Chapter 9: Time

~Bella~

Going home had been the right thing to do. For the longest time I'd thought of Charlie's and Forks as my home, but now it was with Edward. Me and the baby were hanging in there and made it another full month. Of coarse I was going crazy having to stay in bed all the time, but was glad it was our bed with plenty of room. I only ran a fever at night, and during the day I was fine. To occupy my time, I'd been reading those baby books I'd gotten on line, but hadn't really taken the time to look over and wasn't sure any of what I was finding would apply. The biggest question I had was what kind of diet my baby would have. Edward and Carlisle had been trying to do research to see if there was any sort of legends on half human half vampire children and hadn't found very much. Most of what they did find contradicted what was happening with me, though if I had to guess I would venture to say that part of the baby's diet would be blood.

Tired of reading, I put down the book on raising a healthy baby, settled my laptop on my stomach, powering it up. On the messenger service I was using, I found Angela on line and sent her a hello.

'Hey how are you doing? How is Charlie?'

I smiled at that. Sue was having a difficult time getting my father to stay in bed. Billy was helping out, but my father was insistent on doing more on his own. 'He's driving everyone crazy, but that just means he's on the way to being back to the old Charlie. How is school?'

'Busy. Everyone's preparing for finals, and I have two papers I'm working on. I better get on with it. Call me sometime.'

'I will, take care. Tell Ben I said hey.'

As I was shutting down the computer, after sending an email to Charlie, Edward came in with lunch. He helped me move the books and computer out of the way before setting the tray beside me. It was too hard to really have it in front of me with as big as my belly was getting. Once I'd taken a bite of the sandwich he had made I thought about if things didn't go all that bad, "Do you think that if I remain human after this is over with and if the baby is more or less normal we could take her to see Charlie?"

I watched him as he thought about that.

"I think having him come here might be better. We still have the Volturi to consider, though Alice says Caius hasn't been too interested in us lately. She says he's been doing a lot of research on Werewolves, true Children of the Night."

That was news to me, though I didn't really know that much about the Volturi aside from the times we had seen them, brief at that. "What does he want with them?"

As I took another bite of the sandwich, my husband explained that to me, "Caius has always feared them. He was once attacked by one and that is as much as I know."

I nodded, taking a sip from my cup, "Angela was on line a second ago. She and Ben are studying for finals." I thought about what I would do after the baby got here. Going back to school would all depend on me staying human and with that thought something else popped into my mind, "If you do change me, what about the baby?"

Edward put his arms around me and I sighed remembering that I had to remain as calm as I could. "If we have to turn you, we will have to wait and see how that all plays out. My thoughts are that you will know even in that state that you have to protect our baby, and I don't think our child will appeal to us in that way."

I nodded, managing to finish the rest of my lunch, feeling tired. Seven and a half weeks seemed like forever away, and yet if I made it that long that would be saying something.

~Edward~

Finding Emmett and Jasper watching TV in our den didn't surprise me. Esme was remodeling and liked having the house to herself when she did that. I took a seat on the sofa next to Jasper. "Where are Alice and Rosalie?" I asked

"Shopping," Emmett said as he began to flip the channels.

"You're worried," Jasper observed as Emmett found something to watch.

"I'm trying not to be. All of the things happening to her are relatively normal, but there isn't anything I can do for her and it's driving me mad," I told him running my hand through my hair, a habit I'd had for quite some time and one that happened when things felt too out of my control. "I also worry about after. If Bella has to be turned, how do I take care of both of them especially if she can't be around the baby."

"Do you really think it would be that bad?" Emmett asked joining the conversation.

Each of us had a different experience coming in to this life, and all of us struggled with control at one point or the other, "I don't know. I keep hoping that since this is our baby she won't have any problems around it."

"Rosalie and I will help with the baby, we all will if it comes down to that," Emmett offered.

I knew they would, and was grateful. Needing a way to get out my frustrations I left my brothers and went into the large sitting room where my piano waited. Once seated I held my hands over the keys, shut my eyes and began to play. We would get through this. Bella would be fine, our baby would be fine, they had to be.

~*~

A few weeks later found Bella and I in our bed watching a new adaptation of Wurthing Heights. Bella was leaning against my left side, and had eaten another full bowl of popcorn. "Do you want me to go make more?"

My wife simply nodded, too focused on the movie to answer, and I shook my head before kissing her as I placed my hand over her tummy rubbing it there before leaving. In the kitchen I pulled out the last bag of popcorn and put it in the microwave, keeping my focus on her as I waited for the cycle to finish. Just as I was about to get the bag from the microwave I heard several things at once. Bella's gasp, a gush of what I knew was her water breaking and the hum of our baby's heart drop ever so slightly.

In a second I was back upstairs by her side as she looked from between her legs to me.

"What just happened?" Bella asked completely stunned.

"I think your water just broke. Do you feel anything?"

She nodded, "Just a little tightness, but not uncomfortable. I thought this wasn't supposed to happen. Carlisle said I wasn't dilating the lest time he checked me," she reminded taking in a deep breath and letting it out. Carlisle and I had thought her labor would have to be induced and or he would have to do a C-section to get the baby out, however it appeared that we were wrong.

Keeping as calm as I could I helped Bella from our bed and after grabbing a clean shirt for her, led her down the hall to the guest room.

Once she was dried off and changed, resting in the clean bed, Bella looked up at me, "How long will this take?"

"That all depends on how far along you are."

For only a few seconds I left her, grabbing my phone and hitting the speed dial to Carlisle's. It was Alice who picked it up. "Alice, you need to find Carlisle. Bella's labor is starting."

"Don't worry, Edward, they just left to go hunt."

Once back in the room with my wife I sat beside her on the bed placing my left hand over her protruding stomach.

"Do I get to decide how I want to do this?" Bella finally asked as I wrapped my left arm around her holding her closer to me before remembering that this bed didn't have the electric blanket.

As I was preparing to answer her Alice arrived and I sent her to change the sheets on our bed.

"We need to wait and see," I said knowing how much Bella hated not knowing something. I hadn't realized until now that she seemed to have her mind set on a C-Section, and had a feeling that it may not go that way now that her labor was happening without any help.

A few minutes later Carlisle arrived. Bella and I were talking about the movie, and my wife was keeping as calm as she could.

Her heart rate shot up when my father entered the room and as I started to move away she grasped my hand firmly in hers.

Carlisle noticed, "You can stay there for this part. Bella I need to see how far along you are." Bella turned her face against my chest as she moved her legs apart. My wife clinched at my shirt and her heart beat grew faster while Carlisle performed the first of what would be several checks on her before our baby was born.

"One centimeter," Carlisle told us once he had put the blanket back over her.

Bella sighed, "I thought we were going to do the surgery?"

Everything that Carlisle needed was at his and Esme's house, but I was already reading my father's thoughts and knew we would have to convince Bella that letting this happen naturally was the better way.

"Bella, since your labor is starting on it's own I would like to try and see if you can handle having the baby without me intervening. We have everything we need at the other house if in fact something goes wrong, but right now we need to wait," Carlisle explained

My wife nodded once before shutting her eyes. Carlisle left giving us some privacy and after pulling the blankets more securely around her, I gathered my wife closer to me.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I am to try this all on my own? I've seen shows where women give birth and I don't know if I have that kind of strength," Bella whispered.

"You have that and more. Your the most stubborn, determined woman I've ever met, and it's for those reason's and more that I love you. You also have me by your side, don't forget that."

For the moment my wife managed to calm down. She closed her eyes as we both lay waiting for another contraction.

~*~

In the dim light of the guest room at my parents house, Bella lay against the pillows with her eyes closed. She had never looked more beautiful to me as she did at this moment. I gazed at her and then down at the small bundle in my arms. What my wife had just gone through had earned her as much rest as she needed and never to have to lift another finger if she so chose it. Our daughter had taken her time being born, and now that she was here I felt whole. Silently I moved over to the bed and sat down, causing my wife to stir before she opened her eyes. She hadn't had the chance to hold Renesmee because she was so exhausted, and had fallen asleep after Esme and Rosalie helped her get cleaned up.

"I thought it was all a dream," she whispered moving just a little before she gasped in pain.

"Careful, Carlisle had to perform an episiotmy, so you are going to be uncomfortable," I told her remembering that moment and the rest as I stood by unable to do anything other than to encourage her to keep pushing.

With my help Bella was able to sit more upright, but not without being in more pain than I would have liked for her. Once she was comfortable I moved to hand our baby to her. Bella held her arms out and in a moment our baby was in them.

"She's so light," Bella murmured kissing Renesmee's forehead.

"Five pounds eight ounces," I said, and we both noticed as our daughter smiled briefly when she heard my voice.

"How is she otherwise? I mean in my dreams she grew so fast and her skin was tough like the rest of you, well us at the time."

Those dreams she had sometimes bothered me, but I knew she had worries and wanted to relieve them. "She's more like you than she is me. Carlisle was able to take a sample of blood," I said, remembering how loud Renesmee had cried when he had.

Bella had undone the blanket and was tracing her hand over our daughter's tiny one, "How will she be able to hunt if she needs to?"

As I answered Bella pulled the blanket back around her. "When she's old enough we think she will be able to handle that just as well as any of us. Also we think she will become stronger as she grows."

In a moment I was sitting next to my wife and Bella leaned in to me as we watched our daughter sleep.

"Has she been fed?"

"I gave her four ounces of blood while Esme and Alice were helping you. We haven't tried anything else yet."

Renesmee smiled again and I felt my deadened heart come to life.

"She likes hearing your voice," Bella said a moment before our daughter smiled again before turning her head slightly to the left, still asleep.

"And yours," I replied.

Someone knocked at our door and a second later Alice peeped in. No one else had seen the baby, respecting my wish to let Bella have time with her before they came, but I knew they were all ready to be a part of this.

"How is she to all of you?" Bella asked as Jasper followed Alice over to our bed. It was just the two of them and again I was grateful for their consideration.

"No temptations," Jasper reassured.

My sister was content to just look at Renesmee from Bella's arms and after a hug they left and Rosalie came with Emmett.

Rose was eager to hold her, and Bella didn't mind as my sister took our daughter into her own arms. We watched as Emmett stood behind her looking at Renesmee over Rosalie's shoulder. "You are beautiful," Rosalie crooned.

"Babe, we better give her back," Emmett reminded after a few minutes, and Rosalie seemed to remember where she was.

"I'm sorry Bella, I got a little carried away," She said in all sincerity as she gave Renesmee back to my wife.

"I'm not worried and if she turns out wanting to be awake at night I'll expect you to help out," Bella said playfully.

Esme and Carlisle were the last to come in, and as they did, Renesmee began to shift making tiny noises as she did.

My wife seemed to be relieved when Esme took our daughter to hold, though Renesmee became more restless.

"I think you are ready to be fed again," Esme crooned as she swayed with our daughter.

Bella looked up at me, "Do I need to try feeding her?"

"Only if you want to. We can try a bottle if that's what you want."

My wife shook her head and Esme handed our baby back to her. Carlisle left as Esme helped Bella get settled helping her this first time. Bella hadn't told me to go and I watched and listened along with her as they got the baby to nurse. Once we had things under control Esme left promising she would be back in a few minutes.

"How do you feel?"

"This feels really weird, but I'm not about to make her drink formula. Have you smelled how bad it stinks?"

It did smell bad.

When Esme came back she showed us a few ways we could burp our daughter, and while she did Renesmee opened her eyes. They were just as alert as they had been when she was born, and when she looked right at Bella, my wife gasped. "You are so alert already," my wife crooned pulling her legs up and settling Renesmee against them.

Our daughter watched Bella intently as my wife talked to her, and when she was ready to be fed she let out a small cry. I helped Bella this time around and once she was being fed, Renesmee shut her eyes and went back to sleep.

~Bella~

The sun was just beginning to light up the room when I opened my eyes. Edward was next to me and against his chest our baby slept without a care in the world. She didn't seem to mind the coolness of his touch, and had yet to be put down. They only woke me up two times last night to feed her, and I hoped that she would be a good sleeper. If she wasn't we would figure that out.

"Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Not yet, I want to watch her sleep," I murmured, carefully moving closer to them. My body felt like it had been run over by a train, and I still felt like I could sleep for another day or so. Renesmee had on a floral sleeper that actually fit her small frame, and I noticed in the sun, that the light covering of hair she had on her head was a light shade of red. "Did you have red hair when you were younger?"

"I think, when I was born. I was noticing that," my husband whispered in response.

Unable to resist, I reached out and brushed my fingers through her hair. Her skin was warmer than mine and again I thought about my dream and guessed that helped with her to be able to withstand Edward's cooler touch. The more awake I became the more a realized that I needed to use the bathroom.

"Am I allowed to get up?"

"Yes, but only for short periods of time. Do you need to get up now?"

"I nodded, feeling guilty that I would deprive our daughter her resting place. Remaining on my side because I wasn't sure I could get up on my own, I watched as Edward moved his hands to support our baby before he sat up. He walked a few steps to the bassinet that I just realized was there and leaned down, laying her inside.

Once she was safe, he came back to me and very slowly helped me sit up. The pain I felt caught my breath and Edward hugged me, "Breathe," he said, and I did.

"Maybe I don't need to do this," I told him even though I knew I did.

By the time we got back I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure I would be able to feed Renesmee who was starting to stir again. Edward helped me in bed and once the warm covers of the electric blanket were over me the pain subsided.

Once I was settled with my baby in my arms Edward settled back in bed beside us pulling his arms around both me and our daughter. "I feel like I've been hit by a train," I mumbled not sure how I was going to deal with the demands of my daughter and everything else in between.

"You went through a great deal getting her here," my husband pointed out as he reached out and took hold of one of Renesmee's tiny padded feet.

"She's so alert," I murmured thinking back to the few times she had opened her eyes to watch us. Renesmee didn't cry much at all, only enough to let us know she needed something. When she was awake she gazed right at us, and I wondered how strong her vision was.

"I've noticed that too, and the way she responds to both our voices," Edward agreed as he let go of her foot.

When Renesmee was finished eating, Edward took her as Esme brought in breakfast. I smiled as he handed our daughter to her, and began to eat realizing as I did just how hungry I was. "I need to call Charlie at some point and tell him the news. I still don't think he should tell anyone else," I voiced, not sure really how to approach that. My father seemed to respect that I was distancing myself from Renee, though I figured in time he would want more answers.

"We could buy him tickets to come out here," Edward offered.

I nodded as he kissed the side of my head ready to go back to sleep and deal with Charlie at a later time. Edward seemed to realize what I needed and helped me lay back down against the pillows. It seemed like the moment my head was against them, my eyes lids had sand in them. Knowing that our daughter was in good hands I fell asleep not worrying about anything else for the moment.

~*~

AN: Since I have two days off I'm starting to get ahead again. So what do you all think. Renesmee is much different, but that doesn't mean she's not going to be like any other baby. I have plans for her and them with her. Also some time with Edward and Bella alone once Bella starts healing better. There a few things they have to figure out. Bella is nursing her baby, and I don't find that much of a stretch taking in to consideration what Carlisle said in BD about book Renesmee not liking the smell of the Formula, or something along those lines. Also I have known a few people teenage who have chosen that path. Next up on the agenda is Grandpa Charlie coming for a visit, well maybe not right away but eventually.

Thank you all for the great reviews, I hope you will keep reading, I'll try and make this more interesting, but I kind of like them at home with their baby without a whole bunch of struggle since we didn't get much of that in BD.

~Ella~