**All characters are the soul possession of Stephenie Meyer!
Chapter 3
"Secrets and Surprises"
Bella stroked the bronze ringlets on her daughters head lovingly as Renesmee slept peacefully in her new "big girl" bed that Edward had ordered special made as an early birthday present. White wrought iron posts topped with brilliant clear crystal spindles framed on all sides by intricate heart-shaped designs supported a curtain of translucent purple satin. Atop the bed was a spread of purple satin accented with shining crystal hearts and tiny fresh water pearls. Rows of billowy ruffles hung loosely to the floor.
Bella smiled as she took Renesmee's hand and spread her tiny fingers against her cheek to steel a glance into her dreams. Renesmee sighed contentedly as Bella watched her riding through the forest on Jacob's big wide shoulders, stopping just long enough to pluck a wildflower from its bush as he hoisted her down and quickly lifted her back up again.
Bella breathed her own blissful sigh as Edward walked up quietly behind her and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Are you envious of her dreams, too, Love?" Edward asked with wistful curiosity.
Bella stood up slowly from her spot on the floor beside the bed and pulled the covers a little more snugly around Renesmee's soundly sleeping body.
"Yes, sometimes I am envious of her dreams. Or, maybe just her ability to dream such happy dreams. Even when I could dream, mine weren't always pleasant." Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's waist and rested her cheek on his chest.
Edward caressed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I am so sorry I caused you such anguish that your dreams were not pleasant ones."
Bella looked up into her husband's angelic face and tiptoed as she kissed him lightly on the lips. "You, my sweet husband, were never the cause of my less than pleasant dreams. It is because of you that all of my dreams have come true."
With a mischievous grin, Bella took Edward by the hand and led him out of their daughter's room and into their own.
She shoved him playfully onto the bed and climbed on top of him with lightning speed. Chuckling softly, Bella began to slowly unbutton his favorite white linen dress shirt one button at a time…planting a kiss in each spot the button left uncovered until she reached the snap on his dark navy trousers. Edward shuddered as Bella used her teeth to unfasten the snap and curled her tongue in and around the curve of his belly button.
"Dammit, Jacob. Go away!" Edward growled at the same time Bella's head snapped up at the sound of a knock on the front door of the cabin. Bella scrambled off the bed and followed Edward to the front door. As the door swung open, Jacob stood in the door frame looking worn out and more than a little frustrated. However, as recognition of what he had interrupted registered in his harried brain, he ducked his head in embarrassment.
"Aw, geez! I am sooo sorry, guys!" Jacob's cheeks flashed crimson as he stepped hesitantly into the house.
Bella stood with her arms crossed tapping her toe impatiently on the floor. "This had better be good, Jacob Black!"
Jacob looked imploringly at Edward who was buttoning up his shirt with resignation.
"I knew this was coming, Jacob. Come on in. We need to talk." Edward closed the door behind Jacob as Bella looked on incredulously.
"Bella, it looks like Jake could use a drink of water. Would you mind getting it for him, Love?"
Bella continued to look at Edward with an unbelieving expression, but moved toward the kitchen to get the water.
Jacob cleared his throat nervously. "Actually, Bells, I could use something a little stronger if you have it."
Jacob caught the can of soda in mid-air as Bella, anticipating his need for caffeine, tossed it across the room in his direction. She then joined Edward on the sofa and nestled herself into the crook of his arm. Jacob flopped onto the floor propping himself against the wall facing them, his sprawling frame filling almost the entire space between the sofa and the fireplace.
"We've searched every day and night for the last week, and Leah hasn't turned up anywhere. Sue is worried sick. She can't understand why Leah would just take off without saying goodbye…without giving some reason for leaving." Jacob yawned widely and took a huge gulp of soda.
Edward grimaced uncomfortably and exhaled slowly. Bella looked at him curiously.
"Edward, do you know something about Leah's disappearance?"
Bella turned to face him with an upturned brow.
"Unfortunately, I know mostly everything about Leah's disappearance." Edward turned apologetically first to Bella, then to Jacob.
"Neither of you are going to like what I have to say. I was hoping to keep it quiet, but Leah made sure that wasn't possible."
Jacob sat up stiffly and looked at Edward with anger flashing in his eyes.
"What happened, Edward? What did you do?"
Bella snapped her head around to look at Jacob, scolding him.
"You're asking him what he did? Maybe Leah did something!" Bella was on her feet now, her hands balled into tight fists at her side.
Edward gently tugged her back down onto the sofa.
"It's all right, Bella. Jacob is right. I am responsible for Leah's leaving Forks, but I will not apologize for it. Were you aware that she was in love with you, Jacob?"
Jacob stared blankly into the glowing red embers of the fireplace.
"I tried to ignore it, but I knew. She was toxic. Every time she phased, pure hatred would spew from her thoughts. She never kept how she felt about Nessie and the rest of you a secret. But, we were dealing with it in our own way. You had no right to interfere, Edward."
Jacob pulled his long black hair into a pony tail and pushed himself up from the floor, scowling furiously at Edward.
Edward peered up at Jacob stoically and stood, placing his hand on Jacob's shoulder.
"You will feel differently when I tell you why I ordered her to leave Forks."
Jacob's face shifted into sheer rage and his hands shook with the threat of impending violence. Bella wedged her body between her best friend and her husband, hoping to diffuse the situation.
"Jake, calm down. Let Edward finish." Bella shoved them apart with a hand on each man's chest.
"I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Right, Edward?"
Bella threw a hopeful glance up at Edward.
Edward turned away from them to hide the fury on his face.
"She wanted to kill Renesmee. I heard it in her thoughts the last evening we were all together at the house."
Bella and Jacob both stood with blank expressions…Bella as still as a granite statue, Jacob as shaky as a volcano about to erupt. Having gotten his emotions under control, Edward turned to face them both.
"Leah loves you, Jacob. In her mind, Renesmee is only an obstacle in need of removal," Edward continued in a flat matter-of-fact tone.
Jacob was shaking his head in disbelief and his breathing was becoming more labored by the second. Bella took him by the shoulders and pushed him down to sit on the ottoman, but he jumped back up and began pacing the length of the floor from the fireplace to the sofa.
"I need to know exactly what happened. Don't leave out one detail, Edward." Jacob's nostrils flared as he struggled to get his breathing under control.
"Jacob, you cannot phase in this house. You have to calm down. Please." Bella soothed her furious friend while wondering how in the world she had remained so calm.
"In order for me to continue, I must ask that both of you remain in complete control. We cannot afford to allow this to touch Renesmee in any way," Edward whispered while glancing in the direction of his sleeping daughter's bedroom.
Bella nodded solemnly, crossing her arms over her abdomen. Jacob stopped pacing and came to stand beside Bella with his arms folded across his chest.
Edward recounted the whole scene that had taken place in the Cullen's garage. He told them how Leah had planned to kill Renesmee and never phase again in order to keep her secret, how she had planned to be there for Jacob through his grief, and how she had planned on him falling in love with her after enough time had passed. Finally, he told them how he had barely held it together enough to keep from killing her and ordered her to leave Forks instead.
"I regret terribly that she did not take the time to speak with her mother before she left. I did not wish unnecessary pain upon Sue or Seth. But, I will not apologize for protecting my daughter. Leah is very fortunate to be alive."
Edward looked into the faces of his wife and the man who was fast becoming a brother to find appreciative admiration returned by one, but wounded anger reflected by the other.
Jacob clasped his sweltering hand on top of Edward's icy shoulder without so much as a flinch.
"Thanks, man. I owe you one. You not only took care of Nessie, but me, too. I would have killed Leah myself. Still will…if she shows her face in Forks again."
Jacob turned to Bella with a grin of apology spreading across his face.
"I'll go and let you two get back to… uh…whatever you were doing."
As Edward saw Jacob out, Bella stood in the middle of the room… very still and very quiet.
Edward approached her cautiously with a tentative expression, holding out his arms, inviting her into them. Bella did not move.
"Bella, I…"
Bella held up one finger, shushing him sternly. She then turned and walked silently into Renesmee's room, closing the door softly behind her.
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Alice and Rosalie had just hung the last streamer when the doorbell rang. Bella ran past them to answer the door, looking incredulously up at the ceiling. Every inch of the Cullen's great room ceiling was swathed in streamers of every possible shade of purple. Beneath the canopy of streamers floated a sea of silver balloons tied with gleaming metallic ribbon. Each and every balloon displayed the face of Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana and boasted the phrase Rock the Stage.
The left side of the dining room table was laden with gifts, all wrapped in pastel colors and topped with gigantic silver bows. The right side of the table was occupied by the ridiculously mammoth three tiered chocolate birthday cake Esme had made for Renesmee. Each tier was covered with a different shade of purple butter cream icing. Atop the icing sat dozens of dazzling crystal hearts and shimmering silver butterflies. A silver satin ribbon tied into a curly bow served as the cake topper.
Bella, shaking her head in disbelief, opened the door to find Charlie grinning from ear to ear, a gift wrapped box in each arm. Just behind Charlie, sat Billy in his wheelchair holding yet another large package in his lap.
"Hey, Bells! Where's the birthday girl?"
"Great to see you, too, Dad."
Charlie laughed and kissed Bella lightly on the cheek as he maneuvered himself and the gifts through the door. Billy rolled in easily right behind him.
"Jacob has Renesmee keeping her distracted with a piggy back ride
along the beach in La Push."
Bella gave Billy a quick hug and took the gift from his lap and placed it on the dining room table.
"So, where's Sue? Is she coming later after work?" Bella's heart sank as she watched Charlie and Billy exchange worried glances.
Billy looked at Bella sympathetically and replied, "Sorry, Bella. Sue just needs a little more time."
Sue had not taken the news that Leah had threatened to kill Renesmee well at all. She was furious with her daughter and embarrassed for her family. But, she was also angry with Edward for driving Leah from her home and keeping the truth from her family as they searched feverishly for her.
Bella knew exactly how Sue felt. She had not spoken to Edward in two days. It wasn't so much that she disagreed with the way he'd handled Leah - Bella was sure she would not have had the restraint to stop herself from killing the werewolf that intended to harm her little girl. But, Edward had kept a secret from her – a huge secret – one that could have potentially destroyed their family. By keeping the truth from her, Edward had proved that he did not see her as an equal. He still saw her as the weak little human in need of his constant protection.
Almost as if he'd read her thoughts, Charlie leaned in close to Bella and squeezed her hand.
"Honey, have you and Edward worked through your disagreement yet?"
Charlie had long been in the know about the werewolf thing. Sue had decided that full disclosure was best considering the two of them were discussing becoming permanent fixtures in one another's lives. However, he still did not know the full truth behind the Cullen's secret lives or Bella's transformation from human to vampire. Charlie was a very intelligent man, and he knew that something supernatural had taken place, but he was content with the need to know status Bella had placed him under in order to allow him the opportunity to remain close to her and his granddaughter.
Bella gave her father a warning glare that clearly stated "butt out".
Charlie raised his arms in mock surrender and said, "Okay. Okay. I just think you outta cut him some slack. He just did what he thought was best for you and Nessie."
"Thanks, Dad. Your opinion is duly noted. Now, can we please drop the subject? This is Renesmee's day."
Right on cue, Seth burst through the door toting yet another gift in the crook of his arm.
"Here they come! Jake and Nessie are on their way up the drive!"
Alice sprang into action screaming, "Okay, everybody! Hide!"
The Cullens, the crew from La Push, and Charlie took their places behind doors and furniture to await the birthday girl's arrival.
Alice whispered, "Remember, the signal is when Jacob asks where everybody is? Then, we all jump out and scream, SURPRISE!"
The room fell silent as large footsteps were heard outside the front door. It was obvious to every supernatural being in the room that Renesmee was still perched atop Jacob's shoulders. She was chattering happily about the new bed that her dad had given her for her birthday and the new outfit she was wearing for the trip into Seattle that her parents had planned for dinner tonight.
As Jacob opened the door and stepped inside, he twisted his body so that Renesmee could not see into the Cullen's great room. Instead, he moved towards the piano room and peered just inside the door.
"Hmmm. I wonder where everybody is?"
"SURPRISE!!"
Eight vampires, three werewolves, and two long time buddies all jumped out from their hiding places at once as Renesmee sprang limberly from Jacob's shoulders and hid herself behind his long over-sized legs in shock.
The room erupted in laughter as Renesmee peeked tentatively around Jacob and caught sight of the spectacle that was the great room. With an expression of awe, she ran into the room squealing with delight.
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"Son, have you tried to reason with her?"
Carlisle Cullen looked imploringly at his son as Edward hid his face in his hands in sheer frustration.
"She won't even speak to me, Carlisle. How do I reason with silence?"
Edward had never seen Bella so angry. Not at him, anyway.
They had argued before, but this felt different. It felt…wrong.
"I should never have kept the confrontation with Leah from Bella."
Edward ran his hand through his unruly hair as Carlisle moved from behind his desk and placed a reassuring hand on his son's sagging shoulder.
"Edward, Bella is no longer that vulnerable human girl you fell in love with a few years ago. She is now as strong as you are, maybe stronger."
Edward sighed resolutely and half-grinned up at Carlisle.
"She is stronger… For now, at least… How did you do it?" – Edward stood to face his father with a forlorn expression – "get over the need to rush to Esme's every need after she was transformed?"
Carlisle chuckled. "Who says I'm over it? I still feel the need to protect her. However, I also realize that she is my equal - my partner. Bella is your equal now, Edward. She is your partner. You must find a way to reconcile the frail human girl with whom you first fell in love with the formidable woman vampire who is now your wife and the mother of your child."
Edward trudged slowly to the door of Carlisle's study and turned to face him one last time before turning the knob.
"What if she won't listen?" Edward asked, his eyes tired, wary.
Carlisle crossed the room and took Edward by the shoulders. "Bella loves you, Son. She may put up a fight at first, but she will listen…eventually."
"It's the fight that I least look forward too," Edward said in a low, deliberate voice. Then, he moved swiftly out the door to face the firing squad - his angry wife.
