28A/N: Hi everyone! So, as promised, this is the last chapter... I've really enjoyed writing this little fic, and hope you liked it too! Please tell me what you think of it ;)
To answer Guest's questions, Nessie can copy and steal talents, but not at the same time. These two talents are different. When she copies a talent, she inherits it. That's why she's cautious with her touch around talented vampires. But when she steals talents, she can't keep them, like Mele. She has to give them away. And she didn't copy the talents of Joham's army, fortunately for her. She was in wolf form, so she can control her copying talent better this way. And she fought only one vampire, with Jasper. The others were killed by her family.
Well, that's it! I haven't planned a sequel, but I know it could be interesting, in college, so I keep the opportunity at hand. We'll see! Have a nice Christmas, everyone!
Chapter 11
"Ready, Nessie?" Jake asked me anxiously, fidgeting madly.
"As ready as I can be," I sighed, bracing myself for the worst.
I stepped on the doormat of the Clearwaters' small house and knocked. Almost immediately the door opened, and Seth welcomed us with a large smile and happy thoughts.
"Nessie! Jake! It's good to see you! Come in, come in!"
We followed him and I took a look around. The place was cluttered, messier than I had ever seen it, but that had to be expected. Seth and Leah lived there, but their mother was at Charlie's place now, so it was sort of logical. And I knew that Leah wasn't the tidiest person in La Push.
"Please have a seat," Seth told us, waving towards the couch. "Do you want something to drink?"
"No thanks," I said, not wanting to tell him that his coffee smelled like tar, and that I couldn't stand sodas anymore. Jake declined too, for my sake.
"So, what brings you two here? Is it for my beautiful face?"
I laughed, basking in Seth's joyous ways. He was like a little brother to Jake and me, and I loved him.
"No, but it helps. Actually," I added, a bit more serious, "we came to see Leah. Is she here?"
I knew she was, of course, and right now thoughts of murdering me were bouncing in her head. But she was also curious, and extremely unhappy. And at home, Nahuel, was miserable too. His aunt Huilen had stayed with him, but the three Amazons had gone back to Brazil. And I knew that Nahuel and Leah were in love, but the situation was an impasse. Leah hadn't made a move, and Nahuel didn't know if he would be welcome in the rez, being a half-vampire. So Jake and I were ambassadors holding a white flag here, hoping that Leah would be willing to hear us out. Seth squirmed uncomfortably on his armchair.
"Well, she's here, but..."
"We need to talk to her," Jake told him seriously. "Now."
Seth heaved a sigh. "I'll go get her, but if she bites my head off..."
"She won't," I assured him with a smile. "She'll bite mine."
He chuckled, knowing that that wasn't a joke, and rose to his feet before disappearing down the hallway. I turned towards Jake and put my arm around him. He leaned on me and rested his cheek on top of my head. In wolf form I was taller, but in human form he still towered over me.
"I hope we'll figure it out," I muttered quietly.
He didn't respond, only hugging me tighter in his warm arms. I felt myself relax in his embrace, enjoying the love we shared and the unbreakable bond between us. I couldn't wait to go to college with him, only the two of us with no parental supervision. I sighed a little, and he chuckled in my hair, knowing what I was thinking.
Soon, baby, he thought.
These sweet thoughts were interrupted by Leah and Seth coming to the living room. We remained seated and greeted Leah, who sat across from us and eyed me with contempt, but her hands tucked nervously the hem of her stained blouse.
"Leah," I started, taking a deep breath, Jake's hand gently squeezing mine to give me support. "We came to talk to you about Nahuel."
"What about him?" she spat, her eyes and thoughts contradicting her antagonistic tone. She was truly miserable too.
"He wants to meet you," I told her softly. "He would've come here in person if he wasn't afraid to upset you. And he doesn't want to mess up with the pack. Would you be ready to meet him?"
She took her time to answer, conflicted emotions battling under her skull. I dimly wondered how she could still be sitting here and not banging her head on the walls. She was in love with Nahuel, having imprinted on him. But she hated vampires. Or, more accurately, she wanted to hate them, to keep a tiny bit of normalcy in her life. And that was the real problem, I realized. She had been in love with Sam for years, only to watch him imprint on someone else. Emily was so close to her that she couldn't vent her anger on her nor Sam. Then she had watched her little brother become close friends with Edward, a vampire, which had pissed her more than anything. Then, last straw, she had befriended Jake, only to feel betrayed when he imprinted on me, a half-vampire. She was just raw from betrayal and racked nerves, and had been for too many years. I fought the pity rising in me, knowing that she wouldn't want any of it.
"Leah," I told her softly. "The past is in the past. Please, please, allow yourself to be happy, for once."
Her gaze shot to mine, a withering retort on her lips, but her thoughts mellowed. She could see the concern on my face, the silent go-on in Jake's eyes, so she bit her lips and swallowed her words. Finally she confessed the truth. "I'm scared."
"No one will judge you, Leah," Jake said, leaning towards her and putting a hand on her bouncing knee. "You've suffered too much, and for too long. Now you can have a chance at knowing happiness. Please take it. He's a good guy, and he's a human with a special diet, that's all. And you'll be able to live a long life with him, just like Nessie and me. Please, Leah, I beg you. Allow yourself to be happy."
A single tear escaped her eye, and she hastily wiped it away. She shot a look at her brother leaning in the doorframe of the kitchen, and he nodded with a smile. He only wanted her to be happy too. So she nodded curtly, and relented. "Fine. I'll meet him."
I exhaled, noticing that I'd been holding my breath waiting for her answer. Jake squeezed my hand a little harder. Good. Stressed, were you not, baby?
I nodded with a small smile, and his eyes twinkled. He turned towards Leah again, who had risen to her feet. "Wanna come with us?"
"Do I have time to... shower?" she asked with a grimace.
"Of course," I said, smiling at her, making her more at ease. "Take your time, Leah. We'll give you a ride, then Jake and I are going to hunt with my parents. My family is planning a trip to Seattle, so you and Nahuel will have privacy."
"Oh... good," she said, fidgeting nervously, then retreating to the hallway.
Seth quirked an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him, and soon disappeared in what I thought was a bathroom. Jake kissed me on the cheek, making me blush under Seth's amused stare.
"That went much better than I thought," Jake admitted. "I was expecting hell."
"Consider yourself lucky, man," Seth groaned, sinking onto Leah's armchair and rubbing his face. "I got hell, since I'm the one who has the misfortune to share a house with her. She's been a wreck and a harpy since she imprinted, and neither me nor the guys could talk any sense into her. Thanks for coming today. You've just saved my life."
"Glad that we could help," Jake snickered.
We made small talk while Leah showered and got dressed, recounting the last days to an awed Seth, and I promised to show him my new golden fur soon. I still could phase, and aside from the changes in me after the Joham incident, I no longer felt any vampire instincts raging in me. True, I now had to drink much more blood, and human food disgusted me for the most part, but I still could swallow it with a little effort on my part. And I was at peace with myself. I had found who I was.
Leah came back to the living room, looking pretty and nervous in a tight-fitted blouse and dark faded jeans, and stood there anxiously, not meeting our eyes. I rose and asked "Shall we go?"
She nodded, nerves frayed, and Jake went to stand beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Leah. He's great, and you'll get to know him. No need to be so nervous."
"Easy for you to say," she said, her tone much softer than I'd ever heard.
"I just know it," he told her kindly. "Let's go."
We wished Seth a nice day, and exited the house. I knew Leah wanted reassurance from her brother, so we gave them some privacy. Jake opened the passenger door of his Volkswagen Rabbit for me, and I sat on the comfortable seat. He loved his car nearly as much as he loved me. Boys and their toys, just like Edward and his Vanquish. I thought about Bella, and dimly wondered if she would give me her Ferrari that she had never wanted and never, ever, driven. That thought made me smile.
Jake then opened the back door for Leah who took a seat, and went behind the wheel. The trip was a short one, and silent. I tried to focus on Jake's appeased thoughts, not Leah's panicked ones, and soon he stopped in front of the Cullen house. I lifted my shield.
Dad, I thought while exiting the car. Leah's here.
We'll wait for you in the clearing next to the house, he answered me, relief in his mind. Huilen is away with our family, so Nahuel and Leah will be alone here.
Good.
I turned towards Leah. "We'll leave you now. Nahuel is inside."
"Could he... ?" she started, really ill-at-ease.
"Of course," I agreed, knowing that she didn't want to go inside. "Nahuel?" I called out softly.
We turned to the front door where Nahuel appeared not a second later, his eyes widening and a smile slowly spreading on his lips. Next to me, Leah's jumbled thoughts became calmer, and a smile broke on her face too.
"We'll leave you guys," I told them, winking at Nahuel who silently thanked me, looking better than I've ever seen him. "Come on, Jake."
We trudged around the house, hand in hand, trying not to listen to the soft greetings from behind us, but it was harder for me to tune their thoughts out. And by the time we emerged in the clearing, they had started kissing. I was happy for them, of course, but quite pissed at my father's talent. I wished I could turn off the mind reading in such circumstances.
"Didn't take long for them, did it?" Edward smirked as Bella hugged me lovingly. "It is a good thing Leah listened to you two."
"Dad," I groaned, glaring at him. "Give them a rest and tune them out."
"I'm afraid it's not so simple, sweetheart," he shrugged as we were both assaulted by rather explicit images and sounds in our heads, making us wince.
"Let's go, then," Bella ordered firmly, tugging at my hand.
We started to run, but Leah and Nahuel were really starting to discover each other by now, and not only their personnality, so I was blushing violently by the time we came far enough for their minds to fade. And when we came to a stop, I was panting, aroused in spite of myself. I could tell that my father wasn't better, his mind quickly conjuring vivid memories, and that wasn't something I'd ever wanted to see.
"Dad!" I admonished him, scowling. "You're not the only mind reader here! Please don't think things like that when I'm around! Now I'll need to douse my brain in bleach!"
He paled, but the thoughts didn't stop immediately, so I snapped. I'd had enough, and I knew that a lesson was necessary. He needed to understand. So I rushed between him and Bella, and put a hand on both of them. Then I used Mele's talent, stealing the mind reading from Edward and giving it to Bella. By the time they realized what had happened, I was already a hundred yards away, out of my clothes.
"Nessie?!" they both exclaimed, Bella in shock and Edward in anguish.
"You need a lesson, Dad," I told him sternly, smirking in spite of myself. "Mind reading is a thing, invading everyone's privacy is another. And you've been using your talent a little too much to my taste. So you'll spend a day without it. Sorry, Mom, but I needed someone to take care of Dad's talent. And now you'll hear him, for a change."
"Nessie, don't," Edward pleaded, but I was already phasing. I knew the next twenty-four hours would do some good. He needed to learn to trust his instincts, without his extra abilities, and it wouldn't hurt that Bella saw the other side of the coin.
"You're right, Nessie," Bella chuckled, having heard my thoughts. "It's weird, but nice to hear thoughts around me."
"Bella, love," Edward whined – yes, whined!
"Your daughter is a wolf for now, Edward," Bella giggled evilly as I emerged from behind the cluster of bushed that hid me. "You'll have to wait to have your talent back, I'm afraid."
I bit back a bark of laughter at my crestfallen father. In truth, I could steal and give talents in wolf form, using my nose, but it couldn't hurt to have Edward on the balls of his feet for now.
God, I've wanted to see that day for so long! Jake snickered, a wolf now too. Serves him right!
I barked and Bella laughed out loud, and Edward shot daggers at us. See, Dad? I told him, Bella voicing my words. No need to read minds to understand us!
He growled, and we cracked up. I had to sit to keep my yowl inside, and Jake was on all fours, coughing his laughter in huge breaths. Bella was trying very hard to bite back her smirk, but she took Edward's hand and made a feeble attempt at consoling him.
"Just a day, my love," she purred in his ear, making him feel a little better. "At least you'll keep your mind clear for a day. It's for the best, isn't it? You've earned a day off."
"Maybe you're right, love," he sighed unhappily, truly feeling lost.
I didn't want to be around his moping, so Jake and I took off on our own, still snickering.
That, baby, was freaking hilarious! Jake rejoiced, running fast next to me. Even if I feel a little bad for him.
I nodded, not so sure of myself now. Taking away my father's mind reading, for however short a period, was like taking away some of his being. But I knew that the experience would benefit all of us. Nothing could be taken for granted in our dangerous world. Nothing.
Jake and I spend the day running and hunting in the mountains, basking in each other's presence. We lay on the ground, nestled against each other, cuddling and snuggling. My fur was very warm, and he was a boiling pot next to me, so I was really comfortable. We could've taken advantage of the situation to discover each other too, but I knew we weren't quite ready yet. In spite of my desire for him, I wanted to be really alone with him, during college, for that huge milestone. And I knew we were at sync on this. We had time. Loads of time.
By the time we went back to the Cullen house, Nahuel and Leah were nowhere to be seen or heard. My family had come back from Seattle, and they were all teasing my poor father. He was a bundle of nerves, jumpy and cranky, but at least he had learned his lesson.
"Nessie!" Emmett guffawed, spotting me and Jake coming on the lawn, hand in hand. "Come here and save your father! He's dying right now!"
"Em!" Edward groaned, but eyeing me hopefully from the couch he was sitting in.
"It's not been twenty-four hours yet," I announced him as I stepped in the living room, Jake still beside me, making the room explode in laughter and my father wince. "Where are Leah and Nahuel?"
"Down at La Push," Carlisle explained, exchanging a knowing smile with a relieved Huilen. "They were to meet the pack. Nahuel and Huilen will spend some time with us for now. Then we'll see how things will play."
"Maybe Nahuel will stay there with her," Huilen beamed. "I'll go back to Brazil, but if he wants to stay there..."
I nodded, smiling. I knew that Nahuel would soon be a permanent resident of the rez, and Alice, Esme, Bella and Rose nodded, large smiles on their faces. They knew, just like me. Love was a strong bond.
"Nessie," Edward muttered, debating on whether kneeling at my feet or not. "Please..."
"Well," I shrugged, taking pity on him but trying to hide it. "What does Mom say?"
I shot her a look, and she beamed at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well," she said, "it's been a very interesting day. I find this talent really fascinating. I learned so much today!"
I smiled, and everyone around me groaned, smiles frozen. They were used to Edward, but now Bella had taken a peek in their minds too.
"No worries," Bella laughed, Jake chortling at their discomfort. "I won't tell anyone. Not my style."
"You'd better not," Alice growled, eyeing her and me with false anger, her thoughts full of her plans for Jasper's and hers anniversary. And I so didn't want this thought either!
"Please, love," Edward whispered, staring at his wife with lost puppy eyes, his golden eyes smoldering, and Bella was a goner. She smiled at him, kissed him, then shot me a knowing look.
"Perhaps nine hours have been enough for your father's frayed nerves, don't you think, sweetheart?" she said innocently.
"Hmmm," I feigned to consider, laughing internally at Edward's tense form. "Maybe you're right, Mom. Got the point, Dad?"
"God, yes," he nodded frantically. "More privacy, no need to know everything, and all that."
"Good." I squeezed Jake's hand and he released me after a soft kiss, making my mother cringe, but I also saw her acceptance, and even some happiness on her features. She was happy for me, and Jake made me happy, so...
I walked calmly to my parents, ignoring the muttered "Spoilsport" from uncle Jasper, and hugged them tightly, my heart full to the brim with my love for them. As the talent returned to its rightful owner with a satisfied sigh from both of them, I kissed them both on the cheek in turn.
"I love you, Mom, Dad," I murmured to them.
They hugged me and told me they loved me, and I truly felt myself. I was unique, I was part vampire, part werewolf and part human, but above all, I was a loved daughter, a loved niece and granddaughter, and a loved girlfriend. I was Renesmee Cullen.
THE END