Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters… or cheese… mmm… cheese.

Carmen, which means "song," "tune," or "poem" and is also the root of the English word charm.

I watched my family quietly Tanya, Kate and my mate; Eleazar we were all silent as our car swerved around the Cullens driveway; I held Eleazars hand as he smiled with a hint of concern and squeezed my hand gently. We were all thinking the same thing; the phone call had been short but had us conjecturing, why would they need us so suddenly?

I followed them out of the car and onto the porch when the door opened immediately.

As always Tanya was the first to speak. "Edward!"

"Hello Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, Carmen." He nodded and we all spoke a soft 'hello' in return.

"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away." Eleazar became tense when he heard Carlisles name. "What's the problem? Trouble with the wolves?" Tanya smirked. I knew I smelt something revolting.

Edward shook his head. "No, our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever." Kate chuckled.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Tanya inquired not stopping for an answer. "Where's Carlisle?"

Edward looked hesitant. "Carlisle had to leave."

Tanya spoke after a short silence. "What's going on, Edward?"

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," he answered. "I have something difficult to explain, and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand."

Eleazar spoke uneasily. "Is Carlisle all right?" I squeezed his hand hoping to calm him.

Edward patted his shoulder. "None of us is all right, Eleazar, but physically, Carlisle is fine."

Tanya asked stridently. "Physically? What do you mean?"

Edward let out a breath. "I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out." He pleaded. We all tensed now.

"We're listening, we will hear it all before we judge."

"Thank you, Tanya; we wouldn't involve you in this if we had any other choice."

Edward stepped out of the doorway inviting us in closing the door behind us. There was the sound of a heartbeat in the other room and some other sound that I couldn't put my finger on. Bella was no where to be seen neither were the other pairings.

Tanya sniffed and muttered. "I knew those werewolves were involved,"

Edward nodded to her. "Yes, and they're on our side. Again." Another silence took over.

"Where's your Bella? How is she?" Kate asked.

"She'll join us shortly. She's well, thank you. She's taken to immortality with amazing finesse." Edward smiled.

Tanya spoke quietly. "Tell us about the danger, Edward. We'll listen, and we'll be on your side, where we belong."

Edward breathed. "I'd like you to witness for yourselves first. Listen- in the other room. What do you hear? Just listen first, please," Edward said. I knew he was talking about the thrum and the heartbeat, but I listened harder.

Tanya straightened up. "A werewolf, I assume. I can hear his heart,"

"What else?" A slight pause.

I couldn't hold my tongue. "What is that thrumming? Is that... some kind of a bird?"

Edward answered me urgently. "No, but remember what you're hearing. Now, what do you smell? Besides the werewolf."

Eleazar muttered. "Is there a human here?"

Tanya deviated. "No, it's not human... but... closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? I don't think I've ever smelled that fragrance before." I think she spoke for all of us then.

"You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions."

Tanya reassured Edward. "I promised you I would listen, Edward."

Edward looked to the doorway between the two rooms. "All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please."

There were two sets of footsteps one behind the other, and to be honest I was excited to see Bella again. She looked absolutely divine on her wedding day, and as Edward had said her immortality had given her much grace.

Bella took one step into the room holding a small package in her arms and froze instantly her scared face froze with her; while an angelic face peeked through her long chocolate hair with curious but frightened eyes. My family reacted momentarily, Kate jumped back all the way to the door and held herself against the wall hissing loudly, Tanya darted back a couple of steps quivering slightly, and Eleazar jumped in front of me immediately taking a protective stance, while I hid behind Eleazar slightly glancing at the small body in Bellas thick locks.

The mutt murmured under his breath. "Oh please,"

Edward put his arm around Bella and the small being. "You promised to listen,"

Tanya shrieked. "Some things cannot be heard! How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?" She slowly edged a foot behind herself preparing to make an escape if need to.

Kate propped her hand on the doorknob. "We have to get out of here,"

Eleazar was dumbfounded still hunched before me. "Edward…."

Edward strengthened his voice. "Wait, remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is."

Tanya retorted. "There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward,"

"Tanya, you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means."

I looked harder at the small child, whispering. "Her heartbeat?"

Edward directed his words to me. "She's not a full vampire child, she is half-human."

We stared at him with questioning glimpses.

Edwards velvety voice came over him and he tried to sway us. "Hear me. Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator- her biological father."

"Edward, you can't expect us to-," Eleazar began to speak.

"Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar. You can feel the warmth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it." Edward continued.

"How?" Kate asked.

"Bella is her biological mother," Edward told her. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her."

Eleazar uttered angrily. "I've never heard of such a thing,"

"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common. Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn't you agree, cousins?" Edward lifted a brow. I was edging further marveling at the child seeing the likeness of the three Edward, Bella, and the innocent in her arms. "Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance." I was the one who reacted first. I stepped slowly around my mate and walked to Bella leaning down peering at the girls face, her reddish brown curls matched her fathers and the chocolate eyes were unmistakably her mothers. "You seem to have your mother's eyes," I said calmly, "but your father's face." And smiled.

Her answering smile was breathtaking, two full sets of shiny white teeth and if you looked closely you could see the gleam of them. The reached for her mothers face and rested her hand on Bellas cheek.

Bella whispered to me. "Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself? She has a gift for explaining things."

"Do you speak, little one?" I asked the girl.

"Yes," Her voice was a shrill. I heard everyone behind me flinch but I stayed still. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

She placed her hand on my face, and the sensation of her warm skin sent chills through me. Eleazar was beside me in an instant grabbing my shoulders. "Wait," I locked my eyes with the infant, while images swam through my mind, the inside of Bellas womb, , her father ripping her from her mothers stomach handing her to Bella, Bellas human face; pale and soon to black out, biting her mother regretfully, looking back at her mother unmoving and insipid as being handed to a blonde haired woman, then she was warm again being surrounded in a blanket, then being fed with blood by Rose, then Jacobs coiled ready for attack, and the pure shock on his face.

Renesmee dropped her hand from my face and smiled widely at my stunned face.

My eyes flitted to Edward as I breathed. "She really is your daughter, isn't she? Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

Edward face was still hardened. "Do you believe what she showed you?"

I smiled at him still leaning towards the infant. "Without a doubt,"

"Carmen!"

I looked back and held my mates hands in mine squeezing them. "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you." I gestured to Renesmee. "Show him, mi querida." She grinned at me touching Eleazars forehead.

He jumped away from her. "Ay caray!"

Tanya moved forward hesitantly along with Kate. "What did she do to you?"

I smiled reassuringly at my sisters and mate. "She's just trying to show you her side of the story,"

The shrill commanded "Watch, please," She reached out towards Eleazar waiting for him to come the step closer.

I nodded at Eleazar answering his concerned face, as he breathed her hand and his face joined. He shuddered slightly closing his eyes.

Moments later he sighed opening his eyes. "Ahh, I see." A smile crept onto his face answering hers.

"Eleazar?" Tanya urged.

He looked to Tanya. "It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself." I stood aside so Kate and Tanya could take their turn standing before Bella. Bella shot glances at Edward questionably.

"Thank you for listening," he said quietly.

Tanya spoke suddenly. "But there is the grave danger you warned us of, not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?" I understood now why they needed us now, Eleazar was a part of them once and the Cullens needed numbers.

"When Bella saw Irina that day in the mountains, she had Renesmee with her." Edward explained sighing. My bottom lip pulled up a small fragment; I contained a hiss behind my teeth.

"Irina did this? To you? To Carlisle? Irina?" A hiss threw itself out of Kates mouth, her eyes narrowing threateningly.

Tanya stood with shock. "No, someone else . . ."

"Alice saw her go to them," Edward confirmed it for her.

Eleazar asked himself. "How could she do this thing?"

I had fully contained my anger keeping my mouth closed but my hands drew into fists.

"Imagine if you had seen Renesmee only from a distance. If you had not waited for our explanation."

"No matter what she thought... You are our family." Tanyas bottom lip started to quiver with rage.

Edward breathed slightly. "There's nothing we can do about Irinas choice now. It's too late. Alice gave us a month."

"So long?" Eleazar asked.

"They are all coming. That must take some preparation."

Eleazar gasped. "The entire guard?" I touched his arm softly.

"Not just the guard," Edward held himself, his jaw straining tight. "Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives."

The shock came over all of our faces and several heads shook in disbelief.

"Impossible," Eleazar said blankly.

Edward nodded to him. "I would have said the same two days ago,"

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?" Eleazar almost growled.

"It doesn't make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we've done. She thought you could help us."

Eleazar started pacing something he normally did when he was stressed, I watched him nervously. "More than punishment? But what else is there?"

Tanya asked quietly. "Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?"

"Looking for friends who might help us." I nodded to myself.

"Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can't help you win. We can only die with you. Tanya held out her hands towards him. "You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past – for her sake that time as well."

"We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that." Edward shook his head.

"Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain . . ." He brushed Renesmee's cheek; she grabbed his hand holding it to her face. "It's difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself."

Tanya nodded slowly. "Do you think her past will matter to them so much?"

"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed." Edwards eyes were on Renesmee.

She spoke loudly. "I'm not dangerous at all, I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob." She patted Jacobs arm letting go of Edwards hand.

"If Irina had not come so soon," Edward mused, "we could have avoided all of this. Renesmee grows at an unprecedented rate. By the time the month is past, she'll have gained another half year of development."

They were family I was going to stand beside them blood spill or not. "Well, that is something we can certainly witness," I nodded to Edward.

"We'll be able to promise that we've seen her mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?"

"How indeed?" Eleazar still paced in the corner not looking at us.

Tanya curled her hands into fists. "Yes, we can witness for you, certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," Edward protested, hearing more in her thoughts than there was in her words, "we don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," Tanya insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

"Do you really doubt me so much, sister?" Kate snorted.

Tanya smiled at her. "It is a suicide mission, after all."

"I'm in." Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged.

I agreed with them and held out my arms to Renesmee. "I, too, will do what I can to protect the child, may I hold you, bebé linda?" 'Beautiful Baby' was an understatement. She reached eagerly towards me and hugged me tightly; I hugged her back just as tight murmuring to her in my native tongue. The child was simply enticing, when you lay your eyes on her for the first time she has you in her grips, she was almost diabolical.