"Isabella?" Carlisle asked in a voice so quiet it soothed me. I looked up and saw that he was at Renesmee's other side gazing at her face. "What was she like when she was first born?"

I smiled as I recounted facts about her growing up: how she liked chasing butterflies, used to ride on Jacob's back like a horse, loved her hair being brushed, went fishing with Charlie and how she refused to use a rod instead of her hands to catch them. It used to give Charlie a near heart attack when she leaned too far over the edge of the boat.

I wasn't sure what his true intention was from asking the question; either to know her a little more or to take my mind off of the bad. For whatever reason, I was grateful. I didn't mind sharing this part of our history.

"She likes to draw; her pictures are amazing and so true to form it's incredible. I used to take her to the highest hill in the Olympia reserve and look at the stars. She used to draw pictures and make up stories about each of them. I blame Zafrina for her imagination." I added as an afterthought.

"Zafrina?" Carlisle questioned.

I rested Renesmee's palm against my cheek. "Yes. Her and her coven came looking for you a few years after you left. I was the only vampire in Forks so they located me to ask where you all were. They sort of became my mentors," I told him quietly.

"In what way were they mentors?" Had Carlisle actually been blood related to Edward, I would have assumed this was where Renesmee's curiosity came from.

"They taught Ness and I how to use our powers, and how to fight strategically. They even gave a few tips to Jake about a vampire's weakness so long as he promised they would never get attacked if they visited." I smiled at the memory. It was good to reminisce.

"I guessed that you had a power; I wasn't aware that Renesmee had one too," he commented. It wasn't exactly a question but I was aware of the one hidden beneath his words.

"I'm sure she'll show you when she wakes up," I promised.

Carlisle nodded and took her other hand in his.

A stab of guilt washed through me at that moment. Carlisle's deep-rooted compassion seeped out of every facet of him. It was evident in his care for Renesmee, and how he gazed at her now. Ness would have been one of them, surrounded by love and wrapped in their cocoon of family loyalty. Maybe I should have searched for them harder.

I shook away those thoughts. They were the ones that chose to leave. They were here now, and that is what mattered. If Renesmee wanted a relationship with them then I wouldn't stop her. But they couldn't expect the same from me.

"Bella," Carlisle hesitated minutely before he continued, "forgive me for asking, but when were you and Edward intimate?"

If I were human still I would have blushed. "I assume you know that Edward used to sneak in my room at night?"

Carlisle nodded.

"The night before my birthday - well, technically it was my birthday when he came in - he said he would give me anything I wanted. I made him promise that he couldn't deny me what I asked for and he did. Edward's a man of his word so he agreed, not realising what it was that I wanted. He couldn't back out after I'd asked." I wasn't going to go into details. He was, after all, Edward's father.

The conversation lulled into silence after that; both of us content just watching Renesmee.

The silence didn't last very long though. Chaos broke out downstairs calling both of our attention. A glance at the clock told me it had only been six minutes since I'd returned upstairs. I battled with myself on whether to go or stay, but when I heard Edward grunt in pain I didn't hesitate.

Running down the stairs – Carlisle at my heels – I saw Edward crippled in what looked like pure agony; his face contorted in a way I'd never seen before. His eyes were so sad.

"Edward?" Alice cried in concern.

He was looking at Jacob who sat reclined on the sofa with a gleam on his face.

Nobody moved. No one had struck out. Edward's pain wasn't physical, it was mental.

Instantly, I realised what Jacob was doing. My anger piqued at his audacity. Now was not the time or place. I expanded my shield over Jake, severing the connection. Edward immediately relaxed. He closed his eyes. When he opened them the pain was still there, only he was looking at me.

When Edward relaxed, Jacob's head snapped towards where I stood in the middle of the staircase, a scowl on my face. The others followed his gaze.

My eyes still on Jacob, I hissed, "We're not here for this, Jacob!"

Jacob's eyes flashed with remorse. He knew he had upset me; the use of his full name was a dead giveaway. He huffed and stood up, ignoring the prominent glares being shot at his back, and came to join me in returning to Ness.

Jasper halted us by asking, "How do you do that, Bella?"

"I have a shield." That's all they were getting at this point; I'd told them what they needed to know.

I turned to walk up the stairs but was stopped again. This time it was Edward:

"Bella, I...I'm so sorry, I-" he sounded so wounded and broken.

Jake was with me at my worst time and had to witness my devastating heartbreak. Of course, he would use that to torture Edward. But Edward's apology held no standing, therefore, I wouldn't listen to it. He had made it very clear the day he left what his feelings were. He'd used me. He'd made me fall in love with him and then dropped me just as quickly.

"I don't want to hear it," I spoke with determination. "The damage is done so there's no point in apologising. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to return to my daughter."

I ran up the stairs and resumed my position next to my little girl, holding her hand.

-o0o-

Jake and I sat at Renesmee's bedside for three hours before we moved. Jake still insisted on trying to warm her up. Carlisle said it was working. Whenever someone else would enter the room, I ignored them, focusing on my daughter.

The only time I moved was when I heard a car turning into Cullens' driveway in the distance. The skid of the tyres and the grumble of the engine told me it was the police cruiser.

Charlie.

As his familiar, heavy footsteps hit the gravel, I left Ness' side and ventured downstairs. I heard Carlisle greet him at the door, to which my dad huffed. I bit my lip to repress the slight smirk. Charlie wasn't scared; even if he knew how quick a vampire could kill him.

When he saw me, he opened his arms and I stepped into his warm embrace. A faint 'Bells' left his lips in a whisper as he held me. Despite being a vampire, I was still a head shorter than him. His hot-blooded skin was the comfort I needed. His scent washed over me and I felt at peace.

I ignored the sudden gasp at my actions.

I released my dad and saw tears swimming in his eyes. He sniffed and cleared his throat to compose himself before asking after his granddaughter. "How is she?"

I answered truthfully, "She's not doing great but she hasn't deteriorated. Come on, I'll take you upstairs."

We ignored the Cullens as we passed.

Charlie moved swiftly over to Renesmee, looking her over for any kind of damage. Other than the nasty, pink slash across her neck she looked exactly the same as she did this morning when we left home.

Charlie touched his hand to her forehead and commented on how cold she was, to which Jake replied, "I'm on it, Chief", before climbing on the bed again and moulding himself around her.

Charlie stroked her hair then placed a lingering kiss to her forehead. He didn't get a response. He sat in the space I occupied earlier and took her hand. He eyed it for a second and then sighed. He didn't get a mind full of subconscious imagination either.

I took the seat on the other side of the bed. Jake's body blocked my view of her but she needed the warmth and Charlie needed this time with her.

"I forget sometimes how beautiful she is," Charlie commented. "I remember holding her for the first time and thinking she was the most beautiful baby I'd ever laid eyes on. Of course, I was a little biased but I honestly have never seen a prettier little girl… except you, Bells."

He looked at me for a second with a fond smile gracing his face before returning his gaze to Renesmee.

"I bet your mom would have thought so too," he added.

It had been a while since Charlie had spoken about Renee. It was hard for both of us when she passed, particularly as I'd avoided seeing her in her final year. Keeping Renesmee a secret was the worst part, and a lot of our communication was done over the phone. God, I missed her.

Charlie's pensive nature never changed and we engaged in a comfortable silence. I noticed him looking at Renesmee's neck. At first I thought he was looking at her scar, but then I saw him fingering her birthday necklace. Determination flashed through his eyes and he looked up at me. "She'll get through this, Bells. She's a Swan after all."

A movement from my peripheral caught my attention. Someone moved out of the doorframe, keeping their steps silent. Although moving quick, they weren't quick enough to go unidentified.

Edward had been watching us.

-o0o-

It had been ten days since Victoria's attack. Ten days since the Cullens found out about Renesmee's true origins; and ten days of having to endure Rosalie's hostility, Alice's hovering, Jake's anger, Jasper's constant scrutiny and Edward's despair. My only solace was Carlisle checking Renesmee's improvement.

Her condition was improving slowly which was a good sign, but it concerned him that she hadn't woken up yet.

Charlie visited as often as he could, constantly voicing his displeasure of being in enemy territory which Jake found highly amusing. My reassurance that we would return home as soon as she awoke was sought on every visit.

The Cullens came to watch her occasionally - Edward and Esme spending the most time with her. I didn't know if they tried to speak to me or not; my attention was elsewhere.

I never once left her side. I focused only on her heartbeat and any sign that she was improving. My patience, however, was wavering and more than anything I wanted to scream at Carlisle for not doing more.

Jake only left Ness' side when he absolutely had to. He'd sent the rest of his pack to hunt Victoria under Sam's command. Seth became the messenger between the pack and Jake, keeping us informed and carrying Jake's orders back. Jake's internal conflict often came out during these interactions and Seth was extremely patient with his alpha. Had Renesmee been awake, he would be leading the search for our enemy, his own bloodlust as strong as mine.

Sam empathised and I trusted he was doing his best to find and kill her.

As we sat on either side of Renesmee, I observed Jake lost in his own mind. Renesmee's hand was dwarfed in his. He played with the charm bracelet she never took off paying particular attention to the charm he'd given her at Christmas. I knew what it meant to him. And her. Whether I felt comfortable with it or not, I knew the dynamics of their relationship were beginning to change. I knew Ness wanted to wait should anything happen until she'd finished college, but you can't help what comes naturally. They'd still take it slow; Jake respected me too much as a friend and her mom, and Ness would be worried about my reaction. Their relationship did scare me. The imprint meant that Jake had a claim to her and eventually he would become her sole care-giver. She wouldn't need me anymore.

But I was thankful it was Jake. He would do anything for her – die for her – and that was what I wanted for my daughter. Their connection meant no heartbreak and that was one pain I wanted to spare my daughter from if I could.

I heard Jake take in a shaky breath and saw the essence of tears swimming in his eyes. He tenderly brought her hand higher and kissed the back of it before placing her placid palm against his cheek.

We were interrupted by Esme. She'd brought up a sandwich for Jake. Carlisle followed and began his usual ritual for his patient. Jake inhaled his sandwich as he watched Carlisle.

"She's out of the critical stage but I can't be sure of any further damage to her system or her mind until she wakes up."

"When will she wake up, doc? It's been nearly two weeks!" Jacob growled; his mouth full.

Carlisle sighed, ignoring Jake's lack of manners. "There is no way of knowing. She's out of the critical stage but it's up to her. There's no way of knowing if there is any lasting damage until then either."

The ceramic plate shattered under the force of Jake's grip, clattering to the floor in pieces. Esme took a cloth and went over to tend Jake's bleeding hand.

I kept my sights on Carlisle's remorseful face. "Is there anything more we can do?"

He paused as if collecting his thoughts before he spoke. "If a vampire is hurt it is their venom that allows them to heal at a quicker rate. Your venom is what healed her incision."

"Go on," I whispered.

"Renesmee isn't venomous, is she?" He asked rhetorically. He had already figured that part out.

I lowered my gaze, suddenly overcome with guilt. He'd been relying on her vampire side to speed up the healing process. I should have told him.

"It's okay, Bella, I shouldn't have assumed." I knew he was trying to reassure me, but I still held blame.

He continued, "She still has a vampire side which means she has venom. It's just extremely diluted or limited to her bloodstream which is why it appears she isn't venomous. At the moment, the only nutrition she is getting is through her IV which is stabilising her human side and strengthening her immune system. Currently, her vampire side is still weak which is why what little venom she has isn't helping the healing process."

"What's your point?" I asked.

"My theory is that we need to start concentrating on preserving her vampire half because the human treatment isn't enough."

Jake snapped, "Get to the point!"

"She may be thirsty."

Jacob wasted no time. He ripped the cloth away, and recut his incision. He brought it to her lips and teased them open allowing a mouthful of blood to flow into her mouth. When he removed his hand, he held her face straight so the blood could slip down her throat instead of spilling from the corners of her lips. We stayed that way until we were sure the blood had gone.

"Bella," Carlisle began hesitantly, "you need to hunt."

I shook my head immediately, but he held his ground. "When was the last time you hunted? Your eyes are black, your face is chalky… and you haven't taken a breath since Jacob started bleeding."

I didn't even realise I was not breathing. I inhaled shakily, taking in the lingering scent of blood and felt my venom pool in my mouth.

Carlisle delivered the final straw. "She'll need you to be strong when she wakes up."

The dilemma I faced bounced back and forth in my head. It wasn't until I saw the hesitancy in Jacob's eyes that I knew Carlisle was right.

I nodded and I bolted out of the house without another moment's thought. I moved into the forest quickly, determined to get back to my daughter as soon as possible.

Ice clung to the air as I ran and the clouds made the sky a pure white. Snow would fall soon. The bitter cold helped me open up my thoughts – I'd completely missed the New Year. This was the worst start imaginable, my daughter so close to death. It never should have been possible. I should never have let down my guard. Victoria couldn't get away alive again and I wasn't going to sit around and wait for her to attack either, because who knew when that would be.

Thinking about Victoria made me erupt and I took it out on the first thing I came across. I snapped the deer's neck far too harshly and proceeded to suck it dry in five seconds. A bear was next. I taunted it before I killed it. I'd never done that before but I was raring for a fight. I still felt thirsty but I had drunk enough to sate me. My thirst for blood in the metaphorical sense was far more prominent than the literal thirst. I wanted Victoria dead and I wanted it to be by my hand so I knew for sure that she would never come back.

I ran as fast as I could back to the house, hoping that I hadn't been gone long and if I had, that I would return to some good news. My aim was to walk directly to the stairs and go back to Renesmee's side, but I was stopped in the living room.

Alice, Rosalie and Edward stood waiting for me.

"Bella, can we talk?" Alice asked politely.

I wasn't in the mood. "I have more important things to be doing, thank you."

"You can't avoid us forever, Bella," she replied. "Especially not now."

I saw her eyes flick upstairs and I knew what she meant. She was seriously testing my self-control.

"I can and I will," I spat. "And as soon as my daughter wakes up we're leaving."

I turned away but was halted as my arm was locked in a vice. Edward had a hold of me.

"Stop ignoring me!" He said sternly. His grip on my arm was tight, I couldn't pull away. His eyes found mine and I could see pain. I hated it. I hated that the pain in his eyes made me feel guilty when I had nothing to feel guilty over. I hated the butterflies that erupted in my stomach because I breathed in his scent. I hated that I still loved him despite everything.

Luck saved me.

"BELLA!"

Jacob's voice ricocheted through the house. The adrenaline in his voice and the quickened beating of his heart jolted us and I escaped to Renesmee's makeshift hospital room.

I took in the scene before me. Carlisle stood behind checking her monitor but confusion marred his face. Her condition was unchanged. I looked at Jake and saw Ness' hand pressed firmly to his cheek, both his hands clutching her tiny one. His eyes were wide and sparkling. His head turned to me briefly and I knew.

I ran to her other side, picked up her free hand and delicately placed it against my cheek. My mind was assaulted with colour; I saw through Ness' eyes as she chased after a flurry of dragonflies in a too vibrant forest; an assortment of surreal imagery – Ness' usual dream world.

A sob of relief escaped me. With my other hand, I found myself fisting Ness' top as I cried into her chest. I let her thoughts override my own, completely overwhelmed that her power was working. Her mind was sound - she was getting better.

"Ness, baby, can you hear me?"

I held my breath as I waited for an indication.

"It's me, it's Momma... tell me you can hear me," I begged.

My mind was assaulted with her vision, it held my full concentration. I watched as the flurry of colour disintegrated and the reverse image of myself became her primary vision. It was from the day we'd dropped her off at her dorm for her first day.

The image changed to one of Jake.

"I'm right here, Nessie," he told her quietly.

I looked at Jake and the relief was palpable for both of us. It was the sign of hope that we needed.

I hadn't realised we'd been followed until Edward spoke from the doorway, "What's going on?"

Ness's dreams changed to the memory of Edward attacking her in the auditorium.

In a flash, Jake was on his feet and in Edward's face. "You attacked her?"

Edward's eyes widened briefly before guilt shot across his face providing the affirmative to Jake's question.

Jake grabbed at Edward's shirt. "She's terrified of you now! Get out of this room!"

Knocking Jake's hands away, he argued, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Get out!"

"Jake, calm down, you're not helping!" I pleaded.

Ness could hear the fighting, I could see it in her mind. "It's okay, you're okay, everything is fine, the only thing you have to worry about is waking up."

With Jacob out of his seat, Carlisle had taken the space on her other side. He still couldn't figure out what we knew, but I could see the curiosity in his eyes.

I cleared my throat, ridding the aftermath of an emotional onslaught. "Take her hand," I gestured to how I was holding her other hand in mine.

I watched his eyes study her face as he lifted her hand gently and placed her palm against his cheek. Immediately his eyes glazed over and he inhaled a breath of surprise. I watched what he could see: her memories blurring into her dreams as she relaxed.

He glanced at me; his mouth bobbing as the question clung to his lips.

"It's her gift," I clarified.

"It's fascinating," he whispered. Carlisle's image popped across my mind before it disappeared again. He noticed too because he smiled. "At least we know she's responding to voices. That's extremely encouraging."

He reached for her notes then took his place, lifting her hand to his cheek. "Bella, can you keep talking to her?"

"What should I say?"

"Anything that will provoke a memory or an image that shows she understands what you're saying."

I turned to my daughter. "Honey, we've been so worried about you. You scared me more than the first time you hunted alone, do you remember that?"

The memory flashed for a millisecond before it disappeared. Carlisle took a note.

"You said you enjoyed it but preferred Jake or me to be with you."

An image of Jake's face crossed her mind.

"He was worried too, so was Charlie."

As had happened before, Charlie entered her mind. But instead of flicking, memories of Charlie became her focus: Charlie on his boat, Charlie in his cruiser, Charlie at the diner... I knew what she was asking.

I turned to Jacob. "Jake, can you let my dad know Renesmee wants him here."

"Sure, sure." He made sure he bumped into Edward before going in search of a phone.

Carlisle was looking at me. "How do you know what she's asking?"

"Years of practise," I divulged. "There have been a few occasions, particularly when she was younger, when the images were too cryptic to understand, but we have all grown accustomed to how her mind works now."

"It is amazing," he fascinated. "She's definitely your daughter, Edward. Had you not known from her looks, you would definitely know from her gift."

I chanced a glance at Edward. He looked thoughtful. I didn't let my eyes linger.

Renesmee's thoughts morphed into her dreams once again so I knew she'd slipped deeper into her unconsciousness. However brief it may have been, it was the sign we'd all been waiting for.

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