Hi!
I'm finally back. And I finally finished translating this chapter. I was desperate to get it done :) But I did it!
Thanks so much for your reviews, I thought we may reach the 200 hundreds reviews last time, but we didn't, hope now we do, I'm sure we will, though!
I don't have any excuses, but the same one as always. School, homework, exams, stuff like that again, not having enough time to write this chapter... but, you also know I'm not leaving it unfinished! So don't worry about that.
I hope, now, you enjoy this chapter.
And the VOLTURI finally arrived!
Of course you know, but I'll remind you, leave your review! =D
STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS ALL TWILIGHT!
CHAPTER 35. Deadline
The subject of her shield and Renesmee wasn't talked about again among us. Bella understood what was my theory, and after several hours, she seemed to accept it. Her look and her body relaxed slightly. She couldn't be more relaxed, there were still a lot of other things to be worried about, than just her shield not working against Alec or Demetri. Carlisle and my family, even Eleazar, we all absolutely believed that her shield worked perfectly well against both, and very likely, against every member of the guard that Bella would have to fear. Even Renata.
The hours advanced very slowly up to one point, but at the end of a while, the day was over already, and the night extended over us.
I had been watching Bella a little more attentive than usual on the last days, since her strange behavior before Christmas. There wasn't much it gave me some hints, some clues, besides I was trying to not find out what it was about. I convinced myself telling me, that it shouldn't be any big deal, and for that reason, Bella had not told me anything yet.
The Volvo hadn't been used by anyone the next days, until I myself took it to drive to Charlie's on Christmas. And, of course, I had noticed that the odometer marked a lot more miles than the ones it would've reached if it would've only driven around some Forks' streets, even if it would've driven around all Forks' streets, it would never have reached that number. But, again it didn't mean Bella was lying to me. It wasn't like she had told where she did she shopping, either; she could easily have driven to Seattle or Olympia.
Neither I nor she commented any more about the matter, and I tried to let it out of my mind.
Days passed by quietly. Benjamin became much better that what he expected with his gift as the time passed in our background. Bella, too, finally managed to keep her shield all the time she wanted on all us. That cheered everyone up a lot, and made hope to rise that the plan were going to work out well, as we wished.
You can do it, Bella. Come on! Kate was begging for her to pull it off before it happened.
Zafrina had had all the vampires present blind, waiting for Bella to be able to shield every one of us.
Her images had not been terrifying, she had had in consideration that Renesmee was also with us, and any strong image could cause her a fear that none of us, much less Bella and I, wanted our daughter to suffer.
And without expecting it, Bella did it.
Kate had exploded with excitement that afternoon when Bella had managed to project her shield with magnitude.
The army had been the same that the first time. Zafrina had left every present vampire blind on the little meadow behind the house.
Bit by bit, and it seemed, without so much effort like other times, Bella eventually shielded everyone.
Tanya raised her hand, incredible, she did it…
Almost immediately Carmen's hand was in the air, Oh, fantastic. She finally managed to control her shield.
Eleazar was next, though he had almost expected her to fail like so many other times. And like Tanya and Carmen, he was excited when seeing he was under Bella's shield.
I don't know what Jane and Alex are going to do if they are the blind ones in this confrontation. Eleazar was thinking, distracted for a moment, his hand raised. Aro will be impressed of seeing what Bella can do against his best offenses…
Senna raised her hand, and she was more impressed by the fact that someone could prevent Zafrina from leaving them without their sight.
Her shield must be very strong, she was thinking, raising her hand, too.
Maggie raised her hand, then, followed by Siobhan and Liam.
Wonderful, we're under her shield, I can see everything again.
This will only get them furious, finding themselves at disadvantage. Though it's sure they will.
Carlisle and Esme raised their hands.
Son, she made it! Bella made it…
Oh, darling. She's more special than we thought.
Rosalie and Emmett followed them next, their hands raised towards the sky, and Emmett had a huge smile on his face.
Great, who are gonna be running now?
It took her a while, but she did it, Rosalie was thinking, but there was no sourness in her tone.
Mary, Randall, and Peter and Charlotte were the last one on getting their sight back after our family. The four of them were so impressed for what was happening, that their thoughts were barely coherent.
It's the end of the Volturi.
We'll finish them off if we had the chance.
The Romanians were thinking, of course. They only had one goal, and a wish in mind. The overthrown of the Volturi.
Amun and Kebi, who were the ones more away from the group, also raised their hands.
Like we seeing better, make it better… Amun thought.
Kebi was as silent on the outside as she was on the inside. The excitement from half the members of Irish coven was completely different to the one from the other members, Benjamin and Tia.
Jacob and the pack, were also excited with such success. This, was of great help, and we knew that.
"Yes! Bella, you did it," Kate exclaimed, when we saw how her shield reached to the last vampires on the garden. Their hands in the air when they got their sight sense back.
Bella didn't feel exhausted, on the contrary, a smile spread across her face, and she sighed with relief.
"Well done, love!" I whispered and hugged her. While I delicately kissed the skin of her neck.
And then her shield fell. "Oops, I guess I have to be sort of focused."
Everyone laughed, and we listened to Renesmee clap and her musical laughter resounding all over the garden.
Mommy, did it, she made it…
"Don't worry, Bella. When the day comes, Edward won't have any reason to hug you or not let you concentrate. Everything will be fine," Kate assured her with a smile.
"I think that only a bit more of practice will be necessary," Bella said, taking my hand.
Of course it will.
Zafrina spoke then. "Did you notice how far you got?"
Anyone had thought about that with the excitement of the moment, that Bella had finally being able to shield everyone at her reach.
We both shook our heads, and I asked her. "How much was it?"
"It was approximately fifty meters. It's surprising, if you ask me," Zafrina answered.
"That is so much more than what Renata is capable of projecting," Eleazar commented, surprised, too.
"Let's see how long you can project, Bella," Zafrina said. "Let me out of your shield."
Bella nodded, serious, and then asked Zafrina to use her gift. She didn't leave us blinded for the first time, we all saw what we should, while Zafrina tried to left us blind. In the meantime, Eleazar, Zafrina, Kate and even Carlisle were counting the time Bella kept shielding. The time was passing by, and signs of stress or tiredness in Bella's face were nowhere to be seen, only a fierce concentration.
Ten minutes passed, and Bella was still shielding without difficulty.
Fifteen minutes, and we were still shielded.
Twenty minutes.
The excitement was growing with each passing minute.
Twenty five minutes.
How long could take to the Volturi to accept Renesmee wasn't an immortal child, that they had nothing to do here, and it was better to leave in peace?
Thirty minutes
Thirty five minutes.
I think is enough for now, isn't it?
After forty minutes, Carlisle and Eleazar agreed on the fact that Bella could keep her shield during the time she wanted to.
What's going to happen when Jane or Alec attack? Eleazar wondered al of a sudden.
"We won't know until the moments comes," I answered his thought. All heads turned around towards me when they heard me answering to a question no one else had listened to.
Eleazar nodded. "Surely we will, Edward."
"What's wrong, Edward?" Bella asked me.
"Nothing. Eleazar was only wondering what's going to happen when Jane or Alec tried to attack you. If your shield would resist the same time or so," I told her, my forehead wrinkled.
Her eyes filled with fear for a second. "Do you think it will resist?"
"Of course it will, love. Don't worry. I don't think their attacks are able to damage your shield," I told her.
She didn't look very convinced, but at the end she nodded again.
After that, everyone took off.
Renesmee, still on Bella's back as it was usual for her to be in these practices, slid off her back until she fell on the ground, and then she turned to me. I took her in my arms and smiled at her, waiting for her to show me the image I had already seen in her mind.
Yes, Daddy? Renesmee asked me, her voice was half-begging for a positive answer.
"What does she want?" Bella asked me, her eyes on Renesmee who was still looking at me, waiting for the answer to her request.
"She wants us to take her to our meadow," I explained to her, and then turned to see Jacob. "and she wants Jake to come with us."
Bella thought about it for a second.
Me? I heard Jacob thinking, while Bella considered what I had just told her.
"Please, Daddy? Mommy?" Renesmee whispered.
I didn't know Bella, but I was incapable of denying something to Renesmee.
But it seemed like Bella too. "It's fine by me."
I sighed, Renesmee was already smiling. "It's fine by me, too."
Bella only requested we came back to our cottage for a moment, so she would change Renesmee into new clothes. The ones she was wearing weren't the most convenient to spend the day on the forest.
Jacob had only been once in this place, and it wasn't a long time ago. I had to hold back the feeling I had of growling when I saw in his mind the only memory he had from this place. Laurent a few feet of distance away from Bella, the pack in front of him and Bella while they prepared to attack him. The gasp that came out of Bella's lips when she realized what she had in front of her, the way Jacob turned around to see her when he heard her, and then she disappeared from his mind when sprinting off after Laurent…
Yes, he hadn't hurt her. But he had been so close.
Renesmee and Jacob were playing around as if they were both little children. We, Bella and I were watching them from the other edge of the meadow. Bella was by my side, her arms wrapped around me just like mine were around her. The smile on our faces hardly disappeared. It was impossible to resist to Renesmee's voice, to her laughter making echo on the forest.
We spent the entire afternoon on the meadow. After all, like Bella had said, she had already managed on projecting her shield, a few hours without practicing wouldn't harm.
At the end, Renesmee reluctantly accepted we came back.
She didn't show it, but she perfectly knew what was happening. And she had a feeling that this might be the last time she saw the beautiful meadow extending in front of us.
With a last look and a sigh to her back, the four of us sprinted off back to our home.
I dedicated to watch Bella much more intently than before. Not only because I saw her acting a bit strange. My days, my hours with her were coming to an ending. And I feared missing one single second by her side. It seemed like I was getting back to those days when I did nothing else than to watch her, whether it was through my own eyes or through someone else's. I remembered how my favorite subject, had not been Biology nor Spanish, or anything alike, her, my Bella had been my favorite subject. There was nothing else I wanted to study, watch and learn about her. Memorize her face, her words, without even trying. I spent the day with her and Renesmee.
My both angels.
I tried to not think that I will soon lose them, I still tried to keep myself optimistic about what we would be faced against in less than a few days time. But it was difficult. It wasn't on my nature to be optimistic, to have hope on the things that happened to me, ended up well.
But…
Didn't I think the same way, when I met Bella, when I knew I loved her?
I never believed Bella were going to feel the same way about me, nor she would be with me the way I had her now. I had always feared the moment in which she found out about the truth of my self, and my family. And everything had gone out well.
Hadn't I feared, too, that Bella wouldn't forgive me after that fateful mistake I made of leaving her?
And her arms had welcomed me back open wide, without doubt in her answer. Even when she had doubted my love, her love had been intact yet, and that had allowed her to welcome me back again. Allow us both to heal those painful wounds I myself had inflicted on us both due to my stupidity.
Didn't I believe that Bella would never accept to be my wife, that I would never be able to love her without ending up killing her?
Now I listened to her soft words when she had accepted me in front of the altar, I remembered our first night together, and she told me again how much she loved me, how much I loved her.
Everything in my life had been doubts and despairs, and at the end, somehow, it all ended up well.
Then, what was wrong with me having hope of everything to turn out well?
That my Renesmee and my Bella would go out of this alive and victorious from such situation. That they both would still be with me for eternity. That they both would still be living and breathing in this world. That they both wouldn't have to fear being rejected when they left this life towards the other one…
Even when I would do anything for them to not have to go through that experience.
So I was watching Bella. Every step she took, every blink that escaped away from her control, every sigh that I heard leaving her lips, every look she spare to the outside and the hands of the clock.
Everything, it told me only one thing: she was waiting for something.
Because every step, every blink, every sigh, and every look had the same tinge of anxiety.
I didn't have any way of knowing what was it she was waiting to get to her, or she go for it, and something told me, very deeply, that I shouldn't ask, that I let her. And so I did, for as hard as it was for me. If Bella had something to tell me, she would, she didn't have to wait for me to ask her. That I repeated to myself every day, more times than necessary, but I managed to keep my curiosity beside.
The atmosphere inside and outside of the house changed while the day got closer, even when the date wasn't known. The weather was our clock.
The anxiety was growing, making it difficult to believe that Bella were anxious for a different reason than the rest of us. But there was something in her eyes. There was a strange desolation in them, and I could almost swear that she was the only one in house who honestly thought this was our ending.
One night, just after we had left Renesmee on her crib, absolutely asleep. We had had to change a little bit our habit. When Bella finished reading her a book, I had to sing to her her melody until she fell into a soundless sleep. She had been restless for a few minutes, until her dreams became peaceful and colorful.
Repeatedly, I saw all the faces of our family, as if she herself wanted to memorize them.
"Hmm," I whispered after I finished humming to her. A little smile was beginning to form in her lips.
Bella turned to see me. "What?"
"It seems like it was premeditated that she only sees our faces in her dreams. As if she didn't want to get to forget us," I explained to her, while I kept looking into her dreams.
Bella sighed. "Well, I would want to be able to do the same thing."
I turned to see her, bewildered. "Sleep, though it were for only a few minutes. Forget about what's happening."
I frowned. Was she regretting the life she chose?
And as if she read my mind, Bella knew exactly what I was thinking. "No, Edward, I do not regret of having chosen this life. I've been happier in these short months as a vampire, by your side, than when I was human, without you by my side."
I laughed a bit at her explanation. She had been happy when she was human, yes, but because I had been with her.
I took her hand, and then whispered to her ear. "I love you, I always have and always will," then I kissed her lightly. "In this life or whatever is waiting for us."
"Heaven," Bella answered with strong conviction. "As long as you're with me, that'll be heaven to me."
I smiled again. That had always been her idea of heaven, and it seemed like it wouldn't change.
I nodded, and leaned down to kiss her.
Her arms wrapped tightly around me, and instead of keeping myself bent down, I lifted her up in my arms to be on the same height.
Then I chuckled, and started walking towards the door. Bella let go a little of me, her eyes questioning me. "I don't think it's the best place for this," I told her, turning around a bit for her to see Renesmee and understood what I meant.
Bella smiled, and biting her lips, she nodded.
While we walked hand in hand to our bedroom, Bella shuddered to some thought I couldn't listen to.
"What is it?" I asked her quickly, a little worried.
Bella shook her head.
I didn't ask anymore, I waited for her to tell me whatever she had to say. "Do you think Renesmee will be happy, without us?" her tone of voice was painfully sad.
"If she were with the right person."
"With Jacob?"
I nodded only once. For as difficult as it was to accept it, I knew he was her soul mate, so the answer was a yes.
Bella also nodded. "Yes, she would be happy with him. And I knew she'd miss us, but…"
"Bella," I interrupted her. "you speak as if you were sure that that's what the future holds in store for her. One without us."
There was no answer.
"Why, Bella?" I asked her.
"I don't know, Edward. It was just a supposition," Bella said, her eyes were looking straight ahead. "If she lives, it's because we, too, right?"
"I hope so, I hope so," I mumbled.
She didn't seem to believe her own words when telling them, there was doubt in them. I could see it, it was almost tangible. I couldn't understand why she feared this so much. How it could be possible that I didn't listen not even a bit of hope in her voice when she spoke.
How had this happened?
I had the night to consider it, but I didn't use it on that.
That morning, after getting back to the house with Carlisle and everyone else, Jacob asked us permission to take Renesmee to La Push.
Surprising us. Bella refused.
"No, Jake. I'm sorry. But right now, I don't want to be apart from Renesmee," Bella explained us.
Huh? Jacob sighed, well, I think we can fix that…
"I'll be right back," Jacob whispered, walking out through the front door and phasing to wolf when getting into the trees surrounding the house.
"Where'd he go?" Bella asked.
I smiled, and shook my head. "Wait for a moment."
Renesmee was still looking to the front door where Jacob had gone through, waiting for him to come back.
After a few short minutes, Jacob was coming back, an extended smile on his face.
"Well, get ready," Jacob said, the smile still on his face.
"For what?" Bella asked.
"We're all going to La Push," he announced, excited.
Renesmee jumped up and down, clapped for a moment, and then was by Jacob's side.
"You didn't want to be apart from Nessie. You don't have to, because we're all going to La Push. Sam said there was no problem, besides there's no sun ray that can shine through the clouds today." He stopped for a second. "You can't tell you don't agree. It's perfect."
It is! It is, isn't it, Daddy? I heard Renesmee exclaiming, while she looked at me and then at Jacob.
I smiled at her, and then came closer to Bella, and hugged her from behind. "What do you think?" my decision was already made. Renesmee wanted us all to go, and I couldn't refuse. "No problem with me."
Bella sighed. "Fine, fine. We'll go," she said, a smile fighting for not showing up.
I placed a kiss of her neck, and then when we both turned around to see Renesmee who was gloating with glee to her mother's response.
The entire pack of Jacob was at Emily and Sam's house when we arrived there. Considering that Quil, friend of Jacob, had taken Claire, who was barely just a more or so four-year-old child, asked Bella and me for permission, to take them both, Claire and Renesmee to the beach. Bella, more relaxed by being close, agreed, with the condition of keeping to a range where I could still hear them if we decided to reach them a while later. They agreed, and the four of them took off to the beach.
We weren't long in Emily's house. They both walked us to the beach. Even before seeing them, I could listen to their thoughts.
Renesmee was enjoying of the day by her new friend's side.
The four of us stopped a few meters away from the shore of the beach, where Jacob and Renesmee, Quil and Claire were playing around as if the four were little children of four or five-year-old. As soon as she heard us advancing, Renesmee turned towards us, and with a magnificent smile, she waved her hand over her head to greet us.
Bella and I waved her back, smiling.
Emily then said, "She's beautiful, Bella. And as she grows up, she seems to get even prettier."
Bella smiled. "Thanks."
"She's exactly got your eyes, incredible," Emily continued. "But she's got your face, Edward. She's surprisingly a combination of both of you."
Bella laughed or nodded as much as I did. We had heard such things too many times.
"She already speaks, right? Jacob said something like that."
Bella nodded, and chuckled. "She started talking since she was a week-old after being born," she turned to see me. "Though her intelligence didn't seem off to me. With such a father…"
I smiled a her, shaking my head.
"You are both great parents. I think you're making an excellent job with Nessie," Sam commented.
"Thank you, Sam," we both whispered, and then the four laughed.
It was fascinating how the relationship between the Quileute and our family, the Cullens, had changed with Renesmee's birth, and more than anything, with Jacob's imprinting. The families that had once been enemies were now the same family.
I had only been once in this beach, and it wasn't too long ago.
An afternoon by Bella's side while we waited for Jacob to get better from that accident with a newborn in the meadow.
And now we were both, and with a plus we never imagined, back then, we would have.
The calm and happiness that emanated from Renesmee while she ran from side to side with Jacob behind her, was almost an anesthesia to our anxiety and tension that hardly left us these days. Her laughter making echo through the whisper of the wind grazing the leaves from the tress by our side, our hair, between the whisper of the waves hitting the shore of the beach, between the rocks that threatened with preventing its path, was fascinating.
Bella and I only watched without hesitation to the little girl who in front of us lived without worries for a moment we would forever treasure.
It was the live, or the way she looked like this moment – at least - what we both, always had wanted for her.
What else could make us happy, than seeing her laughing and running around, playing nonchalantly.
Nothing could make a father, a mother, happier than seeing their daughter happy.
Bella tightened her hand in mine, like she were agreeing with my thoughts.
We didn't come back late that day, the sun wasn't yet hiding behind the clouds, that seemed to have no intention of leaving for a few days. Maybe the date Alice had warned us of was coming closer.
But, to us, the weather wasn't a problem. The beach was almost deserted, except for one or another person.
When we got to the house, Bella went upstairs to my old room, to take dry clothing for Renesmee, she had been playing too close to the water until she had taken the decision to jump in. Rosalie and Esme had bought her too much new clothing for this Christmas Holidays.
Carlisle and Emmett came to me after a few minutes.
"Son," Carlisle whispered. "Emmett and everyone else were talking about the weather."
Do you think it'll snow soon?
"That same thing I was thinking while we were at La Push, Carlisle. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day we can decide, depending on the weather, if it's time to go camp out on the meadow," I told them.
They both nodded. "We will have to tell everyone else."
"And we're hunting, when, little bro?" Emmett asked.
I shook my head. "I think we can do it when we're already camping."
"It's a good idea," Carlisle said.
Damn!
"Emmett," I mumbled, looking into his still completely golden eyes. "You just hunted two days ago, other days won't harm you."
"Ugh," Emmett growled. "Bears get lost in this time."
I laughed at his words.
It was so typical for Emmett to be worried about not finding a bear, than about the confrontation that was coming down on us in less than three days, maybe.
Renesmee and Bella came downstairs, I could perceive the smell of shampoo mixed with her perfect scent.
Jacob got up as soon as he saw them coming back, and took her in his arms, then he walked them to the kitchen, because Jacob was starving.
Bella went back to me.
I felt better as soon as her hand intertwined with mine.
It was strange the relief I felt. Taking into account that I knew she was just a few meters from me, in the same place that I was right now, and with our daughter. Any separation, for as smaller as it were at those moments, were almost painful.
And instead of just keeping her hand, I hugged her against my chest, and Bella wrapped her arms around my waist.
"Where's everyone?" I asked, noticing for the first time that I hadn't listened to any thought that wasn't the ones of my own family.
"Benjamin took them all to know the meadow. They all wanted to know where the confrontation would be. To be ready, I think," Carlisle answered.
I nodded, and felt Bella shuddering. I caressed her arm, trying to calm down any fear that had gone through her mind.
"Besides Benjamin had some ideas he wanted to show everyone else," Emmett interjected.
You know, with his gift of controlling the elements… he finished in his mind, with a sarcastic grimace.
Esme and Rosalie asked us to stay over, and Bella nodded to such request. Renesmee slept in my old bedroom under Jacob's care.
Everyone came back in different hours.
The Denali coven was the first one to come back with Garrett. No one was surprised.
For what I was seeing in Garrett's mind he didn't have thought, after all of this had happened, to go back to be a nomad.
Next ones were the Rumanians, that without speaking a single words or a look to anyone inside of the house, went away to Carlisle's office, to read or do something while they spent the hours left to their wish to come true.
Carlisle went away with them for a moment.
Peter and Charlotte came back, too, after several minutes, but they stayed in the background talking with Mary and Randall.
The Egyptian coven walked in the house, but they didn't stay together.
Benjamin and Tia asked for Carlisle, and they stayed by Esme, Rosalie and Emmett's side when they knew that he was with the Rumanians. Amun and Kebi on the other side, isolated themselves in the attic, like Alistair had done while he were here.
The Amazons and the Irish coven were the last one in coming back.
We spent the next day at the house with everyone else. There was certain anxiety in Bella that I hadn't seen since the day when she had come back from Charlie's with Renesmee. Just after the sun had set down, Bella told me she was going to our cottage for a moment, that she'd soon come back. Of course, if it would've been another day, I would've let her go alone, but I couldn't. I took her hand and we both left, leaving Renesmee under the entire family and Jacob's care.
I waited, by her request, on the living room while she went to our bedroom.
After a few seconds she came back.
We returned to the house almost immediately. While Carlisle informed me of some details, Bella disappeared from my sight for a few minutes, though I could listen to her in my old bedroom. Then she reappeared with Renesmee in her arms, and a purse. Her clothing was too formal for her to only be in the house.
"Headed out?" I asked her. Her eyes tensed minutely, maybe Bella wasn't even conscious about that fact, but I was. It was today, an exact week since that other trip. And I wondered why that had me tense, still, I tried to keep the tone of my voice relaxed. I took Renesmee in my arms, squeezing her with a little bit more force than I usually did.
It took me a bit more of effort to seem normal, and maybe Bella noticed it.
"Yes, a few last-minute things…" Bella told me, her voice calm.
I smiled at her. "Hurry back to me."
"Always," was her answer, and it was enough for me.
Renesmee and I saw Bella leaving, her thoughts had a note of confusion in them as in mine. We both let it pass. Renesmee, after a while, asked me to put her on the floor, and she left to play with Jacob.
Tanya and her family decided to go hunting tonight, and they took Emmett's Jeep to go the furthest than usual. Emmett and Rosalie also went out, with Carlisle and Esme to the surroundings.
I stayed with Renesmee and Jacob at the house, waiting for Bella to come back.
"When are we camping?" Jacob asked suddenly.
Renesmee stopped what she was doing to pay attention to our little interchange.
"Tomorrow, surely."
Jacob nodded.
We will be ready, for whatever it comes. We will not allow anything to happen to Renesmee, his tone was serious, more than normal, and the fact that he called her Renesmee instead of Nessie, was a proof of that.
I half smiled.
What is it, Daddy? Renesmee asked, when she saw the sadness in my smile.
It was hard to fool her. She'd turned out to be as observant as her mother.
"It's nothing, Nessie," I whispered, caressing her cheek.
With seventeen of us, and twenty of you, we are enough. We had to succeed on something…
Jacob didn't seem to be aware of what he was thinking, nor was he doing it on purpose for me to know how many members the pack had now. I didn't find it strange, with more vampires in the surroundings than usual, it was almost obvious that we should expect the pack to grow. But, seventeen? It was impressive.
After a few seconds, he remembered that he was supposed to tell anyone the number of members, and though he hadn't thought about it for me to know, he stopped doing it.
He turned to see me, and sighed.
That I couldn't help, but we all are fighting.
I didn't say anything, but he knew I appreciated. And if I had said something, Jacob would have told me that there was no need. This time, he didn't do it just for Bella, but for Renesmee herself.
Half hour later, I listened to the thoughts of Kate and Garrett getting closer towards the house.
They had shortened the hunting trip.
At the same time, after asking me for the keys of each cars, the Egyptian coven in Alice's Porsche. Then later, the Irish coven went out in Bella's Ferrari, followed by the Rumanian's in Carlisle's Mercedes. Everyone with different targets in their minds.
Jacob only growled and complained under his breath every time a set of keys was given, and we heard the cars leaving the garage.
I don't know how you stand it, Jacob complained while we saw the Rumanians left.
"Jake…"
"Yes, I've heard it before," he said, remembering.
But they're the good guys just for this time, and then he turned to Renesmee.
A yawn interrupted her while she smiled.
"Are you tired, Nessie?" I asked her, leaning down towards her.
She put her little hand on my face, and an image of Bella walking in through the door appeared in my mind, and she half asleep in her arms.
"Do you want to wait for your mom to come?"
Renesmee nodded, yawning again.
"Okay, we'll wait," I told her, and half-smiled when she got happy by hearing me.
Kate and Garrett decided to walk in the house, then. They were still arguing about them coming back home before time.
It seemed, this time, Garrett had given up on the option of hunting animal instead of humans.
Renesmee got on her feet, half falling down due to her tiredness, and she sat on my lap. Her eyes could barely stay open, her face was on my chest.
"Do we take her to your house?" Jacob asked me.
Renesmee woke up a bit for a second, only to shake her head.
"We will wait for Bella," I whispered for only Renesmee to hear in her ear, and she calmed down.
You mean: we will wait for you to fall asleep to take you home? Jacob asked, joking. I just nodded.
It wasn't too long later before Renesmee was completely asleep, and still there was no sign of Bella to be coming back anytime soon. She only had one hour out.
I stood carefully, as to not wake Renesmee up. And Jacob with me.
We didn't say goodbye this time to anyone. Kate and Garrett, like everyone, knew that at nights we always left to our home. We walked at a normal pace, and Jacob walked in his human form until we reached the cottage, and he said goodbye. I heard him shifting into wolf when he was in the woods.
I changed the subtlest and lightest I could Renesmee in her pajamas after I placed her on her crib. Her sleep was so deep, that she didn't even move or stir when I changed her.
I sat by her, waiting for Bella there.
It was absurd to think that she was keeping something from me, but I was sure she was. What was her secret? I had no idea, and perhaps, if she didn't decide to tell me soon, I would never know. Curiously, it wasn't as frustrating in these moments, to think that I would never know what it was that was going through her mind, what it was she was keeping from me.
I walked out of the room after a few minutes, and went to the living room. The chimney was on fire, Bella's books were on the little shelf by the side…
"What's going on, Bella?"
The words came to my mind on their own, as if there was a connection.
"She was here. She ripped a page out of my book to write her note on."
"Why?"
"I don't know why."
"Why are you burning it?"
"I-I-" her hesitation then hadn't told me anything, nor had I found it strange, but now… "It seemed appropriate."
Did it have something to do, her weird attitude, with Alice's note?
Had there been more than one note?
Not just to us, but for Bella, too?
What I didn't understand, was what the hell could Alice want to tell Bella that I couldn't know of?
I gave up after a few seconds, I didn't find it any sense at all. And like that night, I felt that everything escaped me, just when I thought that I already understood what was happening.
I sighed.
I decided to stay where I was to wait for Bella to come back. I could perfectly listen to Renesmee's thoughts, despite everything, she was sleeping peacefully. It was painful to imagine that she couldn't even rest, live carelessly as the little child she was yet. After all, we still didn't know how much more would her accelerated growth would last.
Would some day stop, or would it keep going until it couldn't any longer?
I had all but forgotten about that problem, almost as huge in comparison to the Volturi, and to what we were facing against them.
Both issued had vital importance about her life.
It was, approximately, two hours or more, before Bella walked in through the front door back to the cottage. Due to our absence, she had guessed that I had decided to bring Renesmee back home to sleep. I paid attention, while she hugged me to the smells around her, there was a slight smell of humans in her clothing… but I didn't find that strange. She had said she had some things to do, and that would have to involve other people, maybe. And though I didn't ask her anything about her trip, the anguish and curiosity were eating me away.
She went to see Renesmee after a few minutes, and she wished her goodnight before returning to me.
"Nessie didn't want to come home until you came back, but at the end she fell asleep, and Jacob and I decided to bring her home."
Bella nodded, her eyes looking at the fire from the chimney for a moment.
"Did you make everything you needed?" I asked, and Bella reacted strangely. He jumped a bit, like she was scared or surprised by my question, her eyes tensed for a short second, and then she seemed to understand what I was asking.
Hmm, odd reaction.
"Ah, yes. It took me longer than necessary, but yes," was all she said.
I frowned, and Bella smiled at me.
My eyes searched for something in hers, something strange. But it seemed, that either wasn't anything weird or she was decided to not letting me find anything.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, and now her eyes had another meaning.
I smiled. She seemed to have become really good at distractions as I had once been…
It was probably the shortest night of my existence. And maybe it didn't have anything to do with the hours and minutes that appeared to run faster than normal. Maybe it had to do with the terrible idea of imagining that this could be our last night together. Bella seemed as reluctant as I was to get apart from me.
It reminded me of our first night together, when I knew that I finally had her secured for eternity. It seemed like a joke to think about that now.
Did I really have her secured for eternity, like we once both wished for?
That we would know in a couple of days.
Bella and I were the only ones who got ready for the camping we would be doing in two days, waiting for the Volturi.
The occasion, the life or death situation, the weather, the ones who got ready, seemed like a reminder of seven months ago. Only that back then, we had been three leaving, and now Renesmee was with us. And who we were defending now, was not Bella.
Bella turned to see me while we packed the necessary, and then she raised an eyebrow.
"Another visit to the Newton's store?"
I frowned. "No," I told her "I think we had enough."
Renesmee and Jacob were like observers. When Renesmee looked that I was packing into the bag a package of dehydrated food – I didn't have the intention of forcing Renesmee to eat it, but I had to take it just in case – she raised her hand towards Jacob to show her the image of such package.
What is it? I heard her asking.
"Dehydrated food… for humans," Jacob told her.
Renesmee grimaced, reminding me of her mother. We both smiled.
"You don't have to eat it," I assured her with another smile to what Renesmee smiled back.
Carlisle and Emmett walked in. "Ready?" Carlisle asked.
I nodded. "Yes, we can leave."
"You're staying with us tomorrow, Renesmee," Bella told her.
Renesmee touched her face, Tonight?
The image was clear, and Bella rushed to answer her. "Jacob will be with you, and tomorrow he'll take you with us. All right?"
Renesmee nodded, and we both said goodbye to her.
Carlisle and I stayed during two days in the meadow. I had so clear the memory of that night, when Alice had seen the Volturi arriving to this field, that it seemed almost real.
As if I were already seeing them walking…
"Repetitive?" I asked Carlisle when we arrived.
Carlisle smiled a bit. "Not completely, son. It's the Volturi we should fear now. Not Victoria."
A snarl escaped from my lips when I remembered her so close to Bella, her thoughts were filled with an unstoppable desire of seeing my Bella dead after all the time she had waited. Of causing me the same pain that she had suffered because of me and James' death.
"Relax. There will be no dead this time."
It was hard to try, even, to convince Carlisle that maybe this would not be so quiet as he wished.
Bella came, too, of course. And we kept each other together the whole time. Now more than ever, it was painful to consider a separation.
One more permanent threatened in the front.
But this time, different the others, I had the hope that there would be no need of saying 'goodbye'.
Maybe it was in vain, but now I wouldn't let myself give up to the despair as many other times I had done already in the past. Because Bella and I would be together in this or in the other world. If Bella believed that something more was waiting for us after this life, why wouldn't I? I didn't have anything to lose with believing. It couldn't hurt me more than believing the opposite, so that's what I did. Have hope.
While I considered all of this, Bella and I set up a tent near the edge of the meadow for Renesmee, and Jacob, too, honestly. The kid slept always by her side.
I tried not to remember what this brought to my memory. It all seemed the same, but at the same time it was so different now.
Jacob was already there with Renesmee in the meadow in the morning, who had awoken much earlier than usual, anxious to get to see us again. As soon as they were in our sight, Renesmee launched towards Bella's arms, and then mine.
For a long while, it was hard for us to concentrate on something else that it wasn't being with Renesmee.
Benjamin and Tia arrived that same day, the sun falling, with Zafrina and Senna.
As soon as they arrived, Benjamin got to work, in what was supposed to be able to be of help if this was going to turn into a fight. The darkness of the night wasn't a problem, and while he worked with heaps of rocks that he could control like it was cotton, more witnesses were arriving, and friends. Tanya and her family were the first ones, followed by the Rumanians.
"That won't help," Eleazar whispered.
"I don't pretend to hurt them," Benjamin answered, concentrated on what he was doing. "I know it's not possible, but maybe it'll distract them enough to try something against them."
Interesting, it's a good idea, Eleazar was thinking, and then nodded.
Jacob and Renesmee kept themselves the entire time by mine and Bella's side, while we looked at what Benjamin did.
"What is it?" Renesmee asked, her eyes on Benjamin.
Jacob shrugged.
"He can do whatever he wants with earth, Renesmee," Bella told her. "or with water, and the wind, too. Even fire."
Renesmee heard her intently, and then nodded seriously.
When she started yawning, Bella got ahead to the tent we had set up to change her into her pajamas and laid her down, after a while Jacob, too, walked in, and they both fell asleep almost immediately. I had to accept that it was a good thing that he was with her, she seemed to sleep a little bit more relaxed, more tranquil, when she had him close, even when she wasn't asleep he caused the same effect. Jacob, too felt more relaxed, knowing that he was by her side, and he could protect her if necessary. Jacob's snores were so loud, that I wondered how was it possible that Renesmee didn't even move nor her dream were interrupted.
The night passed quickly, and everyone else came before the sun made its appearance behind the clouds.
Bella and I got away from each other for a moment, while Carlisle and I accommodated our witnesses in a front line in the back of the meadow, where we would wait to see the Volturi walk in front of us and his entire guard.
"Benjamin, Zafrina, I think you should be on this side. Both. Near Bella," Carlisle pointed out where Bella'd be, so they'd take their places near that place.
They both nodded.
Better death than slavery to which I would be submitted, I heard Benjamin.
Zafrina, I hope this works out. For the first time, the Volturi will be in disadvantage, if they can't see…
"Emmett, Rosalie, you here," Carlisle said, moving both of them and Esme more to our side. They both nodded and moved.
I wish that Demetri knew to fight, Emmett though, ridiculously excited.
I think, Carlisle was thinking, that those who declared fighting on our side, should be the nearer to us. He had grimaced when he thought of a fight, but we had to be more realistic, and there was a great possibility that it were going to be.
I turned a bit towards my side to see Bella close to the tent we had set up for Renesmee and Jacob to sleep, and yet they were. Her eyes anxious.
Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar lined up by our family's side.
Both sisters, Tanya and Kate reminded us how they felt about this.
"We are part of your family, Carlisle. So this is our place."
Fight and die, if it's necessary, Tanya was thinking.
Kate wasn't far from thinking the same way. It's the least we deserve.
I shook my head. "Tanya, Kate…"
"Yes, yes. This will not come to a fight, and you are not asking us to fight if it came to one. We are not doing this because you asked us to or not, but because we want to," Tanya reminded me, holding hands with Kate, who agreed with her sister.
Everyone else were to each side of us.
The Rumanians, you could say, were the ones more excited. They were almost sure that this was the end of the Volturi.
The time for revenge has come, Stefan rejoiced.
They will pay for what they did to us, for their lies, Vladimir seemed to finish what Stefan thought.
Then I listened to Renesmee and Jacob waking up after a moment, we were still indicating places to the line.
Bella walked into with Renesmee as soon as she heard her waking.
As soon as he walked out of the tent, Jacob shifted to his wolf form, to let Sam know it was time.
Sam?
Jacob, was all Sam told him, waiting, I guessed, that Jacob announced the beginning.
We're all out in the meadow.
Be right there.
And after a few seconds, the thoughts of all the wolves were beginning to be listened every time closer. They were soon in the meadow, though not the sight of everyone. Jacob left and gathered with them.
We need to coordinate some things, was what Jacob told me while he disappeared in the forest.
I half listened to Bella inside of the tent with Renesmee, while Carlisle and I kept going about the most convenient front line.
"I love you," through Renesmee telling her, in a too much low tone, "More than anything."
"I love you, too, Momma," Renesmee answered her back, in her mind there was an image of her locker with our picture in it. "We'll always be together."
I stopped listening.
I strongly concentrated on the thoughts of everyone else to drown Renesmee's voice amongst everyone's. Listening to them talking that way, made it too much definitive, as if this was really the goodbye.
I refused to believe it.
Time is coming, the read coats are coming… Garrett's voice distracted me.
I was confused, I couldn't listen to anything else in his mind, so I had no idea what he was talking about. And everyone else, it seemed, were on the same position.
What's he talking about? Kate wondered with more intensity.
I turned to see Carlisle for an answer, but he was looking at me with the same expectation.
We both shook our heads, and shrugged.
Not you, not me, son.
I half smiled at his answer.
Did he go crazy or what? Emmett was thinking.
The Rumanians were the only ones who didn't seem as worried, but they neither put enough attention as to be able to see what it was about.
Before I could keep worrying unnecessarily about that, I heard Bella leaving the tent with Renesmee in her arms, firmly hugged to her from her neck. Renesmee's thoughts had a particularly sad tone, almost heart-broken over something. But I couldn't see anything more than a despair for being as long as she could with us, and Jacob.
I turned around, seeing them walk in the meadow.
The first thing I noticed, was the huge diamond hanging on her neck, and it wasn't exactly Renesmee. It was Aro's wedding gift he had sent while we were still at our honey moon in Isle Esme. Remembering it, remembering everything that had happened since then, that the precious little one that hung from her arms were the product of that trip, put a lump in my throat.
Bella hated gifts, specially expensive ones; though it was obvious that there hadn't been any expense on such present.
The only thing I could imagine was that she wanted to start thing out peacefully. And why not?
But Bella wasn't the only one with an accessory, Renesmee was holding in her back a little purse. And I had no idea at all of what could be inside of it.
I raised an eyebrow, but none of us said anything.
When they were by my side, I hugged them both with all my might, or as much as I could exert with Renesmee in the middle of us. I didn't want to ever let her go. Ever. But I knew that at the end of this day, it was possible I didn't see them again, and that only made it harder to get apart from them. I listened intently to Renesmee's heartbeat, like a tranquilizer, like Bella's heart had once been to me, and how hers had once been the most significant sound in my world. And it had to kept being that way.
This battle would be won, as long as Renesmee kept living.
This was not a goodbye, I told myself so I would be able to let them go, everything will work out. And with a sight, I released them.
I looked from out of the corner of my eyes to Benjamin sat on the ground, he had the palms of his hands over it while he mumbled to himself.
If they fell into a hole… the tectonic faults that could cause, would bring them trouble…
Amun was almost burning fire with rage and fear, when he imagined what Aro would think when meeting the great talent of Benjamin, and more so when he heard that he had hidden it with the motive of never joining the guard.
Zafrina and Senna were equally concerned about what was coming. A thought alike: their sister Kachiri. They wondered if they would see her again.
In Tanya and Kate there was some expectation, and they were another two who worried over a sister.
Irina.
I concentrated beyond the thoughts that were surrounding me, I would listen to the Volturi much before everyone else would. Much before we heard them advancing on the road towards us.
I looked to the exact point where I'd seen them walk in, from Alice's vision.
Edward, and Carlisle. All the family's gathered. Why would they run? I can find them wherever they are…
Demetri was the most focused on our smell.
Aro was ecstatic about finally arriving to his destiny. Caius, too, but for a different reason. And Marcus, he wasn't particularly interested on the goal of this trip he had been forced to come anyway.
And then, I heard it.
It wasn't just the guard and the Volturi who had come. Behind them, were coming forty seven vampires, their own witnesses.
I forced myself to remain without any reaction to such discovery. I didn't want them to get worried.
The wolves heard the footsteps on the ground, and smelled new scents on the environment that didn't correspond to the vampires who were near them.
They're coming, I heard Sam announcing.
Jacob got tense immediately. Nessie, he quickly flew through the trees that had kept him in the darkness with the rest of the pack, to get on his side by Bella and Renesmee.
They're close,
In less than three minutes, maybe less,
How this might end?
I was listening to everyone wonder, exclaiming. But now, everything was about the Volturi.
Jake, Renesmee thought when she saw him by her side, and then he placed one of her little hands on Jacob's shoulder, her hand intertwining his wolf fur. Mmm… her tension diminished a bit by having them all close.
Seeing the way Renesmee needed of Jacob to feel relaxed, the same emotion invaded me.
Without turning to see her, waiting that at any moment the Volturi walked into our sight, I stretched my arm out towards Bella for her to take my hand. Bella took it immediately, and the change was as surprising as the one I had seen with Renesmee and Jacob. I squeezed my fingers between hers. Hoping she understood what I wanted to tell her.
I could hear Aro.
I was impressed, I had to accept, that he had done all of this just to acquire a gift that he had never had before, nor imagined he could have.
We waited too much, but it'll be worth it when my wish is fulfilled… I heard Aro.
And then an image of Alice and me crossed his mind, even one of Bella.
I didn't have to see anything else to know that his goal, his desire had never been punishing us for what they believed, or were sure we had done. Their goal had always been that of acquisition.
How disappointed would Aro be when he saw Alice wasn't with us!
An immortal child, when would I have imagined? They made it easier than we could ask of. Aro was still rejoicing.
As soon as we're done with Carlisle's family, Aro can do whatever he wants with that vampire girl he wants so much. Caius was thinking, evilly.
And I couldn't help it, my body tensed, and a hissed escaped from my lips.
My eyes were now seeing to the precise place where Aro would come out, to find to what he so much desired. A little surprise was waiting for him. None of the vampires that were here, were willing to be forced to their service.
I heard Irina amongst all thoughts, she was easy to find.
Oh, what have I done? Would Tanya and Kate be here?
She had acted on an impulse, and she regretted such reaction. And she was tormented between the decision of being satisfied with what she'd one, or regretting it.
Now we all could hear them with clarity. Their footsteps were getting louder with each step they took.
Alistair's face came to my mind, and what he had said, his reason to leave without even saying anything. He had been absolutely right.
Destroying and acquiring. Caius and Aro, that's what they desired each respectively.
The time I had longed for so much had finally come!
Was the last thing I heard from Aro before we could finally see them.
So? Was it good?
Alright, leave a review, and we'll see soon with the next chapter. The story is getting pretty close to the end. Just four more chapters!