**Asylum**

Flying back over Europe was mostly a quiet trip. Renesmee was still in an unconscious state of sleep, the rest spoke quietly amongst themselves over their triumph at finding Renesmee and the vanquishing of the Volturi guardsmen, while Edward and Damian communicated silently.

Edward, I realize that it may be dangerous for you and your family to return to your normal lives at present, Damien said after their previous conversation had ended. Do you have any idea what you and your family are going to do?

That's a fair assessment. Perhaps we should discuss that… Edward mused, and posed the question to the family.

"Damian makes a good point, that perhaps going back to our normal lives isn't the safest thing for right now… what do you all think? I know at least you Quill have someone you need to go home to, what about your brothers?" Edward asked.

Seth and Embry looked at each other for a moment and were in firm agreement, "We'll stay with Jacob."

"Does anyone else have thoughts about re-locating?" Edward asked primarily focused on Bella.

"I'm ready to leave Forks. Charlie is fine and used to his life with Sue…we rarely see each other anymore anyway."

"So we go back to Alaska?" Rosalie said with hesitation.

"Considering the reach Aro has, I think it would be wise for you and your family to avoid going anywhere that you have been to before." Damian interjected.

Carlisle and Edward both agreed.

"It would be my pleasure to offer you all to come meet my family and stay with us in our home. There is plenty of room for everyone to have their own space and stay as long as you like, and more than enough hunting to sustain us all for years to come, should you decide you like it." Damian offered.

"That is very kind of you," Carlisle said but was in truth a little wary of the invitation.

"I understand your fear, Carlisle, and allow me to tell you that if at any time you are uncomfortable, you and yours are free to go, but I think you will find our home comfortable."

"Where do you live?" Alice asked.

"Quebec, as it is called now. It was just the Rockies out in Canada for a long time. Where we live there still aren't people for thousands of miles in any direction; it's deep in the mountains. My father built his hideaway out there long before Canada was even settled. Now he's added on to it quite substantially. He and mother carry on their research there while my brothers and sisters, well those of us who have chosen to remain with him, carry out our studies. It's convenient for my sisters, who love city life, since it's a short chopper ride away from New York City where we keep up a residence. It would be our pleasure to offer you asylum until such a time is as no longer necessary. "

"On behalf of my family, we would be happy to accept your invitation." Carlisle smiled.

…

When Renesmee awoke screaming from a nightmare, she was in unfamiliar surroundings - light of the sun pouring in from the glass ceiling.

"Sssshhh," Jake soothed, "its okay, I'm right here. Baby, what's wrong?" He asked holding her tight.

The sobs came in waves, "Jacob… so real… it was so real…"

"Sssshhhh, baby, it's over now, you're safe." He soothed rubbing circles on her back.

The terrified screams of their daughter brought Edward and Bella ghosting to the room to her aid, where they found Jacob comforting her. He explained that there was no present danger she simply awoke from a nightmare. The relief was clear on their faces, but the pain for her suffering was also evident.

Bella watched her daughter in sympathy. The nightmares can be so vivid; she couldn't imagine the pain in her daughter's mind.

"Jake where are we?" Renesmee asked in a state of confusion and hysteria.

"We're safe my darling. We accepted Damian's invitation to his home, since it may not be safe for us to go back to ours yet, we are in Canada."

"Why is home not safe?" Nessie asked dazed.

Her parents sat on the bed and the three explained what had happened to her and why she was abducted.

Renesmee's flushed cheeks took on a deathly parlor, "Do you mean that this baby could be….?" She began, fear returning to her eyes.

"It's possible." Edward said measuring her response.

"No, I don't believe it. This baby is my treasure, he grew from love to give me hope, there's no way it's an experiment of that monster. I know it…"

"How do you know, baby?" Bella asked holding Renesmee's face.

Renesmee broke down in tears and sobs as memories washed over her.

"No, I don't believe it. This is Jacob's baby." Renesmee kept sobbing, cradling her stomach. She found herself unable to entertain such woe, so she changed the subject, "Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Carlisle and Esme took Quill back home. Carlisle wanted to take care of things with the hospital and Esme wanted to shut up the house. Seth and Embry are sleeping down the hall, and the rest of the family is out hunting." Jacob informed her.

"Everyone is here? Wow… where is Damian; I haven't thanked him yet…"

"Oh he's around…this is really big place." Jacob said, clearly impressed.

Nessie's body shook with anxiety and tears and sobs threatened to surface again, unable to shake her depression.

"Tell me baby, what is it?" Jake coaxed.

"I know this baby is yours," she murmured when she spoke finally. "This baby is happy; he's not hurting me… I could feel him inside me when you came through the door of my cell Jake… I know this is your baby…"

"Okay sweetie, we won't talk about it anymore. Okay guys? It's settled, the little tyke is my baby, and that's all there is to it." Jacob said resolute deciding that it was better to keep Renesmee from being upset. Edward agreed.

"Congratulations sweetheart. We didn't get a chance to tell you." Edward said with a sad smile.

"He's growing fast isn't he?" Bella asked touching Renesmee's stomach with a forced smile. Her bump was pronounced and solid. "You're gonna be a big baby, aren't you, just like your daddy." Bella cooed at Nessie's tummy.

Nessie jumped, "he kicked! Momma he kicked!"

Fear passed over both Jake and Edward's face. Isn't it much too early for a human baby to be kicking? Jake asked silently.

Edward nodded in assent, but simply put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Don't worry son, your son will be amazing."

"That's right pretty baby…" Renesmee said looking down at her tummy.

"Jake, a moment," Edward asked standing up motioning for him to join him, "don't worry sweetie, I won't keep your husband from you for too long." Edward said and smiled at his daughter, sitting on the bed with her mother.

"Have I ever told you about the first time you kicked?" Edward heard Bella ask Nessie as they walked down the hall.

When Jacob had said that the house of Damian and his family was 'really big', he wasn't exaggerating. Edward had wanted to gain some distance so that they could speak without increasing Renesmee's anxiety, so they strolled down a corridor that was mostly glass and through the wing of the 'house' that Damian's father had so graciously offered them. When Edward was comfortable with the distance gained, he spoke.

"I know what you're thinking Jake and while I had said it was too early to tell, maybe it's not…" Edward began.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from the moment we discovered Bella was pregnant, there was the rapid growth, but more than that there was her sickly state. Remember how ill she was and she couldn't eat anything?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, that's kind of my point. I know we've only had Nessie back for about twenty-four hours, but she looks healthy enough. She doesn't look anywhere as haggardly as Bella did. She's not craving blood…and recall there was a tray of food in her cell when we took her? So he was feeding her what she needed…"

"But he's growing so fast…"

"Perhaps that is because Renesmee is half-vampire…"

"That's true, I hadn't considered that before." Jake said contemplating what Edward had said.

"I know you said what you did about it being your baby to calm Nessie down, and I agree with you completely, but there is at least this solid evidence that suggests that too… so rest easy son."

"Thank you Edward… you've been…" Jacob began, reaching his hand around his neck as if to pull the stress out, "you've been as good to me as my own father would have been if he were able to be here and get me through this stuff." Jake rubbed at his face, pushing at his eyes, overwhelmed by the stress of this whole ordeal.

"Speak your mind son, I'm here. Even though I can hear you without speaking, it's better for you if you get it off your chest." Edward coaxed.

Rubbing his temples and his forehead, Jacob continued, "I don't know what I would have done without you. I've never been so afraid in my whole life… Not facing that newborn army, not facing Bella's wedding, or her death or changing… I can't express the fear that I felt about this whole thing with Nessie. I would have gone mad without you. I can't think of anything I can do to thank you…except…" Jake sighed deeply, and Edward waited for him to find his words.

"I have the feeling I'll live as long as you do"… my father is getting old…Jake thought to himself and to Edward; I never thought I could say this, and I hope he wouldn't reproach me for it either… "I'll love you like a son. I will love you forever as I love my own father… You've seen more things than I can imagine and your wisdom far surpasses my own. I owe you so much, but I promise you to love you as I do my own dad, as I promised Renesmee I that I'll love her until I perish."

Edward embraced him "and I you." Edward said holding his shoulders tight and Jake broke into tears.

"It'll be alright Jake, let it out. You've been strong this whole time… you can let it go now…" Edward coaxed holding Jacob as a father would hold his heartbroken son. "The hard part is over now…"

They stood there unmoving for a time when Edward whispered to Jake, 'Damian is coming.'

Jake straightened up his shoulders and wiped his face, and when Damian did come around the corner a ghost of a smile appeared on Jacob's sublime features.

"Thank you so much for everything Damian." Jake said extending his hand.

"It's the least I could have offered, but allow me to offer something to you and yours… I know this is has been a wretched experience, one that you would soon like to forget. I would like to help you learn to forget it; if I may be so bold as to offer."

"I don't understand." Jacob said plainly confused.

"You know how the mind can suppress a memory, right?" Damian asked with a humble smile.

"Yea, so?" Jake responded.

"So, you can tell your mind to suppress a memory. When it does so involuntarily, it is the minds way of protecting your conscious self, if you tell your mind to do so, it is you who is causing your mind to protect itself."

"That's something you can control?" Edward asked.

"As simply as putting something in a locked vault," Damian said with another winning smile.

When the gentlemen had returned to the room Renesmee was eating from a tray that had been sent to the room.

"Honey, I'm not sure if you remember, but this is Damian, he's our host." Edward said introducing Damian officially to his daughter.

"At your service, Mon Cheri." Damian said with a gallant bow, "You're every comfort is my pleasure. I hope the food is to your liking. We keep a full time chef."

"Why?" she asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"I have brothers and sisters who are Halflings, sometimes they prefer food to other, shall we say, cuisine."

"Really you do?" Renesmee asked shocked.

"Oh there's a lot you don't know about me I see. Well before we get to that, allow me to make you an offer. I was hoping, if you would like, to help you to suppress your painful memories about your ordeal."

Renesmee frowned for a moment… "But I've learned so much… I don't want to lose what I've gained by it. So while painful, I think I'll pass."

Edward was surprised by the insight into her suffering that she had already gained. Bella was simply surprised that she would want to keep such a horrid experience.

"Well suppose I tell you that I can help you by locking away specific painful memories, while the feeling over the experience you may chose to keep." Damian offered. "You think about it, and should you decide to, let me know and I would be happy to help you. In the meantime when you are all ready, I would like to present you to my parents."

Nessie looked down at herself, realizing she didn't even recognize the clothes she was in. What would she wear?

"That is no worry, dear Renesmee, I have clothes here for both you and your husband," Damian said, pressing a remote and a wall opened revealing a large room of clothes. "You will find clothes that will fit you throughout your pregnancy, as courtesy from one of my sisters. Take your ease and when you are ready, it would be my pleasure to introduce you. You will find everything you need through here." He said motioning to a bathroom that would shame the penthouse suite of any five-star hotel. "Your brothers and sisters have returned from hunting, and I believe Alice is in wonderland in her closet and Rosalie is in heaven in hers. Hopefully we can wait on you in say three hours?"

Edward answered for the family, "we look forward to it."