Nearly a Human Moment
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the original story line. I'm just playing around, filling in an idea of what might have happened where she didn't tell us. No infringement intended.
It was easier this morning. Last night seemed so far away but he knew it had all happened just a few short hours ago. Everything was finally done. The room was clean again. Bella had healed and was in transformation. She had been bathed, but dressing would wait until dawn tomorrow. It was unnecessary now. She might begin thrashing about, destroying whatever she was wearing. She was comfortable and the bedding was clean. Alice had made him take a break.
He had quickly showered and dressed. He descended the three flights of stairs from his room to find Rosalie and Jacob in a staring contest of sorts. She was staring at him, and he was staring at Renesmee, who was also staring at him. Renesmee was smiling, beaming like a ray of sunshine. Her little face glowed; in part from her pearly skin that shown like the surface of a new moon.
Jacob's expression was that of a silly loon. His arm was outstretched—Rose had limited his closeness—his hand still covered in Bella's dried blood. Renesmee's plump little fingers were wrapped around his index finger, hanging on, as if for dear life. He looks like he's in love, Edward had thought, only to learn a few moments later how right he was. Jacob was unable to speak, but his thoughts were so kind, so pure, so adoring. The snarling dog trying so desperately to keep Bella's heart beating was now a little puppy imprinted for life on Renesmee. Bella will kill him for this. Poor dumb mutt.
Edward had claimed his parental rights and taken his new daughter into his arms. Jacob had been beside himself, required to disconnect from her hold on him. Edward knew from Rose's thoughts that she was fed and clean and happy. She then brought her plump hand up to rest on his neck. His intake of breath was sharp, startled for a split second before he was beaming himself.
Daddy! My Daddy! I love you, Daddy! Her visions of him were startling. He looked so worried, so desperate, as he worked on Bella's limp, bloody, body.
He continued to smile broadly, directly into this new little treasure's glowing face as he answered her telepathically. Renesmee, my sweet, sweet Daughter. I love you, too, more than all the stars in the night sky. I'm sorry I took so long to come to you, but I had to ensure Bella, your Mother, was comfortable. I knew you were safe with Aunt Rosalie."
"Yes, I am safe with Aunt Rosalie, and, of course, also treasured by my Jacob."
"So, the two of you are imprinted?"
"Yes, Daddy. My Jacob is most wonderful. Not better than you, of course, but still most wonderful. Daddy, when can I see Momma? I want to tell her about my Jacob."
"Not for a couple more days, my Love. Momma is in transformation."
"Transformation? What is that?"
"Momma was human when she carried you. I am vampire. Momma will be fine when she awakens. She will then also be vampire."
"When will I be transformed?"
"Probably never, but we don't know yet. You are already half vampire, but you are half human, too. It's complicated. We have lots of time to learn about it together."
"I go to sleep . . ." Her little hand slipped away from his neck. He handed her back to Rosalie and turned as Jasper approached.
Jasper brought his hand down onto Edward's shoulder with a light slap and kept it in place as he steered him towards the door. "Come on, Daddy, it's way past time for you to feed. I'll not tolerate any argument. You know both of your girls are safe and there is nothing more you can do for awhile. Let's go."
"But what about Jacob?"
"Emmett can handle him. He's so besotted he couldn't scratch his own fleas." With that Edward and Jasper all but flew out the open kitchen door. They weren't gone long. They found a herd of Mule deer a scant 20 miles away.
-o-
"Good Morning, Sweetheart." The telepathic message made the tiny eyes sparkle and the little mouth smile. Edward's left arm snuggled his daughter closer to his side as his right hand was busy preparing her morning bottle. She raised her hand and touched him gently on his neck, making the necessary connection to "speak" with Daddy.
"Yes, dear, Momma is still sleeping." Edward gazed into Renesmee's chocolate brown eyes as he answered her question, again telepathically. Yes, Momma was still "sleeping" but she wouldn't wake up for another 24 hours. At least, he hoped she would awaken. He felt so unsure. He was always questioning himself, "What if I did something wrong? What if I loose her?" But he never thought such things while he was with his second treasure. She didn't need his worries. Only happy thoughts and sweet dreams.
Bella was his first treasure and she had given everything to give him this small gift. Well, perhaps she was small, but he had known as soon as he laid eyes on her this morning that she was bigger than yesterday at this time. He was deeply concerned about this fact, but he masked it until he let the next family member in line take a turn at holding and playing with her.
He laughed a short blast out loud as he thought about the words "family member". The coven was, indeed, growing with Bella's transformation in process, but it had really grown by one already. One who was not, and never would be, a vampire.
Jacob Black had imprinted on his daughter at first sight, and they were now inseparable. At least, she and Jacob thought so. So, Jacob was now included, almost exclusively, as a family member. Almost, because no matter how close he and Renesmee was, or ever became, he was still not a vampire. But he was a wolf.
She questioned Edward's reason for laughing. He smiled, popped the bottle's nipple in her mouth and turned to walk back into the living room.
"I was laughing at the idea of Jacob being a member of this family," he said out loud.
He didn't need to, but he enjoyed sitting on the sofa when he held her while she ate. He had seen so many humans do it that way; he had reasoned it must make the act more pleasurable. He had learned the first time he had done this, late yesterday evening, that he had not been wrong. Humans might require sitting with their babies, but he only reaped unimagined joy from it. "So much like snuggling with Bella, with her body heat, her heartbeat," he had thought to himself.
Her eyebrows puckered. He smoothed the little line, so much like Bella's, between her brows as he spoke. "I know he is yours. But you also know he is not a vampire."
She continued to draw on the nipple as she gazed at him, asking in her special way, "Why does it make a difference?"
"It doesn't make any difference to you, or him, in regard to the imprinting, but it makes a difference because he is not like us. He is human and wolf."
"And I am human and vampire. So, our human sides match perfectly."
"But your vampire/wolf sides do not. In reality, we are mortal enemies."
"Does that mean (slurp) I must hate (slurp) the one I love?" Slurp.
"No. Not at all. It is just something that we adults need to get used to. There are vast differences that you will understand later, when you are older. No need to worry your pretty curls about it now."
She smiled around the nipple, and then continued to slurp repeatedly.
"When will Momma be awake?" she "visioned" to him.
"Not until tomorrow sometime. We are not sure of the exact time yet."
"Why not?"
"Because Aunt Alice can't 'see' it."
"See it? Are her eyes closed?"
Edward snickered at the question. "No, my sweet, her eyes are not closed. Aunt Alice is special, she can 'see' things in a way others cannot. But she cannot 'see' these things when the wolves are so close to, or, especially, in the house, and, sometimes, also because of you."
"Me? Why?"
"We don't know why. It just is. Perhaps it's because of the human/vampire mix, or maybe it's because of the imprinting. We are trying different things to see what works and what doesn't. It is better since you were born. Before that, it was impossible, but her visions are clearing. She and Uncle Jasper are off in the forest right now to get a little distance to see if things are working again."
"What is she looking for?"
"Oh, all kinds of things. Nothing you need to worry about. Daddy will take care of everything."
"Aunt Rosalie, and Uncle Emmett will help, and so will Grandfather Carlisle and Grandmother Esme, and Jacob, always my Jacob. He is so wonderful."
"Yes, dear, everyone will help. And, yes, your Jacob is wonderful. But the best part is that you are still my beautiful, more special then everybody, daughter and I love you best of all."
"I love you best of all, too, Daddy. And Momma. And my Jac . . ."
There was one last slurp as her little hand slowly fell away from Edward's neck. He looked down on her face just as her jaw slackened in sleep. He removed the bottle and set on the end table.
"Esme," he said, barely a whisper, as he stood up.
"Yes, Edward?" She whispered. Esme was instantly at his side.
"It's your turn. I want to get back to Bella." He slid the sleeping bundle into her waiting arms.
"Of course, dear. Give her a kiss for me, too."
"I will."
He climbed the stairs in typical fashion, entered the room, took Bella's hand and kissed the back of it. He continued to hold her hand as he began his next conversation.
"Ah, Love, our daughter is fed and napping. Esme has her right now. She's anxious to meet you. You had better hurry. You won't recognize her, she's growing so fast."
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