Pendulum
Intro
2012. The year all societies for centuries had heavily debated the world's ending.
But in 2014, the world still remained. Though it wasn't the same, it was altered; a shift in the way of life caused by the humans, and a third world war. On the Twenty-First of December 2012, it was announced worldwide that indefinitely, delicate political situations had erupted out of control, and countries were at war with each other. For America, England, China, Australia, Canada, France, Spain, and Germany alike, they fought against terrorism on a grand scale. But they were not alone, no country was left out. States and cities were wiped out, London and New York evacuated, ways of simple, contented lives came to an end. The humans that survived the autrocisity reverted back to historic ways of survival; swapping their treasures for the necessities of life such as food, clean water, clothing, and medicines. America, to those who knew it before the war, was unrecognisable. But a war, and a change of the world that was so drastic, affected the Cullen's too. None of them, the least Carlisle, had suspected that the Volturi had planned to stage their own battle in the struggle for power of this new world. It seemed that the bitter taste left in Aro's mouth after their encounter over Renesmee, had been far from forgotten. News reached Carlisle on the second of August 2014, that Aro had abandoned all sense and reason. The law all vampiric creatures abided by, the secrecy of their existence, had been abolished. Aro had been driven to insanity by the very idea of power.
Chapter 1: Troubles melt
20th December 2012.
Today, for the Cullen's, had been a day like any other. Nothing much had happened and life continued to hum nicely along. Renesmee now looked about eighteen, and had finally begun attending Forks High School, as Bella's distant cousin on her mother's side, much to everyone's reservations about her ability not to blurt out their deepest secrets. But with her aging slowing down at a more noticeable rate, and Edward wanting her to spend a little less time with Jacob, they had decided that this year was the best for her to start.
Bella and Alice had spent last night trying to help Renesmee decide on a dress for the school prom, which was now only months away… only for Rosalie to show her a picture of a beyond common sense price tagged ball gown. So, of course that resulted in a shopping trip to Seattle this morning. Rosalie had wanted to go with Renesmee and Alice, only to have Jacob turn up and claim her place. Emmett, knowing his wife all too well, then abandoned the sparring he and Jasper had been planning for days, to try and make up for her missing out on quality Renesmee-time, which Esme was of course very, very thankful for.
"Honestly, can you not be a little more careful about tearing up the ground when sparring?" she had asked them in a manner that was far too sweet, yet, surprisingly effective in getting the boys to stop pranking about. She had therefore been spending the day, and its lack of sunlight, out tending to the never-overgrown rockeries at the front of the house. Carlisle had left early for work as usual, departing the house at approximately four thirty AM; despite his shift not starting until six and it only being a five minuet commute. But he always liked to be prepared and spend a little time studying illnesses that had not made any sense in his long ago human days.
"It is astounding that something as everyday as chicken pox killed so many in my time, when the cure's so simple these days. It's sad, really," he had said to anyone who was willing to listen, Esme, mostly.
Alice and Jasper were now fully engaged in a war of monopoly, to which Emmett and Rosalie had refused to play, seeing as once Edward joined in the fun, they saw no hope of winning, in their opinions.
"Oh, please!" Alice pleaded. "This is not a game in which reading your thoughts will increase his chances of winning. It's down to a die after all."
"I'd rather stick pins in my eyes," Rosalie replied coolly as she opened today's newspaper and began scanning the print.
Edward, re-taking his seat between Alice and Jasper made a low scoffing noise, "I'll gladly help you with that."
'And I'd gladly help knocking you into next week, little brother', Emmett intercepted in thought before another sibling fight broke out, and quickly added aloud, "So, what's the point in mono-polly?"
"Monopoly," Alice corrected him with a small smile twisting her lips as she dropped the die onto the board. "Seven places ahead for me," she said even before the die had actually settled.
"See, that's just irritating," Emmett moaned as he slinked one arm around Rosalie's shoulders, peering over the page to get a better look at what she was reading. It turned out to be an article on the national debt and global disagreements, and he quickly decided that that that was pretty dull. She must really, really not want to play monopoly.
"It doesn't change the outcome of the game," Jasper added as he eyed his diminishing pile of fake notes a little dejectedly. "It just makes her turns a little quicker. And of course helps the game play run smoother."
Emmett shook his head and laughed a low, guttural chuckle. "I'd rather play games with my wife."
Alice chuckled gingerly at that, and Jasper smirked knowingly. Edward on the other hand winced and threw Emmett a warning glance, "Keep those thoughts to yourself, Emmett."
"Or what?" Rosalie asked challengingly as she lowered the paper by an inch or two to peer icily at him.
Emmett pulled her a little closer and placed a kiss on her forehead, already an expression of triumph on his face. He knew Edward was useless at threats, and even worse at actually carrying them through. He was right; Edward seemed to struggle for a come-back. A playful grin spread across his lip, "Don't worry about it. What's he gunna do? Other than bore me to death talking about his non-existent love life?"
Edward shook his head, and clearly decided to let that slide, and they quickly settled back down again. The game continued to what Alice knew was her inevitable win. Rosalie read steadily through the entire paper, or at least she attempted to, because Emmett had decided to make it his mission to distract her; running his fingers through her golden strands, which usually soothed her irritable moods, but he chose to ignore her lips as they pressed warningly firmer and firmer together with every passing second.
After resorting to reading out all the lines he decided were either amusing, or kinky, he pushed himself forwards on the couch. "Ever thought about a newspaper for us?" he asked once Rosalie made it clear to him he was pushing his boundaries.
"Why would we need one?" Alice asked with what seemed like genuine interest. "What would be put in it?"
Emmett shrugged, "I dunno, stuff."
"Obviously," Edward tittered as he replaced the game box back on the bottom shelf of the bookcase.
"Who would read it?" Jasper queried, joining in the conversation that had been lacking over the last five minutes.
"I did say we and vampires." Emmett rolled his eyes, his childlike grin widening as he leaned back and slipped an arm once again behind Rosalie, adding toyingly, "Durr."
Jasper went to correct him for not specifying the paper would be aimed at vampires, when Alice subtly shook her head to discourage him.
"No one would read it," Edward murmured, a cocky smirk registering on his lips. Emmett and Rosalie shared a quick look in the brief silence that followed that assessment, while Jasper nodded slowly in agreement, which in turn earned him a fleeting frown from Alice.
"You would. We all know you and Bella have nothing better to do at night," Emmett said not daring to meet Edward's glare for his second dig at his love life today. "Right?"
At that moment, Bella flashed into the room, wrapping her arms around Edwards neck as her eyes darted to Emmett, "You could have columns for different things. Like how to deal with your caveman brother. How was it you wooed Rosalie? By dragging her by her hair back to your little cave?"
There were a few muted sniggers when Rosalie's fierce eyes shot up in Bella's direction, and Emmett began gently smoothing her hair in calming movements. But luckily she saw it fit not to retaliate verbally.
"There is nothing little about my cave," Emmett deadpanned, before smirking cheekily and glancing at Rosalie.
Rosalie raised one eyebrow through more laughter around them, her expression serious, "Dragging me by my hair?" She looked Emmett unnervingly in the eyes. "No one touches the hair."
Almost absently Emmett turned to gaze at a portrait on the wall behind her, whilst gently attempting to quickly disentangle his fingers from Rosalie's blonde curls; her warning not falling upon deaf ears.
"Smooth, Emmett," Edward jibed gleefully as Bella pecked his cheek affectionately.
The room was silent for a moment, and it took them all a second or two to realise that Jasper was exuding a sense of calm over them. It was most evident upon Rosalie, as her tetchy mood and matron-like posture was beginning to relax.
"Oh, come on…" Edward began complaining after a few minutes as he inadvertently caught a glimpse into Emmett's thoughts during the moment of brief serenity. All eyes were on him curiously before he subtly clued them in, though his scrumpled expression must have given them a hint as his frame recoiled into the chair on which he sat. "Can you think a little quitter? And, I'm pretty sure that's not even legal."
"Hell yeah it is!" Emmett guffawed at his kinky thought. "Want us to prove it?"
Rosalie, catching on to the meaning of the conversation by Emmett's enthusiasm on the topic, added spiritedly before Edward could protest further, "Anything is legal with the right equipment."
Bella's chimed laugh rang out almost uncontrollably as Edward pulled away from her, jumped up and off the chair, before sprinting towards the kitchen, fingers in ears, "Gross. You're both repulsive."
"This cave ain't big enough for the three of us," Emmett sighed loudly as he flexed his biceps at Rosalie, who was grinning at him in return while rolling her perfect golden eyes.
"Big enough for me," she said in an enticing, seductive voice as she leaned into her husband.
"Oh! OK, I'm out," Alice held her hands up and leapt from her chair as she reached for Jasper's, pulling him up with her. In what looked like a choreographed dance, Alice fluidly spun under Jasper's upheld arm before he pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly, lovingly.
"Urgh, and that's me gone," Bella chimed in a tone of mock disgust.
"Just remember the meeting, Emmett," Jasper added as an afterthought with a wonky grin in his direction.
Both Alice and Rosalie's brows knitted together as they glanced between the boys, and Emmett waved a hand dismissively in the air, "Whatever, man."
"What?" Rosalie insisted sharply, pushing herself up from her husband in order to look down upon him with a scolding 'you-better-tell-me-now' look.
Alice smirked as Jasper whispered something for her ears only as they danced their way out of the room, "Oh. That will never work. They tried it before, remember?"
Rosalie was watching them leave, clearly trying to guess what she had so evidently missed, before she returned her attention to Emmett who was smirking and chuckling to himself, "Carlisle called me into the office yesterday. Wanted to speak to me about our 'relations'," he cleared his throat and began mimicking Carlisle, "You and Rosalie are welcome to behave as you wish, Emmett, but you must understand that Renesmee is at a particularly impressionable age. And as such, Bella and Edward, myself and Esme included, ask if you and Rosalie could… tame... it, a little?"
"Tame what?" she asked, her brow knitting into a frown that, to Emmett, only made her that bit more adorable.
With a throaty laugh, he winked at her, knowing that was all it would take for her to understand. However, for his own amusement, he decided to confirm it by locking her thighs between his large hands and lifting her from the couch and into his lap. Once he had her, he leaned up to nip playfully at her neck while his hands roamed hungrily down her back to her bottom, giving it a firm squeeze. Rosalie's jaw, that had dropped open the moment she fitted the missing piece of the puzzle, snapped shut. Once again, to his disappointment, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him back from her until he was once again in contact with the back of the couch.
"Alright. What?" he surrendered in his endeavours to seduce her, throwing his palms skyward to prove it. As his wife sat upright, he spent a quick moment assessing her reaction to Carlisle's request. He could see the confliction in her eyes, her emotions changing too rapidly for even one with their speeds of perception to keep up with, so he moved to her posture; taught, tensed, though her middle finger on her left hand scraped lightly against her jeans. Got it. She was annoyed, but mildly amused at the same time.
"Why did Edward and Bella not speak with us themselves?" she replied calmly, but he could hear the undertone snarl in her words. "If they think we are too inappropriate for our niece… It doesn't matter that I fought to bring her into the world in the first place, or helped raise her, or -"
"'Cuz Ed's got no balls, and Bella lack's the backbone," he interrupted her, hoping she would settle down again if she knew he was on her side. When she shifted a little, he winked at her once more, deciding it had worked. "You did loads back then babe. We haven't forgotten."
She huffed, but as Emmett held his arms out to her, she let her body melt back down against his, "I guess we will just have to tone it down then... Not that we are anywhere near inappropriate around her!"
"Rose, babe…" he discouraged her when she began to tense again. "Nah, we're not. They're just rigid." He beamed a smile, leaning down towards her and breathing in the scent of delectable, desirable flesh just behind her ear. "Damn. Have we gotta tone it?"
Her head tilted lightly as she enjoyed the feel of his lips kissing their way down her neck to her collar bone, "…Yes…" She managed as he then brushed his lips over hers. "No." And then back down her neck to just above her bra. "A little. Stop it! I can't think!"
If they hadn't heard the sound of Esme's footsteps heading there way, they both knew that right now they would most likely be tearing off their clothes, and breaking through the wall to the kitchen to give Edward a lesson or two in the art of adventure.
"Alice could have an article on life predictions," she chimed, smiling warmly as she passed Emmett and Rosalie's entangled figures on the couch to place a fresh, fragrant bunch of lavender in the vase above the fireplace. "Like the star sign predictions the humans bother with. Only, she will be much more accurate."
Sitting them both up again, Emmett beamed at his mother, "Edward a chapter on, 'Your pet's thoughts, according to a moron.'"
Esme laughed warmly, and immediately felt guilty about it, as Edward's muttering of insults from the kitchen drifted through to their ears. Rosalie smiled, somewhat cruelly, when she heard Edward receive a light slap on the arm off Bella as she scolded him for letting Esme hear his cursing.
"It's only a joke, darling," Esme's motherly tone reassured him, as she placed her finger to her lips in a ssshing motion, before blowing them both a kiss and heading off towards the front of the house again.
"Esme, I was wondering when Carlisle will be back?" Edward asked as he flitted through the house to assist Esme with the front door. Bella re-joined Emmett and Rosalie in the living room, slouching down into the love seat at the opposite end of the room, for which she received an amused laugh off Emmett. Human no more, but the memory of her funny mannerisms were still intact. "We need to talk to him about Renesmee."
"What about Renesmee?" Rosalie asked, instantly interested in anything concerning Renesmee's wellbeing, and upbringing.
Bella smiled calmly, ignoring the hint of concern in Rosalie's voice, and allowed Edward's conversation with Esme to fill in her blanks.
"Bella and I just feel that –"
"No, you feel that…" Bella curtly interrupted him before he had even properly begun.
There was a pause, before he continued again, "I feel Renesmee could do with a little separation, from Jacob. If she's not at school, she's with him. And visa versa."
"I see?" Esme's voice was inquisitive as the door shut too behind the two of them.
Rosalie slipped free of Emmett's cradle and made her way hastily to the window to spy on them. Over the last few months, there had been numerous 'discussions' between Rosalie, Edward, and Bella about Renesmee spending too much time with Jacob. It was one of the few things Rosalie and Edward actually agreed on. But it was mostly brought about by Rosalie challenging their parenting skills on the matter, to their annoyances.
"He's right," Rosalie said, still peering out of the window. "She spends too much time with the dogs."
"Please stop calling them that Rose," Bella tried to reason, and continued before Rosalie had the chance to retaliate. "Edward's suggested a holiday. A family one. A real one for Renesmee." She then met Rosalie's now lit up eyes. "No Jacob."
"It's perfect!" Rosalie thrilled as she instantly began mental preparations for their vacation.
"Nothing's set. But it could help her get some space as Edward wants," Bella cleared up, deciding not to discourage Rosalie's idea's completely. Even though her sister-in-law had not voiced them yet, she knew indefinitely she would already be thinking them through, and had learned it better not to shoot them down directly.
"Is it going to involve copious amounts of luggage and clothes?" Emmett winced as he spoke, recalling their last vacation, and the extra car, his truck, it involved just for the transportation of suitcases.
"We have to be prepared for every eventuality," Rosalie replied, stating what she deemed to be the obvious.
Before the conversation could progress any further, the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes pulling into the driveway reached their ears, and Rosalie frowned as she turned back to the window. "It doesn't sound right."
Bella and Emmett strained, listening for whatever it was Rosalie was hearing.
"What?" Emmett finally caved and asked.
"The engine." She paused, glancing to the car as it came into their view. "It's wiring."
Jumping to his feet, Emmett trudged his way over to Rosalie, slipping his arms around her waist as he too peered out of the window at the car that sounded just fine to him, but then, he wasn't the genius mechanic. Bella shifted herself on the loveseat to enable herself to watch the goings on in the driveway too. It was the usual scene; Edward held back, his arms lose at his sides as Esme flitted to the car to greet her husband with a delicate kiss on his cheek. Unlike their adopted children, their intimacies were always a little more reserved, and Emmett couldn't hold back a grin as he thought how he would have greeted Rosalie after a day apart. Bella smiled as though she were watching a romantic movie, or a fairy tale. She had always admired the relationship of her parent-in-laws, and its dignified, understated manner. It wasn't until Carlisle glanced over at Edward, and there was a displaced nod towards him, conjoined with a very brief look of mild concern, that the three of them began to suspect anything was out of the ordinary. Carlisle usually greeted the boys with a nod, that was nothing bizarre, but the look in his eye indicated instantly that there was some sort of private conversation going on between Carlisle and Edward over Esme's shoulder.
"What's going on?" Bella was the first to ask, the hesitation in her tone giving away that she wasn't sure if she alone had seen something unusual.
Rosalie shrugged, trying not to look as irritated as she was by it, "Something the rest of us are never allowed to know."
"We'll know," Emmett said certainly, standing upright and moving his hands from around Rosalie until they rested on her hips. "I'll beat it out of Ed if I have too."
Bella shot Emmett a disapproving look, to which he only retaliated with a defiant, playful smirk.
As Carlisle laced his arm about Esme's shoulders, and she wrapped her arm around his waist, Edward joined them and they headed back towards the house. Turning back into the room, Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie knew there was nothing to do but play the waiting game until they were clued in.
"How was the ward today?" Esme's voice was the next sound to be heard, before the front door opened.
"Uneventful, for the better part, love," Carlisle replied, placing his suitcase down. "The patient I was telling you about improved, and he looks good to go soon if his vitals remain stable for the next few days."
"That's wonderful!" Esme chimed gleefully. She didn't even know the patient, but it was in her nature to care about others. Something she couldn't help, but was loved all the more for by her family.
Carlisle and Esme were still chatting away as they made their way to the living room. Edward appeared first, only to be greeted by three sets of curious, suspicious eyes. "What?" He asked, looking between his wife, brother, and sister.
"Everything alright?" Bella asked him, trying not to sound too suspicious.
"Everything's fine." He crossed the room to stand beside Bella, dropping a small kiss on her creased with concern brow.
"We might not have special gifts like you, but we are not stupid," Rosalie barked, albeit gently for her, "or unobservant."
"And what of the little girl in ward three?" Esme spoke a little louder as they joined the party, obviously aware of the growing tension between her children. The look she flashed Rosalie, and then Edward, confirmed that she had heard them just perfectly. Rosalie dropped her defence a little, Edward too. Esme had an amazing way of demanding control and respect, without ever actually having to be the slightest bit demanding, or controlling.
"Evening," Carlisle greeted them with a small smile.
"Hey," Bella replied contently, apparently deciding not to push the matter of 'the look' any further.
Emmett lifted his head and said cheerfully, "'Sup."
"Very well, thank you, Emmett," Carlisle deciphered Emmett's question, before briefly glancing at his most challenging of daughters, who was remaining quite. He decided to acknowledge her, even if she was not so willing to him, "Rose."
"Can I have your keys?" She stepped forwards, and Emmett's hands dropped from her waist as he let her go. "I'll take a look at that wiring."
Carlisle held them out for her, "I didn't realise there was a problem."
"Because you're not a mechanic," she replied matter-of-factly.
Emmett chuckled, "She's got a point there."
"Yes, well, thank you Rosalie. I would appreciate your time." Carlisle dropped the keys towards her palm, and she snatched them from mid-air. Without another word, she silently made her escape from the room.
Once she sounded far enough away from earshot, Esme fixed her concerned look upon her children and said in a soft, quiet voice in the hope Rosalie would not be paying their conversation any attention, "Have you been having words with her again?"
"No. Rose is just that moody all the time." Edward dared not look at Emmett, who was now glaring at him with a particularly unimpressed look. "Surely after over eighty years with her, you know this."
"Hey," Emmett growled to voice his mild annoyance at the slander of his wife. Yeah, she could be sulky, but usually there was a reason for it. He knew that this time it was due to Edward and Carlisle's little secret encounter outside, and it did bother him too a little, so Emmett figured this time her shortness was somewhat justified. "If you weren't so secretive, maybe she would be nicer to you."
"Alright. Thank you Emmett, Edward," Carlisle interjected with his smooth, authoritative voice. "Bella, perhaps the two of you, Esme and I should take this opportunity to discuss the small matter of Renesmee and Jacob, in my office?"
Emmett leapt over the loveseat and plonked himself back on the couch, throwing Esme an apologetic look when she squeaked at his disregard for her décor. As he sank down against the cushions his expression was collected, and indifferent, despite the below the surface irritation he could feel swirling about, but that was not something he would hang onto for long, and already it was beginning to dissolve. Bella rose from the loveseat, nodding her agreement at Carlisle's suggestion, while Edward glanced over to his brother, with a small look of apology in his eyes, to which Emmett accepted with, "Just don't let her hear you say it. I'm not gunna hold her back. Plus, be fun to see you fight a girl."
"He might actually stand a chance of winning," Jasper added as he and Alice waltzed back into the room. Alice smiled brightly as she set her sights on Carlisle, and on passing him, she waved a hand in the direction of the Christmas box in the corner of the room.
"Whoever wins, or loses, gets to help me with the decorations," she chimed and sat herself beside Emmett, who looked horrified at the very idea.
"That doesn't seem fair…" he began, working out that either way, they would both be aiding her mass mission to make the house look more magical than Santa's grotto itself. "But if I don't get involved with the fight, I don't help."
"There will be no fighting," Esme said in a tone which brooked no argument, her expression mirroring that.
"And you will be helping," Alice finished as Jasper joined them on the couch, her hand tapping Emmett on the head.
With that, Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Bella took their leave and headed up to the office, wanting to get the discussion out of the way before Renesmee's return from La Push. Alice dived head first into the box of goodies, wrapping herself in layers and layers of various coloured strings of tinsel. Upon seeing her begin to spin about the room, hanging diamond icicles and snowflakes wherever she could, both Jasper and Emmett had to resist the urge to fall about laughing as they watched a large ball of christmasy delight flit about the room.
"She's under there somewhere, right?" Jasper joked, picking up a game controller from beside the television.
"Your guess is as good as mine…" Emmett spluttered, catching the controller Japer launched through the air at him. "I Reckon she worked for Santa as head elf before finding you."
Alice ignored them, far too concerned with her task at hand, and seeing as she was about a week behind schedule thanks to the distraction of Renesmee's ball gown hunt, she knew there was much to be done to attain Christmas perfection. Jasper and Emmett settled down to a match of Portal, much to Emmett's dismay. Logic; as much of a master of tactical strategy as Jasper was, and as brawn as Emmet was, they both knew they were no match for Edward, or even Carlisle, when it came to success in this game. But Edward had dared them to a challenge at the end of the week, and so they had both decided that at least six hours of practice a day for the next three days seemed a fair amount of time to, as Emmett had said, 'become freaking awesome'.
After about only three minutes in, Emmett could feel the frustration building at the lack of sense this game made, but with the aid of Jasper's influence, he continued to steadily shoot portals at Jasper's character, getting them nowhere fast.
"You're not meant to shoot at me, Emmett. You need to make a pathway for yourself," Jasper instructed him patiently, firing a blue splodge at the wall in front of their virtual selves.
Emmett shrugged, "Guns should have bullets. Bullets should be fired at your opponents. They should die. You should win."
"But I'm not your opponent. I'm your team mate." Jaspers tone was even, yet Emmett picked up the subtle hint of frustration and underlying amusement.
"Just picture the smug look Edward will be wearing for days if you don't grasp this game," Alice added as she placed the oversized, real Christmas tree in front of the windows.
Emmett pondered for a moment if she had been gone long enough to go find a Christmas tree, but decided better than to try and work out Alice's shopping habits. "Can you just tell me if we win?"
"Nope!" she replied through a tinkled laughter. "That would be cheating."
"Let's not even go there," Emmett said with look that gave away his inner thoughts; 'You and Edward are the biggest cheaters in the creation of the world'.
Emmett and Jasper continued to gain knowledge of the gameplay for the next few hours, occasionally voicing their frustrations at the lack of any good old hands-on combat, which they would have much preferred. Alice had moved, at some point, to the rest of the house to continue to sprinkle her excitement at the close proximity of Christmas, and unfortunately for Rosalie, she had been captured as she made her way from the garage to hers and Emmett's room, and was now helping Alice. She hadn't put up too much resistance, seeing as she enjoyed decorating almost as much as her sister, however, she ideally wanted to be making her way through the list of gift ideas Emmett had handed to her over a month ago. She was certainly not going to be getting him the pin-up girl that was at number one, (image included),thought she couldn't help but admire his bravery for actually writing that down.
Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and Edward remained tucked away in the office, their muted conversation occasionally rising to normal levels every time Bella disagreed with Edward's comments on Jacob's intentions with their daughter. And again, Emmett couldn't resist but find the amusement in that. The rest of the night, once Renesmee had been dropped back to them, was nothing out of the ordinary, yet, Emmett couldn't shift the feeling that there was something going on under the surface of the smiling, contented faces about him. The earlier look in Carlisle's eyes had been no imagination, and it was enough that the girls had noticed it too. Something was worrying him, not unusual Emmett thought, Carlisle often had something to be worrying about, but it was slightly frustrating when the concern was not shared. As always, he and Rosalie would just have to wait until Edward and Carlisle saw it fit to fill them in. Soon, he hoped, as he could see deep in Rosalie's eyes that it was niggling away at her too, and even when Nessie had hugged her goodnight, she was still harbouring the foul mood which usually melted the moment she was with their niece.
The night drew in, and as Renesmee requested, Rosalie sang her to sleep. Eighteen she may be by appearance, but she still only about eight mentally. The family gathered in the living room, lounging in various comfortable positions as the sound of Rosalie's sweet, beautiful, pure, and unspoiled voice drifted about them;
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true."
Alice, from the living room, joined in with a soft harmony, adding to the incredible, inhumanly stunning quality of their music. If they could have, the rest have the family would have no doubt drifted off into slumber along with Renesmee.
"Someday I wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me. When troubles melt like lemon drops, way above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me."
Alice fell silent once again, allowing Rosalie to finish off the words she had altered specifically for their niece, though by this point, they could all hear her deep breathing, indication she already fast asleep.
"Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow, why, then oh why can't I? Somehow over the rainbow, we'll protect you, now, tomorrow, always Renesmee, until the day I die."
As the house fell eerily silent, Rosalie's last words hanging in the air, almost hauntingly, Carlisle and Edward exchanged yet another uneasy look. This one however, went unnoticed.
A/N: Rating may have to change to M for next chapter :O Thanks for reading, love it if you could review!