**The Strange Professor, Patrick Dyer**

It was a cold dark night when our trio finally found the cottage that was rumored to be somewhere on the slopes of Grants Pass. Beyond anxious to find this professor Dyer, our hunting party, made up of Edward, Jacob and Alice, was anxious to find Renesmee or any clues to her whereabouts. Up to now there had only been dead ends and frustrations along the way. The professor, they found, was more than he pretended to be…

It was after hunting on Grant's Pass that Edward, Alice and Jacob had found a trace that led them straight to the Professors door although the physical evidence that a cottage existed out in the northern slopes was absent. There was nothing around, and nothing that led to it, not a driveway or shoveled pathway, nothing.

It was an extremely plain, log cabin. There were no tire tracks although there was a truck in the driveway. It was piled high with snow. From the appearance it seemed deserted; no wood fire burning although it was the beginning of January and the snow was constantly falling. There was no heat emitting from the building at all, and the frozen truck suggested that the occupants may have gone someplace warmer… unless it was useless for the occupant to feel heat.

Jake felt a definite eerie feeling walking up to the steps of the building after our three members of the search party conducted a sweep of the area which yielded no sign of Renesmee, or the faintest hint of her scent; but someone was inside, someone, just like them, who knew they were outside.

"Does he smell like the intruder?" Edward asked quietly against Jacob's ear.

No, definitely not, although he smells like a vampire.

Alice was of the same mind, definitely a vampire. Smell all the old blood?

Edward nodded in agreement with both statements.

The person who opened the door was rather interesting, in a kooky way. He wore large round reading glasses, a large furry mustache and beard, overalls, with a red plaid shirt.

"May I help you strangers?" he asked.

"We are trying to track down one of your former students who seemed to have disappeared." Jacob said as Edward discreetly concentrated on the man's thoughts.

Names of girls flashed through the man's mind, but not Renesmee's. The man swiftly tried to close the door, but was unable when Jake stopped the door. The man then used the real force he possessed to try to run but to his utter astonishment, where he stopped, Edward was in front, with Alice and Jake behind.

"Now, there's no need to go flying off the handle, Professor Dyer." Edward said with an ironic smile. "We aren't interested in your victims from the standpoint of the authorities; we are looking for a member of our family." Edward said. "She's unique, you would remember her. Renesmee Cullen, as she was then called."

Thoughts and images flashed through the man's mind and the light of awareness touched his eyes.

"Who are you?" Patrick Dyer asked.

"As I told you, we are her family."

"But this one… he's different." He said motioning to Jacob.

"What I am is none of your concern. We're also looking for someone who would have known her," Jake said sternly, "we believe he's a vampire as well."

The man's eyes turned bewildered. "Come inside," the strange man offered.

Going into the man's house gave Jacob the creeps. He had animal heads everywhere, all with menacing anger about their faces. It was dark and filled with a misty type of smoke.

"You're looking for Michael Gihaccio," the man said looking at Edward. Whether or not he knew that Edward was searching his memories about Renesmee looking for the man of Jake's memory is uncertain.

The name was foreign to Jacob, but not to Edward as he recognized the person who came to Professor Dyer's mind.

"What exactly do you know," Edward asked, "and I warn you, not to lie to me…"

The strange man let out a deep sigh, then took off his glasses and his faux beard then scratched his head.

"I didn't know Michael before he came here. He came to me with an introduction from someone that I didn't know. I received a phone call one day from a female. She told me that he was coming, and he was to be looked after, he's one of us. It was a very strange ordeal. There was nothing specific about any of it. I couldn't understand anything either. I didn't know the woman, I didn't ever hear from her again. When Michael did show up, he followed me around, saying he was sent here to retrieve something. I was with him the day he met Renesmee and something happened to him. It was like he spent a few days in confusion, and then he was overwhelmed with her. She was all he could ever talk about. He would sit in my class and watch her intently as we had our discussions. One day she asked me if she could come over and 'study'. I knew what she wanted, she enjoyed exploring sexuality, but without ever actually having intercourse. Michael soon became obsessed with her. One day she disappeared, I assume she went home. It was the end of the term. Michael became furious and swore he would have her and his revenge. So I assume he's succeeded with his original task, then?"

"What original task?" Edward asked slightly confused.

Edward's mask melted and horror struck his face. "He was sent here in the first place to abduct her…"

Alice and Jacob were in complete shock at this revelation.

"I think he was… I don't know who sent him or where he came from, except by way of Vienna and Lisbon," Patrick said quickly.

"Who sent you here?" Edward demanded, lunging at the man grabbing him by his collar in a complete state of fury.

"Nobody, I swear. I swear." Edward could see the truth in his words.

"I've lived in these mountains for about a hundred years. From time to time, I take a job among humans, but once in a while I slip up and have to vanish." Patrick said terror stricken.

"How did you come to work at the school then?" Edward asked loosening his grip on his throat a little.

"I was offered the job by the school board, I don't know why. It seemed like a good idea at the time; young women all around eager to learn about sex. But I lost my self control…"

"You have no idea where to find Michael now?" Jake asked finally, trying to get back on track.

"NO! I don't I swear!"

Edward released him and in another instant was out the door.

"Another dead end." Jake sighed in despair.

"On the contrary," Edward said with the glint of unabated fury in his eye, "we have another lead."

Jake and Alice both looked at each other because they must have missed it.

"Michael Ghiaccio… Ghiaccio is an old, Italian, family name it means 'ice'… his name I'm sure is spelled Mikele. We're going to need Bella before we go to Italy." He said and broke out in the fastest run he could, down the face of the northern pass.

While Edward, Jacob and Alice race against fate toward Paris for Bella, we will return to Renesmee and her glimmer of hope as she relates what has blossomed.

~Hope's Promise~

Michael's countenance has changed toward me today. Although not willing to free me, he was willing to dress me, feed me and put me in a proper bedroom; while still beneath ground, it is undeniably far more comfortable.

It was today I became aware that hope isn't something that always comes from outside. Sometimes it comes from within. In my case, I thought that I was perhaps dying from the abuse and malnutrition, but I find instead of death lurking inside of me, I have life growing inside of me. I couldn't believe it until today, when the light from the dungeon's hallway shone in through the open door when Michael entered my cell, that I was indeed carrying a child.

Now here I lay in a bed of feathers in a beautifully lit room with gilded mirrors and clothes, because as he said, 'no woman of mine, carrying my child, should live in a dungeon'. So here I am, guarded at all times, but waiting none the less for my salvation. Somehow I know Jake will come find me, will find us.

As I know my Jake will find us, I know the life within me is life from love. I know I am carrying Jacob's child. This however must be held secret at all costs from Michael, but I will still make this promise to my child, his father will come for us, and soon. He shall be born in love and grow with family; or I would rather death to myself and the baby than to bear a son to this madman. If Jake shouldn't find us, a solemn oath I have sworn: To either escape or die in the attempt, for fear of ending in despising myself should I break my promise.

As the days pass my child gets bigger and bigger. Sometimes I wonder if momma grew this fast with me. I eat all the time; more food than blood. It seems that blood repulses me usually, but once in a while I take some. Every day Michael checks my growth and takes notes, closely monitoring our progress as though it's his life's purpose. Ever since he found out I was pregnant, he's been mumbling to himself, things about madmen and schemes that will fail and how now he's won…

Don't worry pretty baby, I won't let that mean man take you from me. Your daddy is coming soon. I promise. If only I could find a way to let him know where I was… if only I knew where I was…

That's it! Of course! Fresh air…we need fresh air…What a smart baby!

I find solace in talking to my child.

When Michael returned to the room, I knew what I had to do.

"Renesmee, are you okay?" he asked running over to me checking my temperature. "You look awfully pale. What do you need? What does the baby need?"

I tried my hardest to actually feel ill and reply in such a way that was convincing. "I need air. I can't breathe this mildew any longer."

"There's no mildew in here," he said sniffing at the air.

"It's soooo stuffy Michael, please. The baby needs air. Just a little walk... like we used to in the park when we first met. The baby would love to go for a walk. Will you take us?" I asked laying it on thick. There's no way his ego would be able to resist.

He thought about it for a minute and smiled. "Of course. You're so wonderful to think of it. Here, let me give you something to wear."

Ghosting to the closet he unlocked it and brought out a long white hooded fur coat and dress that was equally lined in fur, along with boots, gloves and a scarf. Where the hell were we that I would need such garments?

He insisted on helping me dress, and when he thought I was fully prepared, he escorted me out, offering me his hand the way a king would escort a queen. The key was in playing along… I however refused to play along with what he wanted. But it seems that now that I was carrying a baby, he wasn't so determined to have sex with me anymore. For this I was eternally thankful to my precious baby.

The hallways were exceedingly dark, but lit with ancient candelabras on the wall. A castle maybe?

When we entered into an elevator I was shocked…who has an elevator in a castle? Psychopath!

Through a series of more underground passages we finally approached stairs and I could see the light of the sun cast on the stairs that I was about to ascend. Within moments I was on what I figured to be the flat roof. It wasn't anything as romantic as a garden or even a landing platform, but a snow covered flat expanse stretched out before me.

I was so blinded by the light I couldn't see anything for minutes at least. He held my arm as my vision adjusted. The air was so cold and crisp, when I finally could make out the expanse of my surroundings, I realized with amazement I was surrounded by mountains. Mountains everywhere.

"Where are we?" I asked astonished. I held his arm closer as if to warm myself to him in hopes that he would simply tell me.

He looked down with a smile at me, wiggling out of my hold and embraced me with his arm.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. Even in Washington, there aren't this many mountains. Where are we?"

"I love you, but I can't tell you Renesmee."

My spine shivered at his words. He took that for me being cold.

"Let's get you inside. That's enough for one day. I'll bring you back out again in a couple of days."

I looked around again and concentrated hard. Alice, see me… there's mountains EVERYWHERE. I'm going back inside, but I will be coming out again to look at the MOUNTIANS EVERYWHERE in a couple of days…

I wasn't sure if that would do any good, but I remember a story auntie told me when momma thought she would have to send me away. All she did was write something down concentrating on Alice and she saw her… I hoped she would see me… and Alice…I'm pregnant. I'm having a baby! Please hurry.

When he returned me to my room, I laid down feigning exhaustion, but I was so keyed up. He left me to sleep with my guards outside my room. Another girl had left me some food, and then I was alone.

I looked for anything to write with, but he didn't leave me anything… There wasn't anything sharp that I could use so I ate and laid back down concentrating hard on the vista I had seen. I could only hope that it would be enough…