The Forever Promise

Chapter 3: I Knew Something Was Up….

Song: Enya- Pax Deorum

After the bracelet-making debacle was over, I knew I had to see Nessie. I missed her so much, and I hoped that she missed me too. I got this weird feeling as I approached the house, now in human form. Like the ball just dropped. I walked quickly and smelled the air around me, shocked that Edward didn't meet me at the door with 80 shirts.

I reached the door and just walked in. I never even stopped to ask if it were rude because I knew that Carlisle and Esme would dismiss the thought. We were family more than ever now because of Nessie. My Nessie. I heard her heartbeat and walked toward the sound but instead was almost trampled by a harried looking Alice and a confused looking Jasper. Alice was screaming about finding someone as she dragged Jasper out the door. I watched them run off and jump over the river. I shook my head and turned to ask the obvious question.

“Where’d Alice go?” I asked after closing the front door. I looked at them all. I had never seen them look more frightened and started to shake. My eyes whipped over to the couch where Nessie was resting.

Emmett walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, Jake.” His grasp got firmer, as though he were restraining me.

“Is she okay?” I screeched as I broke his hold on me to observe Ness as best I could without waking her. I scanned up and down her body and looked at both Bella and Edward, beseeching them to tell me what was wrong.

Edward closed the space between us and put his arm around me as Bella said, "We've been sentenced to die."

After an hour of the Cullens trying to calm me down, the shakes just wouldn't stop, I was told that Alice had another Volturi vision. They were coming in a little over a month. When the snow fell. Evidently, it had something to do with a vampire we saw in the woods during a hunting trip a few weeks back. Alice had seen her going to the Volturi to tell them that Edward and Bella had made a baby vampire. I was so confused, so Carlisle explained to me what an immortal child was.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me that evil bloodsuckers used to bite babies?" I paced back and forth, trying to take in all the information that was being thrown at me.

"Many of them didn't do it for food, Jacob. They wanted to keep the babies frozen in time, forever young. They didn't always think of how the babies would be practically untamable. The immortal children were both indestructible and destructive to others. It was a dangerous combination, and it is one of those Volturi laws that is not often broken," Carlisle explained carefully.

"And that vampire in the woods, she thinks that Nessie is one of those dangerous children?" I had a hard time even getting the words out. Nessie, dangerous? She would never hurt anyone, not on purpose. Biting me is only for fun, and she loves Charlie and Sue so much! I could chop that vamp to bits for doing this to Ness....

Edward stiffened and pinched the bridge of his nose. I knew he heard what I said, but he didn't get to comment before the good doctor continued.

"The vampire you and Bella saw, Irina, her mother was destroyed by the Volturi for making an immortal child. Kate, Tanya, and Irina had no idea about him, so they were saved. Sadly, Irina was already upset with us over the unfortunate Laurent/werewolf incident and evidently did not feel safe talking about it with us." Carlisle sighed.

Carlisle was very worn looking. I had only seen him this way when Bella was pregnant and no one knew what to do to help her. That turned out alright. This just had to also. When I thought that, Edward turned his head but refused to look at me.

"Um, not to bring this up, but...no one ever answered me before. Where did Alice go?" From the stares I got, I regretted asking.

"She's been gone a long time," Blondie said as she looked back and forth between Emmett, the window, and Nessie. Her head was moving so fast, I imagined her getting whiplash. Under normal circumstances, I would have commented on it, but she looked worried. Not really knowing what was up, I felt it was better to keep my mouth shut.

"Good call, Jacob," Edward agreed to my unspoken thought. I nodded and took a seat in the armchair that had been designated mine months ago.

It seemed like we sat there forever, as if we all had so much to say but just couldn't. I couldn't stay still anymore. I got up and paced in front of the couch where Nessie was sound asleep, bless her; she was still oblivious to all of this. Edward sat near Bella, the two of them staring so hard into one another's eyes and holding hands so tightly that I swear if she were still human, hers would be broken. Blondie and Emmett were standing by the window, Emmett's eyes wider than I had ever seen them, with actual worry, and his hands on Blondie's hips. He kept kissing her hair. Carlisle was pacing back and forth, making sure to touch each one of us as he walked by, mumbling to himself. Esme was sitting on the couch, running her fingers through Ness' hair and compulsively fixing the blanket keeping Nessie warm.

How could I ever have seen the Cullens as normal bloodsuckers? They were a family who loved each other so much. Two of them were gone, and they were all lifeless, no pun intended.

I never thought of Alice and Jasper as quitters. Alice, my little Shorty, was a feisty thing I never saw back down from danger, including werewolves. During Bella’s pregnancy, we had formed a little bond. I was her psychic-vampire Excedrin, and she was on my side. Jasper had been through so much in his pre-Cullen life that he certainly would never back down without a very good reason. Alice must have known something, something we all didn't know, for her to take Jasper and leave.

It was as if she heard my thoughts when Bella jumped up, scaring everyone. I scrambled out of the chair, shaking, ready to phase immediately. Scaring vampires and werewolves is almost an impossible task.

"Stay with Renesmee!" she yelled back at me as she ran out to door. The rest of the family followed after her. I walked over and sat on the couch near Nessie, hoping that I was gentle enough not to wake her. I looked down and saw her wide awake, peering at the door from under her tangled curls. I cleared my throat. She closed her eyes and sighed, knowing she had been caught.

"How long have you been awake, Miss Nosy?" I asked her in a silly voice, trying to calm both of us for the conversation that I knew was coming.

"Long enough," she whispered as she struggled to sit up in her tangle of blankets. I picked her up and sat her on my lap facing me. Her head was hanging down.

"Hey, look at me, Ness." I poked her belly, hoping to get a giggle.

She just sat there with her head still down. I heard a tiny sniffle.

"Ness, what's wrong? It's me, your best buddy! You can tell me anything. You know that!" I lifted her chin. She opened her beautiful brown eyes, and I was lost. Lost even more because she was crying, and I knew why. Lost because I had no answers. Lost because I knew that the Volturi meant business. Lost because I knew that if it came down to it, I would die for her. I wasn't afraid to.

She put her hands to my face and closed her eyes as two more tears slipped out. She showed me a picture of Alice and Jasper leaving, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie's worried faces, Esme covering her, my body shaking and calling out her name. She kept showing them to me over and over again, and we were both frozen by her anguish. Her tears poured from her, and I was powerless to stop them.

This imprinting crap was agony.

“Why did they leave?”

Crap. One of the bajillion questions I had no answer for. Should I ignore it and save that one for Vamp Daddy? Let him be the one to make her cry?

“I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe Alice forgot about a sale at Saks?” I giggled nervously, hoping that I might have made her laugh a little, too.

She blinked her beautiful eyes at me. They looked dead. They scared me more than anything in my life.

"Tell me what to do, Ness. Tell me what I can do to fix it," I implored her.

"Hug me so tight, Jakey,” she choked out, the tears pouring out like a monsoon. “Please don't leave me."

As if I ever could.

I crushed her to me as we both cried. Cried for her parents, for Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme. I cried because I was helpless, and she clung to me.

And eventually, we stopped. I took a deep breath and waiting for the questions I knew she had. I could see the little wheels turning in her brain.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

“What are you scared of? Do you think any of us would let anyone or anything hurt you?”

“I’m not scared of being hurt…” her voice trailed off. “I’m scared that these bad creatures will take Momma and Daddy and my family away like they took Uncle Jazz and Auntie Alice.”

“I don’t have all the answers, Ness. It seems that these vampires from Italy are the bosses of that world. I don’t understand all of it, but if I know anything it’s that your family is strong. They will have a plan. This is grown-up stuff that you have to deal with, Ness. I’m so sorry.”

“Promise,” she whispered.

I was confused. I hadn’t said anything to make her respond to me like that.

“Promise what, honey? Tell me.”

She grabbed my face and smooshed my cheeks like she always did when she wanted my undivided attention. “Promise we’ll always be together. Promise that you love me. No matter what happens! Pinky promise,” she demanded.

I couldn’t lie to her and tell her everything was going to be okay. I wanted to, but I knew it was wrong. So, I did all I could. I hugged her and wiped her tears. It was all I could do.

“I promise, Renesmee. Whatever I have to do to make it so, we will always be together somehow. You’re my best girl! I always love you.” I wrapped my pinky around hers and kissed her hand.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

When I heard the crunching of the stones outside, I knew that the Cullens were coming back. Nessie heard them, too, and quickly rubbed her eyes to try and get the tears that were still threatening to fall out. I smiled feebly at her and turned her around in my lap while we sat in the chair in the corner. Her hands dug into my forearms, and I gripped her waist so tightly. It was almost as if I were daring someone to come and try and take her from me.

The door flew open as Esme and Carlisle breezed in with Blondie and Emmett right behind them. Emmett ran upstairs, taking four at a time, while screaming to Blondie that a silk wrap dress and stilettos might not be the best attire for finding nomads. Nessie placed her palms open on my arms.

Searching for nomads? But…those are vampires that eat humans, right? She trembled at her own thought.

I leaned into her ear. “You are only half, so you don’t smell as delicious to them as you do to me!” I poked her sides, and she yelped. I tickled her until she laughed and started screaming, “UNCLE!”, at which time Emmett came pealing down the stairs.

“Ness? What’s wrong?” he bellowed, stalking over to the big window and crouching into a defensive position.

“Uncle Em, I’m sorry. I was saying “uncle” as in “I give!” just like Uncle Jazz taught me to do when Auntie Alice and Auntie Rose were making me wear too many outfits in one day!” She bit her lip, afraid that he was mad at her.

He relaxed and came over to kneel in front of her, laughing all the way down.

“I love you, Curly-Q. You know that, right?” He stared into her eyes. “Tell me you know how much we all love you.”

I wanted to hug Emmett. He seemed to know that’s what I needed him to say to her. She needed reassurance, and I was about to crack.

She pushed her tiny hand to his chubby cheek. With her hand still on my arm, I could tell what she was showing him. She was showing him a picture of her, Blondie, Em, and me in their vast backyard. Em was swearing at me as we tried to put together the jungle gym we had picked out with the tree house, slide, swings, and the hide-a-way on the bottom. She was showing herself staring at him with pride as she sat with the Blonde who was running a brush through Nessie’s copper curls. The love that Nessie felt for Em and Blondie was running through the three of us. If Emmett could cry, he would be.

Ness released his face and leaned over to kiss him where her hand had been. I heard a whimper come from the doorway of the living room, so faint, so sad. I slowly turned my head to see Esme holding one of my t-shirts, surveying the scene in front of her. Our eyes met and echoed one another’s fury and pain. I smiled at her, in silent thanks for the shirt. I just noticed I was still half-naked.

She walked over to us, and put her hand on Emmett’s shoulder.

“Carlisle would like to talk to you for a minute. He has some suggestions on where to find some of our nomad friends.”

He stood up, towering over his adoptive mother. She grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away and pointed to her cheek. He smiled and kissed her.

“Sorry, Ma. How could I forget?” He winked at her.

“Be careful. Take care of each other and come back soon,” she stammered as the tearless sobs wracked her body. She smoothed his shirtsleeve where she had grabbed him and turned to Ness and me.

Nessie reached out to her. I relinquished my hold to the one person I would willingly give Ness to. Esme had always made me feel as if I belonged here, even when I didn’t think so. She made me miss my mother and allowed me to let her rest all at the same time. She hugged Nessie to her chest and passed me the shirt. Nessie snuggled in and wrapped a piece of Esme’s hair around her finger. My Ness loved playing with people’s hair.

Esme cleared her throat. “Please put that on before Edward comes back and shreds you to pieces. We need you around here.” I scrambled into the shirt. Once my head popped out of the hole at the top, I felt a cold hand on my cheek.

“Why don’t you go listen to Carlisle talk with Emmett? I’m sure you have questions about what we are preparing for, and I would like to spend some time with my granddaughter before my short trip. Is that okay, Jacob?” Esme looked at me, almost prepared for me to refuse. How could I?

“That’s great, Esme. Could you keep an eye on the rascal here so I can get some information? I’ll need to talk to Sam eventually anyway, especially if there will be visitors.”

“Jakey,” Ness called out to me. “Don’t be too far away.”

“I’ll be right in the study, Ness. I promised, remember?” It hurt to walk away from her. Get a grip on yourself…you’re only going to the other room, I told myself.

“He won’t go far,” I heard her tell Esme. “He pinky promised!”

“Oh my, well, that’s a special promise! Now, honey, your Grampie and I have to go on a little trip…”

I left Esme to explain some things to Nessie as I walked to Carlisle’s study. I heard Carlisle say to Emmett, “Let’s wait for Jacob, please.”

I knocked and was bidden to enter. Carlisle had a map of North America on his desk, and Emmett was bent over it.

“Hello, Jacob. We have much to discuss and not much time to do it so you can prepare the packs. This is important information that Sam must have in order to stay safe.” Carlisle sounded grave, so I gave him my full attention. It sounded like we were preparing for a fight. A fight we might lose.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Carlisle told me how he and Esme were going to search for other covens while Rosalie and Emmett were going to look for nomads to bear witness to Nessie’s growth. Part of the problem with immortal children is that they couldn’t grow. The Volturi would be hard pressed to miss Nessie’s growth. It had only been three months since her birth, and she looked almost 2! They had to believe us. And if they didn’t, we would make them.

Soon after, I returned to the living room. Esme passed Nessie back to me, and we sat back in our corner chair waiting for Bella and Edward. When they returned, they began speaking with Carlisle. He told Edward to remain here at the big house with Nessie and Bella in order to show them Ness when they arrived. I began whispering to Ness, explaining what was going on. Bella looked over at us, pain in her eyes. I guess she was pissed that I was telling Ness what was going on.

Nessie turned around and put her hand on my cheek. Shouldn’t we help?

“No, we’ve got to stay here. Carlisle’s friends are coming to see you, not the scenery,” I said matter-of-factly. Bella glared at me.

Ness kept her hand in place. Remember, you promised. Don’t you dare go anywhere, she challenged me.

“No, I don’t have to go anywhere…do I?” I asked Edward. He didn’t look too happy with that question. Nessie knew it, too, because she tightened her grip on my arms. Oh no, he was going to make me leave her. I started to shake slightly.

“Spit it out!” I snapped, a little too harshly. I knew he would never ask me to do anything that would hurt Nessie on purpose. Do you not understand that being apart hurts us both?

He sighed and explained that it might be safer for Renesmee and easier for the vampires if they did not have to deal with me. He understood how difficult it would be for me to be away from her and told me so. He actually sounded sincere.

“Company in the morning, huh?” I suggested.

Edward kept talking, and I saw Bella walk over to sit near the computer. She almost reminded me of her human self, just staring absent-mindedly into oblivion. Her hands drifted over the keys. She glanced around quickly and I swore I saw her type something. She erased it so fast. I made a mental note to ask her about it later on.

When Bella decided it was time to bring Ness back to the cottage, I knew that it was time for me to go to talk to Sam. Not looking forward to that.

Ness bounced in my arms and kissed my cheeks.

“Good night, Jakey,” she said.

“Night, precious.” I passed her to Bella. “Sweet dreams, and I’ll see you in the morning!”

I walked out of the house and phased, ripping my clothes in front of the house. I didn’t hear Edward screaming until it was too late. I had just phased right in front of Nessie, him, and Bella.

“JACOB!” he growled at me. “Next time, I would appreciate it if you paid attention to where you were phasing…my wife and daughter just saw your behind.”

I slowly turned my head to see his glare and Bella hiding her obviously amused face in Nessie’s hair. They were both laughing so hard that I howled, too.

“Nice buns, Jakey,” Nessie giggled.

“Young lady!” Edward admonished. “Where did you hear such a thing?”

“Is that bad to say, Daddy? Auntie Rose tells Uncle Emmett that all the time…” her words trailed off as she watched him turn his head towards the door.

I took this as my cue to run like hell, still chuckling to myself, as I heard Edward scream, “ROSALIE HALE! WATCH YOUR MOUTH AROUND MY DAUGHTER!”

I needed a bit of levity before the train wreck that was about to happen. At least Christmas was soon…and with all of this going on, I couldn’t wait to slip that bracelet on Nessie’s arm. That way, she would always have a piece of me near her. And she could keep it always.