Bella
"Hybrids? Are you sure?" Carlisle asked us, shocked. Edward and I nodded in unison. I was quite pleased with myself. I felt like a detective, Edward was smirking at my pleased expression. "Why couldn't you see that in her mind?" Carlisle asked. Edward shrugged.
"She doesn't know. She is completely human, or rather, very dominantly human. Bella and I got really close to the house. I'm surprised they didn't smell us, but I suppose Ness wouldn't have either. Anyway, Anne Wells was worried. Lacey had been talking about Bella and us and she suspects what we are." Edward was still smiling. I was still so pleased with my discovery that I barely listened to what he just said. Carlisle on the other hand was not happy.
"They know? We have to leave. This has become too risky for our family." But Edward shook his head and Carlisle halted his walk to the stairs.
"They suspect, but they don't seem to be worried. Actually, they are sure we are the same family who stood up to the Volturi. I don't know how two secluded hybrids heard of that but they're curious. They don't want to tell Lacey what they are so they can't really tell her what we are. They do want to meet us though. She seems like a pleasant woman. Her husband was simply curious about us, barely thought of Lacey at all." Carlisle mulled that over and then sat on the couch. He looked slightly bemused as I had been as well.
"Should we go over and introduce ourselves?" He asked finally.
"No." Edward and I both said. He looked at me confused probably wondering why I thought that was a poor idea. He didn't ask though. "They will think of a reason to come here or at least to see us at school or you at the hospital, Carlisle."
"They mean us no harm. You're sure?"
"Completely." Carlisle seemed happy with that answer and went to find Alice. Edward put his arm around me and steered me outside and to our little house. He stopped right outside and kissed me softly. "Why don't you want Carlisle to introduce us to her parents?" He was still kissing me between words and it was really hard to concentrate on what he was saying. He stopped and I pouted a little. He kissed me once more. "Bella?"
"Hmmm?" My eyes were half closed and I had a smile on my face, anticipating. Obviously he wasn't anticipating the same thing.
"Do you know something?" He asked suspiciously I sighed inwardly, I guess I would have to wait.
"Not really."
"What does that mean? Can you show me?" He was getting frustrated. It was nice having more knowledge than him for once. But I couldn't stand to see him so sad looking.
"Alright, Alright, it's no big deal and it's not like you tell me everything…"
"Bella, you know I can't divulge other people's thoughts all the time and I thought you didn't like theorizing. Anyway didn't you already get your revenge by withholding such a colossal fact in the first place?"
"Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?" I placed my finger on his lips and he nodded. "Okay, I don't think it's a good idea yet because I'm pretty sure there was another vampire there." I watched his eyes widen and then he gathered air so he could start yelling at me for not telling him sooner and then he'd want to tell Carlisle, but I didn't let him get there. "Someone we know." The air went out of him immediately and his stare burned into me.
"Go on."
"Okay, I don't think it was that recently but I can't be sure. You were focusing really hard on Anne's thoughts so you didn't notice but there was a window on the top floor that has been opened from the outside and the small platform just below that window was a little worn. I saw that and then kept looking around. Now Renesmee can jump high but not with much grace, something would be more damaged if it was a hybrid and why would they try to force entry into their own house? That was the first thing."
"What window was it, in the front right?" He asked considering what I was saying. I didn't see how it mattered but I nodded in answer. "Lacey's room is definitely in the back, she's thought about it a lot. She doesn't like having the woods right there, it scares her." I snorted at the irony.
"So, that means their guest wasn't trying to get to Lacey. If they were, it would be easier and they wouldn't have risked leaving a trail like that." He couldn't argue with that logic. We both knew that meant the vampire was looking at the Hybrids.
"So the vampire was most likely the father of one of the Hybrids." It wasn't a question but I nodded pleased that he got there quickly. What was the second thing? I mean we can't really be sure this person was a vampire." Despite his words he looked as if he was exactly sure of just that.
"I smelled him." I was eager now almost jumping up and down, waiting for him to ask me who it was.
"You're sure that it was a vampire and that you knew him? You're positive?"
"Of course." He nodded then and relaxed a little. "Who was it, Bella?"
"Okay, this is why we can't tell Carlisle. Promise?" Edward groaned loudly, he hated keeping things from Carlisle. "You have to promise or I'm not telling you and no you can't just go back and see for yourself." I pointed at the sky; sure enough it began to rain, wiping the trail away.
"Fine, as long as you have a good reason." I considered this, figured it was the best I would get and nodded. I was jumping in my excitement and he smiled at my joy though I was sure he could not find joy in this situation.
"Okay, ready?"
"Bella, would you please just tell me already, you're driving me crazy." He held my shoulder down, restricting my movements.
"It's Garrett!" I watched him carefully, waiting for some sign of disapproval. He seemed to be thinking really hard about something.
Finally he looked at me, face still a stone mask, "Kate's Garrett?"
I nodded emphatically, "Yes, that's why we can't tell Carlisle because then he'll tell Kate and obviously if Garrett wants Kate to know he'll tell her, it's not our business." He grimaced knowing I was right but not liking it one bit. "And it could just be a coincidence." I shrugged not believing that for a moment.
"Okay, so Garrett is the father of one of the hybrids but he probably didn't believe that could happen, like me, until he saw Renesmee. I remember him thinking of a few human girls in his mind, that day just after he saw Ness for the first time but I ignored it. I didn't want to know. I wonder if he, ah, seduced them and one of them is the mother."
"Probably, he is just curious about his daughter or son and he looks like he checks up on them often. It's kind of sweet." I was still pleased. Edward seemed to stop his thinking. He shrugged in a defeated way. I won.
"Makes sense, we won't tell Carlisle, yet, and I do want to talk to Garrett about it at some point. He's a good guy though. If Garrett is gone why shouldn't Carlisle go over there and introduce us?"
"Just in case I was wrong and he was still there but hiding. He would've seen us and I imagine he would have paid a little visit by now though." Edward finally walked into our little house. He kissed me again and my anticipation began to build back up.
"You are quite the observer today, hmmm?" He kissed me again and we didn't even make it to the bedroom.
"BELLA! EDWARD!" Alice was screaming musically up the walk to our little house. It was in very early morning and Edward scrambled to put pants on before Alice barged in. He threw me a bathrobe to rap around myself and opened the door. Alice raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at our appearance. "Hope I'm not interrupting something but…"
"No. That can't be right." Edward's eyes were wide in shock.
"What?" I asked a little irritated though I was used to not being in the know.
"Renesmee…" I was alarmed now as Edward whispered our daughter's name.
"What about her?" I yelled at them.
"She's pregnant." They said together. If I had a heart it would've stopped.
"Alice, can you see anything else? What will happen, will it hurt her?" I was breathless. My baby.
"I can't see anything, I imagine from this moment on Jake won't leave her side. Which I suppose is a good thing in a way."
My heart lightened a little bit. At least she wouldn't be alone, not that I thought she would. Jake would never truly leave her. I looked at Edward who was staring at me in disbelief. "Why are you smiling? She could die from this. We don't know what she will be carrying." I noticed then that I wasn't worried, not really. Sure I was worried like a mother would be for any daughter that became pregnant. I was not scared for her life though and I silently thanked Lacey.
"No, she'll be okay. She may be in pain but I don't think she will die. Stop looking at me like that. Obviously it can be done." It dawned on Edward finally and he came out of his frenzied state a little. Alice was nodding at what I was saying. She had been listening to our talk with Carlisle. "Renesmee will be so happy, Edward. The only sadness is that the baby will be human. She will outlive her own child."
"Unless you bite it." Edward and I both growled at the smiling Alice. "Oh relax, it's up to Jake and Renesmee after all and I don't think Jake will like that. Who knows, maybe the kid will be like Jacob, a shape shifter as the Volturi call it." She shrugged and I looked at Edward quickly. I let him see my thoughts. I often referred to Jake and the pack as werewolves but they're not, they're shape shifters. What if there were other shifters out there, what if Lacey was really a shape shifter but doesn't know it yet? Don't twenty four chromosomes and twenty four chromosomes make twenty four chromosomes? How could Lacey possibly be completely human? Edward was nodding at these thoughts. He had probably thought of them before and didn't share. He smiled at that and I knew I was right. I closed off my thoughts abruptly and he smiled even wider. "Hello?" Alice said waving to us, "Renesmee?"
I grabbed my cell phone. Ness would be so upset that Alice had told us her news but I couldn't wait to congratulate her, talk to her and hear her happiness. As the phone buzzed I realized she might not even know yet. Alice had seen farther into the future, Carlisle was giving her an exam. I should feel her out first; see what she knows I realized I wouldn't be able to keep the joy out of my voice. She didn't pick up and I handed the phone to Edward to call again. He would do better at disguising his emotion. After a few seconds he hung up. No answer. "She and Jake are probably celebrating." Edward and I growled at her again and she trilled a laugh.
"Alice, don't tell anyone else. She should be able to break the news to someone herself." Alice nodded and then ran into the woods. Jasper was probably waiting to hunt.
"She's going to have a baby." I whispered to Edward as he pulled me into a hug.
"I think we're going to have to chat with Lacey's parents after all." I nodded but did not move away. I could not begrudge my daughter her baby. Hadn't I risked my own life for her? I would stand behind her no matter what and I would do whatever possible to help her and keep her alive. But how can I do that when she lives so far away? I dismissed that thought. I would move back if she wanted me to. We would figure it out next week when she was here. One thing was certain; Rosalie will be so pleased to have another baby. Maybe this one would grow at a normal speed.
Edward and I decided to speed the Lacey thing up a bit so we would have some answers by the time Renesmee got here. She walked with us to the parking lot but I didn't see her car. "Hey Lace, you need a ride?" She looked slightly frightened at the idea and Edward struggled not to laugh at whatever she was thinking.
"No thanks, Bella. My parents are actually coming to pick me up. My car wouldn't start this morning." I looked significantly at an amused Edward. I was sure her parents had pulled the old 'remove the battery cables' trick. "Hey would you like to meet them?" She blushed immediately after saying this. "I mean you don't have to, they just, I mean they like when I meet new friends." She blushed even brighter.
"Sure, we would love to." Edward spoke up and she smiled shyly. She turned to me for confirmation and I nodded.
"Oh shoot, I forgot one of my books. I'll be right back." Lacey ran back towards the school and we watched her. If I didn't have such control over my facial expressions, my jaw would have dropped. Lacey was fast. It would be interesting to see who won between her and Renesmee. Edward looked at me smiling. This further confirmed that she wasn't quite human.
Lacey came back before the lot was half empty. A chevy sedan pulled up to the curb. I recognized it from Lacey's house. "That's them! You don't have to meet them if you don't want to. Oh they're getting out, they must have figured out who you were." She smiled sheepishly, "I told them how beautiful you were." She said this quietly I barely heard her. I was saved from speaking by her parents who were now in front of us.
"Hello." Anne and Timothy Wells greeted us and introduced themselves. They seemed slightly wary but also a little relieved as if they confirmed who we were. How could they know what we look like? "You're Lacey's friends?"
"Yes, this is Bella Swan, I'm Edward Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was no doubt he meant it by any of the party. I wondered what they were thinking. I made an impulse decision, "Hey, I was wondering, if Lacey wants to, if she could come sleep over my house with me and my sisters?" Edward looked at me sharply but I waited. If they really wanted to meet the family this would be a perfect opportunity for them. If not then I wouldn't be surprised if they moved away.
Anne Wells' eyes bulged and she looked at her daughter whose head was bobbing excitedly. Timothy's hand clenched tighter on his wife's shoulder. "Can I mom, please?" Lacey was begging. Anne's eyes got softer. She looked at us.
"I would like to speak to your parents first, if that's okay?" Anne said. It was too good to be true. I didn't need Edward to tell me that they knew we knew about them, maybe even more than them. "Lacey, love, I think I have business cards with our number on it in the car will you go get them?"
"Mom they already have our number." Lacey said, begging with her eyes to stop being embarrassing.
"Lacey, their father is a doctor, I want to make a good impression please go get the cards." Lacey moped to the car. I knew this trip well. Billy Black had used it on Jake so many years ago. I looked at them expectantly.
"You are the Cullen's, the ones who hunt animals? I heard of you. I've actually heard a lot about you and the fight with the Volturi. Someone…came by. He was familiar with you, a friend of friends or something. He told me you were coming and he told me you could help Lacey. I need to speak with you, can we come by your house tonight?" She said this very rushed. I was shocked. Garrett had spoken with them? He told them about us? I guess it wasn't that bizarre. Garrett would know we know about shape shifting and half breeds. Hadn't Garrett suggested Vermont in the first place? The pieces began to fall in place. The Wells probably did know we were at the house the other night but they didn't care. They wanted to be found out by us. We were wrong about assuming they were oblivious about shape shifting. I wondered if Lacey had done it already without realizing it. Why couldn't Edward hear this in their thoughts? They must have been very careful about what they were thinking, knowing we were there. They were a step ahead of us.
Lacey came back without cards. "There aren't any business cards, mom." Lacey whined. Anne shrugged and said, "I guess I took them out. O well, they have the number you said." They nodded at us and walked away. Lacey, looking defeated, waved goodbye. I looked at Edward who was just as shocked as I was.
"Looks like we have a lot to tell the others." Edward said.
"It's weird but I feel like I've been beat at some game. I can't believe I didn't remember Rose telling me that Garrett had suggested this little. I guess it just wasn't relevant at the time." He nodded. We were both a little dazed by the exchange. Edward and I walked slowly to the car anticipating an eventful evening.