Fire and Ice

Edwards POV

Curiosity burned within me as I watched the woman at the mouth of the cave.

Renesmee, I thought to myself, as I looked down at the slightly warn pictures in my hand. I unintentionally began to flip through the pictures. Sliding one picture to the back and rotated them. I wasn't going to lie, I was excited for Renesmee's last day in Forks. But, I was also conflicted. Conflicted because I had always considered Renesmee a monster, a mistake I wished I could take back. An an insult to my family, aside from Bella and Rosalie. At this moment, I still did. But as well, I felt like... I missed her. As I continued rotating the pictures, I started to look between them and the women in front of me.

I noticed such a contrast between them, the Renesmee in the photographs reflecting a little bit of life in her eyes. Hope and compassion. This woman held none of those in her eyes. Although, despite my hatred towards Renesmee, I felt curious to know exactly what had made her this way. I didn't need to read her mind to know that something had caused Renesmee to be the way she is now. I shook my head to reset my emotions that were becoming a little annoying. I missed the little girl, my thoughts reasoned. This woman here, is not her. I had to protect Bella at all costs, from Renesmee... I hated it.

Bella had suffered for years, and only recently abandoned her 30-year search for Renesmee, only for her love to her own daughter not to be returned.

Before I could stop myself from speaking though, I already had.

"You weren't such a monster when you were little," I said,

"At least I could live with you back then. Now, I never could. My chances of ever caring for you in a fatherly manner have vanished." I continued,

"That's the beauty of being hated. I don't have to worry about that, anymore." She replied proudly.

"There was a time... I wished I could've ripped you from Bella's stomach before you could have been born. At times I wished you hadn't been born. But now..." I said, "I wish I could just go back to you being little..."

I spoke the last words with voluntary truth. It made me sad; I really did wish I could go back and relive these pictures.

"Why didn't you?" Renesmee replied. "You were stronger than Bella at that moment, it's not my fault you were too weak."

I was quiet for a minute, the question having really stumped me, and for once, I found myself speechless.

"But hey, I got back what I did to Bella. Times ten. So that should make you more chipper, Edward," she said, then asked, "When does Bella usually visit Charlie, so I know when to stay away."

"What do you mean, you got back what you did to Bella?" I said, cutting off her question. I was blown away by this information, I couldn't tell if I was happy to hear this... or concerned.

"Lets not do this, we can skip the whole father-daughter bonding... thing" she chuckled,

"But I want to know, I'd like to know something paid you back for what you did to Bella, if not me," I said. It felt like I was... lying. Why did I even care? I wanted to smack myself out of this small-psychotic break.

"Lets put it this way, I was put through 10 years of torture for Bella. Experimented on. So, I got mine. Plus more, don't worry. I didn't see the light of day for a long time," she explained, as if it were like describing a trip to the grocery store.

I couldn't help feeling a little angry. If anyone was going to kill Renesmee, it was going to be me. Though, I wouldn't waste time torturing her. I would simply kill her.

I wished, for once, I could read her mind. I was going to, though. But she was going to know it. Despite my confusion towards myself for being so curious, I pushed my conflicted emotions, and confusion, aside. I wanted to ask more, but I let it rest. I needed her to be where I needed her.

"Bella usually visits at nights. During the day, she hunts." I stated simply.

After a parting word, I watched her as she ducked from the cave. I slowly walked to the lip of the cliff she had jumped off and noted as she heavily from through the air and landed on her feet within the trees. After a few moments, I heard a gust of wind behind her speedy run, and her scent slowly disappeared. I stood there finally alone with my thoughts, which I couldn't make heads or tales of.

I sighed and sat on the edge of the cliff and stared into space and took in an unnecessary deep breath of air to clear my thoughts. My thoughts and emotions were now blank. I could finally sift them through. I found myself looking at the pictures again. I couldn't help but feel... Sad, somehow. I found myself wishing I could relive these pictures.

I felt a little angry, as I looked at the small girl. She had told me she'd never be my daughter. I could feel a small sting for that comment, where back then, I wouldn't have cared. I hated Renesmee, but despite what she thought and what I felt, she WAS my creation. And I was desperate to know what hurt her.

"I wish it was back then," I told myself and shook my head. My emotions were finally clear. Renesmee was a monster, but she was MY monster. I hated her, but if anyone was going to kill her, it was going to be me. I possessed the right more then anyone had. I didn't know if I would, though. I hated her, but cared about what happened to her. God, this was a terrible mess.

I took in another breath, and then descended from the cliff. I crouched on my feet when I landed on the ground underneath me. But as oddly as it was, I felt.. too tired to run at my full speed. Instead, I wanted to walk. Thinking.

I watched the trees of Forks... maybe Forks—wherever this cliff was—scroll beside me as I walked over the moss and mud on the ground.

How did a small child find this place to hide her treasures? I thought to myself. I let my hearing focus on the sounds of my feet navigating their way through the mud. It was so thickly caked under me; when I pulled my feet up, the suction from the mud pulled at my feet. In the faint smell of rain, I could make out the scent of Renesmee. I couldn't help but to trail after it. The more I walked, the stronger it got. I must have been close.

I didn't know how long I'd walked until I could smell another familiar scent that pulled me from my thoughts. I was instead thrust into a state of shock. Bella. Where was Renesmee? I turned around in the direction of the scent.

"Bella?" I asked, hearing the success in my voice to conceal my tone.

"Who else would be sneak up on you?" she teased. Bella wasn't completely back to normal these days, but she was close to being happy. Even without much success finding Renesmee.

"I didn't expect to find you here." I chuckled and smiled at her. "What brings you out here?"

"A bear. But after the bear, I could smell a human somewhere in the woods and I didn't want to take any chances," she said, shrugging. "What brings you out here?"

"Casual interest in exploration," I said with a chuckle. "I heard this was the place to go for some pretty tasteful...Lambs,"

She shook her head and smiled. "Well, I don't want to interrupt your Lambs-Night-Out"

"I will be home soon. I just need to find another animal, just to make sure." I smiled at her. As I looked at her, I couldn't help but notice the strong facial resemblance between Bella and Renesmee. Which reminded me. Bella needed to leave.

"What would a human be doing out this late?" She asked, noting the near-dark forest that a human could only faintly be able to see their way through. The sun still lit some of the tree's, but it would not be enough if someone out here got lost. But I already knew who was out here.

"They're probably camping in the off-limit woods for a thrill. Best not to disturb them, Bella." I suggested, with a smile.

"Okay, I'm off." She said, a sigh followed. I could tell she was hoping I'd come with her, and I hated not to, but I needed to complete my quest.

"I will be there soon." Something hit me then, on her way home, she could run into Renesmee, and then that would be it. Renesmee could leave, but I would never learn anything if Renesmee would leave after seeing Bella.

"How about I go home with you. I will come back and hunt," I offered, her response was a smile. I shook my head.

"I'll race you there..." I challenged, but before I could get the words finished, she was already running through the tree's,

I sprinted into my speed, I had gotten even faster over the years. Bella had slowed down but it made it easier to tag from behind her.

I looked around me as I ran, even though I was being cautious, it was still quite peaceful. It was like being in a car, watching the tree's slide beside me on each sides like a paneling on a conveyer belt. Only, to a human, they'd be nothing but green walls. But my advanced vision, I could see the perfect details in the trees in the dark, and rolling past me at top speed. Even their scents meshed together perfectly, and slowly enough for me to identify their smells. Pine, Spruce, and even moss found its way into the aroma. I breathed in the air. I stopped abruptly at the stone walk-way in front of mine and Bella's house.

I was actually shocked to see Bella, stopped in front of the entrance. She shook her head and smiled.

"Ya know... I'm supposed to be two years older then you, yet, you're the old timer with his walker when a little race is involved." She chuckled and then shrugged her shoulders.

"See you after you've eaten something," She said before shutting the door between her and myself.

If I hadn't been in a hurry, I probably would have kicked in the door and challenged her again. I squinted my eyes, but smiled in the end. I use to not have anyone to do these things with. I remembered those days. The fluttering in my empty stone-hard something, began to flutter. And the feeling got me thinking of Renesmee, and her acquaintance. Was he Renesmee's mate or a friend? I was curious. I also hadn't been able to read his mind, but something told me, that was training, and nothing was going to break a trained blocked mind. Renesmee's was also trained, but it didn't stop her actual gift.

I ventured back into the woods, on a search for Renesmee. I had to take it slow so that I could catch her scent, but I was a little faster. I took the direction I had left in, and then continued the way I had been. I made it a little further, and I could smell the trace of what was left behind of Renesmee's scent. The further I walked, the stronger it got, and I almost contemplated abandoning the search. She must have stopped, and figured out what I was doing.

A small breeze brushed through my face, and besides Renesmee's scent, another scent cut in. It was much different from Renesmee's. It concerned me a little, as I wandered a bit further, I could hear thoughts. It shocked me how concerned I was after the words I heard from the source. Their hatred towards Renesmee, was as strong as I believed mine was. How I would love to rip her heart from her chest. Hopefully I will be forgiven to revealing my presence in Forks. After their mindless wishes followed a string of varied images of Renesme's death. I had to shake my head. I wasn't the only one tracking Renesmee. I was curious to who it was.

I wasn't frightened, but it would have been inconvenient. But something told me to continue on, something in the pit of my stomach howled at me. Like an idiot, I listened and let the scent drag me in like a fish on a wire. I made my way through the tangle of tree branches, and finally, I saw a figure break through the branches as I peeked through a small-enough gap between a clearing of the branch vines, She was a good odd footage away from me, but I could still see every detail.

She was in a place, that made me feel... Slightly violated, and then anger, or irritation swelled inside me – I didn't know which one it was, but it was one of them. I recognized her hiding place. Mine and Bella's meadow. I never told Renesmee about this location, and I had never intended to, not even now. It was the one place I was free of her when she was here back then, and then here now. The more I watched her, the angrier I became. My hatred I thought was starting to fade, was beginning to return.

She sat on the ground with her back against a tree, flipping through something. Once I focused my eyes, I could see they were pictures. I could feel a sharp gab of pure anger well up inside me. She had lied to me! They were just pictures, but if she didn't see us as family, not even her own Mother, she had no business lying about pictures that should rightfully be Bella's. I wanted to jump from the tree's, and snatch the pictures from her hands like the little rat she was. I tried my best to hold back a hiss.

I honestly didn't care what happened to her, now. Now, I just wanted the damn pictures. I was just about to tear the tree's out of my way, but I immediately stopped and stayed where I was, when she rose to her feet. "Perfect," I thought to myself, smiling, I was going to claim Bella's pictures. Take them back, and Bella was going to be happy with them.

I watched Renesmee, and waited for her to exit the Meadow, but when she got to the end of the clearing, it was like a string had been on her back, and someone had yanked her backwards. She flew backwards, her spine hit against a tree so hard, I wasn't sure if she had damaged her spine, or if the tree had been harmed. I decided to watch the exchange, this was obviously someone from Renesmee's past, that came to claim her life. The thought made me smile.

What spell was I under a while ago that wanted to know what hurt her? I was having a hard time not encouraging the women to destroy Renesmee where she was. I no longer cared who killed her, or what they did. I just didn't.

But during the exchange, they spoke of Renesmee's apparent friend. She looked very solid, to my surprise. I thought she would be afraid, but she indeed looked ready to battle. Somehow during the verbal exchanges, I watched as the women traded places with Renesmee. Where Renesmee had hidden the pictures, the women reached into the hiding place, revealing a small collection of the pictures. The ones that would be the exact ones Bella wanted, I guessed. The conversation suddenly shifted to Renesmee's friend, as the women sifted through the pictures. Tauntingly looking through Renesmee's private past, before whatever it was between them. I had been hoping the women would start to think of what she and Renesmee had gone through to cause such a vile hatred towards the other, but all this girl could think about, were ways to cause Renesmee's suffering. I noted her name, Serena.

"You speak very poorly, of someone who is the father of your mate," Serena stated, with a dry tone. There was little humor in it, but there was a sense a full flavoring of taunt.

"He's nothing like his father, He's never done what his Father has. " Renesmee retorted,

"And that is why, my father will not think less of me for slaughtering him," She promised. And this seemed to get an irritated response from Renesmee, but she successfully hid it.

She didn't have to have my ability to detect that, that was exactly what the women wanted. Any act of anger, the women was going to use it as a trigger.

""I will slowly take away every person you've ever come to love Renesmee. Your grandfather was on my list, but mother nature beat me to it. She's doing my job for me, and at an even more painfully slow rate. You actually get to watch him die at this rate." She said, flipping a few more pictures. Finally she was at the end of the stack.

I watched her as she quickly emerged a lighter from one of her pockets. I kept my eyes on Renesmee, my bones about to jump from my skin for the pictures. But my eyes kept on where they were. I could see the pained expression slip from Renesmee's face. Her force-field that held her emotions intact disintegrated.

I was frozen, I couldn't think fast enough or I'd jumped from the brush and saved the pictures, but it was too late. Renesmee burst out with an agonized plea that was useless.

"No!" She screeched out, and I turned my eyes into the direction she was looking, my heart broke. Rare pictures... gone. The pictures my Bella would want, were now up in flames. They blackened from where the lighter had started, and began to curl and wrinkle from the heat. It was too quick, the pictures were already engulfed in the flames.

I leaped forward, towards the edge of the clearing but I stopped, the women charged for Renesmee with the intent to slaughter her. Time, nor shock, hadn't been the obstacle to stop me. It was the thoughts that played in my own head. Perhaps, I should allow the women to kill, her. I thought to myself. I would kill two birds, with one stone. Bella already had thought Renesmee had perished long ago. Or simply didn't want to be found. Bella stopped looking for her anyways...

I found a new sense of happiness. My foot had dug itself into the dirt for me to turn around and run the other direction, but I wanted to see, too. But part of me didn't want to... Part of me, that was curious about Renesmee's torture just a little while ago, begged me. Do something, you will regret it. Not just because of Bella, this will change you. I rolled my eyes at the alternate personality. "My only regret is that monster over there... Once she's gone, she's gone." I finally, fully turned around.

But a violent exchange had me turned around. I saw it too late, but when I did, all I could see was Renesmee's neck in the grasp of the women. I felt compelled, and glued to the ground. The women effortlessly choke-slammed her to the ground. I didn't just here, the ground crunch underneath Renesmee, I felt something sharp, and strong pierce through a something. I looked a little closer, and my mouth fell open.

A large tree stem that had grown from the ground, had not only survived the violent shock, but also had successfully pierced through just above Renesmee's abdomen. However, that wasn't what kept me from going anywhere. It was the smell of her blood. It had been 30 years since I'd smelled that blood, and at the raw scent of it. I remembered where it came from. A small but powerful, and painful memory played in my mind.

The night I had to kill a vampire named James. I was forced to nearly drain Bella's blood of the venom to prevent her from becoming a Vampire. I remembered the taste so vividly in this dream, the smell of Renesmee's blood made my mouth water, and imaginary blood pooled within my mouth.

I shook my head, and I was able to return to the land of the now. I looked at Renesmee, and blood had pooled around her. But now, it had slightly changed. Serena had her fist in Renesmee's chest, I could feel the cracking of bones being shattered as she brutally tore through her rib-cage, until she finally gripped something.

Without my control, I had my feet into a pouncing position.

"Who knew? Big bad Renesmee has a heart..." She taunted. "Too bad I have to rip it clean out of your chest." She said again,

Something inside me exploded. Anger, protectiveness, I didn't know. But I couldn't stop myself. She was just about to tug at whatever she had in her hand, when I threw the small curtain of moss out of my way and growled at her.

This surprised her, and caused her to stand up. Releasing whatever she had, she looked and cautiously stepped closer towards my direction.

"Baby brother?" She asked out, to my couched pose. "Is that you?" She asked again, before walking more to my end of the meadow.

A tone I'd never heard came from me, rolled out of my throat. A half growl, half hiss. "No," was all I could muster,

I grabbed her by the throat, and threw her to the other end of the meadow. She skidded and rolled close to Renesmee, as I stocked closer to her. She shared a glance between me, and then it went to Renesmee. I could hear her thoughts. The idea of grabbing Renesmee and running off, but I had a new plan for her. I could rip her head clean off her shoulders.

What had gotten into me? I hated Renesmee, and now an entirely new part of me, I never knew existed was... protecting her. I hated it, but at the same time. It felt right, but it also felt out of date. Too late.

I watched her, as she ducked into the tree's and began flitting in the forest. Only the faint smell of the air kept her scent, that was starting to quickly evaporate with oxygen itself. Now what was only left was me, and Renesmee.

She struggled to see me, and I could see the life draining from her eyes. Her eyes were on me, but I could tell she couldn't see any better then a human. Her scent was so intoxicating, it was a few decibel worse then Bella's.

But something stopped me. Suddenly, every bit of anger I had for Renesmee... diminished as I watched her brown eyes gloss and grip to the small bit of life she had. I felt a rush of panic when I heard her speak.

"Please..." She nearly silently begged, "Just make it quick," she coughed out. Blood gurgled from her mouth as she spoke, and finally, I could see in her eyes, she'd given up. And at last, I could hear a small echo of thoughts within her head. The last ones she had,

I love you, Nahuel. I never told you before. But thank you for saving my life, when you never had to. You were my second reason for never giving up.

I expected something else, but to my shock I could also hear something else begin to weaken. The sound of her usually fast beating heart. It was dramatically slowing in speed, and I felt another overwhelm of emotion, and knelt beside her. Was she dying? My cold beating-less heart wanted to shatter into pieces. I looked at Renesmee's face, it was the same image as Bella. Even though I could not produce tears, I wanted to. Desperately. But I didn't deserve to.

I looked at my only daughter. I had been angry with her for years, when she had been born, when she left, when she came back. But now, all I wanted was to go back in time and made sure that I'd held her at least once. Her thoughts slipped further and further away.

To my relief, I started to hear familiar thoughts. Help.

"Edward?" Emmett said. He had been drawn to the scent, and I growled a warning. "Easy," He urged,

"What happened?"

I couldn't tell them who it was, but I scrambled for an explanation.

"It's a girl. I just found her here, I think she still might be alive." I eagerly told them. "Help me get her off this stick she fell on," I ordered,

Emmett jogged to help, even Jasper, though, I was a little nervous with his new-found self-control he had processed over the years.

After a few careful movements, we got her off of the stick that had impaled her. I coughed for unneeded air. It was too much. The scent, the impulse, the craving. Even Emmett gasp for air that didn't smell as enticing as this one.

Oh my god! Emmett growled into his thoughts at me.

He held his breath, knowing it'd be a mistake to sacrifice talking for another scent of the air around us.

In another moment, I looked at Renesmee. I didn't care that Emmett was here, or Jasper for that matter. I didn't even hear their thoughts anymore, even though they were profoundly loud. I wanted to hold her. But it was too late. I had taken that for granted. I thought back to a few things Bella had told me.

"She can't be remade. If anything were to ever happen to her, there is no going back, Edward. None." The words echoed in my head for a minute until a new thought entered it rather quickly.

Edward, are you listening to me? We need to take her to Carlisle. If she's alive, its not for long. Emmett thought, as well as Jasper.

I looked at Jasper though, his eyes burned with curiosity and even his thoughts were clear. He was suspicious of who this was. I knew though, I knew he already was aware of it. I begged him silently not to say anything.