Chapter 3 - The fruits of a Road Trip, Cullen Style

3.

EPOV

By the time I got out of the shower in the bathroom upstairs I'd calmed down somewhat. I was still embarrassed to have been shown up by a newborn but I had gotten over the worst of my anger and frustration by the time I came down to meet everyone in the living room once more.

The look of utter panic on Esme's face when I'd come through the backdoor covered in blood was only matched by Renee's. She'd fled to the guest room, not waiting for an explanation.

That was to be my first stop on the way down. I knocked gently and she called me inside.

She was sat on the end of the bed, her face ashen.

"I'm so sorry I frightened you Renee, I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me?" I asked, keeping my distance. Her thoughts were still horrified at the sight of me like that.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"Ah, well, I was trying to collect blood for the baby and it didn't go too well." I admitted.

She rolled her eyes just like Bella did when I was being an ass. Only this time it was being done because I was an idiot. Felt the same though. "Nobody got hurt though right, it was animal blood, wasn't it?"

"Yes, of course. I should've stopped to shower and change at the cottage, I'm sorry I scared you."

"Okay, sorry I overreacted, you scared the shit out of me Edward." She giggled tentatively.

"Yeah well, I was in a bit of a bad mood when I came back otherwise I would've been smarter about my entrance. Your daughter showed me up Renee. Made me look like an idiot out there. She managed to get half a bottle after two minutes, it took me an hour to get nothing and filthy into the bargain!" I joked, sort of joked anyway.

By the time we made our way back into the living room Esme, Carlisle, Charlie and Bella with Nessa in her lap were all perched on the long sofa ready to give the baby her first bottle. Bella looked stunned though and I asked her what was wrong.

"She bit me Edward." She scrunched her face up and showed me where there should have been little teeth marks near her collarbone. Of course there was nothing to see, but I got the point. I leant down and scooped the baby up into my arms and smiled down at her.

"Oh my beauty, did you bite your momma? Oh dear. And after she managed to get you a nice warm drink too. Hmm." I chuckled, watching my daughters thoughts replay my smiles and laughter. I held her tightly and pressed my lips to her forehead. "Is the bite stinging love?" I asked Bella as I settled into the space left between her and Esme.

"No, but she bit me!" Bella was incredulous. "Nathaniel told me that only males are venomous Edward, so that's not an issue, but she bit me."

"She's hungry Bella, she can smell the blood in the bottle." I nodded to it as it sat on the coffee table. She handed it to me and Nessa instantly began to salivate, wriggling in my arms to get at it. "Here you go little love." I told her as I held the teat to her lips. Within seconds she was sucking heartily at it.

"Amazing." Carlisle whispered as he leaned over to watch.

"Gross." Renee and Charlie said in unison.

BPOV

That answered that question quite succinctly. Renesmee wanted blood. So be it.

I agreed with Edward though, we'd have to keep trying to give her human food. If she could manage that she'd stand a much better chance of living a relatively normal life amongst other humans.

When Nessa finished the bottle Edward held it out to me and I giggled. The teat was no more. Her little teeth had shredded it and I shivered at the thought of that being my nipple, if I was still human that is.

"I guess we've got the contents of the bottle right but not the method of administration." Carlisle said in his best doctor voice. "Any suggestions Renee?"

My mother almost swooned. I could tell she was totally rapt at having been asked by Carlisle what we should try next. "I'd suggest something other than a clear bottle for a start." She shuddered. "If she grows as fast as Nathaniel says she will then she can go onto a cup very soon, a few weeks maybe."

"So for now we get Alice onto the internet buying up teats!" I giggled. "Hey, where is Alice anyway?" I asked Edward.

"Road trip apparently." He mumbled without any real enthusiasm. I didn't think I really wanted to know what a Cullen sibling road trip was all about so I left it alone.

With Nessa now fed and content she was passed from grandparent to grandparent. Edward and I sat on the living room sofa and watched as each of them had a turn with her.

It was obvious she'd bewitched them all equally but most especially my dad. She gurgled and wriggled for him the most. He talked to her non-stop, the most I'd ever heard him speak at one time, if I thought about it. I looked often to Edward hoping he'd tell me what she was thinking but he told me to just enjoy what I was seeing, that knowing what she was thinking was only half the picture.

I concentrated on the baby's reactions to Charlie and began to notice a pattern. When he was touching her she stilled, when he let her lie in his lap she wriggled until he held her more firmly or put his hands under her shoulders and held her away from him slightly so he could look down at her and speak to her.

Her gurgles and snuffles stopped as he spoke but began again as if she were answering him in her own primitive language. He was utterly smitten with her, and she with him, from what I could tell.

Just before nine o'clock I had Nessa back in my own lap, her little fist I held with my own hand to my cheek watching as she replayed her time with each grandparent for me. Edward said she wanted to show me despite knowing I'd been in the room during the actual time it all took place. Nessa was just showing me her recollections of her time spent with Esme when all of a sudden her thoughts began to slow. I panicked a little and looked to Edward but he was deep in conversation with Renee about the daycare centre. I kept Renesmee's hand to my face and watched as colors began to overtake the faces she'd been showing me. Bright colors swirled about in the little girls memory and as her pale lavender lids fluttered closed and sleep overtook her, her dreams changed again. She wriggled a bit as she settled into sleep in my arms and then her brain ran over all the faces she'd seen today. Edward's was by far and away shown to me most often, closely followed by my own. That gave me a small twinge of pride.

She registered each of the family equally after spending quite a few minutes recalling her 'chat' with Charlie. I was about to call to Edward to come and see for himself when I noticed Nessa had switched from today's memories and was going back through that first time she'd been in this house. The day Edward had rescued her from James.

There, right at the end of the memory was Seth, sitting on the ottoman with his head in his hands. She'd watched him through the whole exchange with Edward and remained watching Seth, only Seth, as Edward led me outside. She barely registered either her father or myself leaving that day. She had kept her attention with Seth.

My daughters thoughts lingered on Seth for a good, long while after that.

I let her hand slip out of mine and come to rest on top of her blanket.

"Bella" Edward whispered, "please can he see her tomorrow?"

I shook my head and wrapped Nessa more tightly in her blanket as I stood. "We'll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight." I told my parents and parents in law and then I began the walk back to the cottage. If Edward followed it was a good fifteen minutes later than I left that night.

EPOV

Carlisle had offered his sympathy for the situation but I knew that now wasn't the time to push the issue with Bella.

"I don't want to pretend I know what's going, because I don't understand this imprinting business, but it's obvious that Bella has a problem with it. But one thing I do know is that Bell's isn't vindictive, she doesn't hold a grudge long, son. Give her a few days, she'll come around." Charlie put his hand on my shoulder in encouragement and I thanked him profusely for it.

"Carlisle, call the Rez, tell Seth I'll collect him at midday." I waited for him to nod and then I followed my wife and baby girl home.

By the time I got back to the cottage Nessa was already tucked into her crib and the light was out. I crept in and kissed her curls, telling her I loved her.

Bella was in our bed, the covers pulled right up to her chin. I stepped out of my clothes, letting them fall where I'd stood, and climbed in beside her. She didn't fight me, it wasn't me she was angry at after all. She let me pull her to my chest and as she settled into the crook between my arm and my chest she sighed.

"I can't face him." She mumbled against my throat as she kissed me.

"Of course you can." I kissed her hair as I realized her reluctance to see Seth was as much about her pride at having reacted badly that first day as it was about relinquishing our child before we'd had her for ourselves.

"I behaved so badly Edward. He must be so angry with me. I haven't even called to see how he is. What if he hates me now?" She was getting a little panicked so I did my best to soothe her.

"He's not angry at you Bella. I've talked to Sam. Mostly he's in shock himself. It hit him out of the blue as much as it hit you, love. I can guarantee he doesn't hate you, he loves you, remember?" I chuckled darkly at the memory of their Christmas declarations.

"It was her he loved, not me." It sounded a tiny bit like she was sorry about that.

"Then he's a fool." I kissed her hair as she sighed. "I'm going to collect him tomorrow, I won't bring him here if you don't want that, but he's going to want to see Nessa and I think we should let him." I was treading very carefully, not wanting to back her into a corner.

She was quiet for a long while as she thought about that. "Here, at the cottage, she's ours, only ours. You can take her to the big house tomorrow." It sounded like she was negotiating a Middle Eastern arms deal rather than the needs of someone she loved.

There was nothing I could do though; she'd agreed to let me take Nessa to the house to visit with Seth. For now that would make Seth happy and I suspected, from the dreams Nessa had been having tonight it would make her happy too.

Whether Bella had interpreted Nessa's dreams that way I didn't know, but it was obvious to me, from the baby's thoughts and dreams, that she was as drawn to Seth as he was to her. That could end up being a problem for Bella too, so I said nothing about that. "Okay, thank you. You know where we'll be if you want to come say hi to your friend."

"I'll think about it." She sighed.

"Now Mrs Cullen, this morning, when Nessa was lying on my bare chest, you made mention of knowing how she felt. Care to elaborate on that?" I chuckled.

She swatted at my arm playfully, huffing lightly, "God Edward, do you remember everything I say?"

I pushed her slightly so her shoulders were back on the mattress and just before I took her lips with mine I muttered, "When it comes to you Isabella I have a pornographic memory."

"She's waking up now." I whispered between fevered kisses to Bella's tattoo. "I don't want to let you go." I told her as I nipped at her nipple with my teeth.

Bella pulled my hair, tugging my lips back to hers. "We have to get up now Edward. She's going to need to feed today, so you have a date with a deer." She giggled as she pushed me off her and ran to the bathroom.

I followed, though I didn't chase her. I was already thinking about having to 'milk' a deer for my daughter. If I thought she'd let it go I'd ask Bella to do it but I knew the news was going to get back to Emmett at some point about my disastrous first attempt and I didn't want to give them any more fuel for that particular fire.

Thoughts of my buffoon of a brother made me remember he was missing. "Did Alice say anything to you about where they'd gone for this road trip?" I asked Bella as we got in under the hot water of the shower.

"She didn't say anything to me."

She reached for the shampoo and with a slight raise of her eyebrows I 'assumed the position' as she liked to call it. On my knees, facing her in the shower. I let my head fall against her now flat belly as she massaged my hair into a thick lather. It felt glorious to have her hands in my hair but I wouldn't admit that to anyone other than her. Once she'd washed it twice we switched, though Bella didn't need to get on her knees for me. That's not to say that she hadn't, but that had had nothing to do with her hair needing a wash.

By the time we were both clean Nessa was fussing a little in her crib. I wrapped a towel around my waist and went to her. "Good morning little love" I told her. She held out her tiny fists and clenched them until I leaned over and took her into my arms.

Nuzzling into her neck I kissed her little cheek and held her to me tightly.

'Daddy…daddy…daddy…' She thought over and over as I took her into our bedroom and laid her in the middle of the huge bed.

I lay down beside her and stroked her curls while Bella got dressed. The baby's chant changed to 'momma momma momma' until Bella came and lay beside her too. "Good morning sweet girl." Bella crooned as she too nuzzled into the baby's neck. "She smells so good Edward, doesn't she?"

I got up to get myself dressed and agreed. "She's exquisite. Both my girls are exquisite."

"You're so biased." Bella giggled.

BPOV

We spent a very nice morning hunting. We took Nessa with us, which was Edward's idea, I wanted to wait at the cottage while he went, then swap, but he'd not hear of it.

So Nessa and I waited by a fallen tree while Edward caught and bled a deer, using my 'cut and cup' method no less. When the bottle was full he took Nessa while I actually hunted for myself.

When we got back to the cottage I fed the bottle of blood to Nessa. Edward came out of our bedroom with his wallet and keys and I knew he was going to the Rez to collect Seth. He sat beside me while Nessa finished her bottle and then he kissed us both goodbye. We said nothing, I had nothing to say and I think Edward didn't want to make an issue of anything right before needing to leave.

I had no intention of going to the big house while Seth was there so when I was sure Edward was gone I got Nessa changed and wrapped into a thick blanket and then I made my way up there myself.

Only Esme was there when I got to the big house. It was so still, so quiet, it was eerie to just walk into the backdoor and not be greeted by Emmett's booming voice or bowled over by Alice.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Esme, looking around as if I'd see them rather than hear them.

"Road trip." She replied as she took Nessa from me. "Good morning little one. How did Edward go this morning dear, better than last night I hope?" Esme teased.

"Much better, thanks. Um, what does a road trip consist of around here?" I asked.

"Can't say." She mumbled, just as Edward had said Carlisle had replied the day before. Something was up, there was a fox in the hen house so to speak.

"Can't say or won't say?" I prodded.

Esme looked slightly guilty, "Can't."

"Listen mom, Edward is bringing Seth here in a minute to visit with Nessa, so I'm going to run on home. Will you be okay with her until they get here?"

"Are you sure you won't stay dear? I know Seth would love to see you, they are all going to Anchorage tomorrow and you won't have a chance to see him for a whole week." Her eyes never left mine and I could see she was concerned for me, but I was adamant.

"Sorry Esme, I just can't." I tried to hide my eyes from her but she wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily as Edward.

She kissed Nessa on the top of her head and then looked at me over the baby's head. "You're a smart girl Bella, I know you'll do what's right. Please, think about this, what it means for you and for Seth. If you think about what it would've done to Edward, had you denied him, I'm sure you'll see this differently than you do right now."

Wow, way to guilt trip there Esme I thought. I threw her a smile and hoped that would be the end of it for that day.

EPOV

The drive from the Rez to the big house was agonizing. Seth spent the whole time worrying over Bella's anger and his own guilt for hurting his friend. He was excited to be able to see Renesmee; he'd told me that when I'd arrived at the gates to the Reservation, but his worry was overshadowing that.

"I don't think Bella will be there when we arrive Seth." I wanted him to know that, be prepared for that, just in case Esme wasn't able to convince her to stay.

"She hates me, doesn't she?" He asked sadly.

"No, of course she doesn't. She's ashamed for her outburst on Thursday night and she's never been a good sharer." I chuckled, even though what I'd said wasn't true.

"She's ashamed? Wow." His thoughts were filled with how incredible that seemed. That Bella even thought about how she'd reacted. He assumed she'd be fine with that and had moved on to just being angry with him.

"She's not angry at you, I promise. She's just not ready to face you yet. She's worried that you're going to have Nessa before we even have a chance to know her for ourselves."

"I don't want to take her from you!" He yelped. "I don't. I just want to be near her. I just want to make her happy, protect her."

"I know that and Bella will too, just give her a few days, I promise she'll come around."

I pulled into the driveway of the house, waited for Seth to get out of the car and then ushered him into the living room. His sigh of relief that Nessa was there, lying on the sofa with her doting grandmother leaning over her cooing softly, was palpable.

"Hello there Seth, it's lovely to see you again." Esme spoke softly as he moved towards where she sat. "Come on, come and meet Nessa."

"Nessa." He copied the name, rolling it around in his head, he liked it. "Nessa." He whispered as he bent over the sofa and looked down at her. "Hello Nessa." He looked to where I stood and I nodded. He got to his knees and bent his head towards her, inhaling her scent, his eyes closed. Relief. It radiated from him every pore. Sheer relief that she was okay, that she was here, that he was near her once again. 'Thank you, Edward.' He told me silently.

"You're welcome son." I told him. Esme got up from her seat and moved to stand with me, letting her hand find mine between us. I grasped her hand firmly, a little bit shaken myself as I watched Seth take my daughter into his huge hands for the first time.

He sat back down on the sofa with her, holding her as Charlie had the night before. He was gazing down at her as she wriggled against his thighs.

'Mine…mine…mine…mine…' Nessa was chanting. She'd registered him instantly, marking him as hers just they way he'd marked her as his through her scent alone. I couldn't help the sad sigh I let out. It was a lot to take in, the complicated mess I was looking at. And the noticeable absence of my wife didn't help.

Esme began rhythmically squeezing my hand, silently telling me it was okay, that everything will be all right.

"Nessa." Seth whispered again and my little girl smiled widely, showing him her little teeth. He whipped his head to where I stood and I saw and heard the shock that came over him.

"Yeah, um…there are a few things you should know Seth." I chuckled.

"I'll leave you two boys to it." Esme told me as she went up the stairs to her studio.

I sat beside Seth, patting Renesmee's curls on my way past. "Hello little love." I told her. "She's going to grow real fast. Three times faster than normal actually. The teeth are just the start I'm afraid. I can read her, so I know what's going on for her, that will help, but she's already a quick study." I told him proudly.

"Three times faster? So, like, in a weeks time she'll be like a month old?" he asked.

"Close enough, yes. It will only take four months for her to behave and look like a one year old Seth. We'll only get seven years of her being young, then she'll be fully grown. Matured." I told him carefully, still not happy about what that meant for Bella and I. "But there's more. She's gifted."

"Yeah, I always knew she would be." He laughed, earning a little mewl from a wriggling Nessa. "I always knew you were special, little one. Nessa." He said reverently. "So, what is it you can do little lady? Read my mind? See the future? Predict the weather? God, I hope you can do something cool like fly!" He laughed.

BPOV

"Alice where are you?" I asked into the cell phone.

"We're just coming into Forks Bella, stop worrying." She chirped.

"Okay, so you're back in Forks, where have you been?"

"Road trip. Look, we'll come to the cottage first seeing as you're alone, you are alone right?" She asked.

"Yeah, you've seen that I take it." I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me do it.

"Stay put, we'll be twenty minutes, tops. See you soon." And then she broke the connection.

I put the phone down and stared at it. They were up to something and a little part of my brain told me I wasn't going to like it.

I used my twenty minutes wisely.

I put on a load of laundry, cleaned the bathrooms and got online to check out some alternatives to baby bottles for Nessa. By the time my four brothers and sisters were knocking on my front door I'd ordered two dozen stainless steel drink bottles and two hundred silicone teats. Should get us through until Nessa could drink from a cup I figured.

"Hey, nice to have you guys back." I told them as they hugged and kissed me in turn as they came through the door. "Now, where you been?"

"Edward and Nessa are at the house right?" Jasper asked.

"Yep. Seth's up there visiting." Emmett shot me a strange look, as though he wasn't very happy with me and I promised myself I'd talk to him about that later.

"Good. Now, we've been on a bit of a hunting expedition." Alice announced as though that would make any sense to me. "Okay, I can see I'm going to have to spell this out, I really did think Edward would work out at least some of this and Carlisle the rest. They really don't know?"

"Spit it out Alice, I've got no idea where you lot went."

"Okay, okay. Well, the boys went to Phoenix, but I'll let them tell you all about that. Rose and I went to Chicago. We've bought something home with us, but we want to keep it a surprise from Edward. Are you in?" She asked and I nodded violently. "Good. So, when you asked Rose if she'd be godmother we got to thinking. Edward was christened, we know that, so that meant there had to be a christening gown somewhere. So Rosie and I made a little trip to the Masen house." She raised her eyebrows tellingly.

"Oh my god. You found it didn't you?" I squealed.

Alice began bouncing up and down on her toes and I knew that they had. You could just see it on her face. "Yep, we did. The house is filthy, of course, but it's all still there. In boxes mostly, it's been packed up, but it's all there. He really should go back there and sort some of it out one day or it's all going to turn to dust. But anyway, we have the gown and I'm going to have it repaired and cleaned. And, well, what do you think Bella? Do you think he'd like that?"

She hadn't stopped for breath through the whole speech and I'd sort of missed my cue to speak so she had to nudge me once or twice before I answered. "He'll go crazy Alice, it's brilliant. I can't wait to see it. Thank you so much, it's a wonderful idea." I hugged her to me tightly, and then pulled Rosie into a tight hug, thanking her too.

"You're welcome. Well, we know you said you wanted Nessa christened as fast as possible so we've got it all sorted. Two weeks from today, that's a Sunday of course, the sixth of February. Is that okay?" Rosie asked.

"Perfect. Thank you so much. Just tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it." I promised.

"Excellent. Well, we're going to leave you now, but the boys want a word. Jaz and I have to go to school tomorrow but we'll come down and see you before we leave, okay?" Alice asked hopefully.

"Of course Alice. See you then. Bye Rosie, have a good day at work tomorrow." I told her, knowing it was going to be her first day on her own at the garage. Sam and the pack were going on their holiday tomorrow, taking Seth far, far away from my daughter. Thank god.

EPOV

"She knows me?" Seth asked, mouth agape.

He'd done well with all the information I had given him. He asked intelligent questions and listened when I explained the answers. So now he knew all about Nessa. He knew she preferred blood, that she's likely to bite him – which she'd already tried twice while we'd been talking – but that she wasn't venomous. He'd already discovered for himself that she ran hotter than a human and that her heartbeat was a little faster too. He knew she slept and that she had an exceptional sense of smell, even for a vampire her scent marking abilities were incredibly refined.

"Yes, she does. Your scent of course, that's already in her brain, but she knows you Seth. She knows who you are, she's catalogued you as you. I can't explain that any other way yet." I chuckled.

He nodded but his thoughts were only for Renesmee. I left them alone for a bit, letting them get to know each other a little better, and went to the kitchen to find Esme. She wanted to 'talk' to me about her time with Bella this morning.

"He's very sweet with her." She nodded towards the living room.

"He is. It's a lot more difficult to watch than I'd first thought." I ran a hand through my hair and tried to calm down a little. "Bella?" I asked tentatively, wanting to know what sort of shit storm I'd be walking in to when I took Nessa home later.

Esme smiled wanly, "She's not ready. I did what Renee suggested and tried to guilt her into it but she just digs in her heels, doesn't she?" Esme giggled half-heartedly.

"Yeah, she does. Thanks anyway." I turned so that I could see where Seth was sitting, Nessa in his lap still. They were just gazing at each other. His thoughts filled with her, hers with him. It made my gut clench. I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. I didn't know what I expected to see, and what I did see was perfectly innocent of course, but it still hurt to watch.

I was about to go and rejoin them on the sofa when I started hearing Alice and Rosie coming through the forest. I pointed out the kitchen window, towards the river, "Alice and Rosie coming in fast. Two minutes." I told Esme.

"Oh good." She said noncommittally.

"Where were they Esme, I know you're all hiding something from me, you may as well tell me." I prodded. "Oh good Christ, why must you pick that to think about to block me woman? You're evil!" I rubbed my temples trying to rid myself of the mental image. Carlisle in his flight suit, Esme in her nurses uniform…shudder.

She was still giggling when Alice and Rose came barreling in through the backdoors. "Hey big brother!" Alice trilled as she threw herself into my arms. "Let me go now Edward, where is she?" Apparently she was done with me.

"In the living room, with Seth." I told her and she was gone before I finished the sentence.

"Hey Ed." Rose hugged me too, though less forcefully. "You okay?" She jerked her head towards where Seth now sat with Nessa asleep in his arms.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Hang in there, she'll come around. I'll talk to her." She told me and then went in to see the baby.

"Go in and enjoy her Edward. You need to talk to him about Anchorage, you can't put it off." Esme prompted.

The minute she said it Seth let out a strangled yelp, "I'm not going, you can't make me."

Shit.

BPOV

"Come and sit down sissy." Emmett tugging on my sleeve, his dimples showing as he smiled at me.

This wasn't good. No good ever came from Emmett's dimples being on show this long. I sat on the sofa and he and Jasper sat on the coffee table in front of me. They exchanged a 'look', Jasper nodded, Emmett nodded and then they both unleashed their brilliant smiles on me.

"We went to Phoenix. We visited Phil." Emmett confessed.

"Oh shit." It burst out of my mouth before I could rein it in. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, jeez, give us some credit, we aren't without some self control you know." Jasper looked offended. Not really, but he was trying hard to look offended.

"Okay, so if he's fine, what did you do or say to him?" I asked tentatively. If this was a secret that needed keeping from Edward there was more to this than a friendly visit.

"Ed called him before the wedding to ask if he'd rethink his inability to attend. He didn't come so you know that was a flop. With the christening coming up we thought we'd try again." Emmett shrugged.

"Right. You just decided, on a whim, to go visit my step dad and invite him to the christening?" I asked knowing they were full of shit.

"Yep. That's exactly how it went down. The girls were going to Chicago so we went to Phoenix. No big deal. Although, I gotta say, Arizona sucks. How the hell did you manage in all that sunshine?" Emmett scrunched up his nose and eyes.

"Umm…dipshit…she was human." Jasper offered most helpfully and I giggled.

"Oh, right." Emmett guffawed, "I forgot."

"Anyway little lady. We went to see your kin. He wasn't too pleased to see us mind, but after a little while and a bit of explaining from us he agreed to come for the christening." Jasper told me proudly.

I leapt off the sofa and barreled them both off the coffee table into a group hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." I squealed in delight.

Both boys were laughing their heads off, just lying there letting me squish them. I let them both up and they were both smiling widely.

"I guess that means you're happy, right?" Jasper joked.

"Yeah, I'm happy. Thanks you guys, that means so much to me. I'm so glad he's decided to come after all. He's going to adore Nessa. Oh, wait, he won't want to stay here, or at the big house, oh shit, or with mom and dad. I'll give you my credit card, can you book him into a motel in town?" I was about to shoot off down the little hallway to the study and get my wallet when Emmett's giant hand streaked out and grabbed my wrist.

"It's all sorted sissy. Alice, remember?" He chuckled.

"Oh, right. Of course. She's seen it all already. Good. Well then. Thanks you guys. You're the best brothers ever." I told them both then kissed each one on the cheek.

They looked like little boys who'd been praised for washing their hands before a meal. They were so adorable. They shared another quick look between the two of them and then they were at the front door. "You're the best sister ever, too, but we really want to see the munchkin, so, I guess we'll see ya, gotta go bye…" Emmett bellowed as he took off through the door.

EPOV

When Seth began to tremble and shake Alice extracted the baby from his hands and took her upstairs to her suite with Rose and Esme in tow.

I led him out the backdoor and encouraged him to phase, which he did. He shook from head to toe with anger and frustration, pain and fear. I wanted him to run with me, to work some of it out of his system but he stubbornly refused to leave the immediate area while Nessa was in the house.

So I stood in the middle of the yard and let him calm himself down.

I tried to give him some mental privacy but it was tough. He was running through scenario after scenario, hoping to find a loophole in the plans that the pack had made to travel to Alaska tomorrow for their holiday.

"Seth, son, come on. That's not going to help anyone, least of all you." I told him sadly as he began to form the idea that would see him and Sam fighting in the forest. "I know it seems horrible now but it's only for six days, son. Go to Alaska, make Sam happy. Try and have a nice time with your pack. Then come back and Bella may have softened in her stance, slightly." I tried to placate him but could see he just didn't give a shit what I thought was a good idea or not.

'I won't leave her. Nobody can force me onto that plane.' He told me silently as he began to pace in a small, tight circle.

"Okay, I concede that. Nobody can force you to go. I do know how you're feeling Seth. I've been there. And I know it hurts like hell, the thought of having to leave her. But I can't see any alternative. Even if you stayed here in Forks while your pack was gone you'd still have to go to school and then there's Bella…" I trailed off.

'I know that, I'm not dumb. If I stayed here at least I'd be within a few miles of her if she needed me. In Alaska I'm fucked.' He punctuated his frustration with a loud howl.

I was about to chuckle at his choice of language when I heard another mental voice enter the vicinity.

'Dude, what gives?' Emmett and Jasper were close by.

"We're in the yard." I called to my brothers and soon they appeared through the trees by the river. "Emmett and Jasper are coming from the river Seth."

We watched them come towards us and then Seth ran to the tree line, emerging a few seconds later as a human again. His trembling had abated but he still looked a curious mix between frustration and pain, his face drawn and tired. Emmett and Jasper both offered him a fist, which he bumped without his usual enthusiasm.

"What gives bro?" Emmett asked of him.

Seth looked at me and I nodded, it was his story to tell, not mine.

"The pack are going to Alaska tomorrow for their holidays, I'm not going. Edward is trying to convince me to go. He can't make me and neither can you guys, so don't bother." He said belligerently.

Jasper laughed, "I agree, we can't make the big bad wolf go." The four of us, Seth included, laughed a bit at that, but Jaz wasn't done, "But I'll tell you something that will not only make you laugh, but also prove that we can make humans do what we want."

I watched with interest as he looked to Emmett then to me then back to Emmett. When Em nodded and Jasper began to speak I saw in his head what he was about to divulge and groaned.

Oh for fucks sake!


A/N: Thank you for reading. If you've found something of interest in my story please review and let me know. Equally, if you think I've botched it and made a terrible hash of your fave character review and let me know that too! Thanks, either way.