Authors Note: I'm sorry for the delay in updating, but I've been working on another of my stories 'Incase I die, Here's my goodbye'. Check it out if you haven't already :)

This chapter is from Bella's Point Of View, and it the second to last chapter.

Enjoy:

Every word that Arthur had said to Renesmee, I had heard. His words were sad and they affected me. This man… how old was he? Sixty? Seventy? His daughter had died in a car crash when she was six… how long ago had that been? How long had this man been lonely from the loss of his daughter and his wife? To lose a child or a partner at any given time is tragic and dreadful enough; but to live afterwards they way he has… it was inspiring, but also saddening.

Long after Arthur had given Renesmee the book and they began to read further into its pages, I return to the front of the shop empty handed.

"What were you looking for?" Arthur asked hoarsely, and I noticed that his eyes were red as if they had reacted to the tears. I wondered if he got upset about his deceases often, whether he tried not to think about it, or if he'd grown accustomed to their absence. The very thought of Renesmee and Edward not being a part of my life was… painful. It actually hurt, right in the very core of my body. It was subtle but it was there. Recognising the feeling and associating it with the time that Edward left, I shrugged it off and answered Arthur's question.

"I thought I'd put some books in there, but then I realised I'd left the over here," I lied as I walked over to the pile that I knew had been there all along.

Nodding his head stiffly, he continued to read to Renesmee. It was strange how the words on the page sounded when he read them. His voice changed as he read, and the difference was for the better. Every syllable was read with animation and excitement compared to the hoarse voice he had spoken in all week.

I liked it here. Not necessarily the home life that accompanied this tranquillity but I liked the smell of blending old and new books, the sound as Arthur turned the page with a small rustle. The sound I did not like, however, was the sound of the ticking clock, taunting me that there was a limited amount of time before I'd have to leave a kind of den that I had created for myself.

Despite my wants for time to stand still, for the first time in so long, the clock continued to tick much like the sound of the rain outside. A rhythm was created between them, a simultaneous beating making a symphony with the drumming of Renesmee and Arthur's hearts.

"Honey," I said, looking at my watch as soon as the last book was placed on the shelf that I had cleaned, moved and re-organised. "We've got to go soon," I mumbled, breaking the news of our departure a few minutes before we actually have to go, to give them both time to adjust to this. On normal circumstances, leaving should be easy. We'd done it before, and as a family, we'd do it again. But Arthur had felt a connection with Renesmee; I was unsure whether it was Renesmee's talent to break even the hardest of people, or whether she truly did resemble his lost daughter.

"Do we have to?" Renesmee whined for a moment before her head snapped rigidly and she sighed. "Okay."

"Bella," Arthur said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet and I instantly felt guilty. I knew I was working for him, but still… he'd paid for dinner, he'd given my daughter a book. I felt like I'd connected to him on a personal letter through Renesmee. "Here."

I hesitated from taking the bills that he was thrusting into my cold hands. "Arthur, you paid for lunch." I protested, but he thrust again.

"My treat." He shrugged, and eventually, I took the money and slid it into my pocket. I sighed heavily and Arthur's lips gave way as he smiled just a tad.

"Thank you, Arthur," I said with genuine thanks.

"No." He shook his head. "Thank you."

Renesmee jumped off the stool, holding the closed book to her chest with extreme caution and protection. She passed me the book which I studied carefully, and then without warning, she lifted herself onto Arthur's lap and wrapped her hands around his neck. The image was so inspiring – my daughter just had so much love for everybody, she was so wonderful, and she was mine.

"I'll miss you," she whispered and kissed his cheek gently. I wondered if she was thirsty within such a close proximity of him.

"Come visit," Arthur said, and I tried to look away to give them some privacy, but before I did, I noticed the tears that appeared and swam in his eyes.

"Will do." Renesmee nodded, and she plopped on the floor with a small thud. "Thank you for the book." She smiled and took my hand in hers.

"Oh wait!" Renesmee said, as I went to open the door of the shop, umbrella in my hand as the rain continued to fall. "What if I write to you?" she said, running over to the desk and scribbling down our address carelessly. At first, I was cautious that Renesmee was giving our address to an almost stranger, but as he wrote down his own, I realised that this man held no threat.

"Goodbye," she said sadly, and Arthur nodded his head stiffly, rebuilding that shield that Renesmee had penetrated.

The rain pounded on the umbrella as we walked home, Renesmee's book under her coat to protect it from any rain that may have damaged it.

"I'm sorry Mommy." She smiled, squeezing my hand hard as we crossed over the busy road.

"Why, honey?" I asked, looking down at her bronze hair that had, somehow, managed to get coated in a layer of water droplets.

"Because I broke a rule." She paused for a second and I was waiting for her to expand. "I broke two," she added sheepishly.

"Aww, honey, don't be sorry," I comforted, wondering how my daughter was so conscious of her decisions at such a young age. But also, I was curious, "What rules did you break?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

When Renesmee didn't answer, I looked down at her as her face battled with the question. The house we were staying was only a few minutes away now, and it frustrated me that we had to walk at a human pace. It was strange how used to my vampire abilities I had become.

"I asked questions," she said, and it was true, Edward and I had always tried to discourage her of asking questions about other people, because it made them ask questions in return. In Renesmee's young age, we worried she would either answer too honestly, or use answers that were too fake. "And I gave him our address."

"Don't worry, honey, it's okay. Arthur's a good man," I soothed, as we reached the door of our house. I could not express how much I wanted to go home, how I wanted to be able to read, and listen to Edward playing the piano, how I could put Renesmee to sleep in her own bed, and how I could hunt.

"Hello?" I called when I opened the door that was already unlocked, and I found Jasper on the couch. "You all right, Jasper?" I asked half-heartedly, putting down the umbrella and taking off both mine and Renesmee's coat.

"Sure. I couldn't go to work." He sighed, standing up and fidgeting with the bottom of this shirt. "It was too dangerous," he admitted with a sad smile as he walked upstairs to dissociate himself from us, or, as horrible as the thought may be, to get away from Renesmee's flowing blood and beating heart. To me, there was no temptation. She was my daughter, and the thought of her in pain, or dead, was excruciating. However much everyone loved her, I couldn't deny that Jasper still struggled around her during the 'black eye period'.

"Shall we go pack?" I asked just as Renesmee jumped on the sofa. Nodding her head, her bronze curls bouncing, she took off up the stairs and into her room, and began bouncing on the bed.

"I'll pack then." I shot Renesmee a playful smile as she continued to jump, and the blood pumped to her cheeks giving her a beautiful blush.

I packed the small amount of clothes that she'd brought with her, and a few toys that we'd also brought, into a small suitcase. In there also, I put my own clothes and Edward's but before I could, I noticed there were an extremely tattered t-shirt and pair of trousers in the bottom of the wardrobe. They were definitely Edward's – I could smell his scent on them. Why would Edward have such tatty clothes? How did these awful bits of fabric pass through Alice's radar senses?

"Jump Mommy!" Renesmee shouted, holding out her hand and against all odds, I took it. I began bouncing, carefully, on the bed, my hand linked with my daughters. The thrill of it was rather boring compared to the other speeds and excitement that vampires could experience, but in this dull house with nothing more to do and a charade to keep, it was actually fun. This simple activity was actually fun. It seemed like something off a movie – the story of my life – a mother and daughter jumping on the beds.

"Higher!" she squealed, but my jumps were cautious. I wanted to play with her, but I was still careful as to not break the bed springs. She squealed with delight as I jumped too, and our hair looked like spider legs as it bounced, defying gravity for that split second before it followed the movement of our head.

"You girls are having fun?" I heard a voice say, and I spun round to see Edward standing there, a crooked grin on her face with black eyes so small, they looked like they shouldn't be there.

"Come on, daddy!" Renesmee said, and Edward raised his eyebrows before taking a step onto the bed too, suprising me. I wondered what Renesmee must have thought about to break the mask of concern and replace it with a face that may actually suggest he was enjoying himself.

For about twenty minutes, all we did was jump and laugh, until finally, we all stopped and lay across the double bed.

"Good day at work?" Edward asked me, placing a soft kiss on my forehead and then placing another on Renesmee's in the exact same spot.

"Yes. It was sad to leave though," I admitted, "What about you?" I asked, and he shifted his weight. Did Edward just act nervously? Awkwardly?

"It was okay." He smiled, but his eyes didn't match. I sighed again, but before I could question him further, the front door opened and I heard the shout of Alice wanting all of our attention - what was new, really?

We all darted down the stairs, but Jasper, worrying about her the most, reached her first. "What's the matter, darling?" He asked, his voice shaking with worry and his hand touching her cheek and rubbing his thumb against it gently.

"Guess what I got." She smiled cheekily, and I heard Jasper sigh with relief, while my own eyes roll. Edward chuckled, getting a preview of what she was going to say aloud.

"Monopoly!" she announced, pulling out the board game from behind her back.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, wondering where she had accumulated such a strange thing.

"I got paid extra. Well, okay, the guy who hired me fancied me." Jasper growled. "So he paid me, and I brought this."

"Hold on," Edward muttered. "You got paid money, but instead of buying blood for yourself or Jasper, you bough a game?" Alice nodded, her black spikes bobbing, with a wide grin on her face.

"Oh c'mon!" Alice sighed. "You're all boring when you're thirsty! I thought I'd entertain us!" Her words didn't make sense. You thought she would have just eliminated the thirst… but not Alice.

"We'll play later, then." Jasper smiled, anything for his precious Alice.

Taking hold of Edward's hand, I lead him into the small scruffy kitchen where we kept the blood in the cupboards – somewhere we could all access it. But there was a money pot on the side, and I trusted everyone to be honest. I hoped they all would be.

"I got paid today," I said, pulling out the bills from my tight jeans and counting it dramatically for Edward.

"So did I," Edward said, as he reached into his pocket, he pulled out a lot of change. I eyed him suspiciously, but ignored the jangles of the money clanging together and slipped the bills into the jar. Reaching into the cupboard, I took out a bottle of blood and handed it to Edward.

"For you. Drink," I said. He shook his head fiercely.

"Bella, you drink it." He pushed my hand holding the bottle back into my own chest. "You're thirsty."

"I'm not." I lied, and for the first time ever, I let myself, temporarily, believe what I was saying. If I believed it, then maybe he would. Maybe, with my horrible skills to lie, he'd accept it. "I drank earlier."

"Your eyes are black."

"It'll take a time to settle in."

"Or you didn't drink anything."

"But I did."

"Did Renesmee?" he asked, and I realised I'd forgotten her for just a moment.

"No." I sighed, knowing I could not lie about that. I would not allow my daughter to be in pain because of thirst, just so my plan to feed Edward was successful.

"So…" Edward said, amusement rattling in his voice, "You fed yourself, but not your daughter?" he asked, and I nodded, biting my lip.

"I'll prove it." I smiled, wondering whether this would work. "Renesmee!" I called, but as the word left my mouth, I stretched my shield out of my body and fitted it over her. Pounding down the stairs, she appeared in the kitchen and Edward turned to look at her. He didn't seem to notice that her thoughts were non-existent.

"Renesmee, have you drunk yet today?" I asked, as Edward's eyes bore into her. Behind him, I shook my head slowly and I watched her eyebrows rise, but then she shook her head too.

"Have I drunk today?" I asked, and I nodded my head again, and Edward seemed so focused on Renesmee that he didn't notice my movements behind him.

"Yes," she answered and Edward turned on the spot. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out the money that he'd earned and slipped the majority of the coins in the jar and reached for a bottle.

"There you are, baby girl," he said handing it to Renesmee. Reluctantly, she took it, and sped off upstairs. I hoped she'd be thinking about something else, and I lifted my shield off of her.

"Here you are, darling," I said, copying his tone from before and handing him the bottle. I saw the battle on his face; the torment on whether to believe me or not, whether he should take the bottle. Eventually, he did. I could tell her was very thirsty – I saw how his rigid stature was pained and the thirst reflected off his eyes, left, right and centre. I, too, was thirsty. But I'd rather be in pain myself, than have Edward in pain. I was so relieved that he believed me, and also surprised my plan had worked. He would not have taken the blood had he thought I was lying.

"Thank you." I smiled, and I kissed his lips before he drank. For a moment, it seemed as if he didn't want to drink, that he'd rather have me but he did in fact pull away and drink.

"Are you still hungry?" he said after draining his bottle hungrily, growling as the warm liquid poured down his eagerly awaiting throat.

"No." I gulped; lying again as I watched him lick his lips to make sure he'd drank every drop.

As selfish as it may have been, I leant forward and kissed him passionately, hoping there was some blood lingering on his tongue, on his lips that he'd somehow missed. Disappointed, I pulled away with my throat on fire.

"You're in a good mood," he stated in response to my passionate kiss, misinterpreting its context, his posture relaxing as the blood worked its magic. Smiling, I pulled him close, just to prove that I was in a good mood, and that his arms around me were what I needed.

But then, underneath my arms, he tensed and I felt the muscles of his stomach harden against my own.

"What is it?" He glared at me with lightening eyes. They were still dark, but they showed promise and hope of becoming golden again.

"You didn't drink," he said through gritted teeth and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What?"

"Do not lie to me," he hissed and I realised he knew I'd lied the first time.

"How do you know whether I drank or not?" I challenged, placing my hands on my hips and staring at him.

"There's more than one answer. You wanted to taste the blood on my lips," he said, and I cursed under my breath. "Renesmee is wondering why you wanted to lie to me." Again, I cursed and realised that I should have kept my shield covered. "And I can tell when you're in pain." He sighed, and I wondered why he had changed his mind from minutes before.

"Oh, Bella, why didn't you tell me?" He paused. "You could have drunk mine!" he cried, and it was déjà vu from the other night. Finally, my payback, I thought as I quoted him:

"That's exactly why I didn't say."

His face of anger turned to one of amusement, but the privacy we had did not last long as Alice barged in, knocking both of us with Jasper in toe behind. Both Edward and I stared at her with open mouths.

"What?" she snapped. "Look, I'll count out the money for you. Four dollars. Eight dollars," she said, placing eight bills into the jar and taking out two bottles from the cupboard. There was only three left now; Carlisle had helped re-stock halfway through the week when supplies were low. He and Esme had gone into the forest near our house and had a lot of fun by the sounds of it when Esme dropped them off before returning to her husband who was still working at the hospital.

"We didn't actually care about that," Edward answered for the both of us, a small crooked smile on his lips. "The fact that you rudely bumped into us in your haste, however..." Alice rolled her eyes and took the bottle to her lips. It surprised me, however, when she didn't drink, and moved the bottle further from her mouth.

"You want to watch me drink?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Go in there." She pointed to the living area with her index finger. "Renesmee is setting up Monopoly." She smiled happily before taking a swig out of the bottle.

Rosalie arrived home at that exact moment, a face like she'd been slapped, and Emmett in front of her as if there to pre warn anyone she was going to speak to that she was in a foul mood.

"Do you want to play Auntie Rose?" Renesmee asked as she separated the paper money into piles for each player.

"No," Rosalie answered shortly, as Edward and I exchanged glances as she walked up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a minute, Ness," Emmett said, rolling his eyes at Rosalie, making Renesmee giggle before he followed her up the stairs.

"She's had an encounter with Elise's mother," Edward informed me scarcely, but I did not have time to pry further for Alice and Jasper came into the living are, their eyes lightening. I felt strange that I was the youngest vampire, but the one who dealt with hunger better; maybe it because I had a daughter and a husband who I could not see hungry. Maybe it was because, after all of the questioning we had gone through, I was actually very self-controllable.

Either way, I settled down on the floor between Edward and Renesmee with a pile of paper money in my hand and a thirst in my throat that I tried to ignore. We stayed there all night, until the darkness broke and I realised that, today, we were finally going home.

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The next chapter will, sadly, be the last :) I hope you've been enjoying this story.

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