A/N: Thanks to all who read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story:-)
As Always a big thank you to Jezzeria, my faithful prereader/beta. Also thank you to Angela LuvsFanfic who preread and beta'd this chapter as well.
I will try to put more speed into the story because it does get a bit long without anything really happening. Please be patient with me as I am learning how to do this; with the advice from my prereaders.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
On with the story...
Rustling of sheets and a yawn signaled to us that our daughter was waking up. I turned around to go back inside. The first streaks of daylight poured through the windows, giving a beautiful contrast with the colors of the dimmed lamps.
When I reached her, I carefully engulfed her in my arms. She looked up at me with sleepy eyes and yawned again. I pecked her forehead.
"Morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" I asked softly.
She blinked a few times, rubbing at her eyes.
"Morning, mommy." A soft childlike voice came from her lips.
My eyes widened, watching her. Did she just speak aloud? Her voice was beautiful. It wasn't as fluent and high as a vampires' voice but it held a childish and girly undertone. Edward came up next to me, caressing her cheek.
"Good morning." His voice was upbeat. A big smile played on his lips. He was happy that she spoke aloud too.
I watched happily as he took her from my arms and nuzzled her nose. She giggled and squirmed a little.
"Okay, I think someone needs to use the bathroom, come on little girl."
We made our way to the bathroom for her morning ritual. I still wasn't able to help but I stood back and observed, paying extra attention to Edward's hand. I wanted to see how he did it and what movements he made. It also gave me pointers of how to hold her while changing her.
The fact that I couldn't do those things still frustrated me though.
When she was done 'relieving herself', Edward put her in simple and comfortable clothes. All the while he was making silly faces at her and cooing. She ate it up and giggled. Every few seconds he looked at me, making sure I was okay. I smiled and nodded. It warmed my heart. The envy lingered in my mind though. I couldn't shake the negative emotions. My mind was warring with my instincts.
"All set. Now we need to get some food into you," Edward stated, matter-of-factly.
At the mention of food my throat prickled a little, and my hand went up automatically to scratch the burning itch. Edward noticed. He eyed me carefully.
"Are you okay?" His voice was a mere whisper.
Was I okay? The more I thought about it, the more the burning itch intensified. It was about to overtake me. My breathing picked up as I started to panic.
"Bella."
Edward's firm voice made me focus back on the scene in front of me. His eyes were fixed on me, searching my eyes. I swallowed, making the burning worse. Renesmee chose that moment to squirm.
I stepped closer, inhaling her unique scent. After a couple of intakes I was able to push the burning itch back. I met Edward's eyes and nodded.
He exhaled, relieving some tension then turned his attention back to our daughter, whose stomach was still rumbling.
"Yes, definitely time to feed you," he chuckled.
We made our way to the kitchen. For Renesmee's sake he turned the lamps on. We could see just fine, but her eyes weren't as sensitive as ours. She needed artificial light to see clearly in the dark, though not as much as a human; another trait of her being a half vampire.
"Do you want to hold her?" Edward asked me.
I nodded and he put her in my waiting arms. Her body heat calmed me instantly. She was fully awake now and watching everything. She took the whole kitchen in, turning her head to look at the cabinets above the sink. When her curiosity was sated - for now - her eyes settled on Edward. I walked closer to him, both for her and for me.
I watched him, taking note of his movements. My eyes focused on his hands, seeing his fingers curl around doorknobs, boxes, a bowl... I watched the muscles twitch as he used his fingers to collect everything he needed to prepare breakfast.
"You're doing great, Bella."
I started at his sudden statement. My eyes met his. We didn't need to speak, his eyes communicated it all. He trusted me and had faith in me. Even though I was a newborn, incapable of being rational for long, and had no control over my body and strength whatsoever, he believed in me.
"Take a seat," he urged me.
This I knew, this was familiar. I took a seat on the kitchen chair closest to me. The chair skidded back and screeched over the floor as I sat down. I cringed, the sound hurting my sensitive ears. Instinctively I held Renesmee close to my chest as I felt us move backwards. Edward was quick to grab the chair and brought it to a halt.
"You're okay. We'll have to work on your control," he chuckled softly.
I looked down, making sure our daughter was unharmed by the little accident. She seemed unfazed as she looked into my eyes in wonder.
I moved her carefully until she was straddling me, her back leaning against my chest. Edward grabbed the bowl of baby oatmeal and took the chair next to us. He began feeding her little spoonful of food. She opened her mouth happily. I liked this, this was the same as yesterday. I relaxed a little and watch them interact.
The ringing of Edward's cellphone distracted me. I remembered just in time that Renesmee was on my lap or I would have jumped up from being startled by the sudden sound. Edward took it from his pocket and held it to his ear.
"Good morning, Alice," he chuckled.
"Morning, Alice," I said, knowing that she would hear me.
Alice's phone call disrupted my peaceful mood. The memories and feelings of yesterday all floated to the front of my thoughts.
"Good morning, you guys. I hope you had a nice night. Are you coming to the house today?" Her voice was careful, hiding her enthusiasm.
I didn't move. I was not sure if I could handle being there in that house around everyone. My mind was going haywire thinking of it. And the wolves; would they be there? Frustration and wariness tried to overtake my mind. Edward looked at me, never moving his eyes from mine when he spoke in the phone.
"Will Carlisle be there?"
"Yes, he is at home. Everyone is…" Alice's voice answered through the phone.
"I'm not sure; we will most likely come to the house. Please hold back a little when we come, don't overcrowd us once we're there. Tell Carlisle we might need him," Edward answered, firmly. His eyes never left mine while he spoke.
"I'll be here, Edward. Good morning Bella." Carlisle's voice sounded from somewhere on the other side of the line.
I couldn't find it in myself to answer him. My mind started to panic. Something in my eyes must have alerted Edward of my sudden mood shift because he ended the call quickly. He was about to pick our daughter from my arms, when suddenly a warm hand touched my throat.
An image of myself flashed in my mind. I looked tense, angry and scary. The hand lingered a few seconds on my skin, showing me the past few minutes. I saw the kitchen from another point of view; I saw Edward rummaging through the cabinets and me following his movements, then I saw the phone call, and finally I saw the image of myself again.
Mommy?
The warm hand dropped from my throat and I looked down at my daughter. Her voice sounded small and unsure. Her eyes showed how uncertain and scared she was. Was that how I looked like a few moments ago? I felt bad immediately.
"I am so sorry," I whispered to her, although it was also meant at Edward.
She watched me carefully before her eyes softened and she put her hand back on my throat.
Hungry
To prove her statement her stomach rumbled again. I felt myself relax a little.
I met Edward's eyes. He hadn't said a word during the exchange. A small smile played on his lips, yet his eyes held some trepidation. Something was bothering him. 'Later' he mouthed. I nodded tentatively , an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.
So much was happening, so much was going on. Going back to the house meant facing the Cullens again, facing everything that happened, and maybe even facing Jacob and 'his pack'. And what about our daughter? Carlisle would be there, so he would want to ...what? Examine her? Study her? What could he do to discover what was wrong with her? Would it harm her? No way was he harming my child!
Would we learn something? And if we did? What would we do? If it was dangerous, what could we do to protect her? If something in her own body caused her harm, how did you protect someone from their own body? I was so scared.
"Bella?"
I was brought out of my musings by Edward's questioning voice.
"I'm… I…"
"Sshh, let's continue her breakfast first and then we'll see what we'll do, okay? "
I nodded at his reassuring and controlled tone. Happy at my response he resumed spoon-feeding Renesmee's baby oatmeal. I kissed the top of her head occasionally, assuring myself that she was alright.
She ate about three quarters of the bowl before refusing the spoon. She turned her head away signaling she had enough. Edward got up and cleaned the bowl before putting it in the sink. I got up from the kitchen chair and walked in the living room, Edward's footsteps were close behind me.
I sat down on the couch and handed Renesmee to him. He did his 'after feeding' routine of holding her to his chest. In the meanwhile he talked to me.
"Do you think you're up for going to the house?" he asked softly.
"I… I don't know…" I was so conflicted.
"Maybe we can figure out more about our daughter?"
I was torn. So many things withheld me of wanting to go back, but other things drew me in. They were still our family. Yet, I didn't... no, I couldn't trust them.
The rational part of me knew that it would be best if we went and that I could trust them. However, the other, more dominant part, didn't feel at ease with the thought of going there and facing them. Being in the same house, room even, as them made me guarded and edgy. How could I know that it was safe there? Would Jacob be there? If he was… I wouldn't be able to control myself.
A growl escaped my lips when I contemplated of him being there. As if the Cullens – some of them at least – being there wouldn't be bad enough.
"Who is going to be there?" I asked through gritted teeth.
Edward looked at me, trying to figure out what I meant. I fixed my eyes on him, wanting to know.
"It will just be our family. If Jacob turns up, we will demand him to leave."
I eyed him distrustful for a moment before nodding.
"I don't want to go," I whispered softly, "I feel safer here."
Something in Edward's eyes hardened as he swore to me that I would be safe at the house as well and that there would never be a repeat from what happened outside in that clearing. Renesmee startled at his forceful voice. Immediately, he softened and cooed to her.
"I'm sorry, I got a little mad, didn't I? Sorry." He pecked her forehead and cuddled her close to him.
His eyes met mine again. I saw his protectiveness and love.
"I won't let anything happen to you or our daughter, but we need to know what we're up against."
I let his words sink in, understanding what he meant. Renesmee's safety and future was the most important thing. To guarantee that, we needed to know more about her nature and the consequences. Renesmee came first. With the decision being made a tension settled in my mind and muscles. The thought of going to the house was enough, to add the insecurities about what we would find out about our daughter was all it took for my body to be fully alert.
Edward saw the decision in my eyes as he nodded and stood up with Renesmee.
"Let's go."
After putting a jacket on our daughter, we headed to the front door. As we passed, Edward turned off the lights.
As soon as we stepped outside, I heard Renesmee sharp intake of breath. I looked down and saw her looking around, turning her head from left to right.
"She loves the forest."
I smiled at Edward's words.
Edward pulled the front door of the cottage closed behind us as we set off towards the house. We made our way through the trees. Renesmee's enthusiastic behavior kept the building tension and dread in my mind more manageable. When the house came into view, I tensed a little. I scanned the surroundings and was relieved that the wolves' smell was evaporated from the rain yesterday. They hadn't come back. Edward kept silent next to me, letting me take it all in.
As we approached the back door, I saw Rosalie come up to hold it open for us. I wasn't comfortable with stepping inside when I would have to turn my back to her. She seemed to understand though as she left the door open en went back to the living room.
When I arrived in the living room I was surprised and calmed to see that only Rosalie and Emmett were there. I focused on my senses to locate the others. They seemed in different rooms of the house, but all downstairs.
I murmured a small 'hello', knowing everyone could hear me. I didn't feel at ease and I wanted to just turn around and go back outside. Edward felt my reluctance and guided me towards the stairs, where Carlisle stood waiting for us. I didn't move, refusing to let him sneak up from behind.
He must have known my dilemma as he turned around and went upstairs.
"Come on, love," Edward encouraged me.
Once upstairs, Carlisle preceded us up towards his office. He opened the door and without hesitating walked into it, leaving the door open for us. Cautiously, I made my way closer. Once I reached the threshold, I halted. My eyes took in the open space. One wall was completely made out of glass, showing the forest and giving the room a more open feeling.
The wall to the left was completely transformed into a library; my eyes registered all medical tinted titles. In front of it stood a large wooden desk filled with stacks of paper and books. This really was his office. Although it was an office it still held some of the home-like feeling from the rest of the house. It was strangely captivating and beautiful. When I felt Renesmee's head turn to look around, I got wary and scared again. There was a reason why we were visiting this room; there was a reason why we left the cottage in the first place.
My feet planted more firmly on the floor. My body refused to move forward. Everything in my head was screaming to turn around and run. My legs seemed to want to spring into action and do just that. My body was already halfway turned towards the hallway before I even noticed.
"Bella? I won't hurt her, I promise, nothing I'll do will cause her discomfort," Carlisle spoke with a soft voice.
I eyed him, warring with myself to trust him. My instinct wouldn't let me take comfort in his words though as I tensed further. I was still aware that I held my daughter against my chest though. A part of me focused on not squeezing her. My whole body was strung like a spring, ready to leap into action, ready to do something.
I looked down at her. Her big brown eyes met mine in curiosity. It as then that I remembered again why we were here. We needed to have answers. There was something different with her. Her growing and development were way to fast and we had to know what that meant for her health. Was she in danger? Was it life threatening? At that thought I cringed. It hit me square in my chest, feeling my unbeating heart constrict painfully. It hurt and made me feel powerless to not be able to do something about it. The thought of losing her, of her maybe dying, caused my mind to shut down for a millisecond. It was impossible to even think of it.
I hadn't noticed I was shaking until, Edward wrapped his arms protectively around us. He pressed his lips against the top of my head. It held so much emotion, I felt his determination and protectiveness and love in the kiss his pressed in my hair.
"We'll get through this together, okay? Whatever Carlisle finds out, we'll manage, together and with the family."
I nodded, still scared. He squeezed his arms a little in a reassuring way before releasing us. He draped an arm around my shoulder again immediately though knowing I still needed the additional support.
I turned my gaze back to the inside of the room, locating Carlisle. He stood at the hospital like table, although he didn't make a move, but watched us intently. I looked to Edward who gave me a reassuring nod and tentatively I stepped into the room.
I made my way towards the table, opening my senses fully, taking in every detail. I noticed that the rest of the family was downstairs; Rosalie seemed closer to the stairs though, like she wanted to come up. I inhaled taking in the scents of the room. Leather and wood were the most potent, besides Carlisle's, Edward's and Renesmee's scent of course.
As I got closer to the table, my pace slowed. I was extremely aware that Carlisle stood very close to me and the table. I tensed in unease. I didn't want him so close! I gritted my teeth, barely containing a warning growl. Carlisle observed me before taking a step back, creating more space between himself and I. Edward's fingers pressed a little harder on my shoulder and I felt his lips press softly on the side of my head.
The last couple of steps to the table were difficult as my mind warred again. The fight or flight urge kicked back in. I could almost feel the material of the tabletop against my legs when I stopped, however I didn't move further.
Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Carlisle moving. My eyes shot to him immediately, preparing myself for... for what? He met my eyes and then walked to a cabinet on the third wall of the office. I still didn't move my body; my arms holding and shielding my daughter.
He came back towards us with a notebook and a pen. He had some other items in his other hand. I couldn't quite make out what they were. I felt anxiety creeping in, making my defensive mechanism kick in.
I placed her on the table, keeping a hand on her arm. I couldn't leave her alone. i just had to touch her, assuring myself it was okay. I directed my gaze to Carlisle, who stepped right next to me.
"I'm just going to do some tests. It are standard tests like weighing her, measure her temperature and height, none of the tests should cause her harm or discomfort, I promise." His eyes stayed locked on me.
Unbeknown to me Edward had slipped his hand in my and squeezed it gently. I nodded slightly doing everything I could to keep calm as Carlisle lifted a little machine to her head.
I hissed as it was about to make contact with her ear. What was he doing? Edward whispered that it was an ear thermometer, that they were most reliable for children and that they worked fast.
Renesmee giggled as the little metallic tip touched her ear. It took less than 2 seconds 'til it beeped and Carlisle pulled it back. He took a look at the screen and scribbled something down. I focused on my daughter, she looked happy and curious. Her eyes followed every movement he made.
"I won't use the stethoscope as I can hear her pulse and heartbeat just fine," Carlisle stated. My eyes shot up to the instrument around his neck. I realized what it meant: he wouldn't touch her. My body relaxed a little with that realization.
"Can you sit still for me, please? I'm going to listen to your heart." His words were spoken warmly.
Renesmee looked at him and then at us. I never broke eye contact with her while Carlisle stood silently beside her. After a full minute he scribbled something down again. He put the notepad down and smiled at her.
"Do you think you can stand up? Or lay down? I'm going to measure you," he asked her softly.
Edward moved closer to her and took her hands. She put a lot of effort into standing up. I saw the muscles in her arms twitch and her forehead frown as she concentrated.
I placed a hand on Edward's waist, needing to touch him. I knew I couldn't help Renesmee with these kind of things yet. My lack of control over my strength and my mood wouldn't allow me to touch her too much. In my aggravation I would hurt her without a doubt. I hated it!
I followed every movement Carlisle made. Yet, he still didn't touch her when he unrolled a tape measure. I suspected that Carlisle was communicating by thoughts to Edward as I saw him nod a few times and adjust Renesmee's posture.
He took some more notes. I heard the pen scratch on the paper as he wrote down her length and other measurements. The whole time Renesmee was curious and happy. Obviously it didn't bother her, unlike me, who had to try really hard to stay put.
"Okay, now we only need to know your weight." He walked back towards the cabinets and grabbed a set of kitchen scales putting them down next to Renesmee.
"Hop up," he urged her.
Edward lifted her under her arms and set her on the metal scale. She squirmed and tried to wiggle of the object. She was clearly uncomfortable. Was it hurting her? Was she in pain? I growled in warning, I wanted to snatch her away.
"It's okay, love. She was just startled from the cold of the metal. She's perfectly fine," Edward tried to soothe me. I gritted my teeth, unconvinced.
By the time he was done speaking, Carlisle already signaled that he was done. Edward picked her up and looked at me. I opened my arms, wanting her close to me.
The moment I felt her warmth against my body, I calmed again. I buried my nose in her curls, inhaling her scent. I heard Carlisle move over to his desk with Edward following.
A soft growl, made my head snap up at them. Edward looked tense as he was watching Carlisle's notes. Carlisle was ruffling through the stacks of papers on the desk, although their posture was anything but calm. I straightened my body up, bringing my daughter's head closer to my chest. She settled down and stayed still.
"Edward?" My voice was strained as I felt anger bubble in my mind. What was happening? What caused him to be so angry?
Multiple pairs of footsteps came up the stairs, advancing towards the office. I growled lowly, backing away. I was conflicted. What was happening? What were they doing? What did they want?
As Emmett and Rosalie appeared in the doorway, I tensed, feeling trapped. When Jasper appeared next to Emmett, I tensed more. I clenched my jaw, and itched to crouch down, but the little warm body in my arms reminded me that I couldn't do that. I hissed through my teeth at the scene in front of me. Jasper's eyes focused on me.
"Enough, please everyone go back downstairs," Edward gritted, becoming increasingly aggravated. He flitted over to me, standing slightly before me, shielding me.
"I'll explain later, please just back off." He directed towards the vampires in the doorway.
I heard two vampires leaving immediately. They had stayed near or on the stairs. The other three backed away. I heard Rosalie mutter a soft 'sorry'.
I didn't move until I was sure that they were downstairs, only then I directed my gaze to Carlisle.
"Carlisle?"
His eyes met Edward's before looking back at me. He didn't look that comfortable.
"I have never seen anything like Renesmee. She grows faster than a normal baby, she is mentally more developed... she's ahead of everything for her age. I can't find anything that resembles it or could explain it. I'll have to monitor her more closely and search more literature. Hopefully, I can find something to indicate what's ahead."
As he explained everything, I grew edgier and scared. He couldn't tell me what was wrong, what it meant. He couldn't tell me if she was safe or...
"Is she in danger?" It was the only thing that I managed to grit out.
All movement downstairs halted, their attention focused on what happened in this room.
"She seems healthy now, but I don't know if that will stay that way," Carlisle answered.
I growled in frustration and fright. Edward growled as well. His body oozed anger as he stared at Carlisle.
"I'm sorry son. I'm not going to lie to you."
Edward's shoulders sagged. He nodded and turned towards me. His arms encircled us.
Mommy? What's happening?
Her questions were accompanied by images of what transpired in this room.
"It's okay, sweetie. We will figure it out. Are you okay?"
She stared at me for a moment and then nodded. Her attention was elsewhere again when she spotted the instrument lying on the table.
I watched Renesmee play with the stethoscope, relieved that she looked happy and carefree again. The tension she experienced moments earlier seemed already forgotten; discarded for now.
I didn't want to be here. I wanted to get away, back to the cottage. It was too much. The uncertainty of my daughter's health and her future gutted me. I couldn't fight and protect her when it was her own body that causing the harm. I growled because I felt powerless.
Edward met my gaze, many emotions crossing his face, then his jaws tightened and his demeanor changed.
"We will figure out what it means. The whole family will help us look for answers. They love her just as much as we do. In the meantime, we will take care of her and love her like we've already been doing. I promise you, Bella, we will figure out." He peered into my eyes, willing me to believe him.
His voice held so much determination, yet I also detected a twinge of anxiety. As I replayed his words over and over in my head, I realized that even though I might not trust the rest of the family, they were family, and they loved my daughter. Her unknown condition must scare them as well.
It was very difficult for my mind to acknowledge that and even more difficult to accept it. My eyes drifted to our daughter who was still occupied with the instrument. She seemed oddly oblivious to everything for the moment.
My eyes sought out Carlisle; who had been silently standing at his desk. My instincts were still urging me to take my daughter and leave, to be angry with Carlisle and the others. A huge part of me was still angry about what happened in the days since I woke up, but this shared concern for my daughter somehow overrode my instinct; for now.
"Carlisle… I am sorry that I… I just… Sorry."
I couldn't put my concerns and thoughts into words. My mind reeled at the thought of letting him – and the others – in.
"It's okay, Bella, I understand. I'm sorry for how some things played out… We will look into it and find out what Renesmee's condition entails." His voice became more determined as he spoke.
I clenched my teeth and nodded tightly, getting weary of the tension in the atmosphere and in my own head.
The thud of something hitting the floor broke the tension. My head swirled towards our daughter who looked deject over the edge of the table. I followed her line of sight and saw the stethoscope on the ground. Edward walked over to pick the item up and placed it next to her.
"How about we get you something to drink, huh? All the tests must have made you thirsty," he cooed while scooping her in his arms.
She looked at him and he nodded, "I'm sure Esme will have something that you like."
Downstairs I heard the fridge door open as Esme rummaged through it, finally picking something out and closing the door.
"Coming, mommy?" Edward and our daughter both looked at me with big eyes. I spotted some concern in Edward's eyes. I swallowed and nodded. I really wanted to get out of this room.
As I walked over to them and we made our way towards the door I noticed Carlisle wasn't following.
"I'm going to go through some books first…" he trailed off.
Immediately, I heard some people come up the stairs, causing me to freeze momentarily. In the hallway Jasper and Emmett passed us, I watched their backs before they walked into the office.
"They are going to help him look for information and at the same time they are giving you some room," Edward whispered. I nodded relieved.
"Let's see what Esme found for you," he said to Renesmee as we walked in the kitchen. Esme was standing at the counter with orange juice. She gave me an indescribable look. I took a step back.
Her features relaxed and she came a little closer. A hesitant smile appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I was just thinking about everything Carlisle said upstairs." Her voice was warm and friendly, with a note of concern laced through it.
My ears picked up on the rustling of pages and the whispering in the office upstairs. Nothing much was being said.
"Are you thirsty, honey?" Esme's warm voice snapped my attention back to the kitchen. Renesmee nodded and extended her hands.
"Well, do you like orange juice?"
"She hasn't tried it yet, so let's see," Edward spoke up.
I was a bit apprehensive, ready to snatch the cup away if she didn't like it. Edward, picking up on my growing tension, took her from my arms and placed her on the counter. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders as he stood behind me. I placed a hand on her knee while my other stroke her cheek.
My muscles tensed as Esme stepped forwards and put the plastic cup in our daughter's hands. The overly sweet fruity scent waffled to my nose, making me scrunch it up a little; it was too fruity.
Renesmee gulped carefully once, her eyes wide in surprise as she tasted something new. After she swallowed the first gulp, she greedily drank the rest of it.
"I think she likes orange juice," Edward smiled. Esme chuckled and my body relaxed a little.
As I watched her, I listened to the sounds from the others, specifically the men in the office. Not many words were spoken, leaving me in the dark about everything. My mind mused over what all the results from Carlisle's test could mean.
Suddenly different things happened at the same time: Edward tensed, every movement upstairs and downstairs halted and an very unpleasant stench and sound reached my ears. Wolves!
I heard three pair of footsteps approach the mansion coming from the driveway. In a flash and a whirl of movements I saw almost everyone step outside on the front porch; the only ones who stayed inside where us four who were in the kitchen.
I could hear the conversation just as clear as if I was standing outside.
"What a welcoming committee," Leah huffed.
"I must ask you to leave. Please don't rile things up." Carlisle sounded unaffected by Leah's sarcastic tone. I on the other hand felt anger start to course through me.
"I need to see her, please. I miss her. There is also something else-" before Jacob could complete his sentence Edward was on his feet and heading towards the others outside. His brusque movement alarmed me and I picked Renesmee up and followed him. My mind preparing to defend myself and her.
Edward stood in front of the others facing Jacob. His posture was tense.
"What did you do?" he gritted out through clenched teeth.
Jacob didn't answer verbally, but no doubt his thoughts did. Edward's body was shaking. I felt foreign waves lap at me and knew that Jasper was trying to calm everyone.
"Thanks, Jasper." Edwards voice was still clipped.
"What's going on? Why is everyone so tense? Is something wrong?" Jacob's eyes met mine, "Is something wrong with Nessie?"
Everyone froze.
"What did you just call her?" I started shaking while anger flared up. My upper lip curled up.
I felt Edward take Renesmee out of my arms. My eyes narrowed at Jacob feeling my muscles tense and prepare for something.
"She is MY – ours, mine and Edward's – daughter and her name is Renesmee!" At that I didn't think anymore. The red haze was back and I lunged forward, aiming for his throat. I was too fast for the others to response. By the time Leah had phased and was snarling at me, Jacob landed against a tree. I heard a bone crack in his body as he fell to the ground.
Everything happened so quickly then. A commotion erupted when some of the Cullens jumped forward, blocking Leah and Seth. It was a mixture of growls and snarls as we faced each other.
My main attention was still on my daughter though, I heard her heartbeat get a little less loud and I swirled around, looking for her. The red haze evaporated as I couldn't immediately locate her. Part of my attention was still keeping an eye on Jacob and the others. I saw Edward approaching me as he walked back outside. Had he been inside?
"Esme and Rose are upstairs with Renesmee keeping her distracted. They didn't want to partake in the fight if they could avoid it." His voice became tenser as he came closer. His eyes turned darker, almost black in anger.
"What did you do?" He snarled at Jacob, who stood up straight, cradling his arm. He was shaking, shudders rippled over his body.
I crouched, curling my fingers and growled lowly. He was about to phase and I would be prepared.
Around me I heard the others still snarling, but my eyes stayed focused on the shuddering. Again a foreign wave of something lapped at my body. It was slightly tinted with irritation. Jasper must have been too riled up to completely calm down before he sent his waves out. It did seem to work though, as the snarls and growls ended. Jacob stopped shaking, but his eyes held a hardness in them. It was almost like looking into an angry wolves' eyes. I growled louder.
"Charlie was getting suspicious and angry because he was being kept in the dark, I… I just tried to help him understand…"
Several of the Cullens snarled at his explanation. Charlie? Charlie… Who was Charlie?
"Jacob, tell me you didn't…" Carlisle sounded ashen.
I didn't understand: what happened? I tried to summon memories. Apparently Charlie was important, right? My eyes never left Jacob's as I racked my brain, trying to remember who this man was. Very fuzzy images appeared: a white two story house, a police cruiser, a man- with brown hair and a moustache. Was that Charlie?
More memories assaulted me. They were very vague and unhinged, but I got the general image: Charlie was my dad. The moment it clicked in my mind, I leaped forward and threw my whole body into a head on slam with Jacob's body.
I felt his hot skin as I collided with him and we flew several feet through the air. Jacob started shaking again. We smacked on the ground. I got on top of him and restrained him with my legs and hands. For a moment his hard eyes, flickered with fear. He tried to look behind me, looking for help. I snarled before lowering my mouth to his neck. In this moment he wasn't my former friend, he wasn't my daughter's imprint. A small hiss escaped at that notion. He was an mutt, a stinking annoying mutt.
I bared my teeth and was ready to tear his throat out.
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