A/N: Here's chapter 8, and where the mood lightens. Off topic, anyone know what James' and Victoria's abilities were? And I mean off the top of their heads. Cause I was looking through my Breaking Dawn's list of vampires, and they had powers.
During the next week, Nahuel and I searched for his sisters. I never realized how large this place was. It was at least five miles of just cells. But those proved useless. Nahuel was getting edgy, so I hardly spoke to him when we were together. But at least he was helping us.
On the ninth day of searching, we decided to take a day's break away from each other. So I had time to myself. I stayed in the room for Halflings, enjoying solitude. The kids were with the mothers, probably in the vampire room with Zafrina, plotting. Most of the males were with Joham now that he was here. No idea where those fifteen or so vampires stayed during this time, but whatever.
I sat at a table, hand on my stomach. It was impossible to hide now. Especially since I've been wearing the same clothes for almost a month; thankfully I didn't smell as bad as the place. I felt a kick, and a small spark of happiness came from it. It was my child, and soon we would be free. And hopefully Jake would take care of it as though it were his own.
Tears formed, and I held my breath. I didn't want to cry over something that was out of my control. I calmed myself, and thought about the layout of the place, trying to think of where to check next. We've checked everywhere for Nahuel's sisters. I replayed every memory I had, and then the memory with Calli showing me the kitchen. There was another hallway with a locked door.
I stood up to find Calli with the other Halflings. I hadn't even seen her baby yet. She had it eight days ago, and I only caught a brief glimpse of it a few nights ago when I was lying down to sleep. I shut the door to the room and turned to face an older Nahuel. Joham.
He was tall, dark, slicked back hair with some really funky smelling gel. He was dressed in a business suit, like all the male vampires. Was this just a job to them? To fight the Volturi? As my eyes scanned him over, he smirked. "Ah, the famous Renesmee. Pregnant by a stranger is so fitting for you…"
I ignored him and continued down the path. Unlike Nahuel, he followed me. "How do you like your stay here?" He asked. It was as though he had a survey to make sure how much hell his victims were in. I continued walking. He growled and swung at my stomach; I dodged because my defenses were up. We stood there growling at each other, my hands protectively over my stomach.
"Fine, go play with your friends, bitch." He spun around and left. I stood there, watching him leave the area. Then I ran as fast I could (which wasn't a lot since of the baby being in the way). Zafrina had opened the door for me. They probably heard the growl off. I wasn't going to explain, they should have known.
Calli was sitting at a table, holding a small toddler, or a big baby. The baby had wavy black hair, and red eyes. Maybe it was just a thing with 3/4ths vampire genetics at play. The baby looked at me, smiling. It was a girl, and Calli was alive. I felt a relief off of my shoulders with that one. Calli told me that the baby didn't seem to have an ability, but it really didn't matter, they were leaving soon.
Zafrina stood by the table where I had just sat down at with Calli, and Nahuel looked at me strangely. We did just agree to have a day of no togetherness. We were irritating each other, after all.
"What's behind the locked door?" I asked him, hoping he knew.
"I assume the exit," Nahuel said swiftly. "No one here can pick locks—"
Calli piped up. She was always optimistic, but maybe she did have an idea. All the Halflings who were murmuring ideas of their own shut up, the kids stopped playing, and we all looked at Calli. She blushed, looking down at her baby. "I know Melissa's father," she smiled lightly and continued. "He is the security guy. I've seen the keys around his belt loop."
"How do you plan on getting them?" Zafrina asked bluntly.
She blushed again. "I can, ya know… Seduce him. Vampires are oblivious when doing that."
"I'll get the keys," I volunteered myself.
"No," Zafrina and Nahuel snapped in unison.
I flinched momentarily, and recovered. "Why?"
"You're with child, I'll get it. I'm faster than Nahuel," Zafrina explained.
That night, or morning, or whenever, I babysat Melissa. Nahuel continued to plot with the others and Zafrina and Calli retrieved the keys. I bounced Melissa on my leg, humming Mama's lullaby in anxiety. Melissa enjoyed the tune; she kept trying to hum along with me. I thought it was cute. I did all the stereotypical babysitter things: fed her, kept her clean, and put her to bed. And then I fell asleep as well.
A few days later, after retrieving the keys, Joham and all the male vampires seemed to have left. We watched them walk out of the locked door. We waited a couple of hours before heading out. I was holding Melissa as Nahuel and Calli went to free the celled up women. I was leading the Halflings and children towards the kitchen.
I did, however, inform the human mothers what was going on. They all wanted to leave with us. At least seventy women were now being freed; there were thirty from the cells, and then twenty from both human and Halfling side. Calli took Melissa back as Nahuel unlocked the door. Zafrina led the way, since she was able to blind any attackers.
The door opened to a staircase, and we climbed it. I found myself exhausted fast. I felt at least twenty pounds heavier than what I was when I woke here. Damn baby.
The seventy of us stood there in awe. The warmth of the sun returned to us, and we were standing near a battlefield. Zafrina focused, so I wasn't going to ask her who was fighting. I couldn't see past the male vampires. I shoved through the crowd of women and finally caught wind of who it was. My family, and then some.
I stood there, free from the crowd, staring at the huge group of nomads and covens helping my family. I recognized them all from when the Volturi wanted to kill me. In the very front were Jake (as a wolf), Mama and Daddy. Mama saw me, and shock covered her face. I looked to be seven months pregnant. Then I saw Daddy, in anger, whisper to her something. Jake covered his ears and ran to me.
Finally, sounds were kicking in for me. The fifteen male vampires were screaming in anger. They were being blinded by Zafrina's pictures. Not sure what she was showing them, but I enjoyed her pictures. Jake's heavy paws were getting louder. I could hear Mama and Daddy's whispers, but I couldn't make them out. The freed humans and vampires were cheering.
Jake came up to me, and nudged my shoulder with his snout. I sighed, and hugged his neck. I cried a little, but I couldn't cry much. He growled lowly, and I replayed the last month over to him. That was all that I had to do, he broke away from my grasp and lunged at Joham.
In the matter of seconds, the Cullens were burning the remains of the vampires who did this. Justin was helping him light the fires, since he had the ability to. I stood there, looking at the Halflings and the humans. Most of them were pregnant. What was going to happen to them?
Daddy heard my thoughts, and finally he and Mama came over to hug me, as Jake was hiding behind a bush as Seth tossed him pants (Leah and Seth were still wolves). "We're so sorry it took so long," Mama said, sniffling.
I hugged them both, enjoying their scents of cleanliness and honey dust. "I don't care, I made friends, and I'm safe now." I let go of them, and looked over the crowed of excited pregnant women. Some of them weren't though, and they were better off, since they were human. "Can Grandpa stay here and tend to them…?" I asked.
"Of course," Daddy said softly. "Grandma will stay here too, along with Alice and Jasper."
"Good. Can we go to a hotel or something? I need a shower." I asked, trying to lighten the mood. Jake returned and gave me a deep kiss, his hand over my stomach, as though he were its father. I started crying in his arms, and he comforted me on the to the nearest hotel.