Hey Guys...
So I'm super exited to post this story here, because I've been writing and editing this for the past 3 years, and I'm really proud of the way it became.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, only the storyline.
1. UNEXPECTED GUEST
I almost started crying, when I saw Renesmee and Edward again after Alice and I'd went hunting in the mountains. We had been gone for two days, and I had missed them like crazy.
They sat in the loveseat in our little cottage. Then they saw me Renesmee ran into my arms, and tightened her arms around my waist. I sat down on my knees, so I could hug her closer.
"I've missed you, momma." She said when she pulled away to look in my eyes.
"I've missed you too sweetie. Did you and daddy have fun while I was away?" I asked and kissed her forehead. She placed one hand on my cheek and I started see it all, like it was my own memories. I saw my dad in the big living room in the main house; I saw and heard Edward play a song on the piano. I'd never heard the song before, but I bet he'd composed it for Renesmee. She showed me her little fingers on the keys, and I heard the sound.
She could play just like Edward if she practiced a bit. Then she stopped showing me the memories and hugged me again.
"Did daddy teach you to play on the piano?" I asked her.
She nodded and smiled. "He say I can be better than him if I practice." she said, very proud of herself.
"Of course you can, sweetie."
Edward sat in the exact same spot as before. He met my gaze as he started walking toward us.
I stood up on my toes and placed my arms around his neck.
He leaned down and kissed my lips. "I've missed you," he whispered in my ear.
"I've missed you too." I whispered back and my lips found his again.
When we pulled away, Edward said, "How was your wellness trip?" He looked down at me with his topaz eyes.
"Huh? What wellness trip?" I asked and crooked my eyebrows.
"An excuse for your hunting trip." He said and laughed.
Then I noticed the big smile on his face. He didn't usually smile that way, not even when I got home from a hunting trip without him. He was hiding something from me, and he wanted me to know that there was something, but not what it was.
I looked down at Renesmee and the same big grin was on her face.
"What is it?" I asked curiosly, "What are you hiding from me?"
Renesmee looked up at Edward, who nodded once and then she looked back at me.
"We have something for you," she said in her clear voice.
"It's in the main house," Edward said and hugged both Renesmee and me at the same time.
"Okay, let's go then." I said and started walking towards the door.
"Do you think you look like one who has been on a wellness trip?" Edward laughed and looked down at my clothes.
I was wearing a blue dress, but I wouldn't call it blue anymore. There were blood and mud all over it.
Alice was very mad at me for ruining the dress she had given me.
"You're probably right." I said and walked into the big closet. I got a pair of sweats and a T-shirt from the drawer with the clothes I had picked up from Charlie's house.
I went to the bathroom to wash my face. I finished there and went to join Edward and Renesmee.
They were whispering to each other. When they saw me they grinned and smiled their big smiles.
I took Renesmee's hand at the same time as Edward took the other.
Renesmee was jumping up and down between us when we walked through the door.
Something was wrong.
"What is it you are both so happy about?" I asked when we walked slowly towards the main house.
Or rather, Edward and I walked slowly; Renesmee was very impatient and started pulling us faster against the house.
"You'll see." Renesmee said, laughing. She swung her head around and I noticed that her bronze curls were braided together.
"Who made your hair today, Nessie?" I asked. She never wanted anyone to do her hair.
"Daddy did," she said and looked at Edward.
I looked at him too, and laughed quietly. There was nothing he wasn't good at.
He met my gaze and smiled my favorite crooked smile.
We jumped across the river at the same time and landed without letting go on each other.
The back door was open and I heard people talking and laughing from inside.
Before we went through the door Edward whispered, "Hold your breath."
I inhaled and held my breath like he told me to.
Why should I do that?
We slowly entered the big light living room. They were all there. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme.
I heard a heartbeat and looked towards the sound. The beat didn't come from Jacob as it usually did.
No, hidden in the crowd was a person I loved very much. It was my mom.
I let go of Renesmee's hand and walked quickly into her warm arms. I couldn't believe she was here.
This was the surprise Edward and Renesmee had been talking about, and I owed them so much for doing this to me.
She pulled away to look at my face. "Oh my god, Bella. Is that really you?" She cried.
I probably would have cried too, but vampires couldn't do that. "Yes mom, it's really me." I said and hugged her again. "Oh mom, it's so good to see you."
"It's so good to see you too, baby. You have changed so much since the last time I saw you." She said and pulled away to look at me again. Then she looked at Renesmee. "Why didn't you call me to tell that you adopted a child? I would really have wanted to know."
I looked at Edward who nodded once and took Renesmee up into his arms. He started to swivel her around his body.
I was so distracted by their laughter that I forgot to answer the question.
I looked at my mother again and smiled. I thought of what Edward had told Charlie last year and spoke, "We didn't adopt her. Edward's biological brother was adopted just like Edward. And the courts located us when Edward's brother and his wife died in a car accident nine months ago, leaving their only child without any family.
"And when we saw her and talked to her, we just started loving her. So we decided to let her stay with us." I'd said it and now it was time for her to believe it.
She looked nerves at me just like Charlie had. "Honey, you're only nineteen years old, isn't it a little too soon to start taking care of a child. And what about college?
"I thought you went last year, but then Charlie suddenly called to tell me that you were very sick. Why wouldn't you tell me that?" She asked. I felt so bad for not telling her the truth, but I couldn't.
"I know we're only nineteen, but I love her. And I'm sorry for not telling you about the whole sickness thing, but I didn't want you to be terrified of what could happen to me, that's why I didn't tell you." I said.
She saw my sad face and pressed me to her chest. She must have noticed my hardness and coldness, 'cause she pulled away.
That was it for my oxygen; I was going to gasp for air in less than a minute.
I saw Edward and Renesmee in the couch and I went to sit next to them.
Renée sat down in the armchair on my left side.
Renesmee lay in Edward's lab and slept. I leaned down to kiss her forehead and in the same time I inhaled.
Renée's scent wasn't burning to me as Charlie's had been.
I had gotten more used to the scent of human blood, but it was still hard for me.
"Thanks" I whispered in Edward's ear. He looked at me and smiled.
I looked back at Renée and found that she was looking at me. "When did you decide to come visit us? Was it Edward's idea or was it your own?" I asked Renée to break the painful silence.
"Edward called me yesterday and asked if I could come visit you. Phil wasn't home so I left right away. I landed this noon and Edward picked me up at the airport. He told me that you and Alice were on a wellness trip and that you would come home in the evening. So we decided to surprise you." She said and started smiling.
"It was a very good surprise, thank you." I said, looking into my mother's eyes.
She looked into mine too, and we started laughing as we always did.
Edward looked at me with confused eyes. He didn't get the whole laughing thing so he just arched one eyebrow and started humming. He hummed the song in Renesmee's memory.
I closed my eyes and lay my head on Edward's shoulder. I wanted to fall asleep like I used to do when Edward started humming.
He kissed my forehead and it was like I slept.
I pretended to sleep even though I knew Edward didn't believe it.
"I'm sorry about that. I guess she is tiered after a weekend with Alice." Edward said and I felt his eyes on me.
Of course he apologized for me. He always acted like he was the one to blame for everything. He was always so sweet and lovely and kind.
"That's okay. If she needs to sleep, that's okay. I'm a little tired to so I let you get some sleep." Renée said and started walk out the room.
"I'll show you where you can sleep." Edward said and kissed my cheek to wake me up.
I smiled and opened my eyes.
Edward lifted Renesmee off of his lab and lay her gently down with her head on the pillow. Before he turned to Renée, he kissed her forehead. He walked out of the room and I followed to say goodnight. He walked upstairs with Renée right behind him.
When she saw me she smiled. "You must be tired; you fell asleep so fast I couldn't count seconds." She grinned. I followed them all the way to Edward's old room.
It was so different from the last time I'd seen it. All his things were gone and instead there were a big bed, a desk and a dresser, but the view was still the same.
The sunset was so beautiful as the sun disappeared behind the trees.
"Oh. The view is so beautiful." Renée said when she managed to speak. She held her suitcase in both hands and went to the bed.
"Mom, if there is anything you need, water, food, anything. Just take it, okay?" I said and went to give her a hug.
"Got it," she laughed. "Goodnight, sweetheart."
I walked through the door and turned around. "Goodnight mom." I closed the door after me.
Edward was looking out the window. He turned to face me, and approached me to give me a kiss.
"I want to talk to Alice, is it clear?" I asked him and laughed.
He laughed with me and nodded. He followed me as I went to Alice and Jaspers room.
I knocked on the door once and almost before I did, Alice's voice sounded on the other side of the door. "Come in, Bella." She said.
I opened the door and saw her and Jasper sitting on the bed with a chessboard between them.
Alice made a smart jerk and got Jasper's king. She shouted in joy and jumped off the bed to hug me.
"How long have you been playing?" I asked curiously when I pulled away.
Alice thought about it quickly and answered. "About an hour, Jasper is really good. Do you want to play with us?" she looked at Edward first and then at me.
"No, we probably should get Nessie back, so she can sleep." I really just wanted to be alone with Edward tonight. "I just wanted to say thanks for not telling me about my mom. You must have seen it?"
It meant a lot to me that she had kept it to herself. It would have taken the happy surprise away, if she had told me.
"Yes, I saw it. But Edward had told me not to tell you anything, and wouldn't ruin the moment for you." she said.
It was so sweet of them to let my mom stay with us. It meant a lot to me.
"Thanks Alice." I said. "Do you know when Renée will wake up?" Edward asked.
Alice closed her eyes for two seconds and opened them again. "About nine a.m. be sure to be here before so we can say we have eaten breakfast." She said.
I nodded slowly.
As Edward and I walked through the door Alice shouted, "Say goodnight to Nessie from us!"
I looked against her. "We will. Goodnight."
We walked down the stairs hand in hand. When we reached the living room I lifted Renesmee into my arms. We closed the back door after us and went out in the summer night.
It wasn't cold at all. It was one of those nights, where I had felt very pleasant when I was human.
We walked in silence to the cottage. When I opened the door, I knew that I was home. I walked into the little living room and kept going until I was in Renesmee's room.
I took her little dress off, and put on the nightgown Edward and I had given her.
A usual she didn't wake up. She could sleep from everything. But when I lay her in the bed she opened her eyes and looked at me.
"I'm sorry I woke you up. Just go to sleep again, honey. You're home." I said and kissed her forehead.
She nodded but kept her eyes on me. "Momma, do you want to watch the sunrise with me tomorrow?" she asked in a sweet low voice.
I'd watched the sunrise many times with Edward since I'd become a vampire. But I hadn't yet watched it with Renesmee.
"Are you sure you want that, it's very early in the morning?" I stroked her cheek gently some times before she said something.
"I can handle it. Can I see it then?" her eyes went big as she looked into mine.
"Okay then. I'll wake you up when it's time, okay? And get some sleep now, it's late." I said and kissed her forehead again.
Edward said goodnight to her and came to join me in the loveseat.
I looked around in the little living room and saw something I hadn't noticed before.
The computer I had when I lived with Charlie. That couldn't have been there all this time, I would have noticed.
"Have the computer been here all the time?" I asked Edward and nodded in direction of the computer. I just wanted to be sure. Then I looked at him.
"No, Charlie came with it yesterday. He also brought the rest of your clothes and the rest of your books. I just put it there, I hope it's okay?" Edward said and crooked an eyebrow.
I actually wanted to check my mails.
"Yes, of course it's okay." I answered and went to the computer. It was just as slow as it always had been.
I checked my mails; there were some new ones from my mom, and some old from Alice and Edward. From before I moved in.
In the middle of all the old mails from my family there was one that wasn't from them.
I looked at the name on it. It was from my old best friend, Sophie.
I opened it.
Hey Bella!
It's been long, too long. How are you? Is it fun to live in Forks? Are there any cute guys there? It would be nice to see you again, I could come visit you, if you'd like?
Hope I get to see you soon!
Love Sophie.
She had written her telephone number under her name so I could call her. I read it several times, and answered it. I wrote that I was more than fine and a big YES to the question about the boys in town. I also wrote that I was married, and that I'd gotten a child. Who wasn't my own, of course.
It was very annoying that I couldn't tell anyone that Renesmee was my own, but they wouldn't believe me. She was less than a year old in human years, but looked like she was six instead of one.
Then I came to the visit part. I really wanted to see her again, but could I be with her in days, sleep in the same room as her, and not sleep, and every second I wanted to drink her blood? I couldn't.
"I think you should let her visit you. It would be nice for you to see your old friends." Edward was standing right behind me and read over my shoulder.
I deleted to No and turned around to look at him. "But I can't do it to the others. I can't make them pretend to be human all the time."
He laughed. "They have to. You're a part of this family now." He stroked his hand from my ear, down my cheek, my chin, my neck, my shoulder, and then down my arm. His touch making me shiver.
"What if they don't want to? I mean, I could go visit her?" I suggested.
"You can't, I would miss you too much. And you can't be in the sun either."
I knew he was right, but I couldn't do it to them. First Renée and now Sophie – and Renée hadn't even left yet.
"What do I do then?" I asked him and looked into his eyes. I couldn't go see her. So having here was the only choice I had to see her.
"We'll talk to the others about it when Renée's gone home, okay?" he said.
"Okay." I agreed.
He gave my forehead a quick kiss and walked towards our room. He stopped and looked at me over his shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you in the bed." He said with a crooked smile and disappeared through the door.
If I had a heartbeat, it would be beating so fast that I would nearly fly. I hated when he dazzled me like that. I mean, I loved it, but it was embarrassing when he left me looking after him like that.
I took a deep breath and looked at the computer again. I wrote that I would call her when I knew if she could come. I signed it with my name and wrote my telephone number in case she wanted to call me.
I send it and shut down the computer. I took a few deep breaths and walked to the door to our room.
Edward was lying in the bed with the quilt over him. His shirt and jeans lay on the floor, so I was looking at his beautiful pale chest.
His eyes were closed and his face relaxed. I walked slowly towards him and kissed him.
When I pulled away he opened his eyes and smiled. I crawled over him to lay right beside him.
He kissed me. His kiss sending shivers through my whole body, and left me wanting more.
At four o'clock Edward and I put our clothes and went to wake up our daughter.
While I helped her in her clothes, Edward found a blanket.
Renesmee was so excited that she jumped around, and even let me do her hair.
I braided it to make it look just like yesterday.
When she was done, I took Edward's hand and we started walking.
We walked to the place Edward and I always sat when we watched the sunrise or sunset. We walked with Renesmee jumping up and down around us.
We found a place in the grass to sit and Renesmee sat between us, looking around.
"When does the sun start rising?" Renesmee asked and looked at Edward.
"When the sun is ready, my very impatient daughter." He grinned at her and started tickling her.
She started to laugh at once. She tried to make him stop, but couldn't. "Stop daddy! Momma, tell him to stop." She laughed.
I echoed in as I started tickling Edward. He made a funny sound and threw himself into the grass.
Renesmee sat up and started tickling him too.
We all laughed like that for a few minutes until I noticed that the sun was beginning to rise. "Nessie, look!"
She looked up and her mouth fell open. Her eyes were big and focused on the red sun before her.
The sun rose and made the sky, first deep red, and then lighter red.
This was the most beautiful sunrise I'd ever seen.
Edward sat up quietly and put his arms around Renesmee, kissing the back of her head as he did.
She looked quickly up at him and smiled, and then she looked towards the sky again.
We sat like that until the sun was free of the trees. Then Renesmee looked down again.
I stroked Renesmee's hair. She looked at me and held one of her arms out, to make me join the hug.
I hugged them both for a minute.
Then Edward pulled away and looked at us. "I want to speak with you about our vacation. Should we go to Rio as we talked about?" he asked.
Renesmee nodded and touched Edward's cheek, a huge hopeful smile on her face.
His eyes closed for a minute and looked back at his daughter. "Yeah, I know you want to see something else, than just these houses, and the forest. So you want to go." He looked at me.
I wanted to go, but I know there was a slight chance that Jacob wouldn't let us go, not without him. "I want to go, too." I said.
"I asked Esme if we could borrow the island, and of course she said yes, so we just have to decide whether or not we want to go." Edward said.
"We want, we want, we want!" Renesmee repeated. She was very stubborn, if she wanted something, she didn't give up before she got it.
Edward looked at me, the silent question written on his face.
I nodded.
Renesmee saw it and started screaming with joy. She stood up and jumped around, dancing something that would be her victory dance.
I moved closer to Edward and lay down in his arms, his one hand stroking gently up and down my arm.
Renesmee found a butterfly and chased it around in the meadow. She played with it for a while and came back. "I'm hungry, can we go back now?" she asked.
I packed the blanket and looked at Edward "Just go, I want to take a shower. I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Okay but hurry, I miss you already." Edward said and smiled.
He gave me a quick kiss and Renesmee gave me a hug before they walked against the house. Hand in hand.
I stood there for a moment and realized that I was staring at nothing.
I walked back to the cottage, and went straight into the bathroom and turned the water on.
It was warm against my cold skin, but it was refreshing.
When I got out of the shower I dried my hair quickly with the towel, and went to the closet. I put on a dress and a little jacket above it.
When I closed the closet door, something fell out of one of Edward's drawers. It was some sort of letter.
I flipped it open and started reading.
Hello everyone.
I'm writing this to you as a goodbye.
I'm sorry I can't tell you this face to face, but I need to do this alone. I don't want any of you to come after me.
I'm sorry that I'm ending it in a letter, and I'm sure you will never forgive me, and that's okay.
Don't miss me when I'm gone, because that will only hurt you even more.
I love you all.
Edward
I read it many times before I understood what it was saying. I sat on the bed and read it again.
Why was he leaving? Was he going to die? The questions ran through my mind.
My mind was trapped and all I could think of was Edward. I lay down, and closed my eyes.
I wasn't sure how long I lay there. It didn't matter. If I wasn't with Edward, nothing mattered to me.
I wouldn't let him leave me. I couldn't. Not now, not ever.
I felt a soft finger on my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Edward bending over me.
He sat down on the bed and held my hand. "What's wrong?" He asked in a wary voice. He leaned down and tried to kiss me, but I pushed him away.
It would be too hard for me if he kissed me now. It would make everything much more painful.
"What's wrong with you, love?" he asked, more worry to his voice this time.
I jumped off the bed and ran out the open door. Leaving him sitting there.
The letter was still on the bed, so he could see why I was like this.
I know I couldn't outrun him, but I could try.
I heard him call my name, from behind. But it made no sence. Why would he follow me, if he was leaving anyway?
I caught the scent of a human near me, but I didn't care.
He said my name again, this time he was right behind me. He reached for my shoulder, trying to stop me, but I didn't.
I kept running.
"Bella, love. Please stop, the letter doesn't mean anything." he said. Didn't mean anything? It meant everything.
I finally stopped.
The hand that still was on my shoulder turned me around. His arms wrapped around me, but I pushed him away again. "Why are you doing this to me? The letter doesn't mean anything," he said.
"How can you say it doesn't matter? It does matter that you're going to leave me. Why are you doing this to me? Don't you love me anymore?" I asked.
He looked at me, his face scared. "Of course I love you; I love you more than anything in the whole world. And I'm not going to leave you." he said with a smile.
"But the letter," I started.
He interrupted me. "I wrote the letter when I left you and I thought you were dead. When I went to the Volturi. Why should I leave you now? You're a vampire and I can love you forever?" he said end took a step closer to me.
He didn't get to come closer before I had thrown myself into his arms and kissed him.
He kissed me back, and I could feel the relief in his whole body.
When I pulled away I didn't let go of him, I just hugged him. I pressed myself closer to his chest, refusing to let go.
"Are you okay? You don't hate my or anything?" he asked his voice stilled filled with worry.
I smiled. "No I don't you, how could you think that? I'm so happy that you aren't leaving." I said and kissed him.
"I love you, I always have, and I always will." He whispered in my ear. His lips found mine again.
When we pulled away, I said, "I know. I will always love you too. No matter what happens we stand together in the end." I said and hugged him.
He nodded and kissed me. "No matter what," he agreed and took my hand. "We should probably get back. Your mom is waiting." I squeezed his hand, and walked with him.
We walked in silence, and when we reached the door, Edward took me in his arms and gave me a quick kiss.
I took his hand again and we entered the room.
My mom was sitting in the armchair, refusing to sit next to Emmett in the couch.
People who didn't know him would think he was dangerous, and with his big muscles he looked very frightening, but when you got to know him, he was like a six year-old who wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to.
Renée stood up when she saw us. "Bella, can I talk to you outside?" she asked.
I nodded and looked at Edward. He gave me another quick kiss and went to sit next to Emmett.
Before we walked outside I looked up in the sky, no clouds.
I went out the door quickly with my mom right behind me. I went into the trees and slowed down, hoping she hadn't seen the shimmering. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked her.
She looked at me with wary eyes. "It's just that you've changed a lot lately, not just your body, but also you mind. When I saw you yesterday, you were a whole new person to me. Not the old, protective, shy person. Now you're… still protective, but not the same way." She said. "And you're married and have taken in a strangers child and made her your own. Honey, you're still so young, you don't need to pick now, I want you to think of the choices you have."
Saying that, she sounded just like Jacob.
"Mom, I don't want choices, I love Edward so, so much, and I can't live without him. And I love Renesmee." I said. "I don't want choices; I want my life to stay exactly as it is."
"I'm sorry, honey. I guess it's just hard for me to see my little girl grow up. And I know that you love him, but you're still only a child, and I don't want you to ruin your life. So please tell me that you made the right decision." She said, trying not to hurt my feelings.
She didn't.
"I know I made the right decision with Edward, because I know, that I will love him forever." I grinned at the last sentence, 'cause it was actually true. I would love him forever.
"Good. But you know you always can visit me. Right?" she said, changing the subject.
I knew that I could, but I wouldn't be able to go outside the house. "Of course. And you can always come visit me, just call beforehand so I can ask Carlisle and Esme." I laughed.
"Okay honey. I think I'll get back to packing my things." She said and stopped.
"Pack your things, why? Are you leaving already?" I asked, a little disappointed. I had thought she would stay here more than one day.
"Yeah, Phil is coming home tomorrow, so I have to go home tonight." she said and turned around.
I turned around fast, too fast. "I guess its okay then. I just thought you'd stay longer." I looked into her eyes.
She smiled at me and we walked back to house where Esme had made her food. We told her that we didn't eat anything at noon, and it looked like she believed it. After she ate we went to pack her things.
"You don't need to answer the question if you think it's inappropriate, but how is it having a stranger's child living like your own?" she asked me while we packed her stuff.
"It's like…" I started. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I couldn't. Not without telling her the full story. "I don't know really." I just said.
She nodded and finished packing.
I drove her to the airport in the Volvo, 'cause I didn't want to show her the Ferrari. I gave her a big hug and waved goodbye.
When I got home, Edward and I talked to Esme about our vacation plans and Sophie visiting. Of course they said yes to both. So I called her to confirm our plans.