EPOV

Everyone had been keeping track of Victoria sightings. It seemed like Victoria enjoyed taunting my family and the wolves with her constant evasion. It had been a month since she came anywhere near our home. With Jasper's strategical knowledge and Alice's visions, which when away from Renesmee improved a great deal, we were able to get an idea of when her next attempt would be. I knew Bella had been suspicious of us when we left, but I needed to take care of the threat, we were inexplicably bringing another life into this world and I wanted no danger looming over the horizon when that happened.

We had chased Victoria all the way to the Mexican border before we lost her. Jasper tried to settle the frustration burning at me that we had been so close, but that combined with the anxiety of being away from Bella and Renesmee made for dampened my mood considerably.

Once we stopped I saw a message from Rosalie's phone. She and Alice had been charged with keeping Bella unaware of what we were doing and busy enough not to be suspicious. I immediately opened the message, wanting to make sure that they were all okay.

I was shocked to hear Bella's angry voice instead of Rosalie, "You are in trouble," she said slowly, emphasizing each word. "Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you at home."

I could hear Emmett and Jasper's booming laughter as I hung up the phone. I turned back to see the sly looks on their faces. They were each recalling time when they had been in similar positions, an angry wife at home, and how back then I would roll my eyes and dismiss their problems as ridiculous. Now I could relate.

"Ooh, you're in trouble," Emmett teased in a child-like fashion. The adult look of Emmett juxtaposing and emphasizing his juvenile response grated me in such a terrible way that I was shocked I didn't tackle him down.

I settled for glaring at him in response. He raised his hands declaring innocence. Jasper clapped his hand on my shoulder and once again tried to settle my mood, "You have fun with that."

I groaned, "She can't possibly be that angry, can she?"

"How can you be so dense, Eddie?"

"I told you not to call me that, Emmett. Either way, I don't know what you mean," I huffed.

Emmett and Jasper snickered and shared a knowing look between the two of them. I sighed and ran a hand through my hand through my hair. I had never been closer to actually pulling out my own hair.

"It's so satisfying to see him in the dog house after decades of making fun of us for the same thing, isn't Jasper?"

Jasper just nodded, with the same satisfied smirk on his face. I took a second to remind myself that they had come with me to track Victoria down, and that hurting them would not be a suitable way of thanking them for the favor.

But how I wanted to.

"I didn't do anything," I reiterated. My patience with them, with everyone except Bella and Renesmee, was running entirely too thin.

"You left your pregnant wife at home to lead a hunt for another vampire who is trying to kill you or her, you're not sure which. And on top of that, you lied to her," Jasper explained. Although I hated to admit it, when he put it like that, it made sense. I cringed at the realization.

"Like I said, have fun with that."

"Alright, let's head back. Maybe she'll be so mad, she'll use that newborn strength on you," Emmett teased. I pushed Emmett and Jasper away, and we made our way home.

When I entered our home, everyone took that as their cue to leave. Emmett's thoughts were all waiting in anticipation for how Bella could possibly harm me. I internally cringed at the thought, but I also knew Bella would never intentionally harm me. It was the newborn strength and instinct that concerned me.

But as I walked in, Bella did rush at me. But not in a violent way, instead wrapping her arms around me and kissing me like she hadn't seen me in weeks.

"I was so worried about you," Bella breathed out.

"I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often."

Bella scoffed and sat back down on the couch. I took the spot right next to her and rejoiced in the feeling of her head resting on my shoulder.

The next day, Emmett was practically vibrating with anticipation to see if Bella had actually harmed me.

"Did ya get in a couple of good swipes?" Emmett asked eagerly.

"No! Of course not!" Bella responded.

"No, not really? You really didn't attack him?"

"Emmett!" She protested.

"Aw, what a waste. And here you're probably the one person who could take him – since he can't get in your head to cheat – and you had a perfect excuse, too. I've been dying to see how he'd do without that advantage."

EPOV

The next day, I heard someone's thoughts begin to approach still too far to make out who exactly they were. I felt myself tense in preparation to defend myself and my daughter.

Neither Laurent nor Victoria would have been suicidal enough to come attack us in our element, not when the odds were so stacked against them. Renesmee was in her room with Rosalie when I smelled the foul odor that resembled a wet dog.

The wolves. Jasper and Emmett's last encounter with them had been less than pleasant. I opened the door and walked a few yards to confront them closer to the woods.

I began to recognize the 'voice', Jacob.

His thoughts were still so loud, he hadn't decided how he was going to approach us just yet, he had been hoping that he would have encountered Bella first. He had smelled my scent and knew that wasn't the case. He shifted back into his human form just out of my sight.

"Hello, Jacob." I kept my voice neutral, I would not be the one to instigate a fight with my daughter mere seconds from where we stood.

"Edward," he acknowledged. He came to warn us about the Victoria sightings. She had been around the Forks area. Jumping in and out of wolf territory. My family and I had already chased her out of this area twice, each time unsuccessful in capturing her. "I came to tell you about-"

"Victoria, we're aware of her unwelcome presence."

"I don't know how Bella can stand to have you in her head," Jacob grumbled under his breath. He wanted to see her. I wasn't sure that letting him see Renesmee was the best idea. I didn't know how the wolves would respond to the rarity that was Renesmee, and our new addition.

Bella was now showing, which was why she was gone. Alice had forced her to go shopping for maternity clothes. Bella wasn't particularly happy about that, she had been perfectly content to wear my clothes, and to be frank so was I. But Alice wouldn't hear any of it.

"I'm not in her head, not even as a human could I read her thoughts," I casually explained.

"Lucky, I guess. Where is she?"

"She's not here right now," I said vaguely.

"That's a lame excuse," Jacob scoffed.

"She's really not here, Jacob. She's with Alice, shopping," I chortled. I knew Bella was probably not enjoying Alice's massive and thorough shopping trips.

"Bella, shopping? You'll have to lie better than that," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm telling you the truth, Jacob. Alice took her this morning. They'll be back in a few hours," I explained a little more forcefully. I didn't want him to get any closer to the house. Any closer and he'd hear Renesmee's heartbeat.

"Something's up. What aren't you telling me?" His eyes narrowed in accusation. He wasn't even sure what he was accusing me of, my evasion and vagueness had been a red flag. He took another step closer, and this time I physically blocked his path. Bella may have calmed my temper, that didn't mean I wouldn't protect my family.

"Nothing that concerns you, Jacob," I snarled.

He tried making his way around me, but I stepped right in front of his path again. It was too late. We were both close enough to the house that the faint heartbeat could be heard. I forcefully exhaled, grabbed his arm. He snatched his arm out of my grasp.

"What was that?" He demanded.

"None of your concern, Jacob," I repeated, this time with anger. I had to remember my daughter was only feet from us. I needed to deescalate the situation before this altercation got out of hand. Jacob's thoughts were running rampant with theories about the unique heartbeat coming from our house. I weighed my options carefully, let Jake in the house and tell him the truth, or let him fill in the gaps with his wild tall tales and risk him running back to the pack.

"If I see even a hint of your temper or anger, I'll rip your head off, understood?"

"Bella wouldn't let you kill me," he argued. Little did he know that Bella was probably even more protective of our daughter than I was. If she had to make the choice, she'd do the same. I just let out a humorless chuckle at Jacob's assumption.

"Who let the dog in here?" Rosalie demanded, as she walked out of Renesmee's room.

"He's irritatingly persistent, he wouldn't leave without an explanation," I said through gritted teeth. Rose didn't like him here either, because of the natural inclination to despise them, and out of protectiveness for Renesmee.

'This is a bad idea, Edward. If he loses control?' Rosalie questioned.

"I've warned him already," I said, once again flickering my eyes to Jacob. His eyes narrowed in apprehension.

I nodded one more time, and she went to grab Renesmee. I could hear her explaining to Renesmee that she'd be meeting someone new today. One of her mother's old friends. I was grateful that Rosalie didn't share her opinion with Renesmee about Bella's old friend, but her thoughts were hurling insults at the wolf stinking up our home.

Jacob sucked in a breath as Renesmee appeared. His thoughts were all trying to piece together how she had came to be. The only conclusion he could come to was an immortal child, but he was battling himself on that as well.

Our kind didn't have beating hearts, Renesmee did and you could feel the warmth coming from the blood flowing through her veins.

Renesmee leaned towards me to try to get me to take her instead, to which I happily obliged. Jacob was still processing everything.

But once she was close enough to him, something none of us expected happened.

The moment Jacob Black looked into my daughter's eyes, he imprinted.