Disclaimer - I do not own the Twilight Saga or any character therin.

Thank you so much for clicking on this story-you rock! Thank you to everyone who read Emmett Jr. And to those who left reviews, know that you hold a special place in my heart.

Per a few requests, I revisited Carty again and a remarkable thing happened. This story began to write itself, and I feel like I am just along for the ride. I hope you like it.

oooOooo

Chapter One - Watched Pot

The impromptu meet and greet dispersed, and I made my way back inside. Carty soon fell asleep in my arms as I sat with Lily. The nursery was ready for my little guy, but I couldn't put him down-not tonight. Edward, Bella and Renesmee retired to their cottage for night. Alice worked frantically on Lily's closet while Emmett and Jasper kept watch over Jason. Esme hummed softly while she worked in her study. Carlisle went to work.

The small hospital in Forks closed a few years earlier. It became a victim of the recent recession, as the population of just over three thousand could not sustain it. Carlisle now commuted to the hospital in Port Angeles. The nearby city is over six times larger than Forks so he is able to blend in much easier. He does miss the personal feel of a small facility.

"I love you Rosalie," a female voice whispered.

I looked around in confusion and asked, "Esme?"

"Yes Rose," she replied as she appeared in the doorway.

"Did you say something just now?" I inquired.

"I didn't," she replied, "Nor did I hear anything, but I guess I was humming wasn't I?"

"Yes you were," I sighed, "It's been an eventful day."

"That it has," she agreed and turned to return to her work.

"It's Lily," the whisper echoed in my head, "Can you hear me?"

"Lily? I can hear you" I choked out and thought, "This is amazing."

"It is amazing," she repeated, "We can hear each other's thoughts. How is that possible? I didn't alter anything."

"Maybe our blood relation isn't as diluted as you would expect?" I thought aloud.

"It's plain as day to me," Esme offered, "You could be twins."

"Maybe it's the Hale family," I replied as I remembered the visit with my brother, "I heard a whisper from David, but I thought nothing of it at the time."

"What did he say?" Esme asked.

"Save her," I replied and looked at Lily.

"I miss him," Lily thought sadly.

"I miss him too," I sighed.

"He's alone now," her thoughts whispered painfully.

"Not for long," I decided, "As soon as you are up to it we will go and get him."

"Really?" her hopeful whisper echoed in my head.

"Sure," I declared, "Carlisle is a doctor after all, plus Edward and I have both attended medical school."

"Do you think I could cure him?" she wondered.

"I don't know," I said and then asked a doctor's wife, "Do you think it would be possible for Ro…Lily to cure my brother?"

"Good question," she replied, "From what I know of Alzheimer's, I don't think even venom could cure it. However I bet she could stop its progression."

"That's something," Lily and I whispered in unison.

"Gramps wouldn't want to become a vampire anyway," Lily thought confidently.

"I got that impression," I agreed, "He was disappointed that I wasn't an angel sent to take him to Jesus."

"He may not want you to the stop the progression of the illness either," Esme offered, "Your brother may want to let nature take its course."

"I had not considered that," Lily's mind whispered thoughtfully.

"You should also consider that he may be happy where he is," Esme said softly.

"How did she…" Lily thought, "Is she like Edward?"

"No…She cannot read minds," I replied and smiled knowingly.

"After ninety years," Esme explained, "I have become quite talented at hearing one sided conversations."

We mulled over that for several minutes. Esme returned to her study when Emmett came in to see how we were getting along. My hubby gave us an update on how Jason was doing. When he found out about our silent communication, he frowned. He soon brightened as I reminded him that he could read me better than Edward could.

"For now," Lily thought mischievously, and I tried to keep the smile off my face.

"See…It's already started," Emmett pouted, "What did she say?"

"Nothing about you Em," I reassured.

"Then what did she say?" he asked again.

"Just two words," I answered truthfully, "For now."

"Is that a challenge little sister?" Emmett joked.

"Bring it on tiny," I relayed her answer verbatim.

Emmett laughed loudly, and Carty stirred in my arms. I shushed him and warned him not to wake the baby. He grinned and called me little mama. I could not help but grin back at him.

"I just had a thought," he declared and wagged his eyebrows.

"I know that look," I said laughingly, "Don't say it pervert."

"Pervert?" he said crushed, "I'm a provert."

"What?" I laughed.

"Perverts are minor league," he quipped, "I've gone pro baby."

"Oh brother," I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"He's funny," Lily said and chuckled, "But I know a few frat guys that could give him some pointers."

I silently warned her that this was Emmett's good behavior. He was tame because Esme was within earshot. Lily claimed that would not have mattered to the Sigma Nu guys. Emmett asked what she had said, and I told him only that she thought he was funny. That made him smile.

Lily spent the next few hours telling me about her parents. She made me promise never to let her forget them. She hoped to alter her mind so that her human memories were not muddy. We talked all night, and I did not once become bored. She was fascinating to me. By the time the sun rose, her thoughts were no longer a whisper. The closer she came to her full vampire transformation, the better I could hear her.

The sky was brightening when I noticed Carty had awakened. His violet eyes sparkled as he stared up at me. I wondered how long he had been awake.

"Good morning my sweet boy," I cooed at him.

"Mama," he sighed as he smiled his daddy's smile.

"Thank you Lily," I choked with emotion, "Forever isn't long enough to repay you."

"The debt is being repaid as we speak," she reassured, "You're giving me my life back."

"I will still be eternally grateful," I gushed.

"As will I," she sighed.

Carty's stomach grumbled and I asked, "Is someone hungry?"

"Your wish is my command," Bella beamed from the doorway, "I warmed a bottle for your little prince."

"Thanks Bella," I said brightly, "You're the best."

"Bell…Bell…ah," Carty panted as he reached for the bottle, "Hun…gee."

In the blink of an eye, she handed me the bottle, "I can't get over how much he's talking already."

"Ren spoke too," I offered as Carty made happy noises, "She just did it with her lovely pictures."

"Yeah," she sighed remembering, "Oh that reminds me. We should start taking pictures of him today. I have been looking at the albums of Ren that you and Alice made, and I thought that maybe you would like to have a similar keepsake. They just grow up so fast. One moment they are taking their first steps, the next moment they are awakened in the middle of the night by their first menses."

"Oh God Bella," I sympathized, "I am so sorry."

"Thanks. I was just hoping for a little more time, and I certainly wasn't prepared for all the questions. I'm not ready for her to be a woman. She just had her fifth birthday for crying out loud."

"How's Edward holding up?" I asked and immediately regretted it.

Pain spread across her face as replied, "It was so much worse for him because he could hear her thoughts. He is finding it impossible to block them out because they are so loud now. And when I asked about what she was thinking, he said 'you don't want to know'. He even offered to run to the convenience store and buy her funnies just to get away."

"Funnies?" Lily and I asked in unison.

"Oh," she replied embarrassed, "That's what Rene calls maxi pads."

"I would have paid to have seen Edward make that purchase," I said seriously.

Bella thought about that for a moment and giggled, "Especially if it had been a female clerk. I can just see her drooling over him, and then he places his items on the counter."

"Emmett could get a hold of the surveillance camera footage," I thought aloud.

"No," she begged, "Please don't tell Emmett. He will never let Edward live it down."

"Okay," I promised, "I won't mention it."

"Tell her I won't tell Emmett either," Lily declared.

I relayed her message to Bella, and my sister in law gasped, "You can hear her? When did this start?"

By the time I finished telling her about all that had transpired the previous evening, Carty had emptied his bottle. I gave my little guy a bath then diapered and dressed him for the day. When I returned to the study, Alice was informing Lily that she had just twenty for hours. Jason however had over thirty hours left.

"Why so long?" Lily asked.

"He injected the venom into his leg," I explained, "It has to travel to his heart. You were injected directly so it shortens the transformation. There is good news though; you will be able to be there when he wakes. Your face will be the first one he sees with his new eyes."

"You found the silver lining," Alice chimed, "I still can't get over the change in you Rose."

A few hours had passed, and it was time for Carty to eat again. Renesmee brought his bottle. Edward appeared in the doorway, as she asked if she could feed her baby cousin. Ren was acting strangely, and I got the feeling that she had ulterior motive for giving Carty a bottle. It seemed to me she wanted to practice for when she and Jacob had a baby. Edward nodded once so I knew my intuition was correct. I was horrified and so was her father.

I was going to refuse, but Lily assured me she would take care of it. Ren took Carty with a huge smile on her face. It started normally then the little guy got a little fussy. A mischievous smile crossed his face, and he loudly soiled his diaper. Then he kept spitting out the nipple, and I suggested that he needed to be burped. She obediently put him on her shoulder and softly patted his back. A disgusted look crossed her face when Carty spit up. The rice milk and blood mixture was especially disgusting as it ran down her back.

Ren left the rest of the feeding up to me as she went and changed. Her determination was strong because she returned and offered to change him. I followed her to the nursery, and she set to work. I should have told her about baby boys, but she found out the hard way. When she was sprinkling powder on his bottom, he sprinkled right back on her. She squealed and backed up several steps. I painfully bit my tongue to keep from laughing.

"Can you?" she spit out and hurried toward the door.

"I'm sorry Ren," I said trying to sound sincere.

"Babies are disgusting;" she mumbled under her breath, "Why anyone would have one is beyond me."

I finished changing my boy. When I was sure she was out of earshot, I told Carty what a good boy he was. I joined the others in the study, and they were celebrating their victory. Edward and Bella were both grinning as they took turns doting over their little champion.

"Renesmee has sworn off children," Edward said delighted.

"For now anyway," Lily reasoned, "I could make it permanent."

"That sounds tempting," Edward replied, "But no… let's not alter her thinking unless she plans on doing something reckless."

We all noticed an undertone in what he said and I inquired, "What was she planning?"

"You don't want to know," he sighed looking helplessly at Bella.

"I can handle it," Bella said with determination, "You don't have to carry the burden alone."

"I can't even say it," Edward choked.

"I told her this morning that it would be at least two years before she could marry Jacob," she offered and then realization dawned over her face, "No…no…no!"

"I'm sorry," Edward said in a small voice, "I knew you wouldn't want to know."

"Jake never would have gone along with it," Bella said hopefully.

"She planned to use her gift to make him think he was dreaming," Edward whispered, "Among her many other backup plans."

"I think you should have a talk with Jacob," I said directly to Bella, "As soon as you can catch him alone."

"I was thinking the same thing, and the sooner the better" she agreed and looked at my boy in her arms, "Carty sweetheart…Please show me Renesmee?"

"Ness-may," he chimed and touched her face.

"Whoa," she exclaimed and took his hand away.

"Whoa," Carty mimicked and frowned at her.

"I'm sorry sweetie. You did good, but Ren was just hopping in the shower. Sorry Edward."

"Don't worry I didn't see a thing," Edward reassured, "My concentration was elsewhere. Jacob's in the back yard and he knows that our daughter had her…well that she's a woman now."

"Did Ren tell him?" I asked curiously.

"No," Edward sighed, "He sniffed out the truth."

Bella gave my little man back to me and hurried to the back yard. I asked Carty to show me Bella, and he happily obliged. When she slipped out the back door, Jacob was sitting with his head in hands. He did not look up as she sat next to him.