Renesmee

I have been told about my birth, and from this I know that the pregnancy was dangerous, I was dangerous, at least whilst I was in my mothers womb. I don't really remember my infancy, though it spanned barely a year. I remember that my parents were concerned about my rapid growth; even Carlisle couldn't reassure them about what to expect. That was until the day we met Nahuel. Nahuel was like me, but he was venomous, and he told us that he also had sisters that were exactly like me, and they didn't have venom. The Volturi were certain that this was therefore a male trait. Nahuel had joined us at Alice and Jasper's insistence, to help us prove to the Volturi that I was not what they had originally thought. I have been told of this too, as my own memories fail me. I was told that Irina had seen me in the forest, hunting with Jacob and my mother, and she assumed that I was an immortal child, a forbidden creation in the vampire kingdom. Irina informed the Volturi of my existence, and they came to dispose of me and my family. Nahuel arrived just in time to bear witness that I grew and developed over time, and then he revealed what my future held. He told Aro that my development would be rapid, until I reached around 7 years old, when I would stop growing, although I would have the appearance of an 18 year old, in human terms. This was an immense relief for my family. They had been worried that I would be an old woman by 15, and therefore they would have very few years with me, as a result, they, and the rest of the Cullen's spoiled me. I got what I wanted, whatever that may be, with one exception. I wasn't allowed to go out and mix with other 'normal' children, as I developed far too quickly, and people would notice that I was different.

So far my growth has only slowed, I am 4 years old, physically, but I have the appearance of a 10 year old, and mentally I have the capabilities of someone double my age. Logically, that means that, assuming Nahuel was right about my development, I will be fully mature physically in around 3 years time.

I am aware of the complexity of the relationship I have with Charlie, and Jacob. When I was younger, my relationship with Charlie was different. He knew that I was different, and I knew that he was different from my parents and the rest of the Cullen's, however, I was told that Charlie was told things on a need to know basis. When I was born, Jacob phased in front of him, and from then on he realised that there was something not quite natural going on, but, by his own request, he asked to be told things on a need to know basis. Therefore he did not know the complexity of the relationship between Jacob and me, or that I was a vampire-human hybrid, or the fact that the Cullen's were vampires, although he knows that they, and me, are not fully human. I sometimes think it would be easier if he knew the truth, although I know that that would be an impossibility, otherwise he would have to join us or be 'disposed of', as the Volturi like to say.

My relationship with Jacob was more complex. When I was born, and throughout my infancy, I remember him as a brother, a babysitter and a friend. Now, I refer to Jacob as a friend, although I know that our future is destined to be intertwined and I know that eventually we will be together, although for now, Jacob is willing to wait until I'm old enough to be regarded as mature enough for a serious relationship. I have been told briefly of the side-effects of Jacob's shape shifting nature, and I know that once he manages to control his phasing he will age, and I will not. I don't understand yet what the implications of that fact will be. I think it's probably one of those things that we won't know the full extent of until it happens.

I was only told about Jacob when the Volturi decided to visit, and even then I didn't fully understand. My mother told me that the encounter would be just a process of many of the vampires that had come to look at me telling Aro who, and what I was, and that I would spend the time in her arms, unless it turned into a fight, where she had arranged that I would sit on Jacob. I remember being confused about sitting on top of Jacob, as I didn't know at that point what he was. Although the encounter did not turn into a fight, I know that after Aro had summoned me to his side and I had given him my testimony, I was handed to a great wolf on the outskirts of the clearing. I knew that the big russet wolf was familiar, but I couldn't comprehend why, even with my advanced capabilities. Now I know the extent of the situation, and I know that, as a result of Jacob's imprinting, the rest of the pack cannot harm me or my family, so instead we work as a team. They watch our backs when there's danger in the air, like they did with the Volturi. I have no doubt that if and when that situation arises again, they would happily join us to fight.

Strangely, my only clear memory of my childhood is seeing the Volturi walk in to the clearing, and the feeling of fear, then relief as Aro realised that I was not the creation they had first assumed. The details of faces and people are blurred, but instead, the details of my surroundings are sharp. I can remember the fresh woody smell of the surrounding pine trees, the heavy, strangely co-ordinated footsteps belonging to the mass of vampires who marched toward us in close formation, the frightened scurries of the surrounding animals and the shouts of the Volturi guards as they ordered the accompanying army into position. I remember sensing my mother shielding us from mental attacks. I could feel the fluctuations in the elasticity of the projection as she shaped the shield to protect anyone who was not needed by Aro. I could sense her reluctance as she pulled the shield back to reveal my father as he walked into the cleft that separated us and them. I knew how hard she was working to keep the shield in place, and I knew that the shield was working. I knew this because I could feel the attack from Jane as she stabbed at the barrier repeatedly. I felt the shield recoil and bounce back into shape at her efforts. I could sense her frustration at her failure, and I could tell that she would soon give up, letting her brother, Alec, take control of the situation

The only face I remember is Aro, his face marked by the lines that scarred his face, his long black hair that fell past his shoulders, but by far the scariest aspects of his identity were the piercing, blood red eyes. I remember the blank stare that he gave me, absorbing every aspect of my appearance, from my flushed cheeks to the brunette curls that bounced around my face. He looked at me longer than he needed to, as I knew his eyes could take in my appearance in milliseconds, but it seemed that my appearance held him fascinated, almost as if he was awed by my presence. After the encounter I asked my father why Aro had treated me in the way that he had, I was told that Aro was obsessed with anything that was unique and that I was about as unique as things go, even in the world of vampires. He told me that if I meet Aro again, then he may have a plan for me, but it would be up to me to accept or decline the ideas he had mapped out. He warned me that Aro never really took no for an answer, so it was probably best to avoid giving him the opportunity to make an offer.