"Nessie where are you?" Derek's voice got closer.

I wiped the tears away with the sleeve of my jacket. The cold from the leather felt good against my face. I got up and unsteadily made my way towards the door. "Right here." I said quietly and walked into the hallway.

"Renesmee what the hell happened to you?" Derek yelled as he rushed over to me. It was that noticeable? "You're bleeding!" He swiped his thumb over my bottom lip.

"I'm fine." I whispered.

"Who did this?" Derek demanded. He pulled me towards the bathroom when I started to shake.

"No one." I couldn't seem to get my voice over a faint whisper.

"Someone did! Ness, you look freaked."

"I fell."

"Like hell you did. Was it one of my brothers friends? Did they try something?"

"Derek!" I yelled and took the washcloth out of his hand that he was using to clean my lip. "No one did this. You know how klutzy I am." I rolled my eyes and my left eye hurt. I winced from the pain.

"You positive?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "Someone was in the bathroom down here, so I went upstairs and tripped on the last step. The doorknob to your brothers room got my eye." I was glad I knew his house well enough to make up that story.

"Why were you in the computer room then?"

"I didn't want anyone to see me." I shrugged.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"No!" I yelled. I would have fallen to my knees, begging him, if he wasn't already holding me up. "Please, I can't go home. Not looking like this."

Derek laughed. "I think Bella and Edward know you're the queen of all klutziness."

"I'll go home when Jake comes to pick me up at Melissa's." I lied. I definitely didn't want Jacob to see me like this. I'd walk home while he was out picking me up. I thought up a plan to get me in the house unnoticed. It was going to be tough, but I had faith in myself. After all I knew I couldn't tell my parents what happened. I know my mother is a vampire more than capable enough to take care of herself and anyone else around her, but I didn't want to chance it. Luke had no special known talent besides is rage that my mothers shield couldn't protect herself against. She has killed before, but if something happened to her I would never be able to forgive myself. I shook my head to get the vision out. "I'm fine." I forced myself to smile.

Derek seemed to believe me, sort of. He still watched me warily. I searched the party for Melissa, hoping to avoid Alyssa. I didn't want the thought of me to register into my fathers mind the next time he saw her.

"Melis, can we get out of here?" I asked as I pulled her away from one of the seniors.

"Oh my God, what happened to you.?"

"I fell." I growled. I should have looked at myself in the mirror while I was in the bathroom, or, by the look on Melissa's face, I shouldn't have.

"You fell?"

"Yeah, long story. Listen I want to go home."

"But I'm dancing… with a senior."

"Ok fine. Just tell Derek I decided to have Jacob come pick me up here, ok?"

"Sure!" She hugged me before turning back to her dance partner.

The walk home was long, but I was happy to see the Ferrari wasn't in the garage. I kicked off my shoes so I could run up the stairs faster.

"Renesmee?" My dad called out from the living room.

"It's me." He should know, he could smell me.

"Where's Jacob?"

"I don't know." I said as I continued up the stairs.

"He was supposed to pick you up… Stop!" My dad's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. I jumped from the volume. "I smell blood… I smell your blood."

Crap! "Yeah, I tripped on Melissa's stairs and cut my lip. I'm fine though. No big deal. Just stay away from me if the smell bothers you." I kept my back towards him, hiding my face.

"The smell of your blood does not bother me. Come here and let me look at it."

"No, I can take care of it myself. I'm tired, goodnight!" I rushed up the rest of the stairs.

"Slow down, you'll fall again."

"Got it!"

I shut my bedroom door and locked it. I knew it wouldn't keep any of them out, but it would give me an extra two seconds to cover my face.

"Oh man." I groaned when I looked at myself in the mirror. My eye was black and blue, my cheek was red and scratched, and on top of that I had a fat lip. This was not going to go over well.

"Where is she?!" I heard Jacob yell as soon as he slammed the front door behind him.

"In bed." My mom answered him.

"She walked home?"

"Melissa's isn't that far. Alyssa and Nessie walk there all the time."

"Bella, you give that girl way too much freedom."

"You're only saying that because she's dating a vampire instead of you."

"Bella…" Jacob growled.

"Back off." My dad warned him.

"Tell her to back off!"

"If you don't like it, go home!" My mom snapped.

"Jacob I said back off. Take one more step towards her and I'll sent you soaring back home by my fist."

I wanted to go down and stop the fight, but then they'd see my face.

"Just stop." My mom begged. "Edward relax, please."

"You can't be comfortable with her dating a filthy leech, can you?"

"Jacob…" My mom paused. "News flash! We are vampires, and she's half vampire. I can assure you vampires and other vampires dating sounds a lot better than a vampire and a werewolf dating."

"Half human half vampire dating a werewolf." Jacob corrected her.

"Whatever." My mom groaned.

"She's home now. I'll ask her about it in the morning." My dad settled the fight and it got quiet.

The next morning I groaned when I realized it was time for me to get up.

There was a slight knock on the door and my mom's voice followed. "Can I come in?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I'm… er… sick."

"Now try telling me the truth." The door knob jiggled. "Before I break down the door." She sounded annoyed.

I jumped out of bed and ran into my bathroom. "I'm taking a shower!"

"You just started the shower." As soon as I clumsily jumped around to take my clothes off and stumbled into the shower, I heard the lock on the door snap.

"Sorry, forgot to unlock it."

"Uh huh." I saw the outline of her body as she stood on the other side of the curtain. "You're lying to me." She accused.

"No I'm not."

"You ok, sweetie?" Her voice suddenly turned smooth.

I breathed deeply. "Perfectly fine. What did you need?"

"I'm going shopping with your Aunts and Alyssa. Did you want to go?"

Damn stupid face! I needed to go shopping, but was it worth my mom freaking out?

"Ok, but there's something I need to tell you first." I decided if I warned her about my fall, than she'd be a little calmer when she saw my face.

"You can tell me anything."

"Ok, don't freak out ok?"

"Renesmee…"

"Well, I sort of fell outside Melissa's house last night. I messed up my face pretty bad."

"You told us you only cut your lip."

I laughed unevenly. "It's a little more than my lip." I was done washing up all too quickly, and I didn't want my mom to yank the curtain down to see my face and also see the bruises shaped as hands on my upper arms. I shut off the water, reached out for my towel and wrapped it around my shoulders before I stepped out of the shower.

I have never seen a vampire jump the way my mom did when she saw my face. You would think someone just jumped out in front of her and yelled "Boo."

"Renesmee Carlie! You really did a good job sweetie." She took my face lightly in her hands and her cold touch felt good. "What did you fall into?" She asked as she examined my face.

"The cement stairs."

"Bella? Everything ok in there? Why did you break down her door?"

"We're fine." My mom said calmly.

"Ok, Ness going shopping?"

"Yes I am." I answered.

"Luke's here, he's in the living room." His name sent chills through my body.

"Mom!" The shock on my face reflected off hers as I clung to her.

"What's wrong?" Both my mom and dad said at the same time. The bathroom door flung open.

"Nothing! Get out!"

"Your face!" My dad crossed the bathroom before I could blink. His hands replaced my mom's. He ignored the bright red color in my cheeks for having him standing in front of me while I was in a towel.

"Who did this to you!" His hands shook with rage.

"No one! I fell." I was already tired of explaining my lie. It's Luke! Luke did it! Help me Dad, he's going to go after Mom if I tell anyone! Save her, protect her. It's too late for me! I kept my screaming thought to myself, but I knew how easily I could have put those thoughts inside his head. The thought of Luke downstairs made me keep my thoughts safely tucked away. My mother literally fought to the death to keep me alive, it's time I returned the favor.

"She did, outside Melissa's." My mom, thankfully told my story.

"You said that last night, but…" My dad's eyes searched for something in my eyes, something he wasn't going to find. The truth.