10. A NEW LIFE

Ren was very understanding about the whole situation.

While I was saying my goodbyes to her Jake went to pack up our things.

"Promise to come back and visit soon?" Ren asked.

"Of course!" I reassured her. "I'll talk with Mom and Dad and see if we can come back down for the holidays." I knew well enough that once they found out what I had told her the chances of me seeing her again were slim, but this wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"That would be great," she said in a tone that seemed like she was thinking the same thing I was.

Just then Jake walked around the corner.

"Ready?" he asked.

"There's something I need to do first," I answered.

Ever since I had come clean to Ren I had been trying to figure out a plan that would keep her safe. Alice wouldn't know because I was the one who had told her; at least I hoped so. That only left Dad.

"Anything I can help you with?" Jake asked.

"No. Just give me your phone." I said, reaching my hand out for it.

He reached into his pocket for his phone. "Wanna check the score on the way to the airport," he said in a joking tone, reaching his arm out to hand me the phone.

"Very funny." Jake knew I didn't like sports all that much.

"I'll go put the bags in the car while you deal with… business." He started to turn around. I wanted privacy for this, so I quickly showed Ren her helping him. She looked at me for only a second before understanding.

"I'll help you!" she said, sticking her figure in the air like she had just gotten an idea. She had rushed through the words, coming out in a jumble, in an attempt to get them out before Jake left the room.

"It's fine. I can handle it." Jake said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh, come on," she insisted. "Let me at least hold the door for you."

"I guess that would make issues a bit easier…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Alright," he agreed.

They stated walking down the hall to the guest bedroom where our bags were probably sitting on the bed ready to go.

I waited until they were completely down the hall before looking down at the phone I was clutching in my hand. I flipped it open and started scrolling through the contact list.

I scrolled down until I got to Bella.

That's the one, I thought as I hit the send button.

The phone hadn't gotten through one ring before a voice answered.

"Renesmee, how are you? Carlisle told us what was going on."

Of course he had.

"I'm fine. Really." I reassured her. I felt like I had said that at least twenty times since the incident in the kitchen.

"Then what is it?"

"Are you shielding?" I asked her. I knew she would understand what I meant.

"Not myself, but the family." She did that sometimes to give them privacy, and to make things easier on Dad. "Should I be?"

"Yes. I need to ask you a favor."

There was a short pause, only lasting for a second longing than it would have usually taken her to respond.

"Okay. Go ahead."

"I need you to shield Jacob and me when we get back." I didn't want to explain why, but I knew I had to. "To protect Ren," I explained, short and simply.

She sighed, more in understanding than in anger or annoyance. "Ness, don't worry about it. If we ever encounter the Volturi again we won't give Aro anything. I'll protect her, okay? You have nothing to worry about." There was so much love in her voice that it made my heart hurt.

"Thank you." I felt my eyes tearing up and was glad that Mom couldn't see me.

"I'll see you soon, love. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom. Love you."

"More than my own life," she responded.

Just as I was shutting the phone Jacob came around the corner into the kitchen.

"Everything under control?" he asked.

"Yup," I sniffled. I rubbed the spots under my eyes. My hand came back wet.

Jake looked concerned.

"Happy tears," I reassured him, chuckling. "My team is winning," I joked.

"I was a little worried there for a second."

"I know." I smiled at him. "Everything's fine."

"That's good." He smiled. "Ready to go?" He pointed in the general direction of the front door.

"I am now," I answered.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arm around his waist squeezing him to me, as I did this he slid his arm around my neck and did the same.

We were in this sort of side-by-side embrace as we walked out to the car where Ren was waiting for us, smiling.

"Did you get everything sorted out?" she asked, looking towards me.

"Yup. Everything's under control."

"Good. Ready to go?" She pointed towards the car.

"I am," I answered. "Jake?"

"Let's get home," he answered. "Make sure you're okay."

I had almost forgotten that anything was supposed to be wrong with me.

"Right," I answered. It was time to go home.

After an hour long car rode, traffic, and a seeming endless plane ride, we were finally landing. We headed off the plane and walked out to meet whoever would be waiting for us. And… everyone was there. Oh, gosh. Em and Rose, Jazz and Alice, Carlisle and Esme, and, of course, Mom and Dad.

Emmett was the first to come over and swoop me up into a hug, lifting my feet off the ground and swinging me around.

"Damn I missed having you around," he said as he set me back down on the ground.

"Aw, Uncle Emmett. You missed me?" I joked.

"Don't push it, Kid," he said, reaching up and ruffling my hair.

He side-stepped then to make room for another set of outstretched arms. I was being pulled up into hugs left and right, and if I didn't know my family so well I probably wouldn't have even known who I was hugging.

I saw Jake out of the corner of my eye conversing with Emmett; about what, I had no idea.

"Alright. Let's head to the house. I have an examination to do." This was Carlisle, of course.

"Sure, sure. We have to make sure I'm not dying or anything." I joked.

"And that is why I missed having you around," Emmett said, swinging his arm across my shoulders. "These people don't have any sense of humor like we do."

"You know, if we were actually blood related, I'd think I'd inherited it from you."

"Oh, you don't need to be related by blood to inherit things. I take full credit for your good sense of humor." He had puffed out his chest like he was truly proud of this fact.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," I said, patting him on the chest.

"Yes, yes. It's lovely that your back, but can we please go? The clouds are going to be passing soon and I do not want to put on a show for these humans." It was nice to have Alice around predicting the weather.

With that we all started to head towards the exit. I idly wondered what we must look like to all the humans around us, since they were staring at us and all, but I pushed the thought aside and reached out to grab Jake's hand.

When we finally got to the car at least ten minutes had passed. I noticed that Emmett's Jeep and Carlisle's Mercedes were parked on either side of the Mustang. I gave Alice a sideward glance and chuckled. Seriously, what were the chances of getting those spots?

Carlisle, Esme, Mom, and Dad were heading towards the Mercedes while Em, Rose, Alice, and Jazz headed towards the Jeep.

"We'll see ya guys back at the house!" Emmett called as he slid up into the driver's seat. He had that mischievous glint in his eye like he always did when he was behind the wheel of a car. I got some waves from inside the car then Emmett pealed out of the spot and sped off. I just shook my head and turned towards the Mercedes.

"If he wasn't a vampire I don't think I'd let him behind the wheel of a car." Of course Dad would have known what I was thinking.

"At least we know no one in the car is in any danger. Even if he did crash." I said.

"Good Point. We'll see you back at the house, love."

"We'll be right behind you," Jake chimed in. He was heading towards the driver's door fiddling with his keys.

"Drive safe," Esme said from the passenger seat.

"Always do," Jake said back.

The whole ride home I just sat and looked at Jacob. I was completely wrapped up in all thoughts Jake and didn't even notice all the miles passing by. I realized that I was pretty much starring at him and just as I began to worry that I was making him nervous I noticed that he was smiling.

"I can read your mind you know."

I gasped and quickly pulled in the little elastic band around my brain. How long had I been sharing my thoughts with him? Now I wasn't only worried but embarrassed too.

"I didn't realize-" he broke off before finishing his thought.

"Didn't realize what?" I asked.

His hand on the steering wheel tightened. I had a feeling that he didn't want to tell me what you had just realized, but he knew that I wouldn't let it go.

He sighed, but he didn't look at me. "How much you love me."

I was confused to say the least.

"Jake, you know I love you. I've told you so myself."

"And I love you, but it's not like you've had a lot of people to choose from, Ness.

"Jake, don't ever think that." We were sitting in traffic, so I reached over and turned his head so he was looking at me. "I love you because I love you, not because you were the only one around."

"It's just nice to know for sure is all." He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes.

I tried to crack the tension with some humor. "Promise I won't run off with the first other boy I meet who shows any interest."

That got him. He smiled this time, a real smile.

I remembered what had started this whole discussion and felt myself blush.

"What did you see?" I asked in a sort of panicky voice.

He chuckled and turned his eyes back to the road but didn't answer.

"What did you see?!"

The rest of the ride home was silent. I was still feeling a little embarrassed about whatever it was I had accidentally shared with Jacob. He refused to tell me, and he seemed determined to stick to this decision.

We were pulling into the garage now. Both the Jeep and the Mercedes were already there, both empty.

Jake shut off the car and I reached for the handle to open the door, but it was already open. I looked up and saw Dad standing there.

"It seems you two had an interesting ride home." Dad could be so embarrassing sometimes! "I told you not to doubt her." He said this part only to Jake.

I guess I should have known that Dad would have known all about the worries Jake was having.

"Guess I just didn't think I was good enough for her." Jake chuckled.

"Oh, you're not that bad," Dad joked, waving his hand dismissively.

"Wow, Edward. I think that's the closest you've ever come to giving me a compliment."

"Don't get use to it."

I was always surprised by the strange friendship between Dad and Jake.

"Come on," Dad said. "I'll take you to Carlisle."

Carlisle ended up being in his office. It was a lot like his office back at the house in Forks. It had floor to ceiling bookshelves and old paintings hanging around on the walls along with a big desk right in the middle of the room. He was sitting behind his desk with a book as big as a cinder block in his lap. When we walked in he flipped the book shut and looked up.

"Ah, you're back."

He stood up, book still in hand, and leaped up onto one of the shelves; at least eight feet off the ground. He slid the book onto an open spot on the shelf then leaped back down, landing lightly on his feet.

"I've set up in the spare bedroom." He was already out the door walking down the hall.

The three of us just stood there gawking at him. It wasn't like Carlisle to be randomly scaling bookshelves.

"Come. Come." He ushered.

I sat in the spare bedroom on one of those tables like they had at doctors' offices. It had been over an hour of extensive testing. There had been a lot of poking and prodding and measuring. Half way through I had actually asked Carlisle for a drink. I could smell that he had some packs of human blood lying around somewhere; it was just like Carlisle to be prepared for anything. Dad had brought me a cup and I'd poured it in there and drank it like it was any ordinary drink.

Now I sat there with the empty cup in my hands and nothing to do. I'd managed to make it last for awhile which had kept me occupied, but now it was gone and I had nothing to do.

Carlisle was on the other side of the room looking at different papers that were scattered about and scribbling some things down. Unlike most doctors Carlisle had amazing handwriting.

"So, what's the prognosis, doc? Am I gonna live?" I knew I would be fine. I was just so bored. I figured humor might entertain me. It didn't work.

"You'll definitely live," he answered.

"So you know what's wrong with me?" I asked, excited. I was so ready for this to be over.

"Well, from all of the data that I have collected I do believe that I can make a rational diagnosis."

"Which is…?" I said, drawing the word out for him to input the answer as I twirled my hands around in a circle.

"It seems that you have stopped growing," he said triumphantly.

After a month of waiting, we were sure that I was done growing.

I had grown to be a rightful height of 5' 7''- taller than Mom, but shorter than Dad; and much shorter than Jacob, but everyone was shorter than Jacob.

Everything was different now. This was a different life, a new life. And part of my new life would be going to school. Now that I was done growing, I could actually go with the rest of my family.

The story would be that Carlisle and Esme had adopted me, so when I was at school I had to call everyone by their first names. I would be their sister, not their daughter or niece. I would still be able to be with Jacob though, and that's all that mattered.