55. Meeting of the Minds

To my amusement, she yanked me upright. One moment, I was on the ground, with Bella laying against my chest, the next, we were standing. When she took my hand this time, we resumed our run toward home.

Casually, as though we were strolling down a boardwalk rather than sprinting headlong through the forest, she said, "Tell me about her."

"She's like nothing else in the world."

"How much is she like you?" Bella pressed. "How much like me? Or like I was, anyway."

"It seems a fairly even divide."

"She was warm-blooded."

"Yes." It surprised me that she knew that detail. Exactly how much did Bella remember? I decided that conversation would have to wait for another day, and said, "She has a heartbeat, though it runs a little bit faster than a human's. Her temperature is a little bit hotter than usual, too. She sleeps."

"Really?"

Amused at the surprise in her voice, I said, "Quite well for a newborn. The only parents in the world who don't need sleep, and our child already sleeps through the night."

Bella's grin was nearly blinding in its brilliance.

"She has exactly your color eyes - so that didn't get lost, after all. They're so beautiful."

Skipping over my compliment, she said, "And the vampire parts?"

"Her skin seems about as impenetrable as ours. Not that anyone would dream of testing that," I hurried to assure her. "Of course no one would. Her diet... well, she prefers to drink blood. Carlisle continues to try to persuade her to drink some baby formula, too, but she doesn't have much patience with it. Can't say that I blame her - nasty-smelling stuff, even for human food."

"Persuade her?"

"She's intelligent, shockingly so, and progressing at an immense pace. Though she doesn't speak - yet - she communicates quite effectively."

"Doesn't. Speak. Yet."

Bella's eyes had already been wide with amazement, and she had yet to take them off me despite rocketing through the forest, but now she gaped at me in disbelief. She slowed when I did. As eager as we both were to return home, our daughter was too important for Bella to risk rushing in unprepared.

"What do you mean, she communicates effectively?"

How did one describe the indescribable? All the explaining in the world could never do justice to our daughter or her gift.

"I think it will be easier for you to... see for yourself. It's rather difficult to describe."

After considering my words, she said, "Why is Jacob still here? How can he stand it? Why should he? Why should he have to suffer more?"

"Jacob isn't suffering," I growled. "Though I might be willing to change his condition."

"Edward!" Bella stopped in her tracks. The force she exerted against my arm when she halted my forward momentum nearly pulled my shoulder out of its joint, but it didn't surprise me in the slightest that she would defend her friend. "How can you say that? Jacob has given up everything to protect us! What I've put him through - "

She shook her head, and I thought if she had still been human, she would have had tears in her eyes.

"You'll see exactly how I can say that. I promised him that I would let him explain, but I doubt you'll see it differently than I do. Of course, I'm often wrong about your thoughts, aren't I?" No matter what her opinion of his imprint, she would see the difference in his attitude toward Bella herself. I wondered if it would hurt her that his focus was elsewhere, or if she would be relieved. I doubted she would tell me either way.

"Explain what?"

"I promised. Though I don't know if I really owe him anything at all anymore..."

"Edward, I don't understand."

Bella's new voice conveyed her frustration. Her red eyes showed her worry, and the downward turn of her lips made me ache for her smile to return. Blast Jacob for interfering with her happiness, even now!

My free hand brushed against her rounded, petal-soft cheek. The worried furrows across her brow disappeared instantly, making me smile. I loved the affect I had on her! Jacob had never received such a response to his attempts.

"It's harder than you make it look, I know," I said. "I remember."

"I don't like being confused."

"I know. And so let's get you home, so that you can see it all for yourself."

Home. Where everyone was waiting.

Comfortable in her new body as Bella seemed to be, I rather thought she wouldn't want my brothers to carry around the memory of her returning from her first hunt nearly naked. And even if he never said a word to her, Emmett was sure to rib me mercilessly.

"Hmm." I considered how best to advise her of the fact that her breasts were poking through the rips or just how far down the front of her dress was torn.

Well, I had given her my jacket for warmth; I had no problem with giving her my shirt for modesty.

"That bad?" she asked when I held it out to her.

I simply grinned.

When she had covered herself, she brightly said, "I'll race you. No throwing the game this time!"

"On your mark..." I said as I took my stance, then took off without further warning. Bella's giggles chased me as I sprinted home. I didn't leave her behind, but neither did I let her pass me, thrilling to the feeling of running for the sheer joy of it.

The sound of Bella's footsteps abruptly cut off as we neared the river. A flash of silver and blue above my head caught my attention, and I looked up in time to see Bella arcing over me. I put on a burst of speed and made my own jump, but she landed first with a triumphant, "Ha!"

As I neared the ground, I saw her posture subtly shift at the same time as I heard Jacob's worried thoughts. He was intending to confront Bella here and now, without any kind of a warning. Was he truly that dumb?

Adjusting the angle of my descent, I landed right behind her and grabbed her arms tight.

"Don't breathe," I said in her ear just as she began to inhale.

Bella froze, understanding instantly what she was hearing.

Jacob, Seth, and Leah stood between us and our house. Jacob was in his human form, defiantly in plain sight, while his pack mates paced through the trees. They were all on edge, as was I.

Bella had fed. She had run away from humans, bleeding humans. But she had awakened only hours ago. I doubted Jacob fully understood how quickly instinct could overcome reason. Her need to defend against attack was the only thing that had saved the humans, but what if she felt a need to defend herself from the aggressive werewolves?

"Carefully, Jacob," I warned. "Maybe this isn't the best way-"

"You think it would be better to let her near the baby first?" Jacob interrupted. "It's safer to see how Bella does with me. I heal fast."

"It's your neck, I guess," I said with a shrug. Bella was eyeing me disapprovingly, but he was right; I would far rather Bella harm him than our child, accident or no.

My hands were wrapped tightly around her arms, though if she truly wanted to get to him, she would be capable of throwing me off. I might be able to restrain her long enough that he could shift to protect himself, but turning wolf wouldn't guarantee his safety; it would just make him more dangerous, which might be the worst thing he could do.

I tensed when Bella turned to look at him. They only eyed each other warily for a moment before he grinned cockily. When Bella simply stood and stared, his grin broadened, and he affected a shudder.

"I gotta say it, Bella. You're a freak show."

"Watch yourself, mongrel," I grumbled. It didn't matter that Bella was grinning back at him; I didn't think it at all appropriate for him to deliberately antagonize her.

Bella took advantage of a shift in the wind and inhaled quickly. "No, he's right. The eyes are really something, aren't they?"

"Super-creepy," he agreed. "But it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Gee - thanks for the amazing compliment!"

Somehow, their easy banter still rankled, but they needed to sort things out themselves. And Jacob had some explaining to do.

"You know what I mean," he said. "You still look like you - sort of. Maybe it's not the look so much as... you are Bella. I didn't think it would feel like you were still here. Anyway, I guess I'll get used to the eyes soon enough."

"You will?"

Bella would have to find out - and soon - and he wanted to be the one to tell her. Except that, he didn't really want to tell her. The nervous expression on his face was far more pleasing to me than his impertinent overfamiliarity.

...so... Bells... I know how much you enjoy surprises, well, you're gonna love his one... yeah, Jake, that'll go over swell.

Stalling, he said to me, "Thanks. I didn't know if you'd be able to keep it from her, promise or not. Usually, you just give her everything she wants."

"Maybe I'm hoping she'll get irritated and rip your head off," I said cheerfully.

"What's going on? Are you two keeping secrets from me?" Bella said. Her tiger-kitten fury was no longer harmless, but the sound of irritation in her voice still made me grin.

My smirk broadened when he mumbled, "I'll explain later." Then, with false bravado, he grinned and started walking toward us. "First, let's get this show on the road."

Leah didn't share his confidence and slunk into the clearing with Seth right behind her, whining his worry. I tried to ignore them all as I watched Bella for the slightest of changes that might indicate she was about to do something she would regret.

"Cool it, guys. Stay out of this."

They slowed their pace, but followed him despite Jacob's order. Bella didn't move, even when he got to within a few feet of us, but she also wasn't breathing.

"C'mon, Bells. Do your worst."

Bella rolled her lower lip between her teeth, refusing to inhale.

"I'm getting older here, Bella," he said in a sing-song voice. "Okay, not technically, but you get the idea. Go on, take a whiff."

Bella pressed herself firmly against me and whispered, "Hold on to me."

I would. Of course I would. I gripped her tighter, just in case. Bella might have the strength of a newborn vampire, but she was still dainty. I could heft her over my head and take off running if she lunged for him, and once she was away from his smell, I was sure to be capable of regaining her attention and helping her regain her focus.

The tiny breath she took was only truly noticeable because of the hard swallow she took after flaring her nostrils. And then her nose wrinkled. She took a deeper breath and unfroze, leaning into me more naturally.

"Huh. I can see what everyone's been going on about. You stink, Jacob."

Well, now I had a new set of favorite words!

Unable to help myself, I let out a laugh of delight and relief, which was echoed by nearly everyone else. I released my tight grip on Bella's shoulders to slide my hands around her waist, snugging her firmly against me.

It pleased me almost as much to hear Jacob counter with, "Look who's talking," as he pinched his nose and waved a hand in front of his face. I didn't want him drawn to her in any way.

With my face buried in her hair, which I thought smelled of lavender and freesia and... something else that was harder to define but delightful nonetheless, I mumbled, "I love you."

"Okay, so I passed, right?" Bella said. "Now are you going to tell me what this big secret is?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about this second," he hedged, although when, exactly, he thought it would be appropriate for her to worry was anyone's guess.

Coward.

He wasn't going to tell her unless he had to spell it out for her, but my Bella was observant. She saw details that other people missed. Even if she were blind, she would never miss this.

Bella's eyes fixed on our house. "Renesmee," she said and then froze, a marble statue once more.

"Come and see. I know you can handle this." I gave her a quick hug of reassurance, but she still hesitated.

"You'll help me?"

Not even when pregnant and fighting for Renesmee's life had she been confident in her own strength. She had believed in me when I had not, but never did she seem to believe in herself.

Grateful that she did believe in me, I firmly said, "Of course I will."

"And Emmett and Jasper - just in case?"

"We'll take care of you, Bella. Don't worry, we'll be ready. None of us would risk Renesmee. I think you'll be surprised at how entirely she's already wrapped us all around her little fingers. She'll be perfectly safe, no matter what."

Although my words apparently reassured Bella, Jacob stopped her before she had taken more than a single step.

"Are you sure, bloodsucker? I don't like this. Maybe she should wait - "

"You had your test, Jacob," I said, attempting to remain patient, but the mutt was overstepping himself in getting between Bella and her child.

"But -"

"But nothing!" I snapped. "Bella needs to see our daughter. Get out of her way."

...guess I can't stop her... Nessie is hers too, but...

Surrendering to the inevitable, he hastened into the house so he could stand between the two there, instead. Jacob could give Rosalie lessons on pigheadedness!

To my surprise, Bella did not question me further, but neither did she move to follow Jacob on her own.

"Shall we?" I prompted. When she still didn't move, I took her hand and tugged her toward our family.

It didn't surprise any of us that Bella's eyes locked onto Renesmee the moment she came into view. We were all very much aware of the tiny, living being within our midst, and not just because of her pulse and warmth; Jacob and his pack had those, too. It wasn't even what she was, however astounding the very possibility of a vampire-human hybrid was to us all. It was her mind and personality that made her so precious.

She was a child unlike any other, whose purity and sweetness had to be protected and nurtured, not tainted with preconceptions and misunderstandings.

And yet... Bella was a newborn vampire. At least some precaution was prudent.

But did Jacob have to place himself between Bella and our child? Had it not been clear upon speaking with her that Bella was still Bella? He needn't eye her like she were a rabid monster, spitting and hissing and ready to lunge for any and every living thing she came across.

"I was out just two days?"

My family and I had watched Renesmee's astounding growth continue past her birth. How much more shocking must it seem to Bella?

Nessie reached for Bella, then touched Rosalie's throat to push a memory into my sister's mind of Bella smiling at our daughter immediately following her birth. Images of Bella's face from various angles, accompanied by a longing for Bella to wake, flowed through their minds.

"Yes," Rosalie affirmed, "that's her."

The tiny, rose-colored lips parted in one of her startling grins. Our reassurances that Bella would wake had helped her to practice patience, but she had heard Bella's cries of pain and continued to worry unhappily that she had hurt her own mother beyond repair. The unnatural stillness of Bella's corpse-like state had been as apparent to her as it had been to me. Until Bella animated it again, the statue I had hovered over had not been the mother she knew.

But now, here Bella was, perfectly fine, as ever.

Without warning, Bella released her tight grip on my hand and took a step toward Renesmee. A thrill of fear shot around the room, followed by half a dozen anticipatory visions from different perspectives, all showing Bella lunging for the tiny, living being for whom she had given up her own life.

I grabbed for Bella, ready to pick her up and run if needed. At the same time, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme put themselves between Bella and Nessie, while Rosalie and Jacob backed toward the door.

"Oh, give her some credit," Alice said. "She wasn't going to do anything. You'd want a closer look, too."

Since Bella had halted the moment the rest of us acted, I believed Alice was right. Bella may have stopped walking, but she was still breathing, and staring back at Nessie in apparent awe. Both mother and daughter were newborns, yet their eyes held a similar uncanny awareness.

"I'm okay. Keep close, though, just in case." Bella reached up to pat my hand where I gripped her arm. Even in that simple movement, she showed her self-control. What could have been a crushing blow to my fingers, was the reassuringly gentle touch I knew so well.

I had seen the calm she was able to pull over herself when trying to hide her emotions as a human, but had always considered it a mask, hiding her true feelings. It was strange to watch Jasper witness Bella reestablishing her self-control. Usually, that kind of rapid emotional down-shift only happened when prompted by Jasper himself and, in his experience, was next to impossible for a newborn to achieve on their own.

Bella, of course, was anything but usual. She wasn't controlled by her emotions any more than she was by her thirst.

I wished I had even half of Bella's self-control! I would have to rely on the rest of the room's emotional volatility to hide my own; this would go over better if I weren't brimming with excitement and anticipation.

I released her and said, "Jazz, Em, let us through. Bella's got this."

Jasper shook his head. "Edward, the risk - "

"Minimal," I interrupted. "Listen, Jasper, on the hunt she caught the scent of some hikers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

Sick. Oh, that is so sick...thought he said he'd be able to stop her! ...get for trusting a vampire...

I hoped Jacob wasn't really going to get sick, though he certainly looked like he was about to. The others were less likely to enjoy the story if vomit were involved.

When Carlisle met my eyes, I made certain mine were properly remorseful and didn't give away my barely contained laughter. My grimace wasn't fake once I saw him anticipate the reaction I would have had from turning Bella into a murder. An emotional mess, indeed.

And one so easily prevented. I had a good three mile radius!

"Edward! How could you be so irresponsible?"

"I know, Carlisle, I know. I was just plain stupid. I should have taken the time to make sure we were in a safe zone before I set her loose."

"Edward," Bella said in a low voice.

"He's absolutely right to rebuke me, Bella. I made a huge mistake," I said pointedly. "The fact that you are stronger than anyone I've ever known doesn't change that."

"Tasteful joke, Edward," Alice muttered. As if I wouldn't have seen something like that.

"I wasn't making a joke. I was explaining to Jasper why I know Bella can handle this. It's not my fault everyone jumped to conclusions," I finished haughtily.

"Wait." Jasper held a hand up as his gaze darted between myself and Bella. "She didn't hunt the humans?"

"She started to. She was entirely focused on the hunt."

...if she started...

Everyone was thinking it, but it was Carlisle who asked, "What happened?"

As eager to tell him how incredible my Bella was as he was to hear of her success, I said, "She heard me behind her and reacted defensively. As soon as my pursuit broke into her concentration, she snapped right out of it. I've never seen anything to equal her. She realized at once what was happening, and then... she held her breath and ran away."

Emmett had barely reacted to the possibility of Bella killing people, but he stared at her in open admiration now and said, "Whoa. Seriously?"

"He's not telling it right," Bella demurred. "He left out the part where I growled at him."

"Did ya get in a couple of good swipes?"

"No! Of course not."

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

"Emmett!"

"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."

"I would never."

Emmett always could be counted upon to try and rile a person up. If Bella were to lose control, far better that she do so now, when we were all so prepared. Their exchange was delightful, but it was Jasper I was really watching, and he was experiencing Bella's emotions shift to anger and indignation.

Jasper had seen others lose their heads within hours of their changes due to those kinds of emotions, yet Bella merely glared at Emmett while she waited calmly for my brothers to move out of her way.

I reached out to nudge Jasper's shoulder with my fist. "You see what I mean?"

"It's not natural," he said in disbelief. ...should not be just standing there.

"She could have turned on you," Esme exclaimed, "she's only hours old! Oh, we should have gone with you."

I just shrugged, not having any interest in things that should or could have happened. Bella defied explanations, as unique and unpredictable as the child who kept reaching for her.

"Edward. Please?" Bella reached for our daughter, her hands grasping the air between them.

"Jazz," Alice chimed in softly, "this isn't anything you've seen before. Trust me."

Curious as to how she could be so certain, I focused on her mind. She wasn't seeing Bella and Renesmee. Her mind held an image of Jasper, telling her those very words. Relieved that she had found a way to see Renesmee's future - however indirectly - I flashed her a grin, but she wasn't paying attention to me, either.

Jasper focused on Alice, reading her emotions briefly before relenting. He wasn't about to abandon caution altogether, no matter how confident Alice was. Not trusting me to act fast enough or with the force required to stop her, he put a hand on Bella's shoulder and followed close as she took one slow step after another.

Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme joined us as Bella made her way across the room, their senses alert and hands ready, poised to spring into action should Bella make too hasty a move.

While the others were all pleased by her slow pace - if surprised that she was capable of such caution - Renesmee did not understand why Bella seemed so reluctant to go to her. The hurt and worry she had managed to suppress while waiting for Bella to awaken overwhelmed her now, and she let out her distress in clear cry that drew me instantly to her side.

I cupped her little cheek in my hand, trying to get her to look at me, but her eyes were glued to Bella. Esme and Rosalie shushed and cooed at her. Carlisle reached around me to rub her back while Jasper's long arms snaked from around Alice to pat my daughter's head like she was a puppy. As Emmett shouldered his way in to babble reassurances at her, it occurred to me that the only one not crowded around her was Bella, who was standing alone in the center of the room.

"What's the matter? Is she hurt? What happened?" Naturally, Jacob could be counted upon to overreact.

"No, she's fine," Rosalie said as she passed him the unhappy girl.

Renesmee wasn't interested in being comforted, and only pushed an image of Bella into Jacob's thoughts before squirming about to reach for her mother once more.

Guessing what Nessie had shown him, Rosalie said, "See? She just wants Bella."

"She wants me?"

Wasn't it obvious? I hastened back to her side and gently pushed her closer to our daughter.

"She's been waiting for you for almost three days," I said into her ear.

She had run from the humans, but Bella's careful crossing of the room required a different type of self-control. Indeed, Bella seemed more in control of herself than Jacob, who was fighting his instinctive desire to take the object of his imprint as far from the newborn vampire as possible.

"Jake," Bella said, "I'm fine."

Jacob didn't believe her and continued to eye her with distrust while clinging to our daughter.

But she was fine, I was sure of it. Any other newborn vampire in her position would have been beyond making such reassurances. Any other newborn would have succumbed to their instincts as soon as they became aware of the living, beating heart within Renesmee. Not my Bella!

Bella's muscles were tense and her posture stiff until Renesmee was within reach. I felt her relax beneath my grasp as an easy smile crossed her face. Fearlessly, Bella slid her hands around Renesmee to hold our daughter in her arms at last. None of them seemed to notice me growling at Jacob, who was refusing to entirely surrender the tiny, mortal infant over to her mother. Bella cradled Renesmee against her though Jacob still held on, ready to snatch her back to safety.

Renesmee had but one thought on her mind: Bella. She reached for her mother as she had every one of us, to touch our face and share her memories. Bella was immune to Aro, Jane, and myself. There was no reason to even think she would be capable of seeing what Nessie was trying to show her. I hoped she could, though. How distressing it would be to her, to both of them, for Bella to be the only one Renesmee was unable to talk to.

Jasper picked up on Bella's shock, so I guessed she must have seen something!

Her silence stretched even after Renesmee dropped her hand.

"What... was... that?" Bella finally gasped.

"What did you see?" Rosalie asked from behind Jacob. "What did she show you?"

"She showed me that?"

"I told you it was hard to explain," I reminded her, "but effective as means of communications go."

Curious over what Nessie could have found important enough to share with Bella, Jacob asked, "What was it?"

Bella blinked several times. "Um. Me. I think. But I looked terrible."

Seeing Bella standing here, healthy, glowing, a vision of perfection, it was hard to be reminded so forcefully of the way the pregnancy had ravaged her. To Renesmee though, the memory was cherished. It had been the only time before now when Bella had looked at her and smiled back with love in her eyes.

"It was the only memory she had of you. She's letting you know that she's made the connection, that she knows who you are."

"But how did she do that?"

"How do I hear thoughts? How does Alice see the future? She's gifted."

Gifted! Carlisle's eyes were fierce when they locked on mine, but his voice was deliberately casual when he said, "It's an interesting twist. Like she's doing the exact opposite of what you can."

"Interesting," I agreed, just as casually. "I wonder if she will ever be capable of projecting without touch."

"Gifts do tend to grow, from all that I have observed. But their essential nature does not change. Aro is thousands of years old, yet he still requires physical contact in order to read one's mind and most likely always will."

"I don't."

"True, but if you had in the beginning, you would now."

"Aro can already read every thought a person ever had. How much more powerful could he get, if not to lose that limitation?"

"You have learned focus and control over the years. Undoubtedly, he has, too"

"Its not like I'd had much choice in the matter. I could either learn or go insane."

"From what I gathered, he does not spend as long reading a new mind as he once did. How much of that is a result of learning how to control his growing gift and how much is due to his growing boredom is anyone's guess."

"At least he can to chose when to hear."

"And yet, he covets your ability to hear at a distance. So many people seek only what someone else possesses while discounting the value of what they already have. They see the rewards, but not the effort required to get there. Nothing worth having is ever easy."

I hummed thoughtfully. I would never have wished Bella to experience any of the hardships she had undergone, yet coming so close to losing her made seeing them together now all the more precious.

Bella's voice when she whispered, "I remember you, too," was doubly sweet when heard through our daughter's ears. Telepathy was not a gift I would have chosen, but I had to admit that it had its advantages.