I know, I know. It's been a little while, but hopefully, you'll all enjoy this chapter as much I did when I was writing it. I was little worried about writing from a perspective I'd never had any experience with, but it was kind of like trying on a new shirt and feeling how it fit for the first time. It was different and a little stiff the way a new shirt can sometimes be, but I looked at it and decided that it fit kind of nicely.

I hope I captured the feel of Renesmee, considering we only really get a small insight into her personality in the books. I tried to make her as intelligent and articulated as possible, but still gave a little childish feel since she is technically only fifteen. An old woman by Bella's standards in the book.

So, read on!


Uncharted Territory

Renesmee

Even though it had been less than six months since I'd actually been in my mother's presence, I knew something wasn't right. And not just because my father said so. We'd video-conferenced more times than I could count on the massive wall monitor in the living room of Grandpa Carlisle's brownstone, and I'd talked to them more times in a week than it seemed possible. And I'd never seen my mother with this look in her eyes or this tone in her voice. It was almost like she was a recovering alcoholic being forced into a bar or a drug addict being coerced into selling drugs but not being able to sample them herself. And no one would clue me in as to what exactly was going on, not even Esme, and she was usually the one to give me a little hint of the most recent happenings in their house.

The ride to the brownstone was quiet, and I watched my mother from the back seat while sitting in between Jacob and Leah and knowing whatever was going on had never happened before — at least not to my mother. Esme continually glanced at me from her seat next to Carlisle, and my father looked at me over his shoulder every few seconds, probably reading my thoughts and gauging my expressions.

"I'm fine," I shouted at him silently.

He only smiled, bowing his head as he sat next to my mother.

In the fifteen minutes it took Carlisle to get to the brownstone, I'd concluded that whatever had happened was something they had to show me. Maybe it was an animal or even a person. I couldn't think of what kind of animal could disrupt their lives like this, and it was even more difficult to imagine a person doing this. But it happened, right? Some people were just capable of making things like this messed up. While I was thinking this, my father made a point of looking at me again, and this time, I could see worry in his eyes. I could also see several shades of despair, and that worried me.

Leah and Seth seemed oblivious to the exchange going on between me and the people around me. They'd never actually been here before since the last time we'd all had a little reunion of sorts, we'd done it close to Forks. For my mother's safety, she and my father had come to the outskirts of town, and for a few days, we'd caught up. But since I was going to be moving to New York for college, they'd decided to come with me on this trip. They weren't going to be following me to Cornell, but Jacob would be there. And he was their pack leader along with Sam. So it was sort of like a reconnaissance mission to make sure I was going to be safe from other vampires in the area. Honestly, though, I think Seth just wanted to get out of La Push for a little while. He was giddier than normal as he smiled out the window at the expensive houses speeding by, and Leah was texting Benjamin to tell him they'd arrived safely. I liked him. Especially since he'd mellowed Leah out for the last few years.

It was almost seven-forty-five when Carlisle pulled into the garage where the cars were kept, and we all climbed out of his SUV to walk to the brownstone where Rose, Emmett, Alice and Jasper should've all been waiting in the foyer to greet me. It had been longer than six months since they'd all seen me, and I figured they'd all be excited to see me now that I was on my way to an Ivy League school, specifically the one Jasper had gone to. I couldn't wait to see Rose and Alice, to go shopping with them since it was getting darker earlier and they would be able to go to Macy's with me for a new wardrobe fit for a college freshman. I couldn't wait to talk to Jasper, to get a rousing review of his studies at Cornell and think of all the things I had to look forward to, and the moment I saw Emmett, I knew he would start listing all the reasons why I should've been a Cubs fan, especially with them recently winning the World series.

But by the time we got to the front door, no one had said a word one way or the other, and I'd had enough, stopping in the middle of the front stoop and halting all of them from going inside before they told me what was going on.

"Okay," I said, looking at my mother and then my father. "That's it. Someone's going to tell me what this is all about, and you're going to do it before we take another step. I know something's not right. Who wants to be the one to spill their guts? Because I'm going to be prepared for whatever it is before we go inside."

My mother looked at my father, and then they both looked at Carlisle and Esme before moving closer to me. My father took my hand in his, and for half a minute, no one said anything. But then he spoke softly.

"I told you it was complicated," he reminded me. "And it's going to take more than a few moments to explain. But let's just say that there's a new member in the family. A very new member in the family. And you'll see as soon as we get into the foyer."

He pulled me along then, replacing Carlisle at the front door and turning the handle gently to open the door. The front foyer of the house was brightly lit since every light in the house was on, and as soon as we stepped inside, I found Alice, Rose, Emmett and Jasper waiting in the foyer for me like I'd guessed they would be. But I also saw something I wasn't expecting as Rosalie held a little bundle in her arms like she was holding the world's most valuable treasure, like she'd looked when she'd been holding me.

She smiled when she saw me, glancing at Emmett and then moving forward to be in front of me and my father. I looked at him, seeing the same look in his eyes I'd seen on the way here, and I understood. This was the secret they'd been keeping when I'd called. As Rose got closer, I realized the bundle in her arms was a tiny baby, much tinier than I'd been withing a day of my birth, and her smile intensified as the milliseconds passed.

"This is Elizabeth," she announced, holding the baby so I could see. The little baby was awake with her eyes on me and then Rose. It looked like she knew Rose — the way a grown person would.

I didn't know how I was supposed to feel, but immediately, I was curious and little confused. Where had this baby come from? And why was she here? As far as I knew, no one had been looking to adopt any newborn babies any time soon, and she looked brand new. She looked perfect, and I was immediately jealous.

"It's all right, love," my father whispered to me as he gazed at her lovingly. My father only looked at me like that. What had she done to him? He looked at me. "She's done nothing, Renesmee," he insisted.

"Perhaps you should explain to your daughter the goings on of the last 24 hours or so," Carlisle suggested, moving around to my other side and looking at the baby the way my father was. I scowled at him, but he simply bowed his head.

My father turned me to face him, his golden eyes pleading as he began softly. "Last night, your mother and I were out by ourselves. And she found Elizabeth in an alley where her mother died having her. But it's more than that. Renesmee, darling, I've told you how your mother and I met?"

I glanced at my mother, seeing a hopeful look in her eyes. I looked at my father. "I remember. You said her blood called to you."

He inhaled, glancing at the baby, and I looked at her too. Suddenly, I understood more. Singer. This baby was my mother's singer. My mother thirsted for this little baby's blood, which meant she'd probably tried to kill her, and my father had stopped her. It was the only explanation. My father, the chivalrous gentleman always willing to put himself in harm's way to save others. But that didn't explain why the baby was here, now, in the house. And it didn't explain why Rose was holding her like she'd just won the lottery. It didn't explain why this baby looked like she recognized all the faces around her other than the four new ones who'd just arrived.

"She's special," my father said, answering all the questions in my mind. "And her own father is nowhere to be found. We're keeping her, Renesmee. But more than that, I want your mother to overcome this obstacle in her life, the same way I did. Carlisle's already started the paperwork, and when the courts allow us to, your mother and I are going to adopt her. She deserves a happy future just as you did when you were born."

"Here," Rose said, moving even closer and beginning to lower the baby into my arms. "You'll see when you hold her."

Instead of accepting her, I backed away. "That's okay," I said uneasily. "I don't want to."

Rose's usually exquisitely beautiful face turned confused, and she looked at my father. "You don't want to?" she repeated.

I looked at my father. "No," I assured her. "I don't."

Rose looked at my father, her face turning another shade of intense bewilderment, and for several seconds, no one said anything. Clearly, they'd all expected me to simply accept this situation without any questions or reservations.

"I don't understand," Rose said after several more long seconds. "There isn't anything wrong with what we're doing. And she's so beautiful. Just like you were when you were born."

"Rose," I said, glancing around at everyone else. "There is clearly something wrong going on here. And you all know it, and you're all ignoring it. And how can you all keep her here in the house when you all know how difficult this is for my mother?"

"Your mother's coping," my father said, taking the baby from Rose in an unnaturally smooth exchange. "And we're all helping her. I would never do anything to hurt your mother, and it isn't like it was fifteen years ago. She's not a newborn anymore."

"But — "

"Oh, come on, Nessie," Seth said, moving around to my father's side and looking at the baby in his arms. "She's pretty. Like you were. Surely you're not jealous or anything."

Rose moved to my side, turning me to face her. "Don't be so silly," she pleaded. "You're my most loved niece," she insisted. "I was there when you were born. I held you in my arms right out of your mother's womb. No one will ever replace you."

"Because you're not already fawning all over a new baby," I said, irritated that Seth had revealed my reason for being so difficult.

"But I love babies," Rose exclaimed. "I loved you when you were a baby. I love you more now because you're so grown up. It isn't like we're going to forget about you."

"Then why didn't any of you call me when you found her?" I demanded, not meaning to sound so childish but unable to stop myself. "She's obviously been here long enough for all of you to grow attached to her. Why wasn't I told this the moment it happened? Every time something happens in my life, you're the first ones I call!"

"Because I asked them not to," my mother said suddenly, and I turned to look at her as she moved to my father's side. She lifted her eyes to his, and they seemed to communicate for several milliseconds before she looked at me again. "We didn't know how permanent her stay would be," my mother told me even though I didn't entirely believe her. "And we didn't want to upset you. Renesmee, honey, you're our daughter, and we love you. We'll always love you. No new baby is ever going to change that. But we weren't expecting this, and we're doing our best to cope with it, to adjust. We should've called you, and it was wrong to keep her a secret from you, but we were trying to make it a little easier on you. All of you," she said, looking at Jacob, Seth and Leah.

Seth just shrugged, gazing at the baby like a happy idiot — his usual self, naturally. Leah and Jacob were both a little hesitant to move any closer to her, and I could see in their eyes the uncertainty of this endeavor both my parents and the rest of my family had decided to undergo.

"We're being perfectly safe," my father said, shifting his eyes from the baby's to Jacob's. "And Bella's doing beautifully. As I told my daughter over the phone."

"Yeah, but didn't you say once that it was like shoving a white-hot branding iron down her throat to be in the same room as a normal human?" Jacob asked, and I could remember the conversation perfectly even though I'd been so young. "And isn't this baby a thousand times worse than that? Isn't Bella in pain right now just being in the same space with her?"

"I'm fine, Jacob," my mother insisted. "Really. I know it seems backward, but having her here is actually helping. It's reminding me of all the things I could stand to lose if I lost control. And I don't want to hurt her. I'm dealing with it, okay?"

The little baby in my father's arms chose those moment to yawn softly, and I might as well have not even been in the room for all the people who flocked to her when she opened her mouth.

"Is it time for another nap?" Rose wondered.

"Does she need a new bottle?" Alice questioned.

"Is she wet?" Esme soothed.

"Ladies," Jasper interrupted. "I'll handle this."

I watched, stunned as my father and Jasper exchanged the baby, and when she went into Jasper's arms, I could tell Rose and Alice wanted to follow him as he moved up the stairs smoother and more slowly than I'd ever seen him. But they stayed, and my father moved to my side.

"I knew you would react this way," he said, guiding me into the living room as everyone else followed us. "And I — We wanted a little bit of time to pass before this happened. And I already know all your concerns. They're completely misplaced."

"Really? Because I saw all your faces. And I don't think I'm being unreasonable. You could've told me on the phone before I left Forks."

"Would it have made a difference?" my mother asked, now sitting on the table in front of the couch as I sat there with my father. "You're overwhelmed. It's okay. I was too."

"This child is quite remarkable," Carlisle said as he and Esme remained near the entrance. "Just as you were when you were born. As a matter of fact, I'm still looking for answers concerning her origins. What you've seen is only more evidence of Elizabeth's unique qualities, and you have a good reason to feel left out. But we're telling you now. You can be a part of her life. I'm sure your parents would want nothing more than that. But we'll allow you to do this on your own time table. Edward, can you join me in my study?"

My father looked at me, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. "You'll always be my daughter," he whispered. "All right?"

Instantly, I felt horrible for the way I was acting, and he touched my cheek, rising from the couch and following Carlisle to the study just off the living room. Rose replaced him, taking my hand in hers.

"You just wait," she grinned. "Soon, you'll see just how special Elizabeth is. We'll all show you."

Jacob moved around to sit next to me opposite of where my father had been, across from Rose, and even though they sort of glared at each other, they both remained focused on me. "How did you even convince anyone to let you bring a baby into the house?" he asked, glancing at Rose and then looking at my mother.

"Carlisle did all the talking," Esme said, still standing at the entrance to the living room and seeming to listen to the upstairs where Jasper was apparently putting the baby down. "And it would've been no different if it had been a vampire needing a home. We're still talking with the social worker, and she'll keep us updated to the search."

"But it's all very clear to me," Alice said, sitting down in the arm chair behind Rosalie. "I've already seen it. We're doing the right thing. And you'll grow to love her. I know it."

"How do you know that?" I asked confused. "I thought you couldn't — "

"I don't always have to get a vision to know when something's inevitable," she told me. "And I am your Aunt Alice. I don't just have visions. I also have a little thing called intuition. And I just know it. You just have to give her a chance. I know she'll love you too."

I bowed my head then, and Jacob took my hand in his. Without thinking about it, I showed him everything I'd just seen, and he automatically eased his arm around my back to comfort me. At least someone understood what I was feeling. But I was jealous. Of a baby. A little, defenseless baby who probably didn't know the fuss she was causing. I could kind of relate to that, if not in an indirect way. By the time I'd been a few months old, I'd known very clearly the things going on around me. But I'd also looked several months older than I actually was, so in that way, I knew I was different from this new baby. Elizabeth.

I grudgingly thought over her name for several seconds, thinking of the small view of her I'd been given and wondering if I would be forgiven if I asked to see her again. Surely Rose and Alice would literally bounce with joy if I agreed to do that. I sat up then, looking at Rose. "Is it okay if I . . ." I gestured upstairs, and as I'd believed, Rose's eyes lit up.

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. "Jasper probably isn't finished putting her down yet."

I glanced at Jacob and then Seth and Leah before I followed Rose's pull to the staircase toward the second floor.

Even from the first platform, I could hear Jasper whispering to her, soothing her and assuring her of her safety. Despite having grown up with Jasper in the house along with Alice, I'd consequently spent most of my time with Rose, Jacob or my parents. And the things I was hearing from Jasper right now were somewhat foreign to me since he'd never actually done for me what he was doing for her. Not in my first two or three days of life, not in the first six or seven years of my life, not even in the last several years that we'd been apart. I knew he loved me, because Alice always said he did. But he'd never held me, never comforted me, never put me to bed. I felt the swell of jealously ease up my chest, and I stopped in the middle of the staircase while Rose was still holding my hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stepping closer to me and then moving her arm around me. "Don't worry. I'll be right here the whole time."

I inhaled deeply, catching an enticing, soothing scent wafting from the second floor, and since I'd never smelled it before, I could only guess it was hers. I immediately wanted to see her again, confused by how indecisive I'd been before and how determined I'd become in the last few seconds. Was this what she'd done to the rest of my family? Was this how she'd smelled to my mother? Would I even be able to resist the urge to touch her the way no one else around me seemed capable?

I stepped onto the second floor with Rose at my side, still hearing Jasper and listening to his smooth movements as he shifted from one foot to the other and moved less than two feet to the right. I glanced at Rose, and she smiled, moving forward and then guiding me on until we were both standing in the doorway to the spare room. I instantly saw that it had been completely transformed into the perfect nursery for a newborn baby.

Jasper was standing about four feet from the crib, cooing at her and swaying slightly, and when he saw us, he smiled again. "Just in time," he chuckled softly. "You have probably five or six minutes before she's completely out."

Slowly, carefully, he turned to face us, and Rose urged me forward, releasing me and then nodding that it was okay. For a split second, I hesitated, and the happy look on Jasper's face faded ever so slightly. I reminded myself that I'd asked to come up here, and I took another step toward him. The enticing, soothing smell, reminding me of gardenia with a hint of rose, intensified as I got closer to Jasper, and he lifted her so I could see her the same way Rose had downstairs.

Her little eyes peeped through drooping slits to see me, and I stepped closer to her, meaning to cross my arms over my chest but stopping halfway as my hands apparently came into her view. Gently, her little face and the tiny hand she had laying outside her blanket began to glow, and I tilted my head slightly. Had I seen that right? Did she really do what I think she did? I sometimes had an overactive imagination, but I'd never thought anything quite like that before.

"She wants you," Jasper said, smiling with a deep dimpled grin, and I glanced at Rose to see her nod encouragingly.

"I've never held a baby before," I said absently.

"Neither have I," he assured me.

Slowly, he turned to face me, and in as smooth a movement as I'd seen between him and my father and Rose, he lowered her into my arms more easily than I would've thought possible. I didn't have to adjust. I barely moved. And the moment she opened her little eyes to look at me, the glow I'd noticed before intensified, and even though Jasper said she'd been very close to sleep, it looked like she could be awake for several more hours. She even reached for my face and touched my cheek.

She was warm, as warm as I was and probably more, and as soon as her skin came into contact with mine, I understood what everyone had been talking about, especially where her uniqueness was concerned. I forgot Rose and Jasper were in the room, and I even forgot about the people downstairs, one of which being someone I always believed would be at the top of my list of people I would always think about. In an instant, it was all gone, and all I knew was this little baby in my arms. Elizabeth.

I watched as she fell asleep in my arms within minutes, but it felt like it took longer than my trip up the stairs to get here with Rose. Her little body relaxed slowly, and Jasper guided me to the crib so I could lay her down over the mattress. She barely stirred, moving her little hand up the grasp onto my finger and then sighing softly as she released it reluctantly. I didn't know from experience if that was normal, but it didn't seem strange to Rose or Jasper as they both stood by watching with content smiles on their faces. It was the first time I'd ever seen the two of them really look like brother and sister.

"You're pleased," Jasper said certainly, and Rose beamed proudly.

"I told you so," she teased, gently poking my ribs. I playfully pulled away, but she saw me smiling, and she wrapped her arm around me. "See? No reason to be worried whatsoever. Come on now. We have a lot of catching up to do."

The scene downstairs was the exact opposite as it had been when I'd left as Emmett, Seth, Jacob and Leah all sat around the massive wall monitor playing a heated game of the latest Call of Duty game. Of course since Emmett had every gaming platform that had ever come out over the last several years that included the time before I'd been born, he had a plethora of games to choose from. I found it interesting that they'd chosen this game to play right after showing up at the house.

"Dude, I got your left," Emmett told Seth. "Hit the squad on the right and we should get there. All right!" he cheered, as Seth had successfully followed his directions.

"Jacob, come on!" Leah shouted. "We're right on them!"

Rose rolled her eyes as we arrived in the front parlor, and Esme spotted us before moving to my side.

"Why don't we go to the market?" she asked, looking at Rose and then glancing at Alice and my mother. "It'll give us girls a chance to catch up."

"What about Leah?" I asked, and she glanced at me, grinning and then nodding for me to go on.

Alice and my mother stood up then, meeting me and Rose as Esme gathered the things she would need to get food for her guests. "Maybe we can even go to Macy's for a few things for college," Alice suggested.

That ended the discussion, and within half a minute of me stepping into the front parlor, Rose was pulling me out the front door so we could get to the market before it closed. I glanced up the stairs as we moved through the foyer, listening to Elizabeth's heartbeat and realizing it was beating almost as fast as mine was and thinking maybe she was more like me than I'd originally believed.


So here we are again. ;-)

I wanted it to be a little difficult for Renesmee to accept the baby at first, and I hope it makes sense for there to be tension. And I didn't want it to last for more than one chapter, but there might be some residual effects later on.

Now, who's ready for the explanation? Are we ready to find out what Elizabeth is? Let me know what you think.

Catch you on the flip side!