Author's Note: Sorry about the huge lack of update. But there's been an awful lot going on for me recently. But I promise I will try not to leave it so long ever again.

The Arrival

BPOV

We walked slowly back to the house. Walking through the woods to keep out of sight. I held onto Edwards hand tightly almost as if he'd disappear if I let go. After a while we reached the house which was strangely quiet. No one was talking; the only thing I could hear was the heartbeats of my human family members.

"They know." Edward said quietly as we reached the bottom of the steps to the front door.
"What a surprise." I smiled weakly before letting go of his hand and walking into the house. Everyone was sat in the living room, Alice on Jaspers lap in a chair, Carlisle and Esme were stood by the fireplace, Jake, Renesmee and the twins were sat on the sofa, Emmett and Rose were sat on the floor, and Renee and Phil were sat in the loveseat. Edwards arm wrapped around my waist as we stood in the doorway. I could the quite sobs from my mum and it was one of the most painful sounds I'd ever heard. I thought back over the exchange after the funeral and realised just how inhuman I would have looked at times. Great. I'd scared my own mother. Good going Bella.

Carlisle smiled at me for a moment before glancing round the room, "Right, now since we're all here why don't we get this meeting underway." A family meeting. How very normal. It seemed strange to have something so normal in a time that felt so abnormal. "As you all know by now, Edward and Bella are going to be leaving us for a while. So we need to make a decision about where we're going next. Renesmee, Jacob, I assume you and your family are returning to your home in New York?" They both nodded, though Callum and Rebecca didn't seem too happy about the decision.

"Renee and Phil have asked if they could come and stay with us in Los Angeles for a while. Does anyone have any objections to that?" The rest of the Cullens shook their heads. I was grateful for that; I'd feel better knowing that they were both safe and protected. "Brilliant. Renee, we'd love for you to come and stay with us for as long as you'd like." Carlisle said softly, though I knew it would be difficult to stop my mum finding out what we were if this happened. I looked at Alice and she nodded. Renee was going to know. Then it hit me, neither of these points were enough to warrant a meeting, not one that needed mine and Edwards presence anyway. I looked up at Edward and he sighed with a slight nod of his head. We were going to tell them now.

"However," Carlisle continued, "before you make this decision we, have something to tell you." He said looking at Renee and then me. "I think I'll let Bella and Edward explain it though." He said taking hold of Esme's hand and leaving the room, followed by Rose and Emmett and then Alice and Jazz. Jake moved as if to leave as well but one look from Renesmee made him stay where he was, she knew she was part of this explanation, as was Jacob and the twins.
"Bella, I don't understand. What did Carlisle mean?" I sighed and moved into the room, standing where Carlisle had been moments before while Edward moved to the window.

"Mum, I need you to listen to me, don't interrupt please. This is going to be hard enough. Ok?" She nodded for me to continue, while Phil looked a little confused. "Right. So I know you've noticed how I haven't changed at all since I was nineteen, and you know that Renesmee is mine and Edwards daughter, not his ward as we told you originally. Well I'm about to tell you the whole truth. And please, trust me, no matter how weird this seems, it's all true." I paused taking a breath and looking over at Edward who was still busy looking out of the window, even though I knew he was measuring my mum and Phils reactions to everything, he'd also be able to directly answer any of their questions they didn't wish to voice. "Ok, have you noticed how alike we all look? Except Jake and the Twins of course. And how we all have the same colour eyes, even though they're all adopted and I'm you're daughter?" Renee nodded. "Good. And you noticed how much I changed from my wedding until you saw me again for my twenty first birthday, I know you did, you commented on it. You said marriage suited me. Well, that's because I changed. In a more drastic way than you could guess. It wasn't an illness which changed me." I took another deep breath. "It was..."
"Me." Renesmee and Edward said together which made me chuckle.
"Well I guess in a way you're both right." I smiled and looked back to my mother who was now utterly confused. "You see, the Cullens aren't 'normal', in fact we aren't even human, anymore."
"What?! Bella, what do you mean you 'aren't human, anymore'?"
"I mean that we belong to the world of legends, of myths, of nightmares. We're not human. But we were, we all were, at one time. You see, the Cullens, all of us, are vampires." It took a moment before Renee nodded, that confused me, I'd anticipated many different reactions, but this wasn't one of them.
"OK."
"See Bella, now you know how I felt about you're reaction when you found out. And neither of you asked the most basic, and blindingly obvious question." Edward smiled slightly, "Though Phil's thinking it." He smirked at my stepdad before moving over to my side.
"Ask it Phil. Someone should."
"OK, you say you're vampires. But don't vampires eat humans? Don't they need to drink blood to survive?"
"Yes, we do need blood to survive. And most of our kind kills humans for it, but Carlisle found a way to survive on animal blood. That's all we feed on, animals." I said simply.
"That's comforting I suppose." Phil shrugged a little, "So what else has changed about you Bells? I mean, apart from your looks and your diet?"
"I'm not clumsy anymore." I grinned, relaxing a little, "And I could beat you in an arm wrestle anytime, as well as out run you."
"I'd like to see you try." Phil laughed.
"Just trust me. Ok?"
"OK." Then something clicked and Phils eyes darted to Edward, "How did you know what I was thinking, when I was thinking about what you eat?"
"Some of us have special talents, or gifts. I can read minds. Alice, well she can see the future. And Jasper can control emotions."
"Bella, doesn't it get annoying having him read your thoughts?" My mum asked.
"He can't read my mind. Unless I let him." I smirked, glancing at Edward.
"What? Why?"
"I have a mental shield. Which means that Edward, and others with mental abilities, can't get into my head. I can project it as well to protect others. The only exception to my shield is Renesmee." I smiled.

"So, is Renesmee a vampire like you then?"
"No, I'm half human. Mum gave birth to me while she was still human."
"Is that when you were 'ill' then Bella?"
"Yeah. And in a way I was, I could barely move, I couldn't keep food down, it was a tough few weeks."
"Weeks? But pregnancy takes nine months!"
"Mum, remember Renesmee isn't a human child. It only took a few weeks until she was ready to be born."
"Wow." Renee just sat looking from me to Renesmee for a moment, "But how was it her fault that you changed? Wouldn't that be Edward's doing?"
"Well, Renesmee wasn't exactly born in the way you'd expect. She kind of burst out of me." Renesmee, Jacob and Edward all cringed at the memory of her birth. "I lost a lot of blood, I was practically dead, and so Edward did what he had to do to save me."
"OK, I think I understand. So how does Jacob fit into this, no offence Jake, but aside from being Nessie's husband, I don't get it. You're obviously not a vampire..." Renee trailed off as Jacob barked out a laugh.
"No, I'm not a lee... vampire." He smiled.
"Jake's a shape shifter mum. He can turn into a wolf." I said with a small smile.
"A wolf?"
"Yeah. But trust me you don't want to see him change; it'd scar you for life like it did Charlie." I said with a giggle glancing over at Jacob who nodded slightly.
"Nana?" Callum said after a moments pause.
"Yes?" I said turning to look at my grandson.
"Why does dad call grandpa leech?" This was obviously a question the twins had wanted to ask for a while. I'd never really thought about the fact that they'd notice how Jake often referred to Edward using a multitude of derogatory names, as much as Edward reciprocated them.
"Because, sweetie, you're dad still hasn't grown up."
"Hey! I have so grown up!"
"Sure sure Jake. Your maturity levels are right up there with Carlisle aren't they?" I smirked with an arched eyebrow at Jake who nodded. "Anyway, your dad and grandpa never really saw eye to eye about anything. Especially about me and your mum. And now their both just stuck in their ways. They can't help the fact that they both still act like teenagers. Even when they should both know better." I glanced at Edward who shrugged.

"Bella." I looked at my mum.
"Yeah?"
"How old are the rest of them?"
"Edward."
"I'm seventeen Renee."
"How long have you been seventeen?" I couldn't help but laugh a little at this, and Edwards small smile.
"A while." I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud.
"How long is a while?"
"I was changed by Carlisle in nineteen eighteen."
"Wow." I nodded at my mum as she glanced at me for confirmation, "So you're eighty six years older than Bella?"
"Yes I am."
"What about Carlisle? He seems so young."
"He's twenty three mum. But really he's about four hundred, give or take a few years."
"You'd never guess."

And so the discussion continued, and the rest of our family joined us couple by couple until we were all joking and laughing, and regaling Renee and Phil with tales of our exploits and various hunting trips. All the while Emmett's innuendos earned him many slaps from Rosalie, and a couple from myself and Edward when he decided that Renesmee was now considered fair game. We obviously didn't agree. Night fell quickly. I hadn't even noticed the time passing, but I knew this happy picture would end soon, when Edward and I left. I glanced up at him from my seat on the floor between his legs, his eyes latched onto mine as he seemed to silently beg me to stay one last time, I shook my head an infinitesimal amount and he nodded with a slight shrug. He knew it wasn't going to work, but I can't blame him for trying.

We rose from our seats and silence fell in the room. All eyes were on us, and for the first time in a long time I felt as if I'd blush if I could, as it was I looked at the floor for a moment before lifting my gaze to meet Carlisle's from across the room. He smiled softly at me and rose from his seat, moving over to us and hugging me tightly before doing the same to Edward. I couldn't look at Esme, I was breaking up her family, I couldn't face the look that I knew would be in her eyes, even if it wasn't written on her face. Rosalie and Emmett were the next to say goodbye, Emmett wrapping me in a bear hug while Rose hugged me tightly and ran her fingers through my hair for a moment. "Don't forget to come back alright? And let me know if you find any bears!" Emmett grinned as they stepped back from us. Callum and Rebecca were next, they each hugged us tightly, as if they weren't going to let go. After we peeled them off us we looked at the remaining seven people, though my eyes still avoided Esme's. Renee stood up and hugged me, her body recoiling slightly from the coldness of my skin but she didn't say anything. We stayed there for what seemed like eternity, I didn't want to let her go. But I knew she'd be safe. Finally Phil stepped up and took hold of my mum, sitting them back down on the sofa. "Bye Bella. Be safe." He said quietly, and I nodded with a weak smile, "Oh, and Edward, look after her."
"I always do." Edward grinned, wrapping an arm around my waist. I looked between Alice's face and Renesmee's, they were polar opposites, Alice's face was plastered in a bright smile, whereas silent tears were streaming down my daughters cheeks as Jake tried to comfort her.

"Nessie." I said quietly kneeling in front of her; she reached out her hand to my face and for the first time in years showed me what she wanted instead of telling me. The image playing in my head was of Edward and me returning safely, and happily back home. I smiled and nodded, "Don't worry about us. We've faced worse, and that was when I was human. We'll be fine. And I'll see you soon." I said hugging her tightly and stroking her hair, she nodded into my shoulder and that was when I knew I had to go and soon, if I didn't I'd never leave.

I released my daughter and rose, turning to look at Alice and Jasper. "Don't bother saying goodbye Bella." I frowned, "You're not going anywhere. They're coming to you." I was still even more confused.
"Alice what – "
"The newborn crossed back across its path where it found Charlie. I could smell us all, and now it's decided to stop by for a visit."
"So wait, you let me go through all this for nothing?"
"Pretty much!" Alice grinned. "But to be fair, so did Edward, he saw the vision at the same time as me." I rounded on my husband who smiled sheepishly at me.
"Wait, Bella's staying?" Renee's voice found its way into my head, and I turned away from Edward, getting my anger under control.
"Apparently mum. " I said quietly, which earned a soft cheer from the Twins.
"No Jake. I don't think Callum and Rebecca should be here for this." Edward said quietly, I looked between my husband and my best friend slightly confused.
"Jacob wanted to stay, with Nessie and the twins." Before Edward even finished speaking I shook my head. They couldn't stay. The twins couldn't be here. I couldn't risk it.
"Bells, please, think about..."
"There's nothing to think about Jacob. You all need to go back to New York. Keep the kids safe and look after my daughter. Please, Jake, for me? For my peace of mind?" My eyes had fixed onto his, and I know he understood but that didn't stop him waiting for a few seconds to answer.
"Fine." He mumbled eventually.
"I think you should go now." Alice said quietly, so quietly Renee and Phil didn't hear her, and their confusion was evident as everyone turned to look at Alice.
"How long?" Carlisle asked.
"Half an hour."
"Half an hour?" I echoed. Then I caught Renee's scent, something I could normally ignore, it was so sweet, so delicious, I felt the venom pool in my mouth and shrunk into Edwards side. His arm instantly tightened around me, pulling me back slightly.
"Focus. Bella. Focus."
"What? Bella what's wrong?" My mum said standing and moving towards me, looking worried.
"Mum, don't. Just stay away from me."
"But you, you said...not humans."
"Renee, just because we don't feed on humans doesn't mean that we are immune to the smell or draw of human blood. I'm sure Edward will elaborate on that at some point, as his story is rather interesting, to say the least." Carlisle paused for a moment as he moved Renee further away from me. "Bella is just feeling overwhelmed which means her control isn't as great as it normally is."
"Overwhelmed? That's an understatement Carlisle." Jasper chipped in. And I could see everything I was feeling reflected in his eyes as I glanced at him before I turned to Jacob.
"What are you still doing here? You have to go." I was trying to think of anything but the smell of the blood pumping through Renee and Phil, and how sweet I was sure it would taste.

"I can't leave Bells. You know I can't. Not while you're...struggling."
"Seriously Jake, do you think I'd...that they'd...fine!!" I trailed off, it was his duty to protect human life. And there was a serious threat heading this way. "Renesmee, please take the twins and go." I said quietly looking at my daughter, who in turn looked at Edward. And I felt him nod. Renesmee rose from her seat and ushered the twins from the room.

"Edward. Let go of Bella."
"What? Alice, no!" I responded quickly, he couldn't let go. I couldn't think about...no.
"Bella, trust me. Edward let go." Suddenly Edwards arm dropped from around my shoulder and he stepped back out of my grip, I was stood facing Jacob, who in turn was standing between me and my mother.
"Bells, are you...normal?" Jake asked.
"Alice, she's going haywire. Thirst, guilt, anger, grief, thirst. She'll..."
"No she won't." Alice said simply. And as soon as she said it I knew it wasn't Renee or Phil that I wanted to kill. It was the newborn stood in the doorway, looking directly at me.

Jake span around, Carlisle pulled Renee and Phil behind myself and Jake. I had slipped into a hunting crouch, Edward just behind me. Alice and Rose were directly in front of my mum and Phil, with Carlisle and Esme flanking them. Emmett and Japer were stood just behind Jacob. All eyes were fixed on the new addition to the room. It was then that I noticed a familiar face behind the flaming crimson eyes, and angular cheek bones. I was pulled out of the haze, and stood up, taking a few steps forward.

"No. Please, tell me it's not you." It took a moment before the newborn recognised me.
"Hi, Bella."

Author's Note: Ok, sorry, another cliffy, but this is where it all starts getting interesting.
Please let me know who you think the Newborn is, and I'll try and update very soon.