Like Mother, Like Daughter

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. All rights go to Stephenie Meyer who inspired this piece.

Author Note: I was one in a million excited about the release of Breaking Dawn. It was amazing! But when I discussed the book with my friends, they all hated the Jacob/Reneesme pairing. Personally, I LOVED that pairing. I didn't understand why they hated it so much. Bella and Edward could be happy, Jacob could be happy... what's wrong with that? Anyways this is just a little one-shot devoted to Jacob's new found happiness. Please read and review. I hope it doesn't suck too much. (shrugs)

It was one of those rare days on the Olympic Peninsula.

I grinned to myself. Perfect weather just like the littlest bloodsuck—I mean Alice said. I never could quite break that old habit. But I was working on it. I was working on it.

I pulled my old, black motorcycle out of my garage. It wasn't my favorite way to travel but if it kept Seth from knowing where I was going then I'd pay that price. It wasn't worth him and his big mouth ruining the surprise. Plus I wasn't too keen on showing up at the Cullens' place with only pants on—it always seemed to bother Edward. Normally that wouldn't stop me but today I had to be good.

"Going out?" Billy called from the porch. He looked amazingly like he did before all this supernatural mumbo-jumbo happened. Except maybe he was grayer and fatter around the middle.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm heading up to the Cullens' house to pick up Nessie and distract her for the afternoon while they get everything ready."

Billy grinned. He always had a soft spot for Nessie. "Make sure to bring her by the house. I haven't seen her in ages."

"You saw her yesterday," I pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'm an old man. Who knows how long I've got."

"Dr. Cullen said you were perfectly healthy last time he checked up on you." That was one of the great perks about being on friendly terms with the vegan vampires—free check ups.

It did suck that most of the Cullens moved out. The official story was that they moved to Orlando. Those in the know knew that they didn't go farther than Seattle. Esme wanted to stay close to Bella, Edward and Reneesme who wanted to stay close for Charlie's sake and (as Bella told me) mine, as well. But only a select few knew that they were still in Forks. Everyone else thought they moved away.

Billy grumbled in his wheelchair. "Drive safely."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, sure." And I took off down the highway.

I had to hand it to Edward; the new parts he paid for brought a new level of speed to my motorcycle. I couldn't wait to show Nessie…

I made it to the Cullens' place in good time. I really was going to have to thank Edward for buying the new parts. I never got there this fast without running before.

Bella was waiting a few feet off the turnoff leading into their driveway. I didn't have to see her to know she was there—I could smell her. And boy did she stink! I idly wondered if vampires ever bothered to bathe. Perhaps it would make a difference. Probably not.

I didn't stop when I saw her but instead continued on down the drive. I did, however, catch the wink she sent me as I drove by. That was a good sign. It wasn't difficult controlling my thoughts when Reneesme still looked like a little kid. But now, as she's matured, it has become increasingly difficult to do that. It didn't help that daddy dearest could hear my every thought. So, it was nice when Bella decided to share her convenient gift with me and shield my thoughts from Edward.

I parked my bike in the little meadow but Bella was already there, beaming at me.

"Hey, Jake," she said, her voice ringing faintly like bells.

"Hey, Bells," I replied, thinking how appropriate my little nickname for her now was. She gives me a tight hug—the kind that threatened to crush my bones—the kind I used to give her when I was stronger than her.

"So, is everyone here yet?" I asked her when she let me go.

"Not yet," she said. "They're waiting for Alice to give the 'okay'."

I smiled, understanding. Alice was waiting for me and Nessie to leave first.

"So, is Reneesme ready to leave then?" I asked as we walked inside. The massive room was empty apart from Edward who was so engrossed in the piano that he barely acknowledged our presence except to smile at Bella in that way that used to make me want to gag. Right on cue, Bella sa-wooned.

She recovered quickly and answered my question. "She's getting dressed but she'll be right down."

The music stopped and I could feel Edward's eyes boring into the back of my head. I turned around and found exactly what I thought I would: Edward's face crumpled up into that frustrated grimace that clearly said that Bella's shield was holding up strongly. But Bella seemed to feel the need to run further defense—or she just wanted to be closer to Edward. With her, it could have been either. Regardless, she sat fluidly down next to him on the piano bench and began to play a tune I recognized as a duet they wrote together for each other. Bells had taken up piano a few years back and was surprisingly good for someone who had only just started. Whatever her plan was, it seemed to work. Edward joined in immediately at his turn.

There was nothing left for me to do but to sit down and see if there was anything to watch on the Cullens' one thousand channels of television. If Nessie was still getting dressed, this could be a while. I silently cursed Alice and Blondie for making her put on all those fashion shows when she was little. Their stupid obsessions with clothing inevitably rubbed off on her.

It was a surprisingly short wait, however, which I was very pleased about.

I hadn't even noticed she'd entered the room until I felt a warm tap on my shoulder. I turned in my seat to see the face that held me to this earth. She smiled at me with a crooked yet oddly symmetrical smile that was characteristically her father's. Her warm, brown eyes danced across my face. Of all the physical traits Bella could have given Reneesme, I was glad it was her eyes. Aside from that, she looked almost like the female version of Edward. But I tried not to dwell on that too much. That concept was a bit creepy to me.

"Hey, you," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me from behind the sofa.

"You ready to go?" I asked.

"That depends," she said. "Where are you taking me?"

"I just thought we'd head down to the reservation for a while. You know Billy's itching to see you. And I thought we could hang out at the beach for a while; the weather's perfect today. Plus at some point I have to give you your super-awesome-surprise-birthday-gift that your parents and I put together.

At the very mention of the word 'gift', Nessie groaned. "What is it with you and presents?" I asked her. It was Edward who answered.

"She gets it from her mother. Bella hates it when I give her presents, too." He playfully nudged Bella in the arm and she rolled her eyes.

"Go on, sweetheart. Have some fun at La Push," Bella said to Reneesme. "Say 'hi' to Billy for me," she added casually. As if she wasn't going to see him later.

"'Bye, Mom." She went over and kissed Bella's forehead. "'Bye, Dad." She repeated the action to Edward. Then she came back over to me, took my hand without a thought, and started hauling me toward the door. "See you later," she called.

I turned my head once and caught Bella mouthing the words 'thank you' to me. I grinned at her as Nessie pulled me through the door.

The sun was high in the sky as we headed outside. Nessie's skin had a pearly luminescence—like supermodels do in those airbrushed photos. I climbed on my motorcycle and Nessie hopped on back, wrapping her arms around me. I really hoped Bella was sill using her shield because I was having difficulties thinking straight while Nessie pressed her chin on my shoulder and her cheek on my neck. I shook it off as best as I could and handed her helmet to her. This was Edward's stipulation. If she was going to ride on my motorcycle then we both had to wear helmets. Reneesme always thought it was unnecessary but I agreed with Edward… even if she was never as breakable as Bella used to be.

I could feel her elation as we sped down the rode. She tightened her arms around my waist and despite the warmth radiating from her skin, I shivered. Damn! Get a hold of yourself, man! I thought to myself.

"So what first?" I asked her as we neared the reservation. "Gift or beach?"

I could almost hear her eyes rolling as she said, "Gift. I'd rather get that over with first."

"Ouch, Nessie. That hurts," I said teasingly. She chuckled and rested her cheek on my shoulder, her breath tickling my skin.

We pulled up to my house. Reneesme smoothly slid off the back of my motorcycle and handed me her helmet. She waited for me and we both walked in the house together.

"Well look who it is! If it isn't Reneesme Cullen! Come here, sweetie." Billy grinned from ear to ear as Nessie came over to him and hugged him. "You've gotten so big since I last saw you," he said taking in her appearance.

She pretended to be offended. "That's not true, Billy. I haven't grown since yesterday." She smiled wryly.

"So are you almost done growing then?" he asked.

"Carlisle says that I'm almost done maturing. Any more changes I experience is just 'fine tuning'," she said.

"It's hard to believe you're seven years old today. You look like you're eighteen."

"Time flies, doesn't it?" I said.

"That it does. That it does."

There was a pause and then Billy said, "Well, I'll leave you kids alone. You two go have fun. Don't mind me." He winked inconspicuously in my direction.

"Do you wanna go to my garage? I have to put the motorcycle back but I've been working on a few new projects that I think you should see."

I had said the magic word: garage. And unexpected trait that I didn't expect Reneesme to have was a love for all things automotive and fast. Bella said she got that from Edward. Nessie's eyes lit up and she eagerly agreed. I smiled. That was easy enough.

We pushed the motorcycle back to the garage together. I talked about some of my new projects—some tune-ups for the Rabbit, rebuilding a Mustang—and she listened intently. Like her mom, Reneesme wasn't particularly verbose. Of course, when you have a power like hers, I doubt anyone would be.

The garage came into view and she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide and jaw dropped. I snickered. This was exactly the reaction I expected from her. She saw her present, wrapped in a big white bow.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, rushing over to touch it.

"It was your mom's," I said, happy that she liked it.

Her fingers lithely roamed over the glossy, red paint, shining chrome and glistening, leather seat. "Really?" she asked, still mesmerized by the motorcycle.

"Yep. When she first brought it to me, it was almost a piece of junk. But it had potential. She and I used to hang out here and work on it. She gave me my motorcycle, too."

"It's too much," she said. But she didn't fool me. Her eyes were still dancing from excitement.

"No it's not," I said, leaning against the wall. "Think of it as a handing down from mother to daughter. Your mom thought it would be an awesome gift to give. Your dad paid for the replacement parts and I supplied the labor. It's three gifts in one."

She smiled but it didn't touch her eyes. She walked over to me and wound her arms around my waist. "Thank you," she murmured into my chest. She was so small! Or maybe I was just so big. It was probably a bit of both.

I stroked her auburn curls softly for a moment. It was nice, holding her like that. But I had to keep in mind that she may not be ready for that kind of relationship yet. I finally said, "So, do you wanna learn to ride your new motorcycle now?"

"Mmm… maybe later. Right now, I want to go to the beach."

"Your wish is my command," I replied.

I took her hand and we walked down to the deserted beach. The sky was a vivid blue and the sun shimmered off the cold water. The stones on the shore glimmered a rainbow of colors.

She sat down on a familiar tree, bleached white from the sun and salt. I sat next to her. She took my hand into both of hers and absently stroked my palm with her fingers tips. Her eyes were thoughtful as she gazed out across the water.

"Jake," she said after a long lapse of silence.

"Yeah, Nessie?" Her cheeks flushed slightly at her nickname.

"I've been thinking…"

"About?" I prompted.

She hesitated. "I don't know how to say it." I was surprised by how uncharacteristically flustered she was. She never had difficulty conveying her thoughts before, least of which to me.

"Maybe you could show me what you're thinking?" I suggested.

Reneesme looked up at me with her big, brown eyes. Ever so slowly, she placed one of her hands on my cheek, the other holding my hand tightly in hers. Her eyes never left mine but I saw a million other things than that.

Sam and Emily's faces crossed her mind. Then Paul and Rachel. Followed by Jared and Kim's faces. Every member from either pack who had imprinted and their significant other crossed her mind. Her thoughts stopped on images of her mom and dad. Then finally she thought about us. The picture of us was coated with the question: will we ever be like them?

She took her hand away from my face. I didn't like that too much. I liked feeling her warm, silky hand on my cheek. She tore her eyes away from mine and let go of my hand. Her expression was embarrassed. Her face was beet-red just like Bella's always did when she was embarrassed.

I sighed. This time I put my hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at me. I looked at her seriously which was weird since it was so much easier to joke around with her.

"Do you want us to be like them?" I asked her.

She bit her bottom lip nervously and adverted her eyes away from me. Very slightly, she nodded her head.

I grinned. I couldn't help it. I wanted this just as much as her. I was just waiting for her to want it, too.

Without taking my hand from her cheek, I leaned in and brushed my lips across hers for a brief second. As short as it was, my lips tingled.

Nessie's eyes were skill closed for a moment after it was over. Then her eyes blinked open.

Her warm eyes sparkled for a moment. And then I couldn't see them anymore. They snapped closed as she flung her arms tightly around my neck and reined me in closer to her, crushing her lips to mine.

"Umph!" She caught me off guard but my body didn't miss a beat. My eyes closed and my hands moved to her hair and her back.

Kissing Reneesme was indescribable. A thousand times better than kissing Bella. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was certain that thought was extremely wrong—who compares kissing one girl to kissing her mother? It didn't make that statement any less true, though…

Nessie pulled away. I didn't like that. Her eyes were wild, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were red and swollen. She was beaming at me.

"Way better than the motorcycle," she breathed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at First Beach, laughing, joking, playing in the sand, and just enjoying each other's company. I was sad to see the sun begin to set.

"Well, I'd better get you home," I sighed. Nessie looked just as disappointed but didn't say anything.

We headed back to the garage and I climbed on my motorcycle. I waited for her to climb on behind me. Instead she hopped on her little red one.

"Oh, no you don't. You don't even know how to drive that thing," I said.

She grinned crookedly. "I bet I can manage."

She put on her helmet, revved up the engine, and tore out of my garage. I stood there, stunned. Then I followed quickly behind.

She stopped at the edge of the reservation and said to me, "Race you there?"

"Bring it on, Nessie."

We raced down the winding highway that was conveniently deserted at top speed.

After parking our bikes in the front lawn, we headed up to the house hand in hand. She wondered to herself why the lights were out. I snickered silently, not saying a word.

We walked through the door and—SURPRISE! Nessie's jaw hit the floor as she gazed around in horror. Charlie, Billy, both wolf packs, the Denali clan, and, of course, all the Cullens were gathered around, grinning at her. Only Bella's face was apologetic.

Nessie turned and slugged me in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You knew about this?" she demanded.

"Duh." Like we weren't gonna celebrate her birthday.

"Sorry, honey," Bella said, coming over to kiss her daughter's forehead.

"We had to do it," Edward said, unrepentant.

Reneesme scowled but went to go greet her guests.

Without looking at Edward, I said, "Like mother, like daughter?"

"Like mother, like daughter," he agreed.

Bella scowled at us and went to join her daughter. Edward and I stared at them both and laughed.