Chapter 29: Need

~Rosalie~

As guilty as I felt going inland to hunt with my husband, leaving Lily behind with Carlisle and Esme had been the right thing to do. We loved our new daughter, but were also still adjusting to not having much time alone. Lily slept at night though only for six hours at a time and it was a change for Emmett and I to devote so much time to anyone other than just us. While we were away I felt bad for those thoughts, needing to get away. It was Emmett who helped me see that us going away didn't make us bad parents, and we weren't always going to leave her without us.

The sun was just rising when Emmett docked the boat, and already I could hear Carlisle reading to our daughter. We had discovered that she had no formal education and could barely read on her own. As a result we were all working on teaching Lily, reading to her and letting her follow along by moving our fingers over the words we read. So far, trying to make her sit down and learn wasn't working out so well, though once she got a little more comfortable with things that would be a part of her life just like any other child.

The house was in sight when we heard Lily sliding from Carlisle's lap and a moment later she was in my arms, hugging tightly around my neck. "I missed you very much," she whispered as I moved my hand down her silken, blond hair.

I kissed the top of her head breathing in her floral scent, "We missed you too," I said as Emmett put his arm around both of us. Lily didn't look up even as we walked into the house. While Emmett started telling Carlisle about our time inland, I carried my daughter to her room to help her get dressed for the day.

A moment later as Lily lifted her arms letting me pull the nightgown she was wearing off, my little girl sighed, "I want to see everyone else, even Renesmee and Anthony," she said. Her request to see them was something she asked for daily, and I wished we could have the family here.

"We will all be together again soon," I answered, unsure of what else I could tell Lily without causing her to worry.

"Are Pop and Nanna going away soon?" Lily asked once she was dressed and while I combed the tangles out of her long hair. Carlisle and Esme had talked about heading to Maine in order to find a home for them close to where Bella and Edward were staying.

"They will be in a few more weeks," I answered.

Once her hair was pulled back into a single french braid, we both headed out to the front room. Lily ran and launched onto Emmett's lap knocking against him without getting hurt. For a while, in the beginning, I'd worried she would come to harm by doing that, but it appeared that her build was close to our own, more so than Anthony or even Renesmee. Lily laughed as I stood watching them and I smiled as Esme wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"She missed you terribly," Esme said rubbing her hand over the upper part of my left arm.

"We missed her," I whispered softly not wanting Lily's fun with her daddy to be interrupted. A smile came to my lips as I thought of Emmett in that respect. He wasn't as confident at being a parent as I was, though even I sometimes had my doubts and worries. Esme and I ended up sitting outside on the small porch Carlisle and Emmett had constructed over the past few weeks since our arrival. We sat across from one another at a circular wrought iron table with a clear crystal top and a delicate umbrella to shade us. "She wants for us all to be together and I don't think I can blame her. I enjoy the times Emmett and I have been able to go out on our own, but it's never the same with the rest of you absent from our lives."

"Hopefully answers will be forthcoming and we won't need to be apart for so long. Have you and Emmett thought about settling in Maine once everything else calms down?"

"As much as Lily wants to be around her cousins, I think Maine sounds like a good place to stay for a while, though that all depends on how long it takes for us to find those answers," I pointed out. It was difficult not to feel angry and even helpless at the current situation with Joham, and even the Volturi. Emmett told me that Edward was especially concerned for all of our children due to Aro's interests in "collecting," as he put it. Our world seemed to be changing quickly and none of us knew how it would all be in the end.

A little later Lily requested a walk around the Island though Emmett and I were doing all the leg work as she road on his shoulders. "Daddy, I can see much better up here," Lily stated as she rested her chin on the top of his head.

"And what do you see?"

Our daughter giggled, "Everything you can, but not as good because you are pure and I'm not." Her voice shook at the end and we stopped walking.

Emmett lifted Lily from his shoulders and a moment later had her cradled against his chest as we both hugged her. "Why did you say that?" My husband asked.

For a few minutes Lily closed her eyes and kept them shut. When they opened again she took in a deep breath and put one hand on my neck and the other on Emmett's Suddenly the white sandy shores of Esme's Isle disappeared. We were back in the small cabin in the woods, and this time we could smell the scents around us as well as hear Joham's deep voice as he explained to our daughter why turning her made her pure. "You will be stronger for all you are going through my young daughter, and your gifts will help us in our cause."

From what we could see from her vision it appeared Lily was resting in her bed. Joham however wasn't visible. I second later the island was in front of us and Emmett held our daughter closer with his eyes shut. I could tell from the way he stood perfectly still without taking a breath that my husband wanted to rip Joham limb from limb just as I did.

"I hate him," Lily mumbled hiding her face against Emmett's chest.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered kissing the back of her head as Emmett placed his free arm around me.

"Is it bad that I want him to be destroyed? They killed my other mommy but he can't be killed so he has to be destroyed like the wolves did to the vampire who wasn't doing what Joham wanted."

It was shocking to hear Lily talk about such things, but we all knew how smart the children of vampires were, and Lily had seen so much. My anger was so great that I couldn't find the way to answer Lily, so I was glad when Emmett found the strength. "Ending a persons life, or putting an end to another vampire isn't our way. Somehow we have to make Joham answer for all that he did to you, and we will, but all life is something to be valued and you have to try and find a way to forgive him," Emmett said. His answer reminded me of Carlisle, because it would have been the way our father would have addressed Lily's anger. At that moment I was never more proud than to be Emmett's wife and mate.

As we began walking again, Lily remained cradled in her father's strong arms. "Momma, are you mad at him?"

"Very," I answered trying to remember everything Carlisle had taught us so I could help Lily with her resentment.

"Joham is dangerous and he would want me back if he ever found us. He doesn't understand about life the way Daddy just said and he would end anyone who tried and stop him," she stated through a yawn.

"Lily, try not to let him worry you. We are all going to keep you safe from now on and no one will ever take you away from us. We have our family and we have friends who would also help if we asked them to," I said thinking of our confrontation with the Volturi.

When we got back to the house Lily was asleep. While Emmett went back to her room to put her down in her bed, I sought out Carlisle finding him in his office. He had been looking something up on his lap top but put that aside when I sat down on the sofa across from his desk. Once he was sitting next to me I proceeded to tell my father about what Lily had revealed. "Emmett told her just what you would have, but I'm not so sure we could ever stick to that. Joham wants power and he needs to be taken down before it all goes down hill," I whispered as Carlisle put his left arm around my shoulders.

"It may be time for all of us to get together and make plans. Edward and Jasper have a feeling from the visions Lily has shown us that she may have been born in Russia somewhere."

"But her accent doesn't seem to be from that area," I pointed out. During this new life of mine I had been all over the world and Lily sounded more English than she did Russian.

"Yes, however if she has been traveling with Joham or the wolves, her last place of permanent residence may have been someplace in the United Kingdom and long enough for her to develop that accent. Her accent has hint of Russian upbringing with some words."

Carlisle had a point and it just added to the slight mystery of my daughter's past.

~Emmett~

The moment Lily began to stir from her sleep, I left the company of my wife and our parents and was by my daughter's side before she could fully awaken. Lily was so used to us coming to her that one single touch or a soft whispered word of assurance sent her back to sleep before she could get too upset. My mind had been on the words Joham used when he explained to Lily why he was changing her. As I thought more about it I slid into the bed which was really to small for me and her, but after a moment we were comfortable. My little girl had settled against most of my chest and was resting more peacefully now. It reminded me of the times Renesmee would wake up upset that she wasn't with Edward and Bella and how, after we got her calmed down, she would fall asleep against my chest.

There was so much hate in me for Joham that I wanted to see him dead, be it by my own hands or by someone else. After talking to Edward and Bella earlier in the evening, we all agreed that we needed to come together as a family. Alice had talked to them saying that she had an uneasy feeling that us being apart was going to do our family more harm than good. Our sister hadn't seen any visions to confirm that, but when she worried we all took what Alice said very seriously.

"Your going to break that bed," Rosalie whispered.

"I thought about moving her to the bigger bed, but didn't want to wake her up," I answered back, keeping my voice barely audible. Carefully I slipped away from Lily and once her small, thin body was against the mattress, Rose covered her back up.

"It will be exciting to have the whole family together again," Rosalie said as we walked out into the main part of the house. Carlisle and Esme weren't there and for that matter not in the house. It didn't take long for me to pick up on their footfall walking away down the beach, and when Rosalie wrapped her arms around my waist I didn't think or worry too much about them as I put my arms around her, lowering my head until my lips brushed lightly over hers. "Are we ready for excitement?" I teased.

My wife unlocked her arms from around me and slid her left hand down my back and between us. What she did next didn't catch me off guard, but it did excite me and all my attention went to what that hand was doing once it was inside my tan slacks.

A little later we sat out on the porch Carlisle and I had worked on. A warm breeze was blowing in off the ocean and with that I could smell the rain that was headed our way. "We need to go inland and get some toys that Lily will find more interesting," I said as Rose leaned against my left side.

"Alice and Jasper are taking care of that for us. They should be here by breakfast, if all goes well with their flight," she relayed. I'd been in with Lily and had been too focused on my thoughts to hear both sides of the conversation. Edward and Bella would be with us the following morning along with the kids. "When do we tell Lily everyone is coming here. I hope it will make her happy."

Rose looked up at me, smiling. "She will be thrilled. I just hope Renesmee will be as happy."

Our niece wasn't used to sharing us, and we didn't know what her reaction would be. "Hopefully they will all get along."

By the time Carlisle and Esme got back from their walk to the other side of the Island, it was close to sunrise, though the steady fall of rain meant for a gloomy day. Lily was still asleep, and hadn't really moved since Rose and I left her the last time. As I sat trying to read the paper, Carlisle settled close by on the same sofa. I put the paper down after reading the same sentence over for the one hundredth time. My father was looking at some medical journal sent to him monthly, but set it aside when he realized I needed to talk. "I'm not sure if I should have told Lily what I did the other night?"

Carlisle sat still regarding me for only a second before answering. "You're afraid that you may have lied to her?" When I nodded he continued. "Our way of living is easy when there are no threats to the ones we love. When that happens holding to our values isn't always easy and sometimes in order to keep our loved ones safe we have to consider what is best."

"Like killing James." That had been a dark time for our family, though most of all for Edward. Jasper and I took care of James and it felt almost good watching him burn. "I don't want Lily to have so much hate. Maybe that's why I spouted off all of that without really thinking it through. What scares me is what's going to happen when we do run into him."

"You will have to show control, and let one of us take care of him for you."

"Is it fair to ask one of you to do the dirty work?"

Carlisle waited and when I didn't answer he went on, "What is more important to you, destroying Joham or showing your daughter that you won't let the hate you feel for him control your actions?"

My father had a point and I was already tired of the topic. I wanted to find him, have justice brought down, and be done with it all.

"I wish I had easier answers," Carlisle said as he sat back against the sofa cushions.

"You don't have to, and I needed you to remind me, and help me focus."

Our conversation came to an end as Lily joined us, letting Carlisle hold her on his lap as he handed her the remote to the TV. Our little girl was becoming obsessed with teen drama shows and when Lily really got into them not much could draw her attention away. Fortunately there wasn't much on during the morning hours, and after a little channel surfing she settled on Jimmy Neutron.

Lily was still watching TV when Alice and Jasper arrived, not moving from her spot as the rest of us greeted one another. Alice had outdone herself on the things they had brought with them and after all the adult talk, she sat down close to Lily while I watched them from a little away. Lily was still watching the TV, but had glanced a few times at all the things her aunt and uncle had brought with them. It wasn't like Alice to be patient, but none the less she sat still as Lily kept glancing from the TV to her, to the bags of things in the middle of the floor.

"You're my Aunt Alice?" Lily finally asked, keeping her voice down to a whisper.

"I sure am. Would you like to see the things we brought with us?"

When Lily nodded Alice stood up and the two of them started sorting through all the clothes and all the games and toys.

"It's Christmas in July," Rosalie whispered as she moved to my left.

"Hmm, maybe they should have brought a tree," I answered.

"We thought about it, but didn't want to be over the top," Alice answered as she helped Lily put on the inline skates.

"Daddy, mommy come look at it all," Lily said as Jasper helped her stand."

We joined them, opening the rest of the packages and spending most of the afternoon playing games as a family, and enjoying being together and showing Lily what it was like to be a large family. It would be even better tomorrow, when Edward and Bella got here with the kids, and I had a feeling getting Lily to bed tonight wouldn't be easy.


AN: Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the long wait in between this chapter and the last but I've been busy. So what did you think? Did you like hearing the different POVs from Emmett and Rosalie? I'm still getting a feel for them and I think for Emmett especially being a father is starting to make him stand out as a more mature character, though I think he was that way in the books but you didn't get to see to much of that in him. As usual I'm more than happy that so many of you like this story and have added me to your lists and reviewed. I hope you continue to enjoy things and I'll update when I can. Thank you as always.

Ella~