Author's Note
Please forgive any spelling and/or grammar errors. I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!
Any dialogue you recognize is from Breaking Dawn. Most has changed at least a little, but there may be a few bits from the book - there might actually be lines from each book, and this just covers my bases. PS I'm not Stephenie Meyer, so I don't own anything :(
Chapter 22 - Bella
14 Days
"How do you think this is going to work? Are you moving back here?" Bella asked, moving to sit on the couch. This seemed like a good opportunity to continue practicing acting human. She needed the distraction now that Jasper had left the room. Edward moved to join her. Sitting as far away as possible.
"I'm here to help with the Volturi, Bella. The rest, after that, I suppose is up to you," Edward said, staring at her as if she was a stranger. It was disconcerting. He was the one unfamiliar to her. Like a childhood friend with whom she'd lost contact, but was suddenly supposed to carry on a conversation with.
"What if I asked you to leave?" she wondered aloud. She wanted to know if he'd take off again at the drop of a hat or as soon as things didn't go his way.
"Then I would respect your decision," he said, nodding gravely. "I would understand if you didn't want me to be in her life at all. After the things I've done, and the way I've behaved."
'I'm a monster, Bella. A killer,' the memory of his self-analysis floated through her mind, more an impression or smoke dissipating. 'What if I'm the bad guy?'
This man - boy really, because it was impossible to see him as anything more than a teenager - was so quick to be negative and think the worst of himself. Hasty action followed by self-recriminations. That was his pattern. Was he really ready for the responsibility of becoming a parent? Could he handle it? It wasn't something he could bail on if they did let him into Mae's life.
"You wouldn't fight to stay?" she demanded. Jasper had said Edward vowed repeatedly to never leave again after they returned from Italy last spring, but she remembered that he had - twice.
"Honestly, Bella? I don't truly know what I would do. This isn't something I could get a second chance with, and I've already missed so much of Renesmee's life. I'd probably try to persuade you to at least let me see her occasionally," he said, looking out the window to where Jasper stood holding Mae.
She watched as his face morphed, despair and anguish melting away until only wonder remained. She recognized the feeling. It was how she felt whenever she realized she'd created that little girl. Mae was a treasure. One that deserved to be shared, not cosseted away the way kings and the wealthy did with their art and jewels.
And the effect Mae had on people, the way she brought out the best - well, Bella wanted that for Edward too. Seeing him now. She could picture her younger self loving him. Enough people had told her just how much Edward had been the center of her universe. Now he had nothing. Bella couldn't bring herself to wish that for him. For the sake of what they once shared, for the life he'd helped her find, she wanted him to be happy too. Mae could do that.
"I would at least do that much," he added more confidently, eyes never straying from viewing his daughter for the first time in person - even if it was through a pane of glass.
"Good. You can't just show up and leave if things get tough. You're the parent, and you'll have to act like one. You won't be able to take off whenever you have a rocky go of it," Bella said, trying to explain her hesitation and misgivings so he'd be prepared to handle them. "Because at some point that is bound to happen."
"You're going to let me… " he said wonderingly, head whipping back around to face her. She shifted, folding her hands in her lap and reminding herself to blink.
"I won't keep her from you. But I won't force her to have a relationship with you either. It'll be her decision, and I'll expect you to respect it," she said, trying not to snap at him as she included the last part. She'd just recalled that he struggled to respect others' decisions when they differed from what he thought the best course of action to be.
"I will," he vowed.
"But so help me, Edward. If you pull what you did when I was pregnant," Bella warned.
"Bella, I am so sorry. I didn't mean a word of what I said. I only said that because I thought I could force your hand - as if I had that much power over you," Edward said, shaking his head regretfully.
"You did, once," Bella acknowledged softly.
"But no longer," Edward agreed. "Still, for you to believe that I would kill our daughter. I thought only of finding a way to save you. During our reunion - after the Volturi - you convinced me that I was all you'd ever want. That I alone was enough for you. That you would do anything to be with me. I'd told you repeatedly that I couldn't live in a world where you didn't, and you were so close to death everyday when you were pregnant. I've seen what it was like. At any moment it could have happened, and I would have been left here without you."
He seemed determined to make her understand where he'd been coming from. How confused he'd been. A child in over his head. There was an urgency in his words, as well as a plea.
"Edward -"
"Please hear me out. I truly believed you would always put me first, then when it counted - you were choosing death. You were choosing her over me - us. I'm selfish. I've always been upfront about that. So that situation - it made me crazed. I lashed out. It was a mistake. I understand now that we will never be like that again - never be in that position. Because there is no us. Not anymore. You moved on the way I once hoped you would," he finished, and Bella heard the acceptance that accompanied the words. It was unexpected, but very welcome. It made this situation significantly less uncomfortable.
"Probably not the way you expected though, huh?"
"Decidedly not. Though it is fair, and exactly what I deserve," he said, chuckling darkly. "Please believe me, Bella. I didn't mean the threat. If I could go back and never say it, I would," he added, glancing back outside as though unable to resist.
"I know that now. But I won't stand for you putting her through something like that - ever."
"I've accepted that things will never be the way they were, but I can't help remembering when you said the way you felt about me would never change. That you would always love me. That there was nothing I could do about it to change your feelings," Edward said, getting lost in his musings. He wasn't accusatory, just confused.
It was a request to help him understand.
She'd probably echoed those words so many times that he truly was baffled to find out that in the end, she hadn't meant them anymore than he'd meant his threat. The situations and circumstances were entirely different, but neither had kept their vows to the other.
"Edward, I stopped loving you," Bella informed him, face pinched as she shared the painful truth. Edward opened his mouth, as if to stop her, but then he closed it, determined to hear her out. Good. She deserved to have her say after everything. "I was a teenager when I fell in love with you. You overwhelmed me. Consumed me before I had grown into myself."
"You consumed me as well," Edward acknowledged, smiling ruefully as if it reminded him of something bittersweet.
But then she had his attention again. He was curious to see where she was going with this, and what she wanted him to know.
"I remember more now than when I first woke - others have filled in the gaps - but I haven't fallen back in love with you," Bella said, watching Edward closely with blazing, rose-gold eyes. "I changed when you refused to change me, and after you broke my heart several times over, Edward.
"I stopped being a teenage girl in love with a teenage boy. I stopped being in a place where that love was all that mattered, and I couldn't imagine going a single moment without seeing you and being with you. I stopped being a dramatic girl, where losing your love was equivalent to the end of the world.
"You hurt me, but I survived, and surviving altered me. Then I changed even more. I changed in ways you didn't. Ways I don't think you'll ever be able to change in. I grew up. My needs and desires shifted. I matured. I became a mother. Renesmee is the center of my universe now - not you, not even Jasper. Everything I do is for her, not myself or my mate.
"And now we don't fit anymore. Part of you still seems to be the same angsty teenage boy that I can hardly remember since so much has changed. I hope for Mae's sake as well as your own, that you don't cling to the past," Bella concluded, pouring her heart out after months of figuring out exactly what she wanted to say if given the chance. She hoped her words sounded as mature as she intended them to. Hoped they emphasized the differences she'd highlighted between them.
"That makes sense. I'm so sorry that my actions caused you such pain, and forced such changes on you. I don't regret all of it, however. I can see how you are now. I always said I only wanted you to be happy, and you are - present situation notwithstanding, of course," Edward said wryly.
"Of course," Bella echoed, shocked that Edward was taking this so well. Maybe he wasn't quite as angsty as she remembered. Or maybe he'd grown just enough too. Maybe there was hope that he really could be a father to Mae.
"Do you think this has helped you grow enough that maybe someday you could fall in love again? Maybe try to do things differently, not make the same mistakes? I don't want you to be alone forever," Bella said, speaking the sentiments before she'd even realized they were true.
"Did Alice put you up to that?" he asked, entirely unimpressed.
"Alice? What does she have to do with this?" Bella asked, confused. Did that mean -
"Nothing. Just drop it, please," he said, derailing her thought as he gasped, looking back outside. "She doesn't want to meet me," he acknowledged in an anguished whisper.
"Maybe not today, but I have a feeling she'll change her mind," Bella said, reaching across the space separating them to pat his hand, offering the only comfort she could. He didn't even acknowledge her. Mae was the sole focus of his attention.
13 Days
It wasn't until the next day that Mae asked to speak with Edward. Bella agreed to stay with her for the meeting too.
"Hello, Renesmee. It's very nice to meet you," Edward said gently, standing from the couch when Bella and Mae came inside the main house. He must have heard them coming and known from Mae's thoughts that she was ready for this.
"I know who you are," Mae said, the words tinkling like a chorus of bells. Edward's lips parted slightly, and Bella saw his amazement as he carefully studied her, memorizing the sight and every detail of this first meeting. She'd done the same when she first woke.
"You do?" he prodded.
"You're my father," Mae announced, hesitantly stepping closer the way a mouse approaches peanut butter on a mousetrap - desirous, but afraid to get hurt.
Edward's face lit upon hearing her call him her father. A wide smile stretched across his handsome face until all of his gleaming teeth were visible and rainbows formed where the light reflected. Mae seemed drawn to the smile, and Bella wondered if she'd once been the same, caught up in the tractor beam he projected with his attention. It was.. dazzling.
"I guess I am, Renesmee," Edward said, savoring her name like a fine wine. "You want to know why I left," he said suddenly.
"I didn't -" she denied, startled because she hadn't said anything about it.
Bella was tempted to scold him for reading her thoughts, but there wasn't exactly an off switch on his gift. Apparently Mae hadn't inherited Bella's ability to block Edward. Unfortunately, it also meant he got to hear every unkind and accusatory thought Mae directed at him. And there undoubtedly many. Well… guess that was karma. Sort of made up for her not giving him hell for his actions.
"But you do?" he prompted, moving to sit back down on the couch and patting the spot next to him. Mae went willingly.
"Yes," she said, scooting around to get comfortable, and nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Do you remember when that stranger, Santiago, threatened you?" Edward asked. When she nodded, he continued, asking, "What did you want to do?"
"Grab momma and run away," Mae admitted, smiling sheepishly over at Bella and twisting one of her long curls around her index finger. "Or wait for Jacob since I knew he'd protect me."
Edward caught Bella's eye at the Jacob reference, but it was just a quick flash. She wondered if he was remembering Bella's history with the wolf or Mae's future. Both would likely drive him a little crazy. Again, karma.
"Why?"
"The things he said, the way he looked at me - I was scared he'd hurt us," Mae admitted. It killed Bella that her daughter had already been exposed to that degree of fear, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"When Bel- your mother," Edward quickly corrected, stumbling a bit on the word mother - it'd been an adjustment for her too - then continued, "was pregnant, I was scared like that. I thought I'd lose her, so I ran away."
Edward's explanation was exponentially simplified, but true nonetheless. Truthfully, it really had all boiled done to fear. Fear of death. Fear of rejection. Fear of consequences.
"But she's fine, and I… "
"I wasn't brave. Not like you and your momma were when you faced Santiago. I let fear win, then I was too scared to face everyone. I didn't think you could ever forgive me," he admitted, tentatively reaching out to touch the curl she still played with. He trailed his fingers over it softly, marveling at the fact she was real.
"I do. I forgive you," Mae said, catching his hand in hers. She was so quick to love everyone, and possessed such an enormous heart. It had shocked Bella the day before when Mae had said she didn't want to meet him. But she'd figured their meeting, even delayed as it was, would go down something like this.
"I'd like to get to know you… if you're willing," Edward requested, voice thick with tears that could never be shed.
"I can show you," Mae offered, reaching out her hand.
He didn't mention that he was already watching her thoughts and memories play out inside her head, just accepted the offered palm, and placed it gently against his cheek as he said, "I'd like that very much."
Bella watched Edward's eyes close as he watched the memories, his face becoming bittersweet, though he laughed and asked questions occasionally, seeming to know she wanted him to - and with his gift, of course that was exactly what was happening.
It took close to two hours before she stopped.
"I want to get to know you too, but I don't want to hurt papa," Mae admitted.
"You have your mother's heart. You're capable of loving more than one person at a time. That won't change the fact that Jasper is your papa. If you decide you want to know something, just ask. I'm not going anywhere."
11 Days
The night before, Bella and Jasper had made the decision to send Mae to Alice. This morning Jasper had Mae, and together they were telling Edward while she was asking Jake if he'd take her. She'd called him and asked him to come over. There had only been one time he'd been over since they'd returned, and that was with Sam to let her know that the packs would fight alongside them. Jasper had been reconfiguring his plan ever since to include them.
"Hi, Jake," Bella said when he came up to join her on the porch swing. He set it to swinging more vigorously than the swing was really meant for and the anchors groaned out a warning.
"Uh oh. What's wrong now, Bells?" Jacob demanded, sighing and rubbing a hand over his face. He could still read her so easily.
"If I asked you to do something… " she began, but trailed off. Was this fair of her to even ask? Should she have asked Rose instead? As far as skill went, Jacob was the better candidate.
Jake brought the swing to a stop, leaning forward with his hands clasped and dangling between his spread knees. He turned his head to study her intently. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"No. But I'm going to ask anyways. And I know this time you'll agree," she said, remembering another time she'd asked him not to fight. She blinked away the disjointed image of floating through the forest as the wolf refused. "Jasper and I need you to take Mae to Alice, and stay to watch over her."
"You're asking me to leave my pack. Mine, because I became an alpha to protect you. To have the people that follow me fight while I run away," he demanded, pain unmistakable. His argument actually surprised her a little, particularly the depth of his anguish as he spoke about his pack. She was missing something. But her daughter's safety trumped everything else.
Bella wondered if any alpha in the history of the packs had ever ordered his wolves to fight while he hid. Because that was essentially what she was asking him to do - hide, out of danger, safe.
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking," she said. His eyes closed, and he understood too. Clearly the urge to protect her daughter overrode all loyalty Bella felt to the pack - even Seth since he was returning to fight as well. He'd temporarily given up Alice to risk his life for the Cullens. Jake would be an asset in the coming fight, and she was willing to risk the rest of her family by sending him away if it meant keeping Mae safe.
"So what? Are you trying to save me like you did with the newborns when you asked me to kiss you? Only since that wasn't motivation enough this time you're using my imprint to do it?" he asked angrily, but she'd already sensed his surrender.
He already knew he'd do it, he just wanted to mouth off first because he was pissed to be forced to choose. Not really a choice for him though. That was the magic of the imprint. She always came first. For both of them, it was the same.
"Actually I'm trying to save her. You're just the only one I trust with her safety," Bella said candidly.
Jacob released a single bark of a laugh, as if her statement was ironic somehow. Bella was tempted to ask, but dark shadows had gathered in his eyes, closing him off, away from her.
"Bells… "
"I think this is the real reason you imprinted on her."
"Probably," he agreed, without a moment of doubt or hesitation.
"So you'll do it?"
"Sure, sure," he muttered. "How soon do we leave?"
"A few days. Alice will be expecting you."
"Guess I need to talk to Sam and Leah - separately. God, this is going to be fun making them work together," he grumbled sarcastically.
Bella had forgotten that Leah was his second, and if he was out, then Leah was in charge.
10 Days
Jake came back the next day, asking if he could spar with them. Said he needed to work off the tension. Quil and Embry had come with, eager to fight as well, if for different reasons. Bella had heard Edward on the phone with Leah the night before, and guessed the last minute team up hadn't gone well.
Jake and Kate were going head to head, or head to muzzle as the case was, when Kate surprised him with a shock strong enough to have him howling on ground. It was the first time he'd been zapped, but Bella thought his reaction was a little extreme. The howls sounded like they were coming from multiple directions as they echoed through the training yard they'd set up.
For several moments everyone stilled, then all at once each person seemed to come to the same realization. The wolf howls were echoing because there were three different wolves crying out, despite Kate only touching Jake.
"Are you seeing this?" Jasper asked, searching the assembled faces.
The words broke the trance and Kate jerked her hand back at once, staring at her fingers in mystification.
"What just happened?" Bella demanded, going to kneel by Jake as Garrett and Emmett checked on Quil and Embry, respectively.
"It's the pack mind," Edward said, coming from the house. "They're so connected. I can hear it in their minds - if the alpha is hurt, they all are if they're in wolf form. Leah's the only one not affected since she hasn't shifted."
"No," Bella denied, "Jake's had cuts and scrapes, and Santiago broke his ribs, but none of that showed up on Embry."
"Maybe it's just vampire gifts," Garrett speculated, patting the giant wolf's heaving side. The shock of the unintended reaction meant Kate had zapped Jake for a lot longer than normal, and apparently the wolves' recovery time wasn't as quick as the vampire's was.
"Yes, I'll get him," Edward murmured, likely in answer to someone's silent request, even as he disappeared back into the house.
"Jacob? Are you going to make it?" Bella asked ruefully. He huffed, letting his huge head roll into her lap. Almost at once he snorted, shaking his head and turning it away. Served him right. There was drool on her pants now.
Edward returned with Eleazer beside him. The Denali vampire looked astonished.
"Kate, can you show me?" Embry whimpered, and Eleazar amended, "A lower setting perhaps?"
"Yeah, sorry. I like to make an impression the first time. It usually makes people think twice before attacking again. It won't be so bad this time, or as long. You ready?" she asked, holding her hand out to hover over Jacob. He seemed to roll his eyes, which she took to mean consent and touched his russet fur lightly.
Once more all three wolves whimpered. Bella's phone rang once, and she saw that it was Alice. Guess Seth was feeling it too - even at the bottom of the world. The screen went black before she could open it, and another phone began to chime. Edward's. He chuckled as he answered, giving his sister a brief rundown once Kate stopped electrocuting Jake.
"Well? Do you think it could work? He won't be there," Jasper said, directing the confusing words to Eleazar. He must have been the one to ask for the other vampire. Bella hadn't gotten to know him much, and was currently lost, unable to follow their conversation.
Jake sat up, watching them.
"You think this will help take advantage of his limitations?" Eleazar mused, troubled.
"Yes - sorry, Bella," Jasper said, looking from Eleazar to Bella. "Let me explain. Eleazar was once a member of the Volturi guard. He understands how Alec's gift works. I've been trying to come up with a plan that capitalizes on the weaknesses of his ability to immobilize everyone. If this is correct, it makes me far more confident that we will succeed with the wolves' help."
Bella couldn't picture Eleazar as a member of the Volturi guard. She might not know him well yet, but she could tell he was kind, compassionate, and devoted to the vegetarian lifestyle. The last alone hinted that he wouldn't mesh with the ruling Voturi. To them human life was expendable, not worth respecting. While the Cullens and Denalis revered it. She'd have to ask Jasper more later. She wanted to understand, but now wasn't the time.
Jake got up and went to the tree he'd stashed his clothes behind before the fight, coming back in his human skin less than ten seconds later. He'd perfected the art of dressing quickly. It helped that it was only a pair of cutoffs. No shirt. No shoes. No being left out of the conversation, apparently.
"You sure?" Jake said, ignoring the others and asking Embry. He and Quil had sat up too, and he nodded. "Before we talk about this more, try it on Embry. We need to see if it works both ways. And can I talk to Seth?"
Edward handed off the phone.
"I'm fine, swear. You good there?" Jake said into the phone. Bella assumed he was worried because Seth may have been doing something that would have left him vulnerable when the shocks temporarily downed him. Particularly since he wouldn't have seen them coming from so far away.
"Good point," Jasper acknowledged, eyes distant as he plotted and planned.
Nodding, Kate went over to the grey and black wolf, touching him with just the tips of her fingers. Embry trembled, the electricity making his muscles seize. Little hairs along his spine rose in response to the sensations.
"He feel anything? Quil and I are good here," Jake told Seth and Alice. Seth must have phased again to check that he didn't feel Embry getting shocked.
He's fine. You're not going to do that again, are you? A little warning next time if you plan on it. Bella heard Alice chide through the speaker.
"Sure, sure," Jacob agreed indulgently.
You okay, man? Seth asked, he must have phased back to ask. I heard -
"Yes," Jake said, the word clipped and screaming that the subject was closed. "We'll talk soon," Jake said, disconnecting the call abruptly.
"So what's the plan, Jazz?" Emmett asked as Jake finished his conversation. Jasper looked supremely disappointed that Kate's gift still worked on Embry.
"I'd hoped… I still need a couple days. There are a few tweaks and kinks I still need to work through," he hedged, glancing at Eleazar. He wanted more information before he decided anything.
"How does Alec's gift work?" Bella asked, assuming the others all already knew, but wanting to understand as well.
"It's like anesthesia. It causes a person to feel nothing. It creeps slowly, the way the doctor has the patient count backwards. It takes time to set in, but you know it's coming, and he can use it on countless individuals at once - unlike Jane," Eleazar said.
"How is nothing a bad thing?" Jake asked, clearly unimpressed with the supposed offensive threat they'd all been shaking in their boots over. Embry and Quil's wolf grunts echoed the doubt.
"It's total sensory deprivation. No sight, sound, or smell. No movement even - just dead weight holding you in place. Nothing to aid you to allow you to defend yourself. Only blackness. Endless blackness until nothing remains of you at all because you've been destroyed," Eleazar expanded, the words coming slowly, softly, inevitably - much like Alec's gift.
Bella saw it now. Stone statues spread out like sculptures in a museum garden. Unresisting as each one was summarily lit aflame, burning to ash and cinder. Gone. Forever. All without uttering a single protest.
"Does it spread all around him? Can it be blocked?" Jasper asked, and Bella could already see his mind whirling. Rearranging troops on the imaginary board before him.
"Hmm, no, I suppose not or the other guards wouldn't be able to execute the accused. But it is far reaching - he doesn't have to be close to use it. We could all be immobilized before we ever saw him coming, and Bella's ability is probably the only gift that could hope to stop it. Nothing physical can stand in its way," Eleazar answered, dashing many of their hopes, even as he confirmed what she'd assumed about herself.
"And there's no way I can use my shield to help the rest of you?" Bella asked, forlornly.
"Right. It took me six hundred years just to learn to extend my gift over my arms instead of only focused in my palms. Then another four hundred to project it over my whole body," Kate said, shaking her head at Bella's zealous ambition.
"But you think she can learn to?" Edward asked, studying Kate and Eleazar.
"She'd be a formidable opponent once she did," Eleazar whispered, staring at Bella, a little star struck.
"There's not time now, but someday," Kate agreed.
Edward's expression was calculating. Bella felt like he viewed her as a rook in a game of chess. Better than being a pawn she guessed.
"But I can still fight Alec, right? So the rest of you can fight the others?" Bella asked, shaking off the feeling that Edward was thinking moves ahead when they still needed to worry about the next one.
If she could just keep Alec occupied long enough, the others would stand a chance. An easy choice. Easier than the alternative of standing by and watching Carlisle die.
Jasper didn't comment, his musings were all directed internally. The frown on Edward's face as he watched his brother said a lot. And that was yet another difference between the two. Jasper understood her desire to fight and help protect the family. She had an ability that made her supremely suited for the task. So he would use her to give everyone the best shot. Edward probably would have told her it was too dangerous, and with so many assembled and willing to fight, she was rendered unnecessary.
"Does any of this help - wolves, my shield, any of it?" Bella finally inquired, because honestly, she still couldn't see the significance. Strategy was not her forte. Jasper met her gaze with a noncommittal pinched expression. So he wasn't sure. Well, at least he didn't look defeated by the news.
"It does make it less likely that we can't win," Jasper finally concluded, looking at Edward, who nodded as well. Though Edward looked a lot less confident.
"I'm not going down without a fight," Emmett insisted, pushing on the fingers of one hand then the other as if he was cracking his knuckles. A useless gesture for vampires, but the implied message was there.
"Well said," Garrett agreed.
"Great. So it's not a certain death sentence anymore," Jake said flatly. Bella was having a hard time getting a read on him today. Guess she had yesterday too, but she'd been too worried about Mae to truly recognize what she was seeing. Something was troubling him, and she thought it went beyond missing the fight. "Although, not to throw a wrench in the new plan you're drumming up with this information, but you should know - Sam's decided the youngest in his pack won't be fighting. There are too many that need protecting on the rez, and he doesn't want to risk my being the sole surviving wolf left to pass on the gene."
"He doesn't think you're up for it," Em guffawed, all innuendo.
"No. He doesn't," Jacob stated woodenly, lips twisted in a bitter grimace.
What had happened between yesterday and today? This was definitely more than just having to leave Washington.
"Jacob," Edward said, dismay and compassion encompassing the name so completely that all of the animosity from their former relationship had vanished entirely.
"Don't," Jake warned, silencing his former rival. Edward slowly nodded, respecting the request not to share the wolf's secrets.
"More for us," Em said, returning the conversation to the original topic, and taking the spotlight off Jake.
"How many does that leave us with?" Jasper inquired.
Jake hesitated, clearly uncomfortable divulging any of the pack's secrets. He looked around, eyes lingering on the Denalis present, Eleazar and Kate, and Garrett. "Four from mine. Three from Sam's, including him."
If the news troubled Jasper, he gave no indication, just nodded and let a blank mask fall over his features. He actually looked a bit like Alice while she was having a vision.
Bella and Garrett settled into sparing again. Time was running out and she couldn't put off training, much as she'd like to in order to corner her best friend and demand some answers. He, Embry, and Quil had vanished inside to consume large quantities of the food Esme had prepared for them that morning.
She'd learned that Quil and Emby had taken it upon themselves to visit Esme and Carlisle while the rest of them were gone. Jake had asked them to check in so Esme wouldn't get lonely without her children. When they'd all come home, it was to find the wolves stopped in for at least one of their meals each day and a quick chat. Embry even had Carlisle tutoring him in chemistry all through March and April so that he wouldn't fail and have to repeat his final semester of high school.
It wasn't even two hours later that Leah showed up. Her face was the classical drama mask - split evenly into two conflicting emotions. One side was pissed off while the other was concerned. Jacob heard her coming and came back outside, Quil and Embry flanking him on either side. She went right to Jacob, ignoring all the rest. A gush of air carrying the scent of wolf spread out in her rushing wake.
"Jake, I need to talk to you," she said softly. She obviously intended it to be a private conversation, but they could all hear anyway.
"Did something else happen when I left?" he asked wearily.
"No. Not about that," she said, touching his arm tenderly, and sharing a look of deep understanding and empathy.
"Are you about to tell me something else has happened. On top of what we're currently dealing with?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry, Jake. I just came from my mom's house. She wanted me to tell you that Charlie's coming over after work. He wants answers. He'll probably be here in an hour," Leah said apologetically.
Bella's chest ached at hearing her father referenced. Her chest felt hollowed, her insides scooped out with a rusty spoon. Caught off guard. That was the only way to describe it. Charlie was the last issue she expected to deal with right now.
"My dad's coming over? Why?" Bella hissed.
"Paul said that? In front of Charlie? Was he trying to put him at risk?" Edward demanded, looking furious before Leah could answer.
"What answers? Has something happened?" Carlisle asked, coming out and moving to the other side of the porch not currently occupied by wolves.
Jake looked a little caught with all the questions being thrown at him.
Edward looked like he was watching a movie and demanding spoilers about the final scene part way through, even though none of them had seen the movie either. "Does he not understand the danger he put Charlie in? Or does he just not care since it's not his - Was that it? If his family had to be in danger, he wanted ours to be as well?"
"Not everything is about you, Edward," Leah sassed, but it lacked heat. Or any kind of the usual disdain and animosity she typically displayed towards their kind.
"Look, it was an accident. No one intentionally told Charlie anything, but he's smart - he figured out something was up on his own," Jake explained, shrugging helplessly.
"Knowing our secret is a death sentence," Bella whispered fearfully. Jasper flashed to her side in an instant, wrapping a supportive arm around her waist and encouraging her to lean against him.
"He doesn't know you're all vampires - just that something's up," Jacob assured her. Then he tossed a glare at Edward for good measure since he was the one that spooked her with his mindreading and half explained statements taken out of context.
"Perhaps you'd better explain so we can handle this situation properly," Jasper prodded, sending waves of serenity to everyone gathered. It helped refocus and center Bella.
"Paul came over to my dad's yesterday while Charlie was there. Right after I got home from here. It didn't go over well when I told Sam, who was already pissed at me. Then Sam told Paul, and he wanted to give me a piece of his mind about having to fight again for your family," Jacob explained.
"We aren't asking him to risk his life for us," Carlisle insisted, ever seeking peace rather than war.
Jasper looked ready to protest. His plan hinged on having their support, and he at least wasn't willing to risk his family by excluding the wolves.
"You think the wolves are just going to let their kind traipse in here, kill at will, then leave unscathed? Unlikely," Emmett suggested.
"He's right," Jacob said. "It's fine. It's what we do."
"Then why is Paul so upset? I thought that one liked fighting," Emmett wondered.
"Rachel's pregnant. They just found out a couple days ago, then he found out I wasn't even going to be there," Jacob explained, not saying more about what was actually said by either wolf in the other pack.
The news about Rachel hit Bella hard though. Pregnant. In danger. And scared. She could relate.
"No one should be forced to participate who doesn't wish to," Carlisle repeated, again offering the out and fully expecting Jake to take it and pass on the welcome news to Sam.
The urge to agree with Carlisle and insist the packs not fight, but rather stay in La Push to protect Rachel and her unborn child, was strong. Stronger yet, was the desire to protect her own family. She cared about the wolves, yes. Loved them even. But she loved Jasper and Carlisle more. They needed fighters. They needed the wolves. Everyone would be safer if they fought beside the Cullens and Denalis. Numbers would be their greatest advantage. It was enough for her to keep her mouth clamped shut and let the others decide.
"Yeah, doc? And what happens if this goes wrong because there weren't enough of us?" Jake asked, clearly thinking along the same lines as Bella. "My pack has to fight - I need them to be there since I can't, and they want to be. What's to stop the Volturi from seeking out Sam's pack on the reservation later? They'll know about us once my pack fights. You don't think they won't want to make sure no one else can stand against them in the future even if they're victorious over you?"
"Such little faith you have in us," Garrett chided, looking at Jacob like a misinformed child.
"No. I just know our best bet is to have as many good guys there fighting as possible so we win outright. And that includes Sam's pack," Jake said defensively. He stood straighter, addressing Carlisle. "I understand what you're offering, and why. I really do, but I will make sure you have at least three of Sam's wolves fighting with you. I never wanted to be alpha. Never. But now that I am? I have to see all of my people protected as much as possible."
"Jake. Come on, man. We can look after ourselves. We know what we're getting into," Embry said, nudging his side.
"It'll be just like before. We'll fight. It'll be awesome with epic stories to tell after. Everything worked out then, and it will now too," Quil added optimistically.
"Children," Kate sighed, shaking her head a little woefully.
"Infants," Garrett countered.
"I think it would be best if we all cleared out, and let Carlisle handle this without interference," Tanya suggested from inside the house. Bella liked that she hadn't tried to weigh in on the private affair. Liked even more that she'd suggested all the newcomers leave.
There was a mass exodus as Garrett and each of the Denalis zipped away without another word.
"Not to change the subject - actually that's exactly what I'm doing - but what are we going to do about Charlie?" Emmett asked, worry scrunching his forehead.
"Bella? It's up to you," Jasper said, sliding his hand up and down her side.
She wanted this opportunity to see her dad. It might be the only chance she ever got if she died in battle. Would it be fair to Charlie to shock him with her being secretly alive only for her to die in a little over a week?
And the danger? It was forbidden. Breaking laws was why they were in this mess - not that the Volturi weren't just waiting for an excuse to launch an attack. If Edward had just let the venom spread when James bit her, none of this would have happened. The Volturi wouldn't be after them now. But then she also wouldn't have Mae.
Becoming a parent was the greatest event in her life. She'd do anything for her daughter. The same as Charlie would for her. Charlie. Her fragile human father. Right now he was still separate from this life that she'd chosen. Could she really drag him into it?
She wanted to have Mae and Charlie be part of each other's lives. It was a gift she could give them that they deserved.
But fear of the potential danger had her whispering, "He can't know. I won't have him killed because of me."
Jasper watched her carefully, knowing the true extent of her longing. He weighed the situation with all of the usual gravity he gave to potential threats.
"There might be a way that it wouldn't be against the law," Jasper began cautiously.
Edward picked up where he left off, and said, "Charlie is marrying into the La Push tribal council. That means he is allowed to have access to the pack secrets and legends."
"Their need for secrecy rivals our own. It would mean he'd be categorized as an exception to the law - one of those rare humans that knows, and is trusted not to tell any others," Carlisle said, understanding what his sons were suggesting, and elaborating for Bella's sake since she was still so new to this life.
"You could always 'let him make the wrong assumptions'. Wasn't that your plan all along, before you got a load of the new, and… altered you?" Jake suggested.
"I know what it would mean to you to have Charlie in your life. And he could know Mae the way Billy and Carlisle do," Jasper said, tucking her hair behind her ear and letting his fingers linger on her face. Bella felt his love and encouragement. He wanted her to have this.
"How would we explain lying to him about my death? And one look at me -"
"We tell him the truth. Granted it might help to leave out the specifics, but we can tell him as much or as little as you feel comfortable with," Jasper offered.
"I don't want to give him a heart attack," Bella grumbled.
"Charlie's tougher than you give him credit for. He'll handle this like a champ. I bet he won't want specifics just yet - too much to take in. But Sue can slowly ease him in afterwards," Jake said. He looked better than he had, like at least one weight had been lifted from his shoulders. In fact, he looked excited for Charlie to finally find out their secrets.
"I'm going to tell my mom your decision, see if she wants to meet him here to help smooth things over," Leah said, assuming it was a done deal. Without so much as another word she'd vanished, running off into the trees.
Jasper and Edward were sharing an intense look, communicating silently. They'd been at it off and on since Jacob started talking about Charlie.
"No, I won't ask her to lie to him for me," Edward said in answer to whatever Jasper had thought.
She'd deal with that later. They both knew how much she disliked being left out of the conversation when she was clearly the subject of the discussion.
"Will you call Rose and explain?" Bella asked Emmett. Her annoyance would make this more difficult. Mae's presence would help her stay calm. And she wanted to introduce her daughter to Charlie.
Right then Mae was out with Rosalie, Esme, and Carmen having a girl's day. Mae was upset about leaving again when they just got home, so they'd taken her out to cheer her up. It was also serving as their chance to say goodbye since Bella and Jasper planned to monopolize her remaining time in Forks once they got back.
"And, Edward? Unless you want Charlie to shoot you, you'll make yourself scarce until he's had some time to process everything," Bella advised. While it was likely true, it was also partly as payback for excluding her earlier.
He nodded sadly, and retreated back into the house. Probably he planned to hide upstairs listening to music as he usually did when the others were occupied.
"He agreed that you should tell your father he left again, and that you divorced him," Jasper whispered by her ear, trying to make up for his part in frustrating her.
"Augh," Bella groaned, imagining the 'I told you so' she'd get from Charlie.
"Bella, you might want to find another pair of those contacts Alice left for you," Jake suggested, eyeing her critically, as if trying to judge just how different she appeared, and if it really might give Charlie a heart attack.
"Her eyes are hardly the largest change," Jasper quipped, looking at her as well. But when he did, Bella felt his desire welling up and it ignited her own.
Emmett could be heard coughing in the other room. With each of the three fake, rough sounds he said, "Mae," and "Jasper," and "New bod."
The mention of Mae cooled her rising passion, but Bella anticipated getting Jasper alone later that night.
"He's right," Bella said, ignoring Emmett and referring to Jasper's assessment. "Charlie's going to know me like this. I'm not going to hide my eyes, and try to trick him into thinking they alone haven't changed." She was actually quite proud of finally possessing the near golden color that the rest of the family had.
They didn't have to wait long before Charlie arrived, stomping up the stairs and pounding forcefully on the door. He was angry, furious more like. He must have left work early, too impatient for answers since it wasn't even five yet.
"Hello, Charlie," Carlisle greeted, assuming the congenial smile he typically wore at work.
"What has your family got going on with the boys down at the rez?" Charlie demanded, pushing his way inside and facing Carlisle with his arms crossed. "We finally seemed to call a halt to all the hostility from when you first moved here. I won't have it stirred back up again."
"Why don't you have a seat. We have a lot to discuss," Carlisle said, not the least thrown by being accused right off the bat.
"Like why your boy couldn't even come back for Bella's funeral?" Charlie huffed, his renewed hatred for Edward unmistakable.
"About that… why don't you have a seat?" he suggested again. "Some of this will probably come as a bit of a shock."
"Everything's going to be okay, Charlie," Jacob said, coming out of the kitchen.
"Jake? What are you doing here? I thought you hated the Cullens, especially after Bella -"
"Moral support - for you. Seriously, you might want to sit," Jacob said, moving to sit himself so Charlie would follow his example. He did.
"Well, out with it," Charlie insisted, knowing something was up, and wanting them to get on with it. He was over the games. His impatience was nearly palpable.
Carlisle hesitated, not sure what the proper approach to the topic was now that the time had come to do it, so Jake spoke for him, saying, "She's why I'm here… Bella."
Emmett turned on a baseball game, shrugging when the others all looked at him perched in the chair to the side of the couch. It couldn't hurt. Anything to lighten the mood and offer a distraction for her dad.
Bella peaked around the corner to watch, waiting before coming in. Her luck, the shock of seeing her without warning really would kill him. He looked just like she remembered.
"She's alive, Charlie," Jacob said, grinning his most inviting and happy smile. He was restored to the old Jake right then.
"No. We had a funeral. You told me that she was sick - that she died," he said, rounding on Carlisle. Charlie's face took on a ruddy hue that filled the room with additional warmth and the scent of appetizing blood. It reminded her of the mall and airport. Not the actual planes though. The recycled air had been too polluted with stale sweat and body odor.
Bella swallowed venom, squashing her thirst down deep. Disgusted with herself for thinking of her father as food even for a millisecond. He wasn't a walking blood bag. He was her dad!
"She was sick, and she had to change to survive. Fairly drastic changes, and it was dangerous for you to know anything else before now," Carlisle soothed, his careful composure slipping just a fraction.
Silence. Bella watched Charlie looking around like this was not a funny joke. His heart pounded loudly as they waited, unnaturally still to a human's perspective. No one spoke. No one added anything else. They just waited for the truth to sink in.
"Where is she? Bella! What have you done with my daughter, Carlisle?" Charlie roared, standing and moving two steps towards her adoptive father, again yelling, "Bella!"
"Hi, dad," Bella chirped, stepping into full view in the doorway. She winced at the sound, worried that it would only upset him more.
He assessed her, scanning her from head to toe, then doing it again more slowly. The red in his face deepened to more of a puce, extending down his neck before disappearing beneath the collar.
"Bella?" he whispered uncertainly, even doubtfully. He hardly recognized the stranger before him. She barely resembled the daughter he remembered. The one that had died over seven months ago.
"Yeah. It's me," Bella confirmed, lifting her hands out to the side in what she hoped was a helpless human gesture. Emmett's amused snort told her she'd only managed to look ridiculous instead. Oh well, at least she'd tried. She wanted Jasper, but one thing at a time.
"You knew about this?" Charlie demanded horsley, glancing at Jake, but looking back at Bella before he had a chance to reply.
"Dad, I'm sorry we lied, but it was the only way," Bella answered for him, trying to spare him any more grief this day. From the sound of things, others had already been dumping on him. Damn Sam and Paul.
"Only way for what, Bells?" Charlie asked, stepping up to her. It seemed to take a long time for him to reach her. The scent of his blood filled the air, far more appealing than the wolves' that she was used to filling this space. It was easy to ignore though after all these months, and the repeated mental reminders that this was her dad. When Charlie finally reached her, he lifted his hand to touch her cheek. The instant he made contact with her skin, he jerked his hand back, looking from it to her, mystified. At least it wasn't disgust or fear. "What's happened to you?"
Bella opened her mouth to explain, but Charlie stepped back turning in a circle and looking everywhere. "Where is he? This is his doing. Where's Edward?"
"I wanted this. It was my choice. I knew what I was getting into," Bella interrupted, needing her dad to understand no one forced this on her. If Edward had had his way it never would have even happened. For once it wasn't on him - though an argument could be made that the pregnancy forcing it was at least partly his fault - she hadn't knocked herself up.
"You're defending him -"
"Those days are long over," Bella said dryly, with a touch too much emphasis. Charlie seized on it, his eyes narrowing.
"What did he do? Did he leave you when all this happened?"
"It doesn't matter. I actually left him," Bella clarified.
That sort of happened. She had been the one to initiate a new relationship with Jasper before her official divorce. And it had a better chance of Charlie not behaving rashly in her defense. Bella felt Jasper's amusement from the other room. Apparently he liked her revised version of history.
"Then why haven't you come home? Are you and Jake -"
"No! No, Jacob and I are still just friends. I'm actually with Jasper now," Bella explained.
Charlie's face wrinkled as he seemed to be trying to keep up or place where he knew the name Jasper from. It was a lot of information to deliver at once. He'd thought his daughter was dead, but evidently she'd been going about her life and making a number of significant changes in the meantime.
The sound of an older car slowing as it turned onto the dirt drive made Bella smile. Sue's timely arrival was sure to help this all go down easier. Carlisle opened the door for her before she'd even knocked. No one mentioned how she surreptitiously surveyed the room, judging all the potential hazards of being in a vampire's home. Seth and Leah may not bat an eye at living with vampires - though it took Leah a while to get to that point - but Sue was a Quileute tribe leader through and through.
"How are you holding up?" Sue asked, smiling wryly and wrapping an arm around Charlie's waist.
"You already knew about all of this too," Charlie accused, picking up on her lack of surprise at the sight of Bella. At least he didn't look angry, just a smidge hurt.
"There's more, but I can tell you later tonight. Right now you should enjoy your reunion." Then she directed her next words at Jake. "You'll come around to help." It was a statement, not a request.
"Show-and-tell. You got it," Jacob said, almost eagerly.
"Ungh!" Charlie huffed, "You're involved in this too - like her?" he asked, pointing at Bella. Jasper chose that moment to make his appearance. The second Charlie saw him, he remembered the connection.
"Not the same way, but yeah, you could say I'm involved," Jacob chortled.
"Great," Charlie muttered, obviously overwhelmed, and not looking forward to learning more about how his best friend's son was embroiled in all of this. Instead, he refocused his attention on Jasper. "So you just decided to take up where your brother left off?"
"Bella and I are building a future together," he replied, filling the room with subtle acceptance, serenity, and happiness. Nice. They were going to roofie her father into being all right with this.
Jasper raised a brow at her disapproval, and she could almost imagine him asking, Would you rather continue arguing, all the while letting Charlie's heart race out-of-control?
Deciding it might be for the best, Bella said, "He was there for me when I needed someone. He makes me happy."
"Hmph. You do look good, Bells. But are you sure you want to go down this path again? No offense, Carlisle, but your family hasn't always been good for my daughter," Charlie stated bluntly.
"Jasper is nothing like Edward, dad," Bella insisted, not wanting Carlisle to have to be in the position of defending one son over the other. "He makes me more," she said simply. That was really the only way to describe how it was with him. Every aspect of herself, every feeling, was enhanced, at its full potential for the first time ever.
"So it's not all about him. Well, I guess that's something," Charlie grumbled, running a hand through his hair, and looking uncomfortable with all the revelations. She really must have come off as obsessed with Edward from her father's perspective. He'd feared she'd lost herself in him, and letting him lead her around blindly.
Another car turned onto their drive. This time Bella recognized the familiar purr of Rose's BMW.
"Excuse me," Jasper said softly, moving to intercept the newcomers so Bella had a chance to prepare Charlie. So much for not completely overwhelming him. No way he could see a teenage granddaughter after less than a year and not totally freak.
"Dad, I know this has already been a lot to digest," Bella began, hesitating before lightly touching the sleeve of his shirt. A shiver went through him, and Charlie's eyes went instantly to the spot while his brow wrinkled. Bella waited for him to shake it off. She wasn't really that cold to him, was she? "I've put you through a lot the last two years. But there's something else I have to tell you. I have a daughter - Renesmee. She's incredible and I can't wait for you to meet her," Bella said, her voice catching as she comprehended that this was really happening.
"I'll kill him," Charlie said, throwing her off. His next words clarified his assumption. "That's why you're not together anymore? He didn't want to take responsibility?"
"It wasn't exactly like that. I fell in love with Jasper, real love and not hero worship, and together we are raising our daughter," Bella said, almost pleading with him to be all right and happy about these latest developments - before Mae came in and heard him talking about her like she could ever be something unwanted or a mistake.
"Papa! Is he here?" Bella heard Mae ask. Charlie looked confused. That was not the way an infant should sound. Or a toddler. Or even a young child.
"Yes, poppet, he's right in there, but let's give momma a chance to introduce you properly," he said, adding in a whisper too low for Charlie to detect, "Don't use your gift on him just yet. We don't want to scare him."
"She's very special, but she's different," Bella said, not sure how else to describe her miraculous daughter.
"Like you?" Charlie asked, unsure what he was actually asking.
"Sort of," Bella hedged, shrugging and giving her dad an indulgent smile. "She's unique. Nothing you've ever seen before."
Mae continued talking to Jazz, saying, "I've heard so many stories about him from Uncle Billy."
Charlie scowled at hearing Billy mentioned. The calculating look he wore said that his friend would be getting an earful that night for keeping all this secret from him.
Jasper ushered her in then, walking a half step behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Charlie's bow-shaped lips parted immediately, not quite forming a perfect o with the way his jaw hung down so low. Mae ducked her head bashfully under the intense scrutiny, letting her long, copper hair fall forward to shield her face. Ordinarily she was very open with strangers, but Bella realized she was afraid her grandpa might not like her given the way he was staring. She'd have to explain later that it'd just been a shock.
As soon as Mae's face was hidden from view, Charlie slowly turned back to Bella, the color draining from his face to be replaced with an unspoken question demanding an answer. He'd seen Bella less than a year ago. But the resemblance between her and Mae made their relationship as mother and daughter clear. The math didn't add up.
Sue leaned in, but they all heard her anyway, "I'll explain how later."
Emmett snorted, and Bella glared menacingly at his evil smirk and the way he'd evidently taken the remark. Obviously Charlie already knew how babies were made. She was proof.
"Renesmee, this is your grandpa Charlie," Jazz said, saving Bella. Mae peaked shyly back up at him, and smiled wide enough to make the dimples in her cheeks appear.
"She's a beauty," Charlie breathed, looking back at his granddaughter.
"Thank you," Mae said, tinkling bells ringing with the words.
"Aren't I a little young to have a granddaughter so… advanced," Charlie sputtered, looking around helplessly. "How old is she?"
"Carlisle's her grandpa too," Emmett volunteered unhelpfully. Charlie looked a little nauseous and indignant at the thought of the ridiculously handsome and young doctor having a teenage granddaughter.
"She's thirteen, more or less," Bella offered. "No one else can know about her, or me. Tell me you understand. Not even mom. She wouldn't be able to handle this."
"Sure, Bells, yeah. I think you're right about Renee," Charlie agreed, continuing to stare at Mae.
"Momma and papa and Jacob took me to Central America. Would you like to hear about it?" Mae asked, wanting to get to know him.
"Mae," Jasper warned. She usually shared the trip by showing her pictures. Mae rolled her eyes at him just like a real teenager would. Oh, geez.
"We saw monkeys. Momma enjoyed them," she said, alluding to how Bella had drank one and giving Jasper a devilish smirk at the little hidden truth. Bella supposed this was her way of rebelling since she was upset with them about being forced to leave.
The next few hours were spent talking. They didn't come right out and tell Charlie that Bella had become a vampire. They figured Sue could manage that when the time was right. Mostly, though Charlie watched the game with Emmett. Although he was equally as engrossed in watching Bella and Jasper interact, or chatting with Mae. The more he watched, the more he seemed to relax. And it was obvious that he was every bit as enthralled with Mae as the rest of them. She truly was irresistible.
When the game ended, Emmett and Jake started playing Mario Kart, with Jasper playing winner. Bella laughed as Mae teased them, cheering for Jake, much to Emmett's disgruntlement. Charlie and Bella both opted out of playing themselves. When it was Jasper's turn to play Mae a little later, Bella covered his eyes, daring him to still try to win while blind. In the end, she'd swatted the controller out of his hand's entirely to make sure Mae won. He'd called foul, but let it go when she kissed him, settling for the compromise.
It was the most relaxed she'd been since returning home. The stress melting away, even if only temporarily. The day had felt like any other with her family. The way things were meant to be.
"You laughed more today than you have since moving to Forks," Charlie commented when he and Sue were preparing to leave.
"I have the life I always wanted," Bella said easily. It was the truth.
"He's better for you. I always thought it should be Jacob, but I see it now. It's him," Charlie said, speaking quietly, as if only for her and not knowing the whole house was listening as well. Hopefully Sue would remember to tell him about their hearing.
"Jasper's my mate."
"Soulmates? If today was any indication, you might be right," Charlie said thoughtfully, misunderstanding her term, but his worked equally well.
"Can I come back tomorrow?"
"Actually, Jasper, Mae and I are spending the day together. She and Jake are leaving the day after to go visit Alice. And Carlisle's family from Denali are staying with us - you met them at the wedding. They should be back any minute."
"How long will Mae and Jake be gone?" he asked suspiciously. "And why aren't you going with?"
"Some things are happening around here next week. They'll be back when it's over. We can spend more time together then."
"Should I be worried?" He always picked up on more than what she actually said. Must be the cop thing.
"Sue will fill you in on as much as you can handle," Bella promised, impulsively hugging her dad.
"I just got you back, kid. You can't disappear again," he said gruffly, awkwardly patting her stone back and shivering a bit at the contact.
"I'll do my best." It was the most she could say.
8 Days
Mae was leaving in less than twenty four hours to meet Alice, so Bella was surprised to hear from her sister right now. She answered the phone anyways.
"Bella, we found him. The hybrid Zafrina knew from before. He's still alive," Alice chirped rapidly, speaking so fast and so excitedly into the phone it took Bella a moment to separate the words and assign actual meaning to them.
The shock was enough to draw Jasper to her side. He, Sam, Leah, Garrett, Emmett, Carlisle, Kate, and Eleazar were going over the final plans for how the battle would ideally play out. Each would tell the others not here what they needed to know.
Bella met Jasper's eyes, knowing he was listening, as on edge as her. His hand trembled as he brought it up to cup her face.
"How old -"
"Over a hundred. I haven't seen him myself yet. Seth just told me, and I had to let you know at once," Alice rambled, her excitement a tangible thing.
"Alice, do you know what this means?" Bella whispered, having to force the words through her constricted throat even as she felt her eyes burning with unshed tears that didn't disrupt her view of Jasper in the slightest.
"That my niece is going to be around for a very long time," Alice supplied. "I'm going to meet him myself now. Bye, Bella."
Jasper was dialing on his phone, without ever breaking their eye contact. Bella realized he was sharing the news with Jacob as he repeated Alice's words. The two had become friends on the trip, and they'd bonded even more after Jake protected Mae and Bella. She had a suspicion that Jake had even confessed the contents of his fight with Sam to Jasper. At least this was some good news after the crappy days, plural, Jake had had recently.
7 Days
Letting Jake take Mae away was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She had a feeling even if she lived for millenia, it would forever remain the hardest. Jasper and Edward had come to the airport to say goodbye with her. They didn't want to cause a scene, so the others had already said their farewells at the house.
"Will you tell me what Sam said that hurt you so much?" Bella asked Jake, slightly jealous that he'd confided in Jazz and not her. They were supposed to be best friends.
He glanced around, noticed Mae watching him, and shook his head. "Bella, I've given so much to you and your family. Please don't ask for this as well. I can't… I just, I can't."
"All right, Jake," Bella said, taken aback.
"I got in to UC San Diego - the engineering school. The letter was waiting for me when we got back. My dad saved it for me," he offered instead, trying to soothe the sting with a different piece of news about his life.
Bella thought about it for a moment. It was great news. Jacob had just confessed to wanting to go to college. She hadn't realized he'd probably already applied when he'd told her that. He must have, considering they'd been traveling since and he hadn't had time to. And San Diego. That was right on the ocean. Down south.
"Southern California? It's really sunny there," Bella said, going for nonchalance. Judging by his expression, she failed. Miserably.
"Yeah. They have one of the best programs in the country. Look, we can talk about this when we get back. Nothing's decided, and I'm sure you'll want to weigh in once you've taken care of things here," he said, implying she'd be fine and able to voice her opinion - not that he had any intention of listening to it. He never did. Same way she never listened to him.
It was almost time. She'd already said bye to Mae, and was letting Jasper and Edward take their turns doing the same.
"There's no one else I would trust her with," Bella repeated from when she'd asked this of him in the first place.
"Aren't you really trusting her with Alice? I'm just the muscle and delivery man," Jacob joked, though forced and somewhat uncomfortable.
"So much for sentimentality," Bella said dryly.
"It wasn't a good look on you anyways, Bells," he quipped, mock punching her shoulder, and playfully shaking his hand out after. Or maybe it really had hurt and she was just so tough she hadn't properly gauged the force he'd used. "But seriously, you know I'll keep her safe."
"Promise me you'll still be here when I get back," Mae demanded of Edward, interrupting her moment with Jake. Bella looked over to see how he'd take it. They really hadn't had much time together, and now they were being parted.
"I promise, Renesmee," he said, hugging her tightly and breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. Bella had figured out that even though he fully accepted Jasper's new role in their family, he would never use his brother's nickname for the daughter they were sharing.
"Do me a favor?" Bella asked.
Anything," Jacob said, tone much more serious than it had been earlier.
"Check out this guy, Nahuel. Tell me what he's like," Bella said.
"Because Alice doesn't like him even though Seth does?" Jacob questioned, cocking his head as he studied her. "You know it's just because she's upset that she can't see him and that he made her spend so much time looking because of it," Jake reasoned. She had a feeling he was correct, but she trusted Jake's judgement and knew he'd tell her straight.
"Yeah, that's what I figured, but check him out for me anyways," Bella agreed. She hated letting her daughter meet a stranger she hadn't gotten a chance to scope out yet. Guess this was practice for the rest of her life. It was bound to happen eventually.
"Will do," Jake promised.
Bella squeezed Mae tightly to her one last time.
Only the knowledge that if she didn't release her, Mae and Jake would miss their flight was enough to get Bella to let go and watch them move to the security checkpoint.
She'd only needed to remind herself fifty times that this was necessary to ensure her daughter's safety.
Jasper was her strength the rest of the day, and the following one. She'd have been a lifeless shell without him.