Her Dreams Give Her Wings
Chapter 11 – Happy Birthday
"It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts." – Ella Fitzgerald

Bella's POV

I had just finished making breakfast and started on the dishes when I heard little footsteps coming down the stairs.

Edward looked up at me from the newspaper in his hand and smiled. I smiled back and dried my hands on the dishtowel.

Ness walked in slowly, her hair a wild mess around her face. Edward got up from the table and grabbed her up in his arms in one quick movement.

She smiled shyly at him and kissed his cheek. "Good morning."

He smiled that perfect crooked smile back at her and kissed her forehead. "Yes it is. Happy tenth birthday Renesmee."

"Thank you," she murmured hiding her eyes as she blushed.

I giggled. "Stop monopolizing our daughter. Give her to me."

Nessie turned around and held her arms out for me. I took her into my arms and held her closely. She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed. I kissed her hair and murmured, "Happy birthday angel."

"It is happy," she sighed.

"Okay, breakfast time." Edward said, interrupting our moment.

I set Nessie in her chair and she started bouncing when she saw what we were having for breakfast.

I smiled. "Hungry?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she chanted.

I put a pancake on her plate. She looked at it then at me, confused.

"What are those black things?"

"Chocolate chips." I said, serving myself and Edward.

"You can do that?" she asked in amazement.

I laughed. "Of course I can. They're Edward's favorite."

Edward chuckled. "Only when you make them."

I rolled my eyes. Ness looked skeptical. "Just try it," I urged her.

"Okay." She cut off a small piece with chocolate in it. It was like watching her try pancakes all over again. I watched as that smile crept onto her face until she was beaming.

"That's really good! Can you make them all the time?" she asked, shoveling it into her mouth.

I smiled. "Anytime."

"So what would you like to do today?" Edward asked.

"I get to pick?"

"Well of course you do. It's your birthday." I reminded her.

"Right," she said quietly.

I grabbed her hand on top of the table and held it in my own. "Really Nessie. This is your day sweetheart. Whatever you want to do is fine with us."

"Well, there is one thing I always wanted to do," she said, not looking at either of us.

I grabbed her chin and made her look me in the eyes as she spoke. "What is it?"

"I wanted to get my ears pierced."

The sentence hung in the air. I hadn't really noticed that she didn't have them pierced.

"Why do you want to do that?" Edward asked with sincere curiosity.

"Because my mom had them pierced and now there are a whole bunch of earrings that are really pretty and are just sitting around my dad's house. He couldn't get rid of them. I want to go back and get them."

"Oh honey, I don't know if we can…," I let the sentence trail off. What was I supposed to tell her? That she couldn't have those little things that were her mother's? They obviously meant something to her, and I could hear the sadness in her voice when she spoke of her mother. I sighed quietly.

"We'll figure it out. But, if that's what you want to do, then we'll do it. We'll go after breakfast. Okay?" Edward truly was my hero. He always made sure things would be okay no matter what the situation.

Nessie smiled hugely. "Okay! Thank you mommy and daddy. You're the best."

She got up from the table and hugged us both before turning for the stairs. She stopped short before she got to them. "Can I take a shower?"

"Of course you can sweetheart, but don't you want to eat some more?" I asked, indicating the half eaten pancake on her plate.

"I'm kind of full," she said, putting one foot on the stairs.

"Wait just a minute Ness. I think you should eat a little bit more. We're going to be out a lot today," Edward said sternly.

He and I had been talking about her health a lot lately. We figured that if we made her eat more, we could get her weight up to a more normal one.

"But, honest, I'm not hungry," she said confused.

"But you didn't eat a lot. You need to have a little bit more before we do anything today." Edward wasn't going to budge on this.

"But I…," she trailed off and threw me a glance, waiting for me to say something.

"He's right Ness. You need to eat just a little more. At least finish what's on your plate."

"But I'm not hungry! I can't eat it if I'm not hungry," she was becoming angry, her voice starting to rise.

"I understand, but you need to get healthy. You will sit down and finish your breakfast before you do anything else today," Edward was getting irritated. I took his hand on top of the table and squeezed it gently.

Nessie looked at the both of us realizing that we wouldn't let this go and said exasperatedly, "Fine."

She marched back to her seat and sat down with a humph. It was hard not to laugh. Her anger was like a kitten's, more cute than scary. She put her elbow on the table and put her chin in her hand. She picked up her fork and started to poke at her food.

"Well, I'm going to go get ready for today," Edward announced sliding his chair out from the table.

He kissed my forehead as he passed. Then he got to Ness and kneeled down next to her. He looked up at her from under his lashes and spoke with sincerity. "I'm sorry angel. I didn't mean to make you angry; I just want you to be healthy. I love you more than anything."

Nessie's anger seemed to melt away with his words. "It's okay daddy. I know you want the good things for me. I forgive you." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

He chuckled. "Finish your breakfast and then you can get ready, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Are you taking a shower this morning Bella?" Edward wondered.

I smiled at him. "Maybe. That depends if you'll be there."

He leaned into my ear. "Aren't I always?"

I shivered and he chuckled. He kissed me again before heading upstairs.

I watched Ness finish the rest of her breakfast before I cleared the table.

"Can I take a shower now?" she wondered.

"Yes, or you can take a bath."

She tilted her head to the side. "I can?"

"Of course. I have some bubbles if you would like to use them." Sometimes it amazed me how much this little girl never did. Other times it made me see red.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah. I'll go get them for you, okay?" I said with a smile.

"Thank you, mommy! This is the best birthday ever."

I chuckled. "We haven't even done anything yet. There is a lot more that we'll do before the day is over."

"Like what?" she wondered.

"I can't tell you silly girl. It's a surprise."

"Okay, can I get ready then?" she was literally bouncing with excitement.

"Sure, come on," I said starting up the stairs.

I ran the bath water and added the bubbles while she picked out clothes for today. She came back in with her arms full of clothes.

"Need some help?" I guessed.

She nodded. "I don't know what to pick. I like all of them, but I don't know what we're doing today."

"How about I pick, okay?"

"Yes, and can you do my hair for me?" she wondered, tracing the pattern on the tiles with her foot.

I picked her up and set her on the counter. She looked up at me with those big brown eyes shielded by her hair. I tucked it behind her ear and sighed, trying to find where to start.

"Ness, I know that in the past you had to do a lot on your own, and I know you think you still do. But, honey, you're still a kid. Don't ever think that asking me or Edward for something is wrong; we want to give you all that we can. We love you," I reminded her with a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry. I love you too," she said hugging me around the neck and kissing my cheek.

"Don't be sorry, just remember what I said. Now take your bath before the water gets cold."

"Okay!" She hopped off of the counter and landed on her knees with a thud. I gasped but she just got up and wiped off the blood that was flowing out of the tiny cut on her knee. There was no reaction from her, not even an 'ow'.

"What was that?" Edward demanded, running down the hall wrapped in a towel.

"I fell, but I'm okay, see?" Nessie said, holding out her knee for examination. The blood was still flowing.

I couldn't make a sound. The smell of blood was making me dizzy.

"Bella? Love, can you hear me?" Edward said, grabbing my shoulders and looking into my eyes.

"I'm fine. Excuse me," I said weakly.

"What's wrong with mommy?" Nessie asked Edward as I walked into the hall to clear my head. I sank down to the floor outside the bathroom door and practiced breathing evenly.

"Mommy's fine, don't worry. Now let me see your cut," he said, grabbing her knee.

"I'm fine, really. It just stings a little," she said nonchalantly.

"Well, make sure you clean it off real well and then I'll put a Band-Aid on it for you." Edward came out of the bathroom and reached down for my hand. I looked up at him and then at his hand, placing my own in it.

I closed the door to the bathroom and walked with him to our room.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine after I take a shower," I assured him.

He smiled crookedly, a glint in his eyes. "Well let me help you because you seem a little off balance."

I was always off balance. "Catch me if I fall."

"I plan on it," he said, picking me up into his arms and carrying me into our adjoining bathroom.

Renesmee's POV

I threw my shirt off over my head and stripped off the rest of my clothes. I stuck my hand in the water to feel its temperature and shivered. It was so warm compared to the air around me. I stepped in and sat down.

Something yellow caught my eye in the corner of the bathtub. A little rubber duck was sitting there all by itself. I had noticed that they had one in every bathroom, each one a different color. I picked it up and set it on top of the water. It bobbed around almost tipping over a couple times. I sank lower into the water until just my head was above it, watching the little duck rocking gently across the water. I made a title wave with my hand. The duck tipped over, head ducking under the water, before it righted itself.

I watched the duck, mesmerized, until the water started to get cold. I washed my hair with shampoo that smelled like Bella; strawberry. I tipped my head back to rinse my hair off. The water lapped at my face threatening to cover my eyes. I put all of my head under the water and opened my eyes. Everything was blurred, the colors running together. I pulled my head up, breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. I rubbed the water out of my eyes and finished washing the rest of me.

I pulled the plug from the tub and stepped out, wrapping the towel around me, trying to keep the warm. The water from my hair dripped down my back, cold as ice, and I shivered. I dried my hair and pulled on the outfit that Bella picked for me. It was a purple dress, spaghetti strap, straight down to my knees, with a big bow that sat on my chest. The leggings were plain black with lace at the end; I pulled them on carefully over the fresh scrape on my knee.

I turned off the light and walked into my room. I searched my closet for a sweater to wear over the dress. I finally found one hiding in the very back. It was plain white with half sleeves. I looked at my shoes and frowned. Nothing seemed right with this outfit. I sighed and left my room deciding to let Bella choose.

I walked to their room and stuck my head in. Edward was lying across the bed, hands behind his head, eyes closed, humming something soft, sweet, but unfamiliar. Their bathroom door was closed and I could hear Bella moving around inside. I crossed the room and climbed on the bed, trying my hardest not to jostle it. I crawled close to him and kissed his cheek. He opened his eyes and turned his face to mine.

"Hi angel," he murmured kissing me softly on the forehead.

"Hi daddy," I said, cuddling against his side. He moved one arm from behind his head and put it against my back, holding me close. I closed my eyes as he started humming again. I laid one of my hands on his chest, feeling the rise and fall motion as he breathed.

I heard the bathroom door open but I didn't move. Edward turned his head and stopped humming. I could feel his heart start to beat faster and I opened my eyes. He was staring over my head at Bella.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

I turned my head and immediately wanted to cry. Her hair was curly and on top of her head. She was wearing a simple blue dress with silver strappy heels. Her make-up was done perfectly; super long lashes and just a little lip gloss.

She blushed when he said that and stuck her hand out. There was a Band-Aid sitting in her palm.

He sat up and took it from her, his eyes never leaving hers.

I pulled my leggings up over my knee and looked at the scrape. It wasn't really that bad. I'd had much worse. Edward peeled apart the package and pulled the little white tabs off before gently smoothing it over my knee. He was so gentle that I wouldn't have known he put it on if I wasn't watching. He kissed the Band-Aid and pulled my leggings back down. I fixed them so they were even and kissed his cheek.

I slid off of the bed and walked over to Bella.

"I don't know what shoes I should wear," I told her.

She smiled at me. "How about those silver flats?"

I nodded and ran back to my room to get them. I pulled them on my feet and skipped back to their room.

"Nessie, come here so I can do your hair," Bella's voice came from the bathroom.

I walked into the bathroom and turned so my back was to her. She took the top half of my hair and tied it up with a purple ribbon. Then she used the curling iron to make my curls more noticeable.

She looked me over and kissed my forehead. "You're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you differently," she whispered in my ear.

"Thank you mommy, I love you." I wrapped my arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

"All right my beautiful ladies, let's get going. We've got a lot to do today."

I grabbed her hand and walked back to where Edward stood with the keys in his hand.

"You two are breaking my heart. You're gorgeous," he said taking my other hand.

We walked down the steps and outside and all climbed into Edward's Dodge Charger. We backed out of the driveway and took off in the direction of the mall.

First stop: Piercing Pagoda.

!#$#!

We walked into the mall and started in the direction of the Piercing Pagoda. Bella reached out and grabbed Edward's arm. "I have to go get something. I'll be back in five minutes."

"Okay, can't you wait, though?" He asked, confused.

She shook her head. "No, I have to go now. I'll be back before they do it though, promise." She kissed my cheek and walked away.

"Well, let's do this, then," Edward sighed.

We walked, hand-in-hand, to the little station in the middle of the mall. The man behind the counter was flipping through a magazine. Edward cleared his throat and he looked up. His ears were covered in piercings.

"Hello there, my name is Kyle, what can I do for you?" He was clearly gay.

"She'd like to get her ears pierced," Edward explained.

"Oh, well, right this way. I'm going to need you to sign a form for me. Why don't you pick out a pair of earrings sweetheart? You'll be wearing them for six weeks, so pick something you like." He led us behind the counter and pulled out a piece of paper for Edward and pointed out the earrings for me.

"Okay." I let go of Edward's hand and walked over to the revolving cases that held the earrings.

"I'm back. Did you find ones you like?" Bella came up behind and bent her head so she was on my level.

"I like those," I said, pointing to the diamond looking hearts.

"Pretty. I'm going to sign the papers and then we'll do this, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"Okay beautiful, are you ready for this?" Kyle asked.

"I'm ready." I was, but I was nervous.

He picked me up and set me on a tall chair. I pointed out the earrings that I wanted and he got them out of the case. I watched as he cleaned the gun and the needle that was going to do the piercing. I had never been afraid of needles, but that was in my arms. In my ears was completely different.

"Taylor, I'm going to need you for this one."

I turned my head and saw a girl on the phone. She looked back at Kyle and then hung up.

"Nessie, are you sure you want to do this now?" Bella asked. She was gripping Edward's hand so hard it was white.

"I'm sure. I can do this," I reminded myself.

"Okay sweetheart, on the count of three we're going to do this. It's just going to be a little pinch and then it might sting for a minute. It'll be over before you know," Kyle said calmly.

He drew a dot on each ear and made sure they were even before he and Taylor lined up the guns. "1, 2…3." I heard the gust of air as the gun went, but I didn't feel anything, not at first. Then it was just a dull burn.

"Is that it?" I asked Kyle.

He smiled, almost looking shocked. "That's it. You're all set." He handed me a mirror and showed off my new earrings. I smiled.

"You can change them in six weeks. Make sure you clean them before you put them in and twist them every day. As long as you do that, you'll be fine."

I heard Bella sigh and I wondered how long she had been holding her breath. I smiled at her and she smiled weakly back.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked.

I took each of their hands again as we made our way back out to his car.

"Bella, relax. It's over," he chuckled.

She grunted and I giggled. "I'm fine mommy, honest. It didn't even hurt that much."

"Okay, let's just go."

"Where are we going?" I wondered.

"We are going out to lunch."

No one had to say another word; I ran to the car and opened the door as soon as it was unlocked.

!#$#!

Edward carried me into the house, singing and giggling, at the peak of my sugar rush.

We ate lunch at Red Robin where I got the chicken fingers and fries, and they let me drink pop! After we finished eating, the waiters came out with a balloon and a huge ice cream sundae and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. It was probably a mistake to eat all of that sugar, no doubt I'd be a mess tomorrow, but this was the first real birthday I had ever had. And if they didn't care, why should I?

"Nessie relax," Edward said with that crooked smile.

I whipped my head around smiled hugely at him before jumping out of his arms and running back out the front door. I ran down the steps, being careful not to fall, and started to do cartwheels across the yard.

"You're going to get sick," he warned.

"No I won't," I said going down for another one.

I stood up and got really dizzy. I sat on the grass and put my head in my hands.

"I told you," he said, standing over me. I looked up at him and stuck my tongue out.

He smiled crookedly and sank down in front of me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said standing up again. I tried to walk around him, but he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into his lap. He had an evil sort-of glint in his eyes.

"No, don't, please," I pleaded.

His hands attacked my sides and I was trapped in his iron grasp as I started to laugh uncontrollably.

I tried to tell him to stop, but I couldn't breathe. He let me go and I struggled to catch my breath.

"Now tell me where you learned to do all of that," he demanded.

I looked at him, confused. "Do what?"

"All of those cartwheels."

"Oh, that. My neighbor took gymnastics and she used to teach me how to do flips. I can do cartwheels, back bends, front handsprings, and of course a somersault."

"Well, you're really good. Have you ever thought about taking gymnastics yourself?"

I shook my head. "No, I knew it was too much money and my dad wouldn't let me. I was lucky to do cheerleading when I did."

"You were a cheerleader?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I used to cheer for my elementary school." I hoped he couldn't hear the sadness in my voice.

"Well, I think you should do it again," he said with a smile.

"Really?" I asked in a small voice.

"You have too much talent not to do it. Now let's go inside and get ready for the rest of our day." He sat me on the ground and then stood up, holding his hand out for me.

I smiled evilly at him as I stood. "I'll race you."

He smiled back and set his feet.

"On your mark, get set, GO!" I took off at a sprint for the stairs, but he grabbed me around the waist and ran with me up the stairs and into the house.

"Hey, that's cheating! I was going to win," I pouted when he set me down.

"That was not cheating. We tied."

"Okay kids, stop fighting. You can have a rematch later," Alice said, standing in the front door.

"Aunt Alice!" I yelled, running to give her a hug.

She opened her arms and I ran into them. "Hey birthday girl!"

"Alice, baby, I love you, but I can't fit around you with all of this stuff in my arms," Jasper mumbled into boxes in his arms.

"Oh, sorry. Uh, Edward, where's Bella?"

"Out back. Jazz, you want some help?"

"Yeah, take that box, no, not that one, that one. Yeah, that's it. Okay, let's go."

"Nessie! Happy birfday!" Jordan said behind Alice. He was carrying a pink gift bag in his hand and he held it out to me. "This for you."

I smiled and took it out of his hand giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Yuck! Girl germs," he yelled, running out the back door.

"Should we go outside?" I wondered.

"No, not yet. Nessie, take Aunt Alice up to your room so she can get an idea for decorating," Bella said hugging Alice.

"Uh, okay?" I said, confused.

I took Alice's hand and led her up the stairs. I was pretty sure she had seen my room before, but I wasn't going to argue. Obviously, they didn't want me outside yet. Though, I had no idea why.

"Well, this is it," I said motioning to the open door at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, how cute! We could make a window seat and paint the walls different colors. We'll have to get pictures and pillows and everything. This is going to be the cutest girl room ever," she said excitedly. "All right, I think I got it. Now we can go outside. But first, your mom wants you to put this on." She handed me the bag that Bella had gotten when we were at the mall.

I looked inside and saw white, but I couldn't tell what it was. I threw a glance at Alice but she just smiled and pushed me towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind me and I sighed.

I opened the bag and pulled orange one piece bathing suit. There was a pink flower on the top half with rhinestones. It was a halter top that tied around the back with white strings. It also had a little skirt. I pulled on the bathing suit, but left the skirt off, instead pulling on the white cover up that was also in the bag.

I walked out of the bathroom and saw Alice standing there with a pair of flip flops for me. "Cute Nessie, but I need to fix your hair."

She pulled the ribbon out and grabbed it all up into a pony tail. "All right, I think we're good now. Let's go."

We walked into the backyard and I stopped in my tracks. Tables and chairs were set up everywhere with balloons and food and cake and a bunch of water toys. The rest of my family was there along with Destiny and her mom and Julia with her parents.

"Surprise!" they yelled when they saw me.

Julia and Destiny ran up to me and both hugged me at the same time. "Happy birthday!" they squealed.

"I got you the bestest present ever!" Destiny told me.

"No, I did!" Julia said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm sure I'll love them both," I assured them, trying to keep the peace. It seemed that the two of them hadn't become friends while they were waiting for me.

"Squirt!" Uncle Emmett yelled. I looked behind Julia and Destiny to see him grinning hugely.

"Uncle Emmett!" I yelled back. I ran over to him and he scooped me up into his arms.

"Hey kiddo. Happy birthday! How old are you now? Like twenty five? Are you old enough to date?" he wondered wiggling his eyebrows.

I blushed. "No, I'm only ten."

He laughed deeply. "Oh, I was only kidding. I know your dad would be having a heart attack if you were old enough to date."

"Emmett, what are you-what are you doing?" Edward asked, frustrated.

"Aww relax Eddie, I was just messing with her." Emmett set me down and I got passed through the rest of my family. I was enveloped in hugs and smothered with kisses.

Destiny, Julia, Jordan, and I played in the shallow ends of the water while the adults sat around telling jokes and stories and drinking. I tried not to pay attention to the drinking but it was hard. It really only scared me when Edward drank, but he didn't drink much and he seemed very in control.

When the water started to get cold, we got out and they sang "Happy Birthday" and told me to make a wish before I blew out the candles. I looked around at all the faces of my family and friends and smiled.

"I don't need a wish," I told them before blowing out the candles.

There was a chorus of 'Aww' before they all erupted in applause. Edward cut the cake and Bella scooped the ice cream. I sat at a table with Julia and Destiny; I could tell they didn't want to sit together, but they did it for me.

After, I opened presents. There were a lot of clothes that I got from Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. Jordan made me a card with disfigured stick figures; it was cute. Aunt Rosalie got me a whole new outfit, including earrings, and Uncle Emmett got me a soccer ball and a home-made coupon for us to spend the day together. All of the grandparents gave me money and told me to 'spend it wisely'. Julia got me the most adorable necklace; half of a butterfly and she wore the other half, Best Friend necklaces, and Destiny gave me the cutest frog stuffed animal that was about as big as Jordan and had a huge pink bow on its head.

After we opened presents we went back to the edge of the water and looked at all of the different colored rocks and the shells that were washed up. The radio was turned on to some station that played music I didn't know, but the adults seemed to like. I walked along the edge of the water, the waves lightly lapping at my feet, and watched as the lights of the party faded the farther I got. I didn't realize how dark it was getting until all I could see was the lights in the distance; I turned around and headed back.

I made it back to them as the first drops of rain started to fall. They fell to the rocks by my feet and I looked up at the sky.

"Jazz, hurry up! Everything's going to get ruined!" Alice fretted.

I was already wet and I didn't want to move. Julia and Jordan started to dance as the rain came down harder and Destiny ran back home with her mom. Everyone was running to the house with their hands full of things from the party as I stood still letting the water drip through my hair. The radio played a song that I recognized and I smiled; You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground and I'll Be The Wings That Keep Your Heart In The Clouds by Mayday Parade. I started to spin in a slow circle, trying my best to not fall.

"Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?..."

I hummed along, low, under my breath and then I heard someone coming behind me. I turned around and found Edward watching me with a smile.

His shirt was soaked and stuck to his chest, his hair matted down with the rain. He held his hand out, "May I have this dance?"

I smiled back at him and took his hand. He pulled me close and set me on his feet as we started to turn slowly in a sweet dance.

Birthdays may come once a year, but if they were like this all the time, I wouldn't mind. I could stay like this forever.

"Perfect," I whispered.


A/N: Aww! Why can't my parents be like that? Well, her first birthday with Edward and Bella couldn't have been any better, right? If you don't know the band Mayday Parade, you don't deserve to listen to music. There new album came out today! Anywhere But Here, check it out. Most definitely worth it. Drama will be coming back soon, like, oh, the next chapter. Hehe xD You know how I do! Review, review, review!
Thanks guys.
I love you my lovelies XOXO Kelly