A/N: Hello, fellow readers! I hope all is well. I present you with the next chapter. I hope you like it! Without further adieu…

Chapter 2: Edward's POV

I listened from the car with both my ears as well as my mind while the women of my family shopped in the local stores. Esme had heard of this little antique shop and wanted to pick some stuff up for the new house.

Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were all staying in one house. While my wife, Bella, daughter, Renesmee and the mutt Jacob and I were all staying together in the house across the street.

Esme insisted on making both houses perfect.

"I think this is the shop you were looking for Esme," Alice murmured to her as they all turned to walk in the door.

I scanned the minds of the people inside as a reflex. I was used to listening for the minds of people around my family as I was their primary warning to if a human was becoming suspicious. Of course the two women and teenage boy had the same reaction most people did when they first saw any one of us. One of the women seemed to notice a few things but she passed them off with likely excuses. It makes me wonder if her thoughts are similar to what my Bella thought when she first laid eyes on my family.

Then the thoughts from the teenager entered my mind. I wonder if I will ever get used to the thoughts about my wife from young men. Though his mind was more focused on Rose, he still noticed how beautiful my wife was. Then one of the women elbowed him to pull him from his trance. I wish I could thank her for it.

Moments later, as the women were loading the back of my Volvo, I listened inside again. It seemed gossip was already flooding through town.

"Didn't Jim recommend Dr. Cullen for you, Mel?" the boy asked one of the women. Hmm… Must be a pretty small town if we already run into Mrs. Gordon on our first day here. I had seen her name mentioned in some of Carlisle's emails. I wasn't snooping. I just heard it in his head. "Since he can't really be your doctor?" I briefly wondered what that was supposed to mean before the ladies climbed into their seats.

I turned to Esme in the passenger seat. My wife and siblings choose to sit in the back as a sign of respect. Though Bella sat directly behind me so she could lovingly stroke the back of my neck every once in a while.

"Where to now?" I asked her.

"Oh, back home I guess. I think we got all of our shopping done for now." My thoughts ranged back home, where my daughter was. I pictured her in her room reading or in the living room with Emmett playing video games or with Jasper, playing chess. But I knew better than to hope that would be where I would find her. She is probably hanging out with Jacob. They are best friends. And sadly now that she is almost fully matured, fleeting thoughts of budding romance flutter through their minds every once in a while.

She knows of the imprint bond she shares with Jacob. Bella and I had decided fairly early on to be honest with her about it. We had also decided to tell her about Bella's romance with Jacob following the horrible time I had left her. We both knew that Jake would tell her anything she wanted to know. And we knew that a family with no secrets and no lies would be that much stronger.

When I looked up from my musings, it seemed we were just pulling into our neighborhood. Oh, how I longed to see my lovely daughter with her copper ringlets come racing across the lawn to see me. She had always been a daddy's girl. Bella and I trusted Jacob. Why does it feel like we are already losing her?

As soon as I pulled in, my brothers walked up to the car to help me unload the bags. After a few moments we were all inside and I realized that I did not hear Carlisle.

"Where's Carlisle?" I asked Jasper.

"He went to go meet with a prospective patient and her husband, I believe. It was a pretty last minute thing."

"Mrs. Gordon?"

"Yes. That's what he said her name was. Do you know her?"

"No. But I believe the ladies met her at the antique shop today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She seemed a little observant. But she drew her own conclusions."

"I really hope that doesn't become a problem for us, especially if she decides to have Carlisle as her doctor."

"I'll talk to him about it and make sure he is extra careful around her."

"Probably for the best."

Then I heard the sound of my lovely daughter descending the stairs. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly from behind. Daddy, I missed you! I heard from her mind.

"I was only gone a couple of hours, sweetie," I whispered to her.

I saw an image of us sitting at the piano together. She wanted her next piano lesson. Bella's birthday was coming up and she wanted to play her something special. And she wanted it to be perfect.

After hours of playing and playing, Renesmee was getting sleepy. She ignored the feelings as hard as she could, but I could see how tired she was getting. She stifled a yawn as Jacob walked into the room.

"C'mon, Nessie. It's late. We should go to bed."

"No. I'm not tired," she protested. Always so stubborn, just like her mother.

Jasper was upstairs, playing chess with Carlisle, who had gotten home a while ago. He heard our conversation and decided to help Jacob and I. Nessie's eyelids drooped. I decided to thank him later.

Realization dawned on her face. "Damnit, Jasper! That is not funny!"

I chuckled. "You can practice more in the morning. Let's go home. Your mother has dinner ready for you and Jake."

I wish I had known that or I wouldn't have eaten here. Damnit! You heard that didn't you? I nodded slightly to Jacob's thoughts. I'll eat everything on my plate if you pretend you didn't hear that. Deal? I shrugged. I didn't really care. That was between him and Bella.

"Jacob, why don't you take Nessie over? I need to talk to Carlisle."

"Sure, sure." They headed out the door as I went upstairs to the chess game. The game was just ending with Jasper losing on purpose just to give me a chance to speak with Carlisle. He left the room while Carlisle and I silently reset the board.

"Jasper told me about the woman the ladies met in the antique shop today," he said as he make the first move. The image of one of the women in the store flashed to his mind. She was short with long wavy dark hair. She was rather pretty for a human.

"Yes. Melinda Gordon. She seems very observant for a human."

"Is it anything to worry about?"

"No. I don't believe so. But I thought I would warn you to be extra careful with her. If she witnesses something she can't find an excuse for, it may raise suspicion."

"Duly noted." The game was coming to a close. I was about three moves away from taking his queen.

Rose walked in, followed closely by Emmett. "I think we should move on," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"With the Volturi breathing down our necks since the standoff in Forks, I don't think we should risk it."

"Everything will be fine, Rose. Aro would not risk an uprising after what happened in the clearing that day," Carlisle reassured her.

She looked me in the eye. "Edward. Think of what you have to lose. Renesmee is too precious."

"I have. I saw into Aro's mind. He will not challenge us again with his ego still bruised. Besides, Alice is watching him closely."

"What if he makes a half-breed to block her vision?"

"Alice will see that too. He will become fuzzy like Bella did."

"Please, Rose. Everything will be fine," Carlisle soothed. That was when I choose to go home to my wife and daughter.

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