Disclaimer: I own nothing when it comes to Twilight or the songs I make reference to. I know… I'm sad too!

A/N: FYI; this chapter changes POV a few times, but it picks up right where it left off so it shouldn't be too confusing. Enjoy!

CPOV (Carlisle)

We all watched as Renesmee and Rosalie left to go outside. I had not intended on making it sound like Renesmee had deliberately hurt Bella. She was the purest person I had meant since Bella herself. I made my granddaughter feel guilty. I made her think that we all thought she had hurt her mother on purpose.

"Bella, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt either of you. I didn't think of the emotional reaction that she would have; I was merely curious from a medical standpoint. This is something I have no knowledge of. I am fairly certain that there is no one in the world like her, and the fact that you both are here today… it's just incredibly interesting to me. I'm sorry, Bella."

Bella held up her hand. "Its fine, Carlisle. I understand. And she does too, she just… she hates to think about it. We don't talk about it much. She doesn't like to think that I came so close to dying. She thinks it's her fault, but it's not."

"Of course not, it's nobody's fault." Esme smiled at Bella in reassurance.

"Still, Bella, I am sorry. It's just I have so many questions. You know my fascination; but still, I should have thought about the emotional ramifications versus my own interest."

"Honestly Carlisle, it's fine." Bella was hesitant, but continued. "I know you all have questions. I knew that I would have to answer them. So… go ahead. Shoot."

Everyone looked around the room; waiting for anyone to start off the inquisition. After several seconds, everyone's eyes, including Bella's, landed on myself.

"I guess we should start at the beginning. Bella, what happened after we left?" I looked to Edward.

I'm sorry, but that's where it all started for her, Edward. He nodded slightly and looked to Bella.

Bella looked down at her lap and fidgeted with her hands; she almost seemed human again with the mannerism. "I was sick, and after a few days I went back to school. I ended up getting really sick there. That's when it clicked. I knew I was only feeling the symptoms so soon because of the supernatural stuff, but it made sense; at least… as much as it could." She laughed without humor and continued. "I, uh, went and got a pregnancy test, not really expecting for it to tell me anything, but it was positive. I already had a bump in my belly and I knew I needed to leave. I couldn't deal with it with Charlie there, so I lied and told him I was going to Renee's and I ended up at your house."

I was speechless. Within a week of conception, she was physically sick and had a distended stomach from the fetus. From her description, she was exhibiting signs of being three months pregnant; give or take.

"Charlie let you leave?" Esme pulled me out of my reverie. I was so concerned with the science; I was forgetting the emotional consequences again.

"He put up a little bit of a fight, but he was just hoping that I'd be happier there." Everyone nodded. We were all fully aware that she was miserable when we all left. Alice had described her state to us many times; trying to convince us to return. I was sure that Charlie was just hoping that Renee would be able to help Bella when he couldn't.

"Why'd you go to our house, Bella?" Emmett asked. It was an obvious enough question; I'm surprised no had beaten him to the punch.

"I didn't really intend to go there. I was just trying to drive away from Forks. I guess I was kinda lost in my own thoughts, but when I realized where I was… I don't know, I figured it was a place to stay for the day at least. But, I ended up finding Alice's note and all the stuff she left, so I stayed." Everyone's heads whipped around to stare at Alice. Even Jasper was stunned. Although, Edward looked extremely upset at the revelation.

APOV (Alice)

Sweet, she blew the secret!

Not that it really mattered anymore. They can't fault me for helping my sister and niece survive while my brother was behaving like a dumbass, but I was really hoping we could just bypass that set of details.

Edward glared in my direction and I meant his eyes. "You what?"

"Okay, everybody calm down." I held up my hands in surrender; I knew an explanation was in order, but still. "I was having a lot of visions when Edward decided we needed to leave for Bella's own good." Bella looked down; as did Edward. Neither of them seemed to like those points being brought up into the family discussion. Oh well. "None of which was very clear. I had seen several times that she would end up at our house and I had seen things that I was apparently leaving her, but I had no idea why. I decided it was best to just chance it and leave the stuff I saw she needed. I wrote her a note explaining all of this."

"Yeah, you said in the note that you weren't sure if I would even find it." She nodded as she spoke.

"What did you leave her, Alice?" I turned to face Jasper.

"I left her the key to Carlisle's filing cabinet, the key to Esme's BMW we left behind, some blank documents, a few things she had left around the house, clothes, and some cash. And some blood. I still don't know what you needed that for." I looked to Bella. I had a theory, now that I had seen Renesmee, but I wanted it to be confirmed without me voicing my guess.

"Oh, I, uh, that was the only thing I could really keep down through the pregnancy and the only thing Renesmee would eat." Bella looked down, embarrassed, and I knew we all were missing her blush at that moment.

"So, you drank blood as a human? Dude, I told you she was meant to be a vampire!" Emmett pointed at Edward while he laughed. Esme slapped his arm down before Bella looked up from her lap.

"Bella, how did you know what to do? Did the blood… call to you?" Carlisle was clearly curious. He was sitting on the edge of the couch trying to formulate the questions into coherent sentences.

Bella looked up. "Kinda. I was eating regular food, but I couldn't keep anything down. I had opened the fridge and saw the obscene amount of blood Alice left. I couldn't think of any reason why I would need that much." Neither could I, at the time. Edward looked at me, clearly questioning whether I actually knew or not."I pulled one of the bags out and … I don't know… it smelled good. Like food. Once I started drinking it; it wasn't a big deal. I knew it was the baby, but it didn't bother me either. The smell was different some how."

"Amazing." Carlisle continued to stare at Bella while she shifted in her seat. She still wasn't comfortable with the focus being solely on her.

"What about Angela? How did she come into this? Is she okay?" Esme was hesitant in asking, clearly fearing what we all feared; that Angela had become a meal, or at least been harmed, or maybe scared to death by what she saw.

Bella crossed her legs, seeming to get more comfortable. I saw Edward lift his arm to drape it over her shoulders, but he stopped before she noticed and dropped it back into his lap. Give her time, Edward.

"I knew I wasn't going to survive without changing into a vampire and I knew I needed someone to take care of her till I could." Bella looked out the back sliding glass doors to Renesmee and Rosalie. "I didn't know who to call. I'm sorry didn't contact you, Alice. I just didn't want you to come back that way… please understand." I nodded, although there was still a conversation to be had over the topic. I still wasn't happy over her choice, but I didn't want her to defend her actions to the entire family; and none of them knew how easy it would have been for her to contact me with the credit card. Edward's head popped up. Don't start… later. "I knew Angela was my only hope. I called her and asked her to come over. She freaked out a bit, but still decided to help me."

Jasper shifted next to me. "What did you tell her?"

"Not much. She knew it was supernatural and she knew Edward was the father, but she never asked for details and I just told her it was better if she didn't know what was going on."

"She just agreed to help you?" Jasper was clearly confused. As a rule, humans ask questions and get scared. But Bella was describing Angela as if she hadn't been frightened at all. As if she had acted like Bella herself.

"I asked her if she could take care of the baby and she agreed, but before I even got any further into our conversation… I was in pain… I was in labor. Angela helped me upstairs and once Renesmee was out, she took her. I told her about the blood, although I didn't call it blood, in the fridge. I had put it in a pitcher and told her it was for Renesmee. Once she left, I injected the venom into my heart and I started to change."

"Your heart? That's… that would definitely speed up the process." Carlisle was reverting into the doctor mode yet again. "You said it took three days; how did Angela care for Renesmee for that time?"

"Um, she fed her blood. She figured out what it was, but she didn't deviate from it. Renesmee has showed me all of the memories she has with Angela. She loved Angela; she misses her sometimes, still."

"She never bit her?" Esme asked.

"No. She acknowledged that she smelled good, but she's always been incredibly bright. Astoundingly so! She knew Angela was there to take care of her and that she shouldn't hurt her. She's never bitten anyone; even me."

"What about you, Bella? You seem so… controlled?" Carlisle inquired, rather hesitantly.

"Angela was hard to resist. I ended up jumping out of your window to go hunt for the first time. Animals. You actually helped me a lot, Emmett." She smiled at him.

"Me? How?"

"You told me what it was like to hunt once. That your senses take over. That it isn't even really you; it's the animalistic side. I was terrified up until I remembered what you said." Emmett and Bella both smiled at each other. "After I drained quite a few deer; I came back, but I still didn't trust myself so I spoke to Angela threw the glass window. She didn't ask any questions, but they were all written on her face. She left and that night, Renesmee and I left Forks for good."

Jasper was astonished by her control. "You weren't tempted by Renesmee?"

"No. She smelled great, but not in a food way."

Jasper nodded.

"Do you have a gift? Or is Renesmee the only special one?" Emmett laughed.

"No, I don't think so. Twenty years hasn't exactly shown any clues."

"Maybe you're power isn't superficial, maybe it's something else." Carlisle theorized and then looked to Edward, asking a silent question.

Edward answered. "No, I still don't know what she's thinking."

"Well then, maybe…" Everyone looked to Carlisle. A chorus of 'what' sounded before he continued. "I've had twenty years to contemplate it and I think you might be some sort of shield, Bella; maybe a mental one."

Emmett laughed. "She's mental, well if the doctor says it…"

Edward spoke, completely ignoring Emmett. "That makes sense. It would explain everything."

Bella looked between both Carlisle and Edward silently begging for an explanation; much like the rest of us.

"I'm sorry; let me explain. Shielding, as a power, deflects attacks on one's self. Most shields are physical; they create barriers around themselves to which no one gets close enough to harm them. But you, I believe, are a mental shield. Your power protects your mind, to the point where no one can harm you that way."

"But then why can Alice see me? And Jasper can sense my emotions, right?" It was true, but even I knew why that didn't matter if she was truly a mental shield.

"Bella, I can see outcomes of the future. They're based on your decisions, but I don't actually see the decisions. Your brain plays no part in my power, so the shield doesn't ward me off."

Jasper chimed in. "And I can sense and manipulate your emotions, but I have no clue to why you feel them. If you feel remorse, I could only guess to why." Bella nodded.

"That makes sense… I just… I didn't know I had a power."

"It's quite an unusual and strong gift, Bella. I've never met a mental shield; in fact, I've only heard of a few. It's quite rare for anyone to have that power. And now that you know, you may be able to alter it."

"How?"

"Maybe project it over others. Or maybe even relinquish it so that it doesn't protect you all the time. It would take time and an awful lot of effort." Bella nodded again.

EPOV (Edward)

If she could relinquish it, then I could hear her thoughts. Oh, what I couldn't give for that.

But she would never do that with me present. She always loved the fact that I couldn't hear her thoughts and she had more reason to feel that way now.

"So why didn't we see you yesterday at school?" Emmett asked the question, but as soon as he did, everyone nodded. I was quite curious why we hadn't seen her, or Renesmee, prior to me meeting them, as well.

"I don't know. I never knew you were there, until Edward walked into my Biology class."

"Biology, how fitting." Alice smirked to herself over the thought.

Emmett continued to wonder. "Still, we should have seen you at lunch, even if none of us eat."

"We skipped lunch. We normally do since neither of us like to eat. We were in the car." Bella just shook her head dismissively.

"Well, that explains that, but I have a more pressing question." Alice looked from Bella and me to Carlisle. "I can't see a damn thing anymore and I think it has to do with my beautiful niece."

"What do you mean, Alice?" Esme's face lined with worry.

"I mean I had no idea she existed and I still have not received one vision containing her. Plus, I can't see anyone when they're with her. Right now, I can barely see five seconds into the future since she's so close and is probably considering when to come back inside."

Carlisle thought for a moment, as did everyone. "Maybe… maybe she's immune to your power."

"Like a shield, too?" Bella asked.

"No, I don't think so. Alice can see most things or events that are going to happen, but she always she's those with vampires best, correct?" Alice nodded her head. "And you can see humans well, but not as well as vampires, correct?" Again, Alice nodded. "Well… you've been human and you are a vampire… but… you've never been the combination. Maybe that's the key. Renesmee is unique, incredibly so; maybe a vision cannot hold her."

"Well, that's disappointing." Alice folded her arms over her chest and began to pout. "You mean I'll never be able to see what's coming from her? Damn."

I laughed, which only earned a glare from Alice.

"Okay, I gotta ask, where the hell have you been all this time, Bella?" Always the blunt one; Emmett.

"Um, lots of places. I'm assuming you all know that she grew at a really fast rate?" Everyone nodded. Considering the show she put on, I'm surprised they only nodded. "Yeah, well, we couldn't stay in one place very long so we moved a lot. We lived in various cities in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Alaska, and even Vancouver for a bit."

I heard Emmett think it. I saw Alice see it. But I reacted too late.

"I can't believe Edward never found you in all those years. Dude, where were you looking?" Emmett looked to me, but I was waiting for Bella's reaction.

Her jaw dropped and she appeared to not be breathing. She looked down at her hands.

Esme. "She didn't know?"

Carlisle. "You didn't tell her, Edward?"

Jasper. "Shock; she's completely shocked."

Alice. "I told you to tell her, Edward. Damnit! Ugh!"

Emmett. "Uh oh, what'd I say?"

Carlisle was the first to speak, trying to alleviate the silence. "I should be getting to the hospital about now. I'm going to go say goodbye to Renesmee on the way out." He walked over to Bella and me. "Bella, I'll see you again soon. There's so much to catch up on." She stood and he embraced her.

"I'll see you soon, Carlisle." She spoke in a whisper; still completely shocked at Emmett's announcement.

Esme stood and followed Carlisle. "I'll walk you out."

After a few minutes, Bella looked to me. I was still sitting on the sofa trying to form words to explain myself. "Can I speak with you, alone?" She, again, whispered the statement.

"Of course." I led her up the stairs. I could hear the rest of their thoughts as we ascended.

Jasper. "She's confused and shocked. She wants answers, obviously."

Emmett. "Tell her everything... Sorry."

Alice. "Tell her the truth, Edward. She needs to know you looked for her. She needs to know you looked for her for fourteen years. She needs to know everything and she needs to tell you some things, too. This is the conversation you two need to have."

Alice didn't think about the conversation; giving me no hints to how Bella would respond. Okay, just tell her the truth.

A/N: So, there it is! I know it's too short and I know it took too long to get updated but I have been told to no longer apologize for having a life, so… yeah, it is what it is.

There's still a whole lot more coming. Next chapter will start off with Rosalie and Renesmee; gotta know what they're talking about out there, right? And then… we'll see, hehe. I got the B/E conversation all planned out and I got tons of ideas for the B/A conversation. I think I'm even gonna throw in some Jasper into that one.

As always, Read, Review, and Ask! I love your comments, keep them coming!

~kmwhyte