If I were being honest with myself, I had to admit Renesmee was spoiled. It was impossible to keep her completely grounded when our large extended family had unlimited time and resources to lavish on our little darling. Edward and I tried to maintain discipline at home, but we found it more effective to give choices than to give orders. Her bedtime routine was craftily constructed to present the illusion she was in control while she did our bidding.

"Do you want to brush teeth first or get dressed for bed?" She gave me her answer with a touch of her hand and skipped off to the bathroom.

"Do you want your green pajamas or the blue ones?" This decision required more thought.

"Blue like yours," she announced finally. I smiled as I handed her the chosen garment. Little did she know how briefly we'd be matching!

"Do you want your bear or bunny?" Edward asked.

"Both, Daddy! Please?"

"Very well. Now, do you want an old story or a new one?"

A huge smile broke over her adorable face. "You have a new story for me?"

"Really, Edward?" My smile was probably just as wide. He hadn't told me his latest customized fairytale was ready to share.

He grinned at both of us and took his place in the rocking chair as we got comfortable on the bed, eager for the enchantment to begin.

"Once upon a time," he began as always, "there was a baby who had no mother or father. A man passing through the village had conducted a brief romance with a pretty girl and left her with a casual farewell, never knowing that his son was on the way. She died during the birth, because in those days the healers were not as wise as they are now. Her father was devastated by the death of his only child and refused to accept the infant whom he unjustly blamed for his loss. So the baby had no family at all. A kind woman, who had been a friend to his mother, took him into her home. She gave him the name his mother had chosen, Amos."

I couldn't guess what traditional tale had inspired him. I closed my eyes and let his captivating voice wash over me as the story unfolded.

"Unfortunately, before he was even one year old, his foster mother suddenly took ill. For five days and nights she screamed from the crushing pain in her skull until on the sixth day she fell quiet and breathed no more. Well, after that, you can imagine that the entire tribe was extremely wary of the boy. They believed he brought bad luck. The chief insisted they could not simply abandon a child of the tribe, and therefore they reluctantly sheltered and fed him as the years went by and he grew up. They passed him from household to household, and everyone kept a distance from him. Parents watched their children closely to be sure that none befriended the boy. In fact, the other children taunted him. He was an outcast in his own village."

"Poor Amos," Renesmee mourned.

"Naturally," Edward continued, "Amos was very unhappy. He saw that he had no place in the families around him, even the ones he lived with. Often he asked himself why nobody wanted to be close to him, and each time he concluded that there was something seriously wrong with him. He felt responsible for the absence of his father, the death of his two mothers and the rejection by those who might have embraced and supported him. He struggled with rage, bitterness, despair and desolation, occasionally relieved by hope that perhaps his lot in life would someday improve.

"One morning when Amos awoke, he felt very strange, anxious and hot. The others in the home in which he was staying offered him no care or comfort. They left him lying on his pallet, sweaty and frightened. He thought about how everyone wished he didn't exist, and as the anger and rejection swept through him, he began shaking. He stumbled outside, desperate for fresh air. But the terrible shaking and hot fury only increased until his body flew apart into a new shape. He had changed into a huge wolf. Seeing his new form and feeling his powerful instinct to bite and attack, everything finally made sense to him. He was a wild beast. He had carried this monster inside him, and that was why people had always stayed away from him. Howling, he ran into the forest.

"In the form of a wolf, Amos roamed for many months and many, many miles. He ran tirelessly through the woods. He hunted deer and rabbits and wild turkeys. He drank from streams and ponds. He enjoyed his strength and speed and freedom. He might have been happy as a wolf, happier than he had been as a human, except he was lonely. Even though he had no family and no connections, he had been able to listen in to the idle chat, the friendly jokes, the news of distant tribes. He even missed overhearing the quarrels. Now no human voice entered his ears from one season to the next, but neither did he ever encounter another of his own kind.

Renesmee was aghast at the thought of Amos's isolation. "A wolf without a pack!" she exclaimed.

Edward nodded. "Wolves are social animals," he said. "It is very hard for one of them to be on his own."

She nodded emphatically and spoke very seriously. "Wolves like to run together and hunt together and play together and eat together. They don't like to be alone."

"Jacob went away by himself for a few months once," I pointed out.

"But he wasn't really alone like Amos. Jacob could always come back to his friends," Renesmee argued.

"And he did come back, when Mommy and I got married," Edward said, smiling at me. It was strange to recall Jacob's extremely negative attitude on that occasion. So much had changed for all of us; it was literally a lifetime ago.

"Did Amos go back?"

Edward shook his head. "One day Amos detected a new, sickly sweet scent. It burned his nose and made his fur stand up. He didn't like the smell at all, and he knew he had to track it and destroy the source. He followed the trail to a campfire burning in a little clearing, where a vampire was about to bite a man and drink his blood. Amos leapt on the vampire. The vampire was distracted because he was about to feed, and he was taken by surprise. Amos was able to cripple him, but still the vampire fought back viciously. Witnessing the fierce battle between these two creatures, the man was paralyzed with terror. He tried to move away but the vampire flung Amos from him with such force that Amos crashed into the man and the man's shoulder was dislocated. Now the man's screams filled the air along with the snarls and hissing from the two combatants. Amos was determined more than ever to protect the human, and he succeeded in ripping the vampire to pieces. He and the man were both startled to see the scattered parts of the vampire's body move and try to reunite, and instinctively, they threw the pieces in the fire. Amos picked up pieces with his jaws and the man helped with his good arm until the vampire was gone for good.

"Then the man realized that he was in the company of a gigantic wolf whom he had just seen kill. 'Don't hurt me!' he pleaded.

"Amos whimpered and licked the man and nuzzled him to show that he meant him no harm. But the man was confused by the darkness and by his fear and pain. Amos was not sure what to do. The man was in need, but Amos could do nothing for him. He tried to drag the cooking pot to the stream and bring back water, but most of it spilled on the way back. He couldn't see how to help the man, but he couldn't walk away and leave him. All he could do was remain nearby.

"After they had passed two days and three nights in this way, a sound attracted Amos's attention. Another human was coming. Amos barked to lead the person to the injured man, who by now was very weak. When the person was close, Amos retreated a few steps so as not to alarm the newcomer.

"'Father!' The human cried out as she rushed to the man's side. 'What has happened? Please be alive! Please speak to me!'

"'Laura?' the man murmured. 'Is it you?'

"'Yes, father,' she assured him. 'When you didn't return I came to look for you. You are only half a day's journey from home. But you are hurt! Can you walk?'

"'Laura, no!' he cried weakly. 'You shouldn't be here. There's a monster, a dangerous monster.'

"Frightened, Laura looked around to see what her father meant. Amos tried to back away out of sight, but the movement attracted Laura's attention. She screamed when she caught sight of him. 'You vicious beast!' she shrieked. Amos ran off, but he still could hear her voice as she demanded, 'What have you done to my father?'

"Amos was very disturbed by this episode. He was proud of his actions in destroying the vampire and rescuing Laura's father, but he was troubled by the possibility that the man had not recovered and by Laura's unfair accusation."

"Maybe he could follow to where they lived," Renesmee suggested.

"Good idea," Edward praised her. "Amos did think about tracking them to their home to try to pick up news of them, but he was afraid to go near any human settlement for fear of being attacked. Still, he remained in the vicinity of the man's campfire for a few weeks, uncertain what to do.

"One evening he noticed Laura's scent on the breeze. Cautiously he approached, and with his keen senses, he could see that she had built a new fire in the little clearing. 'Wolf?' she called hesitantly. Slowly he moved closer, stopping some distance away so he wouldn't scare her. She was nervous. He could smell the fear in her blood. She spoke again. 'I don't know if you can understand me but I have come….' Her voice trailed off. Amos gave a short bark. 'Do you understand?' she asked eagerly. He barked again and nodded his head. She took a deep breath and continued. 'I must thank you. My father is better now. He told me that a monster who looked like a man, who had red eyes and a cold, strong body, was menacing him. Just as this cold man said he would kill my father and relish his blood, a huge wolf leapt onto them and killed the cold one. My father said that it is our duty and our pleasure to do anything we can for you. He must continue to provide for our family, my mother and my little brothers and sisters. So I have come to show our gratitude.'

"To Amos, Laura was beautiful. She was perfect. She was what had been missing, what he had ached for the lack of his entire life. But even though his whole being rejoiced at the sight of her, he rejected her words and his feelings. He was a wild beast and a bringer of misfortune. He feared that if she was with him, his bad luck would fall onto her as well. He growled and shook his head, trying to convey that she should stay away and he didn't need anything. His behavior made her uncomfortable, but she was determined. 'You saved my father,' she declared, and she proceeded to set up camp.

"Once again Amos was not sure what to do. He felt it was wrong for Laura to be there, but he couldn't stay away from her. He brought her a pheasant that he had killed and then immediately retreated into the forest to hunt and eat on his own. Seeing that she cooked and ate the bird, he brought her a small rabbit the next day. Before he could run off again, she thanked him and asked him to stay. She chatted about her family as she prepared her meal. To his surprise, she offered him some of the food. Although he had eaten as a wolf for many months, he had never grown fully accustomed to it. She seemed very pleased that he liked the roasted meat. 'Here is something I can do,' she said happily. 'You will hunt, and I will cook for us.'

Renesmee sent images of meals she'd eaten flashing through my mind. She didn't share Amos's preference for cooked food.

"They went on in this manner for several weeks. Amos enjoyed lounging by the fire, observing Laura at work and listening to her talk about anything and everything. She remained nervous when he came near her, and he was careful to move very slowly and to keep his distance. But she seemed content with the arrangement. She always watched him closely while he ate the meals she cooked, and every day she thanked him again for saving her father, for bringing her the meat and for allowing her to cook for him.

"One windy day he had ranged far, hunting down a young deer, and as he returned with his kill, he caught the sound of her voice in the swirling currents of air. She was screaming! He dropped the deer and raced to the clearing. She was brandishing a stick at a hungry coyote, who was crouched and growling at her. Amos snarled fiercely and the coyote broke its concentration on Laura. Seeing a large, fearsome, angry predator, the coyote turned tail and fled. Laura sank to the ground, shaking. 'Thank you!' she said fervently. 'I was so scared. I guess I shouldn't have been. But I didn't know where you were. I wasn't sure you would hear me. I know you won't let anything hurt me.' Her smile of relief and gratitude was the most glorious sight Amos had ever seen. He was thrilled by her confidence in him. For the first time, he felt that he wasn't just an obligation to her, that she was actually glad to see him.

"Amos was happier than he had ever been in his life. Laura was very comfortable in his presence now and entertained him with stories about her childhood, her family and her village. In his previous life, he had merely been tolerated. Now, even though he was not even human, she seemed to enjoy his company. In fact, Laura was beginning to feel very attached to Amos. She had grown accustomed to his unusual size and didn't find him frightening at all. He was always very gentle, and she could tell that he craved affection. One day she decided to groom his coat. She approached him with a brush and began to remove twigs and slowly transform his matted coat to glossy smoothness. Amos found the sensation very relaxing. But abruptly Laura froze. Amos scrambled to his feet, thinking there was some threat. But everything felt different. He had changed back into a man.

"Finding herself suddenly in close proximity to a naked stranger, Laura screamed and turned away. Amos stared at her for a moment and then ran into the woods, his thoughts racing as fast as his body. Had he been under an enchantment that had now ended? Had his luck changed? Had the curse lifted? His hope was followed immediately by bleak despair. He had been cursed since before he was born. His father had not cared about his mother, he had killed both women who had briefly been mothers to him, he had been rejected by his tribe and he had grown into a beast. As his mind filled with all these bitter, dark memories, he howled. Once more he had become a wolf.

"In his familiar animal body, he returned to the clearing, where Laura was waiting for him. She was not even sure that what happened was real. 'Can you change again?' she asked. 'And speak to me?' she added hopefully. Eagerly she resumed grooming him, and under the rhythmic strokes of the brush, his human form was restored again. She had a blanket ready for him to cover himself with. 'My wolf friend!' she greeted him in wonderment. 'You have become a man?'

"'Laura,' he said, his tongue clumsy and his voice hoarse from lack of use for human speech.

"'Yes!' she exclaimed. 'You know my name!'

"'Laura,' he repeated. 'You saved me.'

"'What happened?' she asked. 'Do you remember? Can you tell me? Do you have a name?'

"'My name is Amos,' he began. She smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand. She listened with fascination as he shared his story. As he recounted the difficult moments of his unloved childhood, he began to shake. The old hurt and anger swept over him. Seeing how tense he was, Laura backed away and watched in concern as he exploded into his wolf shape. But now they both understood what triggered the transformation. This time he didn't let her approach him. Instead, he tried to calm himself, thinking of her voice in the firelight, her small hands caressing his coat. It worked. He became a man again.

"Amos had been in love with Laura from the first day she had sought him out to thank him. Laura had already grown to care deeply for the ferocious beast who was so gentle to her. They talked and talked, overjoyed to share all the thoughts and feelings they had experienced in their time together, which they had not been able to express before. Amos learned to control his state, until he was able to change back and forth, from wolf to man, at will. As Laura came to know Amos as a human, she fell in love. Amos was amazed when he realized that Laura didn't blame him for all the bad things that had happened in his early life. Finally he knew what it was to love and be loved. Laura and Amos went to live with her people. They married and became the parents of many children, whom they loved and taught together."

"Oh, Daddy!" Renesmee was even more breathtaking when she smiled. Just like her father. "I love that story. I am so glad Amos had a happy ending. Do you think something like that could really happen?"

"Of course!" I said in surprise. "Maybe it was a little exaggerated, but from what Jacob has told me, the story is very much what it is like to turn into a wolf."

"I know that, Mommy," my little girl said, with a hint of impatience. "I mean, can bad luck turn out to be good luck?"

"Absolutely," Edward responded immediately. "Things that seem bad at first can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened. High school, for example. It was extremely tedious. I really couldn't stand it. But if I hadn't forced myself to go through the motions, where would any of us be today?"

"High school," I scoffed. "What about Forks? Rainy. Cold. Cloudy. Tiny. Isolated. I never wanted to live here. I didn't even want to visit here! What was I thinking? Forks is the most beautiful, magical, wonderful place on earth."

"I guess you're right," Renesmee agreed happily. "I can think of something that I thought was bad but in the end it was good."

I saw Edward's mouth tighten and his hands clench. Apparently, he did not like what he was seeing in her mind. "What, sweetie?" I asked her.

"Rosalie was going to take her shopping," Edward answered for her in a flat tone. "Alice called to let them know the sun would be shining there, and Renesmee was disappointed. But that meant that she was home when Jacob wanted to take her to the beach."

"We knew about that," I reminded him, still not understanding his reaction.

"Yes, but I didn't know how far out they went," he said unhappily.

"Daddy, it was fun to swim!"

"Jacob wouldn't let anything happen to her," I asserted.

"Like Amos!" Renesmee chimed in. "Laura said he wouldn't let anything hurt her."

Edward took a deep breath. And then another. Finally he spoke. "You're right," he said. "You know, Renesmee, I once knew a girl who was always getting into dangerous situations, but Jacob protected her and did everything he could to get her out of them."

"Who was it?" our daughter demanded. Clearly, she did not like the idea of Jacob having another favorite.

"Your mother," he smiled. Are you really okay with it? I showed him my question, and as he nodded in response, I could see him relax. I smiled back.

"I knew a boy who wanted to do everything himself, but he learned how to trust other people to make good decisions."

"Who, Mommy?" Renesmee was confused.

"Your father." His golden eyes sparkled with love.

"And I know a little girl…," he said, pausing dramatically. "Who should go to sleep!"

Renesmee giggled as we kissed her goodnight and closed her door behind us. Sure enough, I wasn't wearing the blue nightgown for long.


Author's Note: I had thought about using Beauty and the Beast for a while, but I felt the story was pretty close to Edward and Bella's own story and I wasn't sure how to transfer the story into the Twilight world and make it fresh. Then edward-bella-harry-ginny wrote Bella and the Haunted Wood, which is a delightful Twilight re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed the story very much (you can find it in my favorites!), but it did seem to rule out writing Beauty and the Beast for Bedtime Stories, since I didn't want to write a weak imitation of her charming tale. Unless my Beauty and the Beast was completely different! I guess I like a challenge, because the idea for this version soon came to me. Please let me know if you like it! Reviews put a bounce in my step, a song in my heart and a smile on my face.