Author's note: So happy to see some of you like this story! I've been working hard on making Renemsee a realistic character with both flaws and qualities. It's hard not to idealize her sometimes! Growing up with the Cullens, I can imagine her being very polite, charming, and smart, but also a little spoiled and selfish. Imagine being the only child of a family who never thought they could have any for centuries! I'm assuming it could have been a little bit lonely at times too, growing up without any other children her age around or knowing many hybrids. She definitely is not emotionally ready for a commitment as big as an imprintee romantic relationship yet, that's for sure. Apologies in advance for this slow burn ;)

Nessie's POV

In Charlie's world, Thursday night was better known as Baseball night. We had developed a bit of a routine: giving Sue a well-deserved break, I cooked dinner for her, Charlie, Billy, and Jacob on Thursdays. We would all gather at one of their houses, eat dinner, and watch the game. To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of watching sports. Once you had played with a vampire family, human sports paled in comparison. I would have to ask the pack to play one day. I'm sure that would be way more entertaining.

This Thursday, I was cooking dinner at Billy's. Jake, Charlie, and Sue were still at work, but he had come home already and was on the phone with Sam, discussing pack business in Quileute. After a while, he hung up and joined me in the kitchen as I was finishing up reducing a shallot sauce for the pork chops I was planning to serve for dinner.

"It smells good in here, Kiddo," claimed Billy as he rolled past me in the kitchen, opening the fridge to grab himself a can of coke.

I laughed lightly. "It's just a sauce." He got himself out of his wheelchair to sit at the counter bar overlooking the kitchen, picking up the newspaper he had probably left there this morning. After a while, I spoke up. "Billy, can I ask you something?" He folded the newspaper, focusing on me. "Not that I was eavesdropping on your conversation earlier, but I've been curious about the Quileute language. At bonfires and tribe meetings, I've unintentionally picked up a few words here and there."

"You've learned a few words already? That quickly?" Billy's tone was curious, and he smiled. "I have a knack for languages. I just love learning them, and they come pretty naturally to me. But I've been thinking, is it permitted for non-natives to learn Quileute? I wouldn't want to be disrespectful in any way."

"Truthfully, only a few people on the reserve still speak it; it's mostly used by the council and the pack nowadays. It's not usual for non-tribe speakers to learn the language. But in your case, I don't think it would be inappropriate. You've become a valued member of this community and who knows, maybe one day, you'll be an even more integral part of it."

I felt the subtle weight behind his words, the unspoken possibility of deeper connections, perhaps even a future tie to the Quileute tribe. I made a conscious effort not to blush under his gaze. He shared that same peculiar blend of seriousness and playful teasing with Jake, as if being serious and lighthearted at the same time were second nature to them.

"I'd really love to learn. Since I have been spending a lot of time on the reservation, getting to know the culture and history feels important to me." His warm smile widened, a sense of pride in his eyes. "Absolutely. When would you like to start?" "Right now?" I winked at him. "Super-human brain, remember? Multitasking is my thing."

Jacob's POV

A few years ago, I had bought the little house next door to my dad. It was pretty small and a little outdated, but it was fine for one person. I was barely home anyways. I dropped by my place after work, showering quickly before going next door for dinner. I already knew that Nessie would be there, cooking dinner for game night. But the scene that unfolded in the kitchen took me by surprise. She was standing amidst a flurry of prepping potatoes, engaging in a conversation with Billy on the other side of the counter—in Quileute! Her responses flowed slowly, with a gentle hesitation on some words and a small dose of English words sprinkled in there. But still, I was surprised. I had no idea she was learning the language! It was a sight I hadn't anticipated, and for a moment, I just stood there, taking in the musical tone of Nessie's voice and the camaraderie between her and my dad. Sensing my presence, she whipped around to give me a big smile. Our supernatural hearing could both pick up the sound of Charlie's car rolling in the driveway to the house. "I'll go help Charlie and Sue in. Be right back," she said as she got out to meet them outside. I turned to my dad, shooting my eyebrows up in an inquisitive look.

"She asked to learn," he said, smiling at me, clearly impressed by Nessie's initiative. "You better play your cards right with this one, Jacob. I want her as my future daughter-in-law."

"You're a bit jumping the gun there, are you, Dad?" I chuckled nervously. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "When you know, you know. People change, especially at her age. Give Nessie the time she might need, and who knows what the future holds."

Nessie returning with Sue and Charlie saved me from this conversation about my (non-existent) love life with my dad. After dinner was done, we all started moving to the living room to watch the game when I caught Nessie's hand, holding her back. "You want to go do something else instead? We can go walk on the beach or something. It's not raining for once." I knew she wasn't the biggest fan of watching Baseball. To be fair, it wasn't my favorite sport either.

"Fuck yeah. Let's go."

Nessie's POV

Washington state's coast was truly beautiful. While I wasn't a big fan of the perpetual rain, it made for a lush green landscape that contrasted beautifully with the gray of the ocean. We were walking on the beach when Jake turned to me with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Let's play 20 questions."

"What are we, 12?" I retorted, playfully challenging the suggestion. "You are," he teased, a mischievous smile on his face. I responded with a playful shove, though Jake, being far from an ordinary human, stood unfazed. Please, I hope this was not a subtle way to reveal more secret information about his dating history! Since that night in the parking lot, I had called my mom, who had given me the rundown of everything that had happened. It was still a lot to take in: I definitely did not want to hear anything else about it!

"Fine, you start."

His question was on a completely different topic, catching me off guard. "When we were in the car the other day, you talked about having a talent?"

"Yeah, you know how my dad can read minds?" I replied, watching the color drain from Jake's face. A hint of panic crept into his eyes as he asked, "Don't tell me you can do that too!"

I couldn't resist a mischievous grin. "No, I'm messing with you. Why, are there some things I shouldn't know about in there?" It felt good to make Jake blush instead of the other way around, for once. The banter continued, our words echoing the rhythm of the waves in the backdrop.

"Really, what is it?"

"It's kind of the opposite power of my dad, actually. I can project my thoughts. When I was a baby, it used to be through my touch only, but now I can do it from a distance, although it demands way more energy." Jake looked a little dubious. "You want me to show you?" He nodded.

I grabbed his hand, allowing my memories to cascade into his mind. I shared fragments of my childhood, the diverse places I had called home, moments spent shopping with Rosalie or learning the art of combat with Jasper. When I let go of his hand, he looked up at me, amazement in his eyes.

"That's awesome. It's like sharing the pack's mind, except you can choose what to show. And they don't see your head back."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. Although, it's much cooler in a fight. See, I could think about a totally different environment and project it into my adversary's mind, blinding them. It makes up for being less strong or fast than normal vampires."

"Please use it on Paul someday."

I laughed. "My turn. What's your dream job? Like if you could do anything else, what would you choose?"

"Definitely still something with cars. I've been saving up to open my own garage for a few years. That would be cool. One day, I'd love to open one in a bigger city and have it specialized in rare vintage models and so on."

"I can definitely see you do that." I smiled. I loved how happy Jake looked when he was working on cars. I had visited him at work a few times, and his idiotic boss at Forks Garage was definitely not letting him shine to his true potential. He continued, "It's not as important as being a lawyer, though."

"To be honest… I like it, but it's not my dream job. Grandpa Carlisle said we must use our supernatural privilege to serve the human world, as a way to give back for the crimes committed by the vampiric community. They wanted me to be a doctor… but I argued for a lawyer. I'm good with reading."

"So what would be your dream job, then?"

"Architecture. I love thinking about houses, how I'd build one right here with big windows so I could stare at the ocean. One day, I want a beautiful apartment in the city and a big cottage in the countryside. I'll design them both, and build them from scratch."

Jake smiled warmly at me. As the sun dipped low, casting a warm glow over everything, we strolled along the beach, tossing questions at each other like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jake's dream to own a garage and my wish for an ocean-view house painted a picture of the future we could almost touch. The banter flowed as effortlessly as the sand through our fingers, making time seem irrelevant. As I headed back to my place myself, I couldn't help but reflect on how deeply I loved it here. The simplicity, the warmth of the people I had come to know, and the sense of belonging—it all felt like home. As August was approaching quickly, I couldn't help but think that I would really miss this place at the end of the summer.