Chapter One: Begging the question part I.
"What?" her voice was piled up with innocence and sheer disbelief at my expression. "Did you honestly think that I couldn't do intense research myself? Clearly I am not as dizzy as you think I am, Bella. Like I wouldn't realize my own daughter was a vampire!" Renee snorted as though I had offended her by insulting her intelligence.
I sat there clearly shaken with my mother and shocked beyond words could even express. I took a careful glance at Edward next to me- who in return was staring at a very wry and slightly apologetic Alice shrugging her pixie like shoulders. Not even a second ago she had returned from a hunt with Edward, Jasper and Rosalie, but a little too late to bring her gift of seeing the future of my mother arriving at my home. Carlisle and Esme were exchanging nervous glances at my mother who just tore down years- if not decade's worth of careful hiding and plotting to preserve the family's secret. The very same secret, which is as of one year to this date, was officially mine to keep. Rosalie was staring me down as she was first one to talk since my mother had showed up in the main house flags blazing and asked to see me. Carlisle had tried his best to keep the human lady was seeing me sitting on the couch, but her tiny frame rushed to my side.
My mind had been in a stupor for words to explain my enhanced appearance, but my mom hugged me as if I was not a danger to her and said in a proud voice "Bella! Love! You look great to be undead! How is married life treating my little girl?"
It was then a few seconds later little Alice rushed in the door, mouth open to proclaim what we already guessed so a split second decision to drop in on the Cullen's home.
Rosalie's voice was clear and beautiful, clearly unnerved an octave hirer than usual. "Bella, why'd you tell her?" she said.
"I didn't." I whispered. "How did she get here?" I asked openly still looking at my mother smiling like she won the lottery.
"I flew Bella. I debated on wheatear or not I should see you since I was in the area! But I finally thought I'd drop- well just as I was driving past the home! Lovely place by the way. Very lovely…" her tone was envious and completely not the fact she was surrounded by vampires.
"Um. Excuse me, but- what did you say Ma'am?" Jasper asked curiously.
Renee blinked hard then clapped her hand together like she always does when she has an "oops!" moment. "Oh dear! Yes yes! Dear Cullens, Don't worry! I don't have plains on staying long. As generous as Edward says his family is, I wouldn't ever just show up and expect room and board! I am just making a little house call!"
"Mom!" I cried almost painfully. As if that was the problem here! "You should be here! You shouldn't be…" I started to tell her how dangerous it was, but she rolled her eyes.
"So you married a vampire, love. Doesn't mean you have to exclude me in your endeavors!"
"Oh my God!" Edward exclaimed suddenly. "Her thoughts. She actually means this!"
Esme unthawed from next to Carlisle and walked over to us. "Renee, please. You know about us?"
"After Bella stopped trying to talk to me and Charlie got all weird when mentioning Bella or Edward. I took matters into my own hands. I spent so many hours knee deep in books about the occult! I even found some wondrous pumpkin spice beard recipes! But it took a while before even I could piece together what maybe happened. I made up my mind a long time ago, Bella was hiding something- the poor doll is not really good at lying." Renee winked at me. "Finally I realized that my daughter married a vampire! And I thought I was lucky to find a pro baseballer! What a story. I decided, that Bella would tell me, when she perceived I was ready to know- which I guess was never!"
René frowned at me. "That hurts, Isabella. I saw you pushing me away! What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that your life is in danger! What the voultori find out!" my mind raced at the fear. Not to long had they stepped foot in forks wanting my daughter's head on a stick. I winced at the memory, but Renee shrugged.
"Don't know what that is, but it is nothing compared to the cold shoulder you are going get, young lady."
I cannot believe this right now!
My jaw fell open and I had quickly fixed it with an unsettling crack of my teeth grinding. I looked over to Alice was shrugged again.
"The voultori aren't going to find out." She said in her sing song voice. "They aren't coming back to Forks anytime soon actually. Aro actually decided a checkup is needed 90 years from now. I guess being so old makes long periods of time seem like two weeks. Either that or he too embarrassed to show his face…."
Edward grimaced. "90 years? Seems like something Aro would do. His age did distort time… by then…" his words trailed as he looked at my mother, and I knew where he was heading. By then, We would have left Forks to avoid notice. I looked at my mom who was admiring the house again.
"Beautiful, Esme. Just beautiful. Every time I come here, it's always the same awe. Tell me how long it took to design this." My mother said smiling calmly.
I looked at Jasper who was grimacing more than usual. Not from pain, but from confusion. He wasn't making her feel calm. She was actually calm. In fact it was almost scary how perfectly at ease she was right now knowing what she knows.
Edward sighed at the same time Alice laughed at something only the two of them could see. "We can trust her." They said in unison. I guess Alice checked the future out for bad things to happen, but for once we were in the clear.
It seemed so strange. With that validation everyone melted, everyone- excluding Emmett who never tensed up anyways and continued playing some mindless video game the entire time.
The next hour was a flurry of questions.
"How'd you pick vampires?"
"Who have she told?"
"Where was Phil?"
"How long was she in town and why?"
Renee giggled at the attention and spitfired out answers. "Google. I typed in pale, gorgeous, and cold. I found some books, and tried to look for anything that sounded like my son-in-law. I haven't told anyone. Not even my husband, not that he'd believe me! He thinks it's a new hobby I picked up! Pfft! Phil! Oh honey he is fine. He has a game here in a day or two. I've known for a while, but I just decided to gather up my courage and see my little scream queen! My Bella a Vampire! Wow-wee! I have plans to leave to Florida in a week with Phil!"
"And I thought, Bella was a card." Mused Japser. "I've never seen anyone quite so…refined around us expect Bella, Ma'am."
Renee was floored! She and I was so used to me having to be the parent, that it felt so odd to feel like a kid in her booming presence, and she loved it. I couldn't help, but smile at my mother. Truth be told- I missed her dearly. More than I realized once she was in my life again. Carlisle spoke up. "You must have questions too, Mrs. Swan." His formality made my mother wrinkle her nose.
"Oh please. Mrs. Swan would be my mother in law and I'd prefer if you didn't talk her up! Call me Renee! And yes. I was wondering if you could give me a tour of this enchanting house!"
During her hour stay my mother never once questioned our lively hood as a coven of monsters. Not even crossed her mind according to Edward was surprised, yet bemused by the whole thing. As though the idea was perfectly natural and ordinary to her! That was the Renee charm I had so dearly missed. Over the next hour mom made it her business to walk into even room in the main house and chat Esme and Carlisle down about how perfect it was. She made attempts to speak with each of my brothers and sisters actually. She bubbled to Alice and how much she loved her shoes, told Jasper that she loved her southern accent on such a sweet young man. She gawked at the violence on Emmett's video game and demanded her teach her how to play later- earning Emmett's favor effectively. Even normally Prude Rose, was whisked into a conversation with my mother and enjoying it. Finally her eyes rested on my husband and she grinned and leveled her head to look him in the eyes. "Now Edward. I trust you are keeping Bella happy? I mean it's obvious she is happier than a clam, but I want to hear it out of your mouth."
Edward grinned and told Renee on how I was the joy of his life and my happiness was his one true goal. Renee swooned as the hopeless romantic she is and nudged me. "What a keeper, eh?" she whispered to me, not knowing that the whole room had heard. Once she had a conversation with everyone present, she looked at frowned and spun around and danced to the kitchen area. Esme had told her to say as long as she liked and to make herself comfortable here. My mom turned down spending the night- not because she was scared, but because she and Phil were already booked in a hotel in Port Angeles.
"Mom." I said knowing she'd hear me. I rolled my eyes knowing that she hadn't changed in the less! "You know you cannot be made forever!"
Renee looked at me, and then snorted. I frowned heavily, but Edward managed a tightly controlled laugh. He loved to me all flustered. I shot him a cold look before stepping up to my mom. "You know- you really should not have showed up with permission." I say. She didn't answer me.
"I was looking out for you, by avoiding you. There are things mom- things I never want to put you through. Things in my life that humans…I mean you…cannot…." I trailed off unable on how to say it. Renee looked at me and hugged me again.
"Oh Bella! Will you ever be young?" she ask me and despite my rage I laugh. My mother smelt so good that my throat started to itch, but more so there was another feeling: Love. Not the blazing desire like with Edward, but the motherly love only we could understand.
"Bella. It's ok. I promise, you will be safe. I will be safe. I wouldn't want to ruin your joy, but I had to see you. Even if it was once more…" she hugged her tighter and I carefully held my breath as I nuzzled in. The feeling of a mother's embrace gave me a thrill. She pulled back and looked at me smiling.
"So this Charile was confused about." She joked. I smiled back as she started to talk to me again. For one idle second, I wasn't Bella Cullen. I was Isabella Swan back in Phoenix Arizona.
However as if on que, my little peace was broken when a very heavy footed Jake walked into the house.
"Hey! We are home! Got any food?!" she ask in a noisy voice. I hissed at Jake, but Renee didn't notice.
"Jacob Black! Is that you. My god! I haven't seen you since you were in diapers! My lord- you gotten huge! What's Billy feeding you?!" Renne quickly ran up to a very flabbergasted Jake.
"R-Renee! You are in Forks! It's been what 9 years since I saw you?" Jake was taken aback by mother and her glance up at me in worry. I gave him the thumbs up and Jake's cheerful expression melted into the smile I so very much enjoyed. Before another word could be exchanged, my daughter peeked her adorable head from behind Jake's huge leg. She was curious, and I was little apprehensive. Nessie, uh-oh! That wasn't the best thing to see! Although of my child, my mom was going to freak! Edward was suddenly by my side and the other members of the family came around me too. Ready to try to handle the bombshell that was my half human half vampire child. Nessie was growing fast, but she was around 6 years old now
"Well hello little one-" Renee's voice turned sugary as she bent over. To get a look at the child. "Who do we have here?"
Nessie stepped away from Jake, loving any new attention she received as well as being excited for a new potential thing she could play with, learn about, or bite.
"My name is Reseme!" she proclaimed and my mom laughed.
"What a nice name for a nice little-" and then she stopped in the tracks. I could almost hear the color draining from her checks as she noticed what the child looked like. She must be counting in her head by now. Counting how possible it was.
"Here it comes." I whispered to Edward as I braced for impact.
"Ohhhhh!" Her tone was grave. "Oh oh oh!" She looked up at Jake then slowly, very slowly turned to look at me next to my husband.
"Oh!" she mouthed the word before saying it out loud again. She looked at Nessie on last time for a long while, before shouting! "Oh my god! You did it Bella! You did this!" she pointed to my baby. "You did this Bella!"
I looked at her shock. "Mother!" I said, but it was too late. Train Renee was coming out the gates. She started to jump and down.
"Bella! You did it! You gone and it! You made me a grandmother!"
Emmett laughed. "That's not all she did, Renee!" Emmett was attempting to put me in the same hell as he did when Charlie came over! There will be none of my sex life made public this time!
I swiftly punched Em in the gut in a movement my mom would not see. Emmett grunted heavily letting me I wasn't done with being a newborn just of yet,
"Oh, you are my grandmother? You must be mommy's mommy." Nessie giggled at thought.
"Smart kid! And pretty too! Oh my gosh. Yes. I am your mom's mommy! And I am beyond honored to meet such a gorgeous princess!" Renee did a curtsy and Nessie was suddenly all about my mother.
"Well…This is…nice." Said Alice who was pleased with the events. She was smiling big and nearly beaming with joy. "I see nothing, but good to come during Renee's stay. We might as well enjoy it!"
And I did! Having my mom around was amazing. She had so easily won over my entire vampire family in matters of minutes not to mention become a great grandmother. It was surreal what this meant. Mom and I could still have a decent relationship. I had maintained my friendship with Jake, my marriage with Edwards, my immortal lifestyle, and both of my parents until the end of their time. I was much too lucky!
"Let me take her to the ball game, Bella!" asked Mom as she was about to leave. She had spent the whole day with us and I was sad to see her go. She was clearly referring to Nessie who she was now fully in love with. Not that I blamed her, my kid was perfect. I would take you all, but the sun will be unusually hot and bright- and I am not sure proper sun block would save you." Renee said
I Laughed. "Sure mom. Take Jake too. I am sure he'd love baseball. He never meet Phil." I didn't tell her how he had imprinted on Nessie, in all of my adventures thus far were continently left out of conversation.
"Excellent! Can I bring a friend too?" asked Jake. "I promise no more bear hugs if you say deal."
Jake had grabbed Renee in a tight back breaking embrace that scared my poor mother to no ends. Of course Jake would never hurt my mom, but it amused him to see her struggle
"Deal! I shall be back tomorrow, for you, princess! I'll tell Phil she's Edward's sister, ok? Cannot have people thinking I am a grandma. I don't have Esme's looks and need all the time I can milk out." She laughed. Nessie smiled and nodded in the exact mirror of Jake who was about to see a major league game for free.
Edward offered to drive her home, but Renee was much too head strong for that. "No, no. I will be ok, dearest son in law." She said her good byes and twisted around. "I'll be by early! And I'll bring Baby pictures of your mom, Nessie!"
"no…" I whispered, but it was too late, because Alice had already started laughing. "Aw man. There are too precious! Em is going to have such a field day!"
Emmett gave a sadistic chuckle and Rose followed suit. Edward's laugh was lighter hearted, but just as jeering. Her bent over to brush his lips across my ear. "You are just as cute a baby as you are now."
I waited till Renee's sweet scent started to be washed away by the rain and a soft part of me wondered if human blood would ever stop smelling so damn good.
"I see where you get such an interesting mind set from, Bella." Carlisle said smiling, breaking me from thought.
"Oh yes, as lovely as you are, dear." Esme echoed in perfect harmony to Carlisle. They often did that, but I suspect after centuries of marriage that becomes natural. Nessie yawned and I scooped her and told my family good bye and I had to put Nes down for the night.
"One week." I chuckled thinking of my mother as Edward pulled me into his arms as we ventured to the cottage. "Should be fun."
The next day Renee came over bright and early. She was dressed in a baseball cap and jean shorts. She smiled at Carlisle nicely as she beamed.
"Good morning. I trust my daughter is…awake. If that is what happens. She was never one who early starts."
Carlisle laughed and I rolled my eyes. Renee was a morning person for sure- too much if you ask me. She used to get me up at the crack of dawn, just to do nothing in particular! Once carefully seated on the sofa she reached into my bag and pulled out one giant pink and gold scrap book entitled, "Bella's early days!"
I sucked in an unnecessary amount of air in as my siblings gather around as thought my mom was about to make magic happen. Oh boy!
"I have three more back in Flordia!" she announced. "Charlie and I were very pleased with our first child and were perhaps a little too overzealous in her upbringing." She chuckled. "Nessie love, com sit my lap. I wanna show your mom when she was your age."
After an hour I was able to unease my stone body. I was more fueled with chagrin than I had ever been since I was human. The surprising bit was that Rennee had managed to capture so many moments I had not known she was even around for.
"Here's Bella's first time in her big girl panties!" Renee pointed to the little human girl in the pink princess pull-ups. "She was so happy to be potty trained, that she actually wet herself in excitement." She was so matter of fact in her tone that it felt like a physical wound. It was then Emmett's laughter literally shook the house and even Carlisle had to excuse himself to keep from laughing. Alice and Esme gawked at how pretty I was and Rose was sitting on the love seat amused at my eternal struggle. Japser didn't outwardly laugh, but was grinning apologetically, feeling how humiliation in huge waves.
"Kill me." I begged Edward silently tugging at his sleeve. "Hurry before it's too late."
Edward chuckled and pulled me closer. "Not a chance!"
Nessie furrowed her brow as Renee showed her more. "Wow, mommy. You sure did get hurt a lot."
She must have took note than in every picture I had either a band aid, bruise, or some kind of harm inflicted on me. I sighed and nodded. "That's because mommy had a …disagreement with gravity when she was younger."
Edward laughed. "Younger? You were 18 when it stopped, love."
I gave him a deadly glare. Half way through the book of unspeakable horrors Jake shows up with Seth and after a brief introduction Renee continued the show and tell of my life. Jake, who particularly laughed the hardest at the story of my first ballet recital I had accidently tripped over my shoe and effectively knocked down all of my fellow cream puffs in a domino like fashion was a caught off guard when Renee's evil grin creep across her sweetly middle-aged face.
"Well then Jacob." She starts as she flips through a few pages. "If you liked that, you'd be pleased to remember this. Your first kiss."
Jacob's jaw fell open with a mighty whoosh as we all searched the picture.
When Jake was 11 he had to wear braces. Not the stunning kind, but her 'hard to close your mouth' kind' and on the picture was Jake's distressed face stuck to the face of an unlucky sap of a girl who also wore braces. The icing on the cake was the fact that Jacob was ungodly smaller than this girl who was his same age. I remembered the scene in a hazy mess, but enough to be the first one to laugh.
"I was so pissed that day! You ruined my 12 birthday party cause we had to take you and Kim to the hospital to get you removed. They were stuck like that for 45 minutes in the waiting room!"
Then we all cracked up. Laughing harder than we all had in a very long time. I forgot what bliss was like. I had peace this last year, but until recently I had not calmed down. A few of the clans had decided to stick around in case the voultori came back and even then there were issues with where (or should I say whom) they could hunt. It was an edgy situation and even as our last guest left, Nessie had picked up her first case of a cold. Some germ that Vampires carried the bacteria too, but never got sick. Humans were immune, but apparently half breeds got hit with the flu for vampiric power. I was so worried, despite Carlisle stating it was just something she had to work over and that she wouldn't get sick often.
Doesn't mean, I could rest the whole two months my little girl fevered, wheezed, and coughed. Finally the storm quieted and we were able to enjoy each other. I use the term 'we' as a family, not as a married couple because, Nessie now picked up the habit of sleeping in our bedroom.
Her little frame would peacefully knock on the door, slip underneath our covers and cuddle smack dead in between Edward and I for the night. We tried explaining that she needed to be a big girl and sleep in her own bed without going into detail on why Edward and I needed our bed to ourselves, but Nessie would blame the nightmares and put to the rest any lingering arguments.
Not that we didn't love the joy of resting as a family unit- Edward and I would each take a hand and listen to her dreams- but after a whole three weeks she had a horrible habit of nearly; very so nearly, of seeing something no child should ever she her parents doing to the point where our passionate whispers of "later, love." Turned into sad shrugs of infinite portions.
"Alright, alright. Laugh at Jake time is over!" Jake said reaching over to close the book in my mother's lap. "Isn't it time for Phil's game?"
Rose sighed and muttered how much a poor sport the dog was. If she enjoyed my downfall, she must be having the time of her life laughing at Jacob.
Renee got up and nodded. "Yes! It is. Nessie you ready?"
"Yes Grandma!" she spoke up happily. I had brushed her hair into a ponytail earlier today, but Alice thought that a baseball pin stripe Jersey dress was much cuter than the white tee and tan shorts I had for her. I confronted on how she had time to buy that ahead of time, but not warn me that Renee was coming.
Alice chuckled and said "Woman's intuition." With a wink.
Renee grimaced with a hard wince. "Ouch! Nessie. You think you could give me a nickname easier to swallow than grandma."
Nessie pondered that while Edward laughed at what I could suppose our daughter wanted to call Renee.
"NeNe." She cooed. Renée smiled as she semmed to remember that she was half of my daughter's name stake.
"NeNe and Nessie. Lovely duo!" she reached out to high five my daughter. She peeked up at Esme. "Does Esme have a nickname, not that she needs to feel any younger, but I feel it a bit fair."
"MeMe?" she asked and Esme's dimples lit up. "I love it, you, Nessie."
"You never nicknamed me." Said Jake with a pout. I rolled my eyes, but Alice laughed. "Sure. How about braceface?"
"Train-tracks?" mussed Seth suddenly earning a deadly glare from his chief, who shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"'Metal mouth?" hummed in Rose with a wicked smile.
Jake grunted and rolled his eyes. "You guys can all go to hell."
My mom slapped Jacob in the arm and warned him not to curse in front of Nessie and I smiled as I watched my mom's sedan load up with two ware wolves and my child. As they drove off I was suddenly aware of presence behind me.
I turned ever so slightly to my right was met with Edward's liquid gold eyes smothering me as though I was about to burst into flames any second.
His arms caught me into a deep embrace and for a minute I swore he was just going to take me where I stood. I tumbled slightly and waited for him to say something- anything.
"Our child is in the care of her grandmother, There aren't any other vampires, or werewolves, or any unseen force. Nothing but me, you and a lot less of clothes and an afternoon." He whispered so silently I had a tough time hearing him.
I grinned so hellishly and seducingly wriggled my index finger as I took a few steps back from Edward and was about to run back to the cottage as fast as my legs would carry me, until Alice.
Sweetly- annoyingly Alice stood in front of me, blocking my path.
"Oh no you don't" she yelled at me louder than she needed to. She was attracting the attention of the rest of the family, carefully foiling our alone time and our secret escape.
"Alice. I will count to three…" Edward growled. I pictured a vein would be throbbing in his temple right about now.
""Yeah yeah. Count away, brother. It's Wednesday. Bella was work to do. During the little stunt with the voultori, she managed to meet with Jinx and mess up Nessie and Jake's ID's. She, Jasper and I are going to fix it today. We will be back at around 9:00pm."
"9:00?! Alice…Nessie will be home by then." I say.
"And?" She arched an eyebrow.
"1….2…." Edward started to count behind a very tight jaw line.
"Edward. It's Bella who needs to fix it. We don't need anyone to figure out Jake has two ID's and trace him back to us."
I sighed. She was right. I had been putting off this meeting with Jinx for a few months now and surely without the joys of motherhood now would be a good time to run errands."
"I'll be back later." I said bitterly.
"Bella, you can't be serious!"
I sighed again, but louder and harder as I reached to kiss my husband passionately.
"Sorry." I say before shooting daggers at my sister.
Alice rolled her eyes and took my hand. She pulled me away and started chatting about how Jinx was at a formal party and how we were going to catch him off guard. I pictured running away back to Edward as fast as I could and leaving Alice behind, but she just then she gripped even harder on my hand making sure her vision would change.
"Formal?" I said silently. "Great Alice. Just great!"
She laughed.
I kissed my one evening without a care away.