Chapter 4 - First Hunt

It was Twilight.
Edward and Bella took Tara to their cottage for a very short tour, showing her their humble, nine hundred square foot cottage in a very short time since it was so small. Tara had a good laugh when Bella showed her the enormous closet in which Alice had filled with enough apparel to clothe a small army of fashion models. As she walked through the house, she understood why Renesmee stayed with Esme and Carlisle most of the time since they had so much more room, not to mention it gave the couple so much more privacy.
At the end of the tour, Bella took some time to show Tara a few photo albums she and Esme put together with all the pictures they took of Renesmee, capturing her rapid growth that happened sometimes within a few days or weeks of each other. It amazed Tara to see the pictures of her speedy progression. Renesmee's ability to develop quicker than a normal child bothered Bella the most. She had always worried about leaving her alone to sleep some nights because she knew her little girl might wake up even older the next day. Her life passed by too quickly and Bella knew that before long, Renesmee would physically be older than her. She cherished every moment she had with her daughter. It was also difficult to have to share her with Jacob but she knew it pained them both to be away from each other for long periods of time. She knew the inevitable coming though; Renesmee would soon mature into a young woman and her relationship with Jacob would become more than just friendship.
Once they finished the tour and Bella finished reminiscing Tara decided it was time to return to the Cullen home. Edward and Bella's body language gave off an obvious implication that they were ready for some quiet time together after their long trip. Despite their offers, Tara insisted she would not need an escort. She knew she could easily find the way back. Edward was comfortable with it once he confirmed it in her mind. As she ran through the forest, she sensed something strange and unfamiliar to her; like a magnet attracting her. She paused for a moment to look through the trees, trying to solve the mystery but then thought nothing of it and continued on till she reached the home.
As Tara comfortably settled in and everyone returned to their usual routines around the house, she quietly curled up with a book she found in Renesmee's collection and sat herself by a window in the bedroom. It started raining again and the droplets tapped against the glass like a drum.
Renesmee couldn't resist getting to know her new friend. She buoyantly plopped down next to Tara and grabbed her sketchbook that she left out and skimmed through her artwork. "These are beautiful," she complimented her.
"Thanks." She smiled. Renesmee had been the first person to ever admire her work before. As she flipped through the pages she rambled on about some of her favorite artists, discovering they shared many common interests. Tara decided to set her book aside talk with her for a while. It had been so long since she had any real discourse with anyone she delighted in opportunity to have a real conversation. Before she knew it, a few hour passed by while they discussed art and music and many of the books they both liked. Tara told Renesmee about her many travels around the world before she returned to her home land where she ended up at the college. She explained how living there wasn't much different from attending private school as a young girl. She didn't have many friends growing up since she was so different from the others and not quite accepted. Being alone and invisible seemed the norm for her, even since before she was turned.
Renesmee took to Tara quickly. She loved having someone to talk to outside her family. She could only dream of going to school hoping one day that she'd have the chance so she could be more like other people. She realized now that she and Tara had something in common now; they were both hiding from the world around them. "I would love to attend a college like Dartmouth when I'm old enough but I don't think Jake would go. I'm not sure if he'd ever want to leave here," Renesmee told her.
Tara recalled something she saw in Renesmee's visions that made her curious."I don't quite understand something about you two…what's imprinting? Are you like his mate or something?" Tara asked.
"Yes…that's pretty much what it is. We'll inherently always be together and we'll always love each other. It's almost painful to be separated at times."
"But he's…a wolf. That doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Jacob's a wonderful mate…as loyal as they come. I love him with all my heart. The physical differences mean nothing to me. It's what's inside that matters."
Tara's eye brows popped up in disbelief. It all seems so strange and foreign to her. "And your family accepts this?"
"Yes, they've learned to accept it. It can't be undone. We're bound together for life. Some of them still have the prejudices about it but for the most part…everyone's family," She explained.
"But… you're so much younger than he is, so how does that work?"
"I'm aging quickly. Carlisle thinks I'm about fourteen or fifteen years of age physically but I go through changes so rapidly he thinks I could surpass Jacob within a few more years. For obvious reasons Jacob and I have no physical relationship. Plus my father promised to rip his limbs off if he even thought about it before I matured enough to marry him."
Tara chuckled at the thought of it. "So how long do you think it will take before you're the same age?"
"Who knows, could be a few months or a few years. My aging has slowed down some though. It only happens in spurts now."
"And what about Jacob, is he aging too?"
"No, but he can control it. His phasing keeps him from aging. So as long as he's the wolf he doesn't age. He's been waiting for me to catch up." She winked. "Some of the others stopped phasing once they formed a truce with the family though. That way they can age with their imprint as well. Though… since you came to town, the wolves have no choice. They all started phasing again."
Tara scrunched her eyebrows together. "I don't understand. Why?"
"Theoretically, they only need to transform when vampires are around. It's like a protection mode. Since the alliance between the Cullens and the Quileutes however there wasn't much need for them to change anymore, so they seldom did and controlled their phasing in order for their bodies go back to their natural state. Once you arrived, that all changed again."
"Oh... I guess I messed things up for you then," she said feeling guilty.
"Nah, don't worry. Once they feel they can trust you, things will go back the way they were."
"I hope you're right. I don't wish to be a problem for anyone."
"You're no problem. I'm so glad you're here. It's nice to be around someone closer to my age….well you know what mean."
"Thanks Ness, I appreciate your family for inviting me. I've never been a part anything like this. I hope I don't do anything that will break your trust in me though."
"Yeah well I'm sure you know that my dad's been in your head. He keeps an eye on those sorts of things. I don't think he would have brought you here if he thought you were dangerous."
"I'll have to do my best not to disappoint anyone then," Tara said smiling. She watched curiously as Renesmee let out a big yawn. "Oh do you need sleep? I can head down stairs if I'm disturbing your rest." She signaled for the door.
"Not at all, stay as long as you like." Renesmee smiled.
"Hmm, I envy you….you truly have the best of both worlds it seems."
“I suppose. Sometimes I wish I didn't need sleep. I think of all the things I could accomplish without it, and I always hate missing out on so much with my family."
"I see you're point. But at least it makes you more compatible with your Jacob. He must really appreciate that you have many human qualities."
"Yes, I think he does." Renesmee smiled thinking about him. The girls stayed up for a little longer chatting until eventually Renesmee could no longer keep her eyes open. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes.
Once she drifted off, Tara curiously watched her eyelids flutter as she fell into a deep dream state. She couldn't remember what it was like to dream any more. Tara wondered if she would be able to see Renesmee's dreams while she slept and curiously reached over and touched her hand. Suddenly she saw vivid images of her family, randomly changing from one to the next like a movie be played in her head. She saw Edward playing on the grand piano downstairs while Bella sat with him. Next she saw Jacob on the beach with friends, then vision switched to him running through the forest on a hunt with her. Tara felt a little embarrassed when she saw Jacob give Renesmee her first kiss. She was pretty sure that part was only dream. She figured she must be looking forward to that moment. Tara worried about invading her privacy, and let go. Then she made herself comfortable in the corner with her book again over by the window. The rain finally let up and she could see into the forest. The bright moon crept out from the clouds and illuminated the sky. Its light bounced off the glistening leaves in the trees. She even heard more activity in the forest through the silence now as she listened. Something peculiar caught her attention though. It was like a magnetic force tugging on her. She desired to search for its source and considered hunting, thinking it just might be what she needed as the new smells seemed to be luring her in. She remembered Edward saying the hunting grounds in Forks are much better for vampires of their kind and that they were filled with a different variety of game.
Tara thought about the times she tried animal blood when she needed to feed. It was the only thing that kept her from hunting the humans at times, but she never preferred it. She found their taste rather bland compared to human blood. She knew she had to keep herself properly fed so she wouldn't give in to hunting humans however. Her horrible memory of the deaths of hundreds of human victims in her mind helped deterred her from wanting to kill ever again.
She leaped out of the upper window and sprang into the forest, eager to explore the new hunting ground. Tara was used to seeing many deer and moose in New England and an ample amount of coyotes as well. They reminded her too much of dogs however. She detested the taste of domesticated animals. She preferred to feed on a cow over a cat or a dog any day but none were really quite pleasing to her. It was something she would need to get used to.
“Mountain lion,” she thought. That's what Bella and Edward mentioned. They're carnivorous and more satisfying, they explained. That's what she decided to hunt.
After covering several miles of land she became unsure of what direction to take so she followed a stream. Something kept luring her in a certain direction, so she followed her instincts. She hesitated when she passed several large deer and some elk, contemplating simply snatching one of them and then calling it a night. She deeply inhaled the scent of their blood.
“Mmm, they're much bigger than white tail that's for sure.” she thought but then changed her mind. “Nah, probably tastes just like Bambi too. Stick to mountain lions.” she reminded herself.
Setting out on her mission, Tara ventured further west, smelling the air and absorbing her new surroundings. So many new and different aromas teased her palette as she allowed herself to drift with the smells and listened for movement. A crunching sound came from the bustle of hooves that echoed through the forest but it was muffled by the sudden sound of rain as the droplets began hitting the canopy of leaves above. The moist beads of fluid began to fall through the trees onto on her face. “Drat! It's starting to rain again.”
She knew she needed to move quickly now before all her prospective game took refuge. Knowing cats hate water she worried she might have to turn back and pick off one of the elk before it was too late.
Just before giving up, the wind changed and a new scent hit her nose. It was a rich scent, sharper and more appealing. She detected the sound of the muted padding of large feet that came from above. She looked up at a spruce, about ten feet in front of her and spotted the tawny hide of an enormous feline. The animal sat perched on branch above, sporadically twitching its tail as it was preparing to leap down. “Mmm, hell-o,” she thought while staring at the giant cat. “You're a big kitty, aren't you….” She started feeling playful now. It had been many years since she hunted anything living.
Suddenly the rain picked up and she knew she would lose her meal if she didn't act quickly so she crouched down slightly and prepared to leap at the animal. Though she could easily sneak up on her target undetected, she enjoyed the hunt and the smell of fear that emitted from her prey. So with a light bound she sailed through the air and landed just a few feet from the tree with the cat still in her sights. Her thoughts were so completely focused on her prey she barely noticed the other smell that started to wrinkled her nose. It was a familiar scent…a gamy scent.
Though she stopped moving momentarily, the cat quickly stood and arched its back, hissing at something that seemed to threaten it. Then a deep low growl came from feline. Something seemed odd though. Its eyes didn't meet hers. It was looking at something else; something behind her. She heard another growl but this time it was much deeper, fiercer like a grizzly. She quickly spun around looking into the deep black pit of the forest seeing creature that frightened the cat. A huge black shape eased out of trees like a silent shadow. It's long muzzle revealed a line of dagger-like teeth as it snarled at her. Tara's eye widened as the fear shot though her like a bolt of lightning.
“What? No! I thought they were friends?” She shouted in her mind. When the enormous silvery wolf started to lunge, Tara leaped in the air and the he clipped her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The huge animal turned again to attack and she immediately cloaked herself, confusing it just before it came at her. Just then, she heard another snarl and a large sandy-colored wolf barreled into the other one in mid-air knocking him into the trees. Tara watched in hiding as they fought, snapping and tearing at each other. Their angry growls echoed through the trees like thunder. The lighter one had the other upper hand, pinning the other one to the ground.
Without waiting another second she took off running as fast as she could back to the Cullen house, not looking back even once. She quickly tracked her way back through the forest, and when she reached the Cullen's home she leaped back up through the same upper window she jumped out of. Then she blasted though Renesmee's door and hurdled herself over the stair rail jumping straight down to the first floor.
As she dashed through the living room past Jasper and Alice who were both engaged in a quiet board game, he sensed an emotion of fear in her. She ran through the house till she found Esme in her sewing room and rushed into her arms. Esme held her like a mother cradling a frighten child who had just woke up from a nightmare. "What is it? What's wrong Tara?" Esme asked in a soothing voice while she stroked her head.
Tara squeezed her arms around Esme tightly, keeping her eyes closed. "I thought they were friends!"
"Who Tara?"
"The wolves!" she squeaked. “Why did I even come here?”she thought.
The others curiously ran into the room to see what the commotion was about, including Renesmee who woke up once Tara came barreling through her room. She rushed to Tara's side and put her hand on her shoulder when she saw how scared she looked.
"What happened?" she asked, worried for her friend, but Tara didn't speak.
Carlisle texted Edward a message knowing something was extremely wrong and he and Bella rushed over within seconds. As soon as they entered, Edward saw the whole thing from Tara's mind. "You went hunting?" he groaned.
"I'm sorry. I thought it was allowed." She frowned feeling horribly guilty. She had no idea what she did wrong however.
Edward rubbed his temples realizing he forgot to mention the rules to her. He turned to the others to explain what happened. "She crossed the border onto Quileute territory. Paul spotted her and attacked He didn't know who she was. I don't think he would have tried to harm her had he known better."
Carlisle sighed. "Well… we should be expecting them soon. Let's hope they'll be forgiving."
"They're already here," Edward said as heard Sam and Jacob's thoughts. Edward opened the door to faced Jacob, Sam, Paul and Seth as they approached the house, all in human form. What was left of the scratches and cuts on Paul and Seth's bodies already started to heal.
Edward let the four men in. Jacob and Sam lead and Paul and Seth followed behind. Seth's eyes caught a glimpse of Tara huddled in Esme's arms. He wondered if she was okay but quickly diverted his eyes away before anyone noticed.
Jacob spoke up first. "So, you're new vampire crossed our borders. She was caught hunting on our land."
"I apologize. It's entirely my fault for not explaining the boundary lines to her. I had no idea she would get the urge to hunt animals tonight. She clearly displayed a dislike for them earlier so I thought we'd have to break her in first. Bella and I intended on taking her ourselves to show her."
"Well, it looks like she had plans of her own," Jacob replied.
"I assure you, Jake. She meant no harm to anyone. Look at her. She's more frightened of you than you are of her."
Jacob glanced over at Tara still huddled in Esme's arms. He grinned with satisfaction.
Edward was in Paul's head's trying to get another view on what happened. Seth's mind however, was cluttered with thoughts of meaningless ramblings. Edward identified this tactic right away. It was one his sister's used on him frequently to keep him out. He immediately suspected him of hiding something.
"Yeah well you know the rules Eddy. She's not allowed on our territory." Jacob reminded him. Edward rolled his eyes and let out a low grumble when he called him that.
"We don't know that the girl won't hurt anyone. She can't be trusted. Look at her eyes." Sam added.
"She's more like us than you give her credit for. She survived on human blood but only from hospital. She won't kill. You'll just have to trust my instincts on this one. I would not bring her here if I thought she was a threat." Edward informed them.
"Sam…" Renesmee interrupted.
He looked down at her. "Yes Renesmee?"
"May I show you something?"
He nodded and then she touched his face and concentrated, sharing a series of memories from earlier.
"You see, I trust her and so does my family. You know that none of us pose a threat to any of you so why are you holding onto these treaty rules? Besides, you already give me free rein on your land. I don't see why you shouldn't extend the same privileges to the rest of my family."
"Ness, you know why you're allowed at La Push, it's an entirely different matter," Jacob said.
"Yes, you're half human," Sam added.
"And I'm half vampire too," Renesmee pointed out. "I also hunt and feed just as my family does and if you remember, I preferred human blood over animal blood for the longest time. Don't think those cravings will ever go away. I've just learned to control them, just as Tara has. I think it's time to change this treaty. Are we not Allies?"
"We are… but the girl…she's not one of you." Sam questioned her status.
"Yes…she is one of us. You either accept us all, or none. I don't wish to be divided in my own family."
Tara suddenly turned when she heard Renesmee defending her. She stood and approached Edward and Carlisle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had rules… or boundaries," she said to Sam
Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder. "I know. We should have told you. I wasn't worried about you harming anyone though. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt." She nodded.
Then Carlisle turned to Seth. "Thank you for preventing a possible tragedy. I know Paul was only doing his duty. I'm glad you stopped him though, allowing us to explain," he continued.
Seth's eyes panned up to Carlisle's. "Um, no problem," he shrugged. Tara stared at the boy’s face. He looked preoccupied with something else at the moment and looked away. His actions confused her. He saved her for some odd reason but he didn't seem to want anything to do with her.
Jacob folded his arms. "Guess we can just treat this as a misunderstanding for now…but as I said before, we'll be watching you."
Tara had just about enough of Jacob's attitude. "Well gosh Jacob… thanks so much for the warm welcome," she said with sarcasm.
Suddenly Seth let out snicker and grinned but he quickly caught himself. When he lifted his eyes and realized Tara was staring right at him his mouth flattened to a straight line again. Then he glanced over at Jacob and got a disapproving stare from him.
Renesmee broke his concentration when she kissed his cheek. "Thank you Jake." He touched her face and smiled.
"So you'll rescind the treaty and allow my family on the land?" she batted her big brown eyes at him.
Jacob looked at Sam for his thoughts on the matter.
"After all we've been through together I don't see why we should continue with the old law. I'm not so sure all our boys…or Leah, would feel comfortable with the idea of you hunting near their families however," he said.
"Thank you Sam. I wouldn't want to worry anyone. We'll gladly refrain from hunting there still but we appreciate you extending us an invitation. None of us will abuse it," Carlisle said.
Jacob nodded. "Sounds good." Then shook Carlisle hand as he held it out to him.
"And you promise you'll be nice?" Renesmee added.
"Ok, don't push it." He held up a finger.
"Tsk! Jake!" she said as she grabbed at it playfully.
"Aw, don't ask too much of him Ness, he has an image to maintain," Bella teased.
Edward let out a chuckle.
Jacob just shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. They all seemed to loosen up a bit now that more serious matters were settled. Seth was the only one who still remained quiet and withdrawn though
Before they all left, Renesmee gave each of them a giant hug saving Jacob for last but when she hugged Seth he seemed ridged. Renesmee looked at his face and smiled hoping she could break his unusually repressed mood. Seth smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He loved her like she was a little sister and she cared for him just as much. Renesmee remembered Seth since the womb when he spent hours next to Bella keeping her warm. Though Renesmee loves all the wolves of the pack, she held a special place in her heart for Seth.
Once the four of them were finally gone, Renesmee gave Tara a hug too. It startled her when she wrapped her arms around Tara and at first, she stood motionless unsure of how to react but then when Renesmee told her she was glad she was that she didn't get hurt, Tara warmed up and put her arm around her too.
"You defended me. Thank you Ness."
"Of course, I defended all of my family." She released her and smiled.
"Family?" Tara realized she'd just been included in the equation. "But you hardly know me and I almost destroyed your loyalties with the pack."
"You're my friend and you did nothing wrong. You didn't know about the treaty or the border lines. Besides, it was time for this to be put to an end. No one has ever put it to the test until now because no one besides me has ever wanted to go there. There wasn't a reason to contest it, until now."
"I'm glad they didn't give you a hard time because of me. I hope I'm not more trouble than I'm worth."
Carlisle patted her shoulder. "Nonsense, Tara. It's always precarious introducing a new family member into the home. There are always adjustments to be made."
"I can stay? You would accept me?"
"Of course. You're welcome to stay here. We'd love to have you if that's what you wish," he said.
Tara looked at all of them and smiled and they smiled back. Esme gave her one of her motherly hugs.
Carlisle decided he should take care of Tara's feeding needs quickly and then plan for a hunting trip later for the family. As he headed for his supplies Edward followed to discuss some things he discovered about Tara.
"The girl seems to have held onto a lot of memories that most of us would have forgotten. Jazz also thinks she's quite emotional. It's unusual," Edward said.
"Yes, it's possible since she was turned at such a young age. I mean, a sixteen year old girl, probably going through hormonal changes in her life and then the emotional trauma she went though when her family was murdered right in front of her….it makes sense. Anything's possible it seems. Her gift is truly amazing. I'm surprised the Volturi let her leave," Carlisle said.
"I don't think they did." Tara guarded that memory very well from him.
"We'll don't worry, about the girls tonight. I have it all taken care of. You and Bella can head back home," Carlisle said.
Once they tucked in Renesmee and said their goodbyes, Carlisle brought two units of blood to Tara. "I thought perhaps you would need this tonight."
Tara took one of the bags and flopped it back and forth, examining it. "Did you stop at the hospital for me?" she grinned.
"Not quite. I've learned to stock animal blood for emergencies."
"Uh…oh. Well…what… kind?" she stared at the bag with s grimace.
"Mostly farm animals. They're easily accessible online. Sorry, I know it's nothing exciting but it should make you feel better."
"Mmmm." She forced a smile. “Yummy.”
Carlisle chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to hunt soon. We need to be sure we stay clear from humans when we hunt as well. It happens to be hunting season right now so they will be in certain areas this time of year. It's best to avoid the temptation."
"Of course."
Carlisle patted her shoulder and smiled. Then he started to turn to leave.
"Hey, um…thanks Carlisle. Thank you for everything you and your family have done for me. I've never had a real family since….." Tara couldn't finish her sentence and just trailed off.
"I know. That's why we're here for you."

THE NEXT DAY....
Jacob began making the repairs on Alice's Porsche. Edward had brought it over to have him buff out all the scratches and dents and then change the entire color to a new fiery-red as promised.

Jacob and Seth worked together as co-owners of their own auto body shop, located in the middle of the small town of Forks. After Jacob graduated from high school, he started a small business for himself fixing up cars out of Billy's garage. By word-of-mouth, he'd built himself a large list of clientele doing small jobs such as oil changes and tune-ups and an occasional body repair. He used the income to work on his degree in automotive technology at community college in Port Angeles. Seth, who also majored in shop in high school, took an interest in Jacob's business and began helping him part time after school and on weekends. After Seth's eighteenth birthday, Jacob proposed to him the idea to open a shop of their own. Seth used some of the college money his father left him as a down payment on the property and they became equal partners in their business. He used the rest of his money for schooling as it was intended.

That morning, Seth walked through the door of the garage, arriving late to start his day at work. He shoved something in his pocket and grabbed the dirty, gray jumpsuit off the hook on the wall. A large oil stain from a job they did the day before covered his name patch. Seth took a whiff of the suit before he put it on determining it definitely smelled ready for the washing machine.
"Bout time! I'm almost done buffing the scratches out," Jacob snorted.
"Sorry….I slept in a little." Seth yawned while leaning against Jacob's tool bench.
"A little? It's noon buddy. Try sleeping at night."
"I slept… some," he said while rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
"So, did you calm Leah down after she found out?" Jacob asked.
"No, she's still freaked out. She wants me to stay away from her."
"And, I take it you're not going to listen to her advice."
"Of course not. How can I? I've been going out of my mind. Leah will just have to deal with it. She's just being overprotective of me."
"Yeah well I have my own concerns for you, ya know."
"Why?" Seth pulled the shiny object back out of his pocket and held it in his hand, looking at it.
"I may be the only one that can really understand what you are going through, but I think this is really dangerous for you. This could all go very badly."
"I just need some time. Maybe if I get to know her… if we become friends first, she'll accept this…I hope."
"You better hope."
"Jake…I don't know what else to do. How the heck do I tell a vampire I imprinted on her?"
Jacob shrugged. "You got me man….Ness was different. It was like she knew when she was born."
"Do you think she senses anything?" Seth wondered.
"Dunno…guess you'll find out though. Shouldn't you be a little worried she might rip your face off when you try and explain it to her?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a choice. I can barely sleep. It's all I think about. I need to try."
"It's your life." He shrugged.
"Thanks for the support," he said sarcastically.
"Heh! I'm all ya got right now. Better suck up!"
Seth chuckled. Then he had a more serious thought. "You think there's something wrong with me Jake? I mean...how could this happen?"
"I'm not sure but if I can imprint on Ness, anything's possible I suppose. I think Billy's theory was right; we imprint to make us stronger. I don't think it has anything to do with breeding; it's just about finding your soul mate. Guess we're all destined for that one special person."
"What about Leah? She still hasn't been imprinted on."
He shrugged again. "Guess she just hasn't met the right guy then." Jacob had another curious thought. "So how do you plan on working out all the …you know…details?" He was referring to having an intimate relationship with her.
Seth shook his head. "I'm just gonna take one thing at a time. Guess we'll figure it out…if it even comes to that."
"Well what about you and Ness? Don't you have the same concerns about that?"
"Ness? I could never be afraid of her. Even though she's strong as an ox, she's as gentle as a mouse."
Jacob knew in his heart that Renesmee could never hurt him. "And besides that, Ness isn't even venomous."
Jacob recalled when Renesmee always like to bite him when she was an infant. The Cullens thought it was the funniest thing when she did.
"Well, just make sure you don't ever make her mad then. That girl has quite a temper on her!" Seth warned.
"Yeah, I'll never forget the time she chased you down and busted your arm when you stuck those fake vampire teeth in her mouth while she was sleeping. Man that was a great prank though. Hey, you still got those pictures?" Jacob laughed.
Seth chuckled. "Heck yeah, I even made printed copies!" They both laughed as they high-fived each other.
"So what about the mind-reader - you think he's figured it out?" Jacob wondered.
"I don't think so. Hopefully I have him convinced I'm really into stupid vampire shows. I just watched Vampire Diaries the other day so I kept running the episodes through my mind over and over – just really stupid stuff. I'm pretty sure he just totally tuned me out."
"Heh! Yeah, good way to keep him out of your head!" Jake wiped his hands on his jumpsuit and grabbed the hood. "Ok, well let's start getting these dents out," he added.
"So where's Ness today?" Seth asked.
"She's hunting with Bella and Tara. Girl-time I guess…I wasn't invited. Neither was Eddy. He mentioned it when he dropped off the car."
"Hmm, well in that case I think I'll take a trip over tomorrow since we're closed or do you plan on working on the Porsche again?"
"Nope, I promised Ness I'd spend the day with her, maybe some cliff diving if it's nice like they're predicting. I'll let you know so you can meet us."
"Cool. Thanks."
"So have Charlie and Sue set a date yet?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.
"I think so. Mom's been all secretive lately…I have the feeling they're going to make an announcement soon."
"That's cool, I'm really happy for her, Billy is too. Charlie's a great guy."
"Yeah, he is. He's been good to her. I'm glad to see her so happy."

After Bella left home to marry Edward, Sue began taking care of Charlie, cooking him meals, and helping him around the house. It didn't take long for the two to hit it off and eventually start dating. Seth knew it also wouldn't be long before the couple became serious, especially when she started spending the evenings with him. Seth became very fond of Charlie. Though Charlie loved Bella with all his heart, he had a strong fondness for Seth. He'd regretted never trying for a son when he was married to Renee. Deep down he always wanted to have a boy he could take to baseball games, go fishing and hunting, all of which Bella was much too uncoordinated to handle. He accepted Seth like he was his own and they bonded quickly. Seth never once felt any animosity towards Charlie or Sue even though their relationship took off so quickly after his father's passing. He was just happy to see his mother smiling again.

"I just don't know how I'm gonna break the news to mom yet," Seth continued.
"Yeah well I don't think she's the one you need to worry about just yet."
Seth gave him a grim look. "I know."