Guess what? Stromboli’s back with another Twilight one shot. :) I posted Change of Heart on Gaia, and got some reviews there, but I also got a challenge. Someone wanted me to write Jake’s first moments with Nessie. So, here it is. Not as good as Change of Heart, but Jake doesn’t like me and won’t let me in his head. :( Anyway, here we go. Starts right where Jake’s book ends in Breaking Dawn.

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Gravity

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I had felt what it was like to imprint before… Sam and Quil and Paul and Jared all had, and they thought about it sometimes. Not exactly something you forget. But it was nothing… nothing at all compared to this. The difference between having the sun and moon and stars described to you, and seeing them for yourself.

I was stunned.

Then I was moving. It felt like my feet never touched the ground, like flying. No, easier. Like falling. Obeying the gravitational force. I let her pull me in. But when I was a few feet away, Blondie noticed me. I could feel her glare burning at me but I couldn’t make myself look up to meet it. I was trapped by those chocolate brown eyes. Blondie’s lips pulled back in a scowl and she tossed her hair. Drama queen. The reek that rolled off her when she did that stung my nose. But that didn’t matter. I was close enough now that I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. It matched the glowing warmth inside me.

“Down, dog,” Rosalie snarled at me. “I don’t need to scrub your stink out of the sofa too.”

For once I was able to completely ignore her.

“Can I… hold her?” My voice seemed different. Full of wonder, the sarcastic tone I usually used when talking to Rosalie was gone. I reached out to her, and it was like raising my hands to the sun. Amazing, shining warmth. When was the last time anyone had felt warm to me?

Then Blondie was on her feet, suddenly half way across the room, and I froze. It was like the sun had gone out. Rosalie had her back to me, and I couldn’t see her anymore. And it hurt. Like all the cables connecting me to her were being pulled tight, and in every direction, however best to get me around the obstacle between us. I staggered forward, stumbling over the edge of the sofa. I caught myself before I could fall flat on my face. Blondie would have got a kick out to that. When I looked up again she had turned to give me a mocking look that I hardly saw. I could see her again. The glowing flared up in my chest, soothing the pain.

“Please,” I said, a pleading tone creeping into my voice. “Can… can I hold her—please?”

She scowled but didn’t say anything as she carefully closed the gap between us. I held out my arms and Rosalie gently settled Renesmee into them. A soft sigh blew out of me as I looked down at her. I felt—right. Like I was where I was supposed to be. And I felt good, for the first time in a long time.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing,” I murmured. Understatement of the year. She was gorgeous. Her copper curls were soft and airy, like a halo around her head. She had an amazingly unique smell. Her scent was soft and warm… like wildflowers and honey, with a bright kind of edge. Probably from being half vampire. The idea wasn’t as repulsive now as it had been. Her skin was silky, and pale, with that same delicate translucence Bella’s skin had had.

She looked so tiny and frail in my big, dark arms, and a new need started growing in me, encouraged by the glowing light. I needed to protect her. Something so small and lovely and perfect was just begging the world to come down and crush her. I couldn’t, wouldn’t let that happen. I stroked her cheek carefully with my thumb, amazed again by her warmth.

“Hey there Renesmee… Nessie,” I crooned, looking into those big brown eyes.

“‘Nessie?’ What’s wrong with ‘Renesmee?’” Blondie was still looking daggers at me. I grinned at her, somehow tearing my eyes away from Nessie’s.

“Us rez kids ain’t so good with them great big old words you book-learned leeches like.” I looked back to Nessie at once. “Besides, she doesn’t mind, do you Nessie?” As if in answer, she smiled and gurgled happily. I couldn’t help but to smile back. She was even prettier when she smiled. I ran my thumb along her cheek again and saw her eyes light up curiously.

“Careful,” Rosalie said, starting to reach for her. “I think she’s still—“

Before she could say “hungry” Nessie twisted in my arms, her pearly little baby teeth sinking into my thumb.

“Ouch,” I said softly, pulling my hand away. Rosalie leaped forward to grab her, but I waved her away. I had already stopped bleeding. “It’s alright. You didn’t mean it, did you sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart?” Rosalie echoed, disbelief coloring her voice.

And then it sounded like a bomb went off upstairs.

“No!” Edward thundered. “You flea-bitten mongrel! I’ll kill you, I swear—Alice, come here and watch Bella for a minute.”

Alice stormed up the stairs, scowling at me until she was out of sight. “You’ll forgive me when you remember there’s no way I could have seen this coming.” Her chirpy little bird voice couldn’t quite manage to seem angry.

Edward could. He walked down the stairs with deliberate slowness, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was trying not to snap. I couldn’t figure out what he was freaking out over.

“Oh, you should know damn well what I’m freaking out over, mutt,” he snarled. Dang mind readers. “Rose, take Renesmee.”

I held her closer, not liking the idea of letting her go. It would hurt again. “Why?”

To give them credit, the Cullens do manage to appear pretty human most of the time. This wasn’t one of those times. Humans can’t quite get that expression of “I want to rip your head off with my bare hands and I can do it too.” Edward’s white hands balled into fists and a growl rose in his chest.

“Okay, okay.” I held Nessie out to Rosalie, and she instantly swiped her from my arms. I felt the cables hooked into me pulling tighter and tighter as Blondie stalked away to the kitchen. I watched her until she was out of sight, then looked back to Edward. He was still glaring at me with a kind of disgusted look.

“Is Bella going to be alright?” The question burst from me before I had really thought about it. Edward’s eyebrows raised.

“You care?” he asked scathingly.

His tone and his question threw me for a second. “She’s my friend.”

“Bella’s heart is working on its own now. The venom is already repairing the worst of her injuries. It—looks like she’s going to make it.” His expression twisted in pained ways before settling back on fury. “Bella’s fine and the baby’s out. If the pack gives us trouble, we can handle it on our own now. You can leave.”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t find my voice to respond. I don’t think I can.

“Well, find a way,” Edward snapped. “Because if you ever even look at my daughter again, Jacob Black, I will kill you.”

Outrage kept me from speaking now. It’s not like that! I thought, anger boiling in me again. You know it’s not! I just want her… happy. I just want her safe.

“She is safe. She is happy. Now go.”

“Edward, please—“

“Leave.”

I couldn’t argue with him. Not right now. Right now the leech was set on this. I went for the door, unbuttoning my shirt as I went , and feeling the cables pulling as tight as piano strings, trying to pull me back to Nessie.

I burst through the door and jumped off the porch, phasing mid-leap. I hit the ground running, feeling a little better. Everything felt easier in this form. Emotions came second to instinct. But as I ran for the woods, all my instincts were telling me to turn right around and go back. I turned, fighting those instincts, to sweep the perimeter again. Edward might not want me, but I had to protect Nessie. It wasn’t a choice. It was a need. One that I was more than eager to fill. I reached out to Seth and Leah as I ran.

Guys, things just got a little more complicated.

Oh. Seth replied, digging through my memories.

Damn. Leah sighed, recognizing my mood too easily.

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Well, there you go. Wow this one was a bit long. But I wanted to get in that bit with Edward and Jacob. It was fun. :D

Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, be wonderful and shoot me a review. I loves me the reviews. :)

-Stromboli