Sacrifice
Jacob slept on a couch next to Renesmee's bed during the night. She had monitors attached to her large, round belly but with the sound off so she could rest peacefully. Carlisle continued to check on her through the night. When she finally awoke the next morning, the doctor brought out the ultrasound to check the babies. Upon hearing the swishing sound of the heart beats, four more female vampires snuck into the room to observe also. Edward of course was already ahead of them. The girls all giggled when they saw the bigger one playing with his toes. His smaller brother appeared to be much less active though.
"He must be sleeping," Renesmee suggested as she looked at him on the screen all curled up in a ball.
"Well, how do they look?" Jacob asked Carlisle. He was much more concerned.
"Heartbeats look good," he replied.
Bella felt relieved that Renesmee's pregnancy didn't resemble her own. She barely had enough room in her womb for the one baby, let alone two.
"Did they grow at all?" she asked.
"It doesn't appear so. I think they grew with Renesmee, when she grew. Their bodies changed with hers during the night," Carlisle stated.
"You think it will happen again?" Jacob asked as he held onto his wife's hand.
"Well in theory, I wouldn't expect it to. They seem to be spaced a couple years apart now," he explained.
Jacob felt some relief with that bit of information.
Suddenly the bigger baby kicked, making her jump.
"Oh!" She let out a startled laugh. "That was a good one."
Carlisle smiled as he still watched them closely. "Hmm, looks like the big guy woke his brother up."
The smaller one's arms and legs stretched out as if he were yawning.
"Ooh, that feels weird." Renesmee said.
"Are you in any pain?" Carlisle asked.
"Nope," She shook her head. "Doesn't hurt it's just…strange." She knew it would take some getting used to having two little bodies inside her moving around.
Edward smiled. He was also very pleased that her pregnancy was going so well.
"Sooo, are we gonna give these babies a name or are we just gonna keep calling them the Big Guy and the Little Guy?" Alice asked.
Renesmee perked up. "Ooh…it's so funny you mentioned that!…I picked their names last night!" she said excitedly.
"Uh, you did?" Jacob scrunched his eyebrows.
"Yup. I thought we'd name the Big Guy after both our dads….William Edward."
Bella beamed with happiness. "Oh, Renesmee, that's perfect!"
Edward felt completely overjoyed. He stepped in and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Thank you sweetheart. I'm quite honored."
She wanted to know her husband's response. "Well Jake, you like it?" she asked.
"It's great. Billy will be really honored too," he said kissing her hand. "I'm also extremely glad you didn't decide to combine their names and call him something like Bedward or Edilly," he added with an eye roll then looked right at Bella.
"Tsk! Shut it dog!" Bella shoved his arm.
Everyone in the room tried exceptionally hard not to laugh but they were all snickering until one by one the whole room broke out in giggles, except Bella of course who just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, lighten up mom!" Jacob teased but that just provoked Bella to grab him by the ear and pinch.
"Ow! Bells! Come on! Where's your sense of humor?"
She let go and just smirked. Edward chuckled still. "What about Little Guy?" Bella asked her then.
"Liam Gabriel," Renesmee said.
"That's beautiful sweetie. What made you pick that name?" Esme asked.
She shrugged. "Two names I've always loved. I couldn't decide so I chose both."
"So Liam and William it is," Jacob said. "I like it."
Had anyone been within close proximity of Edward and Bella's cottage during the night, they might've mistaken the series of tremors in the area for an earthquake. The two of them rocked the entire house until the sun finally rose in the morning.
They started out on the bed until the legs nearly gave out and Tara also realized she would have to replace their bedding somehow since it was torn to shreds. She thought the floor would be safer till Seth gripped the carpet fibers so tightly at one point he pulled them out leaving a hole in. The wood flooring in the living room didn't fare as well either when he clawed through it. Each room looked as though someone had let a wild animal in – pictures were knocked down off the walls, furniture had been tipped over and there were scratches randomly on the walls and floors around the home from Seth's fingernails.
By morning, both of them ended up back on the bed; their bodies were completely entwined and both breathed rapidly from the excitement.
The rain had finally stopped and the sun actually exposed itself over the horizon. When it crept up and peeked through the bedroom window, the rays bounced off their skin, reflecting the light like tiny crystals in the surface of their bodies. Seth paused for a moment when he caught a glimpse of his own hand glimmering in the sunlight. Tara gasped when she saw his luminous face for the first time. She smiled at him.
He smiled back, touching the surface of her cheek where the tiny little facets lit up her angelic face. Then he let out a tiny laugh, feeling so unbelievable satisfied and blissful.
She laughed with him sharing the same emotions. "So what did you think?"
He inhaled her sweet breath as she spoke.
"I don't even think there are words that can describe what we just did. It was completely…earth shattering… rapturous."
She chuckled. "Told you."
Then she bit her lip think about how euphorically happy she was as the moment.
"I swear I will never complain about being locked up for hours in a house like this with you again."
She laughed. "Better than your first time even, hmm?"
"Mmm yeah but… for a human that was the best experience of my life. I hope I never lose that memory."
She smiled at him. "Me too."
"This however …this was better than my first hunt even." He added.
Her eye brows rose. "Really?"
"Mmm,-hmm."
That surprised her, knowing how thirsty a new born is when they first come out of their painful transformation. Their first priority is to find blood. The hunger for it is usually maddening, especially if it's not satisfied right away. Once a vampire has its first taste blood, it initiates the addiction for it and from then on there's nothing a vampire desires more heavily than the taste and feel of the hot liquid as it slides down the back of their throat and quenches the blazing fire within.
She grinned feeling a little proud of herself. "Well, I suppose I would be more satisfying than some crusty old elk," she teased. "But you haven't experienced human blood yet… fortunately. If that had been your first taste, you'd probably think differently."
He leaned in, inhaling her scent deeply and shook his head. "I really can't imagine anything that could taste better than you."
Her eyes softened and she clutched him like she never wanted to let go. "I just might keep you my prisoner here forever then," she whispered.
"I certainly wouldn't mind." He brushed her lips with his and then rested his forehead against hers. "I have the feeling Edward and Bella might protest though."
The sudden mention of Edward's name drove fear into Tara's face. "Oh crap!" she blurted out. The tender moment was ruined by the sound of tension in her voice. Tara looked around the room assessing the damage they'd done.
"Edward's gonna kill me!" she lamented.
When Seth finally took a good look, he gasped. He hadn't realized they'd completely wrecked the place during their night of unbridled pleasures. "Uh…maybe we can clean it up a bit," he said scanning the room. "I mean…it's not too bad. Looks like a lot of stuff got knocked around but there's not too much damage that can't be easily fixed right?"
Just as he'd finished his last sentence, there was a creaking noise followed by a loud snap and suddenly the bed collapsed beneath them. The legs had finally given out.
They both clutched each other as they fell with it and it hit the floor with a clamoring bang.
They both looked at each other in total shock with their mouths gaped open.
"Oh yeah… we're dead," Seth admitted.
Towards the afternoon…Renesmee sat in her bed, surrounded by Alice, Jasper, Bella and Jacob, all engaged in a very serious game of Monopoly.
Jacob rolled the dice.
"Twelve! Yes! I'll buy that," he said as he landed on Park Place.
"Ugh! How do you keep landing on all the good properties?" Renesmee complained.
"You just gotta have the skills baby," he gloated making her grab his card out of the pile and then threw it at him.
"Okay don't be gettin' all nasty, about it.! I rolled em fair. Oh and look…I have double sixes…I get to go again." He grinned.
Renesmee rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry Ness, he's about to roll his third double and go to jail," Alice said.
"Hey, quit that! Cheater!" Jacob complained.
"It's not cheating because I can't control the dice. I just see 'em before you roll" grinned smugly.
Jacob grumbled and then rolled the dice again. They landed on double threes.
He moaned. "Hey… wait…I thought you can't see my future."
Alice grinned. "I can't….it was a lucky guess," she laughed.
The others all laughed now too.
"Oh here, let me get that for you," Bella said from the other side of the table closest to his little race car piece. She picked it up and stuck it in the Go To Jail space on the board. "My turn!" she chimed and then rolled the dice. It was an eight. "Crap!"
Jasper grinned. "Hmm, I have two houses on that one. That will be six-hundred and twenty dollars please."
Bella growled counting her fake money. She was down to the fifties and twenties in her small change as Jacob had just nearly cleaned her out of her larger bills in the last round.
As Alice picked up the dice to roll, Edward strolled in carrying in a large tray of food. He set in on a small table next to Renesmee's bed.
"Wow, what's all that dad?" she asked.
"I made your eggs for you, the way you like them since you've been thinking about it all morning. You really should just ask one of us to cook something up for you if you're hungry. You know it's no trouble at all sweetie. I know you'd rather have some blood but it won't be much longer to wait," he replied.
Renesmee gave him a confused look. "Umm, I don't know what you're talking about dad."
"Eggs…you've been thinking about it all morning. I finally just figured I'd make you some."
Renesmee looked down at the half eaten muffin next to her and then she glanced over at the others who looked just as baffled as she did.
"Dad, I haven't thought about eggs all morning. I just ate a muffin. The blood sounds great though. I wish I could have some," she said.
Edward stared at her for a moment. Now he was confused too.
Suddenly Bella gasped and Edward's eyes met hers. "No… way!" she said.
"What?" Renesmee asked staring at the two of them.
Edward put his hands up to his head as though something just hit him. His eyes widened and he looked almost as if he was about to cry. Then he stepped closer to his daughter and looked as though he was concentrating, hard.
"Dad…" she touched his arm. "Dad, are you okay?"
Edward nodded. "He spoke to me."
"Who?" she asked.
He reached over and touched her belly. "Liam."
"Oh my gosh! You can hear him!" Renesmee squealed loudly.
Just when she shouted out she felt the babies inside both jump and they also both kicked Edward's hand.
He fell backward losing his footing and laughing as though he'd gone mad. Bella ran to him quickly. "Edward, are you alright?"
He kept laughing. "He…he can hear me too!" he said grabbing his head again "He's in my head!"
Now the others were all in complete awe.
"Liam can hear you?" Renesmee asked.
Edward nodded. "It's incredible. I've never felt anything like it. We're actually communicating."
"That's amazing Edward!" Bella said. "What do you hear?"
"His thoughts are so similar to Ness's. That's why I thought it was her all morning. When I tried to figure out which baby it was, he heard me thinking and just…told me."
"What about William? Do you hear him too?"
Edward concentrated hard. After a moment he shook his head. "I don't think I can. I only hear Liam."
Jacob watched silently as Edward spoke to his baby, feeling very left out of the equation. Edward suddenly looked up and right at him. "He hears you too Jacob and he says don't feel that way. He loves you… both of you, very much," Edward said. "In fact he says they love the stories you read to them at night."
Jacob began tearing up and then he touched his wife's belly. "He hears me?"
Edward nodded. "He listens to you all the time."
Renesmee smiled at her husband and Jacob's eyes became very glossy.
"Liam says… his favorite story is the Tale of Two Brothers," Edward continued.
"I picked that one," Renesmee bragged.
Edward listened some more. "But he says William's favorite is The Three Musketeers, which I believe is your favorite too… isn't is Jacob?"
Jacob nodded. He was too emotional to even speak now.
"All for one…and one for all. It's a story after your own heart," he said.
"So can Liam hear William?" Bella asked.
Edward thought for a moment. "Yes, because they are connected right now," he said.
"Well, ask him why you can't."
He paused and scrunched his eyebrows. "He doesn't know."
Jasper then had a thought. "You know…it's just a theory and perhaps a far-fetched one at that but, if Liam has a mind-reading ability like Edward, then what if William has an ability that's like Bella's? Maybe that's why you can't hear him."
Bella shrugged. "That makes sense. I think at this point…I believe anything's possible."
Edward smiled. "I think you're right about that."
"So Liam was asking you to make some eggs all morning then, huh?" Renesmee asked with a big grin. Being able to talk to them was just so fascinating to her.
Edward closed his eyes and listened for a while. When he opened them finally, he looked troubled by something. "He says they were for William. Liam prefers blood but it makes William sick. He can't have it."
"But…does he need the blood? Is that why he's so small?" she worried.
He thought again. "He says… he wants it, but the eggs will do. He likes the proteins."
Renesmee smiled. "I guess I should eat them then."
Edward caressed her head. "Yes, you should. He wants to sleep now."
Renesmee cradled her belly "Okay, time to eat then," she said to her babies.
Edward handed her the plate and a fork. "Do you want me to get you anything else sweetheart?" he asked.
She shook her head and grabbed his hand. "You've just given me the best gift I could ever imagine. Thank you."
He leaned over and kissed her head. "I love you," he said wishing his gift didn't feel like such a curse sometimes.
"You're leaving?" she asked.
"I need to call Carlisle. He'll probably want to take the day off from work when I tell him this one."
And that he did.
Carlisle had enough overtime on the books that he didn't feel too guilty when he got someone to cover his shift so he could return home. He was entirely too excited now to concentrate on work.
When he arrived, he found Renesmee in the living room, sound asleep. After she'd eaten she decided to rest along with the babies. They moved everyone out of the room to keep it quiet, though Jacob stayed. Unable to leave her side, he quietly sat next to her just petting her belly and watching her sleep. He hummed a lullaby in his head over and over as they all slept.
Carlisle decided to find Edward. He searched the house and found him in the music room, also playing a lullaby of his own - something new he started composing. Bella sat with him, savoring every note.
Edward paused as soon as he heard Carlisle's thoughts.
"That one's lovely. I don't think I've heard it before." He said to Edward without speaking.
"Thank you. It just came to me." Edward replied.
Bella turned her head and smiled at her father-in-law.
He entered and put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you mind if Edward and I speak privately Bella?"
"Of course not' She said to him.
Then she leaned down to his ear. "Come find me when you're done?"
"Absolutely," he replied. "Esme is shopping for baby items on-line, why don't you go help her and I'll join you in a few."
She gave gentle kiss before she slipped out.
Carlisle pulled up a chair and sat with Edward. "You sounded troubled over the phone. I expected you to be more excited about being able to communicate with the babies as you were with Renesmee, but I sensed there was something bothering you," he noticed.
Edward stared at the keys on the piano. "He's not going to make it, and he knows it."
"Who?" Carlisle asked.
"Liam….he needs blood to survive. He's so much like Renesmee was, but the blood makes William sick, he can't have it and since they share one placenta he's chosen to give up the blood. He can sustain himself for a while on human, food but without blood he won't live."
Carlisle looked dumfounded. "He said all this to you? Today?" he asked.
"Yes. He trusted me not to tell her. He doesn't want her to know right now and he wants to give William as much time as he can to grow to full term. He's holding out as long as he can."
"This is…truly unbelievable," Carlisle grieved. He tried to think of something he could do to save him.
"You can't. There's nothing you can do. Liam made the choice already a long time ago. That's why Renesmee can't tolerate blood in her digestive system. He rejects it so William doesn't get sick from it. He knows William will carry Jacob's blood line. He's entirely human but caries the gene. He wants him to be the one to live."
"Can you talk to William at all?"
"No…but Liam can and he's the stronger one so William can't do anything to change his decision. They can communicate but I am unable to hear William. He seems to have some ability to block his thoughts, just as Bella did with me."
Carlisle shook his head. "Astonishing."
"Yes."
"This will crush Renesmee, as well as Jacob I'm sure," Carlisle said sadly.
"Yes, I know and… I have to sit back and allow it to happen. There's nothing I can do. I promised him."
Carlisle put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Sometimes I just wish I didn't have this gift. I hate knowing this," Edward told him.
"Edward…" he said squeezing his shoulder. He looked at his father figure with a somber face.
"You have a very special gift. You're the only one who can hear him. You should feel blessed that you have the opportunity to get to know him in a way that no one else can. Just be there for him as much as you can and then when the time comes…you can tell Renesmee what he did for his brother. He's has an extraordinary soul. I'd be honored to have the connection with him that you do," Carlisle told him.
Edward thought about it for a moment. Then he finally nodded. "You're right. I won't let him down."
**Author's note: This story/chapter is dedicated to my son, Liam Gabriel Hoyt.
