A/N This chapter simply wouldn't end! It covers a range of topics, though, so I'm sorry if it seems choppy. So far it's my favorite, for several reasons.

I'm loving the support that I've received so far, for both of my stories! I'm glad that all of you have come along for the ride. This chapter is only a hint of the action that's to come!

As a side note, I recently joined Project Team Beta, which is a resource for constructive criticism if you're writing a story. If anyone is interested in potentially having me beta a story, the website is www(dot)projectteambeta(dot)com. I'm fairly certain that you can request a beta, so check it out!

Enjoy! :)

Over the weekend, Alice put Jacob and me to work, along with the rest of the family.

"Jacob, I need you, Jasper, and Emmett to mark off appropriate regions for our guests to hunt," she instructed them. "Jacob will be in charge of the vegetarian areas; you two will take care of the traditionals." She shooed the three men away, with Jacob looking seriously disgruntled at the prospect of hunting.

"Edward, please stay with me since my mind is crowding with arrival visions," Alice beseeched my dad. He nodded amiably. "Esme and Rosalie, you're in charge of the minor renovations for the party."

"Renovations?" I repeated.

"Please don't ask questions, Nessie," Alice responded irritably. "You know this house isn't big enough to hold everyone, even if we utilize the yard."

I wisely refrained from speaking after that.

"Bella, Esme has willingly agreed to let you plan the menu," Alice continued. Momma smiled enthusiastically. "She will help you with the cooking, of course, but you know Nessie's tastes—and the shape-shifters' tastes—best out of everyone."

I was happy for Momma, since she hated any form of parties or shopping.

"Carlisle will be gone all day collecting emergency blood supplies," Alice said absent-mindedly. She turned to me. "I'll be online researching decorations; hopefully I won't need to leave the country for my orders, although with a party this elaborate it never hurts to be prepared. I need you, as the artistic one, to make signs for the vampires who are coming."

I stared at her blankly, still a bit focused on the fact that she was prepared to shop outside of the continental US for party decorations. "Signs?"

"You know, hunting maps for the vampires to follow, etiquette guidelines between vampires and shape-shifters, different malls in the area if anyone needs to purchase party attire, where the restrooms and spare bedrooms are, things like that," she rattled off quickly.

I allowed my brain three seconds to process this before nodding. "I'll see what I can do," I told her.

"Perfect," she muttered. I thought she was talking to me, but she darted for the guest list. "Zafrina has invited a few Brazilian friends along. Thank God both Carlisle and Edward speak Portuguese…."

I left Alice to her mumblings and attacked my task with vigor. To my surprise, it was fun identifying different places in the house and coming up with silly rules for them to follow, such as "Lower the toilet seat when you've finished" and "The blue cooler is for ice, the red cooler is for blood." I decided that my friends could not be allowed to hang out here once the immortals arrived, because it would warrant too many unnecessary questions, and I didn't want to take my beautiful posters down.

When Jacob returned from his running, I was hanging up a poster in the kitchen labeled "Acceptable Snack Foods."

"Are you planning to starve us, Nessie?" Jake complained. The foods I had included were all healthy options, except for cookies and brownies, which had a daily intake limit.

I smiled innocently at him. "I'm making sure that your pack is fit and active should any sort of fight break out during my party," I corrected.

"Well, if that's the case…" He trailed off, taking an overenthusiastic bite out of a carrot. He grimaced.

My smile turned sympathetic. It was impossible to leave him trailing like this on a good conscience. "Good thing I put a pan of lasagna in the oven before I started working," I told him.

Had Jake been in his wolf form, he would've been panting. He smiled widely and his eyes sparkled at the prospect of good food.

I laughed. "Call Seth and see if any of Elena's herd is interested in lunch," I suggested. When Jake gazed longingly at the oven, I slapped his shoulder playfully. "The sooner you call, the sooner you get to eat."

Jacob made a dash for his cell phone and paced impatiently, waiting for Seth to pick up.

I shook my head at his antics as I donned my oven mitts and pulled the pan of lasagna from the oven. My mouth watered. I was so lucky to love human food as much as blood.

I cut a large portion for Jake and set it on a plate just as he returned. "The herd is training some new shifters today," he informed me. "Elena needs to be sure that the newbies don't go crazy or attack Seth, since he's part wolf."

I frowned. "Is that the safest thing for Elena to do?" I asked.

Jacob shrugged. "She trusts her wingmen, and the herd needs to understand that Seth is an ally, anyway. The sooner they get over that prejudice, the better."

I nodded understandingly. My family and I were, in some ways, still on that side of the story with the Quileutes.

As Jacob and I dug into our food, Momma joined us in the kitchen. "Any for me?" she teased.

"With Jake around? Never," I answered. Momma and I laughed as Jacob glowered at us.

"Just because you're my best friend and my girlfriend's mom doesn't mean I won't kick your butt," Jake threatened.

"I would take caution in the way you address my wife if I were you," Daddy called from the other room, his voice light but laced with a very real danger.

Jacob slumped in his seat. "There's no winning with you girls!" he complained.

I grinned as I slipped my arm around Momma's waist. "At least you realize that now," I pointed out.

"Sure, sure," Jake grumbled, but his expression was joking, now.

I faced Momma, wrapping both arms around her slender waist. "Did you need to talk to us?" I asked.

Momma pulled out a yellow legal pad and a fountain pen. "I think I've finished up the menu for your party," she began. "I thought you two might want to look it over before I show it to Alice."

Jacob and I systematically went down the list, growing more and more excited as the menu shifted from simple salads and rolls to filet mignon, prime rib, smoked salmon, and other delectable food items.

"What exactly is the budget on this party?" I asked with near hysteria.

"Knowing Alice, I've barely scratched the surface," Momma replied, her voice resigned. "But feel free to remove anything or add a favorite food that you may have forgotten."

After a quicker glance-over, we decided to exchange the traditional garlic mashed potatoes for a more party-appropriate potato salad and serve fresh fruit instead of any fruit salad or Jell-O.

"This looks perfect, Momma," I commended, feeling much better about the situation now.

Momma smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Wish me luck as I present the final product to Alice."

"There's no need for that," Alice answered, her bell-like voice clear and closer than we expected. We jumped when we saw her sitting on a barstool. "I already saw your decisions on the menu."

"But you can't see Jake or me," I reminded her.

"I saw Momma reviewing it with me," Alice responded crisply. She turned to Momma. "I would add chocolate fondue to the dessert options," she suggested. "Young adults these days enjoy dipping fruit and marshmallows and such into the fountain."

"I thought about that, but it's so messy," Momma answered.

"Well it's a good thing we have all eternity for things like cleaning, isn't it?" Alice shot back. "It will be a hit, I promise you. I've seen it." She tapped her head knowingly.

Momma lowered her head in defeat as Alice danced from the room. "She's so annoying!" she muttered.

Jacob grinned. "And you thought you wanted to live with that forever!"

Momma chucked a spatula at him, which he caught neatly. "Sucks knowing you're only as strong as your kid best friend, doesn't it?" he taunted.

I forcefully wrenched the spatula out of his hand. "Enough, Jake," I said, frowning. "There are better things we could do besides provoke my mom's temper."

Jacob's eyes widened. He slowly, hopefully, moved closer to me.

I slapped his arm that he tried to wind around my waist. "I didn't mean that," I protested, trying to ignore his puppy dog pout. "I need to make a map for the vegetarian vampires."

But Jacob continued his advance, and it wasn't until I turned away to avoid seeing his beautiful face that I noticed Momma had left us. We were alone.

His warm hands molded perfectly to my hips, and I couldn't contain a sigh of pleasure at the tingly feeling coursing through my body. Without removing his hands, I rotated to face him, pressing my body gently against his.

Jacob responded instantly. Whispering my name excitedly, he wound one hand in my curls and captured my lips in his. He kissed me feverishly, over and over again, as if we had never discovered this joy before.

In between kisses, I found enough breath to sigh, "Jake!"

It was the right thing to say, because Jacob moaned, "Oh, Ness," in the sexiest voice I had ever heard. In passionate ecstasy, I clung to my boyfriend and kissed every inch of his handsome face, across his forehead to his earlobes, down his eyes and nose, looping around to his chin before returning to his full lips.

After a few moments, we reluctantly slowed down and pulled apart. "That," Jacob panted, "was hot!"

I giggled. "I'm glad you liked it," I murmured seductively.

Jacob hugged me close again, burying his face in my hair. "You really don't play fair. You know that, right?" he teased.

I smiled at the warmth that spread through my body. "I might have an idea," I managed to squeak.

He laughed deeply and squeezed me one more time before releasing me. "So what were you saying before?" he asked in genuine confusion.

I laughed at his lack of memory. "I was saying that we need to make a map for the vegetarians," I reminded him.

"Oh, right," Jake replied. I could tell that he didn't actually remember this exchange.

Chuckling, I pulled out the map of Northern United States and Canada that Alice had given me to use. "Which areas did you mark?" I asked him.

Jacob pointed out a big section along the country line, as well as a few smaller wilderness areas on either side. I highlighted those parts of the map in green and made a sign that explained the map: "Vegetarian Hunters: Green Areas. Traditional Hunters: Red Areas."

It seemed simple enough, and I knew that our vampire friends and acquaintances would be obliged to abide by our guidelines. There was no need to involve the Volturi in what was meant to be a happy occasion.

And so it played out: the Denali coven arrived first, on Monday afternoon. I greeted them enthusiastically as I entered the door from school. Our bond was much deeper after the sacrifices they had made for my family six years ago and, most recently, after their intervention at the movie theater. They saved Jacob and me from Braden's control, and I would always be grateful for their love and support.

Tía Carmen caught me in her arms first. "Renesmee!" she cooed, stroking my hair and murmuring a string of Spanish compliments. "Bonita, linda, hermosa, preciosa…"

The rest of the family were happy to see me, too, and took turns greeting me and commenting on how much older I looked already. It was reassuring to hear that, since my physical changes were much subtler these days.

On Wednesday, our closest nomad friends arrived in a swarm: Nahuel's family and the Amazons; Benjamin and Tia, without their Egyptian counterparts; Peter and Charlotte; Randall; Mary; Siobhan's coven; even Alistair removed himself from seclusion to wish me the best, although he retreated to our enormous basement once we laid down the ground rules for supernatural community living.

The Romanians, I was relieved to learn, had politely declined our offer to attend. The prospect of attending a great convention of vampires was not sufficiently desirable over the additional races that would be present. They preferred to control the situation, and the fact that shape-shifters had been invited did not bode well for their continued immortality.

Grandpa Charlie arrived with Grandma Sue, Leah, and Chad in tow Thursday afternoon. The conflict ended nearly as quickly as it began…by human standards.

Every vampire head in the room whipped toward the onslaught of Grandpa's fresh blood. Every vampire knee sank into a crouch at the sound of Grandma's suddenly fearful, racing heart. Every vampire mouth widened into a venomous smile when Chad's impressive form joined his family just inside the door.

Several things happened at once. Jasper, sensing the predatory and defensive instincts of the immortals, sent out a mass wave of anesthetic calm to counteract them. Leah, ever angry and prepared for the worst, leapt in front of her family with a snarl and glared at the congregation of vampires before her. Momma stepped out with arms open wide and eyes pleading, genuinely scared for her father as tearless sobs threatened to escape what was otherwise a threatening façade.

And I, silly half-vampire that I was, approached Grandpa with a false sense of confidence and wrapped him in—for a human—a firm and loving embrace. "Grandpa!" I greeted happily, placing the palm of my hand softly against his neck and using my gift to project safe, reassuring memories.

Grandpa's stiff form relaxed and he hugged me back. "Hey there, kiddo," he returned. His voice was still a little shaky. "You've got quite a gathering here." He gestured to the vampires in front of him.

Before I could respond, several car doors slammed shut and footsteps shuffled up behind Grandpa and company. "Hey, what's the hold-up?" Embry called cheerfully, peering above the heads in the way. His eyes widened at the sight and smell, so concentrated that it had to be a threat.

With lightning speed, he darted to Leah's side and growled menacingly at the assembly. The other wolves heard the commotion and joined their pack mates, sinking into defensive crouches much like the vampires' offensive ones. Outside, Sam corralled Emily and the other imprints back into the cars with a soothing voice.

I stared at the assembly in shock, fear, and disappointment. With a quick glance at Daddy, I stepped in between the two groups. Jacob was at my side before I could inhale.

"Oh, for crying out loud, people!" I complained, so exasperated that I didn't consider my use of the word "people." "Nomad friends, I would like for you to meet the rest of my extended family: my grandpa, Charlie; his wife, Sue; her daughter, Leah; and Leah's husband, Chad. Also with them are close friends of the family…" I introduced the wolf pack and made reference to the girls outside, with Sam. "They are dear to me, and I will not tolerate any hostility now or at any time following my birthday party," I warned.

I turned to my La Push family. "Everyone, these are some of my family's closest friends and support, many of whom you met six years ago." I let that reality sink in before I pushed ahead. "I will introduce them by coven, but don't expect to learn all of their names at once," I laughed. The mood was lightened somewhat.

When introductions were finished, I returned my attention to the nomads. "We are all on the same side," I said quietly, so that the humans strained to hear. Everyone else heard me perfectly. "I invited you here because I love you. Just as you supported us six years ago, and some of you are our dear friends, so the Quileutes defended us in that fight and have been a constant in my life ever since.

"Remember why you are here," I continued. "This is a celebration, not a battle. My party is in two days and I would love for it to be the best occasion of my, thus far, short life. Please cooperate with my family and with each other. Make this dream a reality."

I stopped, finding no further words to express my sentiments. I glanced between my vampire community and my human/werewolf family, searching for any sort of danger. My eyes landed on Daddy's. He shook his head at my mental question.

I smiled. "Thank you all for being here," I said with relief.

The atmosphere relaxed and, though both sides seemed uncomfortable with the proximity, there was no longer any intent of attack. Once the scene was significantly safer, my immediate family approached me.

"Well done, Nessie," Daddy commended, smiling proudly.

I ducked my head. I could have said more, been more eloquent.

"It was perfect," Daddy disagreed. "You were authentic, and the fact that this message came from you made all the difference."

"It's true, Nessie," Alice interjected. "Before you made a decision, there were several futures swirling, not all of them pretty."

I grimaced.

"But even though I couldn't see your words before you said them, I saw the outcome: both sides walked away, unscathed." She smiled at me. "You're like a mediator for our kind, Nessie, the only creature who can truly empathize with both natures, because you bear representation of both natures. You were made for this."

I glanced over at Jacob, who was beaming at me. He obviously understood the implications of Alice's statement, too. If I was truly a mediator, then I was meant to bring peace to the immortal world. In that sense, I was a defender of the La Push tribe, too.

For the first time since Seth imprinted on Elena, I breathed easier at my own destiny.