Renee's POV

We are sitting down to dinner when the doorbell rings. I get up and open it to Bella and Jason and Brooke. Bella bursts into tears as soon as I open the door. Jillian comes and grabs both of the babies' hands and leads them into the house.

I'm confused. Over the last couple of years we've gotten closer and Jillian and Bella are as close as if they had known each other their whole lives but she's never just shown up looking like this. We don't really talk about her problems unless it's about Jason or Brooke. She has Josh and her dad and all her friends for that.

"Come in Bella, what's wrong?" I ask her.

"He's dead." She cries.

"Who?"

"My dad."

"Oh honey I am so sorry and you are more than welcome to stay here but where is Josh?" I ask her cautiously. He's doesn't seem like the type to let her take off with the kids in a time like this.

"I told him I just needed time to think, process. I told him I was going to the beach with the kids. They love the beach and I always go there just to think. He told me he would come to check on me in an hour or so. He didn't want to let me go but he didn't want to push either. Then I drove here. I'm leaving him because I cannot handle one more person leaving me" She explains to me as if this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

"Why would he leave you?" I ask her completely not getting this whole thing.

"She means die mom. Think about it, her dad just died and Josh is older than him. That's what she means." Jillian explains.

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry honey. But does Josh know where you and the kids are? He's going to be a wreck if he doesn't know."

"No! He'll come get me and then I won't want to leave him but I have too. Jason and Brooke, they're little. They'll forget him. I won't forget him but I'll be OK. You cannot tell him mom." Oh holy crap this is bad. In her mind this all makes perfect sense, I can tell but I know it's just the combination of her grief and her long standing abandonment issues. Plus she just called me mom; she has never called me mom before.

"What about the funeral Bella?" I ask her hoping to make her realize she can't just run.

"He's dead. He won't miss me. And Sue has Leah. I'm really tired and so are Jason and Brooke. Can I sleep here just for a few days? Then I'll figure out where I'm going to go."

"Oh course Bella; do you want them to sleep with you or in the other room?" I ask her and she says with her is fine.

Jillian offers to show her to the room and help get the kids upstairs. I follow to find her something to sleep in. I don't have anything for Jason and Brooke. If she's going to be here for a while I'll go out and get them some things.

I'm about to walk in the room and give her the shirt and shorts but I stop to listen to Jillian talk to her. The kids are quiet, they must be exhausted. Jason is almost 3 and is a handful, always on the go. Brooke is almost 2 and while a much calmer child she is still very active. I wonder sometimes which one is more like Bella was as a baby.

Jillian is telling her that death isn't a formula, that just because her dad died doesn't mean that Josh is going to die soon or even before her or the kids. She tells her if not for Bella she would be dead already and she's just a kid. I have to stop from laughing; she hates it when I tell her she's just a kid. She tells her Josh loves her so much and he's probably a nervous wreck and he probably has everyone looking for her and worrying when they should be focused on taking care of Sue. Bella agrees to call him and I listen in, she tells him she loves him but she can't be left anymore. She and the kids are fine. She'll call him in a few days to check in. Jillian tells them all good night and kisses the kids and walks out. I hug her and tell her I'm proud of her and then take Bella the extra clothes.

Brooke is already asleep and Jason is cuddled up as close to Bella as he can get.

"Thanks Renee, I'm sorry about calling you mom earlier." She tells me.

"I liked it Bella but either is fine. I'll go out in the morning and get you and the kids some clothes and diapers. Is there anything else you need?" She says no and not to worry about it. "Goodnight and please don't call Josh. I called him, he knows we're OK." I give her a sad smile and kiss the babies good night.

"Good night Bella, I am so sorry about your dad." I walk out and collapse against the wall and listen until I hear her and Jason's breathing changing so I know they are both asleep.

I walk back down and Jillian hands me Bella's phone and demands I call Josh.

"Jillian she doesn't want him to know. I don't know…" I tell her.

"Mom you walked on her as a baby and then told her you never loved her. She forgave you and your close now. She called you mom. Now be a real mom to her and do this because it's the right thing even though you know it's going to piss her off. She's talking out of grief and you know it. She needs him now more than ever and you know he is going to be worried sick about her and Jason and Brooke. You call him like a good mom or I'll call him." She demands. My daughter is way too smart for her age. She also happens to adore Josh, she spends most of her summers there and all of Bella's friends and family love her and her them.

I look at Phil and he says you know she's right. So I call.

"Bella? Please tell me where you are? I won't even come if you don't want me too. I'll leave you alone until you're ready or I'll send Sam or Jake."

"Josh, it's Renee. She came here. She and the kids are OK. I mean she's physically fine but in her mind she has to leave you before you die and leave her and the kids. She says they are little so they'll forget and she can't handle anyone else leaving her."

"I'm on my way. Thank you Renee. She told you about Charlie then?"

"Yes, she's not going to be happy you're here but you deserved to know. She needs you."

We say good bye and hang up.

"He's coming?" Jillian asks and I tell her of course.

"She won't hate you forever mom. She loves you." She comforts me.

We sit back down to dinner but no one really eats.

Jason starts crying and Jillian runs up to get him before he wakes Bella and Brooke. She comes downstairs with him.

"You want something to eat Jason?" She asks him. He shakes his head yes and she hands him to me so she can make him a plate. I hold him while he asks what everything is and then tastes everything cautiously. Bella is apparently very picky but he doesn't seem picky, just cautious.

"I want my mama." He tells Jillian.

"She's sleeping with Brooke; you want to watch a movie with me?" Jillian asks him and he jumps off me and follows her into the living room.

She puts on some kid movie she finds on Netflix and he falls back asleep on the couch.

"You're good with him Jillian." I tell her and she smiles and says he practically attaches himself to her whenever she stays with them.

"She's going to be OK right mom? She's going to get over being mad and go home with Josh and be OK?" She asks. There is the 13 year old under all the I'm too smart for my ageness.

"Honey you know them both better than I do but I would imagine so. Even if she really wanted to leave Josh everyone else is in La Push too. She wouldn't give up all her friends and I highly doubt she would keep Jason and Brooke away from their entire family. She's just a little disoriented right now. Grief does crazy things." I tell her honestly.

"I want to be a grief counselor I think." She tells me.

"The way you were with Bella, I think you would be excellent at it. Why don't you finish your dinner then shower? I'll watch Jason and listen for Brooke." I tell her and she reluctantly agrees.

At bedtime she argues she's not sleeping until Josh gets here because Jason and Brooke know her better than anyone and Bella needs sleep and she's not going to school tomorrow.

"Let her stay up Renee, she's worried and she's kind of right. If either of them wake up to us they'll just wake Bella up and she does need her sleep. She's going to need all the strength for the fight she's going to have with Josh." Phil tells me and I tell them both fine though I doubt they'll fight.

When Brooke starts crying Jillian feeds her and gets her back to sleep on the couch next to Jason and then drifts in and out of sleep on the other for the next few hours until Josh shows up. Bella never wakes up, I'm kind of worried about her but Jillian assures me that when she cries herself to sleep she sleeps hard. Jillian is so mothering, must be from Kylie and maybe from Bella.

Josh shows up and knocks quietly not wanting to wake anyone up but Brooke wakes up anyways.

"Daddy!" She runs to him and he picks her up and hugs her and kisses her and tells her he loves her so much.

Jillian mumbles that's she staying here for the night with Jason and nobody argues with her.

I tell him Bella is sleeping and he's says he yeah he figured she cries herself to sleep.

"She's going to be pissed at me." I tell him.

"Probably but don't worry about it. She'll realize you were doing it for her eventually and she loves Jillian too much to cut you out of her life. Thanks for taking care of them."

"Jillian took care of Jason and Brooke." I tell him.

"Yeah she is amazing with them." He tells me. Brooke is laying her head on his shoulder trying to fight sleep.

"You need sleep Brooke; you want to sleep with Jason on the couch?" He asks her.

"Stay you daddy."

"OK baby, you stay with me." He kisses her head.

"Bella is upstairs do you want sleep with her or the room next to that one, you and Brooke can sleep in there? I think Jillian will freak out of she wakes up and Jason is gone." I tell him.

He tells me he'll take the other room so Bella doesn't flip out in the middle of the night.

"Um if you don't mind me asking how did Charlie die? All she said was he died. I thought she meant you at first." I ask him.

"Heart attack, he was alone and Sue found him and it was too late. Then Bella said she just needed so time to process, she was going to take the kids to the beach. I gave her some time but she wasn't there. Then for the next few hours until she called Sam and Alison and I were all looking for her, I didn't think she would just take off and drive. It was pretty stupid actually, to drive as upset as she is with the kids in the car. I don't think I can handle it if anything happens to any of them." He looks like he's about to break down.

"I don't think she can handle you being mad at her Josh." I warn him.

"No of course not, I'm not even mad. I was just so worried." He tells me and Brooke puts her hand on his face.

"You kay daddy?" She asks him and he smiles and tells her he's fine.

"OK thanks again for taking care of them, I'm going to go lay down with her." He tells me and Phil shows him the extra room.

I look at my daughter sleeping on the couch and my grandson sleeping on the other couch and think how lucky I am to have all of these people in my life even if I don't deserve any of them.

"You coming to bed Renee?" Phil asks and I tell him I'm not really tired, I'll be up in a few minutes.

I sit on the chair and watch them sleep when I hear Bella coming down the stairs.