Hello everyone. This chapter was really easy to write. Plus I was snowed in all weekend, so it got uploaded in record time for me, lol. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!

My mom and I walked into the main house together. When we walked in, everyone looked at me with apprehension in their eyes. My mom squeezed my hand and went to go stand next to my dad.

"See?" he said. "I told you it would work out." He kissed my mom's temple and wrapped his arms around her waist.

I took a deep breath. "Everyone," I said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I was being selfish and immature. Will you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, dear," Esme said kindly. "We all get frustrated at times." She smiled with genuine compassion, and I smiled back at her.

"Hell," said Emmett, "you should have seen your dad before he met our mom. He was the most angsty kid I had ever seen. I could get him to fight over the littlest things; shortest temper in the world. If he wasn't fighting, he was banging around on his piano. 'Course that's all changed now that he has something else to ba—"

"EMMETT!" my mom and dad yelled at him. Emmett just grinned. My mom looked like she wanted to kill him. She probably would have if my dad's arms weren't locked around her waist.

I rolled my eyes. "Esme, could we go make lunch together? I'm starving."

"Of course dear." I followed her into the kitchen where we made lunch together.

"Esme, do you think we could postpone dinner with the pack until this weekend? I think I just want a relaxing night with my parents," I said as we washed the dishes together.

"Of course. Why don't you let me tell Alice though? She might be a bit disappointed."

I smiled as I put the last dish away. "Thanks," I said as I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She gave me a one-armed hug before I left. "Thanks for lunch too," I said as I walked to the living room.

My mom looked up from the book she was reading as I walked in. "Are you sure you don't want to have dinner with the pack tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah. I was thinking that we could maybe go hunting together and just hang out afterwards, maybe watch a movie together or something."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," my dad said from my mom's side. "Will Jacob be coming with us?"

"I think I'll hang out with him this afternoon, but then go hunting with just you too." I looked at the piano in the corner of the room. It had been awhile since I played just for the fun of it. I walked over, sat down, and began to play. I started with my mom's lullaby and went through most of the other songs in my repertoire. After a while I took out my composition book and tried to pluck out a melody on the keys. I started soft and sweet but then built the melody into something faster and more energetic. Every once and a while I would have to erase the notes on the page and rewrite them. The song then morphed into something heavier, lower, but still upbeat. Eventually the melodies blended together and finished the peace on a simple, sweet note. I sat back, satisfied with my creation.

My family burst into applause. "That was beautiful, sweetheart," said my mom. I had completely forgotten they were in the room.

"Amazing," my dad added. "How long have you been working on it?"

"Umm, just today. It kind of just flowed." I blushed, embarrassed at all the attention.

"Wow Edward!" barked Emmett. "Looks like she could give you a run for your money on that thing." My dad just beamed at me, and I blushed even harder.

"Why are you blushing? You were freakin' awesome!" a new voice added.

"Jake!" I shut the piano cover and skipped over to him. "How was your day?" I asked.

"Long. Boring, as usual. What about you?"

"Kind of crazy actually, but better now." I looked over at my mom sheepishly, but she just smiled. "Do you want to go for a walk or something?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Mom, Dad; I'll be back later."

"No hurry," my dad answered.

Jake and I walked towards the river. I wished we were holding hands, but instead I just shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

"You look so much like your mom when you do that," he said.

"Really? Why?" I asked. Usually people said I looked more like my dad.

"I don't know really. Whenever I remember the two of us walking together on the beach, I always picture her like that. I think it was because she hated the cold here. Kind of ironic now when you think about it." He smiled and shook his head. "So why was today so crazy?"

"Well," I said with a sigh, "I basically threw a tantrum and stormed out of my lesson with my mom this morning."

"Why?" he asked, surprised. "You and your mom never fight."

"It started as me just being frustrated with learning more pointless stuff, but then I basically let loose all of the frustrations I've been feeling lately."

He grabbed my elbow and pulled me down beside him to sit on the riverbank. "What frustrations?"

"I've just been feeling really lonely lately. Like an outsider. Some days I feel like no one understands what I am going through. And I've been feeling really trapped. I mean, I never go anywhere. I never have a chance to live a normal life."

He stared out over the water. "I understand what you're going through," he said quietly.

"My mom said that you would; I just never realized it, I guess. She said something about how you really struggled when you first became a wolf?"

"Yeah, I hated being thrust into something I had no control over. My life was really great before I exploded, literally, into a wolf one night. Your mom and I were best friends, and to tell you the truth, I had a huge crush on her."

"You had a crush on my mom?" I asked with incredulity.

"Yeah, I had a crush on her starting right when she moved here from Phoenix. Of course, she only had eyes for you dad, but when he left, I saw my chance to make her fall madly in love with me. It didn't work, obviously." He rolled his eyes. "But anyway, when I changed, I couldn't tell her. It's against tribal law."

"So when did she find out? After she became a vampire?"

"No," he laughed. "She guessed. Way back when she first moved here, she asked me why the tribe doesn't –er, didn't- like your family, and I told her our tribe's histories. When I changed and stopped talking to her and stuff, she guessed. With a little help from your's truly." He smiled at the memory.

"So is that when being a wolf got better for you?" I asked. "And wait, do you still love her like that?" I asked, a little grossed out at the thought of Jake being in love with my mom.

"No, to both of them. After she knew, it got a little better but still sucked. And your mom and I are best friends, but I don't love her like that at all. Anymore," he added a little sheepishly. "Do you think your dad would let me hang around if I did?"

"No, probably not," I conceded. "So when did you stop hating being a wolf? And when did you stop loving my mom?"

"Umm…well…." He bit his lip, looking frustrated. "Probably about the time that you were born, I guess." His words came out in a rush now. "I mean, eventually you realize there's no point in pining over something you can't have and that being a wolf is actually sort of awesome." He took a deep breath. "So yeah. Probably about then. I don't remember the exact time and place or anything," he said, biting his lip and looking away.

He looked so cute when he blushed, not that I thought of him that way. Okay, who was I kidding? I was getting a major crush on Jake. That's all it was though. Just a crush, I thought to myself.

He interrupted my thoughts when he said, "You know you can talk to me about any of this stuff, right? I'm always here if you need me."

"Yeah, I know. I'm glad we had this talk, Jake," I said as I leaned against him.

"Me too, Ness. So are we eating at your house tonight?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I was actually kind of hoping to just hang out with my parents tonight, just the three of us." He looked kind of disappointed, so I added, "it's just, I was kind of a brat to them today, and I thought this could maybe make it up to them."

"No, yeah, that makes sense," he said with a smile. "Billy will probably get a kick of having me home for supper."

"Great," I said, glad that it all worked out. "But hey, Esme and Alice were hoping that the pack and everyone would come over for dinner this weekend. Like, maybe Saturday? Could you ask them?"

"Yeah, that's no problem. They would like that. For not eating, your family sure can cook."

"I know right? Crazy. But speaking of dinner, we should probably head back." I stood up and tried to brush the dirt and bracken off my butt. "Did I get all of it?" I asked Jake, turning around.

"Umm…yeah," he stuttered. I smiled to myself. Sometimes I think I make that kid nervous. It was a good feeling.

"Great." I grabbed his hand this time, feeling it encase mine with warmth. "Let's go."

After Jake left in his Rabbit, my parents I went hunting. "This is nice," I said to my mom as we waited for my dad to finish up with his mountain lion.

"It is, isn't it? You've been spending so much time with Jake lately. I thought maybe you've forgotten about your old mom and dad," she said with a smile.

"Never," I said, shaking my head. Just then my dad walked up to us. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and kissed my mom on the lips. Had she been able to, I'm sure she would have blushed. "Well don't mind me," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll just head back and leave you too alone."

"No, no," my dad said as he released my mom. She looked a little dizzy. "I believe we had plans for a movie. Don't worry; we'll behave."

I peered up at him speculatively. "Promise?" I asked him. I was pretty used to my parents' PDA, but I would really like to be able to enjoy our movie without feeling like I should give them some privacy.

My dad laughed at my thoughts. "Promise," he said as he grabbed my mom's hand.

We ran back to our cottage and began to argue about what movie to watch. It was impossible trying to win any argument with my parents. No matter what, my dad always agreed with my mom, so I lost by default almost every time. It was beyond irritating

Tonight though, I was trying to get back on their good side, so I let my mom pick the movie. She picked a romance, as usual. Above all else, my mom was a hopeless romantic.

I curled up in my favorite chair and settled in to watch the movie, my parents sharing the couch. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

"She's growing up so fast," my mom whispered. I was in that place in between being awake and asleep.

"She is, isn't she? And just as beautiful as her mother," my dad answered.

"When do you think he'll tell her?" He who? Who were they talking about? Even in my subconscious, I was irritated at them for keeping things from me.

"I don't know. He's beginning to see her for the beautiful young woman she is, but he doesn't want to pressure her. For now, he's satisfied to be her best friend."

"Mmm," my mom said wordlessly. "Some days I wish Alice could see them. I think our lives would be much easier if I had some idea of what to expect, and when to expect it."

"Perhaps, but I think they'd still surprise us," my dad whispered with a hushed laugh. "She's already in love with him, you know. I don't think she realizes it herself yet, but I can read her thoughts. The tenor of her thoughts has begun to change."

"Who's thoughts?" I asked as I stretched, fully awake now. "Is the movie over?"

My mom got up from where she was sitting on my dad's lap. "Yes, sweetheart, but I think you missed most of it," she said with a soft laugh.

"That's okay," I said with a yawn. "I've seen it before anyway," I added as I stumbled to my room.

"Goodnight. We love you," my dad said, smiling.

"Love you too," I said, shutting the door. I got ready for bed half-asleep and fell into bed, exhausted.

I woke up the next morning earlier than usual. Apparently, throwing temper tantrums takes a lot out of me. Dually noted.

I wracked my brain, trying to remember what my parents had been talking about last night during the movie. I felt like they were talking about me, but I couldn't remember what they said. Oh well, I shrugged it off. Must not have been that important.

I lay in my bed, waiting for my parents to knock on the door for me to get up. Bad things happen when I go wandering out of my room in the morning unannounced. I shuddered at the thought. I never showered last night though, so I got up and walked to my bathroom to prepare myself for the day.

I stood in front of the mirror in my towel as I blow dried my hair. Satisfied, I brushed my teeth and swiped on a little mascara. I thought back to the argument Alice and Rosalie had about me wearing makeup...

"You gave her makeup?" Alice glared at Rosalie while I stood next to her, grinning sheepishly.

"You know what I always say. If you've got it, flaunt it," Rosalie said with a flip of her blond locks.

"But she has such a beautiful natural color palette! She doesn't need any makeup. Bella, please tell your daughter that she can't wear makeup!" Alice begged, looking to my mom for support.

My mom shrugged. "I think it looks fine."

"Ugh! You're impossible! All of you! Especially you!" she said, pointing her finger at Rosalie as she stormed out of the room...

I honestly didn't wear makeup that often. It seemed kind of pointless. Some days, though, I put just enough on for Rosalie to notice and nod appreciatively and for Alice to purse her lips but not get too upset. I thought it looked fine. Made my brown eyes pop against my ivory skin.

I walked out of the bathroom and into my closet. I rummaged through the racks of clothes until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out a dark green v-neck with long sleeves and put on some basic jeans. Alice probably wouldn't approve, but I didn't care. Just as I was looking myself over one last time, I heard my mom knock on the door. "Renesmee, are you about ready?"

"Yeah," I said, opening the door.

"That color looks beautiful on you," my dad said as we walked outside.

"Thanks. Alice probably would have gone for something more extravagant, but…" I trailed off and shrugged.

"But you take after your mother," my mom finished for me. "Don't worry; I've long since gotten over being a constant disappointment to her." We laughed together. Neither of us really cared one way or the other for fashion, but my mom was worse than I was. Growing up around Alice and Rosalie, some of their appreciation for fashion was bound to rub off on me; I just didn't always show it in ways that they liked.

When I walked into the main house, Alice glared at me from her spot next to Jasper. "Couldn't you at least accessorize or something?" she begged.

"Sometimes, less is more. I believe that is one of your cardinal fashion rules that you have hanging in my closet. Along with "pick colors that suit you" and "don't be afraid to take risks." This green looks amazing against the red in my hair, and I knew I was taking a risk when I chose to wear this in front of you." So there, I added mentally.

She just rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable," she muttered. I just smiled and walked towards the kitchen.

"Ah, I hoped you would be here soon. I'm making omelets," called Esme.

"They smell amazing. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh no. You just sit back and relax. They'll be ready in just a few seconds." I sat down at the counter and listened to Esme hum to herself as she cooked. "You know, I never made these when I was human. I only started making them after your parents got married." She paused. "After she became pregnant with you, about the only human food she could eat was eggs. Your dad taught me how to make omelets, so he didn't have to leave her side."

"I didn't know that."

"And then with all of the wolves around," she continued, "I began cooking more and more. I'd forgotten how much I loved to cook for others. After almost a century of not cooking, it took some practice to get back into the swing of things." She smiled. "From what I hear from Jacob, and from you, I seem to have managed fairly well," she said as she slipped an omelet onto my plate.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. These are amazing," I said as I dug in.

"You should ask your dad to cook for you more. One of his guilty pleasures is watching the Food Network. But don't tell him I told you that."

"Too late!" he called from the living room. She smiled fondly in his general direction.

I finished my omelet and went to put my plate in the sink. "Do you want me to stay and do dishes?" I asked.

"Oh heavens no," she said fondly. "You go run along and talk to Carlisle. Tell him hi for me."

"Will do. Thanks Esme," I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning Renesmee," said Carlisle as a means of inviting me in.

"Good morning. Esme says hi," I said, sitting in one of the big leather chairs.

He smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his large mahogany desk. "So how are things today?"

"Umm, great I guess. My flow is really light today; I'm pretty sure I'll be done by tonight. And I still don't feel any different." By now, I knew what questions he was going to ask.

"Good, good. Come and see me tomorrow morning again, but other than that you are free to go."

"Have you heard anything from Nahuel?" I asked as I got up to leave.

"No, I haven't." He looked concerned. "I'll let you know right away if I hear anything."

"Okay, thanks," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek as I left.

Instead of going back downstairs, I met Esme in her studio for my art lesson. "I'd thought we'd do something a little different today," she said looking up from her desk. "It's not supposed to rain all day. Why don't we have our lesson outside?" She handed me a sketchbook as I nodded and followed her out of the house.

"So what is my assignment for today?" I asked. Last week we were working on landscapes, and it was kind of boring to me.

"No assignment," she said, smiling as I looked at her with surprise on my face. "I think, personally, that your life has been a little too structured lately." She looked at me to see if I agreed. I nodded, and she continued. "So today, I want you to simply express yourself. You can draw, you can paint, you can sculpt. You can simply sit back and look at the clouds for all I care. Whatever you create, I want it to be an expression of you; of who you are."

We settled ourselves on the ground beneath one of the huge maples in the backyard. The ground was a bit damp, but it didn't bother me. I hummed to myself as I sketched. Several hours later, I leaned back against the tree and stretched my hand out. "I think I'm done," I said to Esme. "This one's for you and Carlisle." I handed her the portrait I had drawn of them both. "I tried to capture the love and compassion you both have for others."

She put her hand over her heart. "Thank you Renesmee. We'll treasure it forever."

"I drew one for everyone. My mom and dad, Rose and Emmet, Alice and Jasper, Jake…" I trailed off. I didn't add that I included myself in Jake's portrait. "The truth is, you, my family, you all make me who I am."

She gave me a hug. "I'm glad you feel that way," she said, the love evident in her eyes.

Again, please review! Thanks so much!