Chapter Eight

The Most Telling

Allegra sat amongst her many gifts while Edward sifted through her loot. The sun had set a few hours ago and everyone else had gone out for a hunt. It was just him and Allegra, something he was glad for. It gave him a chance to spend part of her birthday as just the two of them. He was very selfish when it came to their alone time.

She'd gotten an array of gifts from the Razzante boys, most of which she didn't care for. The gruesome looking action figures and lame board games. Surprisingly she did like the toy cars (that were currently stuck to her Barbie's' feet) and hated the tiny baby doll she'd gotten from one of the Razzante girls. Oliver had gotten her the teddy bear she wanted (she'd it named Emem after her Uncle Emem). Melanie got her Barbie clothes, all of which she loved.

Hannah's older sisters got her diamond encrusted jewelry that she thought for a second was candy and Edward had to put it away until she was old enough to appreciate it. Nnena got her a hard baseball helmet to go with Lyra's gift of a small baseball bat and the undeniable knowledge that she would be learning to play baseball from her uncles in a few weeks.

Rosalie got her a massive trampoline and Carlisle got her a black mesh safety net to go around the trampoline. Emmett's teeter totter went over well until Allegra tried to climb up the side of it, too small to do anything else on it. Jasper got her a little plastic potato gun, with a bag of potatoes and was immediately showered in tiny piece of hard, white starch. Esme redecorated the third floor guest room into a space just for Allegra, with a huge closet that Alice filled to brim with clothes. Alice also got her a soft, stuffed rocking horse, with a small cowboy hat and plastic belt she could fit her potato gun in when she played "shoot-em-ups" with Uncle Jasper.

And last but not least there was one freaked out kitten hiding under her crib that Edward had gotten for her. The pure white kitten had been named "Chocolate" for no reason that Edward could discern, even though he could read Allegra's mind.

She was very gracious about all her gifts, even the ones she didn't care for and Edward couldn't have been more proud of her.

There were only two stressors that day: the letter Hannah gave him from Bella and the present Allegra got from Harry.

It was a massive painting, as beautiful as it was haunting. The image captured was that of Bella. She lay on plush dark, purple chaise lounge, backwards with her feet propped up on the head rest and her head tipped over the edge near the end of the lounge. She wore a thin, short, blue dress that adorned her form in a way that made Edward horribly jealous. It caressed her curves, hugged her spin where her back arched seductively, tightened over her breasts, revealing nothing yet hinting at everything. The dress was sinful. Her pose meant to seduce even the most devote priest. The look in her smoldering eyes held him captive. Her lips puckered ever so slightly. She looked like she wanted to jump out of the painting and ravish the viewer of her intimate pose.

Her left hand was in her hair that fell down to the floor in waves of mahogany silk. In her right hand was the cause of most of his stress. A dagger with a single drop of blood at the very tip.

When Harry helped Allegra open this present he thought unabashedly of when he had painted it. He'd picked out the dress specifically for the intimate way it fit her body. He'd positioned her so that her body was shown to its greatest advantage. He hadn't placed her so to seduce, but show off the strength and grace in her form. He thought that the pose showcased her lithe muscles and athletic shape. It did, but Edward thought that it ensnared and tempted much better than it showcased anything.

Harry'd handed her the knife, smiling when she frowned. He knew that it reminded her of something she'd rather not think about. With a scowl she had sliced into Harry's arm with the dagger. The blood gleaming on the point in the painting was Harry's blood. He thought of the blood as symbolic. He thought the way she'd taken the blood was symbolic. But unfortunately for Edward, Harry had the presence of mind not to think about how he thought they were symbolic. Edward could only hazard a guess.

Harry's painting was meticulously detailed. From afar Bella looked flawless, perfect. But upon closer inspection one could see the tiny details that made the painting so eerily realistic. Bella's finger nails were chipped, her hair tangled in some places, her lips slightly chapped, the rims of her eyes red as if she'd been crying. Bella's feet were dirty. The dress was wrinkled, stained in a few places, and torn at the bodice. The lounge was ragged in some places, the stitching coming up in others, the wooden legs were scuffed and chipped.

These tiny details that most people missed when looking at it could have easily taken away from the piece's beauty, but Edward felt that they made it real. Looking at Bella's dirty feet and broken nails let him know that this had actually happened. They were proof that Bella had walked across a dirty floor, maybe tipped, caught herself and broke a nail in the process. This picture was of the real Bella, the one he knew, the one he remembered. Not some glamorized version of her.

Carlisle wanted to talk about the painting and the letter. He'd asked Edward to examine the painting in great detail, looking for any facet they might have missed. This painting was important, they could all feel it. Harry had given the painting intentionally. He wanted them to know something, but felt loyal to someone else and that kept him from saying it out right.

He had also been charged to look through Bella's letter for any clues. It was unlikely that he'd find any though. The letter was sparse. Seeming to have been written without much feeling or thought behind it.

Edward,

I know that it's been at least five years since Charlie's seen you, but for Allegra's birthday I'd really like if he could meet her. He would like it too and I do want my Dad to have a relationship with my daughter. I know you're thinking that there is no way you'll be able to take her over there. But Charlie knows that there is something off about me and I've alluded to something being off about you as well. If/when you take Allegra over to meet him and he sees that you haven't aged, he'll do one of two things. He'll either assume that you're like me and won't say anything or ask if you're like me and I give you permission to lie to him.

Bella

P.S. Remember I left Charlie's house looking eighteen and came back seven months later looking twenty five. After that there isn't much that will surprise my Dad. Don't worry about Renee, I'll let her know about Allegra when my baby gets older. Tell Allegra how much I love her and give her a big kiss for her birthday from me.

Edward had given Allegra a hundred kisses on her birthday and told her that most of them were from her Mommy.

The letter didn't give away anything that they didn't already know, but it did put them in an awkward position. Rosalie thought it was a stupid idea to even consider taking Allegra to go see Charlie. She didn't think that Bella had any right to try and dictate what they did with Allegra. She didn't say so verbally, but she thought of herself as Allegra's mother to a certain extent.

Edward pulled her aside before she went hunting and told her off for thinking so.

"Bella's going to come back for her baby, Rosalie," he had said. "If she wants to, she'll take that baby back to where ever it is she's been hiding for the past five years," the thought made his heart ache but he had continued, "and there is next to nothing we can do to stop her. Bella is Allegra's mother, not you. It's inappropriate and wrong for you to even think of taking her place in Allegra's life."

"I am aloud to think whatever I want, Edward," she'd snapped. "And don't you dare tell anyone what I've been thinking."

"I've never told anyone the vapid, inane, vain thoughts that run through your head, Rosalie and I won't start now. But I also won't have you entertaining thoughts of being my baby's mother. You're not, end of story." She left after that without a word.

Edward knew it was harsh and probably wouldn't do much more than make her extra bitchy for a few days, but he had to do something. Allegra didn't want a new mommy she wanted her Mommy. She wanted Bella. And Rosalie, for all her longing could never take Bella's place.

Jasper was inclined to agree with Rosalie about taking Allegra to see Charlie. One of them had to do it and the fact that they hadn't aged wouldn't be lost on Charlie. The idea that he'd just assume they were like Bella only mildly cooled Jasper's worries. He was concerned about what would happen if the Volturi found out about their little visit. He was worried what would happen if the Volturi found out about Allegra period. They considered themselves the rulers of all paranormal beings and Allegra certainly wasn't normal.

It was something that Edward worried about too, but there were so many other things to worry about it remained in the back of his mind. Especially since Laurent had mysteriously disappeared from Alice's vision mid-way through the party. He was the only person Edward didn't entirely trust with their little secret and he was gone. Alice got the feeling he had died somehow. A feeling that Lyra affirmed to be true.

Irina was taking it hard, so the Denali coven was heading back to Alaska right after their hunt. She'd demanded to know what happened to him but Alice couldn't tell and Lyra wouldn't say. Edward found that curious and asked her about it later on.

"There are something's that are meant to happen, that have to happen. There are something's that can be avoided, that should be avoided. There are often times things that you never need to know, that you shouldn't ever know. Finding out how Laurent died would cause Irina undue heart ache because there is no way she could retaliate without getting herself killed. And besides she only thought he was her true mate, he wasn't," Lyra said. She assured him and Tanya and Kate that she'd get over it soon enough and that was a comfort in itself.

Allegra pulled on Edward's pant leg. She wanted up. He scooped her into his arms and she pushed her fingers into his cheek. She was tired and felt put out that she was admitting it. It was rare for her come out and say that she wanted to go to bed, so Edward didn't push his luck. He took her upstairs, into her new bedroom and prepared her for bed. He played her lullaby on the stereo on her room and stayed close by until she fell asleep, visions of Ferris wheels, roller coaster, merry-go-rounds, Oliver and presents floating through her head.

---

Carlisle was looking hard at the painting. It was propped up against the wall of windows in the living, until they found a permanent place to hang it. There had to be something they were all missing, though with their impeccable eyesight it was unlikely. Edward had told them about what he'd seen going through Harry's head during the party and what Hannah had let slip. It had most of them worried about Bella and Allegra.

Rosalie was still just mad.

Edward had of course noticed the inscription on the dagger, but thought nothing of it. He knew from Harry's memory that the artist hadn't thought much of the dagger he'd given Bella. It was more important to him that she hold a knife in the picture then what was said on the blade. It was a gift Harry had gotten from his father, James, for his eighteenth birthday. It was one of the few gifts he'd ever gotten from his father that he actually liked. It was an ancient piece, famous for killing more enemies to his family then any other weapon. It was a weapon he'd used in battle.

The dagger was important to him, but not the picture.

"Would there be anyway for us to find out what the inscription says?" Jasper asked. There was no use asking what it said, the language was that of the Dien and none of them knew how to speak it, yet. Carlisle was learning from some of the books they'd found in the luggage, but it was slow work even for a vampire. It was unlikely that he'd be able to translate it.

"Why bother?" Edward asked. "I saw in his memories that adding the dagger was a last minute thing. He didn't even think about what it said."

"We can't over look anything, Edward," Carlisle said. "If Hannah's thoughts tell us anything it's-"

"That she's a lot more perverted then any of us would have imagined?" Edward suggested. Carlisle ignored him.

"It's that Bella's doing something dangerous, something that might put us in danger, something that might put Allegra in danger." That last bit shut Edward's mouth. There was nothing he took as seriously as his baby's safety. "You said that it seemed like Harry was trying to tell us something with this painting. We have pay attention to every little detail in this painting. It's the only clue we have."

"What about Bella's letter?" Esme suggested. "There's bound to be something in there."

"I've read this thing a hundred times," Emmett said. He was sitting on the floor leaning on Rosalie's legs. Jasper was looking over the painting with Carlisle and Alice was scrunched up in a ball sifting through the future, looking for Bella. It seemed that her Bella shaped blind spot had returned. Esme was pacing slowly, Edward was sitting on the armrest of loveseat. "There's nothing in here. Just instructions about how to deal with Charlie."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Rosalie said. "Taking her to see Charlie just exposes her unnecessarily."

"He's her grandfather, babe," Emmett murmured.

"Be that as it may," Rosalie said, dismissively, "we can't protect her from exposure at Charlie's house-"

"Exposure to what?" Edward demanded.

"Oh I don't know? The Volturi?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Rosalie," Edward snapped. "How would they find out about her? Do you honestly think that they'd come across her accidentally while she visits her grandfather?"

"Since when are you so uncaring about your daughter's safety?" Rosalie asked.

"She's got a point, Edward," Emmett said. "If the Volturi ever did find out about her, they'd just assume she's an immortal child. They'd kill us all."

"Again how are they going to find out?" Emmett opened his mouth to respond, but Edward spoke over him, "The only person I don't trust who knows about her is Laurent and he's dead. Charlie's never heard of the Volturi and he wouldn't be able to contact them anyway. I'd be with her the whole time, if anything dangerous happened I'd get her out of there."

"Charlie does deserve to meet his Granddaughter," Esme said.

"I can't see anything bad happening if she goes," Alice added, giving up on her search.

"It's an unnecessary risk!" Rosalie screeched. Carlisle sighed and looked away from the painting. The family turned to him for a decision.

"I agree," he said. Rosalie grinned in triumph, "with Edward," he added. Rosalie growled and zipped up stairs. "Can you get the luggage for me while you're up there?" She flew back down a moment later, dropped the box and went back up.

Edward shook his head. "Very mature, Rosalie." He heard her snarl from her room.

"Please don't make this harder for me then it's already going to be," Emmett begged.

"You shouldn't egg her on, Edward," Esme chided lightly.

Carlisle went over to the luggage. "I need to know what's written on that dagger," he said to it. It had answered vaguer demands from Allegra, so Edward was sure it would be able to come up with something for Carlisle. The luggage paused for a moment and then shuffled over to the painting. They all know better then to try and help it along, the last time any of them tried the bite marks on Emmett's leg hadn't faded for hours. It seemed to study the dagger without eyes, paused for a moment and then opened with a snap.

Sitting on a red velvet cushion was a large glossy book. A Modern Text on Pagan History. The book flipped open to the chapter about Harry's family. Carlisle pulled the book out, thanked the luggage and began to read silently. After reading a few pages, he stopped and read aloud:

"King Harold the second used the dagger (pictured above) to end the First War (see chapter five for more details). The blade has been passed down through the generation to Prince Harold the third who used it in the Second War. The inscription the north side (indicated by the cross on the hilt) of the blade reads, "I have kissed a thousand bellies and shall kiss a thousand more." The inscription on the south side (indicated by the royal crest on the hilt) of the blade reads, "This sword is in the hands Death put to use by the King." These inscriptions are widely believed by royal scholars to be symbolic. They are thought to symbolize victory and loyalty achieved through death. Anyone who possesses or is lucky enough to hold this ancient weapon is thought to symbolize those things as well."

Carlisle went back to the painting. Edward didn't look up, he knew which side was showing.

"This sword is in the hands of Death put to use by the King," Carlisle read.

Maybe Harry had put some thought into the dagger after all.