DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Books on which this story is based nor the song.
A.N. It's a really looooong chapter. I couldn't bear to cut it up.
Chapter 9
And for always, forever
Now we can fly
And for always and always
We will go on beyond goodbye
For always, forever
Beyond here and on to eternity
For always and ever
You'll be a part of me
And for always, forever
A thousand tomorrows may cross the sky
And for always and always
We will go on beyond goodbye- Josh Groban
Nessie's POV
Was it day seventeen already? I was like a ball of too many emotions at once. Uncle Jasper couldn't even stay besides me for a second without having to calm me down.
"Sorry Ness. I have to do it. You are making me feel too many things!"
And I was thankful. I could use those few moments of peace. I was gonna say goodbye to this house of mine forever and start a new life with Jacob Black! How will it feel not having all my family around me constantly? How will it feel surrounded by the entire wolf community? Will this marriage go as smoothly as I hope it would be? Will I finally get the forever after? Will I be able to get pregnant? Will Jacob love the kid even if something were to happen to me? What will happen to Jacob if something happens to me? To my parents? To my Aunts and Uncles? To Charlie and Billy? Or what if I lose the kid? Will I be able to survive something like that?
"Nessie!" Dad said in a stern voice.
Of course he was having the worst time of all the people in the house.
"Okay so here is the schedule for today." Aunt Alice announced as she entered the kitchen in her ever so graceful manner dangling a paper from her fingers.
"Ness will spend the first two hours with Rose and Emmett. And then an hour on the phone with Charlie. Then she gets to spend the next two hours with Jasper and me. And of course the rest of the time with Edward and Bella. And there are strict phone rules. No talking on the phone with Jake. You both shall meet each other tomorrow on the aisle. You're welcome darling." She said sticking the paper to the refrigerator with a magnet.
"Ummm..." No Jacob time? Not even two minutes on the phone? That is cruel.
"Rules are rules Ness. This is tradition. Don't you want to spend the last few hours with us?" And Dad uses his 'Make-Ness-feel-guilty-card'
He smiled hearing my sarcastic comments in his mind and kissed my forehead while mom kept making one egg after another as if her entire love was poured in her food.
Even before I could say thank you to mom for the food, uncle Emmett picked me up and ran outside the house with Aunt Rose a few steps behind. I have prepared for this day. I have gotten everyone a gift. That is the least I could do for them.
"So where do you wanna go kiddo?" Emmett asked me when he finally put me down. We were pretty far from home by now. I had the choice to go anywhere in these two hours. Where should I go?
"It's a little stupid. And I don't think it's possible in two hours." I said when I finally decided on a place. But I had never been there. And apparently it is the place where every human should go at least once in their lifetime. I'm half-human. So it should count, shouldn't it?
"Just name the place Ness." Aunt Rose said looking at me like she would give me the world if she could.
"Disneyland." I mumbled. And that was Uncle Emmett's cue to start laughing.
"What?! I have never been to Disneyland. Isn't it like one of the most happiest places on earth?" I defended myself.
And a second later Aunt Rose made a call. And a minute later we were running towards Los Angeles. Barely fifteen minutes had past of out time together. A huge amount of money later, I got to go before every other kid on every ride. It wasn't exhilarating. It wasn't even great. I mean I run and jump faster than any of these machines can. But I still enjoyed it. Because I got to see a beautiful view from those rides with Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. And we clicked pictures with Minnie and Mickey and all of the other characters Aunt Rose could make a call and ask them to come at once to us. I was pampered by those two like crazy.
But I'm so glad I did it. I could see the happiness on both of their faces when I let the child in me out. And I know Aunt Rose always loves the child in me. And Uncle Emmett, well he is a child in many ways still.
I literally completed the entire Disneyland. We ran faster than humans could see and at the end I was treated to piggy back ride by Uncle Emmett and loads of cotton candy by Aunt Rose.
Just before we reached home with two minutes to spare, they stopped in the woods.
"Renesmee. You are the heart and soul of our family. And you have been the daughter I could never have. So before our time is up, we want to give you something." Aunt Rose said. I'm pretty sure if she could cry, this would be that moment. Uncle Emmett removed a box from his pocket and placed it on my palm. It looked like a really expensive box. I was scared to see inside. I have really done nothing to deserve this.
And there was a necklace with a pendant that said 'daughter' and carried a message on the inside. 'Because you make our world complete.'
"Your Uncle and I had made two of these. A son and a daughter. We had made this in the hopes that maybe someday in someway we would have a kid of our own. And we'll give this kid our everything. And Renesmee you've been that kid for us. You make us complete."
And now it was my turn to cry and hug the life out of them.
"Thank you so much Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. Thank you for everything."
They kissed me together on each of my cheek and carried me home before we could get too late.
Then I got to go to the cottage and talk to Charlie alone on the phone.
"Renesmee. I'm too young to have a married granddaughter. Too young." he said. He was still coming to terms with me and Jacob being together.
"Grandpa, it is not gonna change anything. Me and you will still be the best grandfather-granddaughter pair. I will still come over for every holiday and go fishing with you. And we will watch the match together on television and I'll make some food with Sue for you. It'll all be same."
And I kept reassuring him and he tried to deter me from marrying so young to Jacob.
"One last thing Ness."
"Yes Grandpa?"
"Does Jacob really make you happy? I mean I don't understand how this magic works and how you have become so old to marry and why do you choose Jacob of all the people. But just answer me if he makes you happy? Without all this magic and all this unreal, unhuman stuff around you. Does he make you happy? Do you think...umm do you think had you been normal and he normal, you would've still loved him?"
"Yes Grandpa. Without a doubt yes. We are perfect together. I don't know how to explain this, but don't you feel complete and happy with Sue around?"
"I do feel."
"Yeah so it's pretty much the same thing. I would have never known what being complete would feel like without being with him."
"Okay. Okay. Take care Ness. All I want is your happiness."
"I know Gramps. Love you and thank you."
"Love you too darling. Love you too. See you tomorrow."
And with that the hour with Charlie was over and Alice and Jasper were there at the door to get me. This is gonna be a hard day with everyone getting me emotional.
"Unlike Rose and Emmett, we aren't gonna ask you where you wanna go. We are gonna take you where we want to go. And I'm pretty sure you'll love it." Aunt Alice said in her chirpy bird voice.
Once out of range of everyone's hearing she said, "Thank God! I was trying so hard to hide this from Edward. Jasper, Ness, we are going to your new house. Everyone wants it to be a surprise and so do I. I shall not shown you the entire house. That shall still be a surprise. But there is one room which I shall not make without your opinion. Do you agree Jasper?"
So it seems Uncle Jasper wasn't in on it either. But he seems to be getting what Alice means because he nods his head and smiles a mischievous smile mimicking Aunt Alice's smile.
"Umm, is it okay for the room to be without Jake's opinion?" I want him to be a part of it too.
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. And anyway doesn't he have to agree to everything you say?" Uncle Jazz said with a smirk.
"Alright, alright let's go." I said. Aunt Alice quickly tied a blindfold around my eyes. She wrapped it around like fifteen times, so that I don't see through the tiny pores of the fabric. I could still see lights and some colours, but it was all too hazy to make out anything. She then went on to wrap my ears in a similar manner to cut off another sense of mine.
But I was okay with it. I didn't want to spoil this surprise. I'm not gonna try to look anywhere else except where I'm meant to.
So Uncle Jazz carried me and within a minute or so we were inside a place that smelled of woods and new furniture and paints.
I was taken up couple of stairs and inside a room, before the blindfold was lifted.
It was an empty room with walls painted a dull white.
"Renesmee, this is gonna be the nursery. This is the one room that I want you to decorate however you want. It's gonna be after all, your child's room."
And that was enough to get me emotional again. But Uncle Jazz calmed me and I could think clearly.
"But...but I still don't know if I will be able to have a child or not."
"Ness I wouldn't be making this room, would I, if I didn't know what the future holds?"
"You can see my child?"
"Not see. But I can see the future Grandpa and Grandma buying gifts for a newborn."
"Really? Oh my god! I'll be a wife. I'll be a mom. A mom!"
They both smiled at me and let me cry a little, before it was time to design the room.
Aunt Alice had got all the sketches of the room and the three of us sat down discussing colour tones and placement of the crib and other furniture and toys and blanket colours!
"So, the room to be a gender neutral colour, a sunset orange is final. The crib shall be placed in that corner. The ceiling will have those stars that light up at night and the curtains will be of ivory shade and so shall the carpet. A small bed besides the crib, in case one or both of you have to spend the night trying to get the baby to sleep and toys in this corner!" Aunt Alice said as we finalized the design.
"We will start making this room as soon as you give us the good news darling." she said as I kept staring at the final sketch.
I don't know why, but this statement made me blush hard. So I'm gonna be okay and my child is gonna be okay and Jake and me and this kid and my entire family and the wolf clan, we will all live happily ever after.
It all seems unreal.
"Now before we go, your Aunt and I would like to give you something." Uncle Jazz said removing a box from his pocket.
I opened it carefully, to find a key inside it.
"For your tiny clinic. We know you want to help the Quileutes and for that you wanna be a doctor. So we both talked to the elders and the tribe, excluding Jacob. And they agreed to give you a tiny space to start off your prac-"
"Oh Uncle Jazz,Aunt Alice, thank you so so so much!" I said hugging them both even before Uncle Jasper could complete his statement.
"You are always welcome. You are the only niece we have. And because of that we have all the rights to spoil you mad." Aunt Alice said kissing my cheeks.
"Now lets get you back, before Edward fights with us for stealing his precious time with you." Uncle Jasper said. And with that the blindfolds were back on and we were out. My last parting thought was, tomorrow this will be my and Jacob's house. Our house.
And on reaching home, mom was waiting outside without dad.
"Where is dad?" I asked. Wasn't this their time with me?
"He will meet us soon. Fancy a walk?" Mom asked. Something seemed fishy.
I nodded and with that mom and me set out for a walk into the woods.
"I know you wanna talk to Jacob. So I have a solution. Alice said no meeting him today. She never said no meeting the wolf him." Mom said smiling wickedly at me.
"I...I thought you didn't want me to talk to him either."
"Some part of me doesn't. But I understand how you are feeling right now. Nervous and totally unprepared for tomorrow. And at this moment I know nothing but his voice will calm you down. I talked to Edward before our marriage. So I guess I know what it would feel if I hadn't had the chance to talk to him. Go ahead, he is waiting at the edge of the forest. I'll give you some privacy. Your dad and I will be back to get you in fifteen minutes." she said leaving me alone in the woods.
Did I ever tell her enough that she is the best mom in the world?
I followed his scent and saw the beautiful russet wolf waiting for me patiently. My Jacob. I ran and wrapped my hands around his neck. He licked my face and bared his teeth at me, smiling.
I sat down and he put his head on my lap. I ran my hand through the soft fur behind his ear and passed him everything I had done today. Disneyland, the baby's room. Our baby's room. The talk with Charlie and the gifts from both my uncles and aunts. I especially lingered on the part where Aunt Alice said she saw mom and dad buying gifts for a new born.
There was a disadvantage to this type of communication. Only I could talk.
"See Jacob. Everything will be fine. Everything." I said and kissed the side of his head. He smelled everything good. The forest, the wet mud, musk and something very Jacob-ish.
He looked at me with his huge eyes for a long second, studying my face and finally he nodded and smiled.
But our time was over all too soon. As soon as mom and dad came, they nodded at each other and he left.
"So our time with you begins and ends in a way." Dad said.
"It will never end dad. I'm always gonna be your little girl. Even now when I look just as old as you, I'm still your little one. And your little nudger ma."
"That you are. But you are also a grown up. And like all parents it's hard for us to let go off you. It's even harder for us, vampires because, we don't age. We don't change. But we agree that you are mentally and physically capable to take your own decisions. And of course we trust Jacob. The only reason we can let go of you is because we know we are letting you go to Jacob, whose thoughts are pure and protective of you. So from a parent to a grown up about to marry kid, we have only one gift to give you." Dad said. I already started making these weird sob noises.
"Your hand, to the man you love." He said and then I held him and cried.
"Nothing will change, yet things will be different. So we request you Renesmee, don't lose this kid of ours that still exists within you when you become a wife or a mom. You'll always be my little nudger and your dad's little princess." Mom said.
"And last thing. Never again take a decision you think is better for Jacob without talking to him first. You saw what a little miscommunication and leaving did to both of you. So always talk it out. Okay?"
I nodded unable to get any words out.
"Now we have all the time to ourselves. What do you wanna do?"
I thought about it for a second and realized I still had a few people to see.
"Can we...can we go visit grandma and grandpa's grave and...and I want to meet Reneé." I said looking unsure at mom. In all these years all Reneé had known was that her daughter and son-in-law passed away a few months after their marriage in some freak accident and the Cullen family had relocated to Europe. It even breaks Charlie's heart when he talks to her and can't tell her the truth. But it has been established that this lie is better for Reneé than the truth.
"How can we...Edward?" Mom said looking a little shocked.
"We can...at least she can go meet her as a stranger. Just one meeting Bella. It'll be okay." Dad said holding mom in his arms. Mom usually avoided any Reneé relating conversations. It broke her heart. But I need to meet her. She is also my grandmother. I'm named after her! I need to know her. Or see her at least once.
Then dad whispered in a voice too low for a half human to ear and then mom nodded.
"We'll go. But you have to talk to her alone." Dad said.
So we set out for Jacksonville. According to Charlie, Reneé has been taking cello classes these days. Her new obsession. She and Paul were thinking of adopting a kid. And except for missing mom everyday, she was doing fine.
"You tell her you've just moved into the neighbourhood. Alright? And don't do anything that reminds her of Bella. Although I'm pretty sure, looking at you she'll instantly make a connection to us. But avoid any Bella like habit. Okay?"
"Yes Dad." I said.
"Wait." Dad said as we stood a few metres from Reneé's house. She was watering the plants and listening to music. From the smell, it seemed like Phil was making the food.
"Go ask her about your lost cat. Ask her if she has seen a white Persian cat. Okay?" Dad said.
I nodded and went ahead leaving mom and dad behind in a hiding place.
"Umm excuse me?" I said as soon as I could find my voice. She didn't look like the pictures mom showed me. She looked...old. She had these wrinkles and white hair, something she didn't have before.
She just stared at me looking stunned, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Umm...have you seen a white Persian cat? About this big?" I said making the cat up.
She shook her head and took a few steps towards me. "Who are you?"
"Oh...umm I'm Vanessa. Umm I recently moved in the neighbourhood. And I seem to have lost my cat."
"Oh...oh... I'm sorry. Do you...do you wanna come in for water maybe? You look slightly out of sorts." She asked, still looking at me as if she had seen a ghost.
I nodded. And followed her in. Even Phil was a little stunned after looking at me.
"I'll get you some water and cookies." Reneé said as she sat me down. The walks of her house were adorned with a lot of pictures. Most of them were mom's. Two were from mom and dad's wedding. There was even a picture of her and Charlie holding a tiny baby which I could only guess was mom. And then a couple of her and Phil's pictures.
"So Vanessa where do you live exactly?" she asked giving me a glass of water and some chocolate chip cookies.
And just before the panic could take control, dad rang me.
"Tell them you stay on the Ashendale Ave." and he hung up.
"Oh umm I stay at Ashendale Ave. Just moved in today. And my cat..."
"Oh we are really sorry, we haven't seen any cats around. If we do, we will contact you."
"Oh umm thank you. Umm I should go." I said getting up
"You look like my daughter." she finally said.
"Umm..."
"Actually you look like something my daughter's daughter would look like. You look a lot like Edward too."
"Our daughter passed away a couple of years ago. She was really only a few years older to you." Phil said.
"Oh umm I'm really sorry. I should really go."
"Do you wanna stay for dinner?" Reneé asked suddenly.
Phil gave her a look. A look that I guess said 'No matter how much she looks like Bella, she is not Bella. She is a stranger.' But Reneé had her eyes only on me. She hurried into the kitchen and said, "I hope you like pasta and some leftover pizza?"
"Umm...okay." I was getting really nervous. I don't know how long can I act this out.
"So which college do you go to?" Phil asked. And dad's text came as an immediate answer.
"I attend the community college."
"Oh."
"What do your parents do?"
"Umm, my parents umm..." Come on I should figure this one out.
"Umm they died when I was young. I just got out of foster care."
"Oh I'm so sorry." Reneé said with tears in her eyes.
"It's okay. I never...I never even knew them. It's a beautiful house you two have got here." I said changing the topic.
"Thank you." Phil said as he consoled Reneé.
After that we had dinner in with little conversation. Reneé looking at me all the time and Phil making small talk.
"I should go." I said after finishing everything off my plate. Phil nodded and Reneé squeezed his hand. I got up and headed to the door and they followed me.
"Goodluck with your cat!" Reneé said and she hugged me real tight. I wanted to hug back, but I could break her. So I just patted her back. "Visit again." she said looking into my eyes.
I nodded, feeling myself getting a little teary. Phil nodded at me and I left.
"Why can't we just tell her Dad?" I asked as soon as I found mom and dad again.
"Because she cannot handle the truth. You saw Charlie's reaction to your and Jacob's marriage. She will not be able to understand these things. But listen closely. You've made her happy Ness. Listen to them." Dad said as we watched them from far away.
Mom just stared silently as we heard Reneé cry over Phil's shoulder.
"She had Bella's eyes, Bella's way of nibbling on her food! God I'd have given up my kidney and said she was my granddaughter had it not been for her age. Do you think she'd drop in again?"
"She might. Looked like a nice, simple girl."
"Just like my Bella. I hope she drops by." she said and wipes her tears and smiles at Phil. And then they got back to their work.
Mom really wanted to cry it seemed. But she hugged me and said thanks.
"You've given her a sort of closure. A little hope. You did good Ness. You made the right choice to come here tonight." Dad said.
And with that we made our way back. Now I had to go see my other grandparents. Carlisle and Esme's grave were made a little away from the main house with a simple headstone that said, "Two people who taught everyone to love and cherish every relationship in life and gave life to those who had no hope. Met they rest in peace." We didn't put the dates on them in case if somebody found the stone.
Mom and dad left me alone so that I could talk to them.
"So it's the big day tomorrow. I had never imagined I'd go through this day without the two of you. I wished you guys could be there to give me your blessings. What do you think? It'll be a great wedding?"
I pretended they said yes. "Yeah me too. I hope they accept me. Carlisle, you'd know everything about the kid Jacob and me would have. I just hope this kid is healthy and well. And we live a happy long life together. Wish me luck now."
And again I pretended they wished me luck. "Thank you. I'll see you again soon. Watch over my marriage if you guys can. I love you!" I said and made my way to the cottage.
"Wanna go for a final hunt as Renesmee Carlie Cullen?" Mom asked when I came back.
I nodded and the three of us went for a hunt. My final hunt as a Cullen.
Is this even really happening?
A.N. So yeah this took a long time coming. Sorry about that. I hope I still have some readers. And so if anybody read this thing I just wanna say thank you. Please review/criticize or drop in a comment. Because that'd be great. And yeah...until next time. Enjoy :)
