Can I get a witness to the bruises and the wasted tears. You could dry a river with your heart of stone. I can breathe, I can breathe, water, water. I can breathe, I can breathe, water, water.

(Emmett's POV)

"So little girl what do you eat?" I sigh a bit frustrated as she turns her nose up at milk, water, and juice.

"Try this," Charlie offers the bottle of warm blood to me and Valkyrie kicks impatiently in my arms reaching out for it with a huge grin on her face.

"Good job mama," I say as Val takes the bottle greedily into her mouth.

"Do you think she's going to keep growing this fast?" She asks flashing her gray orbs at me.

"Carlisle doesn't know, everyone seems to think we'll find answers in Brazil."

"Do you think there are answers?" She says skeptically staring up at me with blue eyes from underneath her thick black lashes.

"Don't. Don't look at me like that. There are answers somewhere and we're going to find them," I reply sternly. She nods slowly and I lean over to kiss her temple. Valkyrie hiccups once spitting the empty bottle out of her mouth.

"Burp her silly," Charlie laughs as I shift her onto my shoulder patting her back lightly until she burps twice and then coos happily.

"Is Seth seeing someone?"

"I don't know, why?"

"He's more… understand of our situation."

"Maybe I imprinted," Seth says from the doorway of the kitchen.

"On who?" Charlie wonders.

"Not you," he teases.

"I'm so happy for you," she exclaims throwing her arms around his neck and he swings her around in a circle. "Maybe you can bring her over sometime."

"Maybe," he smiles doubtfully in return. "Anyway I just came to let you know I'm heading back home."

"Of course, I'll see you around." She calls after him and he waves at her before ducking out of the house.

"Well then," I smirk as she saunters back over to me and our daughter.

"I'm glad he's finally happy," she says leaning her head on my shoulder.

"I'm glad you're finally happy," I murmur as she reaches over to tickle Valkyrie who giggles wildly and squirms in my arms.

"How could I not be?" She replies.

"What does purple mean?"

"Happy duh."

"Eventually I'll know them all by heart."

"How many are there?"

"I've seen pink, purple, gray, blue, red, and black but I'm sure there's more."

"Which one is your favorite?" She asks sweetly.

"Well blue and gray are beautiful but they're associated with negative feelings so definitely not those, red is stunning but I don't want you to be thirsty, purple is nice and black well you know I love what follows but I'd have to say my all-time favorite is pink."

"Why?"

"Because there's only two people in the world that can turn them that color, but again black is a close second because that one's just for me," I wink.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Charlie suggests while changing Valkyrie's diaper and sliding her into a frilly blue dress and black tights.

"Sure," I agree as the doorbell rings.

"Let's go see who that is pretty girl." Charlie coos shifting Val onto her hip and moving toward the door.

"Charlie wait!" I protest over come with the strong scent of human blood but I'm too late the door swings open and she pauses wide eyed in the door, soft blonde curls falling freely around her face.

"Daddy?" she whispers in disbelief.

"Charlie what are you doing here?" I ask him stepping in front of
my wife to conceal her as best I could but it was too late the damage was done, he knows she's changed. We'll have to leave sooner than we planned, and even still he will search for her because there's no way in hell he's going to believe she's dead, not after he's seen her like this.

"Where did she come from?" He replies flabbergasted peering around me to get another look at Valkyrie.

"Adopted, she's adopted," Charlie stutters saying the first thing that comes to her mind.

"And she just happens to look very similar to the both of you?"

"Funny how those things work," she smiles peeking out from behind me.

"Yeah funny," he scoffs in return. "I need to see Bella."

"I can't let you do that." I reply sternly blocking him from entering the house.

"Emmett if you don't let me past I will call for back up and you'll have a full police investigation on your hands." He threatens.

"Please don't," Charlie protests pleading with her sweet blue eyes.

"Why are you protecting him?" He accuses.

"Because if you knew…then we'd have to leave, and I'm not ready to go." She confesses, her voice cracking slightly at the end.

"I don't want you to go," he sighs in defeat.

"Then you can't tell anyone what you saw here and you can't ask questions." She explains. He nods scratching the back of his neck.

"At least tell me if she's ok."

"She's going to be fine." I assure him.

"I guess I can live with that." The three of us look awkwardly at each other for a few moments. "Can I hold her?" He asks timidly.

Charlie smiles widely as she hands our daughter over to him. "Does she have a name?"

"Valkyrie."

"That's different," He notes bouncing her slightly causing her to giggle.

"I'm glad you're here daddy," Charlie says stepping around me to hug him.

"Me too baby, me too." Then suddenly his phone began to ring. "I'm late."

"Late for what?"

"My date with Sue," He flushes slightly. "I'll reschedule."

"Don't be silly, go," Charlie encourages grabbing Val and urging him onto the porch.

"How do I know you're going to be here when I come back?"

"I will I promise, just next time…call first," she says closing the door behind him. "I think maybe I should go see Bella."

"She's not really awake you know."

"But what if she is, just trapped in there, unable to talk, or move, or scream," she shutters at the thought.

"Or maybe she really can't feel a thing," I try to sooth her.

"Maybe."