Chapter 21- Here I Belong.

Emmett's lap was comfortable, and with the baby sound asleep in the centre of our embrace we had no reason to move. I felt the tension I'd been holding for days slowly drain away as I sat there surrounded by his touch and smell and love. Emmett hummed and I rested my head against his chest, feeling the vibrations, closing my eyes and listening to his tune and the soft, regular breathing of Renesmee, the regular thrumming of her heart underlying it all.

"You're thirsty," Emmett said, his finger running over the bruise-like shadows that lay under my eyes. I looked at him, knowing that the depth of darkness in my eyes would show it more clearly.

"I am," I acknowledged, and then shuddered. "I nearly slipped with Bella," I confessed. "When I cut her open to get Renesmee there was so much blood everywhere…I forgot everything in the face of how much I wanted it. I didn't do it, but probably only because damned Jacob Black threw me bodily out of the way. I don't know whether I want to kill him or thank him."

"We'll go out hunting as soon as you want," Emmett said. "You've been freaking amazing all this time, pouring out those blood bags for Bella and now feeding it to the baby without even blinking. I couldn't have done it…fuck it, it hurt me to walk past the fridge and know what was in it, and that was without even smelling it!"

I rested my head on his shoulder. I was thirsty…but not so much that I was even a little tempted to end this beautiful moment here, cuddling up with Emmett and the sleeping Renesmee in the moonlight. "When she wakes up will be soon enough," I said contentedly.

"We should probably talk to Jacob about how safe it is too," Emmett said thoughtfully. "The baby's here now, and I dunno…she seems harmless enough. I don't know that the pack will think it's worth risking a slaughter at our hands just to kill her. But I'd rather not find out they've still got us on their hit list by watching them try to take you out baby doll!"

"Emmett!" I protested. "Don't talk about anyone wanting to hurt her like that! She might hear you!" I held Renesmee a little closer, the very prospect of her being hurt shaking the ground under my feet.

"She's asleep!" Emmett said, peering down her curiously. "Damn but it's weird having a baby here! She's kind of cute though." He touched her a little gingerly and then laughed. "She looks like Edward, poor kiddo."

I poked him. "She's perfect! She could do worse than look like Edward." I paused. "She's got Bella's eyes though."

Emmett kissed me. "Are you really going to be able to hand her back to Bella once she's changed?" His finger continued to stroke Renesmee's round cheek, and I was touched by how ridiculously large his hands looked beside her tiny face.

"Yes," I said firmly. "I'm not even letting myself pretend that she's mine. I'm just taking care of her for Bella like I promised." I sighed a little. "It's easier to think of now though, now that Bella and I…well, I guess we're friends now, after all that," I said hesitantly. For so long Bella Swan had been a thorn in my side, it felt quite odd to think of her with a genuine, unforced affection.

"I'm sure you'll still get lots of time with her anyway," Emmett snorted. "Baby vampire Bella is gonna have a lot of things to occupy her time with as well as this little teeny thing. Hunting, hunting, hunting…oh, and a good bit of vampire sex I'd imagine." He waggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.

"Emmett! Not in front of the baby!" I said reprovingly, and he muffled a laugh in my hair.

"She's asleep! And come on Rose, like it isn't more than time Edward got laid…"

I giggled. "Well, clearly he already did! At least once!"

"Yes, but not vampire sex…"

"Emmett! Enough!"

His whole body shook with his efforts to laugh quietly and he nuzzled into my neck and nipped. "Damn it but I missed you Rosa girl! It was insane to be in the same house and yet feel so far away from you…don't do that to me again." He sighed. "I need you. My world's not right when you're not there to share it with."

As dawn began to lighten the sky Renesmee stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey baby," Emmett said, taking her from me gently and smiling down at her. "Good morning to you."

She considered him for a moment and then reached out towards him. "Let her touch you," I said, as we both rose from the chair, and obediently Emmett tipped his head forward until Renesmee's little hands could touch his cheeks.

Almost immediately he jerked his face back. "Woah baby- that's just weird."

"Emmett!" I frowned at him. "That's no way to talk to her."

"Well, you can't say it's normal! But hey," Emmett smiled charmingly down at Renesmee, and much to my surprise she smiled back at him. "If that's the way we're going to talk to each other, I can deal." He ducked his head back down. "Hit me with it, baby."

His huge hand engulfed her tiny one and he held it gently against his cheek, both of them looking at each seriously as he did so. I couldn't help but feel a small spark of pain then, watching Emmett's face as he and Renesmee connected for the first time, seeing the dawning smile on his face and the love blossoming in his eyes as she charmed him too. I wish I could have given this to YOU…you would have been a good daddy.

"Breakfast time," he said cheerfully. "Baby here keeps showing me some pretty blonde giving her blood- she's getting impatient for some more." He winked at me. "Okay then little thing, you're the boss."

We descended the steps to find the living room almost returned to its normal state, although minus the blood stained sofa. The rug Bella had bled over was also gone and the smell of bleach hung heavy in the air, although it couldn't quite obscure the scent of wet dog that still pervaded the room. Jacob was sprawled in an armchair apparently asleep, and Alice and Jasper shared the other armchair. Carlisle and Esme were in the kitchen, but when they heard Emmett and I they came hurrying towards us. As if sensing our presence Jacob's eyes flew open and, as soon as he saw Renesmee in Emmett's arms, he leapt to his feet and paced anxiously towards us.

"Are you still here?" I said with dislike, but he ignored me as he walked right up to Emmett and gazed down at the baby with a dopey smile.

"How is she? Did she sleep all that time? You should feed her…I could do it…"

"Bugger off," Emmett said, although without any animosity. "What's your deal- don't you have something better to do than moon over a baby? You could go and see Sam and maybe let us know if we've still got a price on all our heads…what's that, baby?" Emmett looked down at Renesmee who was batting her fists about, and then took one of her hands in his and held it to his face. "What's that, baby? You like Jacob, huh…you got a defective sense of smell or something, little one?" He looked up and shook his head. "No accounting for taste," he said cheerfully.

Jacob held out his hands. "Give her to me Emmett, please…" I had never heard him sound so polite.

"Sorry dude," Emmett said. "If I hand this baby over to you Rose will have my balls, and while I've got nothing against you personally I plan on staying in my girl's good books. If you want to imprint on the baby, well, that's your issue and I'm not saying anything, but you can sort it out with Edward if you want to play baby sitter."

I snorted. "Thanks Emmett."

He grinned at me. "Are you going to feed her? I doubt I can sit there with a bottle of blood in my hand without taking a swig, and I can't go stealing food from babies…I have some standards you know."

Carlisle and Esme came hurrying over to us. "Has she been asleep all this time?"

I nodded. "Yes, she just woke up and let Emmett know she was thirsty."

"Well, that's rather convenient and easy for a newborn infant," Carlisle said with a smile. He looked down at Renesmee thoughtfully. "I do believe she's grown. Once she's had something to drink I want to do a thorough exam and see what I can learn."

Jacob was moving from foot to foot in agitation. He didn't seem able to tear himself away from Renesmee now that we'd brought her into his presence.

"What's the deal with hunting?" Emmett asked. "Rosalie's pretty badly off, for all she's pretending otherwise." Tucking Renesmee more firmly into the crook of his arm he wrapped his other arm around me. "I think she should leave the baby to you and go out, but not if Sam's still on the warpath."

"You don't have to worry," Jacob said instantly. "I went and saw Sam last night and everything is settled. Because of…she…when I told him…" he stumbled over his words, a dull red flush creeping over his face. "They can't hurt Renesmee," he said finally. "Because of the imprint, no one in the pack can touch her. And Sam's got no quarrel with the rest of you. You and Blondie- Rosalie, I mean…you're fine to go out now. All of you."

I groaned. Of course, being able to go out hunting was a good thing, but to owe our reconciliation with the Quileute pack to Jacob and his wretched imprinting issue made me rage. Surely this didn't mean we owed him anything? Were we never going to be rid of the mangy creature?

Carlisle grinned at me sympathetically. "It will all sort itself out in the end, Rose," he said cheerfully.

Esme held her arms out expectantly. "Come on Emmett, let me have Renesmee and you take Rose out. I'll feed her and then Carlisle can do his examination."

"And by then I'm sure I'll have deliveries and we can play dress ups with Renesmee!" Alice chimed in excitedly. "Whatever Emmett does to distract you out there Rose- and heaven help me, the things I've seen of you two today!- keep things out there short and come back- no one else will appreciate the darling little outfits the way you will!"

I laughed and blew a kiss to Renesmee as I let Emmett drag me out the front door. As soon as I was outside, the fresh air blowing a thousand different scents past me, I realised how thirsty I was and I began running. For a moment I just revelled in the freedom of using my speed and strength again, and then a fresh scent trail from a lone elk reached me and I began hunting.

Emmett dropped back a little, letting me stalk alone, and as soon as I was within reach of the creature I struck, snapping the spine to immobilise the big animal as I tore into the neck. Oh yes, this is good… Not since I had been a newborn had I fed with such fierce, complete absorption in the satiation of my thirst. When Emmett came closer I couldn't hold back the feral snarl as I pulled my kill closer to me and away from him.

He watched in amusement as I drank, waiting for me to finish and sit up on my heels before he dropped to a crouch in front of me. Leaning forward he licked the trail of blood up my chin to my lip, and I opened my mouth and caught his lips with my teeth.

"I want more," I growled.

"Greedy girl…" Emmett breathed, his eyes dark with desire.

"I am…" I curled my hands into his hair and held his head as I kissed him hard. He responded with ardour, and for a moment I let myself drown in the sensations of heat and touch and wanting that swirled around and between us. But then I bit his lip hard and pushed him away with enough force to send him rolling and jumped up to my feet with a laugh. "Catch me if you can!" I taunted, and turned and fled.

I had only a tiny head start, but it was enough to make the game fun as I raced wildly through the forest, dodging and backtracking and teasing, feeling the anticipation of being caught building with every minute that passed. I was feeling smug about having eluded him so skilfully when there was a sudden triumphant shout and I was enveloped in Emmett's big body as he grabbed me with one arm and the two of us rolled across the forest floor.

"Gotcha," he grinned. "Bought you a present," he added, brandishing the bobcat he had caught in his other hand.

The animal yowled and fought against the iron grip of Emmett's hand on the scruff of her neck, and the scent of it was heavy and strong and made my venom run. With a low, purring growl I took the jaw in one hand, feeling the sharp teeth against my skin as I stretched out her neck, and bit. The blood was hot and thick and had that sharp, tangy taste of carnivore that I had come to love and I heard, as if from a distance, my tiny mewling noise of pleasure.

Not just pleasure of the blood though. Because there was Emmett, with his big hands making clothes disappear, the softness and heat of his lips as he kissed me with such insistence, devouring my body as I drank the blood so fiercely. The strength from the blood flowing through me, the desperate fierce desire for my Emmett and the wanting of that big hard beautiful body…I was nothing more than a mass of sensations and reactions as the heartbeat under my hand stuttered to a stop and I threw the drained body aside at the same minute as I opened my legs and arms and engulfed Emmett, feeling him fill me and hearing his hoarse bellow of exultation as the two of us became one again. Oh yes, this is where I belong, here with you I'm home…I missed you Emmett…my beloved…ohhh yes…