Chapter 43: Innocence

~Edward~

While the children slept nearby on a pallet of blankets and pillows Esme and Rosalie laid out for them, Bella sat beside me on the tan leather sofa across from the outer wall and another sofa which Carmen occupied with Eleazar. Rosalie and Esme were watching over the children while Emmett and Carlisle stood close by.

With the Wolves just outside Jasper had taken Alice to Seattle so she could focus on anything that might be coming our way.

We were all quiet, and aside from the beating hearts of our children and the louder ones of the wolves outside none of the rest of us were making a sound. Eleazar had his eyes closed, his thoughts a jumbled mix of theories and legends he was familiar with regarding Werewolves and even half vampire half human hybrids. His eyes opened and he looked over to his wife as she took his hands. "What the young girl can do is nothing I've ever heard of. However, there was a case when I was still with the Volturi of a young man who could Astral Project. When he turned he lost the ability and Aro ordered him to be destroyed in a fit of anger."

There were collective hisses around the room until Carlisle held up his hand.

"Was Aro hoping the boy would be able to travel as Lily does?" My question was one all of us had on our minds, I was just the one to bring it to the forefront.

Eleazar sighed. "It's difficult to tell just what he hoped. The boy's abilities were nowhere near as strong this child's appear to be. Perhaps before the change was made to her she was able to do more."

My wife seemed confused. "Will you explain to Bella what Astral Projection is?"

Eleazar nodded as Carmen leaned against him. She was worried for all of us, knowing like we did how delicate everything had become. "A beings ability to Astral project is a theory where the Soul can leave the body. According to theory it happens when the person is asleep, and some think that it's an ability only a child has. The theory is based on the belief that a young child like Anthony for example knows of no boundaries. The rules that apply to us for example to stay in this reality are not his rules. He can see those that may have gone on, and hear them. Spirits can speak to him and guide him according to some theorists. When we get older we lose this ability. Similarly there are some children whose Souls are capable of wandering away as they sleep because they are in a heightened sense of being.

One theorist who claims to have studied these children says that when this occurs their heart rates drop so low that it is as though they are in a comatose state. Nothing appears to wake them until the soul returns to the body. When these children awaken they have no awareness consciously that they have traveled. There are some supposed documented cases where the children he studied all drew pictures of themselves asleep in their beds. When asked why they drew the pictures, most of the children claimed to have had a dream where they were able to look at their sleeping bodies as they floated above.

The transformation to try and make Lily a pure vampire very likely should have killed her. I believe the only reason that child is with us is because she was able to pull her soul away, lowering her heart rate enough that the process couldn't be completed. When she returned her soul was not able to move fully back, and perhaps that is why she can completely remove her body into these passages she speaks of." In his thoughts, Eleazar was remembering the studies he performed after the young boy was destroyed, which was why he knew so much. Aro had wanted to find more children who possessed the gift and evidently it had been the only time that Marcus stood against his brother reminding him of their law not to change young children into one of us.

Those thoughts surprised me, and I nodded briefly when he asked for me not to say anything about that last part, having forgotten that I could hear what was on his mind.

A little later, as Bella and I sat close by our sleeping children, she rested in my arms. "This is all so hard to believe when it really shouldn't be. Look at the two of us," my wife whispered, so low that only I could hear her. "I've been thinking that maybe she could pull one of us with her, maybe me if I could figure out how to shield her so that none of them could know she was there."

Already my head was shaking. "You've forgotten about Peter. If he can see you when the wolves are not around, he would be too much of a threat.

My eyes were suddenly drawn to Lily a moment before she sat up fully, blinking. Rosalie was beside her in an instant, and Lily snuggled into her arms, shutting her eyes again.

For now her thoughts were her own, there were no other voices or screams, and for once I was grateful that Jacob was allowing his pack to be around.

"Why can't he see past the pack?"

Rosalie walked over to us once Lily was back to sleep.

"Why can't Alice see the future when they are around? Something about them protects beyond just their physical abilities." My sister was more at ease and not as disgusted because she was also grateful for the wolves being here offering her daughter protection from this spirit.

"Maybe I've been wrong not to allow anyone to talk to her about what she can do," Rosalie announced a moment later.

Bella and I glanced at her and my wife reached out talking Rose's hand. "You're her mother and you don't want to see her unhappy, that I can understand completely."

My sister was thinking about what Bella said earlier about having Lily take one of us with her to wherever these others were staying. "Rosalie, none of us need to make any rash decisions."

As I spoke those words, Emmett walked over from where he had been watching TV and sat down next to his wife. "What am I missing?"

Instead of answering him with us, Rosalie tugged him to his feet and they left Bella and I to watch over our children. There was a very quick shock as Bella dropped her shield allowing me to hear her thoughts. She wanted to take action as much as I was. We all seemed to want the same thing which was to have this over with.

By morning's arrival, the children's innocence and laughter was very uplifting for the rest of us. At breakfast, Anthony began throwing some of his food at Renesmee, but we cut it off before a huge mess could be made.

Later on he began to try and take away the toys the girls were playing with, so I put his red jacket on him and took him outside. With everything going on keeping Lily here and trying to protect them from this spirit, I felt guilty for not being more focused on Anthony. So far none of this seemed to be frightening him. Once we crossed the river, I put my son down smiling at him as he looked up at me, a little unsure. "Show me where you want to go."

That earned a big smile from him before my little boy began to toddle off on the path in front of us. Maybe Rosalie had a point as did Bella about one of us seeing if Lily could take us at least close to where the others were staying. There were so many things I wanted answers too.

"Da da see."

Anthony pointed straight ahead to a small deer grazing just off of our path. Anthony was thinking about his cup a lot and I had a feeling he was thirsty. It had been a while since he had any blood. My little boy began to walk closer to the deer and I remained where I was, ready to grab him at any time.

When Anthony was about three feet away, the deer seemed to notice him. It watched as my son got closer and closer until about a foot away when it took off in the other direction.

As he plopped down on his bottom, I made it to Anthony's side and knelt down gathering him in my arms. "Shh, you just need help right now."

"Sissy do."

"Yes she does, but she had to have help too."

Anthony was thinking about the times Renesmee had caught her own deer since we found them again, and I knew he desired the ability to do the same from his thoughts. Fortunately for us, Bella was on her way and when she arrived, Anthony leaned away from me wanting her to hold him. With my son in his mothers arms, I darted away and easily tracked down the deer Anthony had wanted. Normally I killed his catch before bringing it back. This time I held the struggling deer in my arms going back the way I had come.

Bella and Anthony were where I had left them sitting on a small stump singing Old MacDonald, a song Anthony now liked from some songs Alice had gotten him before they left.

"Are you sure?" Bella was worried when she saw the deer in my arms still alive.

"I think this is what he wants."

My wife nodded having full trust in me a she let go of our son. Anthony wasn't even two, and his desire to do things on his own seemed stronger than with Renesmee at his age. When he got closer I knelt down holding the deer still.

"Scared."

"You don't have to be afraid Anthony."

My little boy shook his head. "Scared."

"The deer?"

My son nodded once reaching out to put his hand on the deer's neck. "Do you want it to be still?"

"I do."

Without hesitation Anthony leaned in and bit right where he should. Some blood trickled down to the ground as he began to drink, and it wasn't long before the animal stopped struggling.

Bella walked over and knelt behind our little boy rubbing his back. Is he upset at all?

"No, he's happy that his throat isn't burning as much, though I do wonder if this means he will have that ability like Renesmee's."

By the time we returned the house, Anthony was asleep, cradled in Bella's arms. She took him upstairs and I walked over to where Renesmee was sitting with Carmen, listening to her talk about their home in Alaska. From my baby's thoughts, I could tell my daughter was hopeful that we could visit someday. She wanted to play in the snow and hunt for a Polar Bear.

"Daddy guess where Carmen lives?"

"Tell me?"

My daughter settled on my lap kneeling so we could look at one another. "She lives in Alaska and it's really could there. There Polar Bears there and they are very big. I want to hunt one someday."

Carmen smiled over at us as Eleazar came in from the kitchen.

"Do you think we can go there?"

I kissed Renesmee's forehead. "Perhaps someday we can."

"No we can't." Lily ran up to us her eyes wide. From her thoughts I could see wilderness and a cabin before she shut her eyes as the screams started again.

Rosalie and Emmett rushed over and as Lily huddled in her mother's arms they both disappeared.

AN: Alright Another Chapter out and about So what is going on with this whole Astral Projection theory isn't the normal because Lily can teleport there with her entire body.. What Lily does is a bit of both. She goes into these Astral plains with her physical Body, so sort of teleportation, but my own version of things. My friend who I was telling this too thought it was more Teleportation, but it's more spiritual for her. I'll try and elaborate as I go from here on out. So what did you think? I'm hoping that you are enjoying this, trying to start moving forward to resolving things, including the Cliff.

I realize that I have two chapter 43 entries but evidently I skipped a chapter so this is sort of making up for that.

Thank you all for the reviews I hope I responded to everyone individually, but if Not I'll try and do better on the next round. Tah tah for now.

~Ella~