Hello friends! How've you been? Ok, I didn't say this on my last chapter, but I noticed the reviews going a little dry. So, I'm going to re-enforce my rule about updating: I want two reviews per chapter, please. But other than that, you've all been wonderful readers! I love you all.

Now, thanks to all who reviewed, read on!

It happened about two days ago. And I still can't believe it yet. Jacob broke from the pack and became the Alpha he was born to be!

I remembered I couldn't feel the weight of the Alpha command when Sam had ordered us to prepare for the attack on the Cullens. Everyone had been confused, but then Jacob stood up and told Sam off. Sam was furious, but more insecure than anything. He didn't like the feeling of not being in control.

Seth had followed us back to the Cullen's house and Jacob had argued for him to go back, but Seth was stubborn and refused to leave. Not that I could blame him. I wouldn't want to face an angry Sam either. Then, soon enough after, Leah came along, hoping to get away from Sam, though claiming she was here for Seth. Again, I couldn't blame her for wanting to be free from the burden of a lost love.

So now, we're running the perimeter of the Cullen territory, searching for any traces of Sam or possibly other vampires. We wanted to be prepared for anything. We'd go over and spend time with Bella and the rest, then go and run patrols again. It was this little routine that kept me sane.

Apparently, Bella was going to be giving birth to her baby-thing in either a few days or next week. Today, it was Friday, so there wasn't much time left. I actually felt sad that there was a possibility that Bell may not survive.

Find anything, babe? Jacob's voice rang inside my head.

Nope, nothing yet. I answered.

You wanna go and take a little break while Leah and Seth run the perimeter?

I considered it for a moment. I was a little hungry, and I could use a little break.

Sure, I'll be right there.

I Shifted back into a human, and changed into my shorts and t-shirt. Meeting Jacob half-way to the house, I smiled at him and as he returned the smile, I laced my fingers through his. We swung our hands between us as we walked into the house. Bella was sitting upright on the couch, having improved a lot since we first got here. Jacob had thought of something while Seth and I were running patrols. He thought they should feed the baby-thing blood; something more close to its father's appetite. I figured it made sense and hadn't been too bothered by the idea. Of course, I had no right to be bothered; to each their own, like I say…sometimes.

"Hey, Bella," I said as I crouched down to give her a one-armed hug. "Hey, Edward, Rosalie," Edward nodded in greeting, while Rosalie smiled slightly at me. She had a much different reaction to me, than she did with the other wolves.

"Hey, Rosalie, I've been meaning to ask, why do you treat me better than the other wolves?" I sat down on the floor next to the loveseat she was sitting in. Rosalie put a delicate forefinger to her alabaster chin and looked deep in thought.

"I suppose, mostly, because you don't stink," she told me, a half-smile gracing her lips.

This shocked me. "I don't?"

Rosalie shook her head. "Nope; you smell more like us, though not as strong and not as much. Besides, you're smell overlaps his." She jerked her chin at Jacob, who sat on the armrest of the sofa.

"I can't read your mind, either," Edwards quiet voice sounded.

"Really? And all this time I thought you could." I shook my head.

"Rosalie…" Bella said, sounding uncomfortable. Oh boy; looks like another potty break.

"Again?" the blond statue said, smiling wryly. Bella flushed a little and nodded. Rosalie stood up and went to help Bella stand up. I had a flash of an image that showed blood and sounded of screams. I tensed as I realized it was Bella's. Bella was standing upright and looking as if she was trying to look at her toes over the giant bulge that was her stomach.

"Oops!" she bent over to pick up the cup of blood that she had knocked up by standing, even though pale hands had gotten to it first. There was a horrible tearing sound and then Bella was screaming. Her scream chocked off though, when she vomited up a fountain of blood.

Edward and Rosalie were shrieking orders to Alice and any other Vampire that was in the house, but I was already tugging at them to get her upstairs to a more situated place for this kind of thing. Shouldn't the doctor have a study or something in here?

With Edward carrying Bella in his arms, we ran up the stairs at full speed, going into what I guessed was the study. Edward set Bella on the large desk and that's when she came back around.

"Get him OUT! Do it NOW! He can't BREATHE!" She screamed, loud enough for my ears to throb a bit.

"The morphine—," Edward growled, but Bella cut him off.

"NO! NOW—!" whatever she'd been about to scream was cut off by another fountain of blood pouring out of her mouth.

Somewhere, Rosalie came up with a scalpel and started piercing the skin of Bella's stomach with her hand. But then she lost her focus and we all noticed the black glint of hunger and thirst in her eyes. The other two tried to stop her, but just when she was about to lunge, I flung my hand out and she was slammed into the wall. I didn't know or care what this unknown power was, but as Edward told Alice to take care of Rosalie and keep her down stairs, I knew I would be of more use down there than up here.

My powers would be useless to help Bella, but I could use them to keep Rosalie down stairs and away from Bella and her baby-thing. So I raced down the stairs and kneeled in front of her, where Jasper and Alice were trying to calm her down. I grasped her hand thought, you're not thirsty, and you don't want, need or smell blood right now. Calm down and relax.

Her hand went lax in mine and I looked up to see her smiling sheepishly in thanks at me. I nodded and said, "Stay here, I'll go get the baby."

I zipped up the stairs and saw Edward holding a bloody thing in his arms, away from Bella who was now a big and bloody mess on the desk. Jacob was trying to pump her heart for her and I could hear it faltering.

"Take the baby," Edward urged to Jacob.

"Throw it out the window," Jacob snapped. Then I stepped in.

"Give it to me," I said. They both growled, not at me, but because of Rosalie still down stairs. "I've got her under control; give me the baby, Edward. I promise I'll keep her away from Rosalie, if that's what you want, but right now, you need to take care of Bella." I held out my arms, and Edward placed the bloody thing into my arms. The baby was a girl, it turned out, and she was soaked in blood, which was seeping through my white t-shirt.

I got out of the room and went down stairs. Immediately, Rosalie came up to me and held her arms out for the baby. I tipped the corner of my mouth down and shook my head apologetically. "I'm under strict orders to keep her away from you."

She frowned and sulked back to the loveseat. I walked out onto the front porch under the moonlight. It wasn't full, but it was just one phase from it. The baby was unusually warm and her heartbeat was a lot faster than a normal human's—even for babies. She must be half-human and half-vampire. If that was even possible, but I still believe it is. There was a cold breeze outside and my breath came out in fog. I held the baby in one arm and tore my t-shirt off from the bottom of my bra-line so that my entire abdomen was exposed. I tore it all off and wrapped it around the baby girl. It was just long enough to cover her from her head to her feet.

She was staring at me curiously and I bounced her up and down in soothing motions, while patting her t-shirt clad bottom. Curse my motherly instincts! I started swaying from side to side gently, and her brown eyes started to droop. But she wouldn't go to sleep. Instead, she put her hand to my face and held it there.

An image flashed through my mind's eye. It was of a very bloody Bella, smiling weakly and moving her lips to form words that didn't quite make it past her lips. Then her face scrunched up in pain and the image faded. Back in the present, I looked down at the baby who was smiling at me, as if proud of what she'd done. She must be gifted, gifted like her father and her aunt and uncle.

"You have quite the power there, sweetie," I murmured to her softly. "You kind of do the opposite of what your daddy does. He can read what people think, but he can't read your mommy's mind. You have your momma's eyes, by the way. Brown, just like hers. And I think you have your daddy's hair color, too. A really pretty face, small nose, small mouth, small fingers," I picked up one of her hands and held it in mine, grabbing her fingers and showing them to her.

"Tiny toes, small feet…" I trailed off as I heard someone running towards us and whipped around, my hair covering the baby like a curtain. Jacob looked furious, his breath ragged as he charged at the baby and me. I jumped out of the way, nearly falling in the process and holding my hand out in warning.

"No, Jacob; stop right there." He paused, his breathing even louder in the near silence.

"That thing's a killer, Serenity. It killed Bella; it's the reason that Bella died covered in her own blood. It needs to be destroyed, now," he huffed.

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head once fiercely, indicating that there was no room for argument. "Absolutely not; over my dead body will you lay a harming hand on this child."

Jacob's jaw fell open. "It's not even yours! Why are you protecting it? It killed its own mother!" he stuttered.

"Bella's not dead, Jacob! If you could just stop and listen, you might hear her heart; it's beating again, but you wouldn't know that with all the blood roaring in your ears, would you?"

He held his breath and cocked his head toward the house—which had its residents out on the porch and watching me defend what was theirs. His face went slack and I knew he could hear the heartbeat of the supposed dead woman upstairs.

"Serenity, could you bring the baby upstairs to me, please?" Edward called to me from inside the house.

I zipped into the house and up the stairs in seconds, arriving in the study. The baby was silent in my arms, but looking bewildered from the events of five minutes ago. Bella's body was completely mangled where her baby bulge was and she was completely motionless, but her heart was beating still. Edward looked up at me and saw the makeshift blanket I had given to his child. The corner of his mouth tipped up in a small smile and he said, "Thanks for doing that for her. And for saying what you did outside when Jacob tried to attack."

"No problem; my motherly instincts just sort of took over, I guess. But I did mean it; I wouldn't let anybody touch her if they were going to hurt her," I said, taking a seat next to him by the desk. "I can clean her up, if you don't want to leave Bella, though. I don't think it's good for her to stay covered in blood."

Edward nodded his consent, never taking his eyes off of Bella. "The bathroom is down the hall, first door on your left."

"Got it. By the way, what's her name?" I asked before leaving the room.

"Renesmee; her name is Renesmee."

I nodded to myself, and then went to the bathroom. I started up the warm water in the bath tub, feeling it with my elbow first, and then washing the blood off of Renesmee's body. It was a tough thing to do, since I had to do it as a mermaid. I can't kneel in my tail, just like you can't bend a fish in half. My tail is like one long spine bone; well, it's actually connected to my spine, but you get the point.

I had to hang myself over the tub from my armpits, washing her as she looked up at me curiously. The water was all murky and tinged red from the blood. I grabbed a towel and wrapped her in it. Then I sat on the closed toilet and fisted my hand over it. Renesmee was staring at my tail in wonder, and when the steam cleared and my tail disappeared, she looked back up at me and touched my face with her hands.

An image of my tail steaming and then disappearing flashed to my mind. It was tinged with curiosity, and I could almost taste how curious she was. I smiled at her and took her a room that smelled like her father—at least I think it did.

Drying her up, I looked around for clothes or at the very least a diaper, but found nothing. So, I just closed my eyes and imagined my room. I imagined my hand reaching into empty air and disappearing as if there was something there. My hand reappeared in my room, in my closet. It rose to the top shelf where a box had the words Serenity's baby clothes were scribbled on the side. My hand reached into the box and pulled out a brown jumper with pink butterflies on it. My hand then reached back and reappeared in Edward's room, where I opened my eyes and smiled at the jumper that was in the hand that wasn't busy holding Renesmee.

"The power of imagination," I murmured happily. I put the bewildered baby on the white couch that I was using as a changing station and frowned as I realized I didn't have a diaper to put on her. "Alice?" I called. The pixie like vampire was by my side in an instant.

"Yes, did you need something?" she asked me.

"Please tell me you have diapers. I need one—well, Renesmee needs one," I nodded towards said baby who was currently playing with my overly long hair.

"We do, I'll go get you one." And then she was gone and back in about five seconds. In her hand was a small diaper that would fit Renesmee perfectly. I put the diaper on her and then zipped her into the jumper.

"Where'd you get the jumper?" Alice asked me.

"It was one of mine, but she can borrow it for now. I'm going to need it back again, just in case."

Alice nodded and she disappeared again. I shrugged and picked up the now clothed baby, prepared to bring her to her father, but something told me I probably shouldn't; not when her mother was still mangled and probably burning right now. So I took her down stairs instead. I was carrying her the way you would carry a baby if you were burping it and you couldn't see her face.

The other vampires that had left were back and sitting on the couch, tense. When I got to the living room, they all looked up and smiled when they saw that I was carrying the baby. I smiled back and said, "Hello, everybody, would you like to meet your niece or granddaughter?"

They laughed and got up eagerly to see Renesmee. "So it's a girl, then?" Emmet's loud voice boomed through the house. It was so loud that the baby jumped, her heart fluttering even faster for a moment.

"Emmet, you scared her!" I scolded him in a soft voice so as not to scare her again. Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head—hard. I heard her mutter something that sounded like 'moron'. "Yes it's a girl, and her name is Renesmee." My voice was still soft and I was bouncing her softly again like before.

"So, is there any reason why you're hardly wearing a shirt?" Emmet asked me, his eyes glinting with quiet laughter. I looked down and saw that I was still wearing the t-shirt I'd ripped to cover the baby as a blanket.

"I ripped it to cover her like a blanket. I swear, you people were so unprepared! The only thing you had were diapers. I had to give her one of my own jumpers to keep her clothed," I said, laughing softly.

The others were all surrounding me, looking at Renesmee in my arms, where she was staring up at them. They all led me to a loveseat and gave me some space, still looking at us though. I saw her yawn, and stood up to gently rock and bounce her to sleep. I stood behind the loveseat, humming to her and rocking her so she could fall asleep.

Her eyelids began to droop and when they finally fluttered closed, she laid her head on my chest, breathing deeply and dreaming peacefully. I looked up and saw all the vampires and Jacob staring at me in awe.

"What?" I whispered so I wouldn't wake Renesmee.

"You're going to be a great mother someday, Serenity," Rosalie told me sincerely. I blushed and looked down. I met everyone's eyes and knew they thought the same thing. Then, Rosalie reached over and smacked Jacob upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He hissed.

"Get a move on, bro!" Emmet whisper-yelled. We all laughed softly while Jacob grumbled, embarrassed.

00000000

Three days later, Bella woke up. I was in charge of taking care of Renesmee, who had grown alarmingly fast in those three days, while they went to hunt. They weren't gone long; just a few hours, in which I had played with Renesmee, watching her as she played with the baby toys Alice had bought for her and then throw them when she got bored with them. She like throwing them particularly at Emmet, which Rosalie and I both thought was hilarious.

Jacob had apologized to both me and Renesmee for trying to kill her and, touching my face with her hand; she forgave him like I did. Currently, I was holding Renesmee while Edward brought Bella to meet her daughter. Jacob was out there to be a test to see if she would hurt Renesmee; I thought it was stupid, but the other vampires insisted that he do it. Renesmee has them all wrapped around her little fingers. I didn't like that he was out there; it made me nervous.

They were all surrounding Renesmee and me, guarding us in a wall formation. Emmet and Jasper were in the front, Alice and Rosalie behind them, and Carlisle and Esme in front of us. Holding Renesmee on my hip, I saw Edward lead Bella into the house, Jacob trailing behind them. Upon seeing me, he smiled and went to my side, kissing my cheek and hooking an arm around my waist.

Renesmee and Bella had their eyes locked on each other. Bella leaned closer and Emmet and Jasper sprang, grabbing her arms and holding her back. She murmured to them that she was okay and Alice chided them, telling them that they would want a closer look, too. Slowly, the wall formation broke away and Renesmee put her hand on my neck, an image of the bloody and human Bella appearing with a twinge of a question in it.

"Yes, that's her, Renesmee," I murmured. She reached her hand out to Bella and Bella mirrored it as if there was an invisible line between them. It made me mentally sigh. I wanted a child of my own so badly. I remember that as a kid, I'd always wanted to be a mother like my mom. I had always wanted kids. And now I wanted one more than ever.

"You want to hold her? She is your daughter, after all. She's been waiting for you for the past three days," I told Bella. "I would know; I've been the only one besides Esme and Edward to hold her."

Bella nodded eagerly. The boys let her go, but they weren't fast enough for Renesmee's liking. She cried out, hands out stretched with her fists clenching and unclenching towards Bella; a clear sign that she wants her mother. Every person in the room rushed toward her, asking if she was alright and touching her. The only one who didn't was Bella.

"It's ok, she's alright; she just wants Bella," I told them. They let Bella hold her and it was a happy reunion between mother and daughter—until Emmet brought up the touchy subject.

"What did Jacob do?" Bella asked suspiciously. The others looked around and Jacob just looked nervous. "Serenity,"—dang it!—"What did Jacob do?"

I looked at Jacob and he nodded his head, sighing and hanging it with shame.

"Well, he, uh, tried to…attack…Renesmee…?" my voice squeaked at the end, making it sound like a question.

Her face looked feral and furious. "What?" immediately, Edward grabbed the baby and thrust her into my arms.

"No, Bella, it's ok! She's fine, see? I didn't let him touch her, and do you know why? Because, I swore that over my dead body would I let him lay a harming hand this child, and I meant it. I would never let anyone hurt Renesmee. Okay?" I looked into her eyes and spoke with as much sincerity as I could, telling the complete truth. She gradually relaxed, but still looked a little pissed off.

"Fine, fine; I'm not mad at you, Jacob. But if you ever—and I mean ever—hurt her or intend to hurt her, I will kill you!"

"Okay, and over my dead body will you do that to him," I said, stepping in front of Jacob protectively. Bella and I stared each other down.

Finally, she said, "Touché."

I cracked a smile. "Me and Renesmee are best friends, aren't we, Renesmee?" I said in a baby-talk voice.

Renesmee nodded, smiling big enough to show white teeth. I laughed. Bu then I had a sad thought and sobered up. Renesmee noticed and touched my face, replaying the scene and adding a confused and asking taste to it.

"It's just that, our business is done here. We have to go back home again. And you guys have to go to New Hampshire, was it? Yeah, so I won't be able to see you for a long time," I said sadly to Renesmee. She sighed and rested her head against my chest. I laid my head on hers and rocked us back and forth. Already I felt a connection between us, like we were best friends and she was moving away. Actually, that was a lot like this situation.

"Yeah, we'll have to leave," Carlisle murmured.

"I wonder if my dad and Austin know where I am," I murmured to myself.

"They do; Sam told them," Jacob whispered in my ear.

I narrowed my eyes. "Let me guess; he thought they would demand that I come back home so he could tell me I was still in his pack and use me against you?"

Jacob's silence confirmed my suspicions. I sighed. Renesmee patted my cheek; not showing me anything, just a friendly consoling gesture.

"We finished school; we should be applying for college, finding jobs, all that grown up stuff. We should be looking for places to live so we can move out of our parents' house; all kind of things, yet here we are, in the house of a vampire coven as if we're visiting old friends. How much weirder can we get?" I asked Jacob.

"Believe it or not, I think we can get weirder," he said. I smiled and pecked his lips once.

"We should be going…" I was reluctant to leave. I had gotten so used to the Cullens and their house and smell. They really were like old friends to me. And I would miss Renesmee, too. But I had a family to return to; and school to start and finish, and—hopefully—a man to date. We haven't officially dated yet, but I'm hoping he'll ask soon.

They all came and hugged me, but only shook Jacob's hand because of his smell. Renesmee didn't want to let go, but eventually she did when I promised I would call her every day that I didn't see her. We were both reluctant, but we knew we had to do the right thing. Shifting, I ran with Jacob all the way home, passing thoughts to each other.

Seth and Leah already went home yesterday, but we stayed behind to say goodbye to Renesmee and the Cullens. We got to my house and I Shifted into human form. Jacob phased and stopped me before I could climb the tree to jump into my window.

"Hey, um, I wanted to ask you, do you want to, I don't know, maybe go out tomorrow?" he asked.

I grinned and said, "Yeah, `course I do." I stretched up and looped my hands around his neck while he put his hands on my waist. I kissed his lips softly. He kissed me a little more roughly and we pulled back. "Good night," I whispered.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered back. Then, I climbed the tree and hopped into my bedroom. After changing into a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt, I walked down stairs and was greeted by my brother and father. They didn't mention where I was and I didn't mention it either. It felt good to be back home.

Lying in bed that night, I wondered what Renesmee was doing. I know, I know; I should get over the little girl, but she was my best friend. I missed her a little. Before falling asleep, I remember wishing for some peace for a few months. But a call about a week later told me I'd been foolishly optimistic.

"Hello?"

"Serenity, we need your help; it's about Renesmee."

A/N: So, what did you think? Remember, if I get two reviews, I update! So please take the time to review on this chapter, of any of my other chapters. Ciao!

~Alee B.