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At the Cullen house, the rain kept tapping against the windows while the scent of wet wood filled the air and the family chatted in the kitchen.
"If you want to be safer on your trip," Emmett said firmly, crossing his arms as he glanced at Nate and Alice, "we should go hunt Victoria down right now."
Carlisle replied calmly, in a tone that contrasted with the tension vibrating in the room. "It's been two months since James died. If Victoria hasn't come near us all this time, it's because she knows she doesn't stand a chance against us."
Alice, standing beside Esme, furrowed her brow slightly. "Honestly, I've been a little distracted until recently," she admitted, shooting a quick glance at Nate. "Last time I saw her, she was in Seattle with a newly turned vampire."
Bella frowned, uncomfortable. "Maybe it's her new partner… maybe she's trying to settle down somehow. I mean, she hasn't made a move toward us."
Rosalie let out a soft snort, a glint of disdain in her eyes. "Vampires feel more intensely than humans do. I don't think Victoria would fall in love with someone else, especially not so quickly."
Jasper, who had been silent with his arms crossed, turned his gaze toward the window before speaking, his voice controlled and cold. "Maybe it's not love. Maybe she's building her own coven to protect herself."
There was a heavy pause before Jasper inhaled with determination, his gaze hardening:
"Either way, I'm going to Seattle to find her."
The air in the room tightened as every eye turned toward him.
Emmett immediately straightened up, tapping the countertop lightly with his hand. "Then I'm going too."
Edward, who had been observing silently, leaned forward, his brow slightly furrowed. "Victoria is slippery. Even if you find her, she'll find a way to escape."
Nate, who had been leaning against the island, looked up. "What if you talk to Laurent? He was in her coven. If anyone has an idea of how to catch her, it's him. He's already betrayed her once, maybe he'd be willing to cooperate again."
A brief silence fell until Carlisle slowly nodded, a shadow of reflection in his golden eyes. "I spoke to our cousins in Denali recently. They mentioned Laurent is staying with them, trying to adapt to our lifestyle…"
Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You think he'd want to help?"
Carlisle exhaled calmly. "If he truly is committed to changing… maybe. At the very least, asking won't cost us anything."
Jasper nodded. "Then we'll go to Denali first. If he won't cooperate or doesn't have any useful information, we'll try to ambush her while she's still in Seattle. Even with a newborn, she shouldn't be a match for us."
Alice, who had been silent, gave a small, grateful smile, her gaze shifting from Jasper to Emmett. "Thank you," she murmured sincerely, moved by how her family protected them.
The tension began to ease as the conversation drifted to other topics, the murmur of the rain once again filling the room.
It was then that Nate took the opportunity to step aside. "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back."
Alice brushed her hand gently against his as he passed, giving him a calm smile before returning her attention to the conversation.
Nate walked down the quiet hallway to the bathroom, closing the door with a soft click. He washed his face with cold water, looking at his reflection in the mirror as a droplet slid from his fringe. He took a deep breath, letting the water wash away some of the tension that had built up in his back.
When he opened the door to leave, he stopped dead.
Jasper was there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on some distant point as if listening to something far away.
Nate was about to keep walking when Jasper spoke, his tone low and polite, carrying a coldness that couldn't fully hide a certain tension.
"Nate."
The young man turned to look at him, noting the unyielding firmness in his posture. Jasper pulled a small folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him calmly.
"I'll take care of Victoria. But if you get into any trouble… call me. I'll drop everything and come immediately."
Nate held his gaze for a second before taking the paper and carefully slipping it into his jacket pocket.
"Thank you," he replied sincerely, though firmly.
He was about to keep walking when Jasper spoke again, this time locking eyes with him.
"Please… take care of her."
Jasper's voice didn't waver, but there was a note of sadness beneath the hardness in his gaze, something Nate recognized in the tension of his jaw.
Nate studied his expression, understanding more than what was being said, but chose not to ask.
He simply nodded. "I will."
Jasper held his gaze for a moment longer before shifting his eyes toward the living room, where Alice was laughing softly with Esme, and let out a brief sigh. Then, without saying anything else, he climbed the stairs, disappearing with the same quietness with which he had arrived.
Nate returned to Alice's side, who looked up immediately, seeking his gaze before intertwining her fingers with his, giving him a soft, warm squeeze.
The rest of the afternoon passed calmly until the clock signaled it was time to say goodbye.
Alice walked him to the door as he put on his jacket.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning at the airport," she said, a spark in her eyes. "I'm going to take the chance to hunt before we leave."
Nate smiled softly. "I get it, see you tomorrow."
Alice leaned in to brush her lips against his in a short kiss, placing her hands gently on his chest before pulling away.
"And good luck with your grandma," she added with a small laugh.
"I hope it won't be an awkward conversation," Nate replied, drawing another light laugh from Alice.
"You'll be fine."
With a final kiss on the cheek, Nate stepped away and got into his car while Alice watched him from the doorway, her arms crossed and a warm smile on her face.
The engine purred softly as Nate headed home to finish his last preparations.
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Nate drove through the rain to his house, the road sliding past under the pale streetlights. As he turned onto his street, his gaze froze immediately.
Jacob was sitting on the curb in front of the house, elbows resting on his knees, the hood of his gray sweatshirt partially covering his face as the drizzle softly drummed against the pavement.
Nate smiled, a hint of guilt rising as he saw him waiting. He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, closing the door with a quiet thump.
"Sorry for making you wait so long, Jake," he said, raising a hand in a relaxed greeting as he approached.
Jacob looked up with a smile that mixed impatience and relief. "So on top of asking me for a favor without telling me what it is, you make me wait in the rain? You're a great friend, Nate."
Nate let out a low laugh, scratching the back of his neck as he stopped in front of him. "I know, I know. It's just… I'm leaving Forks tomorrow for a few weeks. I need to take care of some stuff with my old house."
Jacob's smile faded just a touch, his gaze darkening slightly as he nodded slowly. "I see… I get it, man. I hope it's nothing too complicated."
Nate leaned toward him with a half-smile, pulling his keys from his jacket and spinning them between his fingers. "I don't think it will be, but just in case it is and I'm delayed… I wanted to ask you for a special favor."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, waiting for Nate to continue.
"My dad's car…" Nate nodded toward the parked car. "It's a bit temperamental, and I don't trust anyone but you to take care of it."
Jacob let out a brief laugh, a flash of amusement in his dark eyes. "Dude, getting to drive such a sweet car isn't a favor. It's a gift."
Nate chuckled softly, though there was a glint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Well, just promise me you'll take care of it. If I could, I'd take it with me, but… it would delay my trip too much."
Jacob caught the keys with a smooth gesture, looking at them in his hand with a confident smile. "I'll take care of it. I'll keep it maintained and clean, you can count on me."
"You know I do," Nate replied sincerely. "And… if you can, stop by to visit my grandma every now and then. So she's not alone while I'm gone."
Jacob adjusted his hood, letting a warm smile show. "I'll keep her company when I have free time, I promise."
They chatted for a while longer, standing in the drizzle that was slowly intensifying as the streetlights flickered softly. They talked about the car, how good the engine sounded, and how Jake planned to tune it to keep it in perfect condition. The conversation drifted to lighter topics: about Alice and the obvious happiness she brought to Nate, and about Jacob, who seemed to be gaining more muscle each week, something Nate pointed out with a teasing smile.
"Are you on a new weightlifting regimen?" Nate joked.
Jacob laughed, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "Man, it's called growing up. Soon you're going to have to watch out."
Nate raised his hands, pretending to surrender as he laughed.
The sky was beginning to darken, tinting the clouds a deep gray as the sound of the rain intensified on the pavement. Jacob looked at the car with a bit of nostalgia before turning his gaze back to Nate.
"I hope you don't take too long to come back," Jacob said, with a quiet seriousness that struck Nate in the chest.
Nate took a deep breath before nodding with a small, sincere smile. "Before you know it, I'll be back here beating you again at fishing."
Jacob laughed, giving him one last friendly punch on the shoulder before getting into the car. The engine roared strongly, vibrant under the blanket of rain, before slowly driving away down the street.
Nate stood there, watching the car's taillights disappear at the end of the street, the sound of the engine blending with the steady patter of the rain.
He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything that was to come as he turned to climb the steps to his house.
It was time to talk to his grandma.
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Nate closed the door with a gentle push and shook the rain from his hair as he set the keys on the shelf. As he stepped into the living room, his grandmother looked up from the crossword puzzle she was working on, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"Well, look who's here," she quipped, with a crooked little smile. "Did Alice have you kidnapped or what?"
Nate let out a low laugh as he dropped onto the couch across from her. "Not exactly."
"Mhm." She set her pencil aside and clasped her hands over the notebook. "I like that girl. You should bring her over for dinner one of these days. So she knows she can come over even when you're not hurt."
"I know. I will." Nate leaned forward slightly, a calm seriousness in his eyes. "Actually… I need to talk to you."
She raised an eyebrow. "I don't like that tone."
"I have to travel. Tomorrow."
His grandmother looked at him for a moment, then let out a sigh, her lips pursed. "So soon, Nathaniel? You've barely recovered."
Nate nodded, with quiet firmness. "I need to finally close out the inheritance stuff. I'll only be gone a few weeks. I'll also pick up anything I left at my old house. I want to have everything ready once and for all, so I can… stay here. Settle down for real."
She lowered her gaze, moving her lips as if mumbling something, then looked back up at him with a soft glint in her eyes. "So, you want to settle down, huh? You really do like being here with me, don't you?"
"In part," Nate said, with a hint of humor.
"Well, would you look at that." She leaned back in her chair, letting out a short puff of air, almost a laugh. "I can't say I'm surprised, but… it makes me happy."
"I promise, Grandma. This will be the last time I leave like this."
"It better be," she muttered, with a playful edge in her voice, though she couldn't quite hide her worry. She watched him for a moment before tilting her head with curiosity. "And what does Alice think about you leaving so suddenly?"
Nate hesitated for a second before deciding to be honest. "She's coming with me."
His grandmother blinked, processing this, before bursting out laughing in disbelief. "You know… I'm not one of those old-fashioned grandmas, Nathaniel, but I'm a little surprised." She waved a hand in the air. "And her parents? They're just letting her run off with some boy?"
"They trust us," Nate replied calmly. "And… It's not like they could stop her."
"Good answer." She leaned forward, giving him a lopsided smile. "She's a smart girl."
"She is."
His grandmother watched him for a moment longer before clicking her tongue. "Alright then." She pointed a finger at him. "But listen to me: when you get back, I don't want you running off again for a good long while, got it?"
Nate nodded, a small, sincere smile on his lips. "Deal."
"Good." She leaned back again, letting out a soft huff.
Just as he turned to head upstairs to pack, his grandmother's voice stopped him.
"Nathaniel."
He turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"Take care of yourself." She said it without unnecessary softness, but with all the weight of her love behind it.