Chapter 1

I looked up from the large suitcase in front of me and saw Edward frowning over another. Alice was determined that I take the entire wardrobe she had bought for me to Dartmouth. I shook my head, it was completely ridiculous, but it was so Alice. Edward managed to close the suitcase without damage and came over to take the one I had just closed. He kissed me on the cheek as he brushed past and walked towards the front of our cottage. My cheek tingled from the contact.

I looked at our large white bed and with a chuckle lifted the protective shield around my mind and thought of a number of things we could be doing there right now. I heard Edward quietly groan outside as he ran over to the main house and I laughed to myself.

I walked to Nessie's room and shook my young daughter awake. It was three months since our battle with the Volturi and Renesmee's growth had slowed dramatically, she still looked five and I had hopes that some of her clothes would fit for longer than a week. Not that it mattered when I thought about the number of clothes Rose and Alice kept buying her. I sighed at the waste. Nessie stirred at my gentle shake and blinked wearily at me. "Darling, you need to wake up now, we are leaving soon," I told her.

"Okay" she said with a small frown as I helped her out of bed and carried her to the bathroom for a bath. She and Jacob had been playing yesterday evening and the thought of sitting in the car with her covered with a wolfie smell for the day wasn't tempting. I ran the bath and added her favourite bubble-bath. She had woken more now and was looking excited at the prospect of the long trip. She held her hand to my cheek and I heard her question, "Jacob, Seth and Leah will be coming with us, won't they Momma?"

"Mmm," I responded, "they are driving Grandpa's Mercedes over."

"And we're going in the BMW and Alice and Jazz are taking the Porsche, right?" she asked, speaking this time as she was stepping into the warm soapy water.

"Yes," I laughed and moved away from the splash of water she caused. Nessie had her father's interest in fast cars; my interest hadn't increased since my change to the immortal. I washed her quickly; Edward was no doubt almost back from delivering the last of the luggage to the cars. She was soon out and stood wrapped in a fluffy white towel while I went to retrieve the outfit I had left out for her. I heard his steps before Edward made it to the door and ran back to the bathroom to escape, he wasn't likely to forget the thoughts I had sent his way earlier.

He poked his head into the bathroom and the look of fire in his eyes when he caught my glance told me I was going to pay for that later, although I wasn't was too worried. I grinned back and finished dressing our daughter. I took the hairdryer out of the cupboard and dried her hair. It was already half way down her back and I didn't want to cut it, although it probably wasn't practical when she has out hunting with us.

"Jacob and the others will be over in about ten minutes," Edward murmured from the kitchen.

"Okay, we are ready," I replied. Renesmee ran out of the bathroom and into Edward's open arms and peppered him with kisses. He laughed as he listened to her thoughts and told her he loved her as much as she loved him. I smiled at the picture, my loving little family, I was by far, the luckiest vampire alive.

"Let's go, we have a long day ahead of us," Edward said and I grabbed my bag and followed him out the door. I used the large old fashioned key Alice had given me for my birthday last September and locked the house behind me. We would be back in a fortnight for a short break before College would begin, but part of me already felt sad to leave our little cottage. The cottage had been a gift from our family, particularly Esme who had an incredible knack for designing the perfect space for each person. We were off to meet Esme and the rest of the family now and she was going to help us with our new house in New Hampshire.

We were starting college at the start of fall and Dartmouth was the college Edward had somehow bribed me into. I was sure at the time that I wouldn't be able to keep up, but now with my enhanced vampire abilities and the fact that I didn't need sleep, meant I felt more comfortable about the choice. I hated to think about the size of the bribe he must have promised to get them to accept my late application, but since he kept reminding me that what was his was mine, I tried to forget it.

I followed Edward and Renesmee over the river, to the back of the main house and found Alice and Jasper waiting for us. The car I could hear turning off the highway in the direction of the house was obviously the wolves. Jake's sister was driving everyone over before we all embarked on our week long trip.

"I hope you have started packing your outfits into the storage boxes I ordered," Alice said as I strolled up to give her a hug.

"Mmm," I responded, "Edward is going to help me."

She looked horrified at the thought, "I will be over as soon as we are back to take charge."

Edward winked from behind Alice's head, he knew that she could be motivated to pack up the monstrous collection she had put together for me if provided with the right motivation. I couldn't imagine an occasion to wear most of the outfits she had bought me, but I did try to humour her by pulling out something special at least once a week. I felt much happier in jeans and cotton t-shirts than I ever would in silk and lace.

Jake's Rabbit pulled up with Rachel behind the wheel and the three friends piled out with their luggage. We had decided that they would feel most comfortable for the long drive in the Mercedes so when Carlisle and Esme had left two weeks ago with Rose and Emmett, they had taken the Vanquish and the Monster Jeep. That still left my Farrari, Jasper's Motorcycle and a couple of other luxury cars which seemed to sit in the monstrous garage for most of the time, plus Edward's Volvo.

Edward had decided that after four years of driving the same car, he wanted something new and inconspicuous. We were going to leave the Volvo behind for when we returned to visit Charlie and he was going to buy something new when got to our new house.

The others had left early because Esme wanted to finalise some last details on the house she had been renovating in New Hampshire before they moved over, Rose and Emmett had gone with them to help. Carlisle had already started work in Hanover and would stay while we all came back to finalise the packing. They were going to meet us at the new house in four days. We probably could have made it in three days if we pushed, especially considering the way Edward, Jasper and Alice drove, but Renesmee, Jake, Leah and Seth all needed sleep so we had decided to stop each night for a break.

Nessie placed her palm on Edward's cheek and asked to be let down, I saw Edward roll his eyes and watched her bound over into Jake's waiting arms. "Hey Nessie," Jake laughed, "ready for a road trip?"

She answered silently and Jake responded with a roll of the eyes, "Dad bought how many DVD's for the trip?"

She giggled as she and Jake conversed and the rest of us put the wolves bags into the remaining spaces left in the boots of the three cars we were driving over. The route had been discussed last night after we returned from a BBQ dinner at Charlie's house. Sue had invited the pack and most of their families over and the warm night had everyone in good spirits.

I had broken the news to Charlie about us moving away two months ago. He took it as well as expected considering we were taking his granddaughter with us and would be on the other side of the country. He had promised to visit with Sue for Christmas and we promised to return during Spring break.

The first month after our harrowing visit from the Volturi, Edward and I were so happy to be alive we hadn't really talked too much about the future, but one day I had been thinking about our honeymoon and I remembered that Edward had mentioned that he had bought us a house in New Hampshire.

"Tell me about our other house?" I asked him one night as we lay side by side, looking out over our private courtyard.

He had seemed surprised at my question, so I had let the shield slip and remembered our conversation on Esme Island. He held me close as he outlined a little about it. After I had starting asking specific questions, he had pulled away and told me to wait. He had thrown on some clothes before he disappeared and I assumed from what I could hear, he had returned to the main house.

A short while later he reappeared with a laptop I couldn't recall seeing before. He undressed and got back into bed, gathering me beside him and turning on the computer. I waited patiently until he opened a file and then I pulled the laptop around so I could see better. "I had the real estate agent take lots of photos for me once the house was empty. Of course I imagined we would have filled it by now."

The house was lovely, the photos taken during winter with snow around the house. The woods seemed to surround the house, guaranteeing privacy and a nearby hunting area. The house looked like it was over one hundred years old and each room had high ceilings and wooden floors. The kitchen, overlooking the back yard, was dated and in need of work and the living room was a little small. Edward explained that a wall had been put in to add in an extra bedroom at some stage and he suggested we pull it out.

As I looked at the photos, I imagine us living there, but then a problem emerged and it was one I was a little hesitant to bring up with my husband. I frowned as I tried to think of the best way to bring it up, and Edward caught me. "You don't like it, do you? It's okay," he said hurriedly as I started to shake my head, "I'll call the real estate agent tomorrow and get him to start looking again."

"No, Edward, the house is great, fantastic even. I think with some of Esme's wonderful touches it will be perfect for us."

"But?"

"It's Jake."

"Aah."

I had realised back when the family and I had planned to take a trip to South America in search of half vampires lto find out more about Nessie that Jake couldn't be apart from her. I was even concerned about what it would do to him if they were parted for a time and I was sure Nessie wouldn't put up with it happily.

"I hadn't really thought about that," Edward said as he frowned at the photos in front of us. "There might be an option, if we want Jake living right next door?" He grimaced at the thought. I was sure I could live with this, but I knew Edward wasn't as comfortable with the Jake's Imprint on our daughter as I had become.

"What's the option?"

He clicked ahead a few images and then stopped at one of the large barn. "This is on the property, about one hundred metres back from the house."

"It looks like a garage?"

"Well it is, at the bottom. But there is a second floor, probably used to store hay at one time. We could speak to Esme about renovating it into an apartment, or we could look at buying some more real estate - a long way across town perhaps."

I poked him in the ribs and laughed at his frown. "I can live with either option, although if we are both going to be attending night classes, having a permanent babysitter so close might be a good idea."

He nodded thoughtfully, "That's actually not a bad idea. The rest of the family will be nearby, but not probably close enough to be there every night."

"Then there is Leah," I said with a sigh. Leah still hadn't forgiven me completely for what she thought I had put Jake through in the past, although she was finally softening a little with Rennesme's presence.

"Leah would be happy to get away for a while; Sam and Emily's wedding was hard on her. She and the rest of the wolves would probably be happier if she came along and didn't leave Jake to live with us on his own."

I snorted my disgust at the thought that we would hurt Jake in anyway, but I knew Edward was probably right.

Poor Leah, she had stood bravely next to her cousin Emily during her wedding to Sam, as a bridesmaid three weeks ago. Jake had been at the wedding and while we expected him to call or come to the house after the reception, it had been Seth who had called. He had told us that Jake had gone after Leah, when she had taken off at the end of the night. Jake was concerned she needed someone to help her through the pain she was suffering. He had returned two days later with Leah, much to Renesmee's and her mother Sue's, relief.

"So we should speak to Jake about this tomorrow, then if he is happy with it, we will speak with Esme about designing an apartment above the garage," I said. Edward had packed up the laptop before I realised and got comfortable again with me against him.

"Living with a werewolf, who would have thought it?" he shook his head. "Emmett is going to love this," he growled.

I giggled and kissed him, "I am sure you could take him, if you had to."

"You bet I could," he growled again and kissed me until all thoughts of Dartmouth were far from my mind.