A/N: Okay… chapter 33. Sorry it took so long. I can only say that I've had a very good reason for being too busy and frazzled to even think about posting before now, and I hope you'll all forgive me. I'm still aiming to get chapters posted on a semi-consistent basis, with the ideal goal being weekly posts. So, count on another chapter by this time next week. Let's see if I can stick to that deadline.

Thanks, as always, to everybody who reviewed the last chapters. Thanks as well for your patience with me while I took my time responding to those reviews. I really do value every scrap of input I get. Thanks for taking the time to let me know how you like the chapters.

Enjoy a visit with the rest of the Cullen family. And please do give your feedback… I'd love to hear it!

~Crit.

Chapter 34: Relax

Edward could tell the moment he saw Alice that something strange had happened. She had that look, the look she sometimes got when she had a particularly perplexing vision. Not exactly disturbed or upset, more like she'd been thrown off balance and couldn't decide whether to be amused or concerned. He didn't bother asking, knowing she'd get to it on her own.

"So… I think Rosalie is going to be making a fairly important purchase in the very near future."

Bella, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie all looked towards Alice; Edward was clearly already paying attention. Rosalie quirked one eyebrow at their sister and, without moving from her reclining position on the couch, replied, "Is that so?"

Alice shrugged, and Edward suddenly got the full picture from her mind. Standing up suddenly, he crossed the room to where she stood and stared down at her.

"Did you see anything else?" he demanded urgently. Alice shook her head, frowning slightly.

"Nope. Just that. I'm not even sure it means anything. Just… calm down."

"I will not calm down," Edward replied, fully aware that the volume of his voice was getting slightly out of control, but that wasn't really his primary concern at the moment.

"Edward!" Bella was frowning at him from her seat across the room, arms crossed over her chest. "Calm. Down."

The irony of the situation did not escape him. Weeks ago, it was Bella who needed calming at every turn of events. Now, it seemed that he was the one who flew off the handle at the slightest inkling of trouble. He took a moment to collect himself, turned to Alice and said, "Sorry. Would you mind elaborating on what you saw?"

"Yes," Rosalie piped up, "Do tell. Seeing as none of the rest of us can read your mind."

Alice waved her hand. "I'm sure it's nothing very important. I just saw all of us flying in a helicopter… well, actually, I saw you, Rose, but I think the rest of us were there. And you looked kind of tense, but that's probably just because you were concentrating on flying. I didn't get a good feeling for any of the rest of us. Anyway," She turned to Edward, "It couldn't have been anything to do with Nessie and Jacob, right? Because I wouldn't've seen it if it was. But I do think we were approaching the New York Skyline. So I guess maybe we'll be taking your new ride to town at some point."

Rosalie did look interested by that. "I haven't flown in a long time," she mused. "But come to think of it… it would be useful to have maybe just a little chopper. Not to mention fun." A slow, cat-like grin had begun to spread across her face at the idea. From the other end of her couch, where he sat with her feet in his lap, Emmett nodded approvingly.

"So hot," he said, earning himself a snicker from Alice and a mildly disgusted look from Jasper. "Well, it is!" Emmett defended with a shrug.

"Well," Said Rosalie, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch and standing up. "Guess I'd better line up some appointments."

Sure enough, three days later a sleek black chopper was landing on the back lot of the compound. Between Alice seeing it, and Rosalie deciding she wanted it, there was really no doubt as to whether or not it would happen.

oooOOOooo

"Your daughter called me today."

Edward looked up at Alice. She'd snuck up on him, as usual, while he was reading in Carlisle's study, and was standing directly over his left shoulder, arms crossed over her chest in a stance that clearly read "Serious business". He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the clock… it was early for Renesmee to be calling.

"Did she?"

"She did." Alice sat down on the arm of his chair; Edward shifted a bit so she could rest her feet on the cushion. "She had some interesting questions. I'm not sure what I should think about them, really."

Now Edward was completely on alert. Alice couldn't see anything to do with Renesmee's future, it was true, but if she deemed something important or significant it was usually best to trust her instincts, even where her gift was blind. "I think you should probably fill me in on what they were," he said seriously. Alice nodded.

"I figured you'd say that. Thing is, I'm pretty sure Nessie wanted our conversation to be private."

Edward shook his head. "Renesmee's lived in this family her whole life, Alice. In what world would she imagine that she could keep a conversation with any one of you from me?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "I didn't say she thought it would actually stay private… just that she probably wanted it to be. Which is why I think she only told me half the story."

Edward felt a slight headache coming on. "Alice," he said as patiently as he could, "Enough exposition. Would you please either get to the point or start thinking clearly?"

"Gladly," she said, sounding anything but. "First I thought it was just a normal chat… she talked a bit about school, her friends, Jacob… and then she started asking me all these things about my visions. How I started having them, what it felt like, and if I'd ever had a dream that turned out to be a vision." She gave him a meaningful look. "She wouldn't let that one go easily, either, when I told her I hadn't."

Edward had already put it together, but he really wished he hadn't. "Are you trying to tell me you think she's… seeing things?"

"Like I see things?" Alice replied, then shook her head. "No. I don't think so. But the dreaming thing… I think there's something more to it. I tried to ask her why she wanted to know… I hoped she'd just come out and tell me, but she just brushed it off and started talking about something else." She sighed. "Something's going on, Edward."

Edward was inclined to agree with her. He massaged the bridge of his nose, one of those tiny stress habits from his human life that had never quite disappeared. "We were supposed to have had an agreement," he muttered to himself, and then he looked up at his sister. "She's supposed to tell me when anything out of the ordinary happens!"

Alice quickly held up one finger. "Wait a minute, before you freak out," she said in a quiet voice. Edward realized that he was starting to raise his voice again, and he certainly didn't want everyone in the house to be privy to this conversation. Bella was at the cottage, but the others were probably somewhere in the main house with them, and Edward had a sudden desire to keep this conversation completely private. Alice leaned in a bit, her elbows on her knees, and continued, "Maybe she wants to tell you, maybe she's planning to, but she's worried you'll overreact." At Edward's dubious expression, she rolled her eyes "Well, you do overreact on occasion, you know."

"You're not exactly perfect yourself, you know," he said, a bit bitterly. Alice just laughed.

"Just nearly." Then her face went serious again. "Anyway, I say give her the benefit of the doubt, and give her a couple days. Maybe she just wanted to line up a theory before she said anything to you about… whatever's going on." Alice gave him a very pointed look. "She's a grown-up woman now, Edward… you have to give her a little space to figure things out sometimes… and trust her."

Edward was about to reply when the house phone rang. He and Alice exchanged a quick look before she reached for the extension and picked it up.

"Cullen Residence, Alice speaking!"

Edward could hear the other end of the line as clearly as if he was the one holding it. "Aunt Alice… hi. Is my dad around?"

"Oh hi, Nessie," Alice said, raising an eyebrow at Edward. "You're dad's right here, actually. Your mom's at the cottage… want me to go get her?"

"No… just my dad is fine." Alice smiled knowingly, and Edward avoided meeting her eye. He hated I-told-you-so's.

"All right then. Here he is," Alice chirped into the receiver, then handed it to Edward. He took it and motioned her out of the room, trying to ignore her knowing grin as she left the office and shut the door.

"Hi sweetie," he said. "Everything all right?"

"Um." That wasn't exactly a good start. "I'm not sure." Edward sat forward in the chair.

"Renesmee, what's going on?"

"I guess you already talked to Aunt Alice," she said.

"As a matter of fact, I did. She told me about your phone call." He paused. "What's happening?" He repeated.

There was a long, loud sigh. "Okay… don't freak out. It's probably nothing. But, just in case it's not…" She cleared her throat. "I've been having dreams. Really… vivid dreams. And something about them feels strange, like maybe they're not just dreams."

Edward put it together easily. "And you think they might be premonitions."

"Yes!" Renesmee sounded relieved just to have somebody else suggest it. "But I'm not sure. Do you think that's even possible?"

Edward frowned. "Anything's possible, Renesmee. It's whether or not it's probable that we should be concerned with." He paused. "I think we should bring your grandfather in on this discussion," he said.

"I really don't want this to become a whole-family thing," She replied, sounding a bit frustrated. "I mean, if it's really nothing, then I feel like I should be allowed to keep it private, you know?" Edward could understand her hesitance. He tried to channel some fatherly sympathy through his intense concern.

"Darling, I know this is a very personal situation, but your grandfather should really hear what's happening. And I will be telling your mother, unless you choose to tell her yourself. Nobody else needs to be involved, for the time being."

"I guess that's okay," she said after a moment. "Is Grandpa around? Can we talk to him now?"

Edward moved the receiver away from his mouth. "Carlisle," he said at a little bit louder than normal speaking volume. "Could you pick up a handset and come into the office, please?" A moment later, Carlisle strode through the door. Edward nodded to him. "Your granddaughter has something to discuss."

They quickly filled Carlisle in on the situation. He listened carefully, nodding where appropriate. When Renesmee was through describing the situation, he spoke.

"The dreams that you speak of… are they normal dreams about everyday things, or very good, or very bad things?"

"Usually bad," Renesmee replied, "Sometimes—rarely—good, but never just normal."

"Have any of these dreams come true?" He asked.

There was a long pause, and then a quiet, "No."

"Are they about things that could conceivably, realistically come true?"

Another long silence. "Not always," Renesmee said, sounding doubtful. "Sometimes they're really realistic, and sometimes they make no sense at all."

Carlisle nodded again. "And when you have these dreams, is it usually following a stressful situation or a particularly emotional event?"

"Well… yeah, actually. I hadn't thought of it, but I think that's the case most of the time. Maybe all the time."

Carlisle made an affirmative noise. "Well, Renesmee, I certainly believe these dreams are of some significance. However, I do not think what you're experiencing are premonitions."

"You don't?" Edward heard the relief in his daughter's voice as clearly as he felt it himself.

"No," Carlisle said kindly, "I don't. I've seen this phenomenon before, in completely normal, human individuals… I think that your dreams are a result of a high degree of stress."

"Stress?" Edward and Renesmee responded at the same time. Carlisle chuckled softly at their tandem reactions.

"Are you really so surprised, Edward? Since Renesmee moved away, we've done nothing but warn her to be careful and vigilant, effectively placing the idea of constant, looming danger firmly into her head. That, coupled with the complications surrounding her emerging relationship with Jacob, and now this imprinting situation with Leah, all adds up to a great deal of pressure for one person to handle. And that is not even taking into account the regular, everyday things like school and social situations." Carlisle gave Edward a small smile. "Sometimes, in our eagerness to ensure our children are safe and successful, we can lose sight of just how much strain we are putting on them."

Edward felt sufficiently cowed by his adoptive father's backhanded reprimand. He had to admit, it made perfect sense. His concept of dreaming was rather hazy, having not done it himself in many years, but he did know that dreams were the mind's way of allowing subconscious thoughts and feelings to surface. It was only logical that, being under such pressure from so many directions, Renesmee might experience some irregularly vivid and troubling dreams. And, being a primary source of a great deal of that pressure, Edward suddenly felt like a horrible, brutish person for causing his own daughter such distress.

"Darling," he said softly, "Does that seem right to you? Are you feeling a great deal of stress?"

Renesmee was quiet for a moment before responding. "I don't know," she finally replied. "I hadn't really thought about it… but I guess I have been sort of anxious for a while now. I mean, things just keep piling up that I have to deal with… and I'm worried because you guys are worried all the time about me. Our last visit wasn't exactly relaxing, I guess. And then Jacob and I have been trying to figure out all these changes in our relationship, and you're all involved in that too, and…" She broke off there, and Edward knew it was because she didn't want to become too emotional. He'd noticed that it had become a habit of Renesmee's to not allow her family to witness displays of emotion, if she could help it. It seemed to have taken hold since she'd left home, as if she was making a huge effort to prove her maturity to them. Before, Edward had been proud of her self-control; now, he just saw it as another way he'd inadvertently inflicted stress upon his daughter.

"I'm very sorry, Renesmee," he said quietly. "Neither your mother nor I ever intended to make you this uncomfortable."

"Oh, Dad…" The way she said it, Edward could just picture her shoulders slumping, her face falling. "It's not your fault… it's like Grandpa said…"

"Renesmee's right," Carlisle said, with a pointed look at Edward, "Nobody is to blame. But Nessie, I do believe you should attempt to relax a little. Have a bit of fun, don't worry so much. And we'll try to lighten up on you from this end as well. And perhaps the pack—Jacob excluded, of course—might consider coming home, giving you some peace and quiet…"

"No!" Renesmee was adamant. "They don't have to go… I know it doesn't seem relaxing to either of you, but I actually like having them around... And besides which, Leah needs to be here right now." She paused. "But… maybe I can get Clara to let them use a suite at one of her dad's hotels. It is getting a bit cramped in here."

"I'll be happy to pay for them to stay wherever they'd like," Carlisle said. "At any rate, I think if you take some steps towards relaxation, you'll find that the worst of the dreams will simply disappear. Of course, you should keep an eye on the situation, and be mindful of any new developments… but I truly don't believe there's any need for concern." He stopped, as if considering something, then said, "You're doing a remarkable job of taking care of yourself, Renesmee. We're all very proud of you. Try to enjoy yourself."

"Thanks, Grandpa. I will."

Edward gave his adoptive father a grateful look as the older vampire clicked off his handset and slipped quietly from the room. Moments like this one made it very clear to Edward that, even after seventeen years of fatherhood, there were still things he could learn from his own father. There probably always would be.

"Darling?"

"Yeah dad?"

"Is everything else all right?"

"Yeah," She replied, actually sounding mildly surprised. "I've been pretty worried about the dreams… but I feel a lot better about that now. And everything else is really good. I mean, besides all the stuff I listed a minute ago." Edward had to laugh at that.

"One day at a time, Darling. You can't fix everybody's problems in one fell swoop."

"Well… they're mostly my problems. But I get your point." Edward laughed again, fondly.

"Your Grandfather is right, Renesmee: We're all very proud of you. I hope you know that."

"Okay, enough, Dad," Renesmee groaned, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. "I get it; you're proud. And it's nice. And right now it's making me feel just a bit awkward."

Edward had a sudden memory from the past, of a human Bella swatting away her father's clumsy attempts at affection, and he smiled to himself. "You sound just like your mother," he replied.

"I'm not sure how to take that."

Edward chuckled. "All right, Renesmee. Go have fun… and remember what your grandfather said: relax."

"I will, Dad." She paused. "I love you guys."

"We love you too."

"Okay. 'Bye. And… thanks a lot."

Edward shook his head slightly. "Don't mention it. Goodbye, Darling." As Edward hung up the phone, he heaved a quiet sigh of relief. It had been a difficult conversation, but it had gone well.

Besides, it was nothing compared to the conversation he was about to have with his wife.

In the Next Chapter:

Clara gave her best attempt at a sober expression. "So what do you think happened between Little Miss Sunshine and our Downtown Romeo? Disaster?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. Jacob says he thinks it went well, and that Leah's just pissed because I tried to trick her."

"I guess that's possible." Clara looked down at her hands, examining her fingernail polish with a pleased expression. She turned back to Renesmee. "I've gotta ask: Why do you even care? I mean, it all seems pretty random, this set-up, and if it's just not working… well, why do you want to push it so hard?"

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