A Drop in the Ocean

Chapter Fourteen

As I finished and made my way down the stairs, I could hear a few people talking and recognized the voices right away. It was Grandpa, Sue, Seth, and Leah. “There’s my big girl!” Exclaimed my Grandpa as I came into the room and immediately gave him a hug. “This is a nice surprise, I didn’t know you guys were coming over today,” I said softly and sat down on the sofa.

“Well, we decided to come by after church. You haven’t been out to see me this week,” he pointed out and I rubbed the back of my head a little. “Well, I went out on a date with Jake last night and the night before,” I commented and Grandpa raised a brow.

“A date…with Jake; is she even old enough to be dating,” he asked my Mom who just gave a soft laugh. “Dad, you know because of the rare gift she has…we’ll be celebrating her sixteenth birthday next Sunday,” Mom informed him. “Sixteen, already; well, damn. You’re startin’ to make me feel like one hell of an old man.” Charlie started to laugh.

“I think I’ll have to take back the Barbie toys that I got her for something for an older kid,” he teased and I rolled my eyes. “As if you actually got me Barbie’s,” I snort laughed at the prospect. I had never been a doll playing child, not really. “Good point. You were never girly enough for them anyway,” he reminded me which was way more than true. I had spent way too much time with Charlie growing up, or with Jake or another guy of my family. Don’t get me started about our fishing trips together or going north and hunting bears with Uncle Emmett.

It had been a constant battle of the genders in this house for the last five years. ‘No, Ness would rather go hunting bears with me,’ Emmett would protest. My Aunt Rose would huff and roll her eyes. ‘As if, Emmett. Nessie, she’d rather go get her hair done and get a manicure with her Aunty Rose.’ Then of course Jake would intervene and say I’d rather go for a ride on him in the woods—after he’d phase into a wolf of course.

Then there were the arguments between going shopping with Alice or going and doing something else manly with another guy of the family. About the only two who ever got along on what I did, no matter how feminine or masculine, were Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme. Even Mom and Dad would have their squabbles over what hobbies I should have. ‘She’s a girl, she should enjoy playing with dolls,’ my Dad would say but my Mom would laugh. ‘I never played with dolls, Edward. I much preferred getting into dirty fights with the boys.’

It would usually spin my Dad into a non-talking, broody spiral for about a week. Ridiculous family I live with, I tell you. At least as I’m getting ‘older’ that non-sense has somewhat come to a stop. About the worst thing that could have ever happened to the Cullen clan was for a child to be brought into the house – but it had also turned out to be one of the best things as well.

“You had a good time last night though?” Sue asked and I nodded at her question which brought me out of my thoughts about my crazy family. “Of course I did. Leah and Seth were there, too, at the bonfire on the beach. We all just sat around and talked for the longest time.” I answered.

“Ate Chili and s’mores,” Seth reminded me and I nodded. “Made plans with me to go shopping,” Leah added. “We’ll have to go sometime this week. I already told Jake I’d see him today but…maybe we should go shopping tomorrow. We’ll take the day to go to Seattle if…” I looked over towards Mom, “if Mom or Aunt Alice or Aunt Rose wants to go.”

“Maybe we’ll just make a woman’s day out of it,” Mom commented. “Sue, you’d be free to go I’m sure. Esme, Alice, Rose, myself, and the girls.” “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Sue agreed. “Count me out of that then,” said Grandpa Charlie. “Glad I’ll be at work when all this happens. Too many females in one room,” he teased and each of us sort of rolled our eyes. “Way too many hormones,” of course, Charlie didn’t exactly realize vampires didn’t have ‘hormones’ anymore.

We all talked for the longest time about this and that. Football that was going to be starting this week, my birthday coming up on the 11th, and then the fishing trips that Charlie was trying to orchestrate for some of us to go on with him later this month. Before long, Sue was saying they should head home for some Sunday supper and they invited me along, but I declined. I wanted to see Jacob and I knew he’d be here soon… I didn’t know how I knew, but I just did.

“Tomorrow should be real fun,” Grandma Esme said softly as she came into the living room. “I don’t know what stores we’ll hit up first,” said Alice as they started talking about the stores in the mall in Seattle. It had been a little while since we’d all been there but…we’re vampires, we remembered it perfectly. I just hoped Alice wouldn’t buy the store out and upset Sue and Leah, who clearly wouldn’t have that kind of money to spend: unless we spent it on them. I couldn’t see Sue and Leah being the type of people that would enjoy other being spending exuberant amounts of money on them, however. They lived so simply compared to the Cullen’s.

“So what’s this I heard about a gift being enhanced?” Grandpa Carlisle asked which brought me out of my inner struggle and I turned my head back towards him. I had been gazing out the window in the living room for a little while. “I think Jake and I were in one another’s dreams last night.” I stated simply.

“You think you were in one another’s minds at the same time?” My Dad asked as he finally came into the large living room and I nodded in his direction. “When the dream first started he kept commenting that it was his dream, talking about that I’d never been so real-to-life in his dreams before…and then I was like, but, Jacob, this is my dream not yours… and that’s when we came up with the idea that we shared it.”

I continued to explain what it was like: how lifelike and whatnot for a while. Carlisle and Dad seemed to be really fascinated, just as Mom had been. They both agreed that perhaps it was not only my gift, but Jake’s gift of imprinting on me, that made it possible. I sort of felt that ‘freak of nature’ feeling creeping up the back of my neck so after a little while, I excused myself. I really felt like going outside for a bit. It was a nice day out, somewhat sunny and warm for September in Washington.

As my Mom describes Forks, ‘the coldest and rainiest city in all the four corners of the U.S.A.’ I didn’t mind the rain most of the time though since I thought the rain was so beautiful. The way the mist would hit the pine trees and the way it drizzled on the creek, making ripples… but the sun could be quite beautiful as well; the way it would illuminate so much that wasn’t illuminated on the cloudier days.

I found myself behind the house, walking along the small stream that was out there. The outside had been calling me to come out all morning long; from the minute I peered out my bedroom window upon awakening. It was peaceful, hearing the sound of the creek water running over the rocks and listening to the wildlife in the woods. I could still hear birds singing and animals foraging.

Part of me desired to hunt; a sliver of me craved the metallic flavor and the warmth to coat my throat. I dismissed the thoughts by thinking about some of the food that was in the refrigerator inside the house that was all for me since I was the only one interested in human food in my family.

The thought of human food reminded me that with football starting up this week; I’d need to go grocery shopping. I’d probably have a pack of wolves over for football games and would hate to have no food to feed them. Chips, dip, salsa; popcorn, candy, among many other food items would have to be added to the grocery list. Frozen pizzas, pizza rolls: if it was a junk food, it’ll be put on the list. Nothing goes better with football than junk food.

“Jacob?” I could hear footsteps behind me; they weren’t as elegant as what my families would be. The sound had brought me out of my thoughts and interrupted the peace that was listening to the water run over the rocks in the creek and the birds chirping in the forest.

“Yeah,” he replied without me happening to turn my head. “They said you were out here,” Jake said softly and took a seat next to me. I could hear his ass make a ‘thud’ against the ground which caused me to let out a soft giggle of amusement. My ears heard everything…

“It’s nice out today,” he admitted and I nodded immediately. “Too nice of a day to be cooped up in the house,” I replied and picked up a pebble, lightly tossing it into the creek just to watch the water splash.

“Last night was interesting,” said Jake after a couple quiet moments. I bit on my lower lip rather roughly as I finally turned my head to gaze over at him, blushing faintly. “So we really did share a dream…?” I questioned and I noticed him slowly nod. “I think so,” he shrugged his shoulders just a bit.

“Whatever it was… it was nice while it lasted. I hated waking up this morning,” I mumbled and looked back out at the forest, my cheeks still flushed red. “The birds chirping and the sun shining into the room woke me up…I can’t think of a nicer way to be woke up, honestly,” I admitted. I did hate being waked up but… I guess the view outside made it worth it.

“I knew it was you who had waked up because…I was asleep for a few hours more,” Jake said softly and reached over, placing his hand upon my knee which made me smile. “I was just sitting there on the beach by myself after that, plenty of time to think about you; to think about us.” I blushed at the thought of him just sitting to himself thinking about me—or about us.

“Mom thinks it’s possible that we shared a dream, though…so does Dad and Grandpa. They believe it’s my gift and that it’s getting more powerful. Kind of makes me feel more powerful to tell you the truth—makes me feel even more special.” I whispered.

“Gift or no gift, Ness; you’ll always be special to me. I gotta say though, last night was neat as hell, and we’ve got to do it again,” Jake said quietly and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing some. I felt Jake’s hand upon my arm and the way he lightly tugged. I obliged and moved my body over to sit in his lap right there beside the stream.

Jake was as warm as always and the way the sun shined down upon us made it that much warmer. I sighed in comfort and lent back into him a bit, closing my eyes. “I talked to Mom this morning about us. I told her that I wanted two things: to be with you properly and to go to school soon… she said yes to both,” my voice never went above a whisper. I wanted this to be between mine and Jake’s ears only.

“I told her that I wanted to be your girlfriend and for us to go on dates all the time and for it to just… be allowed to blossom into whatever it’s going to blossom into. I told her I wanted to go to school and be able to go to prom with you, to have those kinds of special memories. She agreed that I deserve them; she got to have wonderful ones with Dad and admitted they were already together when she was ‘my age’,” I used air quotes since after all; I was really only five human years old.

“That’s a relief,” said Jake with a soft chuckle, I could feel it making my body vibrate within his arms. “I always hoped that Bella would let me go on a date with you when you got old enough and I always thought that maybe she would but… I figured it would just only be that. I never figured she or Edward would actually let us be…together, I never thought that the whole household would be on our side.”

“For five years I’ve thought that I was a nuisance in that house; that they only tolerated me because I was like a big brother to you, your best friend. Edward always thought I was out to steal his girl, Alice thought I was just some dog without any manners; and Rosalie thought I was… well, probably Satan reincarnated,” Jake continued to let out soft laughs which made me smile. “Guess I kind of grew on them…” his voice trailed off.

“Goes to show you that they’re not so against you; if only you could have read thoughts like Dad can,” I said softly and turned in his arms and lap, where I could face him. I gazed down into his puppy-dog brown eyes. “Then again, I know I used to try and convince you that they liked you…I guess I was right all along,” I teased in a friendly way of course. “I still think Edward and Rosalie probably secretly throw knives at a picture of me on the wall. The rest of them, I think they’re genuine…maybe.”

I knew Jake was teasing but part of me could definitely see it in Dad’s and Aunt Rose’s personality to be like that. They held grudges, honestly they were the only two in the family that could. Rosalie especially more-so than Dad; she had always come off in that way to me.

“Let’s hope not,” I replied, “it wouldn’t make for a happy atmosphere for us to date while they’re secretly doing that behind our backs…” I teased and Jake laughed. “You’re right, Ness. We should just be grateful that they haven’t swept you up and moved you to the furthest corner of the Earth away from Forks… I was afraid they were going to do that whenever you were first born and Bella was a newborn. Kept saying that ‘Bella was dead’ and people from her past life couldn’t see her again as a vampire… of course, you know me, I fixed that.”

I remember that happening vividly even though I was merely an infant when it happened. Jake had gone to Grandpa Charlie and showed him the Quileute’s secret—that he was a wolf. He didn’t come right out and say, “Charlie, your daughter is now a vampire,” which would have broken every rule in the rules of a vampire book but it was enough that my family decided to stay since Charlie now knew that Mom was…different.

It’s just like my rapid aging—Grandpa doesn’t bring it up or talk to me about it because it’s something he accepted long ago. Mom kept telling him that I was unique and that it was a good thing but sometimes I still felt like it was a bad thing. There are things in my childhood that should have drug out longer… crawling, babbling, teething, throwing tantrums, being a kid in general… But even when I was in the body of a kid, my brain was far too advanced for that.

Like I said before… I’m sixteen going on sixty. “You always did have a way of fixing everything in my life…” I let my voice trail off as I nuzzled my head down into the crook of Jake’s neck. “I don’t know about that, Ness… Looking back on something Edward said five years ago; I didn’t agree with him then, but I kind of do now…”

“Agree with my Dad on what?” I questioned and Jake sighed; I could hear the breath slowly leaving his pursed lips, his arms wrapping around me while I was in his lap. I felt his warm hands rubbing over my lower back, making me let out a coo that probably sounded very much like a pigeon’s.

“Agree with him that a lot of what I did back then was out of selfishness. I didn’t want to lose you…or Bella…or any of you for that matter. The first time they brought up leaving…taking you away from me, well… you know what I did. I know it seemed like I was always fixing your life, but maybe sometimes… I was just focused on fixing mine,” he whispered into my ear and kissed just below it, which sent a chill running up and down my spine even though it was at least sixty something degrees outside and that’s not even including Jake’s body temperature beneath me…

“I’ve never viewed you as a selfish person, Jake,” I mumbled, slipping my arms around his neck and playing with his hair, sort of treading my fingers through it relaxingly. “How could I view you as selfish when my whole life you’ve devoted yourself to me; doing what I wanted when I wanted you to… always just being there, maybe even if you had other things to do and places to be.”

“Whatever your motives were, selfish or not, Jake… I’m glad we stayed here in Forks. I couldn’t have imagined growing up anywhere else and I definitely don’t want to imagine a childhood that you weren’t in…” I murmured as I placed my forehead against his. As I said those words, I could hear Jake’s heart skip beats because of my honesty, and I knew it was a good thing. He was quiet, though, like I had left him utterly speechless.

“Jacob,” I mumbled his name quietly after a few calm moments of silence; I gazed deeply into those chocolate brown eyes of his once more. It was almost hard to speak when I stared so longingly at him.

“I thought this was going to be so awkward; I didn’t think I would even survive a first date with you even though I was excited to try. I thought that the memories from the past, you being there my entire childhood would just make me…not want you in other ways but it’s the exact opposite. I look back on those memories now and instead of seeing a big brother protecting me, I see a lover protecting me. Those memories… without them, I wouldn’t feel for you the way I do right this very second.”

I babbled on and noticed the smile on Jake’s face grew larger as I went on. I couldn’t help but to get a rather large, goofy grin upon my own face. “It’s still so amazing,” he said in his soft, velvety voice. “What is amazing,” I asked curiously. “That it’s like you’re in my head when you explain how you feel about me…about us.” Jake whispered and I grinned.

“I think I am in your mind, Jake. All the time, perhaps; how else would you explain how connected we are to even share a dream? I don’t think it’s just my gift though, I think it’s because of the imprinting. It’s your gift and mine, combined…” I couldn’t take all the credit for something as astounding as what had happened between us last night.

“Maybe imprinting does play a role,” he admitted; I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was deep in thought. Maybe Jake hadn’t even considered his imprinting playing a part in it at all.

I slowly stood up out of Jake’s lap and stretched my arms out towards the sun that was shining down on the two of us so perfectly. It also glinted off of the creek below making pretty little rainbows that human eyes couldn’t see. My skin slightly glistened as well in the sunlight but nothing near the same as my full-vampire relatives. “Damn, Ness,” I heard Jake’s voice from below me and I quirked a brow looking down at him. “What?”

“You look really beautiful from this angle,” Jake had leaned back some with his hands on the ground, holding him up as he gazed upwards towards me. I smirked a bit and jumped over the little creek in our backyard with ease. “That’s only because you were gawking up at my breasts,” I teased to him from the other side.
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Word Count: 3,497