Sorry for the delay! School has been hectic.

Eleazar took a step back, pulling Carmen behind him protectively.

"Carlisle.." He spoke with warning.

"Wait! I told you not to judge. Listen. Can you not hear the child's heartbeat?"

It was silent for a moment as they all studied Renesmee closely.

"Yes," Kate whispered, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Yes, I hear it."

"How odd.." Carmen spoke from behind Eleazar, leaning around him to stare at her.

"What is she?" Kate asked, taking a step forward.

I took a step back and held back a growl, clutching Renesmee close to my chest.

"Jacob..." Carlisle began.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I said quickly, relaxing my hold on Renesmee and trying to calm myself down.

"She is half human, half vampire. The daughter of Bella and Edward." I flinched at Bella's name.

They all gasped.

"How is that possible?" Eleazar exclaimed.

Carlisle shook his head.

"We don't know."

"Where is Edward?" Carmen asked.

Carlisle and I looked at each other.

"Gone." I said.

"Without Renesmee and Bella?" Kate laughed.

I felt the friction in the air increase, and obviously Kate felt it too.

"What happened?" she asked.

I hadn't realized that they were unaware of the past events.

Carlisle glanced at me, but I stared straight ahead, stone faced.

Renesmee hid her face in my shoulder.

"Well, Kate, Bella passed away during child-birth."

All of them gasped in shock.

"Oh. I am sorry for your loss."

Eleazar looked troubled.

Seconds pasted with no words.

Renesmee put a hand to my chest, lifting her head, and pictured herself touching one of the vampires.

"Ah..so the little one has a gift." Eleazar said.

My eyes widened in surprise.

"Eleazar has a gift to be able to tell when other people have a gift." Carlisle explained.

Kate's face shone with excitement.

"Can you show me?" she asked.

Renesmee reached a hand out and Kate happily walked into it.

She jumped back just as quickly.

"What happened, Kate?" Eleazar asked, worried.

"That was so strange!" Kate said in a far away voice.

"Tell us! What happened?" Carmen asked.

"She..showed me..a picture."

"Of what?" I asked.

Kate stared at me.

"Of you...and Irina."

"Ah."

"Carlisle, what's going on?" Eleazar asked.

Carlisle sighed.

"Irina..saw Jacob..and Renesmee..while they were out hunting. She thought Renesmee was an immortal child and before we could stop her..she left to tell the Volturi."

They gasped again.

"I'm sorry!" Kate exclaimed. "We didn't know anything! How could she do this..?"

"No, it wasn't your fault." Carlisle said sadly. "But you why we need your help."

"You want us to fight the Volturi? That's a death wish!" Eleazar shouted.

Carmen stepped out from behind Eleazar

"We will help you. I will help you."

"No-" he started.

"Eleazar, we owe these people our lives! We deserted them the last time, and I refuse to do it again!"

"Please, listen. We do not want you to fight them, you see," Carlisle said. "We want to gather a large enough crowd to make the Volturi hesitate. Just so we could show that Renesmee is half-human, and not an immortal child. We need you to add to the group and help present evidence that Renesmee is growing, that she has blood running through her veins!"

Kate stepped forward.

"I will stand with you."

"As will I." Carmen stated.

They both looked at Eleazar.

He stood silent, staring at Carmen with worried eyes.

Finally, he sighed.

"As will I."

Carlisle glanced between the three of them.

"Thank you, so much."

Kate nodded.

"One question though, Carlisle." Eleazar said. "When shall they arrive?"

Renesmee spoke with that high-pitched, bell-like voice of hers.

"When the snow falls."