Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I hope you like the results of this little fight between Emmett and Jacob. I know I don't spend too much time on it…but there were more important things to write about this chapter. Happy Reading!

Chapter Nine-

Renesmee's POV

And then…the fight ended and the winner was revealed.

Emmett must have lost concentration for a second, but that was enough. Jacob took advantage and pounced, pinning Emmett by his shoulders with enough strength to prevent Emmett from throwing him off.

Emmett realized he had lost and just gave up trying to fight back. Jacob smiled with delight and announced clearly---almost spatting the words in Emmett's face---"I win."

Jake released Emmett and both stood up and brushed themselves off.

"Dammit." Leah whispered and pulled twenty dollars out of her pocket.

Jake sauntered over to me and said "Your evil plan backfired on you."

Note to self: Think of better evil plans…that don't backfire on myself.

"Are you pleased with yourself now?" I asked sarcastically.

"Very." He replied.

"Good." I said.

Jacob's POV

It was about an hour or so after me and Emmett's wrestling match. I was with Mireya on the deck. We were having some Father-Daughter time.

"Mireya," I began "I hope you understand this, and I'm sorry it must be said. I don't want you in harm's way, so something will have to happen in the near future for that to be true. So, I want you to know that I love you, and I always will. No matter what happens, I will never stop loving you."

I felt my eyes start to tear up and spill over.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are my life now, my reason of being. You are my beautiful baby girl. I want you to know this is not your fault in any way. I wish it didn't have to happen, but it must. Someday, you will understand, even if you don't now."

Her face grew worried, but she put on a weary smile. She leaned in and wrapped her tiny, fragile arms around my neck. When she pulled back, there was a tear running down her cheek.

She understood.

In a raspy voice, practically mouthing the words, I said "I love you, Mireya."

And to my amazement, in perfect English, she replied "I love you too, Daddy."

And then I broke down.

I love you too, Daddy.

Those were her first words. And maybe her last.

I would never hear that voice again. Never see that sweet smile on her cute, little face. Never look into those wonderful eyes.

I would never see my baby again.

I didn't want her to see me like this, but there was no way to stop the tears. No matter how manly I could be, Mireya would bring out the big softy in me.

I was hugging her against me, rocking and crying. I lost the strength to sit up on the chair and ended up sliding down to the floor of the deck. And there we sat.

I felt another pair of thin arms wrap around me, and through my blurry tears I could see Alice. We sat there and waited for the crying to stop. In her odd way, I think Alice was crying too. No tears, of course. But I think she was crying.

When I was calmed down, Alice said "Are you okay?"

"Yes." I lied.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes. Yes, I do. For Mireya."

She sighed "Okay."

I nodded once.

After sitting there, I decided I needed to do something. I got up to go inside.

"Jacob," Alice said "You look like…" She looked at Mireya then at me "S-H-I-T. You can't go in there right now."

"Ya, I guess so." I walked in anyway but made sure no one was nearby and went to the bathroom to try to get myself to look normal…like someone who hadn't just been bawling their eyes out.

Then I went to the living room.

Nessie was searching, aimlessly, through the TV. Bella was sitting next to her on the couch, Edward on the end. Carlisle was at the computer. Esme was in the kitchen, but was visible through the bar-ish thing separating the kitchen from the living room. (I'm not sure why Esme was in the kitchen, it's not like she was cooking dinner.) Emmett was on a chair with Blondie---Rosalie---sitting on the arm. (For the sake of the family, I am trying not to call anyone bloodsucker or leech or parasite or anything else that I would have said in the past. I know, surprising, right?)

"Hey Edward," I said

He looked at me.

"Could you come outside for a minute?"

I tried very hard to keep my thoughts to myself. I think it worked.

We got outside and walked far enough down the driveway so that the others wouldn't hear us.

"Edward, I wanna do this right. I know you're still mad at me from when you found out Nessie was pregnant," I flinched at the painful memory "But I love your daughter very much, and you know that. So, I'm here to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage."

I completely surprised myself and how I said that, I never knew I could talk like that.

He took a deep sigh and pursed his lips. He stared me in the eyes, and I stared back. We stood there like that for a while, and then said "Why are you asking me?"

"Because everything has been so screwed up, I just wanted to do one thing the right way, the old-fashioned way."

"Not so old-fashioned to me."

"Well, I would think so." Then I said "So…?"

"Yes, of course, Jake."

I smiled and we walked back up to the house. My hand was in my pocket fingering the little box I had been carrying around for the past month.

Hope you liked it! Please review! I want to know what you think should happen…not just with the proposal but with the whole story. Thanks for reading!