Chapter 7: Talk

Edward's POV

The only reason that Jacob Black was still breathing was because of Bella. I was seconds away from ripping the dog to shreds. I was going to kill him and tear apart into a million little pieces. He would have been so unrecognizable that when a future civilization dug up his remains in a thousand years they wouldn't even know he once resembled a human being.

I had already lured the mutt away from the house when Bella came running. She knew me and my temper all too well I guess. "If you kill Jacob you're just going to hurt Nessie," she had said. Her words made sense. I would hurt Ness if I got rid of the mutt. So I left Jacob alive.

Now Alice's vision made sense. The second they'd decided to have sex the course of the future had changed. Nessie would end up pregnant with Jacob's daughter. The only thing I did not understand was how Ness would end up back with those awful people. What would set her on that course? Not even Alice knew when I asked her.

Alice had been very shocked to discover the truth. "I thought she looked a lot like her but I didn't think it was her," had been her response. The truth was that my family had noticed similarities between Vanessa and Renesmee but they never once that she could be the same person. By changing her hair color and refusing to wear colored contacts she had altered her appearance just barely enough to pass for a completely different person.

It reminded me of that Disney show Hannah Montana. Years ago teenage girls loved that show. I'd never seen it but from what I'd heard I'd gotten the gist of it. It was about a girl who wanted to be a superstar and still live a normal life. All she had to do was wear a blonde wig when she was 'Hannah'. So when she went to school as 'Miley' nobody would suspect a thing. I'd always thought the concept was stupid. I mean how gullible do people have to be tricked so easily?

Apparently people, human and vampire, were gullible enough to believe the opposite of what their eyes told them. Maybe next time I go to college I'll get a degree in psychology just to find out why exactly that happens.

I heard Carlisle coming before he knocked on my door. "Son can we go for a walk?"

He was trying to hide his thoughts from me but I already knew what he wanted. He'd been trying to talk to me all week. Something I'd been avoiding at all costs. He was going to ask me questions that I couldn't answer for Nessie's sake.

Carlisle didn't even wait for me to answer. "Edward I think we need to talk," he said as he opened my door.

"No we don't,"

"Yes we do Edward. You have been acting very strange all week. You're angry for reasons the rest of us do not understand. You're inexplicable temper has caused damage to this house," I flinched. He was right though. I had destroyed a television amongst a few other things. I just couldn't stand to see them watching Nessie's shows and movies. Not after knowing the dark truth behind them. Every time I thought about what happened to Ness it brought on another round of anger.

"Edward let's just take a walk,"

"Fine,"

My own tone of voice caused me to flinch. I never spoke to anyone with such anger in my voice. Especially not to Carlisle. I walked past him. Maybe it would do me some good to get some fresh air.

Neither of us said anything for several minutes. Carlisle was trying to figure out the best way to start off the conversation. Meanwhile I was trying to figure out how to avoid it.

"Edward what is going on?" he finally asked. "We're all confused. But more importantly we are all worried about you. Especially Bella. So can you please enlighten me as to why you have had such a drastic change in behavior?"

"I can't tell you that,"

"Since when?"

"Since when what?"

"Since when have you not been able to tell me something? We have always been able to tell each other anything,"

I took a deep breath. "Because this involves a secret. A secret that is not mine to tell. It's something I'm not even supposed to know,"

"I still don't understand how this secret you're keeping is so bad that it has altered your behavior so much and so quickly. I think you need to tell me what it is that is bothering you so much,"

I couldn't tell Nessie's secret. This was her secret. This was something that my daughter didn't want everyone to know. I had promised to safeguard that secret until she shared it herself. If she ever decided to share it.

"Edward-"

"Nessie would hate me if I told you,"

"Nessie? This has something to do with Nessie?"

"It has everything to do with her," I muttered. "This is her secret that I'm doing my best to protect for her,"

"Even against your family? What has she done that has upset you so much?"

"She hasn't done anything!" I yelled somewhat defensively. "She has done nothing wrong. She's been the victim in all of this,"

"The victim in all of what?" I stayed silent. "Edward you need to tell me whatt has happened to her. We can help her. We can make it right,"

"I don't think we can Carlisle,"

"Son what happened to her?"

"She was kidnapped. That's what happened,"

"I figured as much but I know there's more to the story. I know you well enough to know that there is something you're still keeping from me,"

He wasn't going to let this go. He was just as stubborn as I was. I didn't have a choice but to tell him. "I heard her whole story in her head the day I saw her for the first time in the cafeteria. She had overheard a conversation between her parents a few months back-"

"I thought her parents were dead. I thought she'd gone to live relatives but they didn't like her and she decided to become an emancipated minor?"

"It was all a cover story. Don't you think it's a bit of a coincidence that we found Renesmee a day after Vanessa Stone went missing?"

Carlisle was surprised by the path that our conversation had taken. "What does the missing actress have to do with my granddaughter?"

"The missing actress is your granddaughter. Renesmee is Vanessa. Her parents purchased her from the person that kidnapped her. They purchased her because they wanted to force her into becoming an actress so they could force her to give them most of the money she made. They stole her from us so they could use her to make money. They never even loved her. They took one look at her and all they saw was dollar signs. That's why I'm so angry. That's why I can't even tolerate seeing a movie or show with her in it ever again. Vanessa disappeared because she was tired of it all. She wanted a normal life. That's why she's here now,"

For a whole minute Carlisle was speechless. "I thought she looked a lot like her but...are you sure?"

"I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life. Vanessa is Renesmee. I have seen her memories. I have observed the way she reacts to seeing herself on TV. That dog of hers, Bruno, is the very same dog from the TV show,"

"Does anyone else know?"

"Only Alice,"

"Then we need to tell the others. Tonight. As soon as the girls get home,"

"No. We can't tell anyone. This is Nessie's secret,"

"Edward don't you think Bella should know? Don't you think Bella has the right to know what happened to her? Bella is her mother and she has every right to know what happened to her daughter,"

"You're right," I relented.

"The whole family needs to know and yes that includes Jacob as well. Besides I'm kind of looking forward to seeing your brothers' reactions to discovering that they have had a crush on their own niece," he chuckled.

"I'm surprised you're taking it so well. You had a crush on Vanessa also,"

He didn't say a word. Not a single word.

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