I didn't know much about the trouble with Irina Denali. I knew that she was the Cullen family's close friend, and they were considered our cousins, (mostly because they lived in Alaska, and, like us, were vegetarians,) but other than that, I didn't know much. Daddy and grandpa went after her, trying to talk to her. They couldn't find her, though.

That night, I was sleeping on the couch at grandma's, not used to being in anything other than someone's arms or my bed. I was dreaming of the snow; how slowly it fell, every snowflake was different and beautiful, some had eight points, others had 6, or more or less. I was chasing a stag in my dream, the pretty snowflakes flying past me in a blur, when I heard a loud, splintering shatter, the sound of glass breaking, hundreds of shards tinkling as they bounced and slid across a wood floor. It didn't wake me; I didn't know if it was a part of my dream or if it was real. However, I woke myself up, the loud sound unusual, keeping my breathing and heartbeat steady, but still feeling very tired. I was in momma's arms, well, she was draped over me, somewhat protectively. What had happened? Nobody was speaking, let alone breathing, but I knew everyone was in the living room with us by the scents in the air.

I had fallen back asleep in momma's arms, having still been so tired from the day before. I usually slept all night, so waking up after only a short time asleep was strange. When I woke up again, Jacob had his hand on my forehead, and he was trembling slightly, asking what was wrong with me. His hair was damp and his dark eyes full of worry. I was okay, but I wanted to know what was going on, so I stayed silent.

"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee," momma said in a soft, low voice, the her words breaking in random places.

"Then who?" Jacob replied, still worried. I wanted to know, too.

"All of us, Jacob," Momma whispered, making the pace of my heart almost double. "It's over. We've all been sentenced to die." I didn't understand, but I knew I would soon enough. I tried to calm myself down, and managed to fall back asleep.

I woke up to hear Emmett cussing loud enough to make Jacob defensively jump up and growl, which was followed by the growl of several other wolves.

I then heard Momma get up very quickly, running out the door along with everyone else, and yelling to Jacob, "Stay with Renesmee!"

I sat up, noticing everyone gone as I heard Jacob walk through the door. I reached my arms out to him, showing that I wanted picked up, and so he picked me up. He held me tightly in his arms and I instantly reached up to touch my hand to his cheek, asking him what was going on, very concerned for everyone around me. Jacob, what's going on? I let him see the small bits of conversation I'd heard.

"They- the Cullens went to talk to the pack, Sam's pack," he said in a strained voice, telling me the honest truth, as much as he could, "Alice and Jasper left, we're not sure where," this panicked me slightly, but I stayed silent, listening and taking everything in. "It's okay, Nessie. Everything's okay," he crooned. I didn't ask in detail.

Jacob sat down on the couch, me still in his arms, wide awake now, as everyone slowly walked in... Everyone except aunt Alice and uncle Jasper. I didn't like their absence, I really didn't. I missed them already, and I yearned for them to come back. Why did they leave? Uncle Emmett said that they were splitting up, and him and Rose were hunting for nomads, which I knew to be vampires that never stayed in one place for too long. I heard that Grandpa and Grandma were going to round up witnesses all around the world. I wondered if they really would come, Grandpa's friends. Why did we need witnesses? I twisted in Jacob's arms and asked him, using my gift to ask if they would come. I understood the situation enough- we were in trouble for some reason, and the family was getting help.

"I don't know if Carlisle's friends will come. I hope so. Sounds like we're a little outnumbered right now," he murmured softly to me. I was not really scared or frightened, but serious, slightly anxious, even. I asked him if we could help.

"No, we can't help; we've got to stay here," he answered. "People are coming to see you, not the scenery." I frowned in return. Did he have to leave? I hoped not, and I asked if he did.

"No, I don't have to go anywhere," Jacob said to me, then looked at Daddy, "Do I?"

Daddy hesitated to answer, and I assumed that he didn't know how to word his response.

"Spit it out," Jacob said, sounding a bit more tense and angry.

"The vampires who are coming to help us are not the same as we are," Daddy slowly explained. "Tanya's family is the only one besides ours with a reverence for human life, and even they don't think much of werewolves. I think it might be safer-" He was interrupted by Jacob, "I can take care of myself."

"-Safer for Renesmee," Daddy continued, "if the choice to believe our story about her is not tainted by an association with werewolves."

I wondered why they didn't like werewolves, wolf people like my Jacob, daddy and Carlisle's friends, for half a second, but then remembered, natural enemies. Our closeness with the werewolf packs weren't common.

"As long as you keep a safe distance from the house..." Daddy trailed off.

"I can do that. Company in the morning, huh?" Jacob replied. I paid close attention to their conversation.

"Yes. The closest of our friends. In this case, it's probably better if we get things out in the open as soon as possible. You can stay here." I smiled at this. "Tanya knows about you. She's even met Seth."

"Right."

"Listening to Alice is usually the right thing," Daddy said.

I watched as momma walked away, into a different room. I reached to touch Jacob's cheek and asked him to let me down, and he did. I walked gracefully the same way momma had went, and I saw her lightly touching the wood of a window frame, staring out into the distance. She saw me as I crossed the room to her. I reached my arms up for her and she held hers open. I jumped into them, nestling my head against Momma's neck.

I touched momma's face lightly, showing her everyone's faces. Daddy's, Jacob's, Rose's, Esme's, Carlisle's, Alice's, Jasper's, going faster and faster. Seth, Leah, Charlie, Sue, and Billy. Over and over again. I was worrying, and I settled on Alice's face, wondering where she was, since Jacob didn't tell me exactly where.

"I don't know," momma whispered. "But she's Alice. She's doing the right thing, like always." I sighed, letting the longing for Alice's return intensify.

"I miss her, too."

I heard momma's breath hitch in her throat, a strange, rasping noise, and I pulled back to look at her. I showed her in my thoughts, how her eyes were slightly red around them, how her expression was full of sadness. I could feel a soft sting in my eyes as I watched her face. She was worried, sad, too. I didn't want momma to be sad. I stroked her face lightly, not showing any pictures, just trying to soothe her, like my aunts or she would for me when I would be upset. My eyes stung a bit more and I felt the corner of my eye get slightly wet as momma wiped the tear away with a kiss. I touched the wet spot on the corner of my eye in amazement, looking at the wetness on my fingertip; this was the first time I had truly cried.

"Don't cry," she told me soothingly. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. I will find you a way through this," she assured me. I believed her, I knew she would- but I wanted to make sure she was okay, too.

The stress of the day had begun to get to me, as well as the lack of sleep, but it wasn't too bad, I was just tired earlier than usual. I yearned for my aunt and uncle to be back home, with us, where they belonged. I trusted everyone that they would protect me from any harm, even if it came down to them losing their lives, but, I had some lingering belief that we were all still going to die. What about them, too? Even if something happened to me, I wanted my family and friends safe. What were the Volturi? Were they going to be the ones to kill us? I didn't like the thought of it. I yawned tiredly as momma, daddy, my Jacob and I all walked calmly to the cottage: momma had insisted on some normality for me, despite the current situation (no more couch sleeping), so she wanted me to sleep at home, in bed. Jacob walked with us in his wolf form, and I thought to myself, pretty wolfy, making Daddy chuckle softly.

I slowly fell asleep on the way home in momma's arms, the most comforting and safe place in existence, not being able to say goodbye to my Jacob for the night. I didn't dream, but I awoke in momma's arms, in my room, her face buried into my hair: she was worried, too. I almost instantly fell back to sleep.

I woke in the morning, still in momma's arms, still at the cottage, but with Jacob waiting with us. We were meeting some of Carlisle's friends today. Momma took me to my room and helped me pick out an outfit, walking out and closing the door softly, giving me privacy. I got dressed quickly, but with my mind in another place. Would they like me, or would they hate me? Are they like me, half-human? Wait- no, I'm the only one like this.. I wondered if they would dislike me, or think I was weird. Would they stand beside us? So many questions, yet no answers.. not yet. We walked to Grandma's in silence, no snow today, but a soft breeze and a cold temperature- which I didn't mind. The temperatures didn't bother me, just like with the vampires and wolf people. When they dipped below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, I got a slight chill, but still not freezing for me. I was so used to the chill of vampire skin and the warmth of Jacob's, the varying temperature didn't bother me. We didn't know if it was because of that reason or because of my vampire genes; I settled for both.

We- momma, Jacob and I, waited waited around the corner from the front door, in the dining room, at the big, polished wooden table. Momma held me while Jacob sat there, his arms crossed, in case he needed to phase quickly. Daddy waited motionlessly against the back window wall, staring at the front door. We all heard the cars on the freeway zooming past, none slowing. I sighed quietly, anxiously waiting for the new people to arrive.

I couldn't think of any way to show how I felt, but I nestled against momma's neck, showing none of my pictures. I let her see the questions the countless buzzed around in my mind like crazy, searching for answers that simply weren't there. One worried me the most.

"What if they don't like me?" I whispered aloud, concerned and worried. For once, speaking aloud was the only way I could think to express my thoughts. All three of them looked at me, I knew, but I stared out the window at the cold, leafless trees of the forest. The pine needles were still there, I absently noted.

"Of course they'll-" Jacob began, and my eyes met his, but momma looked at him, silencing him.

"They don't understand you, Renesmee, because they've never met anyone like you," she said, true honesty in her voice. "Getting them to understand is the problem."

I knew in my head that I didn't belong, though. I showed momma what I meant by that, flashing pictures of everyone in one quick burst: vampire, human, werewolf. I fit nowhere. I didn't smell like them, I didn't look like them; I was weird.

"You're special, that's not a bad thing," momma said warmly, trying to soothe me. Her chilled hand was on my back, trying to rub the worry away.

I shook my head. She was wrong, it is a bad thing. I caused this. Had I not been born, none of this would be an issue. The Volturi wouldn't be after us, we wouldn't be endangering everyone. "This is my fault."

"No," everyone said at exactly the same time, but the sound of a slowing car on the freeway silenced all of us: here they come, I thought to myself, hearing the tires moving from pavement to soft dirt. I couldn't smell them yet.

Daddy quickly waited by the door as I hid in momma's hair. We heard the car pull into the driveway and four doors open and close. I heard no voices, but I heard daddy answer the door before anyone could knock.

"Edward!" a woman's voice enthused. She seemed calm, unaware of the danger.

"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen," he said calmly. So those were their names. I tried to place them with the voices I heard.

Three of them murmured hellos.

"Carlisle said you needed to talk to us right away," one woman said. They were all still outside, however. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?"

My Jacob rolled his eyes at the comment. I almost laughed, but didn't.

"No," Daddy said. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever."

One woman chuckled softly.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" anothe asked, and continued waiting, not receiving any answer. "Where's Carlisle?" They didn't know yet? Did they only come here for Grandpa? Did they know I existed? What if they dislike me? My mind continued buzzing with the questions.

"Carlisle had to leave."

There was a short, uncomfortable silence.

"What's going on, Edward?" one woman asked.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," daddy answered. "I have something difficult to explain-" I knew he meant me. "-and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand."

"Is Carlisle alright?" the one male asked: Eleazar.

"None of us is all right, Eleazar," daddy said, and he patted something, probably Eleazar's shoulder. "But physically, Carlisle is fine." I knew daddy wasn't getting to the point quickly, he was stalling, probably nervous like the rest of us.

"Physically?" a woman asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the entire family is in very grave danger..." Daddy explained, but my thoughts won the battle for my attention. I wanted to save them, not let them save me. I could fight too, right? I knew they wouldn't let me, but I would try, if I could. Then again... if we have more than just the close family on our side, I won't need to.

"Is there a human here?" Eleazar whispered, interrupting my thoughts. I knew they smelled me, not Jacob, not momma.

"No, it's not human... but... closer to a human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? don't think I've every smelled that fragrance before," Tanya said.

"Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconcieved notions."

"I promised you I would listen, Edward."

"All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please."

Momma stood, holding me securely in her arms. Jacob followed closely behind us. She took one step into the bigger room and froze, not moving any farther. I took a deep breath and peeked out from under Momma's hair, my shoulders tight, expecting some type of rejection.

They all looked horrified. One with strawberry curled hair skittered back four steps, quivering. Another jumped back to the front door and braced herself against the wall there. A shocked hiss came from her. Eleazar crouched protectively in front of another woman.

Jacob complained quietly, "Oh, please."

Daddy put his arm around momma and I. "You promised to listen," he reminded them.

"How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?" Tanya shouted. Her pretty soprano voice could have shattered glass.

Another, Kate, put her hand on the doorknob, "we have to get out of here.." Her golden eyes were wide.

"Edward..." Eleazar seemed beyond words.

"Remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is," he spoke slowly.

"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward," Tanya snapped.

"Tanya," Daddy said sharply, "you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means."

"Her heartbeat?" Carmen whispered, looking from behind Eleazar. She seemed to be the most accepting, so far.

"She's not a full vampire child," Daddy answered. "She is half human."

They all stared at him as if he were crazy.

"Hear me," he presuaded smoothly. "Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator- her biological father."

"You can't expect us to-" Eleazar began.

"Tell me another explanation that fits. You can feel the wamth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it."

"How?" Kate breathed.

"Bella is her biological mother," Daddy told her. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom in her heart to save her."

Their expressions stayed cold. They never heard of such a thing.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance."

Carmen quickly walked to us, leaning down in front of Momma, looking carefully into my face. Her scent was that of cinnamon and sugar, her eyes the warmest gold I'd seen in their coven.

"You seem to have your mother's eyes," she said in a calm, low voice, "but your father's face." And then, she smiled at me.

I smiled back at her, so, so happy that she didn't hate me. Also glad that she noticed how I looked like my parents. I touched momma's face without looking away from Carmen, imagining touching Carmen's face, wondering if it was okay. Would it scare her?

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" she asked Carmen, still too stressed to speak above a whisper. "She has a gift for explaining things."

"Do you speak, little one?" Carmen asked me.

"Yes," I answered aloud, noticing all of Carmen's family flinch at my voice. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

I placed my hand on Carmen's cheek. She stiffened and Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders. I showed Carmen everything, from the first second in which I could begin to hear- before I was born- to now. I showed everything with perfect clarity and detail. I flooded the memories with my love for my family, showing them that I'm good, and my Jacob is good, too. I let my hand drop after I finished my memories, showing every single one. I smiled winningly at Carmen, noticing how stunned she looked.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" She breathed, breathless. "Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

"Do you believe what she showed you?" Daddy asked, his expression intense.

"Without a doubt," Carmen said simply. How could she not? It's the truth.

"Carmen!" Eleazar said, his face rigid with distress.

Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but the truth. Let the child show you."

Carmen nudged Eleazar closer and nodded at me, "Show him, mi querida." I didn't know what the strange nickname meant, but it seemed endearing.

I grinned, delighted with Carmen's acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead.

"Ay caray!" he spit and jerked away.

I frowned impatiently. "Watch, please," I commanded. I stretched my hand out but left a few inches between my fingers and his face, waiting. I was impatient, but I knew I had to be patient with the new people.

Carmen nodded at Eleazar, as he took a deep breath and leaned closer, my fingertips barely touching his face. I showed him everything too, the vitals and the non-vitals, in a few quick minutes.

"Ahh," he sighed. "I see." He seemed calm, believing suddenly.

I smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled unwillingly back.

"Eleazar?" Tanya asked him cautiously.

"It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself."

I showed both Carmen and Kate my story, winning them over as soon as I was done.

"Thank you for listening," daddy said quietly.

"But there is the grave danger you warned us of," Tanya said. "Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?"

Daddy and the Denali's talked of how Irina had seen me when momma, my Jacob and I were hunting, thinking I was an immortal child, and went to the Volturi.

"..we can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past - for her sake that time as well," Tanya said slowly, holding her hands out in front of her, apologetic.

Daddy shook his head quickly. "We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that."

"Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain..." Daddy touched my cheek and I glanced up at him, his honey eyes meeting mine. I grabbed his hand and held it pressed against my skin, showing them how the Volturi would see. "It's difficult to doubt a story when you see it for yourself."

"Do you think her past will matter to them so much?" Tanya asked.

"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed," Daddy explained. The immortal children? But I'm not dangerous like them. I would never kill anyone, I'm not like them. Plus, I blended in much, much more than vampires. I even looked similar to Charlie, and he's a human.

"I'm not dangerous at all," I interjected. "I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob." I dropped Daddy's hand to reach back and pat Jacob's arm.

I wondered if they understood. I hoped they did.

"Yes, we can witness for you," Tanya said. She glanced at me, then at my father again. "Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," daddy protested, reading her mind, "we don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," she insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

Kate snorted. "Do you really doubt me so much, sister?"

Tanya smiled widely at her. "It is a suicide mission after all."

Kate shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in."

"I, too, will do what I can to protect the child," Carmen agreed. I smiled at all of them; thanking them for being so kind and willing to help us. Carmen held her arms out toward me. "May I hold you, bebé linda?"

I reached eagerly toward her, delighted with the fact I had made a friend so quickly. She hugged me close, muttering to me in a language which I didn't understand, but it was soothing, nonetheless.

I was filled with a hope that we would all survive this, but the persistent worry of our demise still ran through my mind nonstop.