Chapter Ten
Monday morning the Cullens arrived back in Brazil. By 9:00 AM, Zafrina's jeep was pulling up in front of her house, Edward's Volvo close behind.
Nessie came dashing out onto the porch, dressed in a beautiful peach sun dress, her golden curls shining in the Brazilian sun. She smiled at her family as they approached.
"Welcome back!" she called.
The Cullens all stared back at her for a moment, the images of the hieroglyphs and drawings instantly swarming their thoughts. Carlisle forced a smile.
"Hello, Renesmee. You seem happy this morning," he greeted, as he pulled his luggage from the trunk of Zafrina's jeep, beginning to head up the path towards the front porch.
"I'm glad you're home," Nessie replied.
"We're glad to be home," Carlisle assured her, patting her shoulder gently and offering a weak smile, before heading into the house.
"Where's Jake?" Emmett asked, as he and Rosalie hauled their luggage through the door as well.
"He went down to the beach. I didn't want to go. I don't really like being around all the people," Nessie explained.
"I don't blame you," Jasper remarked, as he and Alice walked into the house as well.
"I trust you and Jacob had no troubles while we were away?" Zafrina asked, as she and Nahuel marched up the stairs. Nessie shook her head.
"Not one. Everything was perfect," she said.
Nessie smiled at Nahuel as he passed, though Nahuel could only stare back at her, his dark eyes wide with sadness and fear. Nessie frowned, about to question him, when suddenly her mother's arms were around her.
"We missed you," Bella said.
"I missed you too, mom," Nessie replied, hugging her mother in return. "How was the trip?"
Edward and Bella both stared at their daughter, the same solemn, agonized expression on their faces.
"No more success than we were expecting," Edward replied.
"What does that mean?" Nessie asked, frowning.
"Nessa... there is a lot we need to discuss with you," Bella said. Nessie's eyes widened.
"Why?" she asked, her heart beginning to pound.
"We weren't entirely honest with you about our reasons for traveling to Egypt," Edward confessed.
"What do you mean? You didn't go to recruit more covens?" Nessie asked, staring at her parents in confusion.
"There's too much to get into right now..." Bella began.
"Why did you go?" Nessie demanded, worry growing in her heart.
"We'll tell you everything once you're ready," Bella insisted.
"Ready for what? What's happening?" Nessie asked frantically.
At that moment, Jacob came dashing up the hill towards Zafrina's home, a towel flung over his shoulder. His beautiful dark-skinned body was exposed, as he wore only a pair of swim shorts. The sun shone off of his bare chest, dripping with water.
He grinned widely, his huge, amazingly enchanting grin, as he approached Nessie, spotting Bella and Edward.
"Hey! You're back!" he cried enthusiastically.
As he approached the family, his grin quickly faded, a look of concern crossing his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, spotting the Cullens' worried expressions.
Nessie and Jacob were now staring at Bella and Edward in confusion and anxiety, awaiting an explanation.
"We went to Egypt to examine the prophecy that the Volturi and Enterprise found," Bella said, her usually beautiful, musical tone dead and flat with worry.
Nessie and Jacob exchanged a quick glance, fear beginning to pound through both their hearts.
"Oh," Nessie uttered.
"Both of you come inside. We'll explain the rest," Edward muttered, quickly storming into the house, Bella following close behind.
Nessie remained where she was on the porch, turning to stare at Jacob, who still stood in the radiant sun, his beautiful body shining in the light.
Without a word, he took her hand in his, and led her into the house.
"Why didn't you tell us you were going to investigate the prophecy?"
The Cullen family had sat down with Nessie and Jacob to discuss their trip. The 'discussion' had not lasted very long.
"We're very sorry for lying to you and Jacob," Carlisle said reasonably, outstretching his hands defensively, as Nessie leapt to her feet, frowning angrily at her family.
"Why didn't you include us?" she continued loudly. "This is our future - why don't we have the right to be a part of it?"
"We were not trying to keep you in the dark," Carlisle insisted.
"That's exactly what we were doing," Rosalie said suddenly. She whirled on Edward, pointing an accusing finger. "All because he refuses to tell Renesmee the truth!"
"The truth about what?" Nessie asked, staring now at her father.
"Rosalie, that is not your place!" Edward shouted furiously, ignoring his daughter.
"She deserves to know!" Rosalie cried.
"I planned to tell her when she was ready, and that is for me and Bella to decide, not you!" Edward yelled, stomping his foot menacingly, and shaking the entire house.
"Tell me what?" Nessie demanded.
Edward turned, staring into Nessie's big, brown eyes sadly. Her big, brown, human eyes. He could feel her pulse as he took her small hand in his own...
"Tell me," Nessie pleaded.
"The Volturi believe that your child is meant to bring about the end of mankind. Not the world - solely the humans," Edward blurted out quickly, staring at Nessie intently as he spoke.
Nessie stared back, her brown eyes widening slightly with shock, as she took in the new information.
"Why?" she asked. "Why do they believe that?"
"Because it appears to be part of the prophecy," Edward uttered, his voice beginning to crack with emotion. "We went to Egypt to see it for ourselves. It showed the child, standing there, smiling... over thousands of dead bodies."
Nessie pulled out of her father's grasp quickly, her face losing all color. Jacob was instantly on his feet, glaring at Edward.
"Why would you say that?" he growled.
"Because it is the truth, Jacob," Edward replied. "We saw the drawings ourselves, all of them. Well all believe this child is meant to destroy the human race."
"So, what? Only the vampires and the wolves live? They take over the planet?" Jacob demanded angrily.
"If the Volturi have their way, then yes," Carlisle said, standing up. "They plan to gain control of the child, and somehow train it to murder humans. Use its destiny to their advantage."
"No!" Jacob shouted furiously.
A quiver ran through his entire body, and Nessie instantly turned around to face him, grabbing his hands in her own.
"Jacob, no," she said.
"Relax, Jacob. Nothing can happen as long as this child does not exist," Carlisle stated calmly. Jacob's quivers stopped immediately, as Carlisle continued.
"And it doesn't have to exist. Not now, anyways. It could be hundreds of years before anything comes to happen with this prophecy. For right now, we are all safe," he said.
"Nessa, we're sorry we didn't tell you," Bella said, reaching out and stroking Nessie's cheek.
"It's all right," Nessie replied.
"Can you forgive us?" Edward asked hopefully.
"I already have," Nessie assured her parents. "I... I think I need some fresh air."
She turned quickly, walking from the room. Jacob watched her go nervously.
"I'll go with her," he said, beginning to follow. But Edward reached out his arm.
"She probably wants some time to think, Jacob," he said. Jacob pushed Edward's arm away.
"This concerns us both," he replied firmly.
And he marched out the door after Nessie. The Cullens remained silent, watching Edward as he turned to face them.
"Are you happy now? Their lives have been completely turned upside down. They're miserable," he growled.
"It had to happen sooner or later, Edward," Alice reasoned.
"Yes, and it was for Bella and I to decide when that time would come," Edward growled, glaring at Rosalie.
"I did the right thing. You can't deny that," Rosalie countered.
"You were completely out of line," Edward snapped, stepping angrily towards his sister.
"I told your daughter the truth when you wouldn't. I didn't take the coward's way out," Rosalie spat, also leaping up, prepared to defend herself.
"Edward! Rosalie!" Carlisle shouted, stepping in between the two, as Emmett and Alice quickly took hold of both Rosalie and Edward respectively. "Jacob and Renesmee know the truth now. There is no point in arguing over who told them."
"They'll be all right, Edward," Esme said calmly, placing her delicate hand on his shoulder.
"She was finally beginning to seem happy here," Edward muttered pitifully.
"And she will again. It's better that she knows the truth, so she can adapt around that," Esme assured him.
"And like Carlisle said - there's not even a baby yet. No baby, no threat. Everything's okay," Emmett remarked optimistically.
"Jacob would never endanger Nessie like that," Bella agreed, stroking Edward's arm.
"I have a bad feeling," Rosalie said suddenly.
She was staring out the window, watching Nessie and Jacob off in the distance. They stood at the edge of the hill, turned towards each other, speaking.
"It's done, Rosalie," Carlisle said definitively.
"Nothing is done. It hasn't even begun," Rosalie continued, shaking her head.
"What hasn't begun?" Emmett asked, frowning.
Rosalie turned, staring at Edward and Bella. Her usual anger and ferocity was gone. She looked hurt.
"Everything is about to change. I hope you're ready," she uttered.
And she turned, walking quickly from the room. Emmett looked around curiously for a moment, before dashing after her.
The rest of the Cullens stood in silence, staring out the window at Nessie and Jacob, the sun setting quickly behind them.
"Nessie!"
"I can't do it, Jacob."
"Nessa, please stop."
Jacob was chasing Nessie out the door, as she stormed frantically across the front yard, towards the edge of the hill. She finally stopped, staring off into the crashing waves below, tears welling in her eyes.
"Maybe I should just end things now, and throw myself in," she spat.
"Don't say that," Jacob said quickly, reaching out slowly for her hand.
"The entire world is hunting us, Jacob!" Nessie cried desperately, backing away from Jacob's grasp. "Every vampire in the world wants me dead, and my family didn't even feel the need to tell me!"
"Nobody wants you dead," Jacob insisted, his heart pounding as Nessie stepped closer to the edge of the cliff.
"The ones who don't want me dead now will once I'm pregnant, which is apparently inevitable!" Nessie continued, staring down at the rocks below her longingly. "All it would take is one jump... I could save them all a lot of trouble."
"Nessa, please!" Jacob shouted suddenly.
Nessie turned to Jacob, torn from her angry tirade by the utter pain in his voice. And she noticed tears in his eyes.
"You don't want to hurt yourself. You can't. I need you," Jacob pleaded.
Nessie was struck speechless as she watched several small tears run from Jacob's eyes... then realized just how close she had come to the watery grave below.
She quickly backed away from the edge of the cliff, and Jacob bolted towards her immediately, wrapping her tightly in his arms.
"I... I'm sorry," Nessie uttered, completely shocked by her own actions. "I'm sorry, Jake."
"It's okay," Jacob assured her, clinging to her desperately, as he wiped the few scattered tears from his face. "You didn't mean it. Please - never mean it."
"I won't," Nessie squeaked, wrapping her arms around Jacob's waist as she buried her face into his chest.
"I love you more than my own life," Jacob whispered. "I could never live without you."
"I love you too, Jake," Nessie replied. "I'll never... I love you."
Jacob continued to cling to Nessie, stroking her hair gently as he allowed his tears to dry. Nessie turned her face, staring out at the ocean before them.
Down on the rocks bordering the sea sat the small, white figure of the wolf. Staring, as always, directly at her. Always watching. Always protecting.
Always growing nearer.