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 27

Test

Bella blurred through the forest, swiftly moving toward her new target. I grimaced as I thought of the guilt she would bear if she caught up to the human before I could stop her. I pushed myself as fast as my legs would carry me, but she was faster still, gradually moving out of my reach. Panic began welling in my chest as I mentally chastised myself for not making absolutely certain that there were no humans within our hunting radius. The freedom of running and the joy of watching her test the limits of her new body had distracted me and, ultimately, the unsuspecting human would pay the price for my negligence.

I could already hear the unwitting thoughts of the hiker in the distance. His heart beat steadily, unaware of the danger that was approaching. The thrumming heartbeat pounded in my ears, filling me with dread. Another sound, a hissing, echoed through the trees and, by some miracle, Bella seemed to be slowing. I ran faster, not willing to let this opportunity to overtake her pass me by.

Then, all at once, she spun around to face me, snarling and crouching in a defensive posture. I watched her carefully, lifting my palms to show that I meant her no harm. A newborn in mid-hunt could not only be dangerous to a human, but dangerous to me as well. Though, the threat of Bella harming me was the least of my worries in that moment.

She stared at me for several beats before her body relaxed and her back straightened. I could see the strain in her jaw, a clear indicator that she was fighting hard against her nature. I lowered my hands and took a tentative step toward her.

"I have to get away from here," she hissed through gritted teeth.

She has to… I couldn't hide my disbelief. I had never seen a newborn react this way before – I thought that her actions in the house might have been a fluke, but perhaps it was something more. "Can you leave?" I asked, still amazed that she was in a right enough mind to even have a civil conversation with the scent of human blood lingering in the air.

Her ruby eyes flitted to mine before they narrowed and she sprinted past me in the direction we had traveled from. She seemed to be running just as quickly, if not faster than before, and I had to fight to keep up. As the scent of human blood diminished across the distance, my amazement grew. How was a newborn able to stop and think rationally when faced with such temptation? I always knew that Bella was special, but this went beyond all my expectations.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't notice when I passed her. She had stopped mid-stride and was standing stock still, a look of deep contemplation on her face. I jogged back toward her, placing my hands on her shoulders. I searched her eyes, seeing only Bella, not the feral newborn we had all expected.

"How did you do that?"

"You let me beat you before, didn't you?" she accused.

I shook my head, undeterred. "Bella, how did you do it?"

She looked puzzled. "Run away? I held my breath."

"But how did you stop hunting?"

"When you came up behind me…I'm so sorry about that." She lowered her eyes, kicking up some decaying leaves with her toes.

I gaped at her. "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who was horribly careless. I assumed no one would be so far from the trails, but I should have checked first. Such a stupid mistake! You have nothing to apologize for."

Her wide eyes met mine again. "But I growled at you!"

I fought the urge to chuckle. "Of course you did. That's only natural. But I can't understand how you ran away."

She shrugged. "What else could I do? It might have been someone I know!"

Her cavalier attitude toward something that should have been the ultimate test of a vampire's control caught me off guard. But I should have known that she would be nothing like I had expected – everything about her was an anomaly. After all the worry about her change, after all the concern that it would be years before we could begin an actual life together, it seemed that fate had decided that we had waited long enough for our lives to start. Relief mixed with astonishment flooded through me and I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer.

"Why are you laughing at me?" she demanded.

I stopped short, hearing the anxiety in her voice. "I'm not laughing at you, Bella," I reassured her. "I'm laughing because I am in shock. And I am in shock because I am completely amazed."

Her eyes narrowed and she cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"You shouldn't be able to do any of this." I threw out my arms in a wide, encompassing gesture. "You shouldn't be so…so rational. You shouldn't be able to stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And, much more than any of that, you should not have been able to break off mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires have difficulty with that – we're always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella, you're behaving like you're decades rather than days old."

Her eyes had widened as I rambled on and her look of confusion turned to surprise. "Oh," she managed.

I crossed the space between us and placed my hands on either side of her face, gazing into the fathomless depths of her eyes. She was an enigma, my own personal mystery that I may never fully understand. "What wouldn't I give to be able to see into your mind for just this one moment," I sighed.

She stared back at me and lifted her hand, her fingers tentatively caressing my face. "I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time?" she whispered, almost hesitant. "But I still want you."

Again, I found myself at a loss for words. Not only was a newborn, only hours into this life, rationally discussing her desire not to harm a human, but she still had not fed since she awoke and she was thinking about…that? How was this possible? "How can you even concentrate on that?" I asked. "Aren't you unbearably thirsty?"

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. The muscles in her throat flexed with the reminder of her thirst. I stepped back, allowing her to focus her senses. Seconds later, she began running again, though not nearly at the full tilt she had run just moments ago. This stride was purposeful, yet cautious. I noted that she continued to travel away from the human that had nearly crossed our path.

I chased after her, climbing toward the mountain summit. The trees gave way to more rocky terrain and I could already sense the predator she was hunting. My breath hitched when I caught a glimpse of the mountain lion perched in the nearby trees. As graceful as the cat itself, Bella lithely propelled herself into the branches above, giving her a better vantage point. She moved without effort, stalking her prey like the dangerous and beautiful predator that she was.

It took a concerted effort to hold myself back, overwhelmed as I was by the urge to protect her. As powerful as she might be, the thought of her tangling with such a dangerous creature set my teeth on edge.

She was focused intently on the hunt, her movements mirroring those of the lion. She was as graceful as a jungle cat and far more dangerous. Then, in the blink of an eye, she dove downward, landing on the back of the large feline. The lion's roars echoed through the forest, only to be outdone by the sounds of breaking branches as, together, they crashed to the forest floor.

I secured myself against the trunk of a nearby tree, digging my fingers into the soft bark in an effort to hold myself there. I had to continually remind myself that she didn't need my help, didn't need my protection. The sight of the lion's claws ripping her dress to ribbons was too much and I had to close my eyes to keep myself from interfering.

The cat's roars turned to low groans before finally cutting off in a quiet gurgle. I allowed my eyes to open again and I saw Bella, her dress in tatters, a smear of blood on her lips and trailing the length of one arm. I folded my arms across my chest in attempt to appear like a calm observer.

"Hmm," I muttered to myself. She glanced up at me, smirking sheepishly as she took stock of her appearance.

"I guess I could have done that better," she murmured.

"You did perfectly fine. It's just that…it was much more difficult for me to watch than it should have been."

She arched an eyebrow.

"It goes against the grain," I explained, "letting you wrestle with lions. I was having an anxiety attack the whole time."

"Silly," she scoffed.

I shrugged. "I know. Old habits die hard. I like the improvements to your dress, though." I gestured to what remained of the gown Alice had dressed her in. The evidence of the venom's effects on her once human body were clearly visible – not a trace of the damage done to her by the pregnancy or delivery.

She looked down at herself, grasping the hem of the garment between her fingers and sighing. "Why am I still thirsty?" she asked.

"Because you're young."

She rolled her head to the side and sighed. "And I don't suppose there are any other mountain lions nearby."

I shook my head. "Plenty of deer, though," I offered.

She wrinkled her nose. "They don't smell as good."

"Herbivores," I explained. "The meat-eaters smell more like humans."

"Not that much like humans."

"We could go back," I teased. "Whoever it was out there, if they were men, they probably wouldn't even mind death if you were the one delivering it. In fact, they would think they were already dead and gone to heaven the moment they saw you."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go hunt some stinking herbivores."

I chuckled and ran past her. She followed until we were side by side, sprinting through the forest again. It wasn't long before we came upon a herd of deer and, this time, I joined her in the hunt. Not only could I take the opportunity to sate my thirst, but it would keep me occupied so I wouldn't needlessly fret over her as she hunted.

As the deer fell from my hands, I turned to look at Bella. She was staring at me, one corner of her lip curved up in a smirk.

"No longer thirsty?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You distracted me. You're much better at it than I am."

"Centuries of practice." I smiled.

"Just one."

I chuckled. "Are you done for today? Or did you want to continue?"

"Done, I think," she answered, folding her arms across her belly. Her face was pensive for half a second as she was once again lost in thought. Then her eyes met mine. "I want to see Renesmee."

I smiled and held my hand out to her. She grasped it eagerly and lifted her other hand to my face. I still couldn't wrap my mind around all that had happened in the last several days. My human wife had given birth to a miraculous child, I nearly lost her, and days later she awoke as a new vampire, but seemingly without all of the usual turmoil and mayhem that normally accompanies the transition.

Electricity flowed from her fingers through my skin. Could we have everything we dreamed of having together so quickly? Could all of the waiting and concern over her transition have all been for naught? Warmth spread through me and the electricity sparked between us, as it always had, but now with even more intensity than ever before. She was beautiful. She was strong. And she was mine.

I couldn't hold back any further as I wrapped my arms around her, crushing her to me, and pressing my lips to hers. I no longer needed to be careful, no longer needed to worry about holding back. Her fingers knotted in my hair as she eagerly responded to my advances. I held her tighter still, never wanting to let go of what I had nearly lost. All of the emotions that built up inside me while I waited for her to awake poured out of me, fueling my desire.

She responded in kind, though she still didn't yet grasp the disparity between her strength and mine. The next moment, I found myself pinned to the forest floor, though I couldn't describe it as an unpleasant sensation.

"Oops," she muttered. "I didn't mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?"

I chuckled and reached up to stroke her cheek. "Slightly better than okay." I looked into her eyes, trying to read her expression, to determine what she wanted. She had asked about our daughter, but my advances seemed to have veered us off course. "Renesmee?" I asked tentatively.

She thought for a moment, her eyes clouded as she fought to decide between her warring desires. "Renesmee," she finally agreed as she stood to her feet and reached for my hand to pull me up beside her.

We began to make our way back to the house. Admittedly, even with the display of restraint during her first hunt, I was hesitant to have Bella so near our daughter, fearful that the blood flowing in her veins would prove too much of a temptation. Of course, I should know better by now to question Bella's abilities. She proved time and again that she was anything but conventional. She would prove us all wrong.

"Tell me about her," she asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

How do you describe a miracle? "She's like nothing else in the world," I replied. She was absolutely unique, one of a kind.

"How much is she like you? How much like me? Or like I was, anyway."

I smiled, thinking of the traits I had mourned the loss of in Bella that now lived on in our daughter. "It seems a fairly even divide."

"She was warm-blooded," Bella offered.

"Yes," I agreed, surprised that she would recall this fact when the first meeting between mother and daughter had been so tumultuous. "She has a heartbeat, though it runs a little bit faster than a human's. Her temperature is a little bit hotter than usual, too. She sleeps."

"Really?"

"Quite well for a newborn. The only parents in the world who don't need sleep, and our child already sleeps through the night." I chuckled to myself.

"She has exactly your color eyes – so that didn't get lost, after all." I smiled. "They're so beautiful." Renesmee was the embodiment of everything precious and human that Bella possessed. It was as though her most perfect attributes were specifically selected and preserved within our progeny.

"And the vampire parts?" she asked.

"Her skin seems about as impenetrable as ours. Not that anyone would dream of testing that." Although the thought of routine immunizations had passed through Carlisle's mind, only to be dismissed the next moment in light of her vampire heritage.

Bella stared at me and I had to wonder what she was thinking.

"Of course no one would," I assured her. "Her diet…well, she prefers to drink blood. Carlisle continues to try to persuade her to drink some baby formula, but she doesn't have much patience with it. Can't say that I blame her – nasty-smelling stuff, even for human food." Emmett, more than anyone, seemed to thoroughly enjoy watching Renesmee thwart Carlisle's attempts, as it often resulted in whatever he was offering being thrown back with foul consequences.

Bella slowed, our joined hands impeding my pace. I turned back to her to see the confused expression on her face. "Persuade her?" she asked.

I smiled. "She's intelligent, shockingly so, and progressing at an immense pace. Though she doesn't speak – yet – she communicates quite effectively."

I watched Bella's face as she processed my words, confusion and concern flitting across her features. "Doesn't. Speak. Yet."

Bella was deep in thought, trying to make sense of everything. If she were still human, I fear that this would all be too much for her. As it was, the confusion of the transition compounded by our unique situation, it was still a wonder she could cope at all.

"What do you mean, she communicates effectively?" she asked.

"I think it would be easier for you to…see for yourself. It's rather difficult to describe."

She nodded, resuming our earlier pace. We walked in silence for a short time as I allowed her time to think. Becoming a mother and a vampire in such a small span of time must be quite a shock. Even though she had quite some time to plan for one, she was given little time to prepare for the other, or for the possibility of experiencing both simultaneously.

She broke the silence. "Why is Jacob still here?" she asked.

My jaw clenched reflexively.

"How can he stand it? Why should he?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. "Why should he have to suffer more?"

I'd like to make him suffer. "Jacob isn't suffering," I replied in a clipped tone. "Though I might be willing to change his condition."

"Edward!" she reproved, pulling me to a stop. "How can you say that? Jacob has given up everything to protect us! What I've put him through – !" The corners of her eyes pinched at the pain of the memory.

"You'll see exactly how I can say that," I murmured. "I promised him that I would let him explain, but I doubt you'll see it much differently than I do. Of course, I'm often wrong about your thoughts, aren't I?"

She stared back at me and I wondered briefly if I had said too much. Did it matter? She would find out soon enough.

"Explain what?" she demanded.

I shook my head. "I promised. Though I don't know if I really owe him anything at all anymore…"

The space between her brows puckered. "Edward, I don't understand."

I reached over, cupping her cheek. I smiled as she leaned into my touch, her confusion all but erased – newborns are so easily distracted. "It's harder than you make it look, I know. I remember."

She frowned. "I don't like feeling confused."

"I know. And so let's get you home, so that you can see it all for yourself." My eyes scanned down the length of what used to be her dress, now revealing more skin than it covered. After everything Bella had been through up to this point, we didn't need to add embarrassment to that list. I swiftly removed my shirt and held it out for her.

"That bad?" she asked.

I grinned. I rather liked the current state of her dress, but I didn't think Alice would appreciate the sentiment and I doubted that Bella wanted to display that much of her new vampire body to our family, or to Jacob. She shrugged the shirt over her shoulders and buttoned it up.

She looked up and smiled with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I'll race you," she said, "no throwing the game this time!"

I let go of her hand and crouched in a runner's stance, grinning up at her. "On your mark…"

Before I said another word, she shot off in the direction of the house. I ran behind, but quickly passed her. There was a clear distinction from the last time I had chased her, vastly different than the frenzied hunt driven by her bloodlust. It wasn't until we reached the river that her newborn strength bested my speed as she launched herself over the river at twice the distance I could manage.

"Ha!" she laughed as she reached the other side before me.

As I sailed through the air, I caught sight of Jacob standing a short distance away from her. She had not turned to see him yet, but I feared what she might do when she caught his scent. I landed beside her, gripping the tops of her arms tightly.

"Don't breathe," I whispered.

She complied, but looked nervously around her until her eyes fell on Jacob. She stiffened slightly at the sight of him, no doubt her fears now matched my own. As much as I would like to harm Jacob, I didn't want Bella to bear that kind of guilt.

Jacob stared across the space, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. It's game time, he thought.

"Carefully, Jacob," I warned. Leah's growl echoed my sentiment. "Maybe this isn't the best way –"

Please. "You think it would be better to let her near the baby first?" he scoffed. "It's safer to see how Bella does with me. I heal fast." And I'm not willing to take that chance with Nessie.

Bella's shoulders tensed and she looked nervously at me. I could see the panic and confusion in her eyes. I wanted to protect her from harming him, but if Jacob wasn't wary enough to protect himself, there wasn't much I could do. I shrugged. "It's your neck, I guess."

Stupid leech, Leah growled even louder.

Bella flinched and lowered her eyes. She didn't understand my impatience with Jacob, but she would soon enough. She bit her lip nervously as she raised her gaze and stared across the yard at Jacob. Her body seemed to relax the moment he smiled at her. No doubt she was worried about how he would feel about her now that she had become the thing he hated most.

She almost looks like her, but…man, look at those eyes. "I gotta say it Bells," he said with a grin. "You're a freak show."

"Watch yourself, mongrel," I growled.

Oh, come on.

"No, he's right. The eyes are really something, aren't they?" Bella replied.

He nodded. "Super-creepy. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Gee – thanks for the amazing compliment!"

Yup, that's Bella alright. He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. You still look like you – sort of. Maybe it's not the look so much as…you are Bella. I didn't think it would feel like you were still here." He laughed. "Anyway, I guess I'll get used to the eyes soon enough."

"You will?" Bella asked, surprised.

Oops…I guess he didn't tell her yet. Gotta admit, I'm surprised. His gaze briefly flitted to me. "Thanks. I didn't know if you'd be able to keep it from her, promise or not. Usually, you just give her everything she wants."

I smirked. "Maybe I'm hoping she'll get irritated and rip your head off."

I'd like to see her try, he scoffed.

Bella looked between the two of us. "What's going on? Are you two keeping secrets from me?"

"I'll explain later." Jacob waved his hand dismissively. "First, let's get this show on the road." He uncrossed his arms, holding his arms rigidly at his sides and slowly started to move toward us.

He's gonna get himself killed. Leah edged into sight, clearly upset by Jacob's plan.

This could be bad. Seth whined, following closely behind her.

"Cool it, guys," Jacob dismissed them. "Stay out of this."

They maintained a wide distance, but still followed his movements, afraid to leave too much space between them. Bella shivered as he neared and she looked nervously at me.

"C'mon, Bells. Do your worst," Jacob dared.

Bella stiffened and leaned into me.

Any day now. "I'm getting older here, Bella," he teased. "Okay, not technically, but you get the idea. Go on, take a whiff."

She looked anxiously up at me. "Hold onto me."

I tightened my grip on her arms and she stiffened in a rigid pose, digging her heels into the ground to anchor herself. Her nostrils flared infinitesimally as she inhaled a tentative sniff. She paused before taking a larger breath and then relaxed. "Huh. I can see what everyone's been going on about. You stink, Jacob."

I burst into laughter, amused and pleased by the results of Jacob's test. She seemed to have no problem resisting the call of his beating heart or the scent of his blood. And, as much as I wanted to harm Jacob myself, I admittedly enjoyed at least the insult on his behalf. She may have even more choice words for him when she discovers that he imprinted on our daughter. My laughter was coupled with Seth's and several others from within the house, all who seemed quite amused with the display outside.

Gee, thanks. "Look who's talking," Jacob scoffed, pinching his nose dramatically.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and nuzzled my nose in the crook of her neck. "I love you," I whispered. She was doing amazingly well and there was little doubt in my mind that she could see Renesmee without incident. I wondered errantly if there was anything she couldn't accomplish.

"Okay, so I passed, right?" she asked, looking from Jacob to me. "Now are you going to tell me what this big secret is?"

Umm…about that… Jacob shifted his weight on the balls of his feet and his heartbeat increased. "It's nothing you need to worry about this second…" he edged nervously.

I can't wait. Emmett laughed.

Bella briefly looked puzzled before she was seemingly distracted by something. Then she whispered. "Renesmee." She smiled, but then stiffened suddenly. I could see the concern etched across her features.

"Come and see," I urged her, squeezing her for reassurance. "I know you can handle this."

Her brow furrowed as she looked up at me. "You'll help me?" she whispered.

I nodded. "Of course I will."

"And Emmett and Jasper – just in case?"

"We'll take care of you, Bella," I encouraged. "Don't worry, we'll be ready. None of us would risk Renesmee. I think you'll be surprised at how entirely she's already wrapped us all around her little fingers. She'll be perfectly safe, no matter what."

She relaxed marginally and took a cautious step toward the house.

Maybe this isn't such a good idea, Jacob worried. It might be too soon. He stepped in front of us, blocking our way. "Are you sure, bloodsucker?" he questioned, concern seeping into his voice. "I don't like this. Maybe she should wait –"

Bella looked bewildered as her eyes flitted between us.

"You had your test, Jacob," I growled.

I just don't think… "But –," Jacob began.

"But nothing," I cut him off. "Bella needs to see our daughter. Get out of her way."

Please don't hurt her, he thought as he looked pleadingly at Bella before turning and running back toward the house.

I growled under my breath. It didn't matter – imprint or not – Renesmee was our daughter and it was our responsibility to make sure that she was protected. Jacob should know that if I had any inkling that Bella would be a danger to Renesmee, I wouldn't allow her near her until I was sure that she was ready. For him to question my judgment as a father set my teeth even further on edge than they already were.

Bella's confused gaze followed Jacob into the house and she looked questioningly at me.

"Shall we?" I asked.

She nodded nervously.

I grasped her hand in mine and took slow, measured steps toward the house.

Everyone was waiting just inside, all equally excited and wary for the meeting that was about to take place. Rosalie stood with Renesmee in her arms near the back of the room, strategically placed, no doubt by Jasper, with a buffer of everyone between Bella and the baby and the door just behind her in the case of a hasty or necessary exit. I fought the urge to growl when Jacob moved to join Rosalie at the rear of the room.

Careful. Watch her.

What in heaven's did she do to her dress?!

I don't like this. One false move and I'm gonna…

I was thankful that Bella couldn't hear the stirrings of doubt and concern in the room. Though, seeing the look of wonder on her face as she stared at our daughter across the room, I doubted she would even take note if they voiced their worries aloud. She seemed transfixed as she stared across the small space.

Renesmee leaned forward in Rosalie's arms as though she could force her way to her mother, her wide eyes gazing questioningly. Bella continued to stare, likely trying to connect the child before her to the memory of the one born just days before. Renesmee seemed to be doing the same, running through the memories she had of Bella just after her birth and during the days while she waited for her to awaken.

"I was out just two days?" Bella breathed.

Renesmee wriggled in Rosalie's arms, struggling to reach out to Bella. Then she turned, placing her hand on Rosalie's neck, playing a series of images for Rosalie, questioning if the woman standing before her was indeed the mother she had been waiting for.

Rosalie smiled and patted her hand. "Yes, that's her," she replied.

Renesmee stared at Bella a moment longer with wide eyes, recognition and realization dawning, as her mouth stretched in a wide grin.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to getting to know Renesmee better in the coming chapters. Yes, I'm a broken record – sorry for the long time between updates. I have been writing on a pretty regular basis, thanks to misticbutterfly, but I had to take an unintended break thanks to my computer who decided to die on me. Thankfully, I'm back up and running and raring to go. Thanks, as always, to Nellybear85 and misticbutterfly who are an endless source of encouragement and support.

And thanks to YOU for sticking it out with me and continuing to read and review.