Chapter 2- Cairo
"What do you think of this one?" My mother's honey colored eyes inquired.
"I like it, but I don't think Dad will care." I admitted honestly watching her put the shirt down and head to the dresses. "He's going to find you stunning regardless Mom."
"I really want to dazzle." She admitted pulling another dress off of the rack, holding it up to herself.
I glanced at the shop keeper, who was pretending to be occupied with receipts but couldn't keep his eyes off my mother. Her eternally 18 year old face bringing us closer to sisters now that I fully reached my maturity. "Mom you do dazzle." I smiled bringing him to her attention.
She glanced at him for a fifth of a second before dismissing him completely, turning her attention back to the rack. "I hate shopping" She mumbled to herself so low that I could barely hear her.
Though I was enjoying the day of bonding alone with her, Mom was never one for shopping and the question had been on my mind all day "Well why you didn't just let Alice do it?" I asked curiously.
"Because I wasn't Edward to be captivated do to me alone. I want to do this without help."
"This is the big one." I agreed understanding. "Have you decided where you're taking him this year?" I asked trying to hide my growing need to know.
Every year Mom and Dad traded off on who would plan their anniversary. Last year he took her to Paris. This year, Mom hadn't told any one where she was planning to take him, and it was already a week away. She eyed me curiously wondering if I could be in on the secret and then smiled. "Make sure you don't think about it around your father, but for your 20th, I'm taking him to Isle Esme."
My eyes got wide and then softened. They hadn't been back to the magical place since their first honeymoon. "Back to where it all began."
"Back to where you began." She smiled rubbing my face.
"You don't need a flashy dress Mom." I said showing her pictures of the simplest times, when Dad looked at her like she was his sun.
She hesitated for a moment and picked up a pale blue sundress with lace straps. "Perfect." She grabbed a few other things and we made our purchases.
"Thank you." I smiled exiting the shop and heading back into the crowded plaza.
This was one of the few days that my mom could shop in Cairo in the day. The heavy clouds that shielded her from the sun hadn't poured down yet, but they would eventually.
"So any contact from Phillip?" My mom asked delicately, her auburn hair blowing in the breeze.
"No, none at all. It's been over a year." I sighed grabbing a few very colorful scarves that seemed to sing "buy me" as I passed them. "I keep thinking that we can come to some solution. To work this out and everyone be happy."
"Losing people is a part of our life," She explained. "He wasn't going to be around forever."
"I know, and technically I would have to be without him anyway eventually, him being human and all. I just didn't want to do that earlier than I needed to. He was supposed to come to Jennah for my birthday this year."
"Your father and I will be back in time for your birthday." She promised, trying to make me smile. I did.
"Mother I know you-"I froze. Standing in the center of the plaza, a chill went up my spine and I had the eerie feeling of fear, mixed with another unexplainable feeling. Like someone was watching me, calling me. But I heard no voices and saw no eyes on me.
My mother noticed my expression instantaneously freezing, beside me. "Renesmee, what is it?" she whispered in a quick rush. Her eyes combing the crowd for danger.
"I'm not sure, is anyone out there?" I whispered slowly, confused. "I feel someone watching us."
My mother hissed smelling the air. "Just humans." She stated simply. That should have made her at ease but only caused her to tense more. "And I don't see anyone out of the ordinary." She sifted through the crowed plaza for a final time and relaxed. "There is nothing out there." She promised.
I instantly felt silly. "Yeah I guess not." And like that, the feeling was gone.
"Let's go Renesmee; we still have to get something for Rosabella and head home before the rain starts.
She put hand on the small of my back and gently pushed us through the crowd. I looked around one last time and sighed. "Yeah, the rains coming, I can smell it."
"Welcome back." Alice, my tiny, fairy like aunt with the knack for knowing the future greeted us sitting on the gates of Jennah, The sun casting rainbows off of her skin.
"Hi Alice." I greeted. We didn't open the gates, merely got a running start and using a large boulder in front leapt over.
"Rosabella is going to love the dress Bella." Alice complimented omnisciently.
"Of course she will. Mom has excellent taste." I added.
We walked past the fields up the long cobblestone street leading up to the town's plaza. Alice and my Mom's skin still sparking as we walked. The people of the town greeted us as we passed, no longer amazed at their appearance in the sun.
That was one of the main reasons our family accepted Asima and Jabril's invitation to live in Jennah. We didn't have to pretend to be normal, we didn't have to hide who we were and the town's people, being ruled for over a thousand years, by the same three unaged princes, accepted it. It felt to me like anything before fifteen years ago was a dream, and now I was awake. That this is where we always fit.
"Where is everyone?" Mom asked breaking me from my thoughts.
"At the main palace waiting for you two to return. We're all hunting as soon as the sun sets." Alice added making a mental not.
"All of us?" I asked surprised. It wasn't normal for us to all to leave the city unprotected. Nothing ever happened, but still. I started to add more," We can't –"
"Alive interrupted me knowing what I was going to say. "Sami and Rami are enough to protect the city alone, not to mention Jake, Leah, and Seth."
"Actually, my fear is leaving Rosabella, Ciyan, and Phillip alone with Seth and Jake." My mom frowned remembering the last time we were all gone.
Asima and I were in Florida, Jabril and my family were hunting when Jake and Seth decided to take them on an adventure. They ended up running into a vampire and it ending in a fight. Of course our boys held their own, but it scared Rosabella and Ciyan, who were two at the time, half to death. Asima was furious.
"Why did he take them to Turkey anyway?" Alice asked confused.
"Ciyan and Rosabella." My mother and I said at the same time. Asima's youngest child and my only daughter combined were an irresistible force of nature when it came to something they wanted. Carlisle theorized that it could be a talent somewhat, but eventually we just chalked it up to their irresistibility.
The way that they finished each others sentences and both spoke in the cadences of someone well beyond their age, and time. They were seldom separated and often walked hand in hand. Both equally stunning, though they look completely different. They were like twins, if it wasn't for the tiny detail of separate parentage, I would swear they were myself.
Alive ah'ed in understanding. "Well we aren't going far, just to Libya and back." There was a jungle in Libya that was having an unusual problem with tigers. I say unusual because it was well over populated and the group should have been further south. Alice saw this as a perfect excuse to have something other than gazelle. "It's one day. We'll be back tomorrow evening." She promised as she opened the doors to the home, Jabril, Leah, Sami and Rami shared.
"No fair, inhuman speed is cheating!" We could hear Leah screaming as she ran. The moment she finished her sentence and rounded the corner Jabril had her in his arms. He kissed her completely unconcerned by our presence. He pulled away for air and kissed her again. "Cheater" She whispered shaking her head. The light in her eyes was a vibrant ray of happiness that seemed to light the room.
"You don't seem to mind." He whispered kissing her again.
Alice gave a subtle cough and Leah was finally aware that we were in the room. Oh hey guys." Leah smiled as Jabril sat her on her feet. "You three ready already?" The old animosity for my family completely faded.
"Ready when you guys are." Alice smiled.
"Well everyone else is out back." Leah informed taking Jabril's hand as we walked down the long hall towards the open garden.
"Ready to hunt tigers?" Emmett boomed, his onyx colored eyes no where near reflecting his mood.
My mom sat her bags down in a corner in one second and was at my father's side (who was on the opposite side of the yard) in another.
"Sun sets in twenty, we can leave in ten." Alice promised.
Emmett sighed impatiently. "Everyone is stirring crazy." Esme laughed at him.
"It's not everyday you get an over population of tigers. And so close." Carlisle smiled, His eyes still golden but refusing to miss it.
A voice called from behind me. "A real bloodsucker's buffet." Jacob joked, no venom in his tone. I leaped up kissing his cheek quickly." Are you sure you're up to this?" I asked, a twinge of worry pricking the back of my mind.
Jacob rolled his eyes, raising one eyebrow, "You don't think I can handle one night?"
"I just know you don't seem to be able to tell Rosabella no."
He smirked, "She's my daughter, I'm not supposed to."
I rolled my eyes and was about to argue until I remembered all of the mischief my father pardoned. So instead I laughed and lit it go. "Just promise me you five will stay in the Jennah."
"I swear, wolf's honor."
I kissed him again. "I'll be back."
"Alright let's go. Those tigers aren't going to hunt themselves." Emmett rushed.
"Wait, where is Asima?" Rosalie asked looking around.
"She knows we are leaving at sunset right?" Jabril asked, his henna eyes turning into worry over his aunt.
"I'm here I'm here!" I heard from somewhere off in the distance.
"We're leaving without you." Emmett threatened looking up at the orange sky.
She didn't come from inside the house like everyone else did. Instead she jumped landing on the stone wall surrounding the yard, almost cat like. Her ridiculously long curly tendrils windblown. Her expression was kind of crazed, but only for a moment before she smiled her green eyes slightly dull. "Let's go." She smiled before disappearing back behind the wall again
"Ladies first." Jasper smiled at Alice letting her leap over the back wall before him.
I blew back a kiss to Jacob, "Stay out of trouble. I smiled before leaping the wall and falling out of his sight.
"Are you looking into Philip's future again?" I accused as I watched her eyes space as we ran.
She immediately came back to present with a guilty expression. "I can't help it." She sighed, increasing speed.
I had the energy of the four tigers running through me. Energized from the hunt I had no problem keeping up. "We agreed this was the best way." I f he changes his mind later we will address it then but no."
"I know that Ness. I'm just checking. How do we know if he needs us if we don't check?" She defended, her skin flushed pink under her bronzed skin.
"No Asima. He has his life, we have ours, don't make it harder than it is." I set my lips, facing her as we ran. She knew I was right.
"I won't look again." She swore.
"Thank you."
We ran in silence for a few minutes, the sand of the desert stirring up a cloud behind us. I watched my best friend run, her expression blank. I knew this was hard for her but I had to question why she was still searching. Usually it was easy for her to stick to the right course and I was the one that cheated. But somehow that switched and I couldn't help but wonder why.
"Because I know that he'll need us one day." She whispered reading my mind.
"Then we will cross that bridge when it gets there. We can't force him."
Our group was slightly ahead of us; all relaxed knowing that we would reach Jennah before sunrise. I knew we could catch up if we wanted to but I liked running with my sister of fifteen years. My mind ran over our adventures a thousand times quicker than normal. "I think one of the tigers I hunted ate human." I thought aloud picking up speed. "I'm not normally this juiced after a hunt."
Asima rolled her eyes and kept running a smile touching her face. "You still aren't faster than me." She teased.
"Oh really?" I questioned. I was going to pick her up and throw her over my shoulder, and run with her until she admitted that I was faster, and stronger. But she saw that, a gift she absorbed from my aunt.
Asima grabbed me throwing me over her shoulder while I was in mid stride, and continued to run all in one fluid motion. "Admit it." She laughed as she ran, her 5'2 frame supporting my 5'9 with ease but would still look awkward to the casual observer. I could see the trail of stirred up sand behind us in the purple night, and I stirred trying to be released. "Nope not until you admit it." She laughed running faster.
"Fine. Fine you're faster." I laughed stirring to be dropped. I didn't like not seeing where I was going. It went against vampire instincts to have even the slightest sense taken away.
We were up to where my family was now, and Dad eyed us curiously for a moment before he smirked shaking his head. "Faster and what?" She called behind herself still running.
"Stronger too, ok stronger." I groaned twisting. She let me down and my feet hit the sand and I paused for only a second before I was in my run. Even in our supernatural world I never dreamt that we would be here. I pushed my legs forward passing her and her jade colored eyes narrowed as she picked up speed to catch up. It made me feel good to know that we had unlimited eons to have more fun.
"How was hunting?" Jacob asked when I walked in it was late and he was still up, waiting.
"Amazing." I smiled in no way exaggerating. As he followed me to our bedroom. He climbed into bed as I hesitated at the computer. Taking a quick second to erase the temptation of contacting Phillip. I sighed when the final key strokes deleted him from my address book. My face was completely composed when I turned around, to see my prince charming.
"How was it?" I asked climbing into bed with him.
"Lonely, you know it's hard to sleep without you next to me." He admitted. I found his lips easily in the darkness giving him a kiss.
"Well I'm here now. Sleep my love."
And when I closed my eyes I knew that I would dream about the one person that has always been mine. And I know that he would see that dream as long as he was touching me. But more than that I knew that he'd dream my dream, and wed dream together.