JACOB
I continued to eat my cereal as I watched my daughters chat between themselves.
"Daddy will we ever get to go hunting with momma and grandma?" Charlotte asked me. I nearly choked on my food.
"No. you won't," I answered her. She frowned at me.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because you're not a vampire." I answered her. "You don't need blood to survive like your mom and grandma."
"But mommy eats normal food too," Mackenzie added.
"Yes but she can survive on blood if she wanted," I answered taking the last spoonful of cereal.
"Oh. Why aren't we vampires if momma, grandma and everyone else we're related to are?" Charlotte asked.
"Because I'm not and you clearly have more me in you than your mother," I grinned at them.
"So are we werewolves?" she asked.
"I don't know," I answered them honestly.
"Cooooool!" Charlotte announced. "I want to be a werewolf, that way we'll be big and strong like daddy."
"Yeah! Oh my gosh, imagine running in the forest as a wolf, that must be so cool! And hearing each other's minds!" Mackenzie agreed. I watched my daughters carefully as they spoke about being a wolf. I sighed mentally, was it wrong to be hopeful? I wanted them to phase so they could stay with Nessie and I forever but I wanted them to be normal as they could be, because although Renesmee and I had never spoken about it. The girls weren't vampires. They were closer to human than anything else, they were going to grow old and die.
"Daddy how did you find out you were a werewolf?" Charlotte asked me.
"I just phased," I replied.
"How old were you?" Mackenzie asked.
"Sixteen," I answered. I didn't tell them that it could possibly happen much sooner for them. They were surrounded by vampires all day. If they had the gene they would be phasing in early teens and they were the alpha's daughters after all, one of them was destined to be my successor, I just didn't know if one or both would phase.
"Eight more years! I hope we phase, daddy do you think we'll phase?" Mackenzie asked me.
"I honestly don't know baby," I answered her putting all the dirty dishes in the sink. "Come on, time for school, do you have everything?" I asked. They nodded and jumped off their seats. They grabbed their back packs and coats and I grabbed the keys to my car. Okay I admit it was more of a button than a key.
I drove the girls to school and let them out, reminding them not to talk about vampires and werewolves at school.
I then made my way to La Push. I wanted to see my old friends. Talking about werewolves and the possibility of my girls phasing had me thinking a lot about when I phased, about Sam Uley, Quil Ateara and Leah and Seth Clearwater. They were all a lot older now. They had stopped phased a long time ago. Sam was in his sixties and the rest weren't far behind. I was the only one that never stopped phasing. I drove down the familiar road into La Push. Seeing the house I recognised had my heart souring. I hadn't been here in so long. I reached my old house. The little red panels were worn away. No one had moved in after my father died thirty years ago. I drove past it and further into the reservation. I reached the road I knew Sam lived down with Emily. They lived on their own now, they're kids had kids themselves and Sam's eldest grandson was expecting his first child. Sam's eldest grandson, Robert had also taken over the pack; I disbanded my pack when Leah and Seth stopped phasing. Allowing Sam's son, who was taking over his to have complete control over the new wolves. Of course now that Sam's son had stopped phasing too it was down to his grandson. Robert seemed to be the last generation of werewolves. With no more vampires around the gene was dying, less and less kids were phasing and I was pretty sure the gene would become dormant again. Unless of course the Cullen's ever decided to come back. I climbed out the car and gently knocked on the door.
"I'll get it!" I heard Sam shout in his weak voice. Nearly two minutes later the door opened and I saw him standing there, his face lit up when he saw me.
"Jacob!" he said pulling me into a hug. "It's so good to see you," he said and pulled away from me. For an old man Sam was surprisingly fit. He still had his muscles from the days when he was a wolf and kept his height. His hair was grey and his face was covered in wrinkles but it was definitely Sam.
"Hey man!" I said with a smile.
"Come in come in. Emily! Look whose come to see us!" Sam shouted into the house. I followed him into the front room and sat down.
"Jacob!" Emily sang happily as she walked into the room. I stood up and pulled her into a hug.
"Looking beautiful as ever Emily," I said to her with a smile.
"Oh," she laughed. "You're sweet. But these wrinkles aren't being kind to me," she chuckled. She was right, but I'd never say it. With her scar and wrinkles combined it made her look a lot older than she actually was.
"So what brings you to La Push Jacob?" Sam asked as Emily went back out the room to get me a drink.
"Well my daughters actually," I began. "I was wondering if you thought they were going to phase."
He sighed and sat back in his chair.
"I wouldn't know Jacob. You and Renesmee are two different creatures. It depends which genes they inherit. They don't have much vampire in them do they?" he asked. I shook my head.
"No, they don't seem to have any characteristics except beauty and speed," I said to him.
"Well I imagine you're just going to have to wait and see. I'd imagine the girls would be pretty young if they were going to phase. Maybe thirteen or fourteen. I can't be certain. But they are your children, I hardly believe a true alpha wouldn't pass on the gene, with a vampire or not," He answered as Emily came back in with a glass of coke.
"Thank you Emily."
"You're welcome," she answered and sat down next to Sam. "So how are your girls?" she asked with a smile.
"They're fine. They were talking about phasing this morning so I wanted to talk to Sam about it."
"Oh dear. What about Renesmee?" She asked.
"She's doing fine," I said unable to stop my smile. "She and Bella have started school again; they wanted to spend more time together."
"Oh how wonderful, how is Bella? I haven't seen her in so long."
"She's exactly the same," I laughed. "She's good. She loves being a grandmother."
"I bet. I can't get enough of my grandchildren," Emily smiled.
"I'll bring her down next time I visit. I bet you two have a lot of catching up to do. And you're both grandmothers after all," I said to her.
"Oh I'd love that!" she said happily. "And Renesmee and the girls," she added.
"Of course."
I spent the rest of the day with Emily and Sam, it wasn't until half two that I realised I was incredibly late picking up the girls.
"Oh shit," I muttered standing up from the couch,
"Everything okay?" Emily asked.
"I need to pick the girls up at three." I said grabbing my coat and keys.
"But it takes two and a half hours to get back to Vancouver." Emily said.
"I know," I told her and ran for the door. "It was great seeing you both. I'll call you and let you know when we're next coming to visit," I said to them, hugged them both and left.
I drove home as fast as I could, ignoring all the speed limit signs. I pulled outside Mackenzie and Charlotte's school at four thirty. I ran up the stairs and into the reception.
"Sorry I'm late, I'm here to pick up Charlotte and Mackenzie Black," I said to the receptionist.
"Oh, someone's already come for them," she told me kindly. My heart accelerated.
"Who?" I asked, praying it was Renesmee or one of the Cullen's.
"Erm…" she said looking at the computer. I knew they logged who the children were picked up by for safety. She was looking painfully slow, I needed to know who had my girls. "Renezimay Black," she answered getting the pronunciation of Renesmee completely wrong.
"Thank you," I told her and left the school. I knew Nessie was going to be furious with me, she was meant to go hunting with Bella and I'd made that impossible.
I drove home at the normal speed suddenly afraid of my vampire wife. I reached our house and cut off the engine. Staying in the car for nearly three minutes before the door opened, Renesmee came out with her arms crossed over her chest and she was frowning at my car.
"Jacob Black I know you're there," she said. I sighed, I felt like I was being told off by my own mother. Maybe that ring on her finger was rubbing off on her, after all it was my mother's before she died. I opened the car door and stepped out. I walked over to my wife and smiled the best I could at her.
"You left our daughters for nearly an hour!" she screamed. "And by the looks of it you would have left them for two!"
"Ness... I was in La Push, I completely lost track of time. I'm sorry," I said doing the best I could to persuade her.
"How are Sam and Emily?" she asked.
"They're great, they really want to see you and the girls again," I answered suddenly glad of the change of subject. She nodded but her face hardened again.
"Can I leave you to watch your daughter so my mother and I can get something to eat?" she asked sternly.
"Of course you can," I said to her and walking past her into the house. I noticed Bella and Edward were sitting at the little white table with Charlotte. "Where's Kenzie?" I asked.
"Dance class. Like she should have been an hour ago but you never took her. She doesn't like being late," Nessie told me walking over to Bella, Edward and Charlotte.
"Let's go," she said grabbing Bella's hand. They stood up and went to leave the room, I caught Renesmee's wrist and swung her towards me.
"I'm sorry," I told her. Her face softened.
"I forgive you. I've made you some dinner, help yourself, and please please pick Mackenzie up at seven," she pleaded and then turned to glare at Edward. Edward nodded, I assumed that she was telling him to make sure I didn't forget.
"Promise," I said to her and placed a peck on her lips. She smiled slightly and left with Bella. I turned back to look at Edward and Charlotte at the table. Edward was drawing something and she was copying it from eye. I walked over to them and sat down on the chair Bella had stood up from. Edward looked at me from the corner of his eye and grinned.
"Shut up," I told him, he laughed this time looking at me fully.
"You have no idea how funny that was to listen too, I would swear Renesmee was your mother," he laughed again putting down his pencil.
"Yeah yeah," I muttered. Charlotte tapped Edwards hand trying to put the pencil back in his grasp. He took hold of it and continued drawing. Charlotte watched intently copying when she could.
"You're just lucky she forgave you. How are Sam and Emily?" he asked.
"Old," I muttered. "I'm scared for Sam. He acts all tough but I'm really starting to notice his age," I said. Edward looked at me sympathetically.
"I forgive you daddy," Charlotte said not looking up from the table.
"Thanks sweetheart," I told her with a smile. She looked briefly up at me and smiled back before continuing her drawing. I watched Edward and Charlotte draw together, as the picture became clearer I realised what it was. It was a perfect illustration of Edward and Bella's first house; it was a small cottage that was in the forest near Forks. It had been a while since I had seen it, decades in fact, but I knew that Edward and Bella always held it close to their hearts. I always knew Edward was a good drawer, and even my daughter was clearly talented in art but watching them draw then I truly got a sense of my daughter's talent. It was a perfect copy of Edwards. Right down to the pencil strokes, the shading and the length of the lines. It was incredible. Almost supernaturally good. I often wondered.
"Wow," I said when Charlotte had paused in her drawing to watch Edward some more.
"Yeah, you have one talented little girl Jacob," Edward said looking up at me.
Do you think she has a gift or something? Like Renesmee and you? I asked in my head, not wanting to talk out loud.
"I don't know, maybe. It would explain why she's so good," he answered looking back at the two separate drawings.
"So how come you're not hunting with the others?" I asked. I needed to change the subject and talk to him more privately about it.
"Nessie wanted me to stay here to make sure you pick Kenzie up from dance and don't burn the house down," he chuckled.
"Great," I muttered, suddenly feeling betrayed by my own wife.
"You left the girls at school for an hour. You didn't even get home until two hours after you were meant to. Give her a break," he laughed. "You can talk about it later."
"I guess…" I said dropping the subject again. "Charlotte are you hungry?" I asked.
"Yes but I want grandpa to make me food. You can't cook," she said looking up at me. I laughed.
"Well your mom has already made it." I said standing up.
"What is it?" she asked. I walked over to the stove and lifted the pan lid.
"Spaghetti bolognaise," I answered her. She sighed.
"I don't like spaghetti."
"Since when?" both Edward and I asked at the same time.
"Since today. I had it for lunch in school and it was disgusting."
"Well your moms is much better," I said dipping my finger in the pan and putting it in my mouth. "Yep. Much better," I agreed with myself.
"Grandpa can you make me an omelette please?" she asked him. I laughed.
"Sure baby girl," he said and kissed her forehead.
"Yay," she sang as he stood up. I sighed and got my own portion of spaghetti. I walked over to the dining room table and began eating it whilst Edward cooked an omelette for Charlotte. By the time six thirty came along I went to pick Mackenzie up. I was early which made me smile. At least I wasn't late. I walked into the lobby where the parents wait to pick their kids up. A lot of the woman stared at me when I walked in. it wasn't often I picked Mackenzie up from dance, that was the sort of thing Renesmee did.
"Hello, my names Holly," a woman said to me as I sat down. I smiled weakly at her.
"Jacob."
"So who is your little girl?" she asked.
"Mackenzie Black," I answered her.
"Oh, you have a talented little girl on your hands. My Alexa moans that she isn't as good as Mackenzie. Mackenzie is top in the class. Her extensions are effortless and she has perfect technique," Holly said to me, I smiled proudly.
"She doesn't get it from me," I chuckled. Actually I didn't know who she got it from. Renesmee never went to dance class, she was more like Charlotte that way, she loved art and piano when she was younger. Holly laughed slightly.
"So you are Renesmee's husband yes?" she asked. I nodded to her. "You have a beautiful wife Jacob and your daughter is gorgeous," she complimented.
"Thank you," I answered her, she seemed like one of those people that had to know anything and everything about everyone. I knew she was trying to get information out about me.
"So how old are you? If you don't mind me asking, you and Renesmee seem very young to have an eight year old."
"I'm twenty six" I answered her. I easily looked twenty six; it was easy for me to say that was my age. Renesmee on the other hand didn't. Not really, at first glance you would say eighteen, nineteen at most. But she had become very good at making herself look older, more makeup, more sophisticated clothing.
"eighteen wow. Was Renesmee your high school sweetheart?" she asked. I was getting uncomfortable, and slightly annoyed. I was glad that the girls started to come out of the dance studio at that point. I watched all the girls greet their moms and leave. I frowned when the last girl came out and Mackenzie hadn't. My heart beat picked up slightly and I stood up from the chairs, I made my way into the dance studio but paused when I saw Mackenzie dancing to some pop song. I had watched my daughter dance before, many times in fact. But seeing her tiny self in the gigantic study knocked me back slightly. The way she moved and danced was incredible. Her body bent in all sorts of ways that I was pretty sure shouldn't be possible. Her teacher made her way over to me by the door.
"Mackenzie asked if she could dance it as a solo when everyone had left. She assumed her mother was picking her up and knew she wouldn't mind."
"That's okay," I said still completely memorised by her dancing.
"She's an extraordinary dancer Mr Black. You and Renesmee should consider letting her go professional, shes only eight years old and I have never seen anything like her," she said to me. As she said it the same thought came into my head as it did earlier seeing Charlotte drawing, I knew Mackenzie was good but was she supernaturally good?
"Jacob. Call me Jacob," I said finally taking my eyes of my daughter to look at the teacher, she was a pretty girl, her brown hair was tied up tightly in a bun, she had light makeup on and loose clothing. Her stomach was visible and her feet were bare.
"Lexi," she said with a smile.
"How does she become professional?" I asked her looking back at Mackenzie to see her with her leg perfectly aligned with her side, making it look like she was doing the splits standing up.
"She goes to auditions for dance schools. It depends what she wants to focus on. If she wanted to do Ballet then she could audition for the Royal Ballet School in London or even the Bolshoi Ballet School in Russia. But of course that would involve you moving around the world. I think she is very capable of getting into these schools. But that's completely up to you and your wife to decide that. She would have to go through a long series of auditions, and the Bolshoi Ballet School is very strict on who they let in, she might be lucky to get a year's entry at best. The option for Contemporary and Jazz is the Joffrey Academy in New York, they focus a lot on Ballet but there is more Contemporary in that than in the others. But that would also involve you moving unless you wanted her to live away from you. As an alternative, I could offer personal training classes, I'm not the world's best dance teacher but I do know a thing or two. She could stay with me until she goes to college, that way she can apply for Julliard." She answered me. I nodded thoughtfully.
"Thank you. I'll talk to Mackenzie and Renesmee," I told her just as Mackenzie finished her dance. She span around to see me and Lexi standing at the door.
"Daddy!" she shouted and leapt over to me in a few short steps. She jumped into my arms.
"Hey baby girl. That was incredible," I said to her kissing her cheek. She giggled.
"Thanks daddy," she said adorably.
"Well then Mackenzie, I'll see you next week," Lexi said handing me Mackenzie's dance bag.
"Bye Lexi. Thank you." She said.
"Bye Lexi, nice to meet you," I said to her, she smiled at me and I left the building with Mackenzie still in my arms. I placed her bag in the back seat of the car and walked around to the passenger side and placed her in her seat, I let her do her own buckles and climbed into my side.
"So Mackenzie your teacher was telling me that you could be a professional dancer. Would you like that?" I asked her on the way home.
"Really?" she asked her voice an octave higher than it normally was. I nodded. "Yes yes! Oh please daddy! Can I?" she asked jumping up in her seat watching me expectantly.
"If that's what you want to be. Yes of course," I answered her. She squealed in excitement. "But it means we will have to move. So I need to talk to your mom about it."
"Move where?" she asked a little calmer now.
"Well what do you like more? Ballet or Contemporary?" I asked.
"Hmm," she murmured thinking it through. "I don't know. I like them both," she answered.
"Well if you wanted to be a ballerina and dance on stage and be in Swan Lake and things like that you would have to study Ballet. Either way I think you have to study Ballet but some schools will allow you to do contemporary too. We'd have to talk to your teacher."
"Yeah probably," she agreed. "Well I really want to go on my tippy toes. You know with them special shoes? I really love ballet but I like contemporary too. Maybe I'll do the ballet thing but do contemporary on the side."
"We'll see what we can do," I said as I pulled up by our house. She leapt happily out the car and ran up to the door, waiting for me to open it. I grabbed her bag and we walked in. I heard the piano being played, the music floated around the house. Mackenzie took her bag and went straight up the stairs to her room. I followed the music into the music room. Our house was big; being a Cullen Renesmee couldn't just have a three bedroomed little cottage or anything. We had to go all out. So one of the rooms on the ground floor was designated the music room, even though the only piece of musical equipment was a grand piano put in the centre. I stood at the doorway smiling. Renesmee was sitting next to Edward on the bench playing a complicated melody. Charlotte was standing with her back against Bella's chest against the wall. Bella had her arms draped over Charlotte's shoulders as they watched Renesmee and Edward play. I walked quietly into the room to stand next to Bella.
"Hey," I whispered.
"Hey," she replied not taking her eyes of her husband and daughter. We watched until they morphed it into the song I recognised as the lullaby Edward had written for Bella when they first met. Bella smiled widely. The song closed and Charlotte erupted into applause. Renesmee giggled and stood up from the piano bench making her way over to us.
"I wanna play," Charlotte called and ran over to Edward. He pulled her onto his lap and began teaching her some of the notes. Renesmee walked straight into my arms, which I was initially shocked by. Wasn't she mad at me?
"I'm not mad at you Jake," she said against my chest as if she had read my mind. I smiled and leant down to kiss her head. She sighed, her tense body relaxing against me. I took her more securely in my arms. Fully enjoying having her there.
"Jacob," Edward said catching my attention. I looked up to see him staring at me wide eyed. He lifted his arms to show me he wasn't playing the piano. Yet the piano was being played perfectly. Bella was still at my side, so I knew it wasn't her. I let go of Renesmee so I could walk over to the other side of the piano. Charlotte was playing a song on the piano. She had never really played it before; both her and Mackenzie had fooled around but never actually come out with a song.
"Charlotte. Copy this," Edward said stopping Charlotte's hands. Charlotte did as he asked. Edward played a simple melody but watching his hands it would still take a human who had never played before a good hour to get. Charlotte placed her hands on the keys; I waited expectantly as she pressed down the first few. She came out with an identical rendition of the melody Edward had just played.
"Wow," I murmured.
"What?" Renesmee asked.
"It seems Charlotte has a gift," Edward said looking up at his daughter. "She's a copycat," he said to her.
"Huh?" Renesmee, Bella and Charlotte asked at the exact same time.
"She can copy things perfectly. Earlier I was drawing mine and your mother's cottage and she copied me perfectly. Right down to the strokes and lengths of the lines. And then, it should have taken her an hour to learn that piece, it took her a second. I watched her mind as she copied me. She has perfect recall, she can't get it wrong," he said to us like a proud father. Or grandfather.
"Does she have a memory of a vampire then?" Renesmee asked.
"Something like that," Edward said looking back at Charlotte.
"I have a gift like you and grandma and mommy?" she asked. Edward nodded.
"I think so," he replied.
"Cool!" she said with a huge smile. "Am I a vampire then?" she asked.
"No," Edward, Bella, Renesmee and I all answered. She frowned slightly.
"Obviously you just have a little more vampire in you than we originally thought, that's all," Renesmee said stroking her daughter's hair.
"That's awesome! I gotta tell Kenzie!" she said leaping off from the bench and going to find her sister.
"I think I might call Carlisle and let him know."
"How come we never noticed this before?" Nessie asked. Edward shrugged.
"We've never asked her to copy something before, sure she's drawn things but we always thought she was talented in that area, it never occurred to me that she was copying it exactly." Edward said to us standing up from the piano.
"Awww what? How come I don't get a cool gift?" Mackenzie moaned as she came into the room. Nessie and I laughed.
"Says the best eight year old dancer in the city," I said raising my eyebrows at her. She smiled slightly.
"I guess... But hers is so much cooler," she muttered.
"Pfft." Charlotte muttered. "I wish I could dance like you," she said. "Remember when we were four and I started ballet because I wanted to try it and all I kept doing was falling over and I just couldn't point my toe?" Charlotte laughed, Mackenzie grinned.
"Yeah I remember," she said. Bella moved from my side over to Charlotte and placed her hand on her head.
"Sorry kid, I think you get that from me," Bella laughed. Charlotte looked up at her grandmother.
"Really?" she asked. Bella nodded, I walked over to where Charlotte was standing.
"When your grandmother was human, your grandfather and I had to take turns making sure she didn't just fall over. She was a danger magnet, and the clumsiest person I knew." I said to her kneeling in front so I could see her properly. Both Mackenzie and Charlotte laughed.
"Yeah and that clumsiness was passed onto me and now it's passed onto you, sorry honey," Renesmee said to her daughter.
"That's okay momma, I forgive you," she laughed. Nessie smiled and reached for Mackenzie's hand.
"Ready for dinner?" she asked her. Mackenzie nodded.
"I'm starving," she said and Nessie and Mackenzie walked out the room.
"Well that's what you get for being the best dancer in the city isn't it?" she replied quoting me. Mackenzie laughed and agreed with her. I turned back to Charlotte who was being held by Bella as they talked to each other. Bella walked out still talking to Charlotte and left me with Edward.
"You should feel very proud of your girls Jacob," Edward told me, suddenly appearing next to me.
"I am. Ridiculously proud," I told him. He smiled at me.
"Then lighten up. What does it matter if they're going to phase? Or if they're not? You and Renesmee are going to supply them with the best life anyone could ask for. You have a prima ballerina on your hands and a new Monet." He said placing his hand on my shoulder. I used to cringe away from the cold touch of vampires, now it was a comfort. Edward was my best friend, and if my old self could see me now I would have laughed until I couldn't breathe anymore but I was glad, Edward was a lot older and I don't like to admit it but a lot wiser than me. He had been through this parenting thing, and although I was there along with him for the entire length of Renesmee's childhood I was never actually the father. The fact of the matter was I could no longer live without Edward and Bella just like I couldn't live without Renesmee. They were my family now, my parents were dead, my sisters were elderly and can't get around like they used to. I only had a limited number of friends left in La Push too. The Cullen's were the only family I had and I couldn't feel anymore blessed that they let me into their lives. Because of them, Edward and Bella specifically, I have the most beautiful wife in the world and two amazing and talented daughters. I really couldn't ask for more.