The Beginning of the End

Edward and I froze as we heard the blood curdling scream that came from Renesmee's room. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my robe from the headboard. I could hear Edward following me as I raced down the hall.

I flung the door open, and was holding Renesmee a fraction of a second later.

"They were so real." She murmured between frightened sobs. "I remember them now. They hurt her."

"Who?" I asked her, trying to sound calm as I put my arms around her.

Renesmee put her spare hand to my cheek, and I froze when I saw what she was showing me.

Shrouded figures, all in ashy cloaks, glided silently towards the center of a large field. They all gathered around a crystal object. The crystal had taken a specific form. It looked like the shape was that of a girl, but other than that the image told me nothing about the person. However, I knew, as sometimes people do in dreams, that this was a person I deeply cared about. The feeling reminded me of when Alice left us before that horrid almost-battle, but intensified. More like she had died rather than left.

The most unnerving thing of all was the object that was in the hand of one of the three tall cloaked figures. In his hand, he was holding a crystal heart.

I held back a gasp as I saw it all. It was as clear as if it had really happened.

"It's ok. It's ok. You're ok." I crooned as I rocked her back and forth.

I looked up, and my eyes met Edward's. I saw my worries mirrored in his face.

We sat there, rocking her until the sun peaked through the trees. Renesmee had refused to fall asleep again, though she did doze off now and then.

"Let's go to the house." Edward suggested.

I nodded, and Renesmee got up from the bed and went to get dressed. Edward and I went back to our room to do the same.

I was looking through my shirts, thinking about Renesmee when Edward came over and put his arm around me. I looked into his eyes and saw my worried face reflected in them. I put my cheek to his chest and sighed.

"The dreams are getting worse every night. I'm getting worried."

"I'm worried too." Edward said as he rubbed my back, trying to comfort me. "All I can think of is the dreams you had before the Volturi…"

I cringed at the name, and Edward stopped. He pulled me back so that he could look me in the eyes.

"Let's get to the house. We will probably feel better once we get there."

I nodded, and grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a blue tank top. Renesmee was in the hall waiting for us. She took my hand, and we started out the door at a run.

The morning was warmer than normal for Forks, Washington. The birds were singing, and the sky was turning pink to blue, and our skin caught little rays of sun as we ran.

When we reached the house, Jake was at the door waiting for Renesmee. She ran straight to him and gave him a big hug. She looked much calmer when she reached him.

Jake kissed the top of her head, then looked up at Edward with anxious eyes. Edward nodded at him. I did not have to read his mind to know what he was asking. He was just as worried about her dreams as the rest of us.

They walked inside the house, and Edward and I followed. Esme was in the kitchen, cooking food for Seth who was sitting, watching the news with Carlisle. I could Hear Emmett and Jasper wrestling upstairs. Alice was out on a quick hunting trip with Rose. They would be back in time to go to school.

"Hey guys." Seth greeted us from the couch.

"Hey Seth." Renesmee greeted as she sat on the other side of the couch with Jacob.

"Hey lil' bro." I greeted Seth in what I hoped sounded like a cheerful voice.

Seth smiled at his new nickname, and then turned back to the TV and the plate of food that was sitting on his lap. It was odd to think that a vampire and a werewolf could be step siblings, but I had always liked Seth. His sister was still getting used to the idea.

I motioned for Jacob to follow me into the dining room. He nodded, and quietly got up. When he reached me, I could see the worry on his face.

"How bad was it?"

"She woke up screaming." I could hear the worry in both of our voices.

"I wish there was something we could do." Jacob grumbled as he paced along the far end of the table.

I grabbed his wrist as he passed by me. He looked down at me for a quick moment, and pulled me into his big bear hug. I could tell it comforted both of us just enough to get us through the day.

We heard a series of loud thuds upstairs, and rushed to see what it was. We got to the living room in time to see Jasper and Emmett come tumbling down the stairs and into the sculpture by the antique table in the corner. Jasper swung around and kicked Emmett in the gut. He was able to catch the sculpture before it could hit the ground and shatter.

I could not contain my laughter. Everyone was laughing at their odd entrance except Esme, who was staring with wide eyes at the sculpture in Jaspers hand.

Carlisle saw the look on her face and quickly tried to stop laughing. Everyone else attempted to do the same, with no success.

"What have I said about fighting in the house?"Esme scolded.

Emmett and Jasper stood up, looking like two children who had been caught playing catch with their mother's best china.

"Take it outside." She said, turning back towards the kitchen.

Emmett and Jasper obeyed, playfully punching each other on their way out.

I could feel the day slowly working back into its normal routine. We started to get our things together for school. We did not need any of the books or the notes, but they were all important props in the human facade.

"Can I drive the Volvo today?" I asked on our way out the door. "I never get to drive."

Edward smiled at me and kissed the top of my head.

"Of course you can." He assured me as we got to the car.

He walked to his side, and tossed me the keys. I caught them while I was opening the door.

"I never get to drive." I heard Jacob joke. "Even Nessie gets to drive. She has her new Mustang. When will you ever get me a car?"

We all laughed as we started to school. On the way we chatted about the plans for the day. We decided that we had to eat something at lunch today. People had started to notice that we never ate. It would not be pleasant afterwards.

I had found out that when a vampire eats human food it sits in their stomach until they can "hack it out" as Jake so delicately put it. I had done it before, and it was not pleasant at all. Needless to say I was not looking forward to lunch. Renesmee and Jake were the lucky ones among us.

Emmett had challenged Edward to a fight with him and Jasper after school. He had said that he wondered if multiple opponents could lessen Edward's advantage, and he wanted to test the theory. I knew he just wanted an excuse for another fight.

Edward wanted us to work on my shield some more. He still wanted to be able to read my mind. I had been practicing, but even after almost six years it was difficult. The only thing that kept me from giving up was the look of joy on Edward's face when I got it right.

Renesmee was dozing off again about ten minutes after we left the house. We let her sleep, being sure not to talk. We wanted her to catch up on her many hours of lost sleep. If she got restless, we would wake her up.

She was still asleep by the time we reached the large sign that welcomed us to Port Angeles High School. We parked in our normal spot, and Rose's convertible pulled up next to us a couple seconds later. Edward turned around in his chair and nodded to Jacob, telling him to wake Renesmee up. Jake gave Renesmee a gentle nudge, and she stirred before her eyes fluttered open. She stretched, and yawned, before she sat up to look at us.

"Are you sure you are up to school today?" Edward asked her tenderly. "It's healthy to ditch class now and then." He stated as he looked at me. I smiled at him, and he winked at me before turning his attention back to Nessie.

Renesmee gave a weak smile and sat up. She shook her head without speaking. Edward nodded back, and turned around.

I heard Jacob grab her books for her, and help her out of the car. She leaned on him all the way to English class. We sat down in our normal seats; Jake on her left and I on her right. Alice danced into the room to take the seat behind her.

When Alice saw my, outfit she scowled at me.

"That's it!" She complained. "I am doing a complete search of your house! I can't find out where you are hiding all the tank tops and T-Shirts! I will find them, and when I do you will never see them again." She threatened.

Jake chuckled with Renesmee as I rolled my eyes at Alice's mini tantrum.

"Anyway," she began again. "We are canceling all our plans for this afternoon. There is a thunderstorm passing near the old baseball field, and the rest of us want to play some sports. We need your votes on whether we should play baseball or extreme tackle football." Alice rolled her eyes at the last option. The guys had probably voted for that.

"Baseball!" I said quickly.

"Baseball." Nessie agreed.

I could see Jake was about to say football. The word had begun forming in his mouth when Renesmee gave him a warning look.

"Baseball." He murmured. Renesmee took his hand, and gave him a warm smile, probably telling him he made the right choice.

We all looked up as Mr. Rolf cleared his throat. Much of the chatter around us died, or quieted to a whisper, as his lecture on the importance of the S.A.T's started.

The first half of the day went by smoothly. There was nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing exciting happened. I had every class with Nessie this morning except Honors Trig and Biology. Jasper and Rose were in her Trig class, and Jake and Emmett were in her Biology class so I was not worried.

At lunch, we sat at our normal table at the north corner of the cafeteria. I quickly shoved down the pizza that I had bought so that I could get the unpleasant task over with. Edward held my hand as I swallowed. He knew how much I hated the feeling of food sliding down my throat, and even worse, sliding around in my stomach whenever I moved. I envied Jake and Nessie, who ate their food pleasantly. I would sneak to the nearby woods to privately "dispose" of it between classes.

The rest of my family did the same with their food, quickly chewing and swallowing so they did not have to deal with the taste or the texture. Rosalie and Jasper left their crusts on the tray like some of the other students.

"That's it!" I heard Emmett say on his last bite. "I say we take turns. If someone notices we are not eating, some of us will eat and the others won't so not all of us have to do this. We will switch off the next time people get suspicious."

"Sounds good to me." I agreed enthusiastically as I set what was left of my pizza back on the plate.

"No argument here." Edward mumbled as he pushed his tray away.

"I'm in." Alice laughed as she followed Edwards's example.

"Let's be sure to ask Carlisle about it right away." Rose agreed as she flicked her crust across the room in one swift movement.

"Very human." Edward commented. Rose rolled her eyes at him, and threw her apple at him with a small flick of her wrist. Edward caught it, and placed it gently on his tray in one fluid movement.

"If you're not gonna' eat that…" Jake started, staring at the half eaten pizzas in the center of the table.

I slid the tray's towards him and he shoved each one down in no time.

It always felt like we were almost normal when we were at school. With the exception of our extra senses, we spent our day like any other teenagers. We went to class, hung out together, fooled around, and had fun whenever we could, though it was a little different for Edward and me. It was hard playing sibling to your daughter.

When the first person left the cafeteria, I quickly dumped my tray, and walked swiftly out the door and towards the nearby woods. I could feel the pizza rolling in my stomach as I walked, and I walked faster.

When I reached the woods, I ran where no one would see me. About a mile in, I fell to my knees and heaved as hard as I could. I disposed of the pizza quickly, and was able to return before the other students even finished their food.

Renesmee and Jake were waiting outside for the rest of us to return. I skipped to them, and waited with them until the rest of the family came bounding out of the woods one by one. Once we were all together, we grouped up, and headed to our different afternoon classes.

Edward and I walked to our Biology class together, and we caught a glimpse of Alice and Nessie going to the American History room across the hall.

As they entered their room, Edward looked back at me. He looked deep into my eyes, and did not stop until we had entered our room, and sat in our chairs in the back.

"What?" I asked as I gathered my thoughts.

Edward chuckled quietly. "You'll see."

I was about to demand an answer when Ms. Bornack came in, wheeling a TV behind her. I immediately knew what he was thinking, and I scooted my chair to the side just as she turned out the lights.

The electric current was still present, like it had been years ago in the classroom at Forks High School. The only difference now was that it was stronger. I could not stop my hand from reaching for his, and I was surprised when his did the same. I forced my shield away from my body completely.

Feels like it was yesterday that we were in that Biology class.

Edward jumped slightly, not expecting to hear my thoughts. He smiled, and nodded slightly.

Everything has changed so much since then. I thought as I turned my head to listen to the steady fluttering of Renesmee's heart across the hall.

Edward did the same. We sat there for a long moment, listening to the steady beating of our daughter's heart. The electric current ran between us through our intertwined fingers.

The video was over too quickly. Ms. Bornack flicked the switch by the door and the lights flickered. Edward and I shared a final glance as the kids around us adjusted their eyes to the change in light. We then got up, and together went to our last classes for the day.

The rest of the day went by faster than usual. The feeling of everyday routine seems to speed everything up. The ride home from school was quiet as Renesmee slept. When we got to the house everyone finished their homework with ease. At least everyone except Jacob. Jacob was always the last to finish. We didn't blame him. Not everyone could have perfect recall.

While he finished up, everyone got some extra stuff done. Edward and I were working on my shield some more. He was impressed by my use of it during Biology, and was eager to try again. He wanted to see how long I could keep it away, and how fast I could do it. Emmett was nagging us the entire time.

"Emmett…" I whined when my shield collapsed.

"Come on! One match. Jasper and me versus you." He begged as I tried to push my shield out again.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Even if it was you, Jasper, and Bella I could still beat you. Give it up Emmett."

I stopped as he said my name. I now had a great way to get out of the boring exercise.

"Alright then." I challenged. "Emmett, Jasper, and I will whoop your butt!"

Emmett and Edward looked at me, astonished. Emmett's shocked face soon turned into one of pure joy.

"Alright Bella!" he cheered and put his hand up for a high-five. I had to jump to reach it.

"Meet us out back." I called behind me to a still shocked Edward.

We passed Jake and Nessie on our way to the door. They could barely contain their laughter. Carlisle, Esme, and Rose were on the porch laughing as well. Jasper was waiting in the yard with Alice. They were chuckling silently as well.

We waited until Edward came out. He stood in front of us, smiling smugly. I could tell he was reading every maneuver Emmett and Jasper were thinking of.

"On the count of three." Jasper announced. "One…Two…"

"Three! I yelled quickly as I lunged at Edward unexpectedly.

He quickly got me off, but it gave the others the advantage they needed. They were on top of him in no time. It took a while to get him to the ground, but, soon enough, I had my teeth inches away from his throat.

Emmett jumped up and started celebrating his victory. Jasper unexpectedly joined in. Edward was laughing, and I smiled at him.

"You are devious." He joked as he touched my nose with his index finger.

I laughed with everyone as we went back inside. Nessie was helping Jake with his last math problem. They were almost finished, but Emmett was impatient anyway. He loved a good game of baseball.

"Done!" Jake cheered as he slammed his math book shut.

"Let's go!" Emmett agreed enthusiastically.

"Hurry up and get your stuff." Alice started. "The storm will be here in half an hour, and I know how long you guys like to play."

Everyone started getting the equipment together. I got a large duffle bag to put the bats and the baseballs in. We usually went through a couple when we played.

Alice was handing me the bats that Carlisle gave her to put in the bag. We had a steady routine going, until Alice froze.

"Alice? Alice what's wrong?" Jasper panicked as he dropped the bag of baseballs, and grabbed her shoulders. We all surrounded her, fluttering around her uselessly. Jasper shook her with such force, I feared she would snap.

She was standing there staring at something that wasn't there. This was a look I had seen before, but more stressed and anxious. It was worse than when she saw the newborns coming for me. Worse than the Volturi coming for Renesmee. She stood there staring into the future and the horror we would soon face.

I looked at Edward, hoping for an answer, but he was just as horrified, if not more so, than Alice.

"Edward?" I immediately ran to Edward to check on him. He was frozen in place, with his eyes bulging.

Renesmee stood hugging Jake with wide eyes. Jacob seemed to be the only one who seemed the least bit calm, probably in an attempt to comfort Renesmee. Always his first priority.

We all knew what this had to be that made both Alice and Edward beyond horrified, but we were too scared to even think it. As if to confirm it, Edward whispered two words. The two words we feared the most. The two words that would mark the destruction of everything I loved.

"The Volturi."