Disclaimer: I am NOT Stephenie Meyer and I don't own any of the Twilight series' characters or stories. I borrowed the dialogue and storyline from Breaking Dawn, but the rest is my own take on the story, as seen through Edward's eyes.

Chapter 25

Swan Song

Time passed far too slowly. Each tick of the clock echoed through the room, resounding deep within my bones, only accentuating the silence that had fallen over the house in the wake of Jacob's declaration. Anger still burned in the pit of my stomach, but there was little I could do. All manner of malevolent things I wanted do to Jacob swirled in my mind, but Bella would be angry with me if I harmed him. Although, when she awoke and discovered what had transpired, she may be apt to kill him herself.

It was in the moments that Carlisle held my daughter in his arms that my mind began to calm enough to resume its normal function. The singular focus required to save Bella was no longer required and the thoughts of the house began to filter through my mind once more. It was then that I listened to Jacob's mind – heard the unequivocal shift in his mindset. His thoughts, once scattered and volatile, were now converged in a single harmonious endeavor – the care and wellbeing of Renesmee. The deviation from his normal thought patterns puzzled me for a moment before the realization began to set in. I had seen this before – seen it in my dealings with the pack – in those who had imprinted. Jacob had imprinted…on my daughter!

The concept still wouldn't settle in my brain. The notion of imprinting was arduous enough to fathom on a theoretical level, let alone trying to understand it when it involved someone so close – someone so important. It was difficult to maintain any level of reason when the subject of the imprint was your own child.

I knew that I would be forced to endure some modicum of Jacob's presence in our lives due to his friendship with Bella, though a small part of me hoped that he would abscond the moment her heart stopped beating. And a part of me really thought that he would. His thoughts were so despondent following the birth, so absolutely set on leaving and never coming back, that I in no way imagined he would stay, let alone fasten himself to us for eternity.

I shuddered at the thought. How strange – for him to go from being my rival for Bella's heart to being the one who would one day strive to earn the heart of my daughter. It would no doubt be a difficult and awkward discussion we could one day look forward to having with Renesmee.

I glanced up at the clock. I could swear that the hands had stopped. Nearly twenty hours had passed since the moment the venom began to work in Bella's body. I held her still fingers between my own, gently caressing her cool skin, a stark contrast to the scorching heat of venom I remembered all too well.

I pressed my lips to her hand and I could already feel the resistance, her soft human skin restructuring and hardening like my own. The change was visible throughout her entire body – her wounds were healed, her scars and bruises erased, even her hair had acquired a new luster. She was exquisite, but it still didn't feel right. I couldn't shake the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach that something had gone terribly wrong. Carlisle had assured me that I did everything right, that he couldn't have done any better himself, but no measure of reassurance would set my mind at ease. And I refused to leave her side until she would awaken and assuage my fears. Esme had nearly begged me to take my leave, if for nothing else than to hunt, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had promised to stay by her side, to be with her to usher her into the next phase of her existence, and I would keep my promise, no matter the cost to myself.

Jasper strolled in, leaning casually against the bookcase that held an extensive collection of medical journals. He did his best to hide it from me, but I caught a fleeting glimpse of Bella's emotional state before he squelched it, imposing an almost suffocating blanket of calm over me. Even that brief insight into her mind forced the air from my lungs before Jasper's influence compelled me into an unnatural state of tranquility. Although the thought of her in such distress threatened to cripple me, it did provide the tiniest amount of reassurance that the transition was proceeding normally.

Carlisle and Esme also appeared in the doorway, moving to stand by my side. Despite Jasper's efforts, I could feel a growing unease. They were doing their best to control their thoughts, preventing me from seeing something. But what?

Carlisle spoke first, but I heard his thoughts just as they preceded his words. "Jacob's back," he said.

A low growl rumbled in my chest at the mention of his name. At the same time, I could hear the opening and closing of the door downstairs, the loud thumping heartbeat, the whispered greeting. Footsteps echoed through the house, growing louder as they neared.

Jasper moved closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. Esme's eyes nervously flitted from the empty doorway to me, her concern growing as Jacob's footsteps drew closer. And then he appeared in the doorway, that familiar smug expression on his face, that same stench coming off of him in waves. His thoughts were calmer than they had been in weeks, but an edge of tension still tinged them as his eyes met mine.

I moved to stand, but Jasper's hand clamped firmly on my shoulder, forcing me back into my seat. Stay put!

"Hello, Jacob," Carlisle greeted him with a nod, holding out his hand.

Surprisingly, Jacob shook his hand without hesitation, nodding in return.

"What do you want, Jacob?" I growled.

"Edward," Esme chastised. He's only trying to help.

"It's okay," Jacob waved her off. "I know I'm not his favorite person right now."

"What gave you that impression?" I shot back.

"Lucky guess," he snickered. It's not like I asked for this, you know. It was involuntary. I couldn't help it. But it might explain…

I let go of Bella's hand for fear of hurting her and leaned back, folding my arms across my chest. All eyes oscillated between Jacob and myself, concern tingeing their thoughts.

"I went to speak with Sam," Jacob continued.

"And?" I prompted.

"Nessie isn't in any danger. I explained the…um, situation." Jacob paused, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "The most important law we have regards the protection of those who have been imprinted on. And because I, well…"

Esme let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"That is good news," Carlisle agreed.

"And Bella?" I asked.

"The treaty hasn't been broken. I explained that I had given you permission to change Bella, to save her. Because I'm the rightful heir and would have been Alpha, Sam had no choice but to accept my decision. The pack isn't happy about the circumstances, but they will honor the treaty."

"Thank you, Jacob." Carlisle smiled, offering his hand to Jacob once more.

I unfolded my arms and, begrudgingly letting go of some of my pride, I nodded. "Yes, Jacob, thank you."

At that moment, Rosalie appeared in the doorway with Renesmee tucked in the crook of her arm. "It's time," she whispered to Carlisle.

Carlisle nodded and moved across the room to take the sleeping child from her arms. Where a human infant would receive a medical exam every few months, our daughter received hers every six hours. From conception to birth, her life measured barely a month, yet she was born at full term. So, it would stand to reason that her rate of growth would continue to be accelerated, much to the concern of everyone else around her. Carlisle was meticulous in his study and measurements, noting the growth and changes at regular intervals, trying to determine if the rate would slow. It worried me to see her growing so rapidly, changing by the minute. It was a stark contrast to Bella's agonizingly slow transformation.

"Another three-quarters of an inch…" Carlisle murmured under his breath. I watched his mind spin with calculations and projections.

I reached for Bella's hand once more, willing her to respond, but her fingers remained frozen. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, pressing my lips to her knuckles. I needed her here with me. I needed her to help me deal with all of these new emotions that were welling inside me, all the confusion and resentment regarding this new complication with Jacob and what it would mean for our daughter, all the worry that our daughter's life was fleeting and would disappear from this world as quickly as it arrived.

A fresh wave of calm washed over me. I glanced up at Jasper and he shrugged. All in due time…for now, you need to try and relax. You're an emotionally jumbled mess.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"That's enough for now," Esme whispered as she scooped Renesmee up in her arms. She smiled and reached for Esme's face, eliciting a heart-warming smile in return. I smiled to myself as I watched the replay of memories and dreams in Esme's mind as our amazing daughter showed them to her. Something else we had discovered since her birth was Renesmee's ability, much like my own. Where I can hear the thoughts in someone's mind, she could place her own thoughts into theirs. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy having the chance to communicate in this way, to share her memories and thoughts with her family. It was quite a shock when she first shared her thoughts with Carlisle during one of his examinations.

Alice appeared in the doorway, her arms loaded with overstuffed shopping bags. She smiled widely at Esme. "Time for another photo shoot?" she beamed.

Esme chuckled and shook her head. As if Alice needed another excuse to shop, she had delighted in the arrival of our daughter and all the pretty little things she could buy for her. It didn't matter that she grew too quickly to wear any of the clothes more than once. Alice was determined that she would be the best dressed baby in the state and set out to record every moment she could on film. The pictures they had taken could already fill several albums.

It was a welcome distraction after the turmoil our house had been thrown in as of late. And it was good to have a record of this time – Bella would want to know all that she had missed while we waited for her to come back to us.

Esme and Alice disappeared from the room with the baby, but Jacob stayed behind. Jasper remained at my side as Carlisle took a seat in the chair across from me.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Why don't you ask him?" I jutted my thumb at Jasper. "It's difficult to discern my true feelings when I'm having them forced on me."

Jasper rolled his eyes. It's for your own good. He turned to Carlisle. "He's a wreck," he muttered.

"I would imagine so." Carlisle nodded. "The events of the last day, of the last weeks even, have been more than anyone could be expected to bear. You should be grateful that Jasper has this ability and cares enough to help."

"I know," I sighed. "And I do appreciate it."

Jasper pursed his lips, suppressing a grin, and nodded.

Time's a-wasting… Jacob thought.

"Is there something else?" I asked, peering past Carlisle to Jacob who still hovered in the doorway.

"I said I went to speak to Sam…"

"And?"

"And he came back with me – to speak with Carlisle, to smooth things over."

I could feel Jasper tense beside me. Surprised, Carlisle turned to face Jacob.

"He wishes to speak with me?" he asked.

Jacob nodded. "He's just outside the perimeter. I told Leah and Seth that he wasn't here to cause trouble, but they're keeping an eye on him. I don't know if he would be comfortable changing into human form. We might need…"

"No," I said flatly, knowing full well what Jacob would ask.

"Edward," Carlisle reasoned. "It would be very helpful if you would help translate." Please be reasonable.

"I'm not leaving her. If he wants to speak with you, then tell him to speak."

Carlisle sighed and rose from his chair. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. It's been weeks since you've hunted.

I shook my head. "No – not until she wakes."

"Edward," he pressed, his tone concerned. Please. "You may not want to speak to Sam, but you still need to – "

"I said no." I looked up, seeing the disappointment in Carlisle's eyes. "I've gone longer spans of time than this without hunting. It's only a couple more days. I'll be fine. I won't leave her."

Carlisle breathed a heavy sigh and shook his head. His worried thoughts hung heavy in the air even after he had left the room. Jacob still lingered in the doorway, his thoughts warring with one another.

Can you promise me something?

I arched an eyebrow.

Let me tell Bella about…well, you know.

"Why should I?" I scoffed.

I think she'll take the news better from me. Coming from you…well, let's just say that you're a little biased.

I blew out a slow breath, not liking the idea of allowing Jacob to broach this subject with Bella. But I guessed that I owed him at least this one thing after all he had done for us. I could let him tell his side of the story, but Bella didn't necessarily have to agree with it. I sighed and nodded my assent.

Jacob nodded his thanks and disappeared from the room.

I laid my head down beside Bella's and laced my fingers with hers. Closing my eyes, I listened only to her heartbeat, to its steady, staccato rhythm, and waited for the time when it would be as silent as mine.

-x-

"Still no change?" Carlisle asked. So unusual.

I raised my head. Carlisle held Bella's wrist between his fingers as he felt her pulse.

"None," I whispered, pressing my lips to her hand. More time had passed and Bella remained absolutely frozen. I had gone far past worry, to an indescribable place of agonizing concern, my thoughts tormenting me, taunting me that I had done something wrong, that I had done this to her.

"There's no scent of the morphine left," Carlisle commented.

"I know."

"Bella?" I whispered in her ear. "Can you hear me?"

I had spoken to her so many times over the hours, begged and pleaded with her to respond in some small way. But all my attempts were fruitless. It was a meaningless exercise now, merely something to pass the time. I had lost hope that she would respond to my voice, but still I pressed on.

"Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?"

I waited, watching her fingers as I held them in mine. Not a twitch, not even a quiver. Nothing.

"Maybe…Carlisle, maybe I was too late," I whispered, the words sticking in my throat.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so vital. She'll be perfect."

But there had been so much damage. "And her – her spine?"

Carlisle shook his head, memories of Esme lingering in his thoughts. "Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."

"But she's so still. I must have done something wrong."

He gripped my shoulder harder. "Or something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."

"She must be in agony," I whispered.

"We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience."

I lowered my head, pressing my lips to her arm. The scar was gone, but the memory of every place marked with my teeth was seared in my memory. "Bella, I love you," I whispered, choking back a sob. "Bella, I'm sorry."

Carlisle paced the room, running over the measurements from Renesmee's last exam in his mind, comparing them to all the data he had gathered since her birth. Raised voices from downstairs drifted upward, the unmistakable intonation from Jacob and the scathing retort from Rosalie.

Not again. Do you think you should…

"No," I whispered. "I'm staying right here. They'll sort it out."

"An interesting situation," Carlisle remarked. "And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything."

I shook my head. "I'll deal with it later. We'll deal with it." I pressed my lips to Bella's hand.

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm sure, between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed."

"I don't know which side to take." I sighed, weary of the arguing. "I'd love to flog them both. Well, later."

"I wonder what Bella will think – whose side she'll take," Carlisle mused.

"I'm sure she'll surprise me." I ran the back of my hand along her cheek. "She always does."

-x-

I lifted my head as Alice strolled into the room with a garment bag draped over her arm.

"How much longer?" I asked.

"It won't be long now." She smiled, showing me a nearly clear picture of Bella waking. "See how clear she's becoming. I can see her so much better."

"Still feeling a little bitter?"

Alice scrunched her nose and huffed as she unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a pale blue silk gown. "Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up," she grumbled. "You would be mortified, too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've experienced. Bah!"

The corner of my mouth ticked up at Alice's display. "Focus, Alice."

She shook her head. "Right. Bella's almost too easy to see now."

Alice closed her eyes a moment, focusing her mind on Bella. The picture was clearer, she was perfect. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's really going to be fine," I breathed, still hesitant to believe it.

"Of course she is," Alice scoffed as she carefully slipped the silk fabric over Bella's skin.

"You weren't so sanguine two days ago," I countered.

"I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake."

"Could you concentrate for me? On the clock – give me an estimate."

"So impatient," she sighted. "Give me a sec –"

She closed her eyes once more, her mind focused on the clock in Carlisle's study. I watched as the hands spun around the clock's face, measuring the passage of time. To my surprised, the clock jumped forward six hours from now. I could feel the weight on my chest beginning to lift.

"Thank you, Alice."

She nodded and skipped toward the door. She stopped just inside the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame. "She's going to be dazzling."

"She always has been."

Alice snorted. "You know what I mean. Look at her."

And she was right. The vision of Bella in Alice's mind was nothing short of perfection – everything I knew she was and everything she would become in this new life. It was difficult to believe that, in only a few short hours, our family would be complete. But the thought did give me pause. Bella would awaken as a newborn, with all the challenges that accompanied this life. I could hear Renesmee's fluttering heartbeat the floor below me and knew that we would have to take precautions. Bella would never forgive herself if she did something to harm our daughter, even by accident – not after everything she sacrificed and endured to bring her into this world.

My hand reached out, skimming the delicate fabric of the gown she now wore. Blue. Of course Alice would think to dress her in my favorite color. Even with the change in Bella's skin tone, the color still looked exquisite on her.

I ran my fingers through her hair, resting my palm on her cheek. I listened intently, hoping that with the change, her mind would also be altered, allowing me to finally see a glimpse into her thoughts. I was beginning to lose hope that whatever anomaly in her mind prevented me from hearing her innermost thoughts would be changed by the venom. It seemed that her mind would forever remain a mystery.

I laid my head down again, breathing slowly in and out, noting the diminishing aroma of the blood that once called so strongly to me. The scents of lavender and freesia still lingered, but they were forever altered by the venom that now pulsed through her veins.

Sounds drifted up the stairway, but I blocked them out, focusing my attention on the sound of Bella's beating heart. Even with Alice's predictions, her changing heart would be the best indicator of when she would awake. I listened intently, waiting for the beats to increase their tempo, before they would cease forever. I collected the sound of each heartbeat, storing them away in my perfect memory – a lasting tribute to a human life – the one I fell in love with, the one willing to sacrifice everything for her family.

Time continued to pass slowly, marked only by the changing sounds of life elsewhere in the house. In this room, we were unchanging. At least that was how it felt – like we were placed in a vacuum where time stood still, where the pain in my heart rippled through me at regular intervals. I could still taste the lingering flavor of Bella's blood on my lips. Even if she would come back to me, I still mourned the loss of her humanity, the loss of her soul.

And then something happened. The perpetual stillness of the room began to shift. I lifted my head as the sound of her heart began to increase in tempo. The steady beating gradually grew faster and faster until her heart was hammering in her chest at a speed much too quick for any human to endure. This was it – this was the end of our waiting. I squeezed her hand and could swear I saw the tiniest movement at the corner of her eyes.

"Carlisle," I called.

Mere seconds later, Carlisle came through the doorway, followed quickly by Alice.

"Listen," I said.

I could see the relief on Carlisle's face. Perhaps even he had some hidden doubts about her transformation. "Ah," he sighed. "It's almost over."

Alice nodded emphatically. "Soon. I'll get the others." What about Renesmee? "Should I have Rosalie…?"

"Yes – keep the baby away."

The fingers I held tightly in my hands twitched ever so slightly. My breath stopped as I looked up at Carlisle, wondering if he had seen the movement as well. It was the first clear sign that she was still with me, that I hadn't destroyed her in my effort to save her. Both he and Alice were looking with wide expectant eyes, seeing the movement, and now listening to the ever increasing cadence of Bella's heart.

Shaking off the shock, I squeezed her hand in response and leaned over, whispering in her ear. "Bella? Bella, love?"

But she didn't respond. Her lips were just as silent as they had been. I looked up at Carlisle, but he shook his head lightly, his thoughts encouraging.

"I'll bring them right up," Alice said as she disappeared from the room.

I heard the hushed, excited voices as my family began filtering into the room, standing at the perimeter, Jasper standing in front. Rosalie and Jacob were absent, keeping Renesmee safe out of sight. I glanced up and Esme smiled across the room, her thoughts hopeful and relieved. Alice, too, was excited for Bella to awaken, bouncing anxiously on the balls of her feet. Jasper, of course, was wary, having much more experience with newborns than all the rest of us combined. I could feel the force of his power enveloping the room in a blanket of serenity – doing his best to create a non-threatening environment for when Bella awoke.

I squeezed Bella's hand again as I listened to hear heart – the sound so loud that I thought it might beat out of her chest. The corners of her eyes creased again and I watched helplessly as her back arched off the table, her body convulsing before slumping back down. I had seen this before with my other siblings, but it still didn't lessen the sting of having to watch my love endure it. I remembered the pain too well – an excruciating torment that I never wished her to experience.

I could feel the tension in her fingers and knew that she was in agony. I grimaced, a pang of guilt overwhelming me. I did this to her. No matter the result – it was my fault that she was forced to endure this now.

Nobody breathed. The room was silent as death as we listened to the rapid heartbeat come to a sudden halt. With two shuddering pulses, followed by a final quiet thump, her heart stopped. Nobody moved. All eyes were trained on Bella. Even the sounds in the remainder of the house had ceased as we all waited with baited breath for her to awaken.

Agonizing seconds ticked by. I dared not move, frozen in place. I watched intently, willing her eyes to open, willing her to respond.

And then she did.

A/N: Based on some of the reviews and correspondence I've received over the last months, I gathered that most of you thought I had abandoned this story. That is definitely not the case. I can't apologize enough for the long wait between updates - life continues to be hectic and I write when I can, which sometimes means not at all. Thanks to those of you who haven't given up and who checked up on me, I really appreciate the support. I can't promise to update quickly, but can promise that I will continue to work on this story and see it to completion. Thanks to my beta, Nellybear85, and misticbutterfly for being my biggest cheerleaders and for keeping me on track when I sometimes veer off course.