Compassion

Edward
I was momentarily stunned. Bella thought me capable of killing this little girl's parents. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, considering what I had done to our own daughter, but it still stung.

She had caught me by surprise actually and I quickly scanned the thoughts of everyone else in the room. Only Rosalie shared Bella's suspicions. The rest of my family still had faith in my inherently good nature... that was comforting to know, even though I didn't deserve it.

I spoke quietly, my words directed only to Bella, but I knew everyone in the apartment could hear me.

"I didn't kill her mom, Bella. I was trying to help her, but I was too late." Bella hung her head, not wanting to meet my gaze.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"It's okay, Love. I understand why you might think that."

We both watched on in silence as Carlisle monitored the little girl, who was sucking greedily from the bottle in Alice's hands. I was pleased that she was drinking, in itself, was a very good indication that I had found her in time. Carlisle confirmed that he was happy with her vital signs with a small nod that I knew well, his mind going over all the provisions that we would need to acquire quickly to care for the baby... but they kept wandering to questions regarding how I had come to acquire a newborn baby girl... and why I was covered in human blood.

His thoughts didn't waver though. Never once did Carlisle's mind go to that dark place that Bella's and Rosalie's were already at. I didn't deserve the faith he had in me.

"How did this happen?"

I quickly told them the story of Joey's 'businesses' and how he planned to use Hannah and her baby to blackmail the Senator. The room remained very silent as I spoke, the only sounds were that of the tiny little baby in Alice's arms. My eye's slid to Bella as I told of how her mother had tried to protect her... how she ran from the men that were seeking her, how she hid the baby in the basement to keep her safe, how she had died, in my arms, trying to protect her child.

Bella's tears streamed silently down her face, but she didn't attempt to interrupt me. She didn't need to. Her tears of sympathy in identification of what Hannah had been through told me clearly what she was thinking.

I tore my eyes from her face to meet Carlisle's contemplative gaze.

"I didn't know what to do with her. I couldn't exactly take her to the hospital. She is unknown to her father, her mother is dead, and I couldn't risk her ending up in the hands of Joey Arcella."

Carlisle nodded. "No son, you did right in bringing her here... now we just have to figure out what we are going to do with her."

The words were barely past Carlisle's lips when Rosalie spoke.

"We'll raise her, as if she were our own." Rosalie's hopeful voice broke through, pleading and desperate. "Won't we, Emm?"

Emmett nodded, but Carlisle hadn't noticed, his eyes were on Esme. Mine instantly shifted to Bella. She had edged closer to Alice, and stood, carefully peering down at the tiny face, just barely visible above my bloody coat. She had such a look of longing in her eyes, but I could tell there was also fear.

Yes, she was definitely afraid.

Esme's quiet voice rang with an unusual authority, "No. She is human. She needs a human mother."

Her eyes focused on Rosalie. "We've spoken about this before, Rose. This is why we haven't adopted a human child ourselves. What would you do in twenty years time when she is older than you? How will you explain that without betraying our secret? And if we tell her our secret, then what? We would have to kill her; make her one of us. Would you take her life away Rose?"

Rose gritted her teeth in her anger, but shook her head 'no.' Esme's gaze shifted to Bella.

"There is only one of us who can raise this baby, if we are to keep her with us. Otherwise, we will need to hand her over to the authorities."

Bella glanced up; a little shocked to see that everyone in the room was looking at her. Her mouth opened, then closed again without a word. Instead, she leaned over and carefully lifted the tiny child out of my putrid coat and up into her arms. The little girl's gaze instantly found Bella's face and their eyes locked. I felt my dead heart stir with hope. Her tiny fist flailed in the air, making Bella grin with her instant love and affection for the helpless baby. Yes. She would do it; I could see it in her eyes. She would be a mother for this little girl, and they would both thrive because of it. Two lost souls; an orphaned baby and a grieving mother, thrown together by fate... well, fate, with a little help from Vampires.

With her arms now free, Alice leapt up from the chair, an excited, new energy about her... and darted quickly around the apartment; dropping my coat in the trash and quickly grabbing a large, soft towel from the linen closet to wrap around the baby. It went easily around her four times, making her a snug little wrap to sleep in until we could buy her some things of her own. No sooner had I thought it, than Alice had the same idea.

"We need provisions; there are still a few stores open... who's up for a shopping trip?"

I couldn't help but grin. Trust Alice to find the glass half full. I glanced at Jasper, who rolled his eyes playfully, but allowed himself to be dragged out of the apartment by an overly eager, enthusiastic Alice.

"Don't go too crazy, Alice. We don't even know if we are definitely keeping her yet."

Bella's voice was soft, but we all heard it. "Yes we do."

She smiled softly up at me, in what appeared to be gratitude, then turned to meet Alice's ecstatic grin. Alice bounced towards her, gently stroking the tiny, silken soft arm as it beat ineffectively at the air, cooing down at the beautiful baby. When the little girl found, and tightly gripped, Alice's finger, I thought she would squeal in joy. She looked up at me meaningfully, indicating the baby as she spoke.

"She belongs here now, with us... with you. You are her saviour. She owes you her life."

I growled angrily at my favourite sister. "She doesn't owe me anything."

Alice wouldn't give up. "She wouldn't be alive if you hadn't found her, Edward. If you hadn't been on the streets, hunting wicked people, you never would have known she existed. Even when you think you're evil, you're still doing good." She grinned at me. 'Not that that means you should go out there and keep hunting... but you get my point, right?'

I nodded, trying not to laugh. Alice had a very screwed up logic sometimes... though it still mostly seemed to make sense to me. But it was her parting thought as she walked out the door with Jasper on one arm and her handbag over the other that had me reeling.

'Your future has changed completely tonight, Edward. This little one will bring about the resurrection of your relationship with Bella'. She winked at me as she reached to close the door behind them.

'Don't screw it up.'

Bella yawned loudly, trying to stifle it by turning her head into her shoulder, as her arms were full with the baby. "I think I'm going to go to bed, I need sleep." She turned to me. "Do you mind if... can I take her with me?" Her eyes connected with mine; hers happy and hopeful, mine thrilled to have made her happy and hopeful... and I nodded, not trusting my voice enough to speak.

Rosalie smiled sweetly at me, but the smile certainly hadn't reached her eyes, or her mind. Emmett stood beside her, towering over her as he attempted to offer her comfort, but Rosalie was too pissed to accept it.

"Edward, next time you decide to go on a murderous rampage, do you think you could get me one of those?"

Esme gasped, her head snapping up in shock to glare at my sister.

"That's enough, Rosalie," Carlisle growled at her.

I glared at Rose, but I couldn't contain the small twinge of pity that I felt for her too. Yes, she was a complete bitch, but she really would have made a wonderful mother. To have a baby dangled in front of her like this and then just given to someone else must be absolutely heartbreaking for her. I met her venomous gaze with a small, sympathetic smile.

"I am sorry, Rose. I know how hard this must be for you."

She just continued to glare at me, but her mind was surprised at my compassion. I could almost have laughed, it wasn't very often that Rosalie ran out of things to say.

I turned with Bella, allowing one hand to gently rest in the small of her back as I guided her towards her bedroom... just to tuck them both in. My two beautiful angels.

Bella
I sat on the bed, still marvelling at the tiny little child in my arms. His voice was barely a whisper.

"I want to help you look after her. I feel like we've been given a second chance, Bella. Alice is already telling me that this baby will bring you and I back together. I won't rush anything, Love, but I don't want her to be wrong about this. If you think you can handle having me around, then I will stay."

The little girl moved in my arms, and my instant, natural reaction was to start gently rocking her, softly rubbing circles on her back in time with my sways, and within moments she was settled again. I smiled widely as I gazed down upon her, and I couldn't even bring myself to look away as Edward started talking again, in a low, soothing voice.

"Nothing can ever replace, Renesmee. I would never even try..." He broke off when I cringed, fresh tears escaping me and dripping onto the soft towel.

"This little one is going to need a family, and I don't want to send her back out into that world of criminals and blackmail and prostitution. I want to keep her safe here, with us."

Suddenly he was on his knees before me, one of my hands gently clasped in both of his. "I swear, I swear, I will never hurt her, Bella. I just want to be a part of her life... I need to be a part of yours again... even if we're just... friends."

He nearly choked on the word.

I nodded slowly, choosing my words carefully out of the thousand thoughts that were swimming in my head at that second.

"What about your... diet?"

He shook his head vehemently. "I don't want to be a killer any more Bella. I swear, I'm done." He pointed to the little one in my arms. "She cured me of it."

And looking into his intense, shocking red eyes, I could see the sincerity there.

I told him I needed to think about it... mull over my options. Everything was happening so fast, and right now, all I wanted to do was sleep. I settled myself comfortably on my bed, but instead of my usual fetal position, I curled myself around the fragile body that was lying next to me. She was so tiny, but so perfect. I ran a single finger across her little foot, marvelling at her precious toes that were no bigger than my smallest fingernail. Her smoky blue/grey newborn eyes were closed in sleep, but I couldn't wait to see what colour they would become, or what colour her silvery fine hair would turn out as she grew.

I knew, unequivocally, that my life was about to change more drastically than I had ever before experienced, but that wasn't what scared me. What scared me is the thought of doing it alone. Esme had made it quite clear that the child wouldn't be able to know what they were... so if I were to raise her, would that mean I would have to cut them out of my life? Could I do that? Did I want to do that, to raise a stranger's baby?

But this wasn't just any other baby. Edward had saved this little girl, and she was going to be his salvation. He was going to stop killing for her, and come back to his family. Could I really deny him that? I knew I didn't owe him anything, but I certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of his recovery. I hadn't forgiven him for what he had done to me... to Renesmee, but I didn't want him to suffer for an eternity because of it.

I glanced up as I heard my armchair creak, in time to see Edward adjusting himself into it comfortably, settling in for the night.

"You don't need to watch us, Edward. She's asleep. I've got her."

"I know you do, Love, but I'm okay here."

I narrowed an eyebrow as I glared suspiciously at him.

"Don't you trust me with her, Edward?"

He flashed me my favourite crooked smile, almost laughing, it seemed, at the absurdity of my question.

"Of course I do, my love, but if I leave you and her, where else in the world would I possibly have to go?"