Another Author's Note, lol. So, I have a few things I want to add here. The first is about the imprinting. As we all know in the canon Twilight universe, imprinting is inherently romantic once the imprintee is or comes of age. I want to change this. No, this isn't saying that Renesmee and Jacob will not end up together. I also don't know if they will be together romantically in the future. I just wanted to say that, in this story, imprinting is not inherently romantic. I do not intend on Claire and Quil ending up a couple once she reaches that age. I'm going to write imprinting as more of a protective thing, not binding/soulmates. The idea of it just makes me genuinely uncomfortable.

Also, from here on out, I won't be copying the book nearly as much. The same events will happen, yes, and will remain as canon as possible, but I won't be copying their phrases word-for-word. I really don't like doing that. I'm only including the book's events so we can see Renesmee's point of view of all of them.

Anywho, thanks for your support and for reading this rewrite. I really appreciate it.

PS- these following chapters will probably be nearly the same as they are in the original After Daybreak.

Carmen, my new friend, held me tightly, still speaking in a soft language that I didn't understand. I listened to Carmen in one ear, and everyone else's conversation in the other, listening for a topic which interested me more. I thought about aunt Alice overall. Would she return in time, or would she return at all? I missed her and uncle Jasper so, so much. I just wished they could be here with us right now.

"Who's Renata? What does she do?" Momma asked Eleazar. I leaned away from Carmen so I could see around Kate, interested in what they were saying. All of the new names, new people I hadn't yet met.

"Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard," he told her. "A very practical kind of shield, and a very strong one." How was she a shield? She's a person, I assumed, not an object. Was it a mental thing like momma has?

Eleazar explained how her gift worked; shielding them from harm. So momma was a shield as well, I guessed. That's her gift.

"I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted," he said, shaking his head. Who is Jane, I asked myself, asking Daddy through my thoughts, but he didn't answer. But, that means that momma could shield herself from their gifts, yet mine always broke through her shield.

"Momma, you're special," I told her, not really surprised, though. I already knew that she was special; we all did.

Kate and momma talked about something called projecting, like projecting her shield, pushing it out and using it offensively instead of defensively, so could she shield us from the danger the Volturi would bring us.

I looked around the room, the conversation still playing in my ears, I just wasn't paying very close attention. I felt a soft tinge of hope, as though the sun was peaking through the clouds on the horizon, through the dark skies looming over us. I looked at everyone, momma, daddy, Jacob, and the Denali's. Their faces strained with worry, concern, fear, even. I strongly wished to protect them, to keep my family and our friends safe. They would fight with us, though. So, maybe we have a chance.

We all heard the sound of tires turning onto the driveway to the house. Next was Peter and Charlotte, and I won them over just as quickly, showing them my story, our story of how I wasn't an immortal child, and they understood. They're nomads, meaning they don't stay in one place for very long. Everyone hunted out of state for us, since only the Denalis were vegetarian like us. Daddy also lent his cars anytime it was necessary without a wince. I could tell Jacob was upset, though, being around so many non-vegetarian vampries. However, with the circumstances of me and everyone else in acute danger, he stayed quiet.

The next family was from Ireland, the three with a thick Irish accent. Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. Maggie had a gift for knowing if she was being lied to, and once she told Siobhan and Liam that we were telling the truth, they accepted our story before even seeing my view of it. Amun, Benjamin, and Tia were the ones from Egypt, a place I was told had lots of sand, something I've never seen personally but something I have seen in pictures, and was a large desert. Benjamin was the most enthusiastic of the family, listening to my story and convincing everyone else to stay. Amun and his mate Kebi refused to touch me. I remembered meeting Benjamin outside.

I showed him my story, and without a word, he had taken my hand from his cheek and held it out, palm-side up, with his hand over it. He had a small bit of dirt on my palm, and he lifted his hand from mine, the small pile of earth swirling slowly, rising from my hand as his hand did, like a small tornado, and finally dispersing into the air and being taken by the wind. I watched with great amusement and adoration for his beautiful gift. It also turned out that he could influence air, water, and fire as well as earth. He had a beautiful gift.

Uncle Emmett and aunt Rose sent individual nomands. Garrett came first. He was tall with bright ruby eyes and long sandy hair tied back with a strip of leather. Next was Mary and Randall, friends already, though they didn't travel together: all being won over by me showing them my pictures, my proof that I wasn't an immortal child. I also enjoyed meeting all of the new people, not having nearly as much of the shyness I'd had at the beginning.

Jacob was getting more bad-tempered with each new addition to our witnesses. He kept his distance, but when he couldn't, he'd mumble to me how he would need an index if anyone expected him to keep all the new "bloodsuckers'" names straight. I smiled and laughed softly at his joke, but I didn't like the term her used for my family and our friends, and he immediately agreed to not use it around me.

Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma returned a week after they had let, Uncle Em and aunt Rose following just a few days later, all of us feeling better with their return. One other person came with them; Alistair. A misanthropic English vampire who preferred to wander alone. He, like Amun and Kebi, didn't listen to my story, but took Grandpa Carlisle's word for it.

The next were the Amazons, two very tall cat-like women, wearing nothing but animal skins.

"Zafrina and Senna!" Grandpa greeted them. Zafrina and Senna both listened to my story, being drawn in and joining the group of witnesses just as everyone else did.

It turned out that Zafrina had a gift similar to mine. She could make most people see whatever she wants them to. She had showed daddy something, and he seemed to see something that nobody else could. I wanted to see, too- I reached out fearlessly toward her. "Can I see?" I asked aloud.

"What would you like to see?" she asked, her brilliant white smile shining.

"What you showed daddy."

She nodded as the woods around us outside turned into a warm, humid place, full of trees and vines and animals I've never seen before. I smiled at her as the image faded, "more," I said simply. I was instantly infatuated with the places she showed me.

It was hard to keep me away from Zafrina and her pretty pictures. She kept me entertained as momma and daddy had talked about the fight that would possibly come, and they practiced. Momma was horrible, I heard from uncle Em, which made me laugh a little, but I thought of when she beat him in an arm wrestle, showing it to him and shutting him up.

We were in the meadow, as momma had called it, the air getting slightly cooler with each passing day. I stayed with Jacob, Senna and Zafrina and watched her pictures as they practiced. We would pause for a few minutes, watching as momma, daddy and Kate practiced with momma's shield. Zafrina was showing me one of her pictures, one of a large waterfall from the Amazon, when I heard Kate say my nickname which momma hated.

"Nessie, would you like to come help your mother?" she asked, Momma snarling a quick "no."

I wanted to help, and now I would have my chance to show that I could! We were only a few feet away, and I was in front of momma in seconds. I reached for as she opened her arms. I curled into her, pressing her head into the hollow beneath her shoulder.

"But momma, I want to help." I had my hand against her neck, showing me and her together: a team. She instantly told me "No," backing away as Kate followed us, and momma shifted me onto her back, out of harm's way.

"Can you hear anything from Nessie?" Kate asked daddy a few seconds later, her voice calm and easy.

"No, nothing at all. Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goad her like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old," Daddy explained to her. I showed momma the picture of Kate's attack, showing that no harm was meant, that daddy was in on it.

We kept practicing that day, momma stretching her shield over as many people as she could.

We heard new voices eventually, ones nobody seemed to recognize. I was still perched on momma's back as we walked into the house slowly. She pulled me into her arms as she entered the kitchen door, listening, just as I did.

"Bella?" Daddy called to momma in a hard voice, "bring Renesmee here, please. Maybe we should test our Romanian visitors' claims."

"Well, well, Carlisle. You have been naughty, haven't you?" the dark-haired one said as we came into view. He had a very thick accent, Romanian.

"She's not what you think, Stefan."

"And we don't care either way," the blonde one responded. "As we said before."

"Then you're welcome to observe, Vladimir, but it is definitely not our plan to challenge the Volturi, as we said before."

"Then we'll just cross our fingers," Stefan began.

"And hope we get lucky," finished Vladimir.

In the end, we had seventeen witnesses.

I woke up at eight next morning; I had been sleeping in a bit later than usual due to the stress of everything going on, to go to Grandpa Charlie's with Jacob.

"Why can't we take your Ferrari?" Jacob complained, momma and I already in Daddy's volvo.

"Too conspicuous," momma answered. "We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out." She had a rather valid point there.

I climbed from momma's lap in the driver's seat to Jacob's on the other side. I knew very well that we had to keep Grandpa Charlie on what momma called a "need-to-know basis." In other words, he couldn't know everything, just the necessary things. He knew I was my mother and father's real daughter, but he didn't need to know the details.

"How are you?" Momma asked Jacob as she pulled out of the garage. I glanced at him as well. I knew my Jacob wasn't doing too well, especially with all of the vampires around.

"How do you think?" he answered bitingly. "I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers." Before momma or I said anything, he continued. "Yeah, I know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular."

Momma smiled and nodded, "I don't disagree with you there."

I shook my head but said nothing. I found the Romanians strangely fascinating in how different they are. I spoke aloud for them since they wouldn't let me touch them. I had asked them about how their skin was so different, but after their reply about "gouging the Volturi's eyes from their sockets," momma tried to keep me away from them, no matter how much I'd asked.

We drove there in silence as I stared outside into the cold rain. When we got to grandpa Charlie's, I could tell Sue was there, as well.

"Hey guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness." He glared at momma. "Aren't they feeding you up there?" Grandpa went on and on as I ran to him, hugging him as he spun me in a circle, landing me back on my feet. I was able to resist his scent and blood with ease at that point.

"It's just a growth spurt," momma muttered. "Hey, Sue," she called over Grandpa's shoulder. I could smell food, but still, I didn't find any food which I had liked. Well, I liked scrambled eggs, but that was it. Our fridge in the cottage was always stocked with eggs. I could also smell pine, like the trees in the woods.

I smiled, but I never spoke in front of grandpa Charlie. I knew it would freak him out, or at the very least, make him uncomfortable.

"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?"

"Entertaining friends," my Jacob said, then snorted. "You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie, that's all I'm going to say."

"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run," momma said.

Jacob looked at her but said nothing.

"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know."

"Yeah, Christmas shopping." Momma replied. Her mind seemed preoccupied.

"Don't worry, Nessie," Grandpa whispered in my ear, "I got you covered if your mom drops the ball."

"Lunch's on the table," Sue called from inside, "C'mon guys."

Momma said goodbye and left, Jacob, Grandpa and I going to sit at the dinner table. I sat on one side, the table had four sides, and watched as Sue brought ceramic bowls and plates with food on them, sitting them on the table. One had what smelled like chicken, garlic, tomato, and cheese.

"Grilled chicken parmesan today," Sue said. "Do you like chicken, Nessie?" she asked me. Sue was always a very kind woman, and I noticed she and grandpa Charlie together more and more often.

I shrugged in response. I never had chicken before.

"Well, you can try a bite if you want," she smiled at me. "I also made something you might like."

I looked at her curiously as she brought a small bowl over, setting it next to the chicken parmesan.

"Applesauce," Sue said simply, as Jacob and Grandpa took their pieces of chicken. Jacob got two large pieces, while Charlie got only one. Sue sat down and took a piece as well. I looked at Jacob at the same time he looked at me. He cut a small piece off of his chicken Parmesan, making sure to get cheese and tomato sauce with it, and placed it on my plate, grinning supportively at me. I then looked at the bowl of applesauce. I haven't had any apples before, but it was worth a try. I got two spoon fulls on my plate. I took my fork and speared the chicken. It didn't smell too bad. I could smell that it was meat from an animal, all of the blood cooked out. I took a small bite off of it, chewing and swallowing. It didn't taste that bad, but, then again, it didn't taste good, either. Daddy taught me manners, so, since it wasn't horrible, I ate it, smiling and giving Sue a small thumbs up. Her face lit up a bit as she smiled back.

Next was the applesauce. I picked up my spoon and scooped some of it up. It smelled sweet, like cinnamon, sugar, and fruit. I took a little bite of it, and I actually liked it a little. I ate all that was on my plate. Everyone was done eating, also. Grandpa and Sue were the first to get up, taking the paper plates and throwing them in the trash, and filling the sink up with soapy water to put the silverware in.

"That was great, Sue. Nice job," Jacob grinned at Sue, getting up as I did. I nodded in agreement and smiled at her. I went into the living room, Jacob following, and looked at the pine tree. It was set in some type of metal base which had water in it. It also had lights of many different colors- red, blue, green, white, yellow, and orange- strung around it. The tree had small ornaments and plastic balls of different colors scattered about it, with a yellow and white star sitting at the top. Some of the small ornaments looked older than the others. I smiled, pointing to the tree as Jacob bent down. I placed my hand on his cheek. Pretty tree, I said, showing him a picture of the tree.

Jacob smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty, Nessie. Not as pretty as you, though, kid." I smiled back at him.

The sunlight streaming through the windows slowly faded to dark as it became night. I fell asleep on the couch while everyone watched the game.

I yawned, sitting up and stretching in my bed, at home in the cottage. I looked at the wooden clock on my wall; it was nine A.M., Christmas morning. I had never experienced the holiday before, or any, for that matter, but I knew it was always on December 25th. Aunt Rose had tried telling me that a large man named Santa Claus fit down a chimney and left presents under a decorated pine tree. I knew it was fake, and that Santa wasn't real, and she knew, too. I liked the story, though. Grandpa Carlisle also told me the religious story, which was interesting to me.

I heard a knock at my door, thinking come in to daddy, knowing he would hear. He and momma came in, a small box wrapped in shiny green paper in momma's hand. I loved shiny things, they must have known that; the tiny, glittering object caught my eye.

"Merry Christmas, Renesmee," momma smiled at me, her and daddy walking across the room and sitting beside me on my bed. I smiled and nodded, placing my hand on momma's cheek, Merry Christmas. Both of their eyes were shining the warmest, lightest gold I'd ever seen. Well, momma's were still tinged with a soft shade of ruby, but light nonetheless.

Momma handed me the small shiny box, setting it on my lap, and daddy had one, too, this one also wrapped in shiny green paper. His present joined momma's on my lap.

"You can open them now, just rip the paper," he said, nodding towards the small boxes. I glanced up at them curiously. The shiny boxes aren't the present? They're really beautiful. Daddy laughed, shaking his head, telling me it was inside the sparkly box.

I nodded in return, picking up the one daddy had given me. I didn't want to rip the shiny paper wrapped neatly around my present, so I turned it over and carefully peeled the tape back, and setting the paper next to me in a neatly folded square. I silently wished that I'd gotten or made them something, also.

"Don't throw it away, please," I said, looking at the small black box in my hands, "the paper's pretty."

I opened the little box, seeing a small rectangular metal object, things that I knew as headphones sitting under the thing.

"What.. is it?" I asked daddy, confused.

"It's an MP3 player. It has some songs on it that you can listen to anytime. Here," Daddy explained, taking the MP3 player out of the box and showing me how to turn it on, off, and how to pick songs. He put five thousand songs on it already, all songs that daddy liked, songs that I liked also. I closed the box, the pretty paper inside of it, and handed it to daddy. The little electronic seemed really interesting. I was amazed by how many songs fit on one tiny thing.

"Can I keep the paper? And can I listen to that at grandpa Charlie's?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Yes, of course," he said, setting the box next to him. I looked at momma's gift.

I slowly and carefully took the paper off of this one as well, revealing a smaller, red velvet box with small golden writing on it. It read some cursive name. I opened it, and smiled noticing the golden oval necklace with the family crest on the font. Momma took it, opening the locket which had handwriting on the left and a picture of her and Daddy on the right.

"Plus que ma propre vie," Momma read, "It means, 'more than my own life." I smiled at her, hugging both her and daddy.

"Thank you so much," I said simply. Momma closed the locket and dropped it in my hands. I took each end in one hand and put it around my neck, but I couldn't seem to get the clasp. Momma chuckled softly, taking them from my hands and closing it for me.

I thought to daddy, when are we going to Grandpa Charlie's for Christmas? And he replied, "In about an hour, at ten." I nodded an OK as he and momma got up, leaving my room and closing the door softly, to get ready to head to Grandpa's.

I was at my closet in seconds, picking out a simple yet pretty red dress along with white tights. I got dressed quickly and stood in front of my mirror, brushing my hair out. I clipped some strands in the front back with two little dragonfly clips aunt Rose had given me. I then went back and sat on my bed, putting my headphones in and picking a song at random. I knew it already; Divenire by Ludovido Einaudi, just as the title on my MP3 player said. I didn't need the volume any higher than the lowest setting since my ears could pick up the sound very easily. I looked at my clock again; nine thirty-six. It only took about eight minutes to drive to Grandpa Charlie's, but I knew Daddy would want to leave a bit early. I got up and shut my MP3 player off, putting my jacket on and putting it in the pocket.

I opened my door and closed it lightly as I exited my room, walking to the door where my parents waited, with daddy holding Grandpa's present under his arm.

The drive to Grandpa Charlie's was quiet as I listened to one song, putting my MP3 player back into my pocket as we pulled into the driveway. I'd begun to love the small device.

At Grandpa's, my Jacob gave me a small, hand-braided bracelet. It held many colors, but the few that were in it most were sandy brown, blood red, chocolate brown, and a pale red color, almost pink. I had thanked him and told him how beautiful I thought it was, giving him a hug. Daddy gritted his teeth at the bracelet, but momma and I didn't have the negative reaction he did. I didn't know why, either. When Grandpa received his gift from us, I knew what the tickets were so he wouldn't be here during the fight that may happen.

That night, momma set up a tent for me to sleep in near the meadow. The winter chill didn't bother me much, the temperature still in the low double digits. Not many spoke that night, either. The next morning, I knew we might all face our deaths.

(A.N~~~~ Guys, I'm skipping ahead a little to the gathering in the meadow, which'll lead into the Volturi scene. :) )

I awoke that morning in the tent with Momma. Jacob had left to join the others in the meadow earlier. She helped me dress in an outfit she had picked out, something frilly and pretty, yet sturdy and tough. She then did something I didn't expect; she put over my jacket a black leather backpack, something I'd never seen before. I was strong enough that the weight of it didn't bother me. I understood that she wanted me to run away, if it came to a fight. My eyes were wide as I read the agony on her face, confirming my thoughts.

"I love you," momma said, her eyes showing her deep sadness. "More than anything."

"I love you, too, momma," I answered aloud- I knew how much she loved when I did so. I touched the locket at my neck, which now held a photo of me, her, and daddy. "We'll always be together."

"In our hearts we'll always be together," she corrected in a quiet whisper. I wanted to disagree, but she was right. "But when the time comes today, you have to leave me."

My eyes widened as I touched my hand to her cheek, shouting a silent no. No way. Never.

"Will you do it for me? Please?" Momma asked, her voice strained. It was hard for her, too.

I pressed my fingers harder to her marble face, asking her why.

"I can't tell you," she whispered, a soft break in her voice. I knew that if she could cry, she would. "But you'll understand soon. I promise."

I showed her Jacob's face, then. Did he know? If I had to leave her, would Jacob be coming with me?

She pulled my fingers away from her face and nodded. "Don't think of it. Don't tell Jacob until I tell you to run, okay?" I understood and nodded in return. I wanted so badly to refuse, but I couldn't.

Momma then took from her pocket the gold necklace she had received from Aro, fastening it around her neck.

"Pretty," I whispered, talking about the large diamond at the end of it. It shined in the sunlight. Then I wrapped my arms around momma's neck, hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around me and carried me out to the clearing this way.

Daddy put his arms around us for one long moment and then, with a deep sigh, let us go. I forced the thought of running away, away. We took our place as I climbed from momma's arms onto her back, leaving her hands free.

I feared for all of my family. Everyone here, my Aunt and Uncle, still not back, the witnesses, the wolves, and simply everyone on our side. I wanted to cry, to fight alongside everyone, but I didn't, I stayed strong. Momma let me down and I stood at her side, holding both her and Daddy's hands as Jacob, the large russet wolf, came from the forest behind us to stand at momma's side. I glanced over and up at his big, dark brown wolf eyes, and he looked at me in return. His furry face held too many emotions for me to read.

We waited as the Volturi slowly emerged from the other side of the clearing.

The large mass of vampires in black cloaks- the Volturi- advanced slowly. They stopped about 20 yards away. The three main people in the front of the formation I knew were Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Next to them were Jane, Alec, and Demitri. I squeezed momma's hand lightly as I heard a low growl come from Jacob. Grandpa walked to a few feet in front of us, talking in a casual tone. As he spoke, the Volturi's different scents reached my nose. They smelled different, like incense smoke and spice. They didn't have a sweet smell at all, though, like most of the good vampires did, and they had the red eyes.

"Aro, there is no danger here. We do not intend to fight," he said.

"I can see the young newborn child, Carlisle," Aro said.

"She is not an immortal!" Grandpa said, raising his voice a bit as he turned, gesturing to me with his hand. "See the rush of blood in her cheeks, hear her heartbeat! See for yourselves."

"Ah, yes, hear the child's unusual heart, brothers," Aro spoke, a slight look of fascination appearing on his face.

However, I can also see the battalion you have massed to protect her," Caius said, a look of fascination appearing on his face.

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have assembled. Any of these friends can tell you the truth about the child. Or you could just look at her-" Grandpa, said, cut off by Caius.

"Artifice!" He snapped in a whisper. "And where is the informer?"

Irina slowly stepped beside the three of them, a look of fear on her face. I could tell that her eyes were on her sisters behind me.

"Is this the child you saw?" Caius demanded. I watched silently as Irina looked at me for the first time since she had seen me in the clearing.

"Yes.. No.. I'm not sure," she said, confused. "She's not the same. She's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw."

"This is exactly what I am trying to explain," Grandpa said, slight relief in his voice. This would be our chance to explain.

Aro put his hand up as Caius hissed, "I will have every facet of the truth. As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved," Aro said, looking towards daddy.

Daddy kissed my and momma's foreheads and strode across the field. Esme whimpered softly, her terror and fear finally breaking through. Jane smiled at daddy, and he stopped, a look of agony crossing his face as he fell to his knees. I stood frozen, seeing my father in pain, seeing what Jane's 'gift' was. But a second later, I knew momma had put her shield around him, and he stood back up. Aro looked startled as daddy continued crossing the clearing, stopping a foot or two in front of him.

He held out his hand and Aro took it, closing his eyes as he took in the information from daddy's mind. A few seconds passed and he dropped Daddy's hand.

"You see?" He asked, his voice calm.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro agreed, sounding amused. "May I meet her?" he asked, almost pleading with interest.

Daddy turned back toward us, nodding at momma and I. Momma squeezed my hand very lightly as she, Jacob and I began to walk forward. She looked behind us, nodding at uncle Emmett to come with us, and he did. I heard Jacob's low growl as we walked across the clearing. We stopped in front of daddy, Aro, and a few others.

"Ah, Bella, immortality suits you," Aro smiled, then his sinister red eyes settled on my face. "She's exquisite, much like you and Edward.. Hello, Renesmee."

I looked at momma, not sure if I should reply, but she nodded. I had to gulp, a small amount of fear in my chest.

"Hello, Aro," I answered formally. Aro's eyes were bemused.

"Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human," Aro said, amusement filling his tone.

"Impossible," Caius scoffed.

Aro turned, looking at Caius, "do you think they've fooled me, then, brother?" Caius simply scowled in return.

Aro held out has hand as invitation, wanting me to show him my side of everything. But I didn't want this; I leaned forward, touching my fingertips to Aro's cheek, showing him everything. I even asked him not to harm my family, the werewolves included. He smiled, "brilliant," he whispered.

"Please?" I asked softly.

"Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee," he said in a charming and affectionate voice. I didn't know whether or not to believe him.

They continued to discuss the wolves, and I heard Jacob and the others snarl softly.

"So much to discuss," Aro said in a serious tone. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers."

We all slowly backed away, momma and daddy holding my hands tightly and Jacob and Emmett flanking us protectively.

We waited only a few seconds, and then I heard Caius call Irina again.

"So it appears that your allegations were false," he said, as the look of fear came across her face again.

"Yes. This child is not immortal. I was wrong, and I accept full responsibility for my actions. The Cullens are innocent," she said, and turned to us, mouthed, "I'm sorry."

In an instant, a flame was lit and a three of the guard leaped forward. A horrible screeching sound filled my ears, causing me to shut my eyes. I reopened them when the noise stopped, and from behind the three that had caused the noise, I saw a small fire, light purple smoke rising from it.

They had killed Irina. I was in shock at that- I'd never seen anyone actually die. It wasn't something I'd ever want to see ever again.

In an instant, Tanya and Kate tried to attack them. We all tried to stop them, and only Garrett could hold Kate back, Eleazar had Tanya. Daddy looked toward Zafrina and suddenly the sisters' eyes looked distant.

"Give me my sight back!" Tanya shouted, her eyes darting in different directions, but not seeing anything.

"It's too late to help her," Daddy urged. "This is what they want!"

They calmed down and were let go as they stood next to each other again.

After a few more silent seconds, Aro turned around, facing us once more.

"She is unique," he said, looking at all of us, his crimson eyes settling on me, then to the entire group again. "But there is danger, danger that simply cannot be ignored. We cannotknow what she will grow to be. Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is... a vulnerability."

Garrett then spoke, a long speech, very interesting. After, Aro, Caius, and Marcus turned to eachother again.

Momma carefully lifted me onto Jacob's shoulders, and whispered, "remember what I told you?"

I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. "I love you," I whispered back.

"I love you, too," she said, touching my locket. "More than my own life." Momma kissed my forehead as Jacob whined uneasily. She waited until the Volturi were distracted, then whispered in Jacob's ear the plans for how we would run once she told us. I reached my arms out for Daddy as he hugged me tightly. I then fitted myself into a spot between Jacob's shoulder blades, taking handfuls of his fur.

"I know you can protect her, Jacob," Momma whispered, and Jacob whined, dipping his head and butting it against her shoulder.

"I know, I love you too, Jake. You'll always be my best man."

A tear rolled into the russet fur beneath my Jacob's eye, and I tried to soothingly pat the fur on the back of his neck.

Suddenly, after a few moments of silence, Daddy spoke.

"Why don't you join us, Alice?" At this, my face lit up, and I was unable to stop the smile that tugged on the corners of my lips, and I looked to daddy, then around the clearing. Many voices, including that of Aro's, were heard murmuring, "Alice!"

Aunt Alice walked into the clearing from the southwest, uncle Jasper following a few inches behind her. There were three others, tan skinned vampires, following behind her. Two women, and a young man, not vampire, but not human.

He must be a hybrid, too. I could hear his heartbeat, that of a hummingbird, just like mine. I instantly felt something in my chest feel better, knowing that I wasn't the only one, and I wasn't so different after all.

Then, I heard the voice of my aunt that I missed so dearly. "I have proof that the child will not be a danger to our kind," she said, calling the boy and one woman forward, the other joining Senna and Zafrina. Her name was Kachiri.

Aro took Alice's hand, his eyes widening as he saw her visions. He then released Alice's hand as she gestured to Huilen and Nahuel.

"This is Huilen, and her nephew, Nahuel."

Huilen and Nahuel explained their story. Huilen had been created, too. A man getting his mother pregnant, but he had run off, and Nahuel had killed his mother when she gave birth to him. He said how he knew of two sisters he had, also created by his father, trying to create some "super human" race. And, after his birth, his aunt Huilen raised him as her own, and he bit her, turning her immortal as well. I wondered how he was venomous and I was not. Was it only boys which were venomous?

"How old are you?" Momma called out to Nahuel.

"About one hundred and fifty years old," he said. "Give or take a decade. We don't keep track."

"And you reached maturity as what age?" Aro asked him.

"About seven years after my birth, I was full grown."

"You have not changed since then?"

"Not that I've noticed."

Momma, daddy and I smiled at eachother. I felt a soft rumbling from Jacob's chest. I think he was purring, knowing that I wouldn't live as short a life as we thought. Things were looking up, seeming hopeful.

"And your diet?" Aro pressed, very interested.

"Mostly blood, but some human food, too. I can survive on either."

"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro asked, gesturing to Hulen.

"Yes, but none of the other can." So his sisters couldn't do that, either. It must be based on gender.

The Volturi said how they would search for Joham, Nahuel's biological father, and his sisters. But Nauhel insisted that they not harm his sisters, for they had done no harm.

Aro nodded, then turned to his guard.

"Dear ones," he called. "We do not fight today."

The guard widened and began to dissipate, as Aro turned back to us, holding his hands out apologetically.

"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," he said sweetly. "My friend, Carlisle- how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the burden our duty puts on our shoulders."

"Leave in peace," Grandpa said stiffly. "Please keep from hunting in this region, also."

"Of course," Aro nodded. "I am sorry to earn your disapproval. Perhaps in time you will forgive me."

"Perhaps, if you prove a friend to us again," Carlisle said.

Aro bowed his head and drifted backward for a moment, turning around and disappearing into the trees.

It was very quiet for a few monents. We all hesitated until the footsteps of the Volturi grew silent.

"Is it really over?" Momma whispered.

"Yes. They've given up," Daddy smiled for the first time in months.

Alice laughed. "Seriously people, they're not coming back. Everybody can relax now." A large happy smile lit up my face as I suddenly felt relieved.

"Of all the rotten luck," Stefan muttered.

And then the cheers began. The pack howled, the couples kissed, the Amazons stood close, their hands locked, Garrett picked Kate up off the ground and swung her around in a circle, Stefan and Vladimir ground their teeth together with a sour expression.

Momma half-climbed Jacob to hug me tightly to her chest, daddy hugging the both of us. The feeling of relief washed over all of us.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie," Momma said to me.

Jacob laughed and momma mumbled a light "shut up" to him. Suddenly I had the one question left.

"I get to stay with you?" I demanded, glancing at their warm, loving eyes.

"Forever," momma promised, both her and daddy hugging me. I knew that I would live forever with them, too. I would age to adulthood at seven years, I would survive and live with my wonderful family.

"Forever," Daddy whispered in momma's ear, then they kissed. I patted Jacob lightly on his furry russet cheek, and he barked a laugh again, running to join his pack and howling in unison as he ran with them. I hugged both my parents tightly.

We all ran back to the big house, and said our goodbyes outside. The last two to leave were Senna, Zafrina and Kachiri.

"You must bring the child to see me," Zafrina said to momma. "Promise me, young one."

I pressed my hand to Momma neck, asking for her to promise to take me into the Amazon there sometime. I showed her the beautiful setting and the animals from my memory.

"Of course, Zafrina," Momma agreed, smiling at me.

"We shall be great friends, my Nessie," she said to me, before leaving with her sisters. I agreed that we would.

After the goodbyes were said and everyone had left, I fell asleep in momma's arms. For the first time, none of my dreams had a single tinge of worry or fear. I slept soundly the entire night. Momma was right, we would all be together forever.