Love Blossom

Nessie realizes that she had feelings for Jacob, but it is taking him forever to come around. If only she knew how he'd been waiting for her and just how hard it is to resist the girl of your dreams when she throws herself at you.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could smell them far to the east…really far, but to the north…ah. I smiled. One mountain lion. I opened my eyes and looked at my Mother. She dark hair rode the wind as her eyes searched the forest in front of us. I knew what she was doing; making sure there weren't any humans around, none besides Jacob. I wasn't sure which one I wanted. Unfortunately there weren't enough Mountain Lions for all of us.

Actually, I smiled, that was perfect, but I had to play it just right. The thing about having vampires for parents, they could hear any change in your voice.

"Mom…" I began calmly. "Why don't you get the lion and we'll take the elk to the east." I paused a moment and then looked at her. She pause too probably running all the possibilities though her head then her golden eyes lit up.

"Stay with her." She told Jacob and took off to the north. Mom knew she could trust me with Jacob, but could she trust Jacob with me?

I looked over my shoulder at Jacob who rolled his eyes. "Stay close." I teased him and took off running east.

It was exhilarating running thought the forest. I was glad to have discovered that the ability to run was inherited from my father and the ability to fall down for no reason was not inherited from my mother.

We closed in on the elks perfectly in sync. I could feel Jake next to me. Our breaths, our heartbeats, our footsteps were all perfectly synced as if we could read each other's minds. We even stop at the same time and peered through the trees at the elk. They weren't all the appetizing, but they would do, besides that wasn't the reason we were out here anyway.

"Ness?" Jake whispered

"Yeah Jake?"

He sighed and I looked at him. His eyebrows were pulled together. Clearly something had him vexed, but what? Hunting usually centered him. He found in peaceful he'd once told me.

Jake turned and looked at me. I could see him perfectly in the moonlight and he looked…intense. I bit my lip to hold my tongue. One thing I knew about Jake, he'd get to it when he got good and ready. I saw Jake's eye wander from my eyes to the lip that I was currently chewing on. He smiled and shook his head.

"Never mind."

Ok so maybe he wouldn't get to it. We both looked back at the elk and smiled. I leapt for the biggest one sinking my teeth into his neck as I broke it and letting the blood pour down my throat. I heard Jake transform behind me and take down the second biggest elk in a matter of seconds. He torn into the skin and ate and I drank.

It wasn't long before we were both finished. Jake went back into the woods to change and put his sweats back on. It was now or never.

I took one more breath in and grounded myself. I can do this. I know I can. Just breathe and go right up to him and…

My mouth hung open as he stepped from behind a tree looking magnificent. The moonlight seemed to caress every muscle and sharpen the rugged features of his face. His hair hung loosely around his shoulders in very soft waves. It was like an angel stepping down from the heavens.

Ok…so I was wrong…I can't do this.

"Ness?" Jacob stopped short. "You ok?"

I nodded. At least I thought I nodded. Maybe I hadn't since Jake was still glaring at me like I'd gone crazy.

"Nessie?" He questioned and took a couple of steps forward. Then he bent over so he was closer to my height. I was 5'2" now and looked approximately fourteen years old, but I felt older, not that I had anything to compare it to.

"Say something." He encouraged clearly getting worried. I didn't want him to be worried, but the words wouldn't come. Traitors, failing me when I need them most. I wanted to be eloquent. Oh well.

I reached up and touched Jacob's cheek. He was warm, warmer than I was. I loved the heat that came off his russet skin.

Closing my eyes I created an image is us in love and him leaning into me for a kiss. It was something I saw in my mind's eye often. Something I felt, or thought I felt…wanted to feel.

Jake lurched back like I burned him with eyes on fire. I gasped. Was he angry that I showed him this? I thought…I thought …maybe.

"Jake." I called softly, but he didn't come.

My hand fell back to my side as we continued to stare at each other neither one speaking for an eternity, or two minutes, whichever came first.

"Renesmee." He shook his head and my shoulders drop. He just called my full name. He never did that. This wasn't good.

"I…" he couldn't find the words

"What?" I tried to help him

He sighed and his gaze fell to the earth. "…don't feel the same way. Sorry."

Something punched me in the chest and I ached all over. Breathe, just breath, in and out. I could handle this. I'd read about in Father's books. People got rejected all the time. They got their hearts stomped on. This wasn't so bad. Yeah right. This was worse, way worse.

He looked up at me and I turned my head. Only then did I realize I was crying. A tear escaped and rolled down my cheek. Another traitor.

Jacob walked toward me with his arms outs. "Ness…" He began. I laughed once. Like a hug could heal my broken heart.

Instinctively I stepped back and shook my head. More tears fell and my curls bounced as I did. I couldn't bear to see his perfect face teasing me with what I couldn't have.

I ran.

I ran far.

Past the cottage and the main house to the other side up near the mountains. I heard him behind me. Damn it! Didn't he know I wanted to be alone? I knew these woods like the back of my hand, I didn't need him.

I pushed myself harder faster until my breathing was no longer even. Jake fell behind unable to keep up as a human. Then I heard something that made me even angrier. Jake phased.

He phased so he could catch me. I stopped dead and turned to face him. He appeared thought the trees light flashing on his shiny brown coat.

I growled at him to let him know he wasn't welcome. He growled back. So…that how he was going to play it. The most stubborn person would win huh?

Well I had a few word for mister I-don't-feel-the-same-way. I opened my mouth to let him have it when something sharp pierced my spine.

I screamed as the pain seared though my body. I could move. I fell to the ground gasping for air that didn't want to come so I laid there writing in pain.

Jake appeared above me with a mixture of pain and anger in his eyes. His head darted around the woods looking for who had done it probably wanting to rip them to pieces, but unable to leave my side. Finally reaching a decision he threw his head back a howled.

Not a minute later my mother was by my side running her fingers through my bronze curls.

"What happened?" She asked trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"…Don't…" I couldn't form a sentence. The pain was all I felt ripping thought me. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes.

My mother and Jake stared at each other for a moment and nodded. You would have thought they had read each other's thoughts and come to a conclusion on something. Jake went into the woods to phase back and Mom pulled out a tiny silver phone and pressed one button.

"Edward. It's Renesmee."

She hung up and lay down next to me stroking my face and arms trying to comfort me. I saw my pain reflected in her eyes.

Jake joined us crouched beside our heads watching for my father's approach. We heard them before he saw them.

"Bella? Nessie?"

Father was by my side in a moment with pained eyes. He surveyed my body and hissed when he saw my back. Clearly whatever happened could be seen there. I felt my father's cold fingers graze the area and I gasped in pain.

"Edward. Don't move her." Carlisle instructed. Where had he come from? Who else was here?

"What is it?" Mother asked him

"Gun shot." Carlisle answered cutting fabric out of the way.

"Who?" Father growled though his teeth.

"I didn't see….I'm sorry." Jacob mumbled. "Sorry."

"N…" I tried to protest. This wasn't Jake's fault. I was the one who ran away and got too close to a trail. I'd been over confident and angry. I'd growled at him. Unbelievable!

Reaching for my mother's hand and I showed her that I'd out run Jacob and that it wasn't his fault.

"Oh." Father replied.

It wasn't hard to keep why I'd run from Jake out of my head. The pain did that for me.

"We can move her carefully. But we should go slowly." Carlisle informed them

I felt the heat of Jake's body as he came around the side of me to scoop me up, but I knew I couldn't be in Jake's arms. No right now. I was in pain, but I was still hurt.

Father?

"I've got her Jacob." Edward told him as he gently cradled me in his cool arms. I had no problem being Daddy's little girl right now. No problem at all.

I heard Jake sigh, but refused to look back.

My eyes stayed closed the whole time trying to imagine the pain away. I didn't open them until I found myself on the gold bed in my father's old room. It was soft and big enough for mother to get on and lay next to me.

I was on my side and facing the door so I saw everyone come and go. Once again Alice was being too hard on herself for not being able to see me. Rose looked in on me for a moment and then went downstairs to have words with Jacob I'm sure. Father stood at the end of the bed watching over mother and I while he waited for Carlisle to return with instruments to get the bullet out.

Carlisle came in with Esme and a tray of instruments

"Nessie?" He called to me.

Yes

"She can hear you." Father answered for me

"I'm going to give you locale anesthesia and then I'm going to remove the bullet.

Alright

"Alright." Father answered

A prick that barely registered compared to the rest of the pain poured some sort of numbing liquid into my back.

I didn't take the pain away, but it must have done something because I didn't even know that he was cutting to get the bullet out until Mother squeezed my hand.

I closed my eyes unable to look at her anymore. It made it worse to know that I was causing her pain on top of my own. Then a calm set over me. The pain was still there, but I wasn't anxious anymore.

Opening my eyes I saw Jasper standing a few feet away. I glanced back at my mother's face and she seemed more relaxed as well.

Thank you

"Thank you." Father responded.

"There." Carlisle announced that he had finished extracting the bullet.

Why didn't I feel better?

"She's still in pain." Mother informed him. She must have seen from my touch that I didn't feel the difference.

"I can give her pain killer thought I'm not certain how much to give. She's never even been sick before so there's nothing to go on." I could hear the helplessness in Carlisle's voice and chastised myself for bringing this on them.

"It's not your fault Nessie." My father reminded me.

I would have shaken my head to disagree if I thought it wouldn't cause more pain.

Carlisle squeezed my shoulder lightly then left the room with Esme in tow. She turned at the door and flashed my a warm get well smile. I really loved how loving she was.

I closed my eyes trying to force myself to sleep.

"Maybe she'll heal fast like Jake." Mother suggested.

"Maybe?" Father didn't sound so sure.

He heard his footsteps as he left the room and went downstairs. Carlisle returned with another syringe of painkillers that helped knock me out. Between that and Jasper and mother's cool fingers stroking my hair in perfect rhythm I drifted off the sleep.

It wasn't a restful sleep. Everything was hot and tired and red. Too much. I was like swimming through lava. Why was it so hot? I never got hot, or cold.

Renesmee

I heard a distant voice, but it didn't come from anywhere. There wasn't anything anywhere, just more red hot lave burning me up making me sweat. Sweat.

Renesmee

A cool breeze briefly swept over my brow, but it didn't help at all. Just when I thought it couldn't be hotter it was.

"Edward! Carlisle!" that was mother's voice somewhere in the distance. "She's burning up."

"She's on fire." Carlisle responded. Yes. I was.

"Nessie." Father called. The lava began to shake and lap against my body.

"St…" I wanted it to stop shaking. It hurt. It burned.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Mother panicked.

"Bella."

That was Jasper. A new wave of calm pressed down on the fire hot lava. Why couldn't he have another power that made the lava go away?

"Infection." Carlisle informed them.

"The area is infected. But how?"

"It could be a reaction to the bullet." Father reasoned.

"Possibly. We've got to get her fever down."

A moment later something pricked me and slowly the lava began to cool. I wished it would get cold like ice. I'd take be stuck in a glacier over this right now.

The lava continued to cool until it was room temperature again.

"Still think this wasn't my fault Edward."

"Jake." I protested, but it sounded like a mumble by the time it made it out of my mouth.

"Yes. I'm certain." Father told him. I was sure that Jacob had replayed the entire scene in his head for my father, hopefully involuntarily, which meant it wouldn't be long before my mother knew everything too. The lava was pretty inviting right now.

Chp 2

I sighed as Esme ran a cool cloth over my face. It felt good to have something so cool against my skin and actually feel it. Fighting off the infection had taken quite a lot out of me and had worried everyone else to death, even Jacob.

I sighed again, this time because I knew I'd have to face Jacob and I didn't know what to expect. I hated that. Walking into an unknown situation was not my favorite.

"Feeling better?" My mother asked me. I opened my eyes and smiled at her. She always looked so beautiful. Today she was wearing jeans and a long sleeved red shirt. Simple and yet she still looked like a supermodel.

"Yes. Esme's been taking good care of me." I touched Esme's face and showed her thankful I was. She smiled and left the room leaving us alone.

Mom sat on the bed next to me and I pulled my legs in so I was cross legged. I guess she had something to tell me, most likely something unpleasant. Mom always seemed to volunteer for that. Maybe she thought it was easier on me. Actually it was easier when it was Father because I didn't have to say anything out loud at all.

"Renesmee."

"Yes."

"No one is angry with you, but you can go running off like that. Unfortunately you aren't as infallible as we would hope. If you weren't half-vampire you'd probably…"

I turned my head when she didn't finish her sentence. This is where I would have thought the word dead in my head and Father would have nodded.

"…still be very sick and in a lot of pain." She finished

Wimp. I could take it. Didn't she know she could have said dead I wouldn't have fallen to pieces? I might be five, but still.

I turned back to face the wall of glass and expected the frustration over something so little to dissipate. IT didn't. That's when I realized what the whole problem was. I wasn't just Jacob's rejection it was the fact that he treated me like a child. They all did, every last one. I wasn't a child and I was a toy or a doll.

Pushing myself off the bed I stood facing the glass wall with my arms crossed. I heard her cross the room and put her hands on my arms. They felt cool, but at the moment unwelcome. I wanted to shake them off, but it would hurt her feelings

"Renesmee, what's wrong?" she cooed in my ear

I contemplated telling her everything but decided against it.

"Nothing." I breathed and closed my eyes. We were silent for a moment before she withdrew and walked to the door. Apparently her feelings were hurt anyway.

"Mom." I called after her before she hit the door. "Where's Jacob?"

She looked as though something had stung her and then rearranged her features to appear serine. "Back porch."

I nodded once and turned back to the wall. I had to confront him now. I expected everyone else to treat my like a baby. I was the only one they'd ever had and I'd grown up so fast. But Jacob should he held to a higher standard. He was a friend not family. There wasn't any reason for him to be so dismissive and overbearing.

Running down the stair all the way to the first floor I was surprise not to pass anyone. Where were they? I hoped not on the porch since I wanted to speak with Jacob alone. I approached the porch slowly not wanting to seem too eager. He was there sitting on the edge looking out at the evening sky. The sun had already disappeared behind the trees. It had been one of the few days that the sun had shown in Forks, absolutely beautiful.

"Hey Ness." He spoke without turning around or getting up.

"Hey Jake." I responded trying to sound breezy. I sat next to him, but not too close.

"Jake, I can talk to you about anything, right?"

He turned to look at me, paused, and looked back toward the sky. "Sure, sure."

My jaw dropped a hair. He paused, he actually paused. Did he mean it? How could I tell him anything after he paused? I turned my head back to the front and sighed. I wanted to hiss.

"Well, what is it?" he shrugged. Now he was rushing me. I wanted to growl.

"Nothing. " I spat. "Just wondering." I wasn't telling him anything. Not now at least.

"Then I got to get going." He shrugged again and stood up heading for the trees.

My jaw dropped more than a hair. He was blowing me off? Why? He'd been hanging around the whole time I was upstairs recovering. But now that I was better he couldn't be bothered. Unbelievable! I bawled my hands up into fist. A fury of emotions ran though my body. I was angry alright, but mostly I was afraid. Afraid that my feelings were driving a wedge between us and that I could not take.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched him disappear into the trees. When would he be back?

"Tomorrow." My father answered my silent thought startling me. I jump and he caught me and steadied me on my feet.

"Nessie, you alright?" His golden eyes scanned my face.

"No." I shouted my louder than necessary. Sorry I told him and took off running back for his old room.

This time everyone was out from wherever they had been before. I pasted them all as I shut the door to the room and turned on some music to drown everything out before throwing myself on the bed and crying.

Please leave me alone I thought loud and clear as I cried myself to sleep.