Chapter Nine
Billy Black and The Wolfpack Succumb
"Ummm, ohhhhh, that is simply ambrosia, that's what it is."
"Why thank you, Billy. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I thought you might need a treat before your trip to Hell today."
"Aw, sweetheart, did you have to mention that now? I've got 3 bites left. Let me wallow in pleasure uninterrupted, 'kay?"
"Okay, I get it. I'll stay quiet till you're done."
Renesmee sat quietly at the kitchen table in the Black home for a few more minutes. She smiled as she watched Billy Black close
his eyes in ecstasy, savoring the last bites of the pie she'd made for him. Billy didn't know it was sugar-free. He may not have
cared either way. All he knew was that the flavor of the chocolate pecan pie was heavenly and the angel across the table from
him had made it especially for him and nobody else. Renesmee's intentions weren't widely broadcast by her, but were completely
transparent for anyone who'd take notice. She was helping Billy get a grip on his diabetes. She loved Billy and understood how
much everyone else loved him too and how important it was that he hang around for a very long time. She had begun a diet and
exercise program tailored just for him with help from Sue Clearwater Swan. She had even given Sue the encouragement to take
a shot at Charlie's diet and lack of exercise regimen. Both men protested vehemently at first, then Renesmee worked on them,
together and individually, and used her powers of persuasion to insinuate her ideas into their heads. The men soon felt like they
were both stepping up to take better care of themselves as a demonstration of their strong characters and dedication to a healthy
lifestyle, their own ideas, their own decisions. Renesmee thought to herself, whatever works.
Once Billy had finished his slice of pie, he wheeled himself over to the therapy table Renesmee had set up in the living room. She
had shoved furniture out of the way to make room and set up the portable folding table. She adjusted the height to its lowest
setting and Billy maneuvered himself from his chair to the table. Renesmee proceeded to work Billy's legs unmercifully to strengthen
his muscles away from the atrophy that his inactivity had begun to produce. After several months of this focused attention, Billy's
legs had begun to show significant signs of recovery. He could lift them from the table on his own and push against Renesmee with
his feet. Jacob joined in for many of these therapy sessions and eventually Billy could even push against his towering son with
noticeably increased strength. They also concentrated efforts on Billy's upper body strength. After several months, Billy had trimmed
down his waistline and begun to develop muscles that slightly resembled his son's. One day as Jacob entered the cabin after a patrol,
he caught his father doing bench presses, with his imprint. Billy was lying on his back on the therapy table, pumping madly up with
his arms, holding a kitchen chair by the woven seat. This may not seem like such a feat, until you consider that Renesmee was sitting
in the chair, holding on for dear life and laughing hysterically. Billy was as excited as he could be about his growing strength and Jacob
was swelled with pride and gratitude at the dedication of his best friend.
Jacob would sit at the start and just watch Renesmee work with Billy, love in his eyes and his heart for his girl. He had never known
anyone with such a caring heart and spirit. She was perfect and exquisite to him. After Billy had begun to make so many giant strides,
Jacob had joined in with gusto, singing Renesmee's praises and exalting Billy's hard work.
Bella's intentions were honorable and self-serving at the same time. She still sometimes felt twinges of guilt at the havoc and pain she
had caused to so many people around her who were important in her life. She was concentrated entirely on making up for lost time.
Quite simply, she was doing penance. Her conversations in her time in limbo with Sarah Black and her grandmother had opened her
eyes to wrongs that she had done. This was a second chance. She could imagine that hardly anyone ever got those for real. She had
a luxury of time, and yet her time was short. She could concentrate on what she hoped to achieve, and yet she felt the press of her five
year window. When she was officially grown up, she wanted to find a way to tell Jacob who she really was. The clock was ticking.
When she completed her work with Billy for the day, she bid him goodbye and headed out to the Ateara's grocery store. Quil was tending
the business today and they had plans for when they were both finished with their chores and duties. She hopped up the steps to the little
wood-frame grocery building and pushed open the door, ringing the little bell over the top edge. Quil looked up from a magazine he was
perusing at the cash register. The store was quiet and slow at the moment.
"Hey there, little Mee Mee! How you doin'?"
"I'm good Quil, thank you Sir."
"Whoa! Sir? Okay, whaddaya want Little Bit?"
Quil and Renesmee had grown close over the years. When she was younger, she had bonded with Claire, Quil's imprint. Quil appreciated
the friendship Renesmee had extended to Claire. They were both imprints and were both very young little girls. Neither Emily, Kim nor
Rachel could relate to Claire's unique situation on a youthful level. They all felt like much older sisters or even aunts toward her. Renesmee,
on the other hand, went through a stage where she was on an equal footing with Claire and even when she passed her in size and maturity,
she retained her childlike approach that kept Claire as a close and loving friend.
In the beginning of their relationship, Claire had a great deal of trouble pronouncing Renesmee's name. The three of them would hang out
together and Quil would try to help Claire with the too big word.
"It's okay, Claire-Bear, you'll get it eventually. Say REN-ES-MEE."
"Wwwwen-essssss-mee mee mee!"
She would sing the last syllable over and over causing fits of giggles in all three. Finally, Quil hit on the nick-name that delighted Claire and
would stick to Renesmee like glue from that day on.
"Okay, that's it. Ren, this isn't working and I've got the solution. Your new name, at least in the Ateara household, is Mee Mee."
"Mee Mee!"
Claire shouted and giggled at the blush on her Mee Mee's cheeks. It was settled. Renesmee was perfectly satisfied and even secretly pleased
that she now had a new nick-name that was exclusively her own with Claire and Quil.
On this sunny day in La Push, Renesmee had come to visit Quil with a specific mission in her mind. She had already petitioned Billy Black and
her Grandpa Charlie for assistance with the vocabulary, but now she needed help with the mechanics.
"Quilly, are you going down to the beach later for the game?"
"You know it. My football expertise is an absolute requirement down there!"
"Good. I need a favor."
Quil folded up his magazine and placed both hands on the counter gazing at Renesmee. He cocked one eyebrow quizzically.
"A favor, huh? What do I get?"
"Hmmm, cookies?"
"Done!"
One talent that once had belonged to Bella, but was now Renesmee's claim to fame was her cooking abilities. She was especially popular with
the Pack because of her prowess with baked goods. Hell, she was popular with everyone she knew because of her cookies, brownies, cakes
and pies. Jacob would sometimes look wistfully at her while she toiled in the kitchen at the Clearwater-Swan residence. Renesmee would
always catch him, stop what she was doing and walk over to him just to squeeze his hand and give him a kiss on the cheek. It never failed
to surprise him. Could she know what he was remembering?
"Great! Now, Quil, this is very important and top secret, got it?"
"Hmm, top secret, huh? May require a pie too."
"Ooh, haggling! I like it! Okay, cookies AND a pie it is. Shake."
"I've always said I drive a hard bargain. But if it wasn't you, there's no tellin' what the price would've been. Now what do you need me to do,
or should I say, who do you need me to kill?"
"I need football lessons."
"'Scuse me?"
"Football lessons."
"Don't you already watch football with Billy and Charlie all the time? They've taught you all of the terms and plays and stuff haven't they?"
"They have. But I need physical training."
"For...?"
"I want you to teach me how to throw and catch the ball."
When the laughter died down and Quil had ducked the couple of items Renesmee had chucked at him, he responded, wiping the tears from
his eyes.
"Oh, Mee Mee, I didn't know you had it in ya! Okay, okay! Stop with the abuse already. Ya know...you've got pretty good aim for a girl
and not a bad arm, if all you're gonna throw is loaves of bread and bags of chips."
"Aw, come on Quil! Please? Pwetty pwease?"
"Whoa, not fair. Cookies, pie AND pwetty pwease? Okay, kid, let me lock up and you go get the ball out of the backseat of my car. I'll meet
you out back."
They didn't have much time. Just under two hours before the beach football game was scheduled to get underway. But Renesmee surprised
Quil yet again with her agility and sure hands. He started with showing her how to hold the ball. He placed her little hands with her fingertips
skimming down the top of the lacing. She could just barely reach around far enough to grip the ball in her palm. If she held it a little closer
to the end, where the shape tapered down, she could hang on long enough to toss it. Quil showed her that with practice, she could put her
index finger on the tip of the ball and give it a final push when she released it. He taught her how to snap the ball to the quarterback. She
was particularly adept at this since she could use both hands and the position didn't require a lot of strength or height. They covered short
snaps and long snaps and Quil pronounced her ready to play center for the Seahawks.
Their last lesson, receiving, another area where Renesmee could excel because she could usually use both hands. When Quil hiked the ball
for himself and Renesmee took off running 'downfield' he wondered how far he should let her go before he lofted the ball in her direction.
They had tossed the ball back and forth to each other face to face and standing still for several minutes to give her the feel of the hardness
of the ball and what it felt like to grip it in her hands when she caught it. This was quite a bit different and Quil waited probably a little longer
than he should before sailing a perfect spiral toward her. The wind caught the pass a bit and Quil sighed with regret that she wouldn't be
able to get to it. Then his eyes went wide and he pumped the air and whooped loudly.
Renesmee had looked over her shoulder as Quil had released the ball into the air and saw the wind get under it and push its path away from
her. Without losing her stride, she swerved to the right, keeping her eyes on the projectile, and made an over-the-shoulder catch that would
stun the Seahawks' coach.
"Oh man! Girl, you are one in a million! That was amazing! How did you do that?"
Renesmee trotted back up to him and tossed the ball back to him casually, grinning from ear to ear.
"I don't know. I just did it. I kept watching it like you told me and I just followed it into my hands. It worked just like you said, Quil! Let's
do that again!"
Bella continually delighted in the physical improvements she had gained with the body she now inhabited. This football thing was something
she had been planning since the previous year when she could only sit on the beach and watch the guys and Leah having what was obviously
a blast. She knew she was too small and not near strong enough to play with them. But then, she was watching a game with Charlie and Billy
and noticed a player's bio pop up on the screen. The guy had just run a 79-yard touchdown and the TV was showing his picture and statistics.
He was only 5 foot 9! He was a little guy! But he was playing in the NFL, the Pros! He'd just scored a touchdown! Bella sparked with a new
attention to the game and began to question Billy and her grandfather at length about small football players. She was taller than she had been
in her previous life. She was nearly 5 foot 8 and this, she decided, was close enough. After all, the beach wasn't the stadium in Seattle. It was
her boys and they'd never hurt her, but she wanted to show them she didn't have to be treated like a delicate flower either.
Renesmee and Quil practiced a few more passes. He taught her a couple of play patterns, where she could zig zag a bit before catching the ball.
She caught every single pass he threw at her. He was sorely impressed. The zig-zagging would confuse the defense, he explained to her. She
said she didn't care about that so much. She just wanted to attract Jacob's attention.
"Ooooohh, so you tell the truth now? You are just a little devil, aren't you? Okay, if that's your game, who am I to stand in your way?"
He handed her the ball and they began to make their way toward First Beach.
"Besides, you now qualify as a 'ringer' and I'm the only one who knows what you can do. YOU, little lady, will be on MY team."