Bella's POV

"Edward!" I yelled. "I cannot believe you! How could you do that?"

He shrugged and put his hand on my shoulder. My eyebrows shot up instinctively upon realizing that it wasn't icy anymore. I had never gotten over the fact that we're the same temperature. I shrugged out from under his hand and stood, putting my hands on my hips.

"I didn't realize you had those plans, love. I swear it!"

I groaned ad folded my arms over my chest. "That's not the point. You didn't even think to tell me that you'd let her go!"

It seemed like we had been having this argument for hours. I was mad. I didn't understand how my sweet and considerate Edward could let Renesmee go to Jacob's house for a barbeque on the day I was supposed to get her registered in elementary school without telling me! Her growth rate had decreased exceedingly and I thought it might be nice for her to go to school for the short remainder of the year. It was hard enough to get the appointment with the principal this late in the year and I didn't want to think about how hard I'll have to try to reschedule.

"Maybe if you had told me that you were planning to go to the appointment today this could have been avoided," he persisted, copying my stance.

I rolled my eyes. "You were out with Emmett when I first heard the news and it never came up!"

"Don't you think I ought to know these things?" he shouted.

Edward was adamant about keeping Renesmee at home for as long as possible. True, she was definitely more intelligent than any other child that was, well, that looked, her age. But Alice, Rosalie and Esme agree that it might be nice for her to have the chance to get to know other kids.

"You knew this appointment was coming; I warned you about it weeks ago! Besides, it might be nice for her to go out and socialize with other kids!" I told him calmly.

"Then take her to the park!" he yelled louder. "There's no need for her to get enrolled in a school!" He spat the word out as if it were something dirty. "She grows too quickly and they would realize it!"

"There's only a few weeks left to the year, Edward, and you know for a fact that her growth has pretty much come to a halt at the moment. Carlisle said it could be weeks before it picks up again."

It was true; my seven-month-old daughter was stuck in a seven-year-old's body for the time being, which suited me just fine.

"Who do you think is going to take her?"

I sighed. "I'll take her, Edward, you won't have to move a muscle!" This was strange, Edward was usually eager to be involved in things like this.

"Do you really believe she wants to be stuck in a classroom for six hours!"

I groaned. "She has been complaining about being stuck here for a while now! It might be good for her to make some friends her own age . . . or looking like they could be her age anyway."

Edward hissed. "Don't you realize how much money we would be throwing away if this doesn't work out?!"

I blanched, immediately realizing that he was just being stubborn. That last line proved it. Money meant next to nothing to Edward and the other Cullens . . . well, besides me. I still stressed over anyone spending too much money on anything. But I knew that this was a good opportunity for Renesmee. Now I realized what this fight was all about. I dropped my arms to my side and my expression grew soft. I walked up to him and put my hands on his chest.

"Edward," I said gently, "I think you and I both know that this isn't about the time or the money or the complications." I smirked up at him. "This is about your daughter, isn't it?"

He sighed, knowing that the game was up. I had found him out. "I just don't feel comfortable . . ." He trailed off, unsure about how to continue.

"Letting her out of the house for the first time?" I finished for him.

He glowered. "She goes out!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, to go to the beach with Jacob or shopping with Alice or to the movies or dinner with me or Rose or Esme or Emmett. In other words: she goes out to places and with people that you can keep tabs on."

He scoffed. "That's not the point!" he insisted.

"The point is that Renesmee is growing up and you're afraid that the minute you give a taste of her own freedom she'll outgrow you and want to be away more often." I wrapped my arms around his waist and peered into his amber eyes. "Edward, she's your daughter. She will always be your daughter. But she's going to grow up someday, you know. You won't always be able to monitor her. I think it's time you let her experience life for herself, just for a little while. I will personally guarantee that she will come back."

He closed his eyes. "We are not discussing this, Bella. I refuse to allow her to go! That's the end of it!"

I groaned loudly and stepped away from him. "You know what, Edward. I say she is! And I don't want you to be bitter about this!"

"There's nothing to be bitter about! I know what's best for my daughter!"

I winced at his words and my eyes widened. My nostrils flared in fury and I froze. "What is that supposed to mean? That I don't? That I'm not a good mother for insisting that she go to school?!"

His eyes widened too, in shock. "No!" he said quickly. "No, that's not what I meant! Bella –-"

"Save it," I cut him off, headed for the door of our little cottage. "You've made your thoughts very clear! I'll see you when you get from your hunting trip. I'm sure Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle are eager to hear your side. I'm not, though!" And I took off towards the main Cullen house, not planning on forgiving him any time soon.

Rosalie's POV

"I thought I told you never to drive my car!" I shouted as we walked through the forest towards the house.

"It was Jasper's idea," Emmett defended himself, following me as I strode angrily through the greenery.

I couldn't count how many times I had told Emmett never to drive my car! Never! And on top of that, he had the gall to damage the left side of the bumper! Worst of all, it was all because of a stupid bet he had with Jasper. I would have to talk to Alice about that. Soon.

"I know what you're thinking, babe," he said, trailing after me. "And please don't get Jasper in trouble!"

I rolled my eyes. "You were both acting like complete idiots!" I hollered.

He winced and grabbed my shoulder. "True, but it wouldn't do any good to put him in the dog house as well. Besides, I'll pay for the damages."

I groaned. "I know you will!" I hissed. "But that's not the point, Emmett! The point is that you broke the trust! I went hunting thinking I could trust you and Jasper, more importantly you, not to behave like primates while I'm gone and you make a bet on who can drive the fastest! How dare you?"

He sighed and gazed at me. "I'm sorry, Rosalie."

"Sorry doesn't fix my bumper. That car will never be perfect again!"

"I told you," he said exasperated, "I will –-"

"No!" I interrupted. "Let me tell you what's going to happen. You will pay for a new bumper. You will find a way to make this up to me. You will relay that message to Jasper. But you won't be getting lucky tonight! Or any other night!" Before he could respond I was speeding through the woods, knowing that I would be home in a matter of seconds and have a chance to clear my head.

Alice's POV

"Jasper!" I gasped, holding up the shredded fabric in my hands. "How could you?!"

He looked own at it before grinning sheepishly. "You packed those clothes in the back of the closet. Isn't that where you pack the clothes you were going to send to goodwill?"

I growled. "NO! That is where I pack the clothes I will not wear for one season until they come back into style! So how could you use them to scrub your motorcycle?!"

There was a trace of fear in his eyes and I was happy about it. He was right to be afraid. What in the world gave him the right to go rummaging through my closet and use my clothes to clean his stupid bike?! I was furious. Half these items were antique and cost hundreds of dollars. Some impossible to replace! Now they were a pile of grease stained rags!

"Alice, it was an honest mistake . . ."

"What possessed you to think that I wouldn't mind it if you used my old clothes as rags?!" I shouted. I heard someone enter the house from downstairs but I didn't pay attention to it.

"I thought they were going to goodwill!" he yelled back.

"As if that makes it any better!" I said acidly. "So in your mind, you weren't stealing the clothes from me but you were stealing them from the less fortunate. Somehow that doesn't make it better!"

He flinched at the venom in my voice. "Alice, I'm sorry I upset you." The he shrugged and went back to watering the flower that stood on the windowsill. "But they are just clothes."

I hissed and my nostrils flared. "JUST CLOTHES?!" I roared. He opened his mouth to defend himself but I shoved the small pile of rags into his open jaw before he could. Then I stomped on his foot viciously before turning around and storming down the stairs.

He acted as if he didn't know me at all! What the hell?! I couldn't believe my Jasper was capable of that!

Esme's POV

"Carlisle," I said from the doorway of his office in the Forks Hospital. I hardly came here, but I was missing him at home. "Are you still busy with many patients?"

He looked over at me and waved me in. I closed the door beg-hind me and sat down opposite from him at the table, where he was shuffling through large stacks of paperwork.

"I'm just trying to finish my thesis on Renesmee before I come home. I'm going to organize this from the day she was born to –-"

"Wait," I interrupted sharply. "You can't honestly tell me that all this is about Renesmee?" I was shocked.

He nodded, never looking up from the desk. "I'm going to try and calculate the exact measurements of growth to see if I can find a pattern somewhere . . ." he trailed off.

"You need to stop this, Carlisle!" I snapped sharply. "It's stopped for now and I think you should just let her be. Besides, you don't need to do this! Nahuel has already explained to us everything we need to know! She will be absolutely fine!"

"I know that," he drawled out. "But there's still so much to learn! She is simply fascinating!"

The words were meant to be a compliment, but I didn't appreciate the context he used them in. "You're treating her more like a science experiment than a family member. Than your granddaughter!"

He shook his head. "You don't understand, Esme. She is so captivating. So many things still to be discovered. I'm trying to find a way to see whether she is more human or more vampire," he said, lowering his voice.

I winced. "This is ridiculous! I was looking forward to spending some time with you before you left with the boys to go hunting."

Carlisle sighed in regret. "I'm still so busy here and –-"

"Are you saying you would rather sit here and continue with this nonsense than be with me?!"

He looked up, a hint of confusion in his eye.

"All right, then," I said, getting up, "have fun on your trip. But don't expect me to be ready for you when you get back." Then I swiftly left the building and got into the car, racing home. I needed to clear my head. This was all too much.

Renesmee's POV

"Why would you say that, Jacob?!" I screamed as I jumped out of his car at the Cullen's house.

He got out the other side and jogged up to me. "You know I didn't mean it, Nessie," he said, trying to grab my shoulders.

I stepped back deliberately and his face fell. Normally, this would make me feel exceptionally guilty, but not after what I'd heard him talk to Leah about. He was just being mean, calling my family bloodsuckers. Aunt Rosalie had called him a dog before, it's true, but that was all in good fun and in front of him. Jacob actually seemed furious when he was telling Leah about how he didn't want to have to face that bloodsucker once he found out that Jacob knew I was going to start school. Worst of all, he was talking about my father.

"I'm sorry, Renesmee, but I wasn't serious. I was just kinda upset at that moment, you know?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't know! That was mean Jacob! I want you to apologize to my dad"

I watched as his eyes bulged and jaw clenched. "I'm not going to do that," he said calmly.

"Why not?" I put my hand on my hips.

"Because you're just being ridiculous. This is silly. You know I was just messing around with Leah."

"Even worse! That means you didn't even have to think about calling him that! You just did!"

He rolled his eyes. "Ness, that's just instinctual. Vampires and werewolves are natural enemies. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Natural enemies?!" I spat out. "What does that make me to you, Jake? I'm half vampire!"

He blinked. "Well, that's different –-"

"Otherwise, if you're calling my dad a bloodsucker what does that make me. I am his daughter!"

"You're not like him, though –-"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

He stammered for words and I turned around sharply, walking to the house. "You know what, Jacob, save it. Have a good weekend. I just hope you don't expect me to be a big part of it."

I walked straight to the door without looking back once, but I could feel his anxious gaze on my back as I did.