The trek to my room seemed longer than usual despite my faster-than-human pace. My need to get there was making me impatient given that whatever it was caused Bella and Charlie to leave earlier than anticipated. The breeze picked up and nipped my cheeks, making my skin burn with its icy chill. It swept through my hair and made me feel as bleak as my mood. There was so much more that I wanted to show them both. I wanted to show them the work I had done already and how much I had progressed. I wanted to show them the recital hall where I'd planned to play a snippet of a new song that I had been writing, inspired by my new curve in life. I wanted them to witness how much passion I held by being here.

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the doors that led to my building directly in front of me. Moving towards them, I almost collided with an individual that stepped out ahead of me. I muttered a pathetic apology and headed upstairs. Unlocking the door, I threw the key at the counter of my desk and heard the distinct noise of it stabbing into the wooden surface. With more care, I pushed the door shut and collapsed against it. I couldn't make sense of anything. My mind was a jumbled mess. I silently wondered if there was any chance that I could convince Charlie to come back tomorrow. The immediate thought of Charlie triggered the memory of the conversation I held with him barely five minutes ago. I'd never see him so angry before. His eyes had held pure hatred, and even though he could hide some emotions from me; that predominant emotion seeped from his core and spilled over the edge.

Still, I couldn't fathom what had caused a reaction so furious. Granted, there were vampires there but he's met vampires before so what made this time any different? I needed to read that scrapbook.

I whipped my head up and looked at the telltale drawer that held the 'book' underneath all my sketches. I dashed to the drawer and knelt down in front of it. My hands reached forward of their own accord. I pulled open the drawer and flung my sketch books to the floor by my side, revealing the same bulky, yellow envelope that I hadn't seen in weeks. On the front, my mom's handwriting hadn't changed or altered. I lifted it out carefully with both hands and rocked back on my heels, studying it. My back rested against the side of my bed as I crossed my legs on the floor, staring at the small scripture on the front. I delicately turned over the package, gliding my hand across the paper as I went. Looking at the top corner again I saw the same words as before:

Please...not when you're merely curious xxx

It's strange how those words were what prevented me from looking for so long; how at the time, my curiosity had me wanting to shred the paper of the envelope so that I could find out what secret had been given to me. I had been stopped by those simple words. My mother knew me better than anyone and she knew that my curiosity would get the better of me. I never realised that my mom thought those words wouldn't hold me off for as long though. Had she really believed I would have only lasted for about a day? I smiled as I realised that yes, had she not have put those words there, then I would have read the book-thing that very day.

I hooked my finger under the opening and ripped it open. I tipped the envelope upside down and a folder fell out onto my lap. It was very plain – a simple black hardback cover. There wasn't a lot to it in all honesty. I looked at the side and saw that there wasn't much thickness to it either - the packaging was just deceiving. Looking at the stem of the item, an indentation of the word 'Album' could be seen at the very top.

I stole a few more seconds before I took a deep breath and opened the cover. I didn't know why I was so nervous about it.

The first page I came to was a short letter that had been slotted into the first page via the corner holders. I recognised my mom's handwriting immediately. She'd written formally in a black ink pen; the same that had addressed the envelope. As soon as I read my name at the top of the letter, I was immediately drawn in. That right there meant there was no turning back:

Renesmee -

For a time, certain aspects of my past, as well as yours, have been ignored and not mentioned. There has always been a reason for that. But now you take another step forward in the world and although we live differently, I could not be prouder of you for embracing your independence and discovering yourself. I suppose, some would call it stubbornness – a trait I believe you've inherited from me – but we both know that it's not. I've come to realise that you need to know the secret that you are craving to know so much; where the other half of you comes from. It goes without saying that it's a touchy subject for me and I know exactly how your mind works. This is why I'm presenting it to you this way; as a book. This way you'll create your own opinions and not have my judgement clouding your own.

Just remember that I love you always,

Mom

Part of me understood what that meant whilst a part of me still remained confused. I re-read the opening letter again and my eyes still on the words 'other half of you'. I could hear my own heartbeat racing but I didn't want to get my hopes up. My mom rarely kept secrets but there were a few that she wouldn't – couldn't – share with me. No matter. All would reveal itself; of that I was certain.

Turning the page, I was presented with a professional portrait photo of a doctor that had been printed on standard paper. It looked like something you would see in a medical magazine. His face was sharp and pale; not a flaw to his cheeks. His blond hair was perfectly scraped back, not a hair out of place. His smile was bright and friendly. He was beautiful. And he was a vampire. His golden eyes sparkled and stood out against the blue shirt he wore – a stethoscope around his neck.

Underneath the photo was more of my mother's handwriting:

I found this photograph in the online archives of Forks General Hospital. His name is Carlisle-

She'd written more but that was the only piece of information I needed to figure the rest out. I remember Senna telling me some about Carlisle; not much, but that little bit that I needed: "The leader of the coven your mother was going to join."

"Carlisle is the leader of a coven that once lived in Forks; the coven your father was part of; your father's family."

I knew exactly what this book was now.

I hesitantly turned the next page and my eyes widened to an abnormal size. I was aware that my mouth was hanging open but my brain wouldn't cooperate with the function necessary for closing it.

Smiling back at me was none other than Alice.

I gaped at the photo I was looking at. Alice was looking at the camera, apparently laughing. She looked exactly the same in the photo as she did now. The only difference was that she appeared more carefree in the photo than any time I'd seen her. Thousands of thoughts soared through my mind that I couldn't answer. I desperately craved an explanation as to why I was looking at a photo of Alice. No description was left behind about this photo.

Underneath that photo though was another. Alice was present but stood next to her was a tall blonde guy. The guy wasn't Carlisle but he was another vampire. He stood tall and kept his back straight with a neutral expression on his face. His lips were curled up a fraction and there was light in his eyes. Stood next to Alice, they looked the perfect couple. Alice was leaning into him with their arms wrapped around each other's waist as they posed for the picture. The only thing that accompanied this photo were their names, Alice and Jasper Cullen.

Utterly confused, I turned the next page and was met by two more couples. The top couple I didn't recognise: a statuesque, blonde female that held all the glamour associated with perfection; golden curled locks, vibrant round eyes, a pointed petite nose and plump symmetrical lips. The only thing that killed her beauty was her monotonous expression - pure ice. Stood next to her, in a similar pose to Alice and Jasper, was a tall, muscular male who was opposite to his partner. His hair was a deep brunette that lay in small, tight curls on his head. It reminded me of Charlie's except this person's were less visible as he wore his hair cut closer to his scalp. Despite his intimidating size, the playful look he held on his face deflected any hard reflection that would usually accompany his build. The dimples in his cheeks and his large smile completely distorted that image. The polar opposites stood close, and the way there bodies were aliened screamed love. The names written were, Rosalie and Emmett Cullen in Bella's neat script.

I did a double take on the photo underneath. It was another photo of Carlisle but this time he was in normal clothes and seemed less intense. Stood next to him was a woman with sun-kissed brown hair that flowed down her back. Her features were small on a heart-shaped face, but her eyes were large and expressive. She looked at the camera with compassion. I then realised that I recognised her. She was the woman stood with Alice in the hall. I looked for my mom's handwriting and found, Esme and Carlisle Cullen written as the caption.

My heart plummeted into my stomach and my throat became dry. Understanding dawned on me at that very moment. All their names were Cullen, including Carlisle. Carlisle: the leader of the coven. Father. Family.

This was my 'family'. Alice was my 'family'. The Cullen's were my 'family'.

It was then that another thought became prominent. I was completely unsure how long that thought had been in my mind until I couldn't think of anything to suppress it. I was vaguely aware that there was one Cullen missing, one that hadn't been mentioned yet. I was also aware that none of the males in a couple could have been the responsible person. The heart breaker. I knew the possibility but I didn't want to think it.

I turned the next page anyway and there he was. Edward Cullen. He was sat down looking into the camera having been caught off-guard it would seem. His eyes held a playful, charming attitude that I'd never seen on his vacant features around campus. I also happened to recognise where he was. He was in our house; the kitchen, being more specific. He was sat at one of the chairs to the table that still lived in that kitchen. The photo itself held a dent at the side, like someone had held it too hard, causing it to bend. The name that had been written wasn't as neat as the others had been. The only reason I noticed was because it was Bella who had written it and I knew from those small indicators that is was here that her emotions had gotten the better of her.

I turned the page again and saw two photos that confirmed everything. Both photos had two people in them: Bella and Edward, except my mom was human. The first of the two photos was of Edward holding my mom close to him. She had her hands on his chest and she was hiding her face. The tell-tale blush I could see on her cheeks told me she was embarrassed by something. It was the same as Charlie's blush. Edward on the other hand had a large grin on his face. Although his body and face were turned towards Bella, his eyes faced the camera and he had a joyous expression on his face. He looked extremely happy, more so in this photo than in the previous one. Across from this photo was the simple caption: 18th birthday party at the Cullen's.

The photo underneath was a complete contrast to the one above it. Yes, both Bella and Edward were in the photo except there expressions and bodies were different. This time it was in the living room and they were both looking at the camera. Whilst Bella was smiling, the light in her eyes held a glaze of worry and concern that she tried to hide. Her smile was true but it looked a little forced. Edward on the other hand looked how I knew him. His 'smile' was a simple, forced curl of the lips. His eyes were vacant and emotionless. They had their arms around each other, except Edward looked as though he held it there for appearance sake. Bella was different; she leaned into him subconsciously. Her hips were wider and her body appeared more curvaceous. A disfigurement to the photo was that there was a crease in the centre of the picture separating them both, like the photo had been folded.

At that moment, the knowledge that a vampire who had been nothing but a douche since I met him was apparently my biological father, was the most important thing. I jumped as a droplet of water fell onto the photo. I hadn't realised I had started crying. I caught the last few tears before they fell and turned the page over expecting to have reached the end by now.

Imagine my surprise when I came across another handwritten letter. Looking over the sheets of paper my mom had used to write the letter clearly told me a story without even reading the words. The paper was crumpled in parts. Certain words were smudged and more often than not, ink splatters partially covered some words and blank parts of the paper. I blinked back tears forcefully, suppressing the hurt I felt just thinking about my mother's apparent upset, and began to read her words:

My dear daughter –

I'm sorry if I've gone the wrong way about this. Jake told me that he thought telling you this way was stupid and that it would be much easier to just tell you face-to-face. But I know you better than he does, and it's because of that that I've done it this way. See, this topic of conversation is painful for me, it always has been, even now after a decade has passed. My emotions aren't as easy to overcome as you'd expect because the circumstances that led me to being without them were excruciating and I still don't fully understand it, or them.

I don't believe this is something I can talk about without it causing me pain, which is why I have chosen to tell you like this. I don't want you seeing me emotional to affect your decision.

This is where you're vampire side comes from: your gifts, your hair, your curiosity. His name is Edward and he is your biological father. Before I carry on, if you come to the decision that you want to find him and meet him then don't hesitate to ask; don't spare my feelings because if that's what you want then I'll help you as much as I can. You have my blessing to look for him.

My story with the Cullen's began happy, until my 18th birthday – that's when things changed – but I'll start from the beginning because it's time you understood and knew everything.

I first met them in Forks High, when I first moved into Charlie's, in junior year. Everyone knew the Cullen kids but they were quite secluded. I became Edward's lab partner in Biology and at first he was really off with me and I thought I'd accidentally done something wrong. He avoided talking to me as much as he could until one day I was nearly hit by a van and it just so happened that Edward managed to get there in time and stop it from hitting me. He was stood nowhere near me and he tried to convince me that he was stood right next to me at the time and that I didn't remember because I'd hit my head. I wasn't stupid though, and after going to La Push and being told some legends, I figured out what he was. He didn't lie to me, of course. It turned out that he was a mind-reader and that I was the only mind he couldn't read which made him curious about me. Then to top it off, he'd never been as affected by anyone's blood before me either. He wanted to kill me, but he didn't; he saved me. The night I found out for definite what he and his family were, I was in Port Angeles and was cornered by some drunken men. He saved me.

As soon as he shared his secret, I knew that I loved him unconditionally. He expected me to be scared of him by showing me his strength and speed, even telling me about how Alice could see the future and Jasper could control emotions. But nothing could keep me away from him or him away from me, and he told me many times in return how much I meant to him. Even after the accident that gave me my scar, he told me, and he stayed with me after and I honestly thought he loved me. I thought they all did: Alice, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, even Jasper. Not so much Rosalie.

I don't know what I did to make them leave me, I honestly don't and if I knew I'd probably understand better. In a sense I do understand; I knew I could never measure up to them but I'd built a relationship with every single one of them. I guess the difference between our species was too great to carry on. The only one to say goodbye was him and even then his words broke me completely. He told me he didn't want me and that was the worst part, knowing that all along our entire relationship had been a lie and that hurt-

I slammed the book closed with a resounding thwack before launching it forward and away from me. It hit the wall then bounced open on the floor with an echoing thump, thump. Tears cascaded freely; sobs rippled from my throat and I could do nothing to stop it. Upset, hurt, anger. I felt for my mom so much that it hurt me reliving everything that she went through. I couldn't read any more because I knew it'd get worse. I'd seen the pain on her face in the past when this subject was questioned. I'd seen her face today after she saw them.

Oh my god, she saw them. After ten years, to know they were so close. I cried a new round of tears into the palms of my hands as I curled my body inwards on the floor of my room.

My phone buzzed on my nightstand but I ignored it and wept. It wasn't long after that I heard the door open and close again. The silent footsteps didn't worry me, nor did the presence of someone stood by my side. I felt them sit down beside me and wrap their arms around me. I fell into them, not caring anymore because they were the one person I needed.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I sobbed.

I felt her kiss my hair and rub my back soothingly, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry."

I tried to gather my bearings as I could hear the anguish in her voice and it wasn't them causing it this time, it was me.

"It's not your fault, Mom, it's theirs! Please don't say sorry when you've done nothing to apologise for! God, I feel so stupid! How could I not have suspected anything at all! I sat with her and went to a party and have been nice when all along, she...they've-"

I burst into fresh sobs; sobs that racked my chest and caused my ribs to ache. Bella held me tighter in response, simply kissing my hair and my forehead before resting her cheek against it. How could I have been so stupid? I let them in and I could see the signs now: why I was always cautious, their conversation, I even looked like him. That thought made me sick.

I sniffled. "Can you tell me?" I asked softly "About when they left. What did he say to you; what happened?"

She sighed into my hair, "I can't, baby, I'm sorry, not when you're like this. I'll break down and it'll make you worse because we both hate seeing the other upset. That's why I told you the way I did."

She kissed me again before she continued, "Listen, you've obviously built a friendship with Alice-" I lifted my head to protest but she beat me to it, "No, let me finish. Alice was a good friend to me and I don't want to ruin that for you. At the end of the day, you're here because of them – him. If you want to get to know them then I can't stop you – I won't."

I gnawed on my bottom lip – a habit I'd picked up from her. "No," I told her bluntly; shaking my head. "You're the most important person to me, and knowing what they did to you, how could I look them in the eye? Please, don't try to convince me because I get my stubbornness from you." She smiled at that. "They are not my family. You, Charlie and Jacob are my family. That's all that matters. They are not my friends. Jenna and the pack are. I don't need them in my life."

I hesitated then, wondering if I'd gone too far. I had to ask her but I stuttered, "That is unless... unless you want them in our lives?"

She inhaled sharply and hugged me close, "I have you. You're the only person I need. I love you so much, Renesmee Swan."

"Am I named after her?" She knew which one I was referring to.

"Yes – Renee and Esme."

I laid my head against her chest and closed my eyes, feeling the tears come again, "I love you too, Momma."

"Promise?"

"Promise," I confirmed. "Always?"

She chuckled, "Always."

She held me as the tears fell. At that moment in time, I was glad Bella could no longer produce tears, because if she'd been able cry then I would have been a whole lot worse.

I cried. I cried for my mom, for Charlie, for me, I even cried at their heartlessness. I just...cried.

Let me know what you think...