Edward's POV

After I hung up I slammed the phone to the floor so hard the phone bounced, shattered and then left a noticeable dint on the ground. Emmett and Carlisle immediately appeared at the doorway, peering in, unsure as to whether they should enter.

Their thoughts hit me immediately, one louder than the other. Jeez bro. What's got up your…

"If you value your life you won't finish that thought, Emmett." I warn, growling low in my throat.

He actually manages to look chagrined for a split second before grinning. "Ah, I see you're going through your monthly 'mood swing'". He made sarcastic quotation marks with his fingers whilst grinning even wider.

"I'm not sure it's wise to patronise Edward…" Alice begins suddenly but I'm not listening.

I'm already across the room, shoulder barging Emmett into the wall. He stumbles back, my speed having taken him off guard and his back smacks into the wall. "Shut up Emmett!" I cry. "The stupid damn fucking mongrel has phased in front of Charlie and then told him who Bella is!"

Emmett regained his balanced but did not say anything more, his expression shocked. Carlisle was deeply disturbed by my comment, so much so that he forgot to chastise me for swearing, however uncharacteristic of me it was. "He did what?" Carlisle asks, his tone unmistakably tense.

"Phased into a werewolf and then told him that Bella was alive and she was with him. Needless to say poor Charlie sounded frantic on the phone." I say shortly.

The stupid dog. Emmett thinks suddenly. We should never have let him take Bella.

I growl in response. "If I remember correctly Emmett you were all for letting Bella go with the mongrel."

What gave you that impression? Emmett asks, his head cocked to the side, unable to remain serious for longer than a second.

Edward you better cool it. Alice says silently to me. I've just had a vision where you rip Emmett's head off. She shoots me a warning look.

Ripping Emmett's head off. Now there was a good idea. "He'd reform." I mutter. "No harm done."

Well actually Rosalie might have something to say about it, don't you think Edward? Alice asks, somehow managed to sound sarcastic even silently.

I take her point and force myself to take a deep breath. "Well Emmett it couldn't be the fact that you, Jasper and Alice were all pinning me to the floor stopping me from going after the dog, could it?" I ask sarcastically.

"They didn't want a war to begin son. Nor do I. Now is not the time to be squabbling amongst ourselves." Carlisle says quietly before Emmett can retort. His subtle warning chastises me and Emmett and we stop standing so tersely.

Phew. Alice thinks. I was actually convinced my vision might come to pass for a second there.

I stick out my tongue at her. "No you weren't." I murmur playfully.

I totally have a point about your mood swings though bro. Emmett launches the thought at me.

I stiffen. "You know Emmett if I wasn't so damn furious at the dog right now you'd be a little less cocky." I growl.

I hear Alice sigh. And the future shifts once again. She thinks irritably.

"Sorry Alice." I mutter and she scowls at me.

Now is not the time to be having a temper tantrum Edward. We all care about Bella. I could see in her mind that this was true; she wasn't just saying it to try and make me feel better.

"Did you get Bella to agree to come back here?" Carlisle asks me.

"Yes. She gave me her word." I say in relief.

Carlisle looks relieved. "And Jacob will protect her until she gets back here?" He asks.

I scowl, unable to help it. "Yes the dog will stay with her." I say shortly. I did not believe for one second that he'd make a good protector but I would not leave Bella alone to face the possibility of death. My unbeating heart would shatter if I lost Bella and there would be no point in existing anymore. She'd changed my whole existence.

"So Bella is leaving Charlie's now?" Alice asks, her facial expression unmistakably tense.

I frown at her, attempting to read her thoughts but they're incoherent, a jumbled up mess. I settle for answering her question. "Yes. She gave me her word she would leave." I say, hoping this would relax Alice.

It doesn't. If anything Alice is tenser than before and her eyes were beginning to glaze over. "Did she say when, Edward?" Alice asks quickly.

"When what?" I frown.

"When she'd leave!" Alice cries, her voice unusually shrill.

"No. She didn't say when. Bella just promised she would leave there… But why…" A darker mood grips me as I realise what Alice is hinting at.

"As I thought." Alice says briskly.

I bite my lip, angry at myself. "She's clever." I growl. "She deliberately didn't tell me when she'd come back so she wouldn't break her word. I should have noticed!" I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes in an effort to calm myself. "You don't see her coming back yet, do you?" I force myself to ask.

Alice's eyes are almost fully glazed. "No. She has no plans to leave yet." She says softly.

"Damn it!" I yell, fighting the urge to throw something.

Alice looks at me, her eyes full of understanding. "She's still with the mongrel though if that helps." She says quietly.

My hand subconsciously tightens into a fist. "Thanks Alice, the thought of her getting friendly with that mongrel really makes me feel better." I snap sarcastically.

No need to be like that Edward. Alice thinks, clearly affronted before her eyes fully glaze over and images of what I suppose is Bella's future hits me.

Cloudy… Indistinct … Blurry.

Alice can hardly see Bella, only make out a distant shape. Her vision is blocked by something more unfocused. Alice couldn't concentrate on the blurry figure in front of Bella at all. It was Jacob.

Damn that mongrel for ruining everything! Bella would have never run off to Charlie's if he hadn't planted the idea in her head; she could have asked me for information about Charlie not some stupid dog who just led her into danger! A small part of me knew I was being slightly unfair, after all the dog was trying to protect Bella but I couldn't help the spiralling bitterness I felt. Is this was being in love felt like?

Then Alice's visions reach me again, stronger and more rapid than before.

Bella in my bedroom, smiling at the future version of me. I watch in absolute amazement as I drop to one knee, confess my love for Bella and ask her to become my wife.

I can feel Alice's shock, a mirror of my own but there's no time for any of us to say anything as a jumble of images hit Alice, sending us both mentally reeling.

A human woman, around her mid-forties, but absolutely stunning with long brown hair. Neither me or Alice recognised her.

FLASH!

James, Victoria and Laurent.

FLASH!

A long white dress, worn by Bella. Wedding bells. Me standing at the other end of a long lavishly decorated aisle.

FLASH!

Aro with a few of his guard.

FLASH!

A screaming cry. Blood everywhere.

FLASH!

Blurry images once again, the mongrel's voice. "This is your fault bloodsucker! You killed her, just like I knew you would!"

FLASH!

Nothing but my own voice hardly recognisable as my own. "Kill me now Jacob. End my anguish."

FLASH!

A child. But blurry. Hard to focus on, but just in sight. The most beautiful child I'd ever seen with snowy fair skin, blushing pink cheeks, long bronze ringlets the exact same shade as my own hair and gorgeous chocolate brown eyes that looked strangely familiar. I could hear the child's heartbeat from here, which told me that appearances were deceiving and that she wasn't a vampire child after all.

FLASH!

Bella's voice, light-hearted. "Renesmee don't tease Edward so. He is your father after all."

FLASH!

A white snowy field, all my family, Bella and the blurry out of focus child stood there. Out of the gloom Aro appears followed by the whole of the Volutri, including the wives.

FLASH!

Alice's voice, deadpan. "It's over. We've all been sentenced to die."

FLASH!

A high pitched female scream. A vampire's scream. Bella's scream. Over and over.

The female vampire scream changes, changes pitch, becomes male, screams my name. "Edward! Edward! Open your eyes!"

I wrench open my eyes and realise I'm lying on the piano room floor, Carlisle leaning anxiously over me. He'd been the one shouting.

I don't say anything. I instantly flip over onto my side to see Alice lying on the floor, a short distance away. Jasper is kneeling next to her, his hands on her cheeks, cradling her face. His eyes were closed; he was sending her calm emotions.

She opens her eyes suddenly; her face a deathly pale white and they meet mine. Instantly we both blur to our feet, her gently pushing Jasper away in the process.

A sudden burst of calm fills me, clearly sent by Jasper. It helps some… I find I can start to focus. "A wedding." I say shortly.

"An off worldly beautiful child." Alice says, just as bluntly.

"James, Victoria, Laurent." I say, my voice thick with emotion and supressed anger.

"Blood. Lots of it." She looks troubled.

"The Volutri. Twice." I say fiercely.

She doesn't take her eyes from mine. "You begging for Jacob to kill you."

I flinch. "Jacob blaming me for killing someone." I continue.

"A stranger. A beautiful human woman with brown hair." Alice says quietly.

I hesitate. "A child. My child."

"Me warning you all we've been sentenced to die." Alice shivers.

"Bella's screams. Completely in agony." I add, flinching.

"All in Bella's future." Alice says shortly.

"That's what Alice and I just saw." I add tonelessly.

Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle were all frozen. No one spoke. I tentatively reached out to access their mind and found numb shock. I caught Alice's eye again, inhaling sharply. She looked as panic stricken as I felt. "What are we going to do?" She asks unhappily.

"What can we do? I'm not even sure what we saw." I confess.

Alice bites her lip and instantly gets to the crux of the matter, her usual style. "It looked like … like you and Bella had a child, Edward." She says slowly.

I flinch, but don't deny it as I turn to Carlisle for an explanation. "Would it be … possible for me to…" I pause for a long while as I struggle to think of a way to phrase it. "impregnate Bella?" I ask tightly.

Carlisle's thoughts are still a disarray, a jumble, but he attempts to recollect them when he realises I aiming the question at him. "I'm not sure Edward." He says slowly. "There aren't many Bella's around to test the theory out but…" he takes a deep breath, "Bella … bleeds. If that blood travels all around her body like I suspect it does, then yes, there is a distinct possibility that Bella could bear children."

My hands subconsciously tighten. "Edward." Jasper says warningly, his voice sounding like it was coming from a very long way away.

"But Bella has vampire characteristics to her." Alice argues. "Female vampires can't have children as our bodies don't change and therefore we cannot accommodate the foetus. So would it even be possible for Bella?" Even though Alice sounded matter of fact her thoughts were tinged with sadness, an emotion that Jasper undoubtedly picked up on as he was by her side in an instant, holding her hand and rubbing soothing circles into her palm. She relaxed slightly.

"That's an interesting question. I'm not too sure if Bella's body changes … I haven't noticed anything in the few days she's been here but I haven't really been looking either." Carlisle admits. "I think it's dangerous to presume that Bella cannot have children even if her body is a vampire's." Carlisle looks thoughtful. "Are you sure that the child was yours Edward? Might it be an "adopted" child, like Esme has contented herself with?"

Alice and I are shaking our heads before Carlisle has even finished the question. "No. The child was exactly that, a child. We all know the laws against immortal children. I would never be the creator of an immortal child, even if I wanted children, which I don't." I say shortly.

"The child looked exactly like Edward." Alice continues. "Down to the last. Her skin was snowy white and her features were just as perfect. She even had long bronze coloured ringlets the exact same shade as Edward's." Alice sounded worried.

I stiffen. "The child had eyes as brown as chocolate. Definitely not my eyes, which were green when I was human." I murmur, uncomfortable with the intent look Carlisle was giving me.

"Chief Swan has chocolate coloured eyes. It's wise to assume he passed the trait onto his daughter." Carlisle says quietly.

Well that would be why the eyes look familiar. I think wryly to myself.

"The child was out of focus. Besides the one good look Edward and I got of her, the rest of the time she was indistinct and blurry." Alice adds.

Carlisle's eyes light up; his thoughts show that he has more of a theory about this. "But you can't see the wolves can you? I believe you can't see the wolves because you are not one of them. You see vampires best because you are one and you see humans quite well since you were one but I'm willing to guess this child isn't fully human nor is she fully vampire which is why you have difficulty seeing her." Carlisle explains.

I frowned. It makes sense, but it also meant that the child (I refused to think of her as my child) had a human side as well as my vampire one.

"So Edward's daughter will be some sort of half vampire hybrid? Neat!" Emmett interjects before I can vocalise my thought.

Sadly, it was Alice who gained the pleasure of throwing the table at Emmett, who didn't see it coming. He and the table hit the wall with a smack, the table splintering with the force Alice had thrown it.

"That's Esme's best table." Carlisle says in some exasperation. "She's very fond of it."

"Why did you do that?" Emmett whines, ignoring Carlisle. "I say one teeny little thing and I get a table thrown at me! How is that fair?"

I growl so loudly the floor shakes. "You don't even know the meaning of unfair Emmett. If you're really that eager to find out come over here." I challenge. "I'll make throwing a table look tame."

Emmett got the message and stuck his middle finger up at me before winking and blurring out of the room. "I'll tell the others what's going on before they come storming down here." He calls over his shoulder.

Alice sighs. "Always a drama queen." She mutters.

"I heard that!" Emmett yells, two floors up already.

"I'm glad!" Alice shouts back as Carlisle clears his throat.

"The child you saw. Edward's child. Did she have a name?" Carlisle asks.

"Renesmee." Alice and I say instantaneously.

Carlisle instantly looks troubled. "That would indeed suggest that the child belongs to you and Bella, Edward."

"Because?" I question tightly.

"The name is a coinage of two names. One name you know, 'Esme'…" Carlisle begins before he is interrupted.

"Oh my gosh that is so cute! Bella called her daughter after Esme! How sweet!" Alice trills excitedly. I turn to stare at her, along with Carlisle. She grins impishly. "What? It's adorable. I refuse to apologise."

I sigh in exasperation. "And the other is 'Renee.'" Carlisle says quickly, before an argument can develop.

"Bella's mother?" I breathe, distracted by this.

Carlisle fixes his piercing golden eyes on me. "Exactly. The evidence that she is yours is strong."

"I don't want a child." I say strongly. "Even if it is possible."

"I can always try and find out." Carlisle offers quietly. "With your permission I could conduct a few experiments on Bella?"

"If it lets me know for certain." I agree reluctantly.

"Surely it should be Bella's decision whether or not she wants to be experimented on?" Jasper asks sincerely speaking for the first time.

We all turn to look at him in surprise. Although Jasper was a central part of this family, as we all were in our own way, he was often quiet and reserved, contemplating his words before he spoke. To speak so quickly proved that he thought strongly on the subject.

Carlisle immediately looks chagrined. "Yes of course. You're perfectly right Jasper."

"Edward?" Jasper asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

I look at him until I have to break eye contact, uncomfortable with the silence. "Yes. It should be her choice." I mutter unwillingly.

"As long as you remember that, brother." Jasper answers and his tone is kind. He understood my protectiveness for Bella as he too was protective of Alice. He would die a thousand times over for her to be safe.

That's what love is.

Jasper raises his head to study me as my love for Bella, however stupid she was acting right now, coursed through me. He closed his eyes for a brief second, letting the emotion wash over him before opening his eyes and grinning at me. I couldn't help but return the smile. It wasn't often Jasper got highly positive emotions from me and I knew he savoured positive emotions as they allowed him to keep calm and relaxed.

"What else did you see?" Carlisle asks suddenly, smiling at Jasper's and my silent exchange.

My smile disappears instantly. "The Volutri." I say warily. "On two separate occasions."

"What were they doing son?" Carlisle asks, his expression troubled.

"The first time was just a brief glance of Aro with Caius, Marcus, Jane, Alec, Dimitri and Felix." I look at Alice to confirm his and she nods.

"And the second?" Carlisle continues.

"The second time they were all lined up in a field." I say slowly.

"All the vampires you just mentioned?" Carlisle questions.

"No." I say quietly. "I mean all the Volutri. Every single one, including the three wives."

"But the wives never lever the tower. Never. Not even in the purge against immortal children." Jasper winces at the words 'immortal children' but his voice is sharp.

"Well," I hesitate, looking sideways at Alice who nods sharply. "We were all in the field too. The child … my child," I choke on the words "was there too. I think … Alice correct me if I'm wrong … but I think it was our execution. All of us. I think we were there to die."

Carlisle, somehow, stays calm. "Did you see the reason why the Volutri would take such extreme action against us?" He breathes.

I shake my head. "They were a series of vision one after another. It was very hard to keep up." Alice nods in agreement.

Carlisle looks troubled. "I understand that, but I don't understand why the Volutri would want to kill us."

"If we can find out the reason, we can stop doing whatever it is that makes them kill us and then we'll be safe." Jasper says quietly.

"Easier said than done." Alice murmurs, her expression dark.

"I know sweetheart." Jasper murmurs back, his face full of understanding. "But we must stop this future from coming to pass."

I was amazed he could talk this calmly when his thoughts were a boiling rage that anyone would dare to hurt Alice. "I wonder where all the blood came from." I muse, attempting to distract Jasper from his dark thoughts.

Alice's golden eyes glowed slightly as she looked over at me. "That, at least, is easier to figure out." She sighs when I look blankly at her and unease crosses her face. "Well it's Bella's future … and she's the only one who bleeds."

Realisation hits me like a speeding train. "You think it's Bella's blood!" I gasp.

Alice bites her lip. "I thought you'd realised that too, Edward." She says regretfully.

I shake my head blankly. "No… no. I hadn't. I got distracted by the child… oh my god." I whisper, shock hitting me.

Jasper instantly sends me a shot of calm. "The future can change brother." He reminds me quietly.

My head is shaking back and forth. "But the blood. What on earth could cause that much blood?" I whisper.

"I don't know." Alice murmurs.

The door to the room opens before I can start to think of a reply and Esme walks cautiously in, her expression guarded. She takes one glance at me and instantly by my side, wrapping her arms around me. "It's okay Edward." She breathes. "It's okay."

I hug her back tightly. "No it's not… There's so much danger. For all of us." Not to mention Bella. I add silently.

"Emmett told us everything and we couldn't help overhearing the rest." Esme says apologetically, stepping back from me. "But like Jasper said we can change the future. We just have to find out what triggered all of this."

"I'll do my best to find out." Alice promises in a low voice.

Esme blurs over to her and hugs her tightly too. "This hasn't been easy for you either Alice. Please take a break for a while before you go searching through the future."

"Okay Esme." Alice agrees timidly, as helpless against Esme's motherly charm as the rest of us were.

Esme smiles warmly as she releases Alice and gives Jasper a quick hug before returning to Carlisle's side and lightly taking his hand. "Edward, you should probably try to ring Bella again." She advises quietly.

I glance down at my silver phone which was still lying on the floor. I gingerly pick it up, noting that the screen was cracked from where I'd thrown it and growl in frustration when it won't turn on. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jasper bite his lip in an attempt to stop himself laughing. I turn and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Here use my phone Edward." Carlisle says suddenly, holding out his phone, a small grin on his face. "We'll have to get you a new one."

Jasper is unable to keep silent any longer and bursts out laughing. I turn to skewer Jasper with my eyes when Alice's soprano laugh joins in with Jasper's tenor, completely in harmony with each other. I am unable to keep the smile off my face as I watch them and they both stop laughing, smiling back at me, totally at ease.

I tense up as I, gently as I can, enter Charlie Swan's phone number which is permanently committed to my vampire memory.

Ring… Ring … Ring … Ring…

Each ring is agonising and seems to go on for eternity but finally Charlie picks up. "Chief Swan at your service. How can I help?" He asks pleasantly sounding far more relaxed than last time I'd heard him.

"Hell Chief Swan. This is Edward Cullen." I say politely.

I practically hear him scowl down the phone. His whole tone changes. "Yes?" He asks abruptly. "What do you want?"

"Is Bella there?" I ask, wondering why Charlie is so defensive. He didn't know what I was did he? Bella wouldn't have told him.

"I don't think my daughter will be happy to hear you're stalking her. That's two phone calls in twenty minutes young man." Charlie says sternly. "You're her boyfriend, not her dad. That's my job."

My hand clenched around the phone as I breathe very deliberately out of my nose. "You know about my relationship with Bella?" I ask carefully.

Charlie clears his throat. "Yes Edward. I was told." He didn't sound happy.

"By who?" I demand, although I was pretty sure I already knew.

Charlie hesitates. "By Jacob." He mutters.

"I'm going to kill him." I growl, before I can stop myself. The mongrel had mastered the art of overfilling Charlie's plate. "That's none of his business." I say fiercely.

"Now calm down young man. I will not have any fighting between you and Jacob. You're both Bella's … friends." He stuttered on the word 'friend' and I could hear his disbelief.

"Incorrect Chief Swan." I growl down the phone so loudly Carlisle shoots a warning look at me. I lower my voice slightly. "I'm not her friend. I'm her boyfriend. The mongrel is not her friend. He is a sleazy furball. Do you get that?"

Easy Edward. Carlisle warns silently. You're getting off topic.

"Where is Bella?" I ask quickly, before Charlie can speak.

"Gone. She left five minutes ago." Charlie says, his voice furious.

"To come back here?" I ask relentlessly.

"Yes." He sounded impatient. "You better look after her." I could hear the thinly veiled threat in his voice.

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh yes sir. I will be taking very good care of her. She's safe with me. I promise." I say reverently, before hanging up and triumphantly giving the phone to Carlisle. "She's on her way back."

Carlisle smiles and starts to say something when a small choking noise comes from Alice. We both turn to look at her where her eyes are fluttering open.

I can tell she's just had a vision.

"Edward." Alice says, her voice small. "Bella won't get back. The female, Victoria will cross paths with her and Jacob. That's all I can see. The future ends there, all messed up by the dog and indecision. Bella could may well die there."