Bella (POV)

Renesmee was still asleep as dawn broke. Like usual, Edward and I were locked together inside my shield sharing each others' minds. With practice, I had learned that my shield not only protected anything inside, but, in some cases, imbued me with the power of a willing vampire inside it. I hadn't tried to forcibly take the power of a vampire in my shield – there wasn't a need to. But Jasper was certain it was possible. I was hoping I wouldn't have to test his theory for a long, long time.

"So you see how I truly saw you that day," Edward thought after showing me the day he saved my human life from being crushed between a truck and a van at Forks High School. In his vision, the thin, translucent skin on my week human body screamed to the monster inside him. Nearly blinding, nearly impossible to ignore. It made my mortal features almost beautiful.

"I'm sorry it was so hard for you, love," I thought. That first day must have been intolerable for him, wanting so badly to kill me, not knowing if he could allow himself to love me. I am only now beginning to understand how he felt.

I felt guilty as I shared with Edward an early memory I had as a vampire, when I heard the television downstairs in the Cullens' living room through my new vampire ears, laying upstairs paralyzed in pain. I still hadn't told Edward of the horror I experienced during my transformation. As often as our minds were communicating now, I wasn't sure I could hide the truth from him much longer.

"It was a hundred times harder for you to… change for me," he thought. Maybe he already knew what I wasn't telling him about my early hours as an immortal.

Our minds moved on to happier memories, of our dance at the prom – I laughed when I remembered my clumsy body being spun around atop his graceful feet – and our time on Isle Esme. I realized now that those few short weeks of our honeymoon really were the beginning of my new life.

We instantly arose from our bed as Nessie began to stir. We had studied her sounds closely enough since we returned to normal life and sensed when she would rise. I knew she would stop aging in less than seven years, and I wondered if she would sleep less and less as she got older.

"A new day," Edward said in his velvet voice, cracking our favorite half smile.

"Yes, little one, a beautiful morning," I said. Nessie opened her perfect eyes and rose from sleep.

We tried to speak as much as possible in these early months with Nessie. We didn't know if she would ever be able to live among humans, but we wanted her to be comfortable with words and not just thoughts.

"Momma, daddy!" she chirped, bounding from her bed into Edward's chest, arriving at her target with her arms perfectly around his shoulders.

She was now the size of a ten year old. Although her physical growth was slowing, she had an incredibly intelligent mind. She was ever inquisitive, but far less innocent than before that day our family faced the Volturi. I hated that she had to share who she was with a group of vampires who had come to that field to eliminate all of us, but I also knew that it was necessary for our family's survival. It was Nessie's first – and I wished last – battle.

"Any new dreams?" I asked, as we walked toward the kitchen, Nessie still in Edward's arms. She had been dreaming a lot about the Volturi, and, of course, Jacob Black.

Reluctantly, she answered in words rather than thoughts. She always preferred to show us.

"A pretty one with Jake and you, momma," she cooed. "You and I were riding on his back across the beach. We were going so fast, chasing a rainbow over the horizon. We ran past the waves, rocks and trees. Finally Jake jumped up into the sky and we caught the rainbow's red and orange edge.

I giggled and Edward discretely rolled his eyes. Just wait until she told that one to Jacob.

"That sounds very pretty, sweetie. I don't know if Jake has ever jumped that high, but rainbows were always my favorite." I suppressed a laugh, remembering how blind my human senses had been.

"What would you like for breakfast today, Nessie?" Edward said, setting her down at the kitchen table and putting on an apron.

Nessie still preferred blood, but as she rapidly aged, her half-human body seemed to crave large amounts of human food. Sometimes watching how much she ate reminded me of a pack of hungry werewolves that I know.

"Surprise me," she giggled. Edward was already frying up a half-dozen eggs, Nessie's favorite.