AN: Sorry this took so long, but I was writing this chapter and the next at the same time. I hope to get all my stories updated again before we go on vacation, but if I don't it will probably be August before I can post again.

Following her sensitive nose, Bella sought out a winding stream that would serve well for their baths. There was a wide, flat rock just on the edge of the bank, and the water was moving swiftly enough to carry away the dirt, but not too swiftly that she had to worry about the babies getting away from her.

She waded in carefully, giggling brightly with the boys when they felt the first touch of the cool water against their skin. Jasper splashed wildly and crowed with delight, while Edward approached the unknown with more caution.

Observing this, Bella placed Edward on the rock beside her, telling him to sit still while she bathed his brother. He watched her closely, missing nothing she was doing, and listened intently to Jasper's thoughts on the process.

Kneeling down, Bella pulled Jasper onto her lap and began to scrub the dirt and dried blood from his skin. She studied him, taking in details she hadn't noticed yet—like the way one stubborn blond curl insisted on falling over his left eye, or how his ears were a miniature version of her own. He was a beautiful boy, looking just like an angel, and she couldn't resist kissing his chubby little cheeks once she had him cleaned up.

Jasper's smile was brighter than ever as he hugged her close and projected his love and contentment. Edward smiled at the feelings and reached for them both when Bella walked back over to him.

"Are you ready for your bath now, Edward?" Bella cooed as she set Jasper down and reached for her now-eager little son. "Let's see how you like the water, my love."

Edward sighed happily as he cuddled against his mother, trusting her completely when she stepped deeper into the stream. Bella began to hum quietly as she washed her younger son, enjoying the way he relaxed in her arms and seemed to lose a bit of his innate anxiety she'd noticed. His green eyes were clear and innocent, and she found herself drawn to their unique beauty, smiling when she realized they were her eyes, just a different color.

Once Edward was clean, she carried him back to his brother, instructing them to sit still just a few moments longer while she tried to clean herself up a bit. Jasper continued his happy splashing, while Edward curled up and began to suck his thumb—tired after the events of the day.

Bella was surprised by the changes to her body. She'd been petite before her pregnancy, especially compared to her oversized brothers. While she hadn't gained any extra height, her figure had blossomed quite respectably. She would definitely need some new shirts if she was going to venture into public any time soon.

Looking back at her boys, she once again wondered if they would ever be fit for human company—or if she would! In just the few hours since she'd awoken, she could see the changes in her babies. They were just a little bit longer, a tad heavier, and their hair had grown about an eighth of an inch.

Patting her shirt back down in some semblance of modesty, she turned to pick up her boys again. She felt so much peace holding her little men, and she already couldn't imagine her life without them.

Of course, as soon as she thought it she felt a pang of loss at the life she'd had to give up bringing her boys into the world. She would probably never see her family again, including the brother who'd also left home to care for her.

As a young girl, she had never imagined she would give birth without her mother there, but to be completely alone in the world with two little babies to care for was almost overwhelming. She missed Emmett fiercely, and mourned for him deeply, even though she still wasn't sure what had happened to him.

As if answering her query, the wind abruptly switched directions, bringing a faint scent that set all three of them growling. Bella could almost taste the scent on her tongue, even though it smelled off—a bit like the animal blood had after it sat for a day or two.

She hadn't realized she was running until she broke abruptly into a clearing. The ground was churned up as if there'd been a struggle, and the scent of old blood covered the area. She could still see microscopic droplets sprayed on trees across the way, and an ominous dark circle surrounded some very familiar items.

Emmett's hunting rifle lay discarded near the dried puddle, and the scattered scraps of blood-stained fabric were a perfect match to the shirt she'd last seen him wearing.

"Emmett!" she gasped, taking two tentative steps closer, before reality slammed into her like a freight train. There was no way her brother could have survived an animal attack of that magnitude, and there was no way she could handle discovering what was left of his body. Nor did she want her innocent babies to witness something like that.

Hugging her boys close, Bella turned and ran in what she hoped was the direction of the cabin, trying to put as much distance between herself and that clearing as possible. Her guilt was almost choking her with its strength—the only reason Emmett was out there to be attacked was because he was hunting for her. It was all her fault.

~oOo~

Emmett drifted in a sea of fiery pain. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve going to hell, but he also didn't know why his angel was still there holding his hand. Her cool skin was a welcome relief in his burning torment, and he held on tightly to her so he wouldn't completely lose his way in the lake of fire.

She talked to him the whole time, telling him her name—Rosalie—and what he was becoming—a vampire. That struck a familiar chord with him for some reason, but he couldn't figure out why. The pain was too much when he tried to focus on the memories, so he focused on his Rosie's voice, along with the other gentle tones of her mother and father.

Carlisle was the other male, and Emmett bristled every time he came near, so he kept his distance. Emmett vaguely remembered seeing him, a pale blond, just before the burning began. At the moment he'd thought the man to be God. Now he knew better.

As the fire burned hotter, Emmett lost all track of time and his surroundings. He couldn't hear his angel anymore, but he thought she might still be there with him. He really hoped she was. He was feeling pretty lonely and scared by that point.

When his heart began to speed toward the finish, Carlisle and his family spread out in the room. Newborns were unpredictable at best, and one of Emmett's size was a whole other concern. Rosalie put herself directly in his line of sight, hoping he would remember her face at least. Carlisle blocked the door, while Esme stood in front of the window. Trapping a newborn was a tricky thing, but letting him escape to run wild through the area was completely out of the question.

The vampires all held their breath as the changing man's heart sped to its last frantic beats. He was still for less than a second before he rose to his full impressive height with an ear-splitting roar.

Emmett McCarty had been a tall human, broad-shouldered and stoutly muscled from his twenty years of manual labor. The venom had gifted him with two additional inches of height, and honed his physique to that of a sculpted Greek or Roman god—Carlisle noted absently that he resembled a statue of Zeus he'd once seen when he was in Italy.

When Emmett caught sight of Rosalie, he sniffed the air curiously, then met her eye with a possessive growl. His bright red eyes darkened rapidly to black as lust overwhelmed him. He crossed the distance between them with a quick leap that startled Rosalie with his speed. Sensing the spike of fear from his mate, Emmett crouched low in front of her and turned to growl at the other vampires.

Keeping his hands out in a gesture of peace, Carlisle spoke quietly, "Son, do you remember what happened? Do you know what you are now?"

Emmett's mind was racing in a million different directions. The countless scents and his new improved vision were overwhelming, and he didn't know where to look or what to do. The only person in the room that made him feel safe was his angel, his Rose, and she was slowly inching away from him.

Glancing back at his girl, he let out a deep warning growl—instinctively telling her not to move any further away. Rosalie froze in his glittering black gaze, with a strange combination of fear and arousal. Her mind and past experiences told her to fear this powerful male, but her vampire instincts were compelling her to mate with him.

"Rose," Carlisle whispered quietly, "don't move away from him right now. He's feeling the need to claim you and if you run he will chase you. We need to get him to hunt."

Rosalie swallowed and nodded once to acknowledge her sire's words. Looking toward the giant vampire she now tied to for eternity, she felt the first twinges of regret. She'd been running on instinct when she brought Emmett home, and now she realized she may have gotten in over her head. This man was HUGE!

She couldn't deny that he was attractive, however. His size told her that he would be a good protector, someone to keep her safe and defend her. She found herself missing the pale blue color of his eyes, but his hair had darkened to a rich, deep brown, and his curls and dimples gave him a contradictory innocent look.

Taking a deep breath, Rosalie held out her hand for him to take. "Do you remember your name?"

Emmett froze for a moment, still a few inches away from her skin. His name? That should be easy enough. He thought it started with an E—Elliott? No, that was close, but not quite right. It was… "Emmett! Yeah, that's it! That's my name!"

Esme couldn't stop her grin at his enthusiastic response, and even Rose cracked a rare smile. Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief that they at least had something to call him.

"Alright, Emmett, now we need to teach you how to hunt. You must be thirsty, right?" Carlisle watched his newest family member carefully, ready to intervene if he moved to hurt either of the girls.

Emmett swallowed heavily, finally noticing the burn in his throat. He started to panic again, certain he'd never been this thirsty in his whole life, and there must be something terribly wrong with him to feel like that. His eyes widened and turned black, and he turned looked to Rose for help—surely his angel wouldn't save him only to let him die of thirst?

The helpless look on his face melted Rosalie's heart all over again, and she stepped forward to grasp his outstretched hand. "Come on, I'll show you. You'll be just fine."

It didn't take Emmett long to get the hang of hunting, and it didn't take long for Rosalie to warm up to his post-hunt advances. He woke a previously undiscovered sensual side she had thoroughly suppressed, and they quickly affirmed their mating all over the Cullen territory.

Carlise and Esme weren't quite sure what to do with the overtly amorous couple. It had been a rough few years since Rose was changed, and they were pleased that she finally seemed to accept her place in their family now that she had a mate of her own. And of course, Emmett was very easy to love.

When the new couple showed no sign of slowing down, their parents built them their own house on the sprawling North Carolina property. It was more than a decade before they could stand to share a home with them…*

*paraphrased from Breaking Dawn