Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters, my dudes.

A/N: Y'all, I just... I'm sorry lol You're gonna end up killing me before this story is over.

Warning: It's a shit-show of ship mentions in this chapter. In no particular order: Renata/Demetri, Heidi/Demetri, Renesmee/Demetri, Seth/Renesmee, Jacob/Renesmee… and language

"How the hell are you eating that?" Felix asked with a face of abject horror. He stared at Renesmee from the living area as she bit into her burger, blood dripping off of the bun instead of ketchup. It took restraint to control her vocal cords so she didn't accidentally moan with the relief the blood gave to her burning throat.

She swallowed and licked her lips. "Peanut wanted blood, but I wanted a cheeseburger, hence…" Renesmee had been doing that a lot lately, mixing blood with her food to satisfy the baby's needs and her own personal cravings. Pretty much everyone found it disgusting, but then they always thought her taste in human food was gross.

As crazy, accidental inhuman pregnancies go, Renesmee had lucked out so far. She wasn't in near as much danger as Bella had been, and it had been relatively easy to get back to normal life - or what passed for normal in her family.

Aro and Carlisle still kept close tabs on her, but she was free to do as she pleased between examinations. She was actually on comfortable terms with Demetri now that they understood each other a little better, and with her newfound friendship with him, came a pleasant relationship with Felix too. She wasn't sure her family approved - especially her parents, though they hadn't really talked much to her lately - but she didn't let that deter her. Renesmee had yet to say more than three words to Renata, though, as the female guard usually preferred to stay to herself and as far away from Demetri as possible it would seem.

Demetri and Renesmee never said his name out loud, but she no longer felt the crushing weight of her secret on her shoulders. It almost made it bearable now that there was someone in her life she didn't have to lie to. Someone she knew could apparently keep a secret very well.

Renesmee had just finished scarfing down her bloody burger when someone snuck up behind her, covering her eyes with their hands and cutting off her eyesight to the rest of the world. She could smell the undeniable scent of wolf and desperately tried to keep the smile off her face. "Guess who."

She spun around in her chair faster than she thought possible, nearly tackling the young wolf off of his feet. Seth caught her easily enough, hugging her back tightly for a few seconds before they let go. "I wondered when you'd come back around here again."

"Yeah, it's been tough at home," Seth replied, casually glancing around the room, smiling brightly at the glances he received from the Volturi guards. They didn't look away, but Seth wasn't one to shrink back either."Though I can't imagine it's been better around here. Jacob filled me in. You look great, Ness."

So that answers that, Renesmee thought. Of course Jacob had told Seth what was going on. But she couldn't be bitter about that; at least he had saved her the hassle of explaining herself. "Yeah, until I balloon to the size of a house," she joked.

Seth tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, giving her a soft smile. He missed the look Demetri gave him at the completely platonic gesture, but Renesmee didn't. "You'll always look good, Ness."

"Seth," Jacob greeted him from the hallway, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He didn't move past the archway as he watched the two of them. "Do you have it?"

"Yeah," he answered simply, picking up his discarded duffle bag and walking to meet Jacob. He started to unzip the bag, but Jacob cast a quick glance at Renesmee and looked away, shaking his head at Seth before asking him to follow him to his room. Renesmee furrowed her brows before shrugging it off, moving across the room to sit next to Demetri on the couch.

Felix grabbed the remote, muting Iron Man 2 as Demetri draped one arm over the back of the couch nonchalantly. "You two seem cozy."

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You're acting like my big brother, Demetri." He raised his hands in the universal I'm-just-saying gesture. "Seth is a really good friend."

"A friend who used to get in your pants?" Felix guessed to which Renesmee blushed. "Demetri acts the same way with Heidi." They all heard Renata scoff from the dining room, turning a page in her book at the same second.

"The only difference is Heidi and I still sleep together from time to time, but I don't think that is what's going on here." Demetri gave her a knowing look, but Renesmee just looked the other way.

"You know, I've been watching you two for a while, but I still can't figure out how you have so many secrets when you just met," Felix said suspiciously, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. "If I didn't know any better, I would think Demetri was the one that got you pregnant."

Demetri scoffed as Renesmee fidgeted uncomfortably. "What, you think I'm the only one who thinks it? You two got awfully chummy awfully fast. Look, you can keep your secrets despite the fact I'm your best friend, Dem, but if you two get any more suspicious Aro is gonna start asking questions."

Renesmee thanked her lucky stars that the rest of the house was either out hunting or working, including Aro. She did not want to be asked any more questions she couldn't answer today.

Speaking of…

"Hey, Ness," Seth said, finally joining them in the living room, duffle bag safely stowed away in Jacob's room no doubt. "You wanna go for a walk?"

They both ditched their shoes on the front porch, relishing the sand under their feet. They didn't say much as they walked down the beach, Renesmee staring at the sunset and the rolling waves as Seth tried - and failed - to keep a secretive smile off his face.

"So how's your mom?" Renesmee asked conversationally.

"She took it pretty hard at first, but she's getting better. Leah's actually taking good care of her, believe it or not."

"Well they both have experience with lost love, I guess."

They didn't talk about much else as they kept walking. They had made it nearly a mile away from the house when Seth suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, patting the pockets of his shorts exaggeratedly. "Shit, I think I left my...my phone back in the house. I-I think I'm just gonna...go…"

"Seth?" Renesmee called after him in confusion as he high-tailed it down the beach, leaving her alone. The bushes rustled behind her, and she turned back around only to be greeted by Jacob's familiar form stepping out of the treeline.

He was dressed in a way she'd never seen him before, barefoot in the sand in a pair of khakis and a white button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It was a long way from his jeans and tight t-shirts, and it did nothing to stem her confusion. Jacob walked towards her, a nervous smile on his face.

"Jake, what's going on?" she asked hesitantly as he stopped a few feet away from her. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"I promise it'll all make sense in a second, Ness, just let me get this out," he took a deep breath. "You are, without a doubt, my best friend in the entire world. You're the one thing in this life that matters most to me, and you know I will always, always be there for you - and for this baby. The two of you will never have to go through this life alone."

He took a step closer, and Renesmee's stomach twisted in knots as tears gathered in her eyes. She cursed her hormonal body. "I know what you feel for me isn't romantic, and I can't promise that will ever change. But I can promise that I will never leave you. And that's regardless of your answer to what I'm about to ask."

She took a shaky breath as he brought a black satin box out of his pants pocket, looking away as she blinked back tears. He didn't get down on one knee, and he wasn't surrounded by rose petals or tealight candles, but it was one of the most heartfelt moments she had ever witnessed. It felt as if it wasn't truly happening to her. Like she was in some out-of-body experience.

"This is the ring my dad proposed to my mother with," he slowly opened the box, revealing a simple gold band with a single diamond in the middle, "and now it's the one I want to give to you. Renesmee Cullen, will you marry me?"

Jacob stared at her with such hope in his eyes that it nearly killed her to say what she did next, but she was doing it for him, she rationalized. "Jake," she said slowly and he huffed out a watery laugh, looking down as he started to tuck the ring box back in his pocket. Renesmee quickly grabbed his hand in hers, just holding it there until he looked at her. "This is quite possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. But I can't."

"You wanna tell me why?" he asked softly.

"It's not fair to you. I'm your imprint, and neither of us had any say in that, but to chain you to me forever with no hope for your own happiness by choice? I could never do that to you. You deserve to find someone who can love you like you've never been loved before. Someone who can make you their first choice. You deserve choices. That's all I'll ever want for you."

"This is my choice. No one made me do this. I decided," he sighed, wiping away a tear that fell from her eyes without her knowledge. "Can you tell me you'll at least consider it?"

Renesmee sighed, smiling softly at him. "If it will make you happy, then yes. I will consider it."

He smiled happily for the first time that night. "Will you wear it while you decide? If you decide the answer is no, you can just give it back." She nodded slowly and watched as he slipped the ring on her finger. It wiggled around a little, but it didn't seem like it was going to fall off. Almost a perfect fit.

Almost.

Jacob wrapped his arms around her in a hug, and that's where they stayed. Renesmee stared at the fading sunlight glinting off the diamond as she lost herself in her thoughts. She had already lost the one man she had ever loved, any semblance of a healthy relationship with her parents, her privacy, her body… So what was her hang-up when it came to Jacob's proposal? What more did she have to lose?

Volterra, Italy

Two Weeks Later

Heidi dropped a thick stack of magazines on the old wooden table in the castle library, sighing loudly as she plopped down in the chair. She sighed even more dramatically when the only other occupant of the room ignored her the first time. Alec rolled his eyes, never taking them off the page of the book in his hands.

"Will you stop sighing? I'm sure Demetri will be back any moment, and you can proceed ripping each other's clothes off while the rest of us try to drown out your incessant moaning," he said drily, crossing one leg over the other as he stretched out on the chaise across the room.

She flipped through her copy of Cosmopolitan with a perfectly manicured hand. "I'm not waiting for Demetri to get back. Demetri and I are done," she denied vehemently.

"Oh, that's right, it must be Thursday," he said sarcastically. Honestly, how they didn't tire of their little on-again-off-again game was beyond Alec's comprehension. They had been going at it for centuries.

"Aren't you bored?" she asked incredulously. "Nothing interesting has happened around here since Felix left. It's like he bottled up all the fun and took it with him."

"I get tired of Felix's games," Alec replied calmly. He could only take so many pranks in a month before he snapped and numbed his friend for a few hours. Sometimes it was as if Felix was an overgrown child, some 6'6" man-baby hybrid. Ugh, don't say hybrid.

He had been going stir-crazy since Aro had left for Brazil, especially with nearly no news from him or the guard except for a phone call two days ago saying Aro was coming back for a bit. It seemed whatever business his master had with the Cullen coven had come to a halt for now. Despite himself, Alec couldn't help but hope that meant whatever was going on with Renesmee was finished.

"What happened to the Alec from three months ago, and can I please ask him to come back?" Heidi joked, though she sounded serious. Alec looked at her disinterestedly. "Seriously, you were like a completely different person. You kept bringing Jane presents, and Demetri said he even made you smile once. Smile, Alec. It was like you were finally getting laid or something…"

It was like a lightbulb went off over her head as she stared at him like she'd never met him before. Before he could so much as deny it, Jane appeared in the doorway to the library. "They're back."

Heidi stood up slowly, trying not to seem too eager to finally see Demetri again. "We'll talk later." She scooted by Jane and out the door as Alec carefully marked his place and closed his book.

"Jane…" Alec said cautiously, grabbing her hand when she reached out for him. They trekked leisurely down the hall to the throne room.

"You don't need to say anything, Alec. I know you, you have no interest in such things. Heidi's perverse mind is just seeing things that aren't there, as usual. She does need something to gossip about from time to time, and if it's not there, she creates it."

He tried not to audibly sigh in relief at his sister's - albeit misplaced - faith in him. Of course she would see it that way. Jane had no interest in relationships like that herself, so why would he? Alec had never grown attached to someone other than his masters or covenmates before, to Jane's knowledge at least. He valued his sister's opinion of him above all else, and he was glad that his uncharacteristic behavior all those months did nothing to damage her view of him.

Jane's trust did nothing to staunch the guilt pooling in his stomach though. He had loved but two women in his life, and he had lied to one and broken the other's heart. Maybe. Maybe she's doing better than you, just as you had hoped she would.

They quickly took their places in the throne room as the rest of the guard assembled, idly chatting amongst themselves as Aro talked quietly with Marcus and Caius. Alec watched blankly as Corin escorted Sulpicia and Athenodora into the room, taking her place as the wives moved to stand beside their husbands. The spot next to Marcus was very visibly empty, something that never failed to upset some members of the guard.

It was nothing more than a rumor, no evidence to back it up, but it was widely believed amongst the Volturi guard that Aro had been the one to do away with Didyme. Marcus had never outright confronted Aro about it, but Alec assumed he knew as well. It was too suspicious for anyone to believe that Didyme's untimely end had nothing to do with wanting to leave the Volturi to be with Marcus. No one said anything though, out of respect to Marcus and Didyme's memory - and out of fear of retribution from Aro.

Demetri moved to take his place beside Alec instead of flirting with Heidi as their masters took their seats, Felix quickly taking up his post on the other side of Jane. Alec glanced at Demetri out of the corner of his eye. Demetri made a quick gesture of his head, looking left to right as if searching the room for something, but Alec took it for what it was. A shake of the head. A no. A she's not alright. Alec's muscles tensed, but he couldn't say anything with the entire guard in the room.

"Ah, my lovely people," Aro greeted the guard cheerfully. "I am so happy to be back again. Unfortunately, it will only be a brief visit as my business with the Cullens is not quite done." Alec heard Demetri grind his teeth.

"You're going back so soon?" Sulpicia addressed her husband. He turned his head to look at her almost sympathetically. "Maybe you could send someone in your stead?"

"My dear, the situation is delicate, and Carlisle is expecting me to return."

"Perhaps you could insist? I'm sure Carlisle would not object to someone else going instead of you," she rested a hand on his shoulder, and Aro sighed. "I have so missed you, my dear, and our people need you here."

It wasn't unheard of for the guard to witness each other's relationship issues - it was hard not to when they lived in such close quarters - but it was for the one of the wives to be so blatantly public about it. Most of the guard looked away respectfully as Aro and Sulpicia discussed the issue between each other quietly.

After a few minutes, Aro sighed. "Yes, dear. I suppose...I can send Marcus instead." Marcus just nodded, eyes drifting around the room boredly.

"Master, will you be sending Felix and me back as well?" Demetri asked respectfully, hands clasped firmly behind his back. Renata would be staying now that Aro was. It was perfect actually, less attitude for Demetri to put up with.

"No, my boy," Aro answered. "I believe Caius had something for the two of you to take care of." Demetri bowed his head respectfully, falling back into line once more. Alec was curious why Demetri suddenly looked so crestfallen to not be returning, but he stayed silent.

Marcus's droll voice interjected, "I see no problem going alone."

Aro tsked like a disgruntled school teacher. "Brother, of course not. I could not let you go out there unprotected."

Unguarded, you mean, Alec thought bitterly. What warden in their right mind would let their prisoner wander off unwatched? Aro was probably worried Marcus would run off to Romania instead to get himself killed. Alec kicked himself for those thoughts though. They were dangerous, and they had no place in his head. The Volturi and its guard were not prisoners. They were all lucky to be a part of something so elite, so prestigious, so much bigger than any one of them alone.

"Who will be accompanying me then, Aro?" Marcus asked indifferently. If getting Alec to emote was next to impossible, getting anything besides boredom from Marcus was like trying to get blood from a stone.

"Hmm," Aro pursed his lips thoughtfully, looking around the room at the guard gathered among them. His eyes drifted to his left where his four best guards stood impassively - two of which had already been assigned to another mission. "You can take Alec and Jane."

A/N: (said like the beginning of Fergie's "London Bridge") oh shit