Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight realm belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Five - Convincing

Alice was picking me up after school for a shopping trip in Quebec. I had to meet her at the convenience store around the corner, because she was taking her new sky-blue Porsche. My rear had not hit my seat, when the car was already roaring out the lot. Normally, it would have taken two hours from my school, but of course, we arrived in twenty minutes.

"So, Auntie Alice?" I pleaded as niece-like as possible.

"Yes, I can see him destroying half of the orchard already, Nessie. Can't you put it off? For Esme's sake? Those apple blossoms are positively divine in the spring."

She stopped and turned toward me. I reached down to put my hand in hers. It was still hilarious to me how much taller I was now.

He doesn't want anything to change. He's a vampire-dad. But I need to grow-up. I need to do things on my own, even if that means socializing with human teenagers.

"You need to do what you need to do. I need to find you a new outfit. I know I've seen you wear that shirt before." She began marching into the closest boutique, but I kept my hand on her shoulder.

What do I need to do?

"Convince your mother first. You know she's the only one who can sway your father, but I didn't need a vision to tell me that."

I let go of her shoulder and followed her into the boutique. She was right, after all. I was sufficiently grateful for her advice that I allowed her to talk me into a week's worth of new outfits, including one that might be a good fit for the party.

Will it look good if I wear it to the party?

She groaned at me. "Nessie, you know I can't see you in your future."

But you can still see the future around me. You can see the reactions of the people around me.

"Well, that doesn't change a thing, Nessie. No matter what you wear, all of those boys are going to drool all over themselves."

"Really?" I said aloud, brightening. I think I must have looked a bit superior.

"Oh, Nessie, try to hide that facial expression when you're attempting to convince Edward. It won't go over well."

Edward. Dad. Right.

"No. Absolutely Not."

I had not even put my foot past the threshold, and Edward was there, arguing with my thoughts.

"Dad, I need to go."

"Nessie, we've come too close to losing you in the past. You are too unique. I am not going to tolerate anything dangerous."

"Yes, I am a freak. I'm well aware, but, come on dad, I am not that unique. The Volturi already made it down to the Andes. They took care of Joham. They let Nahuel and the rest of them alone, and Alice has a trained eye on the Volturi. We would see if they were coming."

He closed his eyes, his face turning into a statue. "No."

I stormed away from him, sweeping down the hall to the library to where my mother sat in her favored chair, reading. She was studying up on French now that we were in Quebec. I sat by her side, putting my hands on both sides of her face. Privacy, please?

She set down her book and sighed. She looked me in the eyes before nodding. She tensed and looked down, before staring back up at me. The shield was in place.

"Okay, Nessie, what is it?"

Her shield was the only way to have private conversations in the house without my dad hearing. As long as I communicated wordlessly, and my mother whispered, we could talk alone without having to take a three-mile jog.

One of my friends is having a holiday party. She's specifically organizing it for me. Dad's flipping out because male life forms will be within a hundred mile radius. I really want to go, mom. I really like these girls.

"Take it easy out on your father. He misses you already. He spent most of the afternoon just staring at the piano."

Aw, mom, that's kind of sweet in a really annoying way. I've only spent fifteen hours of the last forty-eight at school. I'll bang out some Mozart with him this weekend. But seriously, none of that is a reason that I cannot participate in normal teenage activity.

"You know, I never really went to any parties as a teenager."

Sure. Instead you sucked face with a vampire. I'm sure if you'd given your parents the choice they would have traded a whole lot of substance abuse and poor decision-making for a little less proximity to the razor sharp teeth. Seriously, mom, this level of control is oppressive. Am I a daughter or a doll?

Mom rolled her eyes at me. "You go too far Renesmee. I am willing to consider your request, but first I ask you to listen to me. While I believe I understand your reasons, I am not fully sure that you understand our reasons."

Sure. Fine. I'll listen.

She continued, "You need to be sure that you will not harm any humans."

I snorted. Oh, please, mom, I've never even come close to accidentally biting a human. Besides Jake, I've never bitten a human.

She raised an eyebrow at me quizzically, and I felt like I was missing something. She continued on anyway. "Also Nessie, I don't think you recognize your own vulnerability. There are those who would hurt you, and also, we've had you for such a short amount of time. In a normal world, I would still be dressing you in jumpers and braiding your hair." Her eyes grow very soft as she said this.

Aw, mom. I love you, too. But in the normal world, I wouldn't exist, so you can't follow the normal rules. I am your half-vampire, half-human daughter. You all handle the whole vampire part without a hitch, but now I need you to acknowledge the human part.

She shook head, before throwing her hands up in the air. "Fine. I'm willing to talk to your father, as long as you abide by certain conditions."

I was gleeful and trying not to overdo it. Sure, anything, mom.

"No drinking. No funny business. If the dance floor is crowded, then no dancing. Keep your personal space. Also, one of your aunts or uncles must be within hearing distance."

I groaned at that one before perking up. Can I choose?

"Yes, but they must accept."

Cool. No problem, then.

She gave me a final exasperated sigh, before standing.

"Go to the carriage house, Nessie. I need to talk to your father."

I nodded and fled down the hall and across the courtyard to the carriage house. I flew up the steps to my room and sat by my window, staring at the apple orchard that covered the upper valley. It was rather lovely. I did hope Alice was wrong.

Finally, I heard it, a long growl followed by a cacophony of discordant notes released on the piano in the grand room. Finally, the discordance reshaped into an angry Shostakovich piece, and I let out a sigh of relief. He would probably be brooding for a few days, but then again, my dad wasn't happy without something to worry about.

No matter. I sniffed. Esme would be happy. The orchard was safe.

Jacob was not particularly pleased about the party either.

"Teenage boys are nothing more than slimy, testosterone-driven cretins. Their sole drive in life is to get some. Don't let them get their crummy little paws on you—because they will try. Watch your drink so that they don't slip anything into it."

I sighed, exasperated. "Really, Jake. If anyone tries to put anything in my drink, I'll be able to smell it. If they actually try to grope me, I can just backhand them across the room. I can take care of myself."

"Nessie, I don't know…"

"I do know. This is what I want."

"I'll be there in only three days. Can't you wait?"

"No. I won't wait to go to the party, and also, I can't wait for you to get here! I haven't seen you in, like, four months, two weeks and three days."

"Hah, I can't wait to see you either. Nessie, are you sure about the party? Do really need to go man-hunting?"

"No. I'm not interested in the "man hunting" aspect. Kind of gross when applied to me, anyway, right?"

I imitated a bad 1950's horror film voice, "Blahhhh! Renesmee the scary man-hunting blood drinker! Run for your lives, or she'll tempt you into becoming her next meal! Huh, then again, that's kind of the Denali sisters' thing, huh, except no blood-drinking? Whadya think of me picking up man-hunting, Jake?"

"I think not. Nessie, the party sounds like a bad idea."

"Jake, I'm not sure how to explain it to you in the right way. I really like these girls. I'm having a lot of fun just figuring them out. I'd like to be their friend outside of school. I'd really like to know them. I'm not sure I can do that if I'm only ever trading trigonometry tips with them at lunch."

"You like them more than me?"

I snorted and laughed. "Be reasonable, Jake. You know I like you best."

There was a funny pause on the other end of the line.

"You're right, Nessie. You should go. "

"Thank you. Your flight gets here on the seventeenth, then?"

"Yes, the things I do for you. No man with a height even close to seven feet should ever have to fly coach."

"No problem, Jake. Mom will upgrade you."

"No. No. No. I'm taking neither your family's money nor your frequent flyer points. I'll deal, just leave it on the tab, between this and the red-riding hood shenanigan, you owe me huge."

"Oh, please, Jacob. You loved that. Besides, what girl with a gigantic wolf-friend wouldn't want to play little red riding hood? Everyone loved it. Rosalie had so much fun stuffing you into that grandma outfit, and Leah made such a good woodcutter. I suppose she did get a little overly enthusiastic with the axe, though."

"Yeah, I was lucky to be in my wolf form, so I could escape. I almost lost both forepaws."

"You know Rose still takes joy in recounting how you looked when you phased back—the image of you in that enormous, droopy pink dress and ruffled grandma bib makes her laugh every single time."

"That so? I have a new blond joke."

I groaned.

"Why did the blond stare at the orange juice box?"

"I don't care."

"Yes, you do."

"Why, Nessie?"

"I don't know," I huffed. "Fine. Why did the blond stare at the orange juice box?"

"Because it said, concentrate!!" Jake was rolling with laughter at his own joke, now. Typical.

"Nice, Jake. Yeah, I think I'm going to avoid telling my godmother that one."

"Dang, and I bet she'd love it, too. Well, I have to go, and you need to hunt, so talk tomorrow?"

"Sure. Sure. I miss you."

"Miss you, too. See you soon."