to say he wouldn't imprint again? It had never happened before but then neither had a wolf imprinting on a vampire. Suddenly everything I had been certain about suddenly didn't seem so certain.

"You okay Nessie?" Emily's voice made me jump.

I looked up startled.

"You seem a little upset…I know it's hard but you really don't need to worry about Jacob, he'll come back safe, you'll see. I've been where you are so many times".

I smiled weakly "It's not that, something Seth said got me thinking."

"Seth doesn't always think about what he says Ness, you know that, he phased when he was so young that sometimes I think he'll be stuck as a fifteen year old forever,"

"He actually made a lot of sense, which must be a first." I smiled as Emily laughed along with me.

Don't get me wrong, we both loved Seth but he was always the most…youthful of all the wolves.

"What did he say to upset you? You know he probably didn't mean it."

This time I hid a smile, already she was defending him, the imprint affected her by proxy.

"He mentioned that Jacob imprinted on me again, when he came home…he felt it and even Jake told me himself that when he saw me it happened."

"And your worried because?" she prompted.

" Well it seems that he imprinted twice. What if he imprints on someone else? What if there is someone out there who's a better match for him? Another wolf?"

Emily smiled gently and the scarred side of her face pulled up "I have never heard of any wolf imprinting twice-"

"Jacob did!" I pointed out.

"What I meant to say was that I had never heard of any wolf imprinting on two different people, I think you're worrying for nothing honey."

"So why did Jacob break all the rules and imprint not only on me and as a child but twice? It's just not normal."

"Depends on your view of normal…your parents are undead and my husband transforms into a giant wolf Nessie…This is normal in our world and Jacob is Jacob…but who knows if imprinting twice on the same person is wrong? Who's to say it can't happen twice? Maybe when Jacob left you were not ready for an adult relationship and when he returned you were…he imprinted again to take your relationship onto the next stage. Think about it, wasn't that the time when things started to change between you two?"

I cast my mind back and realised she was right. My feelings for Jake had begun to change just before he was taken and there had been some chemistry between us but nothing had really happened until his return.

"Jacob has always felt things deeply, hate, love, sadness, happiness, fear…the next stage of imprinting just means he'll feel passion just as intensely…all the wolves do," she confessed her cheeks flushing blood read and I smiled.

She was right about that; I felt tingles in my stomach just thinking about how passionately he felt. The tingles were so powerful they over rode everything, even the pulsing of them imprint. I froze.

The only thing I could feel was the faint memory of desire, the tugging, throbbing pulse of the imprint was gone. I realised it had faded away gradually without me noticing.

"Speaking of which he'll be home soon…try not to worry so much. Jacob Black has loved you since the day you were born and nothing will ever change that Nessie."

Reassured I smiled and picked up the book, which lay forgotten on my lap. Immersing myself in the world of fiction I allowed my worries to drift away. I loved Jacob and he loved me. It was really that simple.

As evening drew in, and darkness fell, I could feel the tension in the house growing little by little. Voices became whispered, though I could hear every word spoken. Bodies became taught and faces strained. Nobody said anything aloud but it was there anyway, the white elephant in the room, sat there with his feet up, watching us. Where were they?

Sazi slept on blissfully unaware that around her everything was beginning to gradually fray and fracture. I listened, my eye closed as though napping, my body still, my mind working over time.

"They should be back by now, all of them. I expected Jake at least an hour ago, what's he playing at?" Sam's voice was brash even in whisper.

"Sam, you trust Jacob remember. I'm sure there's a good reason for the delay."

"That's what concerns me Em, there probably is a good reason, but that can only be bad…maybe I should phase and check it out?"

I heard Emily sigh "You do what you need to do but please don't go far, I need you, Sazi needs you."

"I'll take Seth, we'll cover the perimeter and see if we can tap into the pack mind…get an update. Maybe I should call Colin or Brady, ask them to sit with you."

"Sam, Nessie and I will be fine by ourselves…just go quickly and hurry back safely."

I heard the noise of their lips moving and the sound of shuffling furniture as Seth got to his feet. They moved from the room and in seconds there was silence.

"You can stop pretending now Nessie, he's gone"

I opened my eyes; Emily was smiling dryly at me.

"How did you know?"

"Told you I'd been in your place many times…I did the same thing when Kim and I used to be under guard…How you holding up?"

I shrugged, not really trusting my voice. Truth was I was terrified. Jacob had never left me this long and the only time he had, he'd disappeared for the best part of a year.

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, they'll stroll in here starving any minute now," she told me with a wide grin but this time I wasn't fooled.

"You and I both know there has to be more to this…I'm scared Emily," I admitted the words which had drummed in my heart for the last few hours.

"He'll be okay Nessie, nature designed them for this…you have to be strong or you'll drive yourself crazy worrying. Trust him to come back to you. He can't stay away; there is nothing that will stop him trying to get to your side."

"Only death." I murmured not even wanting to contemplate the idea he wouldn't be coming home.

"Oh Nessie, please, please don't think like that…have some faith, in him , in your love."

"I do…I don't doubt that he wants to come back to me and he would if he could but what if he can't?"

"Don't think that way…Sam and Seth should have some news soon, fifteen minutes at the most."

I couldn't stand to be sat still any longer, I felt so powerless, just sat waiting. I had to do something, anything to occupy myself. This was my human side coming through, vampires were noted for their ability to remain statue like but I couldn't do it anymore. My muscles shifted a fraction ready to power me to my feet and carry me to the door when the mobile in my pocket began to sing. Alice.

I snatched it out and put it to my ear.

"Don't you dare Renesmee!"

"I wasn't goin-"

"Don't Nessie, don't lie to me."

"I'm sorry but I have to do something, he's out there somewhere Alice. Something's gone wrong I know it has, I can feel it."

"Oh god!" I heard Alice gasp painfully, as though all the air in her throat was being sucked out.

In the background Jaspers voice mingled with my parents and I gripped the cell phone, feeling the case crack beneath my fingers. My heart ached hearing my families low urgent voices, my stomach churned terrified of what Alice would say next.

"Alice! What is it? What do you see?" I blurted.

When she spoke her voice was monotone as though reciting her words by rote.

"The Volturi are on the move, they are coming. They are happy, so happy, it worked, their plan worked-"

"Jacob can you see Jacob, Alice please tell me?"

"I can't see him Ness, it's too fuzzy… the wolves."

Fear made bile rise hotly in my throat and I only managed to gasp out my next few words.

"When are they coming Alice?"

"Late tomorrow, they want us all…it ends tomorrow."

Numbly I pressed the end call button at the same time the sound of footsteps draw my attention towards the door. Emily rose to her feet was crushed against Sam's side the second he entered the room. A wave of jealously and pain engulfed me, I wanted to hold Jacob like that. I watched as he pressed a fierce kiss against her forehead as though he had not seen her for years instead of mere minutes.

Across the top of Emily's hair his eyes locked on mine and in that instant I knew, it was bad. My stomach jolted painfully and braced myself against the sudden ache.

"Sam?"

Was that really my voice?

"We tracked their scent north but it stopped suddenly, like they vanished into thin air…and we can't hear them-"

"Oh God!" I whispered as reality hit me. Everything I feared was coming true. "He's dead."

Air trapped in my lungs and I fought back the acid burn of bile as it rose suddenly in my throat.

Emily was at my side in an instant "No Nessie it doesn't mean that, there's probably a good explanation"

"They could have traveled out of range"

I looked at Sam, my disbelief at his words clear on my face

"Or they could all be dead."

"Nessie please don't even think that…you're going to drive yourself crazy thinking that way."

I looked at her for a long second "what other explanation is there Em? Sam can't hear them, Alice can't see them-"

"Alice always has trouble seeing the pack, you know that Nessie."

Her voice was gentle, compassionate and calmed me as I struggled through a storm of grief and panic.

"Listen to Nessie, you're Jacob's imprint and he loves you more than life itself, just the same way you love him… You feel him when he's near don't you, when he's close by? Then doesn't it make sense that you would feel the absence of him?"

"But I do…it hurts."

"I don't just mean when he is not beside you, I mean if he was gone, really gone, if he was dead the imprint would be broken and you'd know honey…you would know."

Searching my feelings I knew she was right. Jacob was my life, my heart, my soul. If he were dead I would feel it, I would sense his loss, sense the lack of him. I sucked in a jagged breath clinging to what she had said. I had to believe in our love, our connections. Inside me I knew my Jacob was alive, but for how long?