Blood and Water

Except Sam, all of the boys needed to stay in the Cullen House under Carlisle's care. Everyone was allowed to go home by midnight except for Leah, who had injured the muscles on her neck and shoulders. I was walking around the inside of the house to ward off the swelling feeling all over my body when I passed by what used to be Alice's bedroom. Leah was lying on a folding bed with a neck brace while Sam was at her side, holding her hand.

At the moment I was at the door, Leah stirred awake. The scent of vampires caused her momentary panic and she began to scream. Instead, a painful croak came forth from her mouth. "You're okay, Lee-Lee," said Sam. "You're safe."

Leah continued to panic, fully aware that she was nowhere she was familiar. "Hurts," whimpered Leah. "I can't breathe." She coughed up a little blood. Leah panicked anew at the sight of it.

"You will heal, Leah," said Sam gently. "It will just take a little time."

Leah focused on Sam. Her face softened. Without Emily here, Leah was a different person. After a moment of, apparently, recollecting the events of the past day, Leah sobbed and wailed. I had never seen Leah like this. It was heartbreaking and sweet at the same time.

She reached for Sam's hand. Sam laid his head on hers. Leah continued to cry as she clumsily squeezed Sam's muscled arm and shoulder. To my surprise, Sam cried with her. They kissed. They embraced each other. Locked in Sam's arms, Leah said, "I thought I was gonna die!"

"We all did, Leah," said Sam.

"No! I thought of you—and Emily. I thought I was gonna … and Emily will die thinking I hated her up to the last moment!"

Sam continued to cry.

"I don't want to hate you, Sam! I love you! I love Emily! But I … I was just so angry!"

"I know, Leah. I know."

"I'm so tired!"

Sam kissed Leah again. I felt ashamed of myself. I had rejected Jacob purely because Edward was the one. Yet here was Sam, having no choice but Emily; but his love for Leah remained real.

While Leah lay back to catch her breath, Sam said, "I had forgiven you a long time ago, Leah. I don't blame you for being angry. But Leah … you know I love you."

Taking a deep breath, Leah replied, "I do! That's what's so frustrating! It's not fair!"

"I know. … I know. …"

"Why can't I just have you?"

Sam sat up. We all knew the answer: "You just can't."

Leah frowned momentarily. Then, she sighed. She nodded wearily. Leah and Sam were as helpless as ever. But now there was peace.

Leah squeezed Sam's hand. "Sam, do you remember that one time I went strolling in the forest on my own? I was about to cross Quillayute River. The moon was so full and bright it was like noon. I saw a white wolf."

Sam sighed.

"Do you think the same as the boys?—that I was hallucinating?"

"He had yellow eyes …"

"He was as big as any of us—maybe bigger!"

"Leah!" Sam's last tone was reproachful. Then, he sighed again. "Someday, somebody will love you more than I ever can." Sam kissed her forehead and then laid his head on her chest.

I looked away and rested my body against the wall. Suddenly, Rosalie was standing beside me. "It never would have happened between you and Edward," she said sadly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Rosalie laughed inwardly. "Your face is an open book, Bella," she said. "You're wondering if you and Edward would ever reconcile like Sam and Leah just did."

I remained silent. With Edward dead now, there was no knowing.

"Edward was ever too proud to admit his wrongs," said Rosalie. "You saw the way he fought with Jacob. He still thought he was still entitled to have you. Would you like to see Jacob?"

"Yeah, I've been looking for him."

"Follow me."

Rosalie led me through a series of hallways lined with bedrooms. I did not usually travel to this part of the Cullen House because I usually stayed in Edward's room, the living room, or the library with the piano. The bedroom wing was all occupied with the Wolf People, each in various states of recovery. Most of them seemed well enough to go home. I guessed that Carlisle wanted to make sure they were okay. That was too kind of him—way too kind.

I stopped in my tracks. Rosalie looked back at me. "What's the matter?"

"This isn't right. Aren't you even angry?"

Rosalie looked sadly at me. "Even I'm surprised: no."

"They killed your whole family!"

"They're not my family, Bella," said Rosalie. She kept a straight face while I was agape. Then, she laughed. "What, did I just ruin your fantasy of the perfect vampire family?"

"No," I said automatically. Then, I shook my head. "I mean—yes—it's just that—you are all so close! It's all so real. With Esme and Carlisle …"

"I didn't say I didn't love them," said Rosalie. "When you've lived with the same people for the last several decades, you develop this familial affection with one another. But let's be real—brothers and sisters don't have sex."

"Yeah, but …"

"It's not that I'm not sad, Bella. I am sad, but I'm not angry. Before going into battle, we have made peace with our mortality. We have said our goodbyes. But I surrendered because I realized at the last minute that I didn't want to suffer for Edward's mistake. More importantly, I didn't want to seem like I'm defending Edward."

"You're on my side?"

"I got raped, too, remember?"

I bowed my head. "Thank you."

Rosalie smiled and put her hand on my shoulder. "Jacob is in the attic room."

Following Rosalie's directions, I found Jacob browsing the tattered books on the desk in the room. He flashed a boyish grin when I saw me. I was horrified to see the bloody bandage over his left eye. "Hi, Bella!" he said, as if we was having the best day of his life.

"Hello, Jacob," I said as he helped me to the floor. "How are you?"

"Terrific! We won!"

I bowed my head. Alice, Edward, Esme, Emmett, and Jasper were all dead. Realizing what he had made me feel, Jacob gasped softly. "That was uncalled for," he said. "I am so sorry."

"I know," I said, going on tiptoe to put my arms around his shoulders.

#

The Quileute wolves fully recovered and returned to the reservation the following day. I remained in the Cullen House under Carlisle's and Rosalie's care. Despite all the attention and nurture, I gradually shriveled up. In the next few weeks, I lost weight as rapidly as my baby grew. By the third week, I could pass off as seven months pregnant except that, besides my swollen belly, the rest of my body had become skeletal. Carlisle hadn't witnessed cases like mine, but he had read of dhampires during his human life. Half-human and half-vampire, dhampires could mature like normal humans, but they also consumed blood and had limited vampire powers and weaknesses. The unusually high rate of this maturation was unanticipated. What made matters worse was that Carlisle was unable to track my baby's development using the ultrasound device. The baby's amniotic sac was as durable as vampire skin and couldn't be penetrated with radiation or sharps.

Jacob visited me frequently. Despite his affection, he was unable to conceal that he wanted the child dead. I told Jacob every time: "This was Edward's fault, not his child's."

Carlisle and Jacob attempted to improve my poor appetite by feeding me human blood from the blood storage in the hospital. It was surprisingly good. It made me feel better after the last few weeks, but I didn't look better. In fact, it only made my child stronger—strong enough to break my bones. By the time I was approaching the due date, I had broken several ribs and also my hip. Jacob was distraught that I could barely stand on my own anymore. Still, I protected my child from him. "If I die, you better not hurt him," I told him fiercely when I caught him glaring at my swollen belly. "Or else I'll haunt you until you die!"

Carlisle had assured Jacob and the other wolves that I was being taken care of. Carlisle promised to do all he could to keep the child under control if he or she ever became the monster they feared he or she would be. Carlisle wasn't any more certain than I was how this was going to be.

One day, while Carlisle was feeding me the last pack of human blood from his storage, I asked him, "Carlisle, am I gonna die?"

Carlisle looked half-angry, half-sad with me. "Bella, I want to say you won't. I promise I won't let you, but it's impossible to tell right now."

"What can you do?"

"At this rate, you are almost ready for delivery. I can schedule a caesarian section a few days from now. I just need diamond blades to facilitate the operation. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

Carlisle had made it a point to not keep me away from his sight too long. He had started calling for the hospital to deliver blood instead of him having to go out to get them himself. After that feeding, I glanced at the window. The entire Quileute wolf pack was there. Only Jacob and Sam were in human form. Had they been watching me? I opened the nearest sliding door and went out to the balcony. "Jacob, is everything alright?"

Jacob looked at me worriedly. "We're discussing about your child," he said.

"Bella, as you and your child are of the tribe, we are obligated to protect you," explained Sam.

"But he is still part-vampire," supplied Jacob. "We don't trust it to be safe around people."

Carlisle joined me at the balcony. "You trusted me to mend your injuries," he said. "You have to trust me to take care of the child."

Jacob, Sam, and the wolves looked at one another. Sam stepped forward. "Alright," said Sam, "but if the baby hurts Bella or any other human, you will get what is coming to you."

"I understand," said Carlisle.

I was in a lot of pain medication in the next few days. Carlisle gave me too little of it; he was concerned that the baby would be born addicted.

When the day finally came for my baby's delivery, I was glad that it would finally be over. Jacob and Rosalie were at my side. I was only so glad for Carlisle to administer the spinal anesthesia. Suddenly, all the pain in my body went away. I could only barely feel the baby moving inside me. "It's okay, baby," I told the squirming creature in my swollen belly.

I closed my eyes while Jacob and Rosalie held both my hands. I waited. Jacob and Rosalie took turns handing Carlisle the instruments. I could smell my blood. It took a surprisingly short time before I heard my baby crying. "Bella, look!" said Rosalie. I lifted my head.

A healthy newborn girl with perfectly curly hair was crying in Carlisle's hands. He handed her over to Rosalie, who cleaned up the baby in a nearby cot. In the meantime, Carlisle tended to my incision. With the procedure over and the anesthetic still strong, I dozed off.

When I woke up, I was disappointed that I was alone in the bed in Edward's bedroom. "Somebody …" I tried to call, but my voice was weak. I tried to sit up, but I had barely moved a muscle when I felt the fresh wound in my lower abdomen. I whimpered, but the pain was so bad I couldn't think of a name.

Suddenly, Rosalie was at my side. "It's alright, Bella," she said, holding a syringe. She pushed its contents into an IV tube already inserted into my hand with a needle.

"Where … my daughter …"

Rosalie grinned at me. "You will be pleased to know that she is strong and healthy and special."

"How long …?"

"You were out for three days," said Rosalie. "Seeing her now might surprise you."

I relaxed and smiled. "Thank you, Rosalie." Then, I slipped back into sleep.

When I woke up again, it was nighttime, and Carlisle was urging me to get out of bed. I was grateful to be able to stretch my limbs. The wound still hurt, but the analgesics made it bearable. Carlisle advised me to take daily walks from then on. When he led me back to the bedroom twenty minutes later, I was disappointed that my daughter was not there waiting for me. "Where is my baby?" I asked.

"She is with Rosalie," he said gently.

"May I see her?"

"Bella," he said soothingly, "you must understand: Renesmée is half-vampire. It can be dangerous for you, especially now that your wound hasn't healed yet."

"I understand," I said, still frowning.

Carlisle kissed my forehead. "As soon as you're all healed up, you may see her," he promised. "Oh, and by the way, happy birthday!"

In the next several days, the Quileutes visited me in the Cullen House, one or two or three at a time. Only Jacob visited me every day, but there was something different about him since Renesmée was born. He was more civil than intimate with me. When a week had passed by and he hadn't given me a single kiss, I asked, "Jacob, did you imprint on someone?"

Rosalie and Carlisle were in the room with us, and they all looked at one another. I narrowed my eyes on Jacob. "Did you imprint on my daughter?" I asked angrily.

"Bella, it wasn't my choice!" said Jacob desperately.

Ignoring the pain, I leaped from the bed and throttled him. "She's a baby!" I roared.

"Bella, you're not well yet!" Carlisle said, trying to pull me off Jacob.

Then, I heard a tiny voice of a child calling, "Momma!" I lifted my head. There was my daughter looking like a three-month-old baby. Hadn't it been only a month since she had been born?

"Renesmée," I gasped, dropping Jacob and running toward her. I scooped her up in my arms and admired her perfect beauty. Her face and hair were Edward's, but her eyes were mine. I didn't care that she was a little strange. She was my daughter. "I love you!"

"Bella!" Carlisle called in alarm. I had barely realized that Carlisle was in an unusual panic when I felt a sharp pinch on my shoulder. Renesmée had bitten me so hard that she drew blood.

Rosalie arrived and took the baby from me. "Bella, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I was hunting for us, and I accidentally left the door open!"

Jacob carried me to the bed while Carlisle tended to my new wound.

"I'm sorry, Bella," said Jacob. "Perhaps I should have told you earlier."

"I'm sorry I attacked you, too," I said. "I know you wouldn't have done that to hurt me."

A few nights later, I arranged with Rosalie to let me visit my daughter while she was sleeping. Knowing that Renesmée's sleep cycles were usually very long, Rosalie took the liberty to go on a stroll in the woods while I enjoyed a night of privacy with my daughter. I ended up sleeping beside her. When I woke up, a few hours later, I was shocked to find a hulking gray wolf about to lunge at us. When the wolf opened its mouth, Rosalie appeared and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck. The wolf tried to reach for Rosalie, but its head was too big and Rosalie was much smaller. They rolled on the floor, knocking things aside, until the wolf started to choke. It shook its head and body and then shrank into a naked woman—Leah!

Leah tried to crawl away from Rosalie, but Rosalie grabbed her long, shapely legs and tugged them. Leah cried out and kicked Rosalie with little success. To my surprise, Rosalie put her hand between Leah's legs. "Don't take someone's baby just because you can't have your own!" growled Rosalie. Leah shuddered against Rosalie's intimate touch.

"I'm not the one pretending to be her mother, you leech!" roared Leah.

My eyes widened with disgust when Rosalie stroked Leah's nether lips. "I'm not the one pretending to care about her brothers," she told Leah darkly. "If you slay Nessie, you'd be breaking tribal law. You can't harm someone that has been imprinted on."

Leah shuddered more violently and cried out, writhing like a fish out of the water. Then, her body went limp. "Get out," ordered Rosalie.

Leah sat up and gave Rosalie a mighty punch in the face before leaping out of the window. She phased on the way down. Rosalie sniffed her wet fingers as the cracks on her face mended themselves. "Are you alright?" she asked me.

"Yes," I said. "She didn't get to touch either of us. Thank you."

Rosalie smiled weakly.