A/N: Hi guys! New chapter, new perspective… here's a little Edward for you. I'm going to put this out there, and I hope it doesn't make me radically unpopular: Edward and Bella were my least favorite characters in the books. This is my quest to like them better. It is my hope that, after 17 years of being a vampire and mother, Bella would have grown up a bit. But a person can only change their personality so far. Edward, on the other hand, will probably be pretty unchanged. I'm trying to harness his overprotective nature as best I can. Looks like some of it may have rubbed off on Bella, too =)

I apologize to the Jake fans out there. He'll be back in the next chapter. For now… enjoy a little family drama!

I can see that lots of people are reading this story… please review, and give me your suggestions and feedback. I love hearing from you!

~Crit.

Chapter 3: Two Months Ago

Edward was very rarely afraid of his wife. True, she was incredibly powerful and strong, and when she lost control of her temper she could be truly terrifying. But she seldom lost her temper with him, and when she did he was always able to subdue her fairly quickly.

This time might be an exception.

He strode at a normal human pace towards the house that he and his family shared. As had been the case in Forks, Edward, Bella and Renesmee had their own house on the family's property, a good distance from the main building. Rosalie and Emmett had also moved into their own private building during this latest relocation. Alice and Jasper stayed in the main house with Carlisle and Esme, preferring to be around the others as much as possible.

As he walked, Edward began to mentally chastise himself. Why had he gone to talk to Carlisle without bringing Bella? True, it would have become much more of a scene with her there, but on the other hand she wouldn't feel as though he had betrayed her by making decisions behind her back. Which was exactly what he'd done.

Carlisle had been very reasonable. He'd explained Renesmee's feelings, her desire to leave, to be allowed to discover the world outside of her family, to know what it was to lead a human existence. Edward had been angry at first. It was rare for him to lose his temper with Carlisle, but he couldn't help reacting to his adoptive father's words, and to his thoughts. He was so sure of himself, so convinced that he knew what was best for Renesmee. How dare Carlisle suggest that Edward didn't know what was best for his own daughter? Carlisle didn't have children of his own, he couldn't understand. When he'd said these words to Carlisle, a sudden and immediate shame had spread through him. Carlisle had smiled a little sadly and nodded.

"I can't know your bond with Renesmee, Edward. You're right about that. And if you don't consider me to be a father to you, and to the others, then perhaps you're right, perhaps I don't have any children of my own. But that doesn't mean I don't care for the five of you, and for Bella." He paused. As was so common with Carlisle, when Edward listened to his thoughts they were simply a backwards echo, a preview of the exact words he was about to speak. "And I know that if any one of you was feeling the way Renesmee feels right now, I would do everything within my power to correct the situation."

"She's young," Edward said stiffly. "She's seventeen. She can't possibly know what she wants. I'm only trying to keep her from making mistakes that could harm her."

"Bella made the decision to be with you forever at seventeen. If you were to ask my opinion, I'd say that decision was a good one."

"Renesmee is not Bella." Edward was refusing to be swayed.

"Of course not. And, as I see it, that's precisely the point here. Bella had a choice, you were very adamant about that. Renesmee has had none. If you intend to keep her here, with us, living the kind of life we do forever, then you might as well change her, because for all intents and purposes, she IS a vampire." He reached over and put one hand on Edward's tense shoulder. "Give her the chance to find out who she is. Give her at least this one opportunity."

Carlisle words hit Edward hard, and he knew that his argument was broken beyond all repair. "I don't want her to leave me," he said quietly. "It's too soon."

Carlisle still wore his sad smile. "It's been much longer than any of us figured we'd have." Edward couldn't deny that. "She won't leave you. She'll come back. This can't be about what you want."

"I know." Edward hadn't wept in over a hundred years, but he felt as though if he were human, he might have. "Is this how all parents feel when their children leave home?"

Carlisle laughed at that. "Oh, Edward." He shook his head. "You have never been a normal parent, and Renesmee has never been a normal child."

Edward felt a sudden sense of dread. "Bella," he said quietly. "This is going to kill her."

Edward took a moment outside the door to compose himself before walking into the house. Of course, it didn't help one bit. Bella looked up as she heard the door open, and was in front of him in less than a second, looking up at him worriedly.

"What's wrong?" She said, panic creeping into her voice. "You look like…" She paused. "I haven't seen you look that way in a very long time," she finished quietly.

"Bella," Edward said, reaching out to cup her face with his hand. "Please try to stay calm. I'm going to tell you something that will likely make you very upset. Please just listen." He lead her to the couch and motioned for her to sit beside him.

He told her the situation, from Renesmee's confession to Jasper to his conversation with his adoptive father. Bella kept her promise and listened quietly until he was finished, but her eyes got narrower and narrower and her lips drew into a tight, hard line as the story progressed. When Edward stopped speaking, he looked at her expectantly.

"I hope," she said, her voice steely, "that Carlisle was sufficiently embarrassed when you told him that what we do with our daughter is absolutely none of his business."

Edward considered his words very carefully. "I did tell him that," he said slowly. "But it was I who ended up being embarrassed."

Bella went rigid. "You had better not be telling me what I think you're telling me," She said in a measured tone.

"Bella, I agree with him. I was upset at first, but he made me see that I was wrong. Renesmee needs to be given a choice. We can't keep her here, not when it's making her miserable."

"No!" Bella leapt up. "How can you say that? She's our daughter, Edward, she needs to be with us!" She grabbed his shoulders. "We risked our lives and the lives of all our friends to keep her safe when she was born, and now we're just going to, what, send her away unprotected because she wants to live in the big city? I don't think so."

"Bella," Edward said gently, "You're crushing my shoulder." Bella looked down to where her hand was resting. Sure enough, her fingers were hooked, vice-like, around her husband's shoulder. She eased up a bit but did not let go.

"This is not a discussion," Bella said. "She's not going."

"When you were seventeen, you begged me to change you into a vampire, and I refused. I didn't believe you knew what was good for you, and I thought you were ill-equipped to make such an important decision. I figured that, given time and perspective, you would realize that I was right and change your mind." Edward's mouth began to turn upward at one corner. "I never considered for one moment that I might be the one who was wrong." He ran his fingertips over his wife's cool ivory cheek. "I've long since admitted that you were right back then, Bella. Just as Renesmee is right now." His voice took on a regretful tone. "We have to let her do this."

Bella was calming down, Edward noticed with measured relief. She still wasn't completely swayed, but she was coming around. "Let's just not make any decisions right away," She said gloomily. "I really think we should think this through." Edward winced. "What?"

"I… already agreed to it."

"You WHAT?" Bella flew at him, but this time Edward was prepared for her rage. He caught her easily by the arms and restrained her. It wasn't easy, but their strength was fairly even, Bella's newborn power having dwindled away to almost nothing over the past seventeen and a half years.

"If you could attempt to not get physically violent with me, I would appreciate it," Edward said sternly as he fought Bella off. This stilled her, and she backed down, eyes still blazing. "Thank you."

Bella glowered at him. He'd seen that look on her face before, many times, but never directed towards him. It was terrifying. "I have never felt so betrayed by you," She said in a quiet voice that sent a tremor through his entire body. He reached for her again, gently this time.

"Bella—"

"Don't touch me!" She backed away—no, recoiled, Edward thought grimly—from his touch. Then, without any warning, she dropped her shield, and her thoughts filled Edward's mind.

I can't believe you would take my child away without asking, without even considering, my feelings. My Child. My CHILD. My heart. No respect… Still making my choices for me… swore you'd never hurt me again… Renesmee… my life… how could you, Edward?

Edward nearly doubled over with the force of her anger. Her thoughts were full of rage, half-coherent and all directed towards him. There was sorrow there, too… he imagine she was grief-stricken by the fact that Renesmee had not come to her rather than Jasper, but for the most part it was all blind anger. "Bella," he gasped. He felt her shield clamp back down and there was nothing but silence.

"Don't." Her voice sliced through the quiet, sharp and lethal. "Nothing you say will change the way I feel right now."

Edward felt the strength draining out of him. Bella had never been this upset with him. No matter what he'd done, her love for him had always outweighed her anger or disappointment. But these days, there was someone Bella loved more than Edward. More than her own life. Renesmee was the most important person in Bella's world, and in her eyes, Edward had threatened her. Edward wanted to explain again, but he knew Bella wouldn't listen to him. "Bella, please…" he said weakly.

"No," Bella said quietly. And then she was gone, speeding out the door, across the field behind the house, and out of his field of vision.

"Hi Dad." Edward started. He hadn't heard Renesmee coming through the door until she reached out with her tentative greeting. Either she was getting stealthier, or he was completely distracted. He thought he had a good idea which explanation was more likely. He had been reaching out blindly for Bella's thoughts, for the possibility that she might drop her shield and be close enough for him to hear her. He was seated on the couch, in the same position he'd been in since moments after Bella had torn from the house. He looked past Renesmee at the sky outside the window. The sun was low… it had been hours.

Then he took in his daughter's appearance. She was a sight for sore eyes. Her curly hair was wild and frizzy, like she'd been moving very fast through an opposing wind, there was dirt on her cheek and on her arms, and her jeans were torn just above the left knee. She had a string of nervous expletives running through her head. If he hadn't been so thoroughly engrossed in his thoughts, he would have found it incredibly amusing.

She was well aware of his scrutiny, but she mistook it. "Are you mad at me?" she asked cautiously. Edward sighed heavily and shook his head.

"No, Renesmee… I'm not angry with you." She looked shocked. Edward nodded to her favorite chair, which was across from the sofa. Renesmee finally unfroze and stepped away from the front door, toeing off her shoes and moving to sit in the chair. She twisted her legs beneath herself and sat on her heels, childishly

"Where's mom?" She asked.

Edward knew better than to make things worse. "Your mother had to run some errands. She said she might be a little late. I think she wanted some time to herself." He despised himself for lying so easily.

"Is she mad at me?"

"She's fine. She just needs to get used to the idea of you leaving."

"Well, good," Renesmee said, her tone more self-assured. "You guys really have no reason to be upset. Carlisle said it himself… it's my choice, right?"

"You always have choices, Renesmee," Edward said quietly, "And you should be allowed to make them on your own. You're an adult now. I'm not upset with you for wanting to make your own decisions." Renesmee's grin was a cross between grateful and smug. "But." Her face fell.

"I knew it," she muttered. "There's always a 'but'."

"You should have told us first. We are your parents, Renesmee. We never want to do anything that causes you pain, everything we do for you is to make sure you're happy and safe."

"I know that," Renesmee interjected miserably. "That's why I couldn't tell you." Edward heard the explanation loud and clear before she had a chance to continue. I didn't want you and mom to think that I wanted to leave because I was unhappy, or because I hate my life or something.

"I can hear your thoughts," Edward said unnecessarily. "I know you don't hate your life with us." He forced a smile, although it was the last thing he really felt like doing. "I've never had to wonder about your love, Renesmee, just as I hope you've never wondered about mine."

"Dad." His daughter was blushing. Now Edward smiled for real. Sometimes she didn't know just how human she was. Seventeen and a half, out all day with no explanation and coming back a wreck, and easily embarrassed by a declaration of fatherly affection. "You know I haven't. I know you and mom love me a lot."

"More than a lot."

She rolled her eyes. "That doesn't change anything. I still want to go. I just… need some time."

"I know." Edward did know, now. Renesmee's thoughts were clear and open, spread out before him. "What I can't understand is how I didn't know before." He turned his most searching gaze on his daughter. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about why I haven't been able to hear you thinking about leaving, would you?"

Renesmee looked somewhat abashed. "I might have asked mom to shield me every now and then. We've sort of been keeping it a secret from you."

Edward fixed his daughter with a skeptical look. "Your mother was completely unaware of your desire to leave us before today."

"It's not a desire to leave you," Renesmee corrected. "And no, she didn't know specifically what I was thinking, just that I needed some privacy while I thought it." She sighed. "Okay Dad, I'm going to tell you something, but only if you promise not to be too upset with Mom."

"I promise."

Renesmee was fidgeting, something she only did when she was very nervous. "Mom and I have been doing this for years. When I was ten, on my birthday, Mom took me up to my room and sat me down. She explained that she was shielding us both, and that we needed to have a talk. She told me that she knew I was getting older, and as a result I might start wanting some privacy, even from the people I loved the most. She said every girl should be allowed to figure out what's going on in her head as she grows into a woman, and that she could imagine it must be pretty tough for me, having my father inside my mind all the time. She told me that from that point on, I could ask her to shield me anytime I needed a little 'alone time'. No questions asked. And that, if I didn't want you to know she was shielding me, she'd try to distract you. I know sometimes you figured out when she was doing it, but when it was really important she generally worked as hard as she could on getting you to focus on other people's thoughts so that you wouldn't know she was hiding mine." She looked down at her hands, folded discreetly in her lap. "Please don't be mad."

Edward shook his head, smiling wistfully. "Renesmee, your mother loves you very much," he said softly.

"I know."

They sat in silence for a while before Edward broke the silence again. "How did Jacob take the news?"

The guilty look returned to his daughter's face, and he heard her mental answer. " I wanted to tell him," she said out loud, defensively, "I just didn't want everybody to be upset with me all at once."

Edward watched his daughter carefully, and tried his best to avoid listening in on what was probably a very personal internal monologue. "You're going to have to tell him eventually, you know," he said gently.

"I know." A sudden buzzing from the coffee table startled them both. Edward reached forward and grabbed his vibrating cell phone, flipping it open. On the screen was a text message from Alice. Heads up, she's coming back, it said.

"You may want to go upstairs," Edward told his daughter. She gave him a curious look.

"How come?"

"Your mother's coming." Renesmee leapt up from her seat and was starting for the stairs when Bella silently appeared in the doorway. They stared at each other.

"Hi Mom," she said nervously. Bella strode across the room to meet her daughter, an unreadable expression on her face. Edward subtly rose from the couch, ready to intervene if necessary. Oh, sit DOWN, his wife's voice rang out in his head at almost the instant when his daughter's thoughts became inaudible. Edward did as he was told.

"Honey…" Bella whispered, and then Renesmee was in her arms. Edward watched as Bella stroked their daughter's head, gripping her tightly to her chest. "You should have come to me first," she said softly into Renesmee's hair. And then she stiffened a little, sniffed, and pulled back. "What happened to you?" she said, examining her daughter at arm's length.

"Um." Renesmee looked down at her torn and dirty clothes and attempted to run a hand through her tangled curls. "Jacob and I went running."

"Were you both running," Bella asked slowly, "Or just Jake?"

Renesmee smiled sheepishly. "Just Jake."

"Renesmee, you're not a little girl anymore." Bella gave her daughter an exasperated look. "Jacob is not a horse. And you can run just as fast as he can."

"Come on, Mom… its fun." She swiped futilely at one of the smears of dirt on her arm. "Besides, it's just Jake. It doesn't bother him."

"I'm sure." Bella let the subject drop. "Honey, it's late. You should probably get some rest." As if on cue, Renesmee stifled a yawn.

"Are you sure? You don't want to talk about—" Bella shook her head.

"We'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow. Go get yourself into bed." Renesmee didn't argue; she looked ready to drop. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and then crossed the room and did the same to Edward.

"Thanks, guys," She said, turning at the foot of the stairs to look at her parents. "For everything. I love you."

"We love you too, Ness," Bella said genuinely. "Have a good sleep."

Edward waited until he heard his daughter's bedroom door click shut before he turned to look at Bella. She was already staring openly at him. "You came back."

"I'm not ready to talk to you yet," She said firmly. He caught on to the last word.

"Yet."

"That's right." She had put her shield back up during her conversation with Renesmee, and now she lowered it again for a moment. I'm really furious with you, you know?

"I had figured that out." Edward started towards her. "Bella… please don't leave me again. We don't have to talk about it now… just please stay."

Talk me into it. I'm so close to forgiving you, just— Bella's thoughts disappeared abruptly. "Shit," she muttered. Edward tried very hard not to smile. "Oh, stop it. Don't look so smug."

Now he couldn't help it. He was directly in front of her in less than a moment. "What can I do, Bella? Tell me how I can convince you not to leave."

"You were wrong," She said harshly.

"I was." His hands were on her arms.

"And you're sorry."

"So very sorry." He took a step towards her, until their bodies were flush against each other.

"And you are never going to disregard my feelings like that again."

"Never." Their lips were millimeters apart.

"And you are going to respect my feelings and stop invading my personal space now." Edward hesitated. "Right now, Edward." He let go of her, putting his hands up in surrender and gliding elegantly backwards.

"Fine, fine." Bella looked about ready to crack a smile any moment. He looked very earnestly at his wife. "I really am sorry," he said quietly. "And I'm ready to discuss it whenever you are."

She did smile, then. "Thank you for admitting your mistake," she said formally, and then in a tone that was much more sly, "I know how difficult that must have been for you." He raised one eyebrow at her.

"She gets her strong will from you, you know," he said. Bella shook her head, still smiling.

"I know." And then her eyes glazed over and Edward knew that mentally, she had gone someplace far away. "I know," she repeated, a little bit sadly.

A/N: Yup, she was riding him. Like a horse. C'mon… don't tell me that if your best friend was a giant wolf you wouldn't ask for a ride!

In the next chapter:

"Wonder what's in here?" She said, pulling the drawer open. As soon as she'd done so, she slammed it shut again. "Oh lord," she said, sounding pained. Jacob smirked.

"Underwear, huh?"

She shook her head, not to disagree but rather in reaction to Alice's choices in undergarments. "You don't even want to know," she said miserably. Jacob silently agreed. It would be really hard not to think about Renesmee's sexy lingerie around Edward.