Chapter 11

The next few hours went by quickly. When Rosalie and Emmett returned from hunting, we decided to send out another hunting party. Esme, Alice, and I decided to go, since Carlisle had hunted on the way home and felt he was more needed at home. While he didn't say it, I knew he wanted to monitor the Jacob-Rosalie situation, as well as be there for Edward and Bella. I tasted his mood and found no distress, so I did not push him to leave with us.

It was freeing to fly through the air as we ran. We enjoyed having Esme with us, and I was warmed by how comfortable and happy she felt with us. She did not have any uncomfortable feelings that would accompany a 'third wheel.' We hunted and played, but did not linger. We rested for a moment, allowing Alice time to scan the future. She wanted to check on Charlie and Renee, as well as the Volturi. She saw nothing alarming and even commented on a successful fishing trip Charlie would have in a few days, even though he was very worried about Bella.

Before long, we headed for home. The wolf stink was becoming stronger and stronger, and I wondered if Leah were purposefully marking the foliage and spreading her scent, just to be vengeful. While most of the family believed her to be angry and stubborn, I sensed a complicated array of emotions coming from her. I would be interested to get Edward's take on her—some day, when he was less stressed.

We approached the house as Carlisle was finishing up his latest round of measurements of Renesmee. Alice danced upstairs to check on Bella and to share with Edward her latest visions of Bella.

He must have heard her thoughts before she entered the room, because he immediately asked her, "How much longer?"
"It won't be long now," she happily replied. "See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much better," she finished before sighing.

"Still feeling a little bitter?" Edward asked slightly sarcastically, although I could feel the sympathy underneath his tease.

"Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up," she grumbled good-naturedly. "You would be mortified, too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature, I see vampires, best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've ever experienced. Bah!" She finished, but I could sense the yearning she had to distract and cheer him up, even at her own expense.

"Focus, Alice."

"Right. Bella is almost too easy to see now."

Edward's mood slowly shifted as he saw Alice's vision of a healthy, happy newborn vampire. "She really is going to be fine," he replied, bursting with relief.

"Of course she is," Alice replied smugly.

"You weren't so sanguine two days ago."

"I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake." Cake. That brought back sad, depressing memories for me, of a birthday party, exactly one year ago today. I tried to focus on the more recent memory of cake—the wedding, and the amusement of imagining Edward regurgitating his wedding cake on his honeymoon.

"Could you concentrate for me? On the clock—give me an estimate," Edward demanded.

"So impatient. Fine. Give me a sec--."

More relief. "Thank you, Alice.

Alice felt proud. "She is going to be dazzling."

Edward growled quietly. "She always has been."

Alice gave the cutest little snort. "You know what I mean. Look at her."

Alice danced downstairs, and she and I settled onto the couch with Emmett, who was watching another baseball game. Jacob was wide awake form his nap and had been watching Nessie intently for the last few minutes. He rose, squared his shoulders, went straight to Rosalie and held his arms out for the baby.

"It's my turn," she snarled, and Jacob growled in response. His hands started shaking, but before I could calm him down, Emmett was in between them. "Hey, now," he said warningly to Jacob, but I felt no hostility from him.

Esme hissed at them both. It was very rare for Esme to hiss at us—gentle rebukes were more her style. But we knew, when she hissed, we all listened. Rosalie glanced at Esme, and then begrudgingly handed Nessie to Jacob. I sent Jacob a wave of gratitude and a pointed look. He nodded discretely to me, held the sleeping baby for a few moments, and then returned her to a surprised Rosalie a moment later. He was feeling anxious, and I knew something was bothering him. To go demand Nessie like that…he was feeling insecure and restless.

He turned to Carlisle. "I was thinking, as you all have been preparing for Bella to wake up, that I need to prepare as well. I need to face this thing with Sam, to tell him about Bella and Renesmee."

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "Yes, things are certainly different now than they were two days ago. Sam should be made aware of the…extenuating circumstances."

Jacob nodded. "With the imprenting tendency being one of our sacred attributes, the pack will not attack your family, for fear of hurting her. I also need to inform him that as Ephrim's heir, I gave permission for an exception of our treaty to save Bella. This should ease one stress about the future," he finished, chuckling uncomfortably.

He looked at Nessie again. I was again taken off guard by the emotions he was experiencing, and I knew the sacrifice it would take to leave her, if only for a short time. "Would you want any of us to accompany you? Perhaps Carlisle and I should come with you," I began.

"No, if anyone comes with me, Sam may not pause to listen. He may think it is an attack. I need to go alone."

"Alone?" Esme cried. "At least take Seth and Leah with you. Surely, the pack would not hurt them."

Jacob shook his head. "I won't risk it. Besides, I want them to stay here and help guard the house." His quick look at Renesmee told us why.

Carlisle nodded. He stood and clasped Jacob's hand. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

Jacob, more humbly this time, approached Rosalie and asked quietly, "Can I tell her good-bye?" Rosalie rolled her eyes but handed Nessie, who was now awake, over without comment.

"I'll be right back," he whispered to her. He leaned down and touched his nose to hers and she grinned. She touched his neck, and he replied, "Yes, we'll do that when I get back." He handed her back to Rose, waved half-heartedly to us, and went outside to find Seth and Leah.

We settled back into our positions, listening again to Bella's labored breathing, strong heartbeat, and the drone of the television. At one point, Renesmee played with Emmett and me until she was hungry (or thirsty) again. Esme prepared a bottle, and Carlisle fed her this time. I felt a mixture of paternal feelings from his grandfather side mixed with the analytical feelings that marked the doctor in him. I knew he was still trying to figure out what we were facing with Renesmee.

I thought of Bella upstairs and felt a renewed sense of brotherly love, mixed with the attachment and protectiveness I felt for Nessie. I decided to start researching vampire hybrid babies while we were waiting for Bella to wake up. I went over to the back windows and sat at one of the computer desks. I brought the computer to life, thinking of the other computers throughout the house. These were just as much props as anything else—the newest computers were in a part of the house that the rare visitor would never see. However, this computer would suffice for my basic searching, and I could relocate if I needed.

I did not get far searching for vampire hybrids, and I was disgusted with what I was finding. Mostly, the myths centered around disturbing accounts of vampire trysts with humans. I could easily dismiss these accounts because the details were enough to deem them false. Details such as the vampire tasting the human's blood during the encounter or the humans hurting the vampire were blatant attempts to romanticize an almost impossible event. Almost impossible, as I thought of my brother, the only vampire I could imagine to have the unique combination of strength, will-power, and insanity that it would take to attempt such a fiasco.

I searched some more on the stories that were localized around Isle Esme, as these accounts sounded more plausible than the ones that were blatantly orchestrated by urban teenagers trying to get a cheap thrill by meddling in a world far darker and more dangerous than they could even imagine. The local indigenous tribes of South America seemed to take the threat of vampires more seriously, which opened their eyes a little wider to the truth than their civilized counterparts in the more populated area. They reminded me of our own local native tribe, and I wondered how Jacob's meeting with Sam was going. It made me wish that Alice could see their meeting, which surprised me. I never imagined that I would develop a begrudgingly, albeit sincere, affinity for a werewolf.

I felt Edward's humor at my thought, and I knew he agreed with me. I also could feel that his annoyance with Jacob was mixed with admiration and a begrudging respect, and I realized that he and I felt the same.

As I was contemplating Edward's feelings, I started tasting the subtle emotions around the house. Since Jacob was gone, the intense imprenting emotions were not overwhelming me, and I was able to check on my family. I looked at Alice, who had a blank look on her face and was clearly not watching the baseball game on the television. I recognized that she was trying to search the future, and this task was being made all the more challenging by the cherub sitting not far from her having her hair brushed by her doting Aunt Rosalie. I was taken off guard as I realized that Alice was feeling anxious and I felt a longing coming from her.

Reflexively, I rose from the computer and walked behind her, putting my hand on her shoulder, but not manipulating her mood. Usually my presence was enough to calm her, but the longing did not dissipate as I expected. I soon understood that she was not missing me, sitting only a few feet from her, but she missed her best friend. I realized that the past couple of days had been very hard on her, as she loved Bella more than anyone except Edward. I ran my fingers though her hair and sent her a very small thread of comfort, wanting to ease her pain without denying her the opportunity to work through her emotions.

Since I was already feeling Alice's anxiety and longing, Esme's similar emotions were easy to pick up next. Her emotions were a little more complex, because the love and mothering instinct that she naturally exuded slightly altered the flavor of her anxiety. I secretly found myself over the years tasting Esme's moods more than probably necessary, as the mothering instinct produced a brand of happiness that I never knew existed.

A version of that thread was working its way into Rosalie's jumbled mess of guilt, anger, haughtiness, lust, and pride. Those emotions were typical for my sister; however, the selflessness that was growing as a result of her unique bond with her niece was a surprising addition. I imagined it would be overshadowed by her annoyance when Jacob returned.

Emmett was engrossed in the television, and I could feel his excitement in watching the baseball game. However, I could also feel protectiveness and happiness radiating from him. His emotions always seemed opposite of Rosalie's. It took me years to understand that they complimented, not contradicted, each other.

Carlisle was as consistent as usual. Sometimes when I felt out of control, I would find myself drawn to him. His steady nature was a balm to me, and when I did not want to be alone but was feeling overwhelmed, I found debating religion and philosophy with him to be the perfect solution. However, his wrinkled brow as he looked at Renesmee was the only hint to the thread of worry that wove through his spirit.

I felt Jacob's emotions almost as soon as I could hear his breathing and soft footfalls beyond the edge of the yard. His relief was evident and overshadowed only by his need for Renesmee. I heard a change in the air as he phased back to human, the brush of fabric as he redressed himself, and his eager footsteps as he quietly came into the house. He slowly came into the room, eyes searching until he found Nessie. I braced myself for the onslaught of emotions as he saw her, and I was glad I was expecting them. It made the intensity a little easier to bear. I purposefully deflected them back onto the room, especially toward Rosalie. She glared at me out of the corner of her eye but could not find the will to be annoyed. Jacob finally tore his gaze away from Nessie, making eye contact with Carlisle. He gave Carlisle a small smile and a nod, indicating that everything went well. He slowly walked to Rosalie, and held out his hands. She gave the baby to him without a comment. I wondered if we were making any progress.

I turned my searching towards the second floor, trying to separate Edward's emotions while blocking Bella's, when I accidentally picked up in a change in Bella's mood. Her pain was slightly changing; it was mixed with relief and anxiety. At the same time, I heard her steady heartbeat start to race. Edward's voice broke the silence. "Carlisle," he called in a low voice.