"You wanna do what?" Bella demanded.

"This is crazy, Renesmee, even for you. I can't even believe you think we would ever agree to this," Edward seethed.

Nessie sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't asking for permission, Dad."

"This is unbelievable. What makes you think you can move in with Jacob? Have you talked to him about this?"

"I never said move in. I simply said that if Jacob goes home tomorrow, I wanna go with him. He shouldn't be alone."

"We can hire him a nurse," Edward offered.

"Absolutely not! He doesn't need a nurse. He needs me."

"This is a horrible idea, sweetie. You two will be arguing in no time," Bella stated. "You know Jacob is a loner."

Renesmee scoffed. "Do you remember that we are together? We are in love. This is all we talk about, wanting to be together. And I know that if this hadn't happened, we would have waited a while. But he's healing and I'm gonna do whatever I can to help him. Case closed."

"This case is not closed, Renesmee!" Bella called, as her daughter raced out the door.
.....
Renesmee scowled all the way back to the main house. It had been a week since Jacob had started his physical therapy and even though he had been progressing each day, he still seemed frustrated...and distant. She convinced herself that he just wasn't happy here and tried to ignore the doubts that plagued her.

Jacob was keeping a secret from her, she could feel it. She thought if she could get him home, then they could connect again and be truly happy. And being back on the reservation seemed to be what Jacob wanted the most.

He just kept insisting that he needed to be strong enough to phase again. It seemed to have become an obsession of his. Renesmee knew that he wanted his healing powers back and of course, his chance at long life with her, but honestly, she didn't care about either one.

She loved him regardless. After having lost him once, there was nothing more important than his life, no matter how long it lasted. Renesmee had vowed to spend any amount of time they had left together. Her heart ached when she wondered if he felt the same way about her.

Renesmee smiled a little when she heard the pack. They were being loud, obviously a football game or maybe soccer. She turned toward the sound of their voices and grinned when she saw them. "Heads up, Nessie!" Seth called, snapping the football in her direction and gasping when she caught it expertly.

"Better run!" Paul advised as he sprinted toward her. She scoped out her possible paths, eyeing them all as they barrelled in her direction.

Nessie darted past Paul just in time, she zig zagged around Quil and ran at top speed to the other end of the clearing behind the house. Seth cheered her on as she was mere steps away from victory. She made one last dive as Paul captured her, cradling her in a tackle and rolling over each other three times before coming to a stop.

Renesmee couldn't stop laughing as Paul knelt above her, smiling like an idiot. "Sorry if I hurt you, babe," he smirked as he offered to help her up.

"I'm fine," she announced, "but you were way too slow."

"No way! I got you before..."

Paul fell forward as he moved to stand. Renesmee looked up to find Jacob standing over them, his dark eyes blazing in anger. "What the hell, Jacob?"

He reached for her, but she smacked his hand away. "I can't believe you just did that!" she sneered.

Renesmee stood as Paul sprung forward, lunging toward Jacob. She jumped between them, facing Paul and pressing him back. Paul reached around her, determined to grab Jacob one way or another. Renesmee grabbed Paul's face forcing him to make eye contact with her. "Don't do it, Paul," she begged.

Paul glanced at her, then back at Jacob. He noticed the way Jacob's face changed when she touched him, the way he bared his teeth and his body vibrated. He wondered, just for a moment, how far he could go.

Paul smiled slightly down at Renesmee and pulled her close to him, "I'm sorry, babe. You know I'd never hurt him for real."

Nessie innocently hugged him back as she thanked him, but his hands drifted lower and he buried his face in her neck. "Paul..." she protested, but he refused to let her go.

Paul squeezed her ass and pressed his lips to her neck. He braced himself for whatever punishment either Jacob or Nessie would dish out first. "Get off...me!" she exclaimed, trying to shove him away.

The pack all stared at Jacob, wondering how much longer he could let this go on. He was bent over now, chest heaving, body shuddering violently, but then he collapsed. Paul released his grasp on Nessie quickly when he saw Jacob fall. She smacked Paul hard across the face and turned to find Jacob crumpled in the fetal position on the ground.

"You were almost there, man. Did you feel it?" Paul demanded as he rubbed his cheek. Nessie had gotten quite a shot in.

Renesmee glanced between them, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What the..."

Jacob struggled to sit upright. He nodded slowly. "It was right there...so close I could feel it."

Nessie's mouth gaped open when she realized what they had done. "Are you serious right now? You...you did all that...just so he could phase?" she accused Paul, as he gazed at her sheepishly.

"Don't be mad at him, Ness..." Jacob huffed, as he stood up slowly, trying to regain his strength.

When he reached for her, she pulled away with a disgusted look on her face. "I can't believe you'd risk a setback in your recovery just so you could phase. Jesus! Who cares? I don't!"

"Come on, Ness. Ease up on him," Paul suggested gently.

"Oh shut up, Paul. You make me sick," she whirled around to glare at all of them. "All of you make me sick. You're keeping something from me and I wanna know what is!"

They each cast downward glances out of guilt, knowing they were all sworn to secrecy, all but Seth and Embry, who hadn't been told. "I don't know anything," Embry confessed.

"Nessie, you gotta understand that Jake..." Quil began, but paused when Jacob glared at him.

"Oh I see, Alpha's orders? Is that what this is?" she accused, facing Jacob now. "You've been keeping this secret for a week now, keeping me at arm's length, making me feel like you don't want me anymore..." her voice broke.

Jacob's expression softened. "Come on," he urged.

"Tell me now," she demanded. "They already know anyway and obviously they won't tell me. So what is it? Why don't you love me anymore?" she begged, choking back tears.

Jacob clenched his jaw and shook his head. "It's not that. Never that."

"Talk to me," she breathed as she pounded on his chest.

"Just tell her!" Jared demanded. "I can't take this anymore."

"Yeah what gives, Jake? How long are you gonna keep torturing her?" Seth sidled up to her, no longer able to watch her cry.

"Say something now, Jacob...or I'm leaving," she threatened. "I just told my parents that when you go home, I'm going with you. Isn't that what you too?"

Jacob's face crumpled. In his mind, he thought this was the right thing to do. He couldn't phase. He was so close, so angry, so ready to explode, but his body wouldn't cooperate. That was the deal. Phase or let her go. But the moment was here and his heart was breaking.

She waited for what felt like an eternity and then grabbed Jacob by the face. "That's it. I'm done. Keep your damn secret," she spat angrily. Renesmee tossed him a heartbreaking look before walking away and sighed, "I hope it was worth it."

"Nessie!" Embry called as she stalked off toward her parents' cottage. "Wait!"

Jacob's face fell. Embry just stared at him, shaking his head. "I can't believe you just let her go..."

"Check on her for me," Jacob begged, choking back a sob.

Embry didn't even think twice before running off to join her.

"I told you so," Jacob commented sadly when the rest of the pack stared at him incredulously.

"So...nobody's gonna tell me what that was all about?" Seth mused when no one spoke.
......
Renesmee didn't even make it to her bed before she collapsed on the floor. She curled up into a ball and screamed against her own skin. She wasn't sure if she was more mad than sad, but she knew for sure she was frustrated with liars.

She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there when she heard her door creak open slowly. "Ness," a soft voice whispered. For a split second, her heart leaped when she thought it was Jacob.

Embry knelt down on the floor beside her. "Go away," she breathed.

Embry leaned back against her bed and sat next to her on the floor. "I swear to God, Nessie, I have no idea what secret they're keeping. I would tell you if I knew."

Renesmee sniffled and nodded, realizing she did believe him. She scooted closer to Embry and rested her head in his lap. He ran his fingers through her tear soaked hair and she accepted his touch, however wrong it was.

"I wish I could fix this for you, I promise. Whatever he told them, I wasn't around to hear, I guess. I really wish I did, because I think it has something to do with me."

Renesmee sat up slowly and sighed. "I just don't understand why phasing is so important to him. I know there's been times he wishes he wasn't a wolf. He could quit the pack forever and I wouldn't even care."

"But being a wolf is like a superpower...I'm sure some people get addicted to that feeling, you know of being invincible. We can live forever, we can heal quickly."

Renesmee thought for a moment, then turned to face Embry. "If I was your imprint and you couldn't phase, would you want to be with me, knowing I'll live a longer life than most?"

Embry shrugged. "I guess not...I would want you to be with someone who could share your long life. That would be fair."

"And if you were stupid and selfless like Jacob Black, would you give me up and...let me go...and give me to one of your friends?"

Embry just laughed. "That's not what he did."

"He sent you, didn't he?"

Embry nodded slowly. "But that can't be right. He loves you so much. He wouldn't just give you up."

Renesmee stood up and began pacing. "I can't believe him!

Embry rose slowly, shaking his head. "There's gotta be some other explanation, Ness."

Renesmee sighed loudly and threw her hands in the air. "Well I don't know what it is...and he's not talking so here we are."

Embry held her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "He's being stupid right now, Ness. Or he's lost his freaking mind, because that's the only reason that I would ever give you up."

Renesmee pressed her forehead to Embry's chest and let her hands rest on his hips. He placed a kiss on her the top of her head and sighed, "He's an ass. I don't know what else to say right now."

When Renesmee raised her head slowly and looked at Embry, he locked eyes on her. "Embry..." she warned.

Embry leaned in as Seth flung her bedroom door open. "Ness! Come quick! It's Jacob..."

Renesmee twisted away from Embry's grasp and flew out the door before either one of them could say a word to her. Their eyes followed her blur as she took off, then they glanced at each other. "Dude, really? I can't believe you were gonna kiss her..." Seth commented, shaking his head as they exited her room.

"Man...it was temporary insanity," Embry replied.
.....
Embry and Seth joined the group as they explained what had happened to Jacob. "I don't understand how he just walked away and none of you noticed," she told them.

"We were arguing. We just didn't see where he went," Jared explained.

"How far could he even get in his condition?" she wondered aloud as she pulled her own hair in frustration.

"At first I thought maybe he went to look for you," Paul explained.

"Did you look by my house?"

"No, we just..." was all Quil got out before Renesmee took off in a flash.

"I'll go with her," Embry offered.

"I'm going too," Seth announced. He couldn't trust Embry alone with her now.

Renesmee finally breathed again when she saw Jacob on the ground outside her window. "Jake..." she sighed, kneeling down beside him.

He was a mess, hands and feet cut up from not staying on the path. He had a small bruise on his forehead and he was unconscious. "Oh God. What happened?" Seth asked when they arrived.

"Can you guys just take him inside for me?"

"You sure...we could take him back to Carlisle's for you," Embry offered as they each lifted Jacob's arms and pulled him from the ground.

Renesmee sighed, "No. It's too far to carry him. Just put him on my bed. He's starting to come around," she observed as his eyes began to open.

"Ness..."

Renesmee glared at him. "Jacob, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to tell you...that I'm sorry," he groaned.

"Just take him inside. I'll be back as soon as I tell the pack we found him." Renesmee watched as they carried him around to the front of the house. She shook her head. She was happy she found him, but still furious with what he had done.

Dammit, Jacob. Why do you have to be such an ass?

.......
A/N: if you're reading and enjoying this, please leave a comment. I just love hearing what you think. I had to throw some drama into this one. It just can't be happy all the time, right??