Chapter 10: Experience

~Jacob~

Lots of things had changed since the last time I had seen Bella. There was the obvious undeniable fact that she was now a vampire, something I decided not to let come between our friendship. That in itself was a strange thing to consider, the fact that Bella was only my friend. There were no longer any feelings for her than just to be there as her friend. Imprinting, I guess, did that to a guy. Anna was the one I wanted to be with now. The one I felt the obligation and privilege of protecting, but a part of me still felt the the need to help Bella protect her kids.

I was my human self so that I could have my thoughts alone, trying to figure out what I would tell Sam and the rest of the pack. As a whole most of them felt less threatened by the Cullens, mostly because they had moved on. Now that they were back and the possibility existed of bringing conflict back into our lives, well I wasn't sure how they would feel. Anna was weary of the whole thing and fought to understand why I felt the need to keep my friendship with Bella. Maybe it was better just to let them take care of their own, but after the battle with the newborns and me being away, things had changed, at least for me.

The second I cleared the woods and my house was in view, Anna stood from where she had been waiting on the porch and ran to me. Her hair fell around our faces as she kissed my lips gently. "I missed you," she admitted.

"I missed you," I said kissing her back before she took my hand and led me to the house. "I can't stay long. I need to talk with Sam and the others," I explained as we walked inside.

The house was empty and I was glad. My girlfriend, best friend led me to the sofa and once I was seated she settled on my lap. Anna was quiet for too long, "Just old friends," I reminded kissing the top of her head wishing that for a while the world and all my obligations would just go away.

"And someone you used to love."

"Used too, but not now. She's got a family."

Anna sighed, shaking her head, "It's so strange that she was able to have two children and survive that. More so that she wanted to be with a vampire and then become one."

Sometimes I still struggled with trying to figure out why Bella had chosen that life, but now that I had Anna, I could sort of understand what love did to your train of thought. "Her kids are who she's worried about." After that I told Anna everything. I always did. She didn't want secrets and I didn't either.

"Do you think if the pack refused to help them, we would be safe after they left?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if everything in our worlds, us them, The Children of the Night won't all come together in some battle, some sort of change that will be better or worse for us all. I don't think we can turn our heads on this. They targeted Bella and her kids for some specific reason. We need to try and help them find out why and then go from there." For a moment more I stayed where I was before standing us up. My obligations to my pack were calling me into action and after driving Anna to her Grandmother's place I headed over to find Sam and get this meeting on the go.

A few hours later the whole council convened and several members were against helping the Cullens, my father included. "Jacob, I know we have helped them in the past, but we have this land and our people to protect," Billy said as he looked to the rest of the members who nodded their silent agreement.

I looked over at Sam who nodded only slightly. I was glad to have his support as I made my way in front of the rest of the members. "I think if we bury our heads in the sand, we would be doing more harm than good. Someday, either now or in years to come, we are all going to face off. This world isn't big enough to keep going the way it is. The Volturi showed us that inadvertently when they came to take care of those newborns, or to check out what had happened when we all left. One day they are going to figure things out about us. I for one think it's time to trust what the Cullens are trying to do. Look," I grumbled as everyone began to object, "They have helped us by showing us how to fight their kind. I'm not asking this council or the pack to trust every blood sucker we come across. What I am asking is for us to try and help Bella and her family figure out why these other wolves are stocking them. We just need to look into this and then we can decide on what action to take later."

After I shut up, I wasn't expecting anyone to agree, but it was old Quil who stood up aided by Sam who spoke. "Jacob is correct. The Cullens have proven they can be trusted and our futures seem to be coming together now. We will help them find the answers they need. We will help them protect their young ones so that the future of our children will remain safe."

There were quite murmurs, but it seemed like what Quil said to back me up was working. Even Billy seemed to be changed by all of this. Now all we needed to do was figure out where to go from here and that wasn't going to be easy by any means of the word.

~Edward~

It seemed the very moment the sun began to shine through the curtains in our room, Renesmee was awake ready to go on her first hunt. While she slept last night, Bella and I discussed the best way to approach all of this. We decided not to kill in front of her, but bring her to what ever animal we found just after it was dead. Hopefully instinct would kick in like with the rabbit, and since it was deer we were hunting, my wife and I both hoped Renesmee would want to feed from it. Even if she chose not to we were prepared for that. Rosalie and Emmett were coming with us as an extra set of eyes and ears to keep a look out, but also to be there in case Renesmee wanted to go back and hunt another time.

Just outside the bathroom I waited, listening as Renesmee sat down on her small toilet humming some tune while she waited. Just recently she began protesting any male member of the family in the bathroom with her. The only time I could go in was if she needed help wiping her bottom, or at bath-time.

"Daddy," my baby called out.

Once we took care of her needs, I carried my daughter downstairs where we found Bella on the floor resting on her tummy in front of Anthony who was also on his tummy watching her. Renesmee saw them and struggled to be let down. When I put Renesmee down, she went to them and sat down next to her baby brother rubbing her hand over his back. "Antony me going hunting and you don't get too," Renesmee said gleefully.

I chuckled while walking over to the piano. After I was seated I began to play for my family while the day began. As I played, Emmett and Rosalie came downstairs and Renesmee got up and ran to her uncle wanting on his feet so they could dance. As big as Emmett was, he could dance just as well as the rest of us. Soon the large room was filled with Renesmee's laughter along with the music.

"Daddy, go hunt now," Renesmee said the moment I stopped playing.

"Are we all ready?" I asked?

Before anyone could answer Alice called out from the top of the stairs, "Not yet." My sister came flitting down carrying a pair of small jeans, a long pink shirt and a pair of hiking boots just the right size for Renesmee.

"No shoes," Renesmee protested the moment she saw them. My baby tried running but Emmett lifted her over his shoulder and spun around causing her to laugh. He spun over to where I was sitting and put Renesmee down on my lap. "You need to wear boots. Where we are going has a lot of sticks and stones." Going barefooted was something Renesmee preferred and most of the time that wasn't an issue. Since we were hunting and she was going to be around animals, I for one wanted shoes on her feet just in case.

"How about we paint your toes when we come back?" Rosalie asked in effort to keep her niece from becoming upset.

"Red," Renesmee said, laughing when I playfully grumbled at her. Once that was settled getting her dressed was very easy.

"So how are we doing this?" Emmett asked while Alice and Rosalie tied Renesmee's new boots to her feet.

"When we get close enough to a herd one of us needs to stay back with her," I said moving over to my wife. I held out my hand and she took it, coming to her feet.

"What if she wants to go after one?" Rosalie asked as they finished with the boots.

"We will cross that bridge if we need too."

"Go now," Renesmee demanded from on top of Emmett's shoulders. After she gave her Nanna and Aunt Alice a kiss and hug, we headed outside.

"Renesmee when we tell you to be quiet, you need to listen so we can catch a deer," I told her as we walked down to the river.

"Quiet like Antony sleeping?"

I smiled up at her as Emmett moved her to his back. Once he had her secure we took off and Renesmee was quiet. Not long after crossing the river Bella ran ahead of us all picking up on a scent. My wife worried about her reaction to our daughter hunting, and we all agreed that someone else would take down a deer for Renesmee far enough away from Bella that there wouldn't be any threat or worry. Bella had marvelous control, but this was new for her and us all.

"Uncle Emm smell it?"

"I do," my brother said as he slowed and slid her around until he was holding her against his chest.

I moved ahead of them catching another herd unaware and easily took down one of the smaller bucks. Once it was dead I called out to Emmett watching as my brother hesitantly came into view with my baby. I picked up the noises of Bella about a mile away and Rosalie not far from her, both feeding on their own kills. "Go on and put her down," I said to Emmett. He did, and Renesmee came right to me.

"Not moving. I thirsty."

Renesmee reached out and pet it's soft fur, sniffing. As she did I moved my own hands around her tilting the deers neck upward rubbing his neck.

"Bite it?"

"Right where my fingers are."

Renesmee got on her knees leaning in. I heard her teeth sink in and after that she didn't need any help on what to do. She rested her body along its chest hugging her arms around it's neck as she drank. My eyes left her as Bella came into our small clearing. My wife was in control as she came around the deer and knelt next to me. "How is she?" Bella whispered.

"Going on instinct," I whispered back, proud of my daughter and my wife. What took one of us very short time to drain a whole deer took Renesmee nearly an hour. By the time she finished the animal wasn't fully depleted of its blood, but my daughter was full and very sleepy as she rested her head against my shoulder. Very little blood had spilled on to her and as we headed back toward the house Renesmee fell fast asleep in my arms.

~*~

Not long after both children were down for the evening I got a call from Jacob requesting a meeting with Bella and me. I was pretty sure Renesmee would sleep through the night, so Bella and I left the house at a full run toward the clearing where we had once fought side by side with the Quiluete Wolves. As we traveled my wife and I talked about the hunt with our daughter. "She's still going to need food as part of her diet," I said, answering Bella's question about Renesmee needing less human food now that she was starting to hunt with us.

"I wonder how it will be for Anthony," Bella asked to no one in particular. I wondered that as well. Our son was so much different than his sister at that age. Carlisle was still researching old legends and going by the things he had seen in our baby's blood sample.

As we drew closer to the clearing I reached out taking my wife's hand in mine already smelling the other members of Jacob's pack. Only Jacob was in his human form. The other two, Seth and Leah, were in their shifted forms standing close to the tree line. Since Jacob was closer to Bella I let her do the talking keeping what I heard from his and the other two wolves thoughts to myself.

"What's going on Jacob?" Bella asked letting go of my hand as she walked to him. Staying behind was hard. I still had the need to protect her even though Bella was the strongest one present.

"Our council met and we all agree that helping your family is what is best for everyone," Jacob answered, glancing past Bella at me. He was focusing on keeping his thoughts his own and I chose not to listen to what was on his mind, focusing on my wife and how poised she was. "Do you guys have any ideas on where to start with all of this?"

It was time to join in so I moved closer standing next to my wife as she looked at me. "Rosalie and Emmett are going to spend some time in England doing some research for us at Oxford. They have an extensive library and we are hopeful that maybe there are some legends or stories about The Children of the Night that none of us know of."

Jacob nodded. "Wouldn't you have run across that? You have been around longer than any of us. Carlisle even longer than you," Jacob pointed out.

"Carlisle has been around and seen many things but nothing like what we have experienced. He has focused his life on saving others, being a doctor," I tried explaining, ignoring the negative thoughts coming from Leah.

"So are you all staying for a while?" Jacob asked.

My wife took her turn to speak, "For a while, yes. Our daughter needs some stability and we need to stay here to give her that."

Jacob was thinking of the danger our family was posing for his own people, and I chose to address that. "We know what risk we are placing on all of you. We will do our part to keep you informed. Alice will be staying with us. She can't see the moves of any wolves, but she is keeping focus on Italy just in case. If they grow interested we will join Rosalie and Emmett and England and try and find a way to see them without bringing them here." None of this was easy to think through because of so many uncertainties. Bella and I longed to be able to do some research. Our children however kept us rooted for the time being.

"We are going to step up patrols while you are here. We will also keep tabs on Charlie for you. He and Sue have been spending more time at his place."

"Thank you Jake."

He nodded once before turning to head back to Seth and Leah. As they left Bella took my hand ready to go home and be with our children just as I was. Talking about having our family splitting up was difficult even for me. It reminded me of my self imposed exile after we left Bella that foolish time in my past.

At home our babies were still sleeping soundly. Bella and I stayed in the nursery for a while just content to watch them sleep. For me being with them calmed all my worries and apprehension. A tug at my hand brought a smile to my lips, as did the seductive way Bella licked her lips. I let my wife lead me out of the nursery and down the hall to our room. Once the door was shut I tugged her into my arms cupping both hands at the back of her head as she leaned back with me following.

~Bella~

There were times when I wondered why we still kept the bed in Edward's old room. When I was human we needed it for me to sleep. Now that I was a vampire it seemed a waste of space. My senses were more attuned to everything from the way my body tingled stretched out against the naked length of my husband's, to the way his hands now warm and soft to the touch slid down my nude back to cup my bottom as he pulled me more atop him. "Do you ever wonder how bad it is for the rest of our family when we do this?" I whispered so softly that I hoped no one but Edward could hear. I lifted my cheek from his well sculpted chest and pressed my lips to his, not too worried with what he would tell me.

"I see it as a chance, at least for me, to pay them back. Though we can't be all that loud," he said sounding almost disappointed. I smirked at him growling when he brought his lips to mine drawing in my bottom lip to nibble and suck on before I deepened the kiss. While kissing him I draped both legs on either side of my husband just below his waist. I was ready for more exploration and it seemed he was also.

Spending the night making love to my husband wasn't a waste of my time. There was so much I had missed the first time around, and so much more we could have once I learned to control my own strength. Sometimes it was a battle of wills and I growled low as I found myself on my back, Edward's body hovering over me a moment before his length was pushing in to me. Breathing was not something I needed to do, and yet I found myself gasping for air as he pounded against me, cupping his hands under my bottom. Just down the hall our two children slept, and I kept having to remind myself of that fact longing to scream out Edward's name as I felt my body nearing completion. One final thrust drove me over the edge and I thrust upward grasping around Edward's back as I bit down on his left shoulder. As my walls spasmed, Edward kept going until I had a second powerful orgasm as he completed within me.

When he rolled us onto our sides, his length still inside me, Edward gathered his arms around me. "How do you feel?"

"Like there is nothing here but you and me," I whispered feeling safe where I was, not wanting any of this to end. "Did I hurt you?" I lifted my head away from his chest inspecting his shoulder. There was not a mark on him even though I had bitten down quite hard.

"I'm fine, more than fine actually." This time he wore the smirk and we both laughed as he rolled onto his back pulling me onto the length of his glorious body.

"I don't want this to end, us like this." Even as I said the words, my hearing picked up on Anthony's breathing. It was no longer the deep steady breaths of heavy sleep, and we both heard him as he began to shift around in his crib. Before he could fully awaken I was dressed and he was cradled in my arms opening his eyes as I carried him downstairs. "Is it time for a snack?" I asked feeling my heart melt as he gave me a huge toothless grin which caused his right cheek to dimple. "You are going to break the heart of many young ladies, but not too soon," I informed him as I laid him down on the changing pad placed on the end of one of the sofas in the family room. Anthony did his best to roll away from me and I had to watch myself as I unsnapped his blue sleeper.

"Would you like some help?" Rosalie offered.

"Yes," I said smiling at her. My sister kept Anthony occupied as I changed his diaper and before we were done Edward brought a bottle for our little boy.

As soon as he was drinking, Anthony shut his green eyes and I was reminded of my dream of so long ago of a baby boy with his father's eyes. Now if the other part of that dream would stay away we would have our heaven, but I got a cold chill just thinking about my son being approached by the Volturi and leaned against Edward as he wrapped his arms around us both, picking up on my strong emotions.

"The dream?" I nodded once. "We won't let it come to that, not ever," he vowed and I hoped he was right.

~*~

AN: Well, what did you think? I really tried not to make it too creepy having a two year old Renesmee hunting and tried to make things a little different. When I thought of how I would do this. I saw the adults needing to help her the first few times and maybe even a little more until she's older and stronger. As for Jacob I don't want anyone to not like him in this story. I chose not to have him imprint on Renesmee and the imprinting instead was someone from his own tribe. I will likely write more on them, but they aren't the key characters to this story so perhaps not. He is the Alpha of the pack. Sam no longer does that even though he still transforms. I will likely try and go into reasoning there, but I want a more mature less selfish version of Jacob at least for this story.

There is a lot more to come, huge big things are going to happen soon, I'm just trying to transition to that next part and not make it too much like The Rest of Tomorrow. So I'll be working on the next chapter soon. Thank you all for the marvelous feed back so far. I really enjoy hearing from you so review away.

~Ella~