Chapter 1: Jacob's Point of View
Summary:
“Her cake will have sixteen candles, but I've only got one chance at telling her what she means to me on a day as special as this one.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter One:
Today’s the Day: One Second at a Time
I stirred at the shrill sound of my alarm — which could only mean it was nine o’clock. Groaning, I reached blindly for the bedside table and smacked the off button to silence the screeching. That noise could give anybody a headache before breakfast.
‘Today’s the day.’ The thought hit me before I’d even opened my eyes. My chest already felt tight, like it was going to explode. From excitement, anxiety, or maybe a healthy mix of both. Either way, I was out of bed, showered, and dressed in under an hour.
When I walked into the kitchen, it was no surprise to see Dad already awake, sipping coffee with a plate of toast beside him. He hadn’t had use of his legs in years, but he never let that stop him. I’d never met anyone so fiercely independent — he insisted he needed me around, but honestly, I wasn’t always convinced.
As Dad always said when people asked how he was doing: “I’m still dancing.” If you didn’t know my Dad, you might not understand just how honest he was being with that answer. It might sound strange to say — but my Dad didn’t need that wheelchair. The wheelchair needed him.
“Morning, Jacob,” Dad said, setting his coffee cup down on the table with a soft clink against the old hardwood. The table was nearly as old as I was — I could still remember when it was brand new.
“Good morning, Dad,” I murmured, making my way to the coffee pot for a cup. “No breakfast this morning, son?” The question was layered with the typical worry any Dad would have when their son didn’t eat in the morning. I shook my head.
‘No time,’ I thought, but didn’t dare say aloud. Truth told? I wasn’t hungry. Not really. I hadn’t been able to keep anything down since yesterday afternoon — too much emotion buzzing beneath the surface. Today wasn’t just a party. It was a turning point — at least in my mind.
“I’m heading straight over to the Cullens,” I admitted, adding creamer and sugar to the steaming cup before stirring it slowly. “Ahh, yes. The sweet sixteen party,” Dad said with a chuckle. “I imagine there’s going to be lots of food. There always is,” I murmured. “I’ll nibble on something until party time,” I told him — partly so he wouldn’t fuss over me skipping breakfast.
Anyone else might’ve found it strange — a house full of vampires always stocked with food. But it wasn’t just for Renesmee’s appetite for “real” grub. It was for ours, too. The Cullens had a way of putting it: “Jacob’s become a fixture in this house.” And it wasn’t only me. Seth and Leah were part of that picture, too.
“What time’s the party again, officially?” Dad asked. “Officially? Five o’clock,” I said. “But I’ll bet Charlie shows up early.” I laughed, knowing Dad would want to be there when he did. “Well, that’s her grandpa — I’m not,” he said with a chuckle, taking another sip of coffee. I wanted to argue he was a grandfather figure to her in his own way… but I let it go.
“You know they see you as family,” I told him. Over the last five years, in a lot of ways, we’d all become one big family. “I’ll be punctual and roll in at five,” he joked. Dad was in a wheelchair, so the humor fit. It might’ve sounded inappropriate to someone else, but for us it was second nature. I chuckled under my breath — not out of pity, but because he’d raised me to appreciate a good joke, no matter where it came from.
“What’d you get the birthday girl this year?” Dad asked. “A mix of store-bought and handmade,” I admitted. I ducked back into my room for a moment, then returned with a neatly wrapped box and set it on the kitchen table. “I wrapped it last night. Couldn’t sleep, so I figured I’d do a few things to wear myself out. You’ll see it at the party — along with everyone else.”
I wanted to answer him honestly: ‘Couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind. Wrapping gifts felt easier than lying there thinking about her.’ Dad had never phased — never been a wolf himself — but as an elder of our tribe, he knew the legends better than anyone. He knew exactly what my imprinting on Renesmee Cullen meant. So why did I still tiptoe around the truth when it came to her? Especially when it was just the two of us, talking over coffee.
“I’m sure she’ll love it, son,” Dad said, his voice steady with reassurance. He was right. Nessie had loved every gift I’d ever given her in her five human years of life. Five years today. But she wasn’t five — not in mind, not in body, and not in soul. She was something else entirely.
I remembered that day — Monday, September 11th, 2006 — as if it had happened only moments ago. Every memory tied to Renesmee Cullen lived sharp and unblurred in my mind. Especially the moment I imprinted on her. The moment I knew my life wasn’t just my own anymore. It belonged to her. I was alive because of her, for her.
“You seem more anxious than usual, son,” Dad said. I’d been trying to hide it, but I guess I wasn’t doing as good a job as I thought. And really — how could I not be anxious? “It’s just a party, Jacob. What’s going on?” Dad pressed. Suddenly I felt like I was being interrogated on an episode of The First 48.
“I talked with Edward and Bella the other day, while Renesmee was at school,” I began. I’d meant to tell Dad sooner, but life had been busy — pack stuff, work stuff, everything in between. Honestly? He’d been just as busy. Dad’s world didn’t revolve around just me. Rachel and Rebecca — my older twin sisters — demanded every bit as much of his time as I did.
Rebecca was easier to deal with, since most of her attention came over the phone. Years ago, she married a pro surfer and they spent a long time chasing waves before settling down. Now she lives in Hawaii and only comes home maybe two or three times a year. The longest stretch she’s ever here? The holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s — one long, clingy couple of months.
Rachel, on the other hand, went off to college a few years back. Not too far — Washington State University — but far enough that she chose a dorm with friends, leaving me the only one at home with Dad. Not that our house was ever really empty. The Clearwaters were around more often than not. Harry was Dad’s best friend — next to Charlie Swan, anyway.
When Rachel moved back home after college, it was supposed to be temporary. At least, that was the plan until she went walking along First Beach one day and locked eyes with my pack-mate, Paul. He imprinted on her. Love at first sight — the way imprinting is meant to work. For a while, they lived here with us. Then Paul finally caved, and with the pack’s help, built Rachel her dream house here on the Rez.
I’d never been more grateful than the first night it was just Dad and me again in this little house. For one thing, I’d missed having dinner with only the two of us. For another, I’d missed knowing what peace and quiet felt like. And I had a strong feeling Dad agreed. Not because of Rachel — but because Paul could get on anybody’s last nerve. Pretty fucking quickly, too.
“You know Ness started school as a senior last week?” I said. “So she’s finally getting a chance at a ‘normal’ life, so to speak.” I wasn’t sure where to take it from there. But Dad deserved to know the truth — or at least as much of it as I could bear to give him.
“I told Edward and Bella what I wanted to give Renesmee for her birthday… and that I wanted to finally tell her about imprinting. About what it could mean — for her, and for us.” My voice trailed off, softer than I meant it to. Guess I was still more shy about the whole thing than I thought.
“And how did they take that conversation?” Dad asked, like he’d been holding his breath. He probably expected the worst. Hell, I had. I’d been a wreck in the days leading up to it. Edward never missed a chance to make some comment about my nerves.
Most of them had been jokes. But they didn’t exactly help. “Honestly? Better than I expected,” I admitted, letting out a shaky breath. I took another sip of coffee before I was ready to tell him the rest.
“Bella told me Renesmee was excited about making friends. Maybe even falling in love — having a love story like her parents had in high school.” Just remembering Bella’s words had my skin crawling. I didn’t want to react that way. It was literally something I had no control over.
“I don’t want to take that from her, Dad. I really don’t. But I can’t stomach the thought of her being with anyone else.” My voice dropped, and I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand. “I know imprinting makes it harder for me. But I love her. Even without it, I know I would’ve fallen for her naturally.” That was an indisputable truth within my mind.
“I don’t have to tell you how incredible she is — you already know that. I just… I can’t stand the idea of her giving her heart to someone else without at least knowing I’m here. That I’m an option. So Edward and Bella agreed. I can give her a special gift. I can tell her about imprinting. After that? It’s her choice. I promised them I wouldn’t push her, and I wouldn’t hurt her.”
Easy promises to make. Harder ones to keep. And I knew it. Unfortunately, so did Dad. I wouldn’t be the first man in my family to break a heart without meaning to. The men before me had a nasty habit of that — especially when they were young. Truth be told, by the time Dad was my age, he had a much longer — and healthier — dating history than I’ve ever had.
“How do you think she’ll take it, son?” Dad asked, one eyebrow raised. I froze like a deer in his headlights out in front of the house late at night. How was I supposed to answer that? I knew how I wanted her to take it. But how she actually would? Anything was possible. The best… or the absolute worst. Maybe even both. And I had to be ready for either.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I know she loves me — she always has. As a best friend, as a… brother. That’s the problem. I’ve always been the big-brother type. The superhero in her fairy tales when she was little. Her best friend in the world — her words, not mine. I don’t know if she’ll ever see me as anything else.” But that sure as hell didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try.
Dad’s expression softened. “I wish you luck, son. You’ve waited patiently these last five years. And if Bella and Edward can give you their blessing… then you know you have mine. I don’t want to see you heartbroken — or her, either. So I’ll be praying for the best tonight.” His words meant more than I could say. “I guess I’ll see you at five, then, Dad.”
With our talk finished, I rinsed out my coffee cup and headed for the door. It would take me close to thirty minutes to get from the Rez to the Cullens’ place. Thirty minutes to torture myself with every possible thought — excitement, anxiety, nerves, the whole damn enchilada.
I knew I wasn’t the only one who wanted Renesmee’s “sweet sixteen” to be perfect. Her entire family did. Perfection might as well have been their middle name. I prayed everything else would go smoothly, too. I had this gut-deep feeling the night was going to be picture perfect.
For the last year or so, Ness and I had been spending a lot more time one-on-one. I wouldn’t exactly call them date nights, but once a week I’d take her out to dinner. Her family didn’t eat human food — or if they did, it was for appearances only.
We’d gone to movies, wandered bookstores in Port Angeles, taken little trips — just the two of us. I knew they trusted me with her safety. But trusting me with her heart? That was a whole different ballgame. That is, if she even gave me the chance to show her how I really felt.
Just before noon, I cut the engine on my bike and kicked down the stand in the Cullens’ long driveway. I strolled up the wide porch and stepped into their house without bothering to knock — same way I’d been doing for the last five years. With their hearing, who needed a doorbell? Between their noses and Edward’s mind-reading, they always knew it was me. No sense in announcing myself.
Just like I figured, the smell of food hit me the second I stepped inside. I followed my nose through the maze of staircases until it led me straight to the kitchen. Before I even walked in, I heard the high-pitched voice of Alice Cullen — the pixie clairvoyant herself. “Right on time,” she chirped.
“Alice saw you coming, Jake,” Esme added with a gentle smile. To me, Esme had always been the keeper of the flock — the matriarch. But my eyes didn’t go to Alice, or Esme. They went to Renesmee. She turned from the barstool, her warm smile finding me instantly. My heart always did stupid things when she smiled like that.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her voice soft and angelic. I crossed the room and slid onto the barstool beside her. “Did you think I’d miss your big day?” She laughed — light and teasing — and the sound of it was pure heaven.
“When you weren’t here at sunrise, I started to lose hope,” she teased. “But Aunt Alice had a vision. She told me you’d show.” I glanced from Nessie to Alice. “What did you see?” Alice only smiled that coy little grin I’d grown used to over the years — the one that always meant, for her to know, for the rest of us to find out.
“Oh, I didn’t see much,” Alice cooed in her sing-song voice. “Just this exchange here… and the lovely gift at the party later.” At that, I set the wrapped box on the kitchen island. No point trying to keep it a secret now.
“Jake! Even the wrapping’s beautiful. My favorite color!” Renesmee reached for it, but Alice whisked the gift out of her hands before she even touched it.
“Ah-ah-ah! Not until the party, Ness. No one ruins surprises on my watch,” Alice scolded playfully, already carrying the box away. I knew it was safe with her — even if she’d already seen what was inside. Damn visions.
“But it’s from Jake! You being psychic ruins surprises,” Renesmee protested, her lower lip jutting out just enough to make me chuckle. What made my gift so special to her, anyway? “I think you’ll love it,” I said, flashing a wolfish grin.
“I know I will. Because it’s from you.” Her smile grew brighter, and my chest nearly split in two. God, if only she knew. Maybe there was hope for us after all. Words like that were enough to carry me the rest of the day — until she finally opened that gift tonight.
“Are you hungry, Jacob?” Esme asked. I scanned the room until my eyes found her by the refrigerator. “A bit, yeah,” I admitted with a nod. “I was just fixing Renesmee some birthday lunch, if you’d like to share.” She moved around the kitchen quickly, but with that same effortless grace that made everything she did look easy.
“Don’t let me impose. I could just as easily run back into town and grab something—” Before I could finish, two plates were already set out in front of us — the only two human-food eaters in the house at the moment. I was grateful, honestly. It meant more time with Renesmee, and less time starving until cake later tonight.
“Delicious as always. Thanks, Esme,” I said, digging in. Grilled chicken, vegetables, and rice — simple, yet somehow perfect. “Thank you, Grandma,” Renesmee added sweetly. She grinned. “This should hold me over until cake later.” Cake for lunch. Honestly, when didn’t cake sound like a good idea?
“No wonder we’re eating so healthy — you’re planning to gorge on cake,” I teased. Ness giggled. “Maybe a little. It’s my one real weakness. Plus, it’s my birthday.” Fair point. The birthday girl deserved as much cake as she wanted.
“Isn’t cake a weakness for every human?” I laughed. “I mean, I could demolish my weight in food any day — wolf thing. But you’re right. It’s your birthday. You should be allowed all the cake you want.” Hell, I’d happily feed her some cake right here, right now… And those were the thoughts that were going to get me in trouble with Edward later on.
“It was one of my favorites as a human,” a familiar voice said as it drifted into the kitchen. “Hey, Bella,” I greeted without even turning. In less than a heartbeat, she was sitting across from us at the island. “Hey, Jake,” she replied coolly. “Having a nice birthday lunch, Ness?” She questioned and Nessie nodded.
“The day’s already perfect.” She glanced toward me. “The second Jake walked in, it was perfect.” I felt a bit of heat rising to my cheeks. God, if only she knew what those words did to me. Soon, I promised myself. Soon.
“Everyone else busy setting up for the party?” I asked. Bella nodded. “Of course. Renesmee invited a few new human friends from school, and I thought it’d be a good chance to invite some of mine too. We’re making sure everything’s ready for a full-on human invasion.” She didn’t need to explain further. I knew exactly what she meant.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them,” Bella continued. “You know that Angela and Eric just had their second kid this year, and Mike and Jessica had their first.” Bella smiled faintly. For just a moment, my memory had lapsed about them having kids. I wasn’t about to own up to that to Bella, though.
“It’s like everyone ended up with their high school sweetheart. That’s wonderful,” I said. And I meant it. But there was still a part of me that burned with jealousy. I was twenty-one now — closer to twenty-two. And the truth? Bella had been my high school sweetheart. Only she wasn’t mine to keep.
When I imprinted on Renesmee, it finally made sense. Why I’d wanted Bella so fiercely. Why I needed her back then. For five years, I’d waited. I’d been Renesmee’s companion, protector, big-brother figure, best friend, hero — whatever she needed, I was there.
But now? We couldn’t rewrite the past. She couldn’t be my high school sweetheart. Maybe I could be hers. Maybe our love story would be something greater than I ever dared dream back when I was just a kid who thought he was in love. I guess it was love — puppy love.
“I told Mom the other day that I wanted a storybook high school romance like hers and Dad’s,” Nessie said between bites of her lunch. And just like that, the jealousy came crashing back over me — harder this time. Like ocean waves pounding the shore. Bella would feel it. She’d understand it. But Ness? She had no idea.
“I know it probably won’t happen, though — and that’s okay,” she added quickly. “I’m different. If I fell in love with a human… well, not every human wants to become a vampire like Mom. And obviously, I don’t go to school with any vampires, so…” Her voice trailed off. I could hear the disappointment in her tone, even though she tried to hide it.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love with a human, Nessie,” I said gently. “You can love as many times in your life as you choose to. Not every love is meant to be forever. Some loves are just stepping stones toward your forever.” I surprised even myself with how philosophical that sounded.
“No, no, I know,” she replied. “I just haven’t met anyone at school I really click with yet. They all want me, though,” she added with a shrug. “She’s the shiny new toy,” Bella said with a soft laugh. “Just like I was when I started at Forks High. I wasn’t even a vampire yet, and I still got plenty of attention.” She laughed a little harder at the memory. I remembered it too — all too well. I’d been jealous back then, just like I was now. Maybe not as much, but the sting was the same.
Nessie didn’t know any of that, though. She didn’t know that I’d once loved her mother. That I’d wanted to be with her. Tonight, I’d have to explain everything. And I had no idea where to even begin. I just prayed I wouldn’t make a fool of myself — or worse… lose Renesmee before I ever got the chance to really have her.
“Of course they all want you, Ness. You’re the most beautiful, smart, funny, and charming girl at that school. I don’t doubt it for a second,” I said as I polished off the last of my food. She giggled. “Oh, Jake. You’re obligated to say that. You’re my best friend.” I smiled, but it sank in my chest. That was exactly what I was afraid she’d say.
For the last year, I’d been trying to drop… what would you call them? Hints? Nudges? Every time I complimented her, she said the same thing: 'You’re my best friend. You’re obligated to say that.' I wish she understood. I wish she believed me — just once.
“Nope. No obligation, Ness,” I said, trying to keep it light. “Just the truth.” For a split second, I thought I saw her cheeks go pink. “Want to catch a little football before you get ready for the party?” I offered, changing the subject subtly. She nodded immediately. “The Seahawks game hasn’t started yet, but I bet we can catch some of the Eagles.” A girl who knew her football.
God, she was perfect. Absolutely and completely perfect. And that’s why I felt like I was living on borrowed time. If she didn’t learn the truth — the depth of what I felt for her — I might lose my chance. Like Bella said, she was the shiny new toy at Forks High. Sooner or later, one of those guys would figure it out — that she was the most incredible woman in the world. And when they did? My chance could be over before it ever began.
I followed her down the hallway toward the bigger living room. Football was already playing, the volume low but steady. Emmett was stretched across the couch like a bear in hibernation, eyes locked on the screen. “Great minds think alike,” I grinned as Ness and I entered and took a seat together. The loveseat wasn’t unusual — we always sat together. But every time we did, I wished she knew how much it meant to me. I wished she knew how much I had to fight the urge to pull her closer and never let go.
“The Rams are getting their ass beat, as usual,” Emmett chuckled. “No surprise there. They suck,” I said, leaning forward as we watched some of the second quarter. It was a disaster of a game — at least from my perspective playing armchair quarterback.
“Seahawks play the 49ers in a little while. Think they’ll win, Uncle Emmett?” Ness asked, glancing over at him. He lolled his head to the side like he was giving it some serious thought. “I don’t know. The 49ers are looking good this year. Seahawks will win if they know what’s good for them. I imagine Charlie and Billy have money on the game.”
I laughed at that comment. “Don’t they always?” It was rhetorical. My dad and Charlie Swan lived for sports — whether it was Seahawks football or Mariners baseball. It was practically a second religion to them.
A little while passed and more of the men wandered into the room — Ness’s grandpa Carlisle and then her Uncle Jasper. “Been hunting?” I asked. They both nodded. “That, and helping the ladies however we can,” Jasper added.
“What was the fare this week?” I asked with a chuckle, trying to make light conversation. Even after all these years, it still felt a little awkward when I tried to talk to them about their diet. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I still felt like the outsider.
“Deer. They’re plentiful right now,” Carlisle offered. Made sense. Deer season was around the corner — rutting season — so the numbers were up. “Child’s play,” Emmett scoffed with a smirk. “I like an actual challenge.”
“Oh, we know, Mr. Bear,” Renesmee giggled heartily. Emmett puffed out his chest. “I went up to Alaska for my hunt. The grizzlies are out in full force,” he said rather gloatingly. “The Denalis said to tell you hello — and happy birthday, by the way,” he added, tossing the comment to Ness like it was nothing.
“They can tell me tonight at the party,” Nessie huffed with a little pout. “I mean, really. Our closest relations and they can’t swing by to say hi in person every once and a while? If they can make it to a wedding, they can make it to my birthday party.” I lifted my hand and rested it gently on her back, hoping the touch would ease her disappointment.
“Maybe we could go up and visit them during your school break next month?” I offered, in case they didn’t show up tonight. Her head tilted slightly toward me, and her body leaned in just a little. Not enough for anyone else to notice — but I did.
“You’d go up to Alaska with me for fall break, Jake? Really?” Ness asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “Why not?” I shrugged casually. “I haven’t been since you were little.” That trip felt like a lifetime ago — when Edward and Bella had taken me with them to see the Denalis while we were gathering witnesses against the Volturi. Renesmee had only been a few months old, but she already looked five.
Personally? I’d like a better memory of the place. My wolf had been to Alaska countless times. I could run as far as the Arctic Ocean and barely break a sweat. But as a man? I wanted to see the northern lights with these eyes. I wanted to feel the chill in the air while holding Nessie’s hand. I wanted to make new memories. Human ones. I wanted all of them to include her.
“That’s a splendid idea, Jacob,” Esme said warmly as she glided into the room with her usual grace. “We could make a whole trip out of it,” Renesmee added, practically vibrating with excitement. I didn’t need vampire hearing to know what her heart was doing at that moment. I could feel the rush of her heartbeat under my palm.
My hand was still resting on her back, and she was buzzing with joy at the idea of a week-long getaway. Just the two of us. My heart was doing the same thing — for the same reason as hers, and for very different ones, too. “I’d be honored,” I said sincerely, giving her a soft smile.
Ness smiled back, then tilted her head slightly. “If you push just a little where your hand is? My back will pop.” I applied a gentle bit of pressure, and sure enough — pop. She let out a groan of pure relief. And that groan? It did things to me I wasn’t proud of. Things I was extremely grateful Edward wasn’t around to pick up on.
“Ugh, that’s been pent up for weeks,” she said with a sigh, glancing around the room as everyone gave us a look. “I didn’t want to bother anyone by asking,” she added with a sheepish little laugh. “Sounds like you need a chiropractor,” I teased. “Why pay one of those,” she grinned, “when I’ve got you for free?”
Ness stood from the loveseat and stretched her arms high above her head, giving her spine a full release. I looked away — mostly. Okay, maybe I let my eyes linger for a second. Hopefully no one noticed. It couldn’t be helped… especially when she toyed with me the way she just did. Our banter together? It was unmatched in my opinion.
“I better go start getting ready,” Ness said, glancing down at me on the loveseat. “Wanna help me pick something pretty out, Jake?” She asked. My cheeks flushed immediately at the thought. She was older now. Picking outfits with her? That wasn’t like when she was a kid asking for fashion advice. Not anymore. Not when the kinds of outfits I secretly wanted to see her in probably didn’t exist in her closet at all. Thankfully, Alice came to my rescue.
“I’d rather we surprise Jake with something really pretty,” she said, sweeping in to take Renesmee’s hand. “Why the extra effort to look cute for me, Ness?” I asked before Alice could spirit her away. “I don’t know,” Nessie replied in a teasing sing-song voice. Then, after a beat, she added softly, “I just like to stand out for you.” And just like that, she and Alice were gone.
She didn’t see what her words did to me — how they made my heart go wild in my chest. But the others sure did. I caught no reactions at first. They were used to me sounding like a jackhammer when Renesmee was around. Except Emmett. He glanced over with a smug little smirk, but said nothing.
The next little while passed in a slow lull. The football game kept playing, and I kept pretending to care. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy football — I did — my mind was just… elsewhere in the house. The women floated in and out, busy with preparations. A few of the men did the same, but not as often. I kept expecting someone to rope me into helping. Surprisingly, no one did.
By 4:30, the first party guests started to trickle in. Just as I’d predicted, Charlie arrived first — with Sue at his side, and Leah and Seth trailing just behind. “We’re not too early, are we?” Charlie asked. “Of course not, Dad. You’re never too early,” Bella assured him with a hug.
Esme stepped forward to accept their gift bags and disappeared down the hallway. “You might not want to head into the living room,” Bella added with a small grimace. “Emmett says the Seahawks are losing.”
“They better not be!” Charlie growled. “I’ve got fifty bucks riding on the game at the station.” He immediately made a beeline for the TV. “Men,” Sue sighed with a grin. “Do they ever grow out of this?” Bella and Sue shared a giggle between one another.
It was moments like that, that made me really glad Sue and Charlie had found one another in their grief over Harry. Bella’s Mom lived on the other side of the United States and Sue? She’d turned out to be a great step-mother to Bella, and an even more incredible step-Grandma to Renesmee. I guess Leah and Seth made pretty decent step-siblings for Bella, too. She’d have to be the official judge on that one. When it comes to Leah, I’m usually completely biased.
I’d been sitting for so long that I felt like moving around for a bit. I wandered the house aimlessly, dawdling more than anything. Eventually, I caught a glimpse of the largest of the Cullens’ living rooms and how beautifully they’d decorated it for Renesmee’s party. I knew she was going to love it. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge. The caffeine would help me — hopefully.
A few minutes later, my feet carried me to the back porch, where I leaned against the railing and looked out at the beautiful stream running through their backyard. The sun was just beginning to set, and the view? It was spectacular. But my mind was on one thing — one person. Renesmee.
“You know, five years ago, I might have murdered you for thinking the things you are about my daughter.” I didn’t need to turn around to know who had spoken. I knew his voice almost as well as I knew my own. “I’d have expected it five years ago, too,” I admitted, and finally turned to face him. Edward. “Five years ago, I probably would’ve enjoyed the opportunity to kill you, too.”
“I’m glad we’re past that,” he said as he came closer, mirroring my stance as he leaned against the porch railing. “Yeah. Me too.” I guess we were friends now. He once told me — before Bella even became a vampire — that if things had been different, he could see us being friends. Back then, I wanted nothing to do with the bloodsucker. I had too much hate in my heart. Too much blame stacked against him for what I saw as killing Bella.
But after I imprinted on Renesmee… everything made sense. I didn’t see Bella as dead anymore. If anything, I’d never seen her more alive. I used to think she was insane when she said she was born to be a vampire. That she belonged in their world. I hated her for those words. But now? I understood.
You had to know Bella back when she was a human to truly appreciate how different she was as a vampire. Bella was meant to be immortal. She was made for Edward — as crazy as that still sounded. And crazier still… I had been made for Renesmee. Or else, I wouldn’t have imprinted on her.
“No matter what happens tonight, Jacob… we’re grateful to you. And to the love you have for Renesmee,” Edward said softly. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to talking to him like this. Not because I didn’t want the honesty — I did. It was just… jarring. I was far more used to him wanting to kill me than I was to having him in my corner.
“I’m grateful you all haven’t run me off,” I admitted. I knew I’d been ‘under foot’ way too much over the last five years. “I don’t know what the future holds for us. Sadly, that little witch won’t tell me all the visions she’s had.” I chuckled as I said it. I called Alice ‘witch’ pretty often — her whole seeing-the-future thing always felt like something straight out of a fortune teller’s tent.
“I’ve seen her visions,” Edward said, confirming what I already suspected. I knew in the past when Alice was having a vision, it had been as if he could see them in his mind, too. “I’ve never wanted to get your hopes up, Jacob. Alice’s visions are… subjective. They only show what’s possible if a person stays on their current path. But if their mind changes, then so does the outcome.”
Preaching to the choir. I’d learned a lot about all the Cullens gifts since the cat was let out of the bag, so to speak. It was a mutual learning — they knew a lot more about us wolves and the gifts we had, too. We weren’t enemies anymore. We were allies. We defended not just the innocents, but our families. The people we loved.
“We all agreed: Renesmee is the decider in all of this. But I will say this — if Alice’s visions stay true… then you have a very bright future to look forward to.” Those words. Did I really just hear them? My heart kicked like a drum in my chest. Edward chuckled. “I’m not going to promise it’ll be easy,” he added. “Alice doesn’t always see the rough parts. Sometimes she only sees the ending… not the path it takes to get there.”
“I would walk through hell for Renesmee,” I said, the words tumbling out like a vow. “We know you would,” Edward replied. “Let’s just start with tonight.” I nodded, silent. My nerves were shot. My anxiety was climbing the walls. But Edward was right. The rest of my life — our life — could wait. Right now? I just had to get through tonight. ‘One second at a time,’ I could hear my father say.
As if on cue, Edward spoke. “I believe your father just arrived.” I hadn’t picked up on it yet with my wolf-hearing, but once I focused in, he was right — I could hear the hum of Dad’s truck pulling up out front. I nodded in Edward’s direction, a silent thank-you for the conversation, and quickly disappeared.
Before Dad could even open the driver’s side door, I was already outside to help. “I didn’t even see you walk up, son,” he commented. “I was out back talking with Edward when we both heard your truck,” I admitted, helping him and his wheelchair up into the house.
The stairs at the Cullens’ place weren’t the most convenient thing, but Dad preferred to be where the guys were — and tonight, that meant the living room with the football game. Honestly, I figured the party would naturally migrate that way later, anyway. Once upstairs, Dad immediately launched into conversation with Charlie, Carlisle, and the rest of the household like he’d lived there his whole life.
The doorbell rang again — and then again. It felt like it rang forever. A pair of teenage girls were the next to arrive: Caroline and Rebekah — two gorgeous blondes, all sporty polish and preppy smiles. Definitely the kind of girls Nessie would hang with, at least to some extent. They seemed sweet enough.
After them came Bella’s old high school friends — Mike and Jessica, with their newborn son, Mike Jr. I was surprised they brought him, honestly. He couldn’t have been more than a few months old. But maybe they figured a birthday party with Bella’s “family” would be harmless enough. Next came Eric and Angela, holding a daughter in each of their arms — Evie and Flora. Bella said they were about eighteen months apart, with Flora being just a bit older than Mike Jr.
I couldn’t help but imagine all three kids someday walking the halls of Forks High — laughing about the stories their parents told them. “Mom said one time, way back when…” “Dad told me he used to hate gym class because of Coach Reynolds…” I was sure Renesmee had said a few things like that recently herself. Though, to be honest? I wasn’t even sure she called them ‘Mom and Dad.’ Not in a public setting, anyway.
Everyone in Forks knew Bella and Edward had gotten married. It was a lavish affair — and yeah, I mean lavish. So no one batted an eye when they later “adopted” a sixteen-year-old girl. Not a baby. Not a toddler. A teenager. Maybe it was weird. But maybe, if the story was good enough, people didn’t question it. They didn't question how unbelievably that Renesmee resembled both Edward and Bella - especially her eyes. She had Bella's eyes, that was an inarguable fact.
To the best of my knowledge, Bella had kept Renesmee a secret from her human friends until just recently. And I couldn’t blame her. Most people wouldn’t understand a rapidly aging half-vampire child who went from a newborn to a teenager in under five years.
It had to be hard on Bella. She never got the mommy-and-me play-dates. No stroller walks in the park. No PTA meetings. No scrapbooks full of kindergarten milestones. But somehow? I don’t think Bella ever saw any of that as something she missed out on.
Renesmee was too much of a literal miracle for any of them to take a single moment for granted. And I think that’s what made the difference. Every Cullen under this roof — they adored her. Like she was heaven-sent. Because maybe, in a way, she was. I knew I viewed her that way.
The doorbell rang again — more of my pack arriving. For the first time ever, Sam had brought Emily to a party. I’d asked him to, insisted even. Emily usually avoided big crowds, not because she was shy — but because she hated being the center of conversation.
Last week, Bella and I had stopped by their place to invite them. Bella had gently asked if Emily would consider coming, and promised her — no one would dare make her a topic of discussion. I’d added that it would mean a lot to Renesmee. That it would show her just how important she truly was to all of us. I was glad she came.
My sister Rachel and her mate Paul were with them. It had been years now since Paul imprinted on my sister — long enough that I didn’t hate him for it anymore. He was lucky for that. For a long time, I didn’t think they were each other’s type. But imprinting had a funny way of making opposites attract.
Quil and Embry weren’t far behind the others. Quil had imprinted on Claire a few years back, but she was still a kid. There were times I felt bad that Ness rapid-aged like she did, while Quil was still waiting for Claire. As for Embry? He hadn’t imprinted yet. At least he had Leah and Seth for company in that club.
Then came the biggest surprise of the evening — even Bella hadn’t expected it. The next guests at the door were her mother, Renée, and her stepfather, Phil. “Mom!” Bella gasped, her voice light with disbelief. It was the first time Renée had returned to Washington since Bella and Edward’s wedding. Every time she’d seen Renesmee, it had been on their turf — Florida. Sunny skies, safe distance, and no questions asked.
They’d told her Renesmee was special, of course. But Charlie — Charlie knew more than Renée ever would. I’d told him my secret, back when the Cullens were talking about leaving Forks. At the time, I’d done it out of desperation. Selfish instinct. I thought if they left, they wouldn’t let me follow. Now I know they probably would’ve — if I’d begged hard enough. But I’m glad I didn’t have to.
Bella’s life was better because they stayed in Forks. Better because Charlie was still in her life — and by extension, so were Sue, Leah, and Seth. I’ll never forget Charlie asking Bella if she turned into a giant dog, too. I smirked at the memory. “She only wishes she were that cool,” I’d told him.
“Oh, honey. We couldn’t miss Renesmee’s Sweet Sixteen, could we?” Her mother gushed as they hugged. “Esme called me a few weeks ago and said it would mean so much to you and Renesmee if we came. I called your dad afterward, and he and Sue said they’d be glad to help us make it happen.”
Hell, I was about ready to cry, to tell you the truth. I loved seeing Bella happy. I lived to see Renesmee happy. And I knew she would be — especially after seeing what an amazing turnout this was for her birthday. No matter how unique or special she was — no matter how many people adored her — Ness always seemed genuinely surprised when people went through great lengths just for her. That’s what made her, her.
The last guests to arrive — much to my surprise — were the Denalis. Tanya and her sister Kate walked in first, followed by Kate’s mate, Garrett. Carmen and her partner, Eleazar, weren’t far behind. Then came Bree — and beside her, a male vampire I didn’t recognize at all.
I knew Renesmee would be happiest to see Bree. For a while, Bree had lived here, with the Cullens. It gave Ness a chance to bond with her — really bond — in ways she hadn’t with others. Bree had left to live with the Denalis not long after, but they’d stayed in touch. That kind of connection doesn’t fade away.
It was nearing five-thirty now, and the party room — the biggest of the Cullens’ living rooms — was officially filled to the brim. Thankfully, the secondary living room was where the men had taken root — Dad, Charlie, and Emmett mostly — glued to the football game. Every so often I’d hear loud cheers from a touchdown, quickly followed by grunts of dismay when things didn’t go their way.
That’s when I saw Alice descending the stairs, radiant as ever. A literal pixie if ever there was one. “The birthday girl is coming,” she announced lightly. She didn’t need to shout, not with so many vampires and wolves in the room. Our hearing picked up every word, every tone.
She twirled through the crowd like it was choreography, stopping effortlessly at Jasper’s side. Then… we waited. I found myself practically on pins and needles. What ‘really pretty’ outfit had Nessie picked out? Something sweet? Something dazzling? Something that would absolutely wreck me? No, I couldn’t allow myself thoughts of that.
When Ness finally came down those stairs, the party could truly begin. We’d be that much closer to cake, to presents — and maybe, just maybe — the beginning of our happily ever after.
My heart pounded so loudly in my chest I was sure someone — probably everyone — could hear it. I could feel the sweat rising on my skin, and I knew Edward was lurking somewhere, probably snickering at my inner-monologue. Part of me felt like I was about to wolf-out right in the middle of the party. But I wouldn’t. I knew better.
This wasn’t danger. This was excitement. This was anxiety — in the best possible sense of the word.
I might’ve been nervous. But I was ready.
(7,746 words, roughly 16 pages.)
Notes:
Hey there, y'all! I originally posted Chapter 1 of ADITO here on AO3 back in March of this year. It's now September, and I wanted to revisit this chapter and give it a real good going-over/update. If you've previously read this chapter... it might be worth it to read it again. I'm planning to have Chapter 2 uploaded this weekend as well!
Thank you so much for reading, subscribing, and bookmarking!
Chapter 2: Renesmee's Point of View
Summary:
“Sixteen candles can’t hold all my wishes — and they all involve him.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter Two:
Sweet Sixteen: Stepping Into Womanhood
“Today’s my big day,” was the first thought that popped into my head when I woke up a little after seven o’clock this morning. I hadn’t meant to get up that early. Maybe it was just habit, or maybe it was birthday excitement?
It could have been the school routine I’d recently found myself on, who knows. But today? It was a Sunday. And technically? I had every right to sleep in until noon. But the truth was, I was too excited to stay in bed any longer.
I’ve been alive for exactly five years tonight. 1,826 days — who’s counting, right? But I didn’t feel five. Mentally? I could probably keep up with a college student, maybe even outsmart them. Was that arrogant? Maybe. But I hated being underestimated more than I cared about sounding humble… most of the time. I didn’t like to come off as shallow, and I didn’t like to be thought of that way. I guess if the shoe fits, though…
After taking more time in the shower than I care to admit, I threw on something casual for the morning. Nothing fancy just yet, I’d save that for later tonight. But when I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I couldn’t look away. No passing glance this time. I was full-on staring. I didn’t look five, and my brain? That definitely wasn’t five either.
No, I looked about sixteen. Maybe even nineteen, depending on the outfit, the hair, and the makeup. Add in the fact that I was half-vampire, and yeah — every guy at Forks High had practically lost their minds over me. My first day? Half thrilling, and half disaster. I’d been prepared for it… at least I thought I had been.
“She’s a Cullen,” I heard a few students whisper. “Doctor and Mrs. Cullen must’ve adopted another one.” A few more gossiped. “No — it’s Edward and Bella’s kid. They adopted her,” one of them murmured. That was surprisingly closer to the truth.
“I swear they all have to be related. Their genes are, like, completely and totally unfair,” one girl whispered to another — both of whom I’d end up befriending within a few days. Actually, they’re both coming to my party tonight. At least, I’d invited them both. If they actually would come… well, I’d just have to see.
They were the sporty-preppy types, and I guess I was too, in my own way. I could pull off the look, at least. With aunts like Alice and Rosalie, my closet had every designer label known to mankind. Okay, maybe that’s a little shallow to admit… but it was true. I enjoyed looking cute and stylish, and I definitely enjoyed being better at sports than some of the boys.
“Damn. Look at the fresh meat.” The guys gossiped about me just as much as the girls. They almost gossiped at me more than they ogled me, but trust me — they did that, too. “They don’t make girls like that around here.” I rolled my eyes, but maybe he did have a point.
“Didn’t you hear? She’s another one of Doctor Cullen’s adopted kids.” I wasn’t going to live that one down, not with the last name Cullen. “No wonder she’s so fucking sexy. I mean — look at her tits and ass. Unreal.” I’d wanted to slap that particular jock. At the same time? I won’t lie — my ego ate it up just a little.
I didn’t dare tell my parents about the gossip — not that I had to. My dad being a mind-reader meant nothing stayed secret for long. I overheard them talking the very next night. “She’s the new kid, Edward. The beautiful, exciting, otherworldly new kid. I wasn’t even a vampire, and you saw how the guys fawned over me.” Mom’s words were meant to calm him down. I don’t think it worked very well at first.
I could practically see my father’s jaw lock up — like he was mentally replaying every moment someone dared to check out my mother. I could see it in his eyes, as if he was picturing murdering every man that once ogled at my mother. But as always, she calmed him down with one touch to his cheek, like magic. In the end, she chose him. Married him. Had me, a literal miracle child, with him. The rest of those guys? They weren’t even background noise. They were nothing.
Mom was right. A part of me did want to retreat, to keep to myself because… I honestly didn’t want to be the center of everyone’s juicy gossip, or the rumors circulating around the school like wildfire. But the bigger part of me? It wanted to prove them all wrong.
I wasn’t just another Cullen, and I wasn’t just a pretty face with a decent body. I wanted to be a teacher’s pet — I was smart enough for it. But being too smart only gets you more ridicule. It’s how you end up on every mean girl’s radar. That’s the last thing I wanted. I wanted friends, not enemies.
I was making friends easily enough — even the teachers seemed to like me. But, I refused to play favorites. Not outright, at least. Not where other students could tell. I tried to blend in. Just enough to seem average, but not so average I faded into the background completely. No, I wanted to be special at Forks High just not… too special.
I tried to show I was smart — but not so smart that I’d get nominated Captain of the Chess Team or Head of the Mathletes. I tried to be girly, and pretty, and sporty — but not too sporty. Not enough to try out for cheerleading, at least. Instead, I went out for the real-deal girls’ sports: track, soccer, golf, softball, and swimming. But even I knew I couldn’t do them all. That would’ve been unrealistic — for a human, anyway.
When I made all the teams, I had to pick which ones I actually wanted to commit to. I chose track — it ran year-round for the most part, so it would give me something to do. And I picked up softball for the spring. I wasn’t new to it. Not even close. My family had always loved playing baseball — we just needed the right thunderstorm to make it happen. Me? I looked like a natural while playing.
I wasn’t as strong as the rest of my family. Not yet. But I had an unfair advantage as a half-vampire when it came to competing with kids at Forks High. I couldn’t use my full strength, even though there were already times I really wanted to. There were a couple jocks I wanted to put in their place, throw a football about three hundred yards further than they could, you know?
Track tryouts were where I first got to know Caroline and Rebekah — the only two girls I’ve really connected with at Forks High. They begged me to try out for cheerleading, but I politely passed. I was girly, sure, just… not that girly. Rebekah and Caroline? Oh, they were exactly that girly. Bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and wardrobes straight off a Pinterest board.
They weren’t related, but sometimes I wondered if they were long-lost sisters and just hadn’t rattled the family tree yet. More likely, they’d just been best friends forever and picked up each other’s habits. Most kids at Forks High had grown up here. They’d gone to elementary school together, then middle, and now high school. Some of them had even shared a daycare nap mat. I didn’t have that luxury.
Don’t get me wrong, I might have made a great cheerleader. I’m almost certain I would have. But I didn’t want to become someone else just by attending school. I refused to become another person just for others to like me more or to have more friends in general. I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I’m not.
Caroline and Rebekah weren’t the first people I’d “disappointed” for not being girly enough. I dealt with that at home too — mostly from Aunt Rose. I think she wanted me to be her real-life Barbie doll, but I could never quite pull it off. I was only half-vampire, which meant I was only half as flawless. Maybe even less than that. It wasn’t that Aunt Rose didn’t find me beautiful, of course she did. Everyone did.
I knew I was pretty. Maybe even cute. But beautiful? Gorgeous? I never really believed it. Not even when Jacob says it — and he says it often. I always feel like it’s part of his job description as my best friend. My parents? Same deal. It’s their duty to make me feel good about myself, right? I guess you could say I struggle with “self-esteem.” Hard not to, when you’re surrounded by walking, talking, supernatural super-models every day.
It’s not like I wasn’t told how “special” I was on a daily basis. I’m only the second known human-vampire hybrid. I’m my parents’ miracle child. Actually, I’m everyone’s miracle. Even Aunt Rose — she’s wanted a child since before she became a vampire.
As a human, she said she aspired to be two things in life: a happy wife and a good mother. Even now, she dreams of a country house with a wraparound porch, a white picket fence, and a dozen little ones with Uncle Emmett. A normal life — one she was robbed out of as a human.
She wants to grow old with him — watch their kids have kids, grow gray and wrinkled side by side. Honestly, I think Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett would welcome aging and even dying, as long as they did it together. As long as they believed they’d find each other in the next life. I admired their love story.
My entire family had incredible love stories. My Grandparents, Carlisle and Esme; Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper, too. But to me? None of them could hold a candle to my parents’. Of course, maybe that’s just me being biased.
My mom started out as just an ordinary teenager when she moved to Forks to live with Grandpa Charlie. Grandma Renée had remarried and wanted to travel with her new husband, Phil. Mom? It’s not like she didn’t want to go with them — she just couldn’t. She was still in school.
So instead, she left the desert heat of Phoenix, Arizona, and traded it for the rainy gray of Forks, Washington. It was the first time she’d lived with Grandpa Charlie in years. I heard it was a real adjustment for her at first, but that she found herself getting used to Forks pretty quickly. I think my Dad had a lot to do with that.
She still remembers her first day at Forks High — and how it felt to see the Cullens for the very first time. When I was younger, my gift worked a little differently. I could show people what was in my head — like flipping through a picture book made from my memories. It’s how I communicated instead of using my words.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to reverse my gift. It’s a little like my dad’s — a softer version of mind-reading. If someone lets me in, I can see their memories, experience them through their own eyes. My mom’s first day at school… the moment she saw my dad for the first time — that was a memory I’d always wanted to see for myself. And now that I had? I treasured it.
My point is — back then, my mom wasn’t what anyone would’ve called special. She was ordinary. Just a shy, clumsy, and ridiculously human girl. Only my dad saw her differently — otherworldly — and only because his gift didn’t work on her. She intrigued him more than anyone else ever had. But now? As a vampire, I see her as nothing short of a goddess.
That’s why I had decided, for my birthday, I wanted nothing more than to look like them for just one night. Like an ethereal creature. A goddess amongst a world of mortals. I wanted to look celestial. Mythical. Perfect — the way only Cullens could look. The way only vampires did.
I told Aunt Alice that on the drive to Seattle to find the perfect dress. Of course, she’d already seen it — the exact outfit I’d pick. She said I was going to look incredible. I believed her. She’d never lied to me before, and I definitely didn’t believe she’d start now.
It was time to get ready for my party. I found myself feeling like an anxious wreck. I had so many different things running through my mind and was feeling so many different emotions, I felt like an Internet browser with a thousand tabs open at once. Eight hundred of them have pop ups going and two hundred are playing god awful music and you can’t click out of them fast enough.
“I want to be as beautiful as you tonight, Aunt Alice,” I murmured as she carried the dress into my room — the perfect one we’d found in the very last store at the biggest mall in Seattle. It came with a pretty steep price tag, but Alice waved it off like it was nothing. “Nothing’s too expensive for my beautiful niece on her sixteenth birthday,” she’d said in her usual sing-song tone.
“Ness, you already are. What’s gotten into you lately? Are you being bullied at school?” Alice shut my bedroom door behind her, keeping out any prying eyes while I changed. I needed help with the dress anyway — the zipper was tricky. I felt myself blush at the question. I wasn’t being bullied. I mean, I guess some of the gossip could be taken that way. But honestly, it was the exact opposite.
What had come over me? What had gotten into me recently? I didn’t even know. I found myself stumped at the question. Maybe it was school — being around so many voices all at once. Maybe it was hormones. Real, actual, human hormones finally kicking in. Maybe this is what hitting ‘full maturity’ was going to feel like?
I felt a tightness in my chest just thinking about it — sitting beside Jacob on the loveseat, only minutes ago, when he cracked my mid-back. And the sound I’d made? That very unintentional noise that made everyone in my family turn and stare? I thought I might combust from the inside out.
“I—I don’t know. Maybe it’s starting school… seeing all these girls with their boyfriends.” My voice cracked. It wasn’t like I’d started school as an innocent freshman. This is my sweet sixteenth — girls my age were dating… losing their virginities. “So many guys fawn over me, Aunt Alice. But…” I couldn’t finish. The words caught in my throat but my voice gave out on me.
I couldn’t bring myself to say everything that was swirling around within my heart. How could I? It didn’t feel right. I sat down so Alice could start on my hair and makeup, praying the change in focus might distract us both. I needed the distraction before I ended up saying something I’d regret.
“But what, Ness?” Alice asked softly after a few moments of silence. No such luck in the distraction. I bit my lower lip, nerves rattling inside me like loose change. It was equal parts nervousness and anxiousness. “I know it’s because I’m part vampire,” I started.
“Like Dad always says — everything about me draws humans in. Everything.” I hesitated for a moment before continuing. “But I don’t feel anything for them. The boys at school — they don’t see me. They just… want me. And I don’t even think most of them are that attractive.” I took a breath. “There’s only one person I’m drawn to. And it’s wrong.”
The words were out before I could stop them. And the second they were, I wanted to reel them back in. I wanted to shout takebacks. Aunt Alice would never let it go — not in a million years. Only my Dad could be worse. If he heard what I’d said, he’d hound me until the end of time.
I glanced at Aunt Alice in the mirror. My expression had fallen — but hers? She looked… happy. A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips like she’d just unwrapped a present she’d been waiting to open for the longest time. Before I could ask her what she was smiling about, she spoke. “I think I know who you’re going to say.”
For a moment, I thought I might actually go into full cardiac arrest. I was half-surprised my parents didn’t come rushing in — my heartbeat must’ve sounded like a drum in marching band. Did Aunt Alice really know? Had she seen it? Had everyone seen it coming? Oh God… did he know?
“Y-you do?” I asked, barely above a whisper. My throat was dry. My stomach twisted and made me feel nauseous. It wasn’t hunger — it felt like a full-blown anxiety attack. Maybe the worst one I’d ever had in my whole life. “Ness, we all see it. And it’s okay,” Aunt Alice cooed as she moved on to my makeup. I didn’t know if her words made things better or worse. Probably a mixture of both.
“You don’t know,” she added softly. “Maybe he feels the same way about you.” I immediately shook my head. That earned me a glare — a serious one. “You want perfect hair and makeup?” She warned. “Then don’t move like a bobble-head.” I gave her a look of acknowledgment and apology through the mirror.
“No. It’s impossible. I’m just… Nessie.” My voice broke again. “I’m just this little girl.” I looked at myself in the mirror. My expression had fallen even more. Aunt Alice was trying so hard to make me beautiful and I was ruining it by looking so… sulky.
“But I don’t want to be a little girl tonight, Aunt Alice.” As I watched her work, I realized something. My dream — to look like a celestial, otherworldly goddess — it was coming true. “I want to be beautiful,” I whispered.
“For him.” It was the first time I said it out loud. The first time I admitted what had been living in my soul for quite a while. “I think he’d tell you that you’re always beautiful to him, Renesmee,” Alice murmured, brushing on a final shimmer of glittery lip-gloss.
“I promise you, though — you’re going to take everyone’s breath away tonight,” she said, stepping back to admire her work. Her masterpiece. I slipped on the heels that matched the dress perfectly and rose slowly to my feet, taking in the full effect of everything she’d done. The transformation was… overwhelming to say the very least.
“I don’t care about taking everyone’s breath away. Just his.” I whispered, my voice so soft I barely even heard myself. I bit down on my lower lip and silently thanked the universe that my Aunt wasn’t the mind-reader my father was.
Because right then, all I could think about was how badly I wished Jacob would walk into my room, step behind me, and wrap his arms around my waist. I could practically feel his breath against my ear as he whispered, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Nessie.”
It didn’t matter what Aunt Alice had said — what I was feeling… what I was thinking… it was wrong. There was no way Jake felt that way about me. And I shouldn’t feel this way about him. I’d grown up with him as a big brother figure.
Hell, maybe even an Uncle figure at times — especially with how he was basically best buds with Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper. Jake being my Mom’s absolute best friend didn’t help the situation, either. It also didn’t help when Seth and Leah became Mom’s step-siblings. They’d always felt like an Aunt and Uncle to me, too. Or at least older cousins. I had a lot of those, honestly. Jake’s whole pack kind of filled that role.
I’d watched all the romance shows, all the movies. I’d read more books than I could count — I mean, I was reading on my own by the time I was three months old. And one lesson kept showing up, over and over again: Falling in love with your best friend? It could ruin everything. I didn’t want that to ever happen with Jake.
The thought of losing Jake — that’s when my chest tightened the worst it had all day. It wasn’t anxiety anymore, it was panic. I couldn’t imagine my life without Jacob Black in it. I didn’t want to imagine it. I refused to let my feelings ruin my friendship with him.
But none of those girls in the books or movies had an Aunt who could see into the future. When Alice had smiled like that a few moments ago, had she already known how I felt before I even said it out loud? Was I confirming something that she’d long thought? Could that mean Jake felt the same way? Had he… did he talk to my family about his feelings towards me?
I knew she couldn’t perfectly see the wolves and their futures, because of what they were. It shielded them in a supernatural way. But since it involved me… was it specifically my future she was seeing? Had she truly seen something? A vision of the two of us together… romantically? I knew how her gift worked. Her visions weren’t set in stone — they shifted with our choices, with what was in our hearts right now.
Did that mean I was in Jake’s heart — really in it — as more than just a friend? Had he been waiting for me to catch up to him? Did my parents know…? And if they did — were they really not planning to trap him in a cement coffin and toss it into the Pacific? I was making myself dizzy with all of these questions. The panic attack had to subside or there was no way I could go downstairs tonight.
I turned back to the mirror and took a long look at what Aunt Alice had done. She’d made me radiantly beautiful. My hair was mostly brunette, but the light caught the coppery red strands I’d inherited from my mom. I was surprised she hadn’t twisted it into some kind of fancy up-do, but instead she’d left it long, letting it fall over my shoulders in soft, elegant waves. Not quite curls. Not quite straight. Just… perfect.
My dress? It was the softest shade of purple — lilac, really. Sure, it was more of a spring color — maybe even Easter-y. It wasn’t exactly a September hue, but purple was my favorite, and this was my birthday party, after all.
I’d paired it with a gorgeous pair of black high heels. I didn’t wear heels all that often. Probably still more than my mom, though — despite being a vampire, she was still the biggest tomboy I’d ever met. Talk about a constant ethereal goddess contradiction.
I studied my makeup, amazed by how it didn’t just make me look celestial — it made me look older. Not like a sweet sixteen. More like eighteen. Maybe even twenty. Alice had nailed the vibe I was going for: smoky, mysterious, and just a touch dark. A little hint of Gothic beauty, tucked in like a hidden message.
Aunt Alice hadn’t gone overboard — not at all. My cheeks had just the faintest blush of color, soft and flattering. But my lips? They were painted red. Not fire-engine red, but bold enough to notice. The gloss shimmering when light hit it just right. Something intentional. The shade brought out my eyes, too — mostly brown, with just the faintest hint of… honey? Not quite gold. But close.
What truly pulled the whole look together, at least in my opinion, was the choker around my neck. It was black, with an ornate silver piece in the center — almost like a brooch — bearing the Cullen family crest. Most people wouldn’t know it, but this piece of jewelry was ancient. It had once belonged to Grandpa Carlisle’s mother — a wedding gift from her in-laws, welcoming her officially into the Cullen family.
Tragically, she died during childbirth — and miraculously, Grandpa Carlisle survived. Back in those days? If a mother went… it was almost certain the infant would, too. When he was old enough, his father passed the choker down to him, hoping that someday he’d give it to a bride… or maybe a daughter if they ever had one.
And so he did. For a time, Esme wore it with pride. Then Aunt Rose — the first daughter in the family, in every way that counted — wore it next. Last year on my birthday, Aunt Rose passed it down to me.
I was the next generation of Cullens, after all — and the closest thing to a daughter she was ever going to have. I cried. Sobbed, really. Because I felt every ounce of the love behind that gift. The sentimentality of it meant the world to me and so much more.
It’s the year 2011… and I’m wearing the necklace of my great-grandmother, a woman who died in 1640. That’s the kind of family tree I have — extraordinary. Even if that branch isn’t biological, it matters just as much to me. Maybe even more.
“I think you’re as ready as you’ll ever be, Ness,” Aunt Alice cooed as she stepped up beside me. I was nearly the same height as her now. In another year, I bet I’d have at least an inch on her — maybe more. “Oh, wait. Just one more thing,” she murmured, and vanished from the room in a dizzying blur.
Before I could even process that she’d left, she was back — holding a digital camera that was definitely new, and probably expensive. “Give me your best pose, birthday girl,” she said, raising the camera. I couldn’t help but laugh. I wasn’t unfamiliar with playing ‘model’ — we all loved photos.
It was something my mother had brought out in the family… the first human to join the family in the digital camera era. I remembered Grandma Esme saying once when I was younger: “Now that our family is complete, we have something truly worth documenting.” I smiled at that memory.
I stepped in front of the large, full-body mirror in my bedroom, striking just the right pose. Alice snapped the perfect shot — one that showed the front of my dress, and through the reflection, the back as well. I was thinking about how I looked from behind and I at least liked what was running through my imagination.
Then I moved to the window, where the sunset painted the sky in warm and vibrant colors. It was the perfect background — I just knew it. I settled into the windowsill, crossing my legs at the ankle, and turned my head ever so slightly. Just enough to gaze out at the sunset, soft and longing.
This sunset felt more beautiful than any I’d ever seen. There was something majestic about it, something I couldn’t quite explain. It was like my future was calling out to me from inside it. And I didn’t have the words for that kind of feeling.
I had the urge to run downstairs, take Jacob by the hand, and lead him outside so we could watch the last of the sunset together. As if it were the start of a new chapter for the both of us. At the same time, I wanted to run toward the sunset itself. And I could picture Jake running beside me… in his wolf form.
“You could be a model, Renesmee,” Alice murmured as the camera clicked again. “I know what you’re thinking — that all of us could be models, with how ridiculously beautiful we are.” She smiled, knowing all too well that they were perfect creatures.
“But it’s your humanity, Ness. Your innocence. That’s what makes you stand out most in these photos. The way you’re gazing at the sunset right now?” She sighed, rather dreamily. “Even I’m jealous.”
That snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned toward my aunt, cheeks warming with a faint red glow. “I guarantee you’d look just as beautiful sitting here,” I said, gently taking the camera from her. “In the same position. Gazing at the same sunset.” I smiled. “Humor me?” I politely asked her.
At first, it looked like she might say no. But then — my Aunt Alice, who I’d always compared to a dark-haired version of Disney’s Tinkerbell — smiled and took a seat in the windowsill. She mirrored the pose I’d just been in, gazing out with that same dreamy look.
In my opinion? She pulled it off perfectly. And as I snapped the photos, I couldn’t help but think — Uncle Jasper was going to love them. It gave me the idea of taking couples photos for my family sometime in the future. The foliage was starting to change into that gorgeous autumn color. It was the perfect time of year for family photography.
At the same time, though, I couldn’t deny that Aunt Alice had been right. Maybe it was because she didn’t know what had been racing through my mind while I stared out at that sunset. Her thoughts always ran in a thousand directions — some good, a lot… not so much. I wasn’t even sure if she knew I’d read a few of her old journals. I think I knew more about her past than she realized.
Some people might call my Grandpa Carlisle a collector of broken things, or rather — broken people. In a way, I guess they’d be right. It was so much more than that, though. In every single person… whether he was the one who gave them immortality or not, he’d seen someone worth saving. A soul worth a path to redemption. I admired him greatly because of it. I admired my whole family because of the hardships they’d faced in their past. It made them real.
“See? You’re just as beautiful,” I murmured, handing the camera back. “Maybe,” Alice mused. “But I didn’t have the same look in my eyes.” She gave me a knowing smile. “It’s your humanity, Ness. It lets you see things… feel things on another level.” Then she clapped her hands — a little signal that the moment was over. It wasn’t rude. With Alice, it never was. It was just her joyful way of saying: it’s time to move forward.
“All of your party guests are waiting,” she said. “There’s quite a few here to see you tonight. We’d better get downstairs before someone decides to sneak a slice of cake early.” The way she said it — the horror in her voice at the thought — made me smirk to myself. Had she seen a vision of it happening? My bet? Seth. I could picture him right now, dipping a finger into the frosting like a kid in a candy store. And I wasn’t even psychic.
“Just give me one more minute. I’ll be down, I promise,” I said. She gave me a playful little wave as she strolled out of my bedroom, leaving me alone. I needed a moment. A few of them, actually. What were these called again? Human moments. Teenage girl moments.
I stepped into my bathroom and made sure I had on deodorant — the invisible kind since my dress was styled in a way that my arms would be on constant show tonight. Then I spritzed on a few pumps of my favorite perfume. Not too much, I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone with a sensitive nose. Not even myself.
Next came brushing my teeth once more for today. I wasn’t about to let bad breath ruin tonight of all nights. Back in my bedroom, I grabbed my iPhone and started taking a few selfies. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I suddenly felt like every other girl at school. I was posing, adjusting, checking angles, and retaking until I got the perfect photo. I’d need something to upload to Facebook later, after all.
A few minutes later, I stepped out of my bedroom and made my way toward the staircase. And for some reason… I felt even more nervous. Really, really nervous. ‘It’s just another birthday party. Everything’s okay.’ But that wasn’t it, and I knew it. ‘He’ll think I’m beautiful. I know he will. He’s waiting on me. I can feel it. It’s going to be alright.’
I took one last deep breath… and started down the stairs. After only a few steps, my eyes found his. My heart skipped a couple beats. It fluttered, maybe. That funny pitter-patter beat that it often made when I caught him gazing at me. The second I locked eyes with Jacob, the rest of the world… just disappeared.
All that mattered was the two of us, and the silent prayer while my heart thumped wildly in my chest, that this could be the beginning of happily ever after.
(5,542 words - roughly 12 pages).
Notes:
Oh my gosh, y'all. I didn't mean to leave you guys hanging for six months! Life just kind of... happened. Plus, let's face it - my 'baby' of a story is 'Always and Forever.' It gets 99% of my free time. (I'm a fulltime caregiver/caretaker and genealogist). BUT, it's September... that means it's 'hoa hoa hoa' season (ratties, anyone?). It gets this time of year and I *always* find myself gravitating towards this story. As I've mentioned previously, ADITO started out completely in Ness's point of view in 2013 for NaNoWriMo. Ten years later - 2023 NaNo - I decided to rewrite it.
Two years later? I'm adding even more in between already existing chapters! Like this chapter here. Originally, what you read in Chapter 1, what is going to be Chapter 3, and probably Chapter 6... that was all one looooooooooong Jacob's point of view chapter. Probably 20,000 some odd words. Way too long for one chapter. SO. I broke the chapter up into pieces and added in some different POV's in between it. Like this one in Renesmee's. I feel like it's a perfect mirror to Jacob's Chapter One.
The great news for you guys is - I've got Chapter 3 ready to go as well. I'm putting Chapter 2 on here tonight (Friday) - and next Friday or Saturday, I'll get Chapter 3 up. Promise! I'm working on a new Chapter 4 from a new POV (once y'all read Chapter 3 next weekend... it'll make sense to ya. I'm not giving you spoilers!)
Anyway - hope y'all enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 3: Jacob's Point of View
Summary:
“You put a pack of wolves and a family of vampires in the same room with a football game on and expected peace? That’s on you.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter Three:
Cake, Football, and Quality Time: Something in the Air Tonight
I stood at the bottom of the staircase, just off to the left, staring upward like I was waiting on the rest of my life to start. Realistically, it had only been five minutes — maybe less — but it felt like I’d been standing there my whole life, waiting for her.
I could hear the way heels were clicking on hardwood floor, then the way the clicks started to descend the stairs. It was a beautiful rhythm, like it was matching my heartbeat. And when Renesmee finally appeared? I swear my heart stopped completely.
Alice had definitely helped her pick the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen — not just on her, but on any woman. It hugged her in all the right places, showing just how much she’d blossomed lately. I couldn’t stop myself from noticing. And honestly? I don’t think Ness picked that dress just for her. Deep down, I think she wore it for me. That was my secret hope, at least.
Five years — and yet the woman I was gazing up at looked older than sixteen. I guess it was a Sweet Sixteen in rite of passage only. Because to me? The woman gazing down at me was much older, and much wiser. This should be her eighteenth, even her twenty-first birthday party.
It wasn’t up to me, though. Truthfully, it wasn’t even up to Edward and Bella. It was what birthday that Nessie wanted to celebrate. If she wanted an eighteenth next year, I’m game. Twenty-first the year after that? I’m here for it.
Standing at the top of the stairs, beginning her descent like some kind of goddess — her hair was long and wavy, the same beautiful shade it had always been, but tonight it shimmered under the lights. I’d always loved her hair and knew she’d inherited it from Bella right away.
Ness wore a lilac dress that made her look like springtime and midnight all at once, paired with black high-heels that she didn’t stumble in — not even once. Half-vampire perks. Her dress seemed to be a satin fabric. I found my fingertips itching to touch it… to feel her beneath it. Around her neck was a black choker with the Cullen family crest. I remembered Carlisle explaining the symbol to me years ago.
There was no taking the Cullen out of Renesmee, but I wanted to add myself — the Black family, the Quileute heritage, into her life. A flash entered my mind of what it might look like someday for her to get a tattoo. Not the same one my pack and I have, but something different — just for the two of us. A pair of beautiful brown wolves howling up at a full moon, maybe.
Her makeup wasn’t overdone — just enough to add mystery to her already unfair level of beauty. Smoky eyes, a flush of color on her cheeks, and lips glossed with a deep, shimmery red. But her eyes… man, her eyes were something else. Milky brown, with a flicker of gold hidden in there like sunlight through honey. That’s when I realized she was staring right back at me.
‘You shouldn’t be looking at her like this.’ I refused to listen to that voice tonight. Even the Cullens agreed, Ness was becoming a woman. If Edward wasn’t murdering me hearing these thoughts, then I wouldn’t feel any shame in having them. Ness insinuated earlier she wanted to look good for me and my God… she most certainly did.
“What do you think?” Ness asked, her voice all nerves and hope. I reached for her hand as she stepped down the last couple stairs, standing right in front of me. Gazing up at me. Waiting. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Renesmee,” I murmured. For a second, I thought I saw her cheeks flush deeper beneath the makeup.
My heart went wonky again. Did she finally believe me this time? Had she truly went through all of this tonight just for me? A strange mixture of confidence and panic pulsed through me. I hoped this meant she knew how I felt about her already… Even more so, I prayed it meant she felt exactly the same.
“That must be true,” she whispered, her voice trembling — probably something only I’d catch. “Because you never call me by my full first name.” I blinked. She was right. I hadn’t even noticed. I always called her Ness or Nessie. That name, her full name, had just… slipped out. Natural, like it belonged to the woman in front of me now.
That was it. Renesmee was a woman to me in every sense of the word. I’d never be able to stop calling her Ness or Nessie, it was instinctual at this point after five long years. But I knew from now on… I was going to call her Renesmee during those special moments between us. Just so she’d know how serious I was. “Everyone’s excited to see you,” I said quickly, trying to rein it in as we walked together toward the largest of the living rooms.
“Happy Birthday, Renesmee!” came the chorus of voices. The humans were a split-second behind the vamps and wolves, but they wouldn’t notice that. Only we would. Nessie’s eyes swept across the room, wide and glistening, taking in just how many people had shown up — friends, family, even a few from out of town.
Her fingers slipped out of mine as she rushed toward Grandma Renée and Phil, hugging them like she hadn’t seen them in twenty years. When she pulled back from them, I noticed tears freely falling down her cheeks. I was surprised Alice hadn’t appeared, scolding her for ruining her makeup… but I was even more surprised at the show of emotion from Renesmee.
Ness had always been a little more stoic than other girls… other women. I guess it was her half-vampire nature. She could be incredibly emotional — but that emotion was usually happiness, or at times, anger. I’d seen her sad and upset before, don’t get me wrong. But to be visibly brought to tears? It was rare for Renesmee. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one honing in on that tonight.
I watched as she threw her arms around Bree Tanner, and the two of them laughed through their tears — happy, joyful ones. My chest ached in the best way. For Nessie. For this wild, stitched-together family of ours — yes, I said ours. And yeah, I probably looked like her number-one fan standing there with stars in my eyes, so I forced myself to step away — just for a minute — and check the score of the football game.
I knew if I didn’t walk away right then, I might pull her into my arms and never let her go tonight. That wouldn’t be fair to her or her party guests. It was a reflex for me that when she cried, I wanted to console her. Even if the tears were joyful ones, I still wanted to be the one wiping them from her cheek with my thumb. What a blissful thought that was.
The smaller living room was empty — just me and the hum of the house. I took a deep breath, grateful for a second of quiet. The birthday party still buzzed on in the background: laughter, conversation, the shuffle of shoes on pristine hardwood floors. Music floated through the air now, thanks to Alice’s impeccable timing — a “Today’s Big Hits” mix. It was 2011, which meant pop and rap were dominating the speakers. Some of it I liked. Some of it made me miss old Bon Jovi. The Young Guns 2 days.
I tried not to think the music was too horrible or too loud. I was only twenty-one — I sure as hell wasn’t old yet. But I was born in 1990, raised by a man who had music taste spanning the ‘50s through the ‘80s. Yeah, you heard me right. Power ballads by hair bands were Dad’s guilty pleasure. No one could belt out ‘I’ll Remember You’ by Skid Row quite like him. It was weird how a song about goodbyes could make me think so heavily about new beginnings.
And speaking of the man himself…
“Renesmee looks exceptionally beautiful tonight,” my dad said, pulling me out of my thoughts. He didn’t say it like a casual compliment. He said it like he saw it — like he knew what this night meant to me. As if he knew Ness had went out of her way for me.
“Yeah, she does,” I replied as he wheeled over beside the recliner I was sitting in. The Seahawks were, unfortunately, still losing. The game was nearly over. There went a lot of money down the drain — not mine, but plenty of others.
“I’ve never seen her look so grown up,” he went on. And he was right. That dress showed off just how much she’d matured — physically and otherwise. Edward would probably throttle me for thinking it, but I couldn’t help it. She was a woman now.
It felt like it had happened overnight. She might be celebrating her Sweet Sixteen — technically five years old on a piece of freakin’ paper — but everything about her said full-grown. Especially tonight. That’s the thing about hybrids — their bodies out pace their birthdays. But my heart hadn’t caught up until now. Not truly.
I’d bet that if we were out in public right now, people would assume we were the same age — maybe even twenty-five, depending on the lighting and the company we were around. That was pushing it, sure. But not by much. I could envision sitting at a bar with Ness right now, beers in our hand. A song she loved might come on and she’d try to drag me out onto the dance floor. I’d let her drag me anywhere.
“I can’t wait for her to know just how beautiful she is to me,” I murmured to my dad. “She’s the only one for me. I just pray I’m the only one she’ll ever want.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know, son. I know.” His hand on my shoulder grounded me — a quiet approval, a father’s blessing without needing the exact words.
A few minutes later, my sister Rachel and Paul walked into the room. “Sucks about the game. They really fucked up tonight,” Paul said, flopping down onto the sofa like he owned the place. You’d think he lived here with how relaxed he acted — but honestly, the pack had gotten used to the Cullens a long time ago. Probably started with me imprinting on Renesmee if I’m being honest.
“Try being out fifty bucks, kid,” Charlie grumbled as he joined us and sank into a chair. “Just fifty?” Emmett scoffed, pretending to kick the television as he walked in. “Try losing two hundred.” The guys were starting to trickle in now — drawn by the promise of Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys were playing the Jets tonight. Should be interesting.
“At least you can always count on the Cowboys to lose,” Emmett laughed. Jasper narrowed his eyes. “Hey now, that’s my home state, brother,” he said, putting on his thickest Southern drawl. “Sorry your team sucks, brother,” Emmett shot back, grinning like the troll he was.
“And that’s exactly why I’ve got five hundred on the Jets tonight,” Carlisle said with a smirk. Jasper glared at him while Emmett howled like a hyena. “At least I’ll win some money on this game,” Carlisle added. “I’ll help you recoup your losses, Charlie.”
“Hey, I’m not above pity charity after that kind of defeat,” Charlie said with a shrug. “I’m not opposed to some pity charity, too,” I chuckled, holding out my palm like I expected magical cash to just appear. “Oh, hush. You didn’t even bet, mutt,” Blondie scoffed as she strolled into the room to grab something.
“I’ll give you something to bet on. C’mere a sec, she-devil,” I growled playfully. Emmett cracked up, shaking his head. “You’re a better man than me,” he said once he finally caught his breath. “If Rose said half the shit to me that she says to you…” He didn’t even get to finish the sentence. Rosalie hit him with an icy glare that could’ve frozen lava.
“You’d what, monkey man?” Thankfully, when she called Emmett that, I knew she was just playing — not serious this time. “I think I’ve lived long enough I’m starting to regret all of you,” Carlisle said, raising his hands like he’d finally had enough.
“You love us, admit it,” Emmett teased. “Regret builds more character,” Carlisle murmured, rubbing his temples. “Oh, please, Daddy Dearest. We keep you young,” Rosalie murmured before strutting out of the room.
I’d never admit it out loud but honestly? Rosalie looked damn good when annoyed — real or otherwise. Hey, I’m a man. I can appreciate a beautiful woman and her sassy attitude. Over the years? I’ve gotten real acquainted with Blondie’s. Let’s just say I bring out her bad side… a lot.
“That woman is spicy. I like it,” Paul purred. A loud thwack echoed through the room. None of us even needed to look — we all knew exactly what it was. Rachel. Smacking the back of Paul’s head like she did multiple times a day. He deserved every bit of it. Man earned his Boy Scout badge in fucking around and finding out years ago. “Worth it,” he grinned, rubbing the back of his head.
Me and the rest of the guys settled in to watch a good chunk of football, while the women — and a few of the other men — stayed in the bigger living room to mingle and party with Renesmee. Trust me, I wanted to be in there with her. I wanted to be everywhere she was. I wanted to be hand-in-hand with her the entire night. But I knew better. That wasn’t what she needed tonight. She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
That didn’t stop me from trying to listen in at times, hoping I could hear her laughter or something funny she might’ve said to Bree. Internally, I guess I was hoping I’d catch her talking about me. Lord knows I talk enough about her when she’s not in the room with me… Every so often, I’d get a whiff of her perfume and think she was about to walk in the room. Wishful thinking, I guess.
It took a few hours — well past seven o’clock — before everyone started gathering in the larger living room again for Renesmee’s gift opening. She wanted to open mine first. Trust me, I noticed. But Alice kept handing her everyone else’s first — like some sort of sparkly-eyed bouncer controlling the flow. Now I knew how Bella felt letting Alice plan her wedding. I guarantee you Alice was like a wedding planner on espresso. I was patient, though. More patient than Ness, by the look on her face.
Everyone was smiling and chatting over gifts, stuffing their faces with cake. Of course, I had to grab a slice, too. Red velvet — Renesmee’s favorite. I’ll admit, it’s one of mine, too. How very vampire of me… to enjoy something that looks like blood and sugar had a baby together. At least it doesn’t sparkle in the sunlight.
Finally — after another forty-five minutes or so — Renesmee had my gift in her hands. “I’ve wanted to open this one since noon,” she said aloud, and everyone chuckled. “Only because it’s from me,” I teased, stepping closer. There was no way I was missing her opening this one. Not a chance. Just seeing it in her hands was enough to send my heart rate through the roof.
“And it’s the most beautiful present, too. My favorite color,” she said, gently unwrapping it. I’d lucked out with that purple wrapping paper — deep, royal, and completely perfect. Once the paper was off, I watched her delicate fingers lift the lid on the small box. The room had gone suspiciously quiet — I think everyone realized it was going to be a piece of jewelry, including Ness herself.
Inside was the necklace — every bit as stunning as her. It started as a simple sapphire locket but I added to it. Handmade charms, I’d gotten good at making them through the years. A brown wolf for me, and a purple one for Ness. And inside, I’d engraved something in our Quileute language — just for her.
Renesmee gasped — and so did a few others as she lifted it from the box. “J-Jake. It’s beautiful,” she murmured, looking up at me. “Open it,” I said gently. She did. Inside was the engraving — and a photograph of the two of us from this past Fourth of July. Fireworks in the background lighting up the sky, our laughter, and the way she fit so perfectly against me in that moment.
“K-Kwop kilawtley? Did I say that right?” Renesmee asked. I nodded slowly. The wolves nearby — they’d know what it meant. Maybe a few of the vampires, too. They knew this was going to be my moment of truth with Ness just from one simple phrase. Well, I say simple… but it meant everything to my people. “Is it Quileute?” I was glad she asked, it’s like she already knew.
I nodded again and took the necklace from her hands, moving behind her. Carefully, I slipped it around her neck and clasped it. Thankfully, it hung lower than the ornate Cullen choker — the two didn’t clash. They layered like they were made to. “What does it mean?” Renesmee asked, rising from the chair and turning to look up at me.
‘Now or never, Jake.’ I kept repeating it in my mind like a mantra. ‘Now or never.’ I didn’t care if it felt like a hundred sets of eyes were watching. In this moment, it was just me and her. No one else mattered. I took a single deep breath — the kind you take when you’re about to say something you can’t take back. I focused on the beating of our hearts that, even in such a moment as this… they somehow were in sync with one another.
“It means… ‘stay with me forever’ in our tribe’s language,” I murmured. My eyes dropped to where the necklace lay against her skin — then slowly lifted back to meet hers. Honey-brown eyes that were wide, curious, and soft. “Of course I’ll stay with you forever, Jake,” she whispered. “You’re my very best friend.” She smiled, bright and innocent — and it nearly cracked me in two.
Her words meant everything to me, and if friendship was all Renesmee Cullen wanted with me, then I would accept that. Because I knew being her best friend was better than being absolutely nothing to her.
That wasn’t even an option to me, because she could never just be nothing to me. Ever. But before I’d let myself cross that bridge… I at least had to try and make her realize that there could be more between us, if she ever wanted that.
“Ness…” I swallowed hard and reached out, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. My fingers barely grazed her skin. She didn’t flinch. “One day,” I said softly, “if you’d ever consider it… I’d like to be more than just your best friend.” My voice trembled beneath the weight of those words.
My heart was wrecked with what was only half-spoken right now. Wrecked with the what ifs and possibilities. “This necklace — it’s a promise. My vow to you. I’ll wait, Renesmee. For as long as it takes.” I barely recognized the sound of my own voice. It didn’t sound like me. Not exactly. It sounded younger. More afraid. Vulnerable.
A puzzled look crossed her face as she gazed up at me. I wished I could read her mind like Edward. Wished I could see our future like Alice. “I-I don’t know what to say, Jake,” she whispered, her voice catching — not angry, but soft. A fragile whimper in the back of her throat told me I’d startled her. Maybe embarrassed her. “You don’t have to say anything,” I said quickly, trying to calm her. “You don’t have to decide anything. Not now.”
‘Maybe I said too much. Maybe I’ve ruined everything between us.’ That voice of doubt was tiny but in this moment? It was trying to be mighty. No. I’ve waited too long for this, and even deeper than that… I know Ness. We know each other better than anyone else, except for perhaps our parents. I know there’s at least a tiny chance she feels something more for me. There’s been too many little signs…
“You’re special to me, Renesmee. In more ways than I can explain to you. I just wanted you to know that — today of all days.” I needed her to realize that I’d waited for today for so long. I wanted to give her the perfect gift, say the perfect words to her, and do the perfect things for her… I wanted her day to be nothing less than that.
“I wanted to give you something beautiful. Something worthy of you.” Her eyes welled up again. “It is so beautiful. I love it so much, Jake,” she said. “You knew exactly what I liked.” Ness had always loved sapphires — her birthstone, and her mother’s too. It was in her blood, that love for blue. And now, part of mine too.
I couldn’t help but gaze at the necklace one last time and take in the way it matched her in every way. It somehow went perfect with her lilac dress, her honey brown eyes, and even her gorgeous complexion. The way it sparkled from the light above her, it reminded me of a full moon. It might sound cliché, but I wanted to howl for Ness right now. The wolf inside me wanted to howl the depth of my feelings for her.
“Don’t let me take up your whole night, Ness,” I murmured rather reluctantly. My fingers brushed against her cheek as I let go of the strands of hair I’d tucked behind her ear at long last. “Maybe… come find me later? When things quiet down?” She nodded slowly and thoughtfully. She was still processing. I could see it. The gears turning behind her eyes. She didn’t quite know what to do with the words I’d said — not yet.
I wanted to have that conversation — the real one — right now. But it wasn’t the time. Wasn’t the place. I’d already shaken her enough for one night. We both needed a breather. I needed fresh air. To figure out what I was going to say later. How I’d explain it all in a way that wouldn’t scare her off completely.
The room felt smaller by the second. My heart was too loud in my ears. So when Renesmee finally pulled away — drifting back toward the other guests — I let her go. A part of me wondered if I’d be the topic of every whispered conversation she had tonight. But I didn’t stick around to find out. I turned on my heel and stepped outside. I prayed the night would calm me, still me in ways only it could.
I found myself back on the porch — second time tonight. I thought I’d catch a breath, maybe a moment alone. No such luck. Embry was already out there, pacing like he was in the middle of an existential crisis. I don’t think I’d ever seen him look so rattled. “What’s up, bro?” I asked, and he rushed over like I was the lifeline he’d been waiting hours for.
“It happened, Jake. It happened,” Embry muttered, wringing his hands like they were wet. “I—I'm disgusted with myself, but I can’t control it. It’s like you and Renesmee. I can’t control it.” I blinked. Tried to track what he was saying. Then it hit me like a bag of bricks. “Wait… you imprinted? On a vampire?”
“One of those blonde ones. From Denali. I remember them from five years ago, but… I don’t know, Jake. I don’t know why it didn’t happen then — but it sure as hell happened now.” I don’t think Embry had ever been so serious a day in his life. I knew for a fact he’d never looked so deeply into my eyes, searching for life’s answers in them. It was a little unnerving to tell you the truth.
“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But Jake… she’s a vampire. And I—how? What happens now?” He was spiraling. Embry was shocked, shaken, maybe even stirred. Disgusted with himself. The first thing he needed to hear? That he shouldn’t be.
“It’s not easy, man. Trust me on that. But the first step? You gotta let her know you even exist. Did you talk to her at all?” I know it sounded ridiculous, but it wasn’t. It was a necessary question. I needed all the details.
“Y-yeah. That’s when it happened. I was at the cake table — grabbing a huge slice, you know, trying to be chill. I figured I’d make polite conversation. Because, you know, we wolves are supposed to play nice now, right? Be all... ‘coexistence’. We don’t hate all vampires.” Embry was rambling — he was exceptionally good at that.
“So I looked up and asked, ‘Would you ladies like some cake?’ She laughed and looked me right in the eyes. And Jake, when our eyes met… I about dropped to my knees.” Been there before, literally lived it. That tracks.
Yep. I knew that exact feeling. Flashes hit me — five years ago, almost to the hour. I’d stepped outside to mourn Bella and catch my breath, only to walk back in and see Blondie holding what looked like a three- or four-month-old baby. Renesmee. She grew faster back then. The second our eyes met… the rest was history.
“Now you know what a gut punch it was for me,” I muttered. “Imprinting on Ness as a newborn.” Embry rubbed the back of his neck — his tell when he knew he was in the wrong. “I’m so fucking sorry I was such a dick about it back then,” he said. “I completely get it now.”
“I was already embarrassed I asked if they wanted cake. I know they don’t eat human food — I just figured maybe they’d play along for the party, y’know? Blend in. But then she smiled. Said ‘no thank you.’ Told me her name was Tanya. And I could barely say my own name back to her. I stuttered. Like a fuckin’ amateur. Then I ran out here like a complete fool.”
Bless my brother from another mother. Embry had way more experience when it came to dating than even I had. Why? Because he hadn’t been hung up on Bella as a teenager, and he hadn’t imprinted on Renesmee five years ago. That had me pretty limited in the dating experience department. Here he was coming off like a total newbie to a centuries old vampire…
“Well, you know, Embry…” I started with a smirk. “Vampires have really good hearing. Better than ours, actually. You running off like that? Tanya’s probably been listening ever since, trying to figure out what the hell scared you off.” He went ghost white. He made Bella look tan and that was saying something.
“Oh my God. No. I can’t, bro. I can’t,” he said, swallowing hard. The dude was shaking like a leaf in the fall breeze. “Want me to talk to her first?” I offered. “Make sure she’s not gonna rip your head off or something?” I chuckled, mostly to keep him from full-on combusting. We’d always gotten through our traumas with humor. Wolf thing. Bro thing.
“It’s either that,” he muttered, “or I’m going wolf — and staying wolf. Forever.” He wasn’t kidding. I’d done it before — several months on four legs. Coming back to human after that? Felt wrong. Like I was borrowing someone else’s skin. I swore I’d never do it again.
“Stay here. I got you,” I said, clapping his arm with a firm grasp. Then I turned, walked down the porch steps, and crossed the yard toward the stream. I had a feeling she’d been listening in. And I was right.
A small shift in the wind. The scent of cold earth and something subtly floral. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Tanya was there — quiet, graceful, and curious — standing beside me like she’d overheard everything.
“What does it mean?” Tanya asked, her voice just slightly unsteady. I answered the only way I knew how — with the raw truth of what Renesmee meant to me. “I love Renesmee with my entire heart,” I told her. “It doesn’t matter how I show up in her life — brother, protector, best friend, or maybe something more someday. I have to be there. I was put on this earth to love her. And to — hopefully — be loved by her in return.”
Slowly, Tanya lifted a hand to her mouth. I prayed — for Embry’s sake — that it wasn’t from horror. “And…” she whispered, voice thin as could be. “Embry has… done that to me?” Her tone cracked halfway between disbelief and something close to dread. Fear of the unknown I imagined.
“We don’t get to choose who it happens with — or when. Paul imprinted on my sister, Rachel. He’d known her his whole life, but it didn’t happen until six years ago. Sam and Emily? They were childhood friends. But it didn’t happen until after he was already with Leah — and Emily came home for a visit. Timing’s a cruel bastard that way.” It was a little blunt, but necessary.
“What do I do, Jacob?” she asked, barely above a whisper. “I’m a centuries-old vampire. And he’s just… a kid.” That was fair… I guess we were all kids to the vampires, especially ones as old as Tanya. She was older than Carlisle if I recalled correctly.
“He’s twenty-one. Same age as me — physically, at least.” I tried to ease the tension around the age gap with a joke. But the truth? There wasn’t any smoothing it over. Just like with Renesmee and me. There was no helping explain that age gap whatsoever. “We’re grown men, Tanya. A lot of men our age already have wives and kids. For us, it’s different. It’s like we’re frozen until we imprint.”
Even I didn’t like to explain it that way, but there it was. Plain as day, that was the truth. For those of us in the Quileute tribe that become wolves… we’re stuck until we imprint. If you never phase, then you can find love in a more… natural way. Like my parents did.
“Just give him a chance,” I said softly. “Because you can’t un-imprint, Tanya. Let me put it this way — and I’m sorry if it comes off as too harsh. If you ceased to exist tomorrow? That’s it for Embry. He doesn’t get another shot at this. Even if he ever managed to love someone else, it wouldn’t come close to what he feels for you right now.”
I knew I was being too blunt. But she needed the whole truth — the weight of it. Imprinting wasn’t a fairytale. It was gravity. Irrevocable. Permanent. She wasn’t as familiar with what imprinting was, not like the Cullens. Tanya needed to know the depth of it and what it meant for her, and what it meant for Embry.
“But… but it isn’t real love,” she murmured. “How could it be? He doesn’t even know me.” Tanya sounded just as rattled now as Embry had minutes earlier. Rattled was a good sign in my opinion, it meant she was open to possibility.
“Yes and no,” I said. “It’s not love the way humans fall into it. It’s unexplainable — but unconditional. Right now, he’s not in love with you. Not yet. But everything in his DNA — his soul knows that you’re the one. If you give him a chance… that’s when the rest will follow.”
“I’ve gone a thousand years without a mate, Jacob,” she said, her voice breaking around the truth. “I thought I’d found love once. A long time ago. With Edward.” My eyebrows raised at that confession. This was the first I was hearing of such a thing. The plot with the Denali coven thickened.
“It was before Bella. Long before she was even born, even before her parents were born. He didn’t feel the same. Of course not. But I loved him. And I still do — as family. He was kind, and I think he loved me in his own way. Just… not the way I wanted at the time.”
“That explains a lot,” I mumbled slightly under my breath. I hadn’t meant it as offensive towards her or Edward. In a way, it helped me see Edward in a slightly different light. More realistic in a sense. Of course he’d had a past and a life before Bella… but I didn’t realize he’d had that kind of a past, you know?
“Maybe… maybe this is why I’ve never found someone,” Tanya whispered. Like she was finally hearing a cosmic answer to a question she’d stopped asking centuries ago. It was just a vibe, something I was sensing… even without her failed attempt with Edward, I got the feeling that Tanya had failed in love even before him. That maybe she’d given up on the whole idea of it as an immortal.
“Maybe,” I said, rolling my shoulders after hearing her confession. “It could be.” I never knew Tanya had fell for Edward — I guess I could have understood that. I think I’d heard mention that Blondie loved Edward, too, at first. That’s why, I guess, Edward never loved Tanya or Rose back. He was made for Bella.
Vampires didn’t imprint — not like us. But maybe soulmates were a real thing. And maybe that’s what this was I’d never stopped long enough to realize that. I was surrounded by soulmates. Because at the end of the day, that’s what Renesmee is to me, isn’t it? We’re soulmates.
“You won’t know until you try,” I told her. “Talk to him. Get to know him. Even if it never goes beyond friendship — like what I have with Renesmee right now — at least you’ll know. And if you don’t? If you walk away before you even try? I think you’ll regret it. And I know he will. Just think of it as making a new friend for now, okay?” I offered. It was the best I could do.
“You’re right,” she said after a moment of silence. It was silence to my ears, but it was deep contemplation I was sure. “I shouldn’t be scared of this. Or… repulsed. Just because he’s a wolf.” I knew everything in Tanya’s DNA was turning her off to Embry, because it worked the same way for us.
“You and your pack have saved my family more times than I can count. We owe you everything.” I chuckled and shrugged. “Just another day on the job. We don’t hold grudges — not against you or the Cullens. We respect how you live. And for what it’s worth? You’re my family too.”
I watched as her golden eyes drifted from me to the porch where Embry still sat. “All right,” she whispered. “I’ll go talk to him. Get to know him.” I couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at my lips. From this interaction alone, I had a feeling she and Embry were going to get along just fine. Hell — maybe she was exactly the kind of woman he’d always needed.
We started walking back up toward the porch. “Embry? Tanya would like to talk with you,” I said softly. She stepped forward, offering him a polite but slightly shy smile. I could see the way they both trembled just from being near each other. I thought it was kind of endearing, really.
“You didn’t have to run off on me. I promise I don’t bite — at least, not hard.” She extended her hand, and he took it gently. “I’m Embry Call,” he said. “I’m really sorry I ran out on you. I just… I never expected what happened to happen.”
“I’m over a thousand years old, Embry. I didn’t expect it either,” she laughed, still holding his hand. That name — his name — sounded different coming from her. Like it had already meant something to her for centuries. Neither of them realized that, I don’t think. But I certainly did.
I watched as my brother lifted her hand like a gentleman, hesitating just slightly before trying to kiss it. I could see the war behind his eyes — his Quileute instincts telling him to recoil, to reject her, to remember what she was. But the imprinting was stronger. One day soon, he wouldn’t even notice the scent he’d once found offensive. In fact, it would become his favorite.
I left them alone and slipped back into the house. “Now that was something I never thought I’d hear,” Edward chuckled. Of course, he’d caught all of it — not just with his vampire hearing, but by reading minds. Hell, he got a better show than I did. And that wasn’t fair at all.
“Trust me… I thought I’d be the only wolf who ever imprinted on a vampire. I’m kind of offended, to be honest,” I chuckled. “I heard what you said about Renesmee, too,” Edward added. I shrugged. “Figured you did. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“It still takes some getting used to,” Edward said, “but the more you talk about how much you love my daughter… the more okay with it I become.” I never thought I’d hear those words for as long as I lived.
“It’s more than just the imprinting, Edward. Being close to her these past few years — being her best friend — it’s grown into something more. I know I would’ve fallen for her regardless. She’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever known,” I admitted, even though I knew he could already read every word of it in my head.
“You feelings for Renesmee are exactly how I felt for Bella back then. Before you could understand them,” Edward said softly. I reached up to rub the back of my neck. Embry and I both did that — anytime we got called out. It was instinct at this point.
“Yeah… I see that now. I know I’ll always love Bella, and I’d never change our past. But looking back… I was young and stupid. What I feel for Ness? It doesn’t even compare.” I pointed out, though I knew it was already obvious. What I had with Bella was a flicker. What I feel for Ness? It’s a full blown wildfire.
“I’m starting to think that might be the understatement of the year, Jacob,” Edward murmured. In the same way I’d grabbed Embry’s shoulder earlier, he reached out and did the same to mine. “Still can’t call you ‘Dad’ though, right?” I asked, half-teasing. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I braced myself for a smack upside the head — but instead, he just laughed. Ahh, progress.
“We’ll work up to that. Maybe,” he mused playfully before we headed back inside. “He is so hot, Renesmee,” I overheard one of the blonde girls say — I think her name was Caroline. “Forks High sure doesn’t have any guys like him,” the other one — Rebekah — added dreamily. I wasn’t trying to listen in… but I wasn’t exactly walking away, either. My head might have grown just a tiny bit… I’m a man, after all.
“It’s not about looks for me,” I caught Ness whisper. “How do you two even know each other?” One of them asked. A part of me instinctively wanted to jump in — to shield her from any awkward questions.
“Catch the end of the game, Jake?” I heard Seth’s voice call, and I was grateful for the save. I knew Renesmee could handle her friends. And if she couldn’t? Edward or Bella would be at her side in less than a heartbeat. Still, I hated the idea of her having to explain us to anyone.
I settled into the living room and tried to focus on the football game. It was a shit show and a nail-biter — somehow both at once. In the final seconds, Nick Folk kicked a fifty-yard field goal to clinch the win for the Jets. 27 to 24. Talk about a comeback. I didn’t care much who won. I just needed something to keep me from running into the other room and swooping Ness into my arms.
“Ha! Told you! You can always count on the Cowboys to lose,” Emmett howled. His laughter was so loud, it practically shook the walls. Jasper rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow at him. “I’ll definitely take you up on that pity cash offer, Cullen,” Charlie laughed. Looked like Dr. Cullen was cashing in big on the Jets win tonight.
“How about a sympathy dinner sometime soon, too? It’s been a while since we’ve had you all over,” Carlisle suggested. There were human ears nearby — Bella’s old classmates Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. “I’ll talk to Sue about it. I’m sure she’d be happy,” Charlie murmured. “Before Renée heads back to Florida would be good. Bella could have the whole family at the table for once.” It felt weird, hearing words like “family dinner” in this house full of immortals… but it felt right, too.
“Now that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Esme cooed, walking in with a couple slices of cake on plates. “Pity cake, anyone?” She teased. Even I couldn’t help but bark a laugh. “Hell, I’m still hurt the Cowboys lost. I’ll take some,” I joked. Like I said earlier — I loved cake. Especially red velvet.
Besides, it was another distraction from Renesmee. Not that I wanted to be distracted from her — hell, I didn’t even want to be away from her. But the last thing I wanted was to make her feel smothered. I’d dropped a lot on her earlier with the birthday gift.
Like I’d agreed with her family… the ball was in her court now. I just had to be patient.
And until she made her next move… I’d wait right here.
(7,100 words -- roughly 15 pages)
Notes:
Oops - it took two weeks to post instead of one. I'm in the midst of writing up a hilarious Chapter 4. It'll tie in wonderfully to a great plot twist in this chapter. That's the only spoiler I'm going to give, haha. Let your imaginations run rampant!
I've started making some photos via Grok to go along with the chapters of this story - I'll update with a link to the Imgur folders in the Chapter Notes when they're done. I've only messed around with Chapter 1 so far, not 2 or 3 yet. (No worries - I won't be putting the photos *in* the story here on AO3. Just a link in the notes).
The numbers for this story? Well, there must be significantly less Twihards over here than there are fans of the TVDU. Numbers for Always and Forever are through the roof. This story? A little more humbling, haha. But I haven't promoted this story like crazy, either. I'm sure that's making a big big big difference. Plus, the Twilight fad ended a decade ago, kind of, didn't it? Originally I started this story for NaNo 2013, then revisited it and rewrote it for Nano 2023... and now we're less than a month away from NaNo 2025. Man, I'm old.
Anyway, enough babbling. Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll stick around!