"I'm not strong enough. What do you do when you're not strong enough?"

"You act as though you are."

-The Unit

I sat on the back steps, watching Renesmee and Jacob play in the falling leaves. I hugged my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. I watched them for an hour, and if I could have cried, I would have. Even when they went in, I stayed on the back porch. Thinking, hiding, not crying. It was in this pitiful state that Edward found me. It was late, and I knew we needed to get Renesmee home, that that was why Edward had come looking for me, but I couldn't move.

"Bella, love, are you OK?"

I didn't answer. He was worried about me, I could hear him inhale sharply – the way he always did when I worried him. He walked across the porch and sat beside me, pulling me onto his lap. I laid my head against his chest and he stroked my hair as tearless sobs racked my body. We stayed like this for some time.

When I finally calmed down he asked, "What's wrong, Love?"

"I'm scared, Edward."

"I know, love, I know. We all are." He soothed. I felt so pathetic. I was a vampire now – strong and powerful – shouldn't I be able to handle this? I also felt a little guilty. Was this the way Edward had felt every time I had put my human life in danger? Even more overwhelming was my sense of hopelessness, of loss.

"I've only had her such a short time. I can't let her go. I won't. It's not fair – she's mine, Edward!" I snarled.

"I know, Bella, I know." He felt my pain, too. He wasn't ready to lose our daughter yet either. Our precious, miraculous Renesmee Carlie. "We're not going to let her go, love, not yet. We'll fight this. They can't have her. I won't allow it." I knew he meant it – Edward didn't lie; not to me, anyway.

"But how?" My voice was barely audible.

"We'll fight them back. We have our witnesses. Don't worry, Bella." I could hear in Edward's voice that he was as close to tears as possible, as well. "We'll fight them. Together."

I was silent for a long time.

"Edward…Edward, I don't…I'm not strong enough."

Edward didn't answer, instead he kissed the top of my head and pulled me tighter to his chest. He felt the same way. He had no words of comfort this time. Only the promise that he wouldn't abandon me. That we would fight for our daughter together. Whether we were strong enough to win or not.