A/N: This chapter comes with a warning for a sensitive adult situation and the possible trigger of sexual assault. If you have any concerns, please shoot me a PM before reading.

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Bella's POV

Jake had agreed—albeit reluctantly—to go with me to Charlie's house to peek at Lizzie through the bedroom window, insisting we wait a few hours till dark. Since it was the just after midnight, I knew she'd most likely be asleep in her crib, and we were less likely to run into any humans out and about. He'd made me swear I would hold my breath so I couldn't smell anyone, and I'd made him promise to shift and rip me to shreds if I even thought about attacking my daughter—or anyone else, for that matter.

As we got close to Charlie's house, Jake and I both stiffened and skidded to a stop. He'd shifted into wolf form to make the run down the mountain, and his hackles were raised as he growled softly. Thanks to my run-in with Victoria and Riley and Jake's time with me, we could smell the scent of vampires—two of them—at the edge of the forest near Charlie's backyard.

"Bella?" a familiar voice called. "Don't be scared. It's just me. Jasper's here, too."

Alice.

"Alice?" I cried, suddenly anxious to know I'd correctly heard the voice of my old friend.

She stepped out of the shadows, glancing warily at Jake, before looking back at me with a mixture of excitement, guilt, hope, and fear written all over her face. She took a step closer, and Jacob growled.

"Hush, Jake," I hissed in reproach. "It's just Alice. She's not gonna hurt me."

I stepped toward her and opened my arms, and with a blinding smile, she flew at me, throwing her arms around my neck with a squeal of excitement.

"Oh, my God! Bella, you're beautiful! But what happened?" she asked with a gasp, pulling back to look me in the eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't see it happen! I should have looked out for you, but I promised I wouldn't, and I'm so, so sorry!"

I laughed. "Breathe, Ali." I knew it was an odd thing to say to a vampire. Even though I knew it was impossible, she really seemed like she might hyperventilate. I glanced back at the trees, where I could smell Jasper, even though I couldn't see him. "Jasper, you can come out..."

He stepped out from behind the tree and smiled warily. "Hello, Bella." He looked at Jake, who was still on alert, but not quite as defensive. "Who's your friend?"

I looked back at Jake. "Jake, you can shift back now. Play nice, okay?"

As he trotted off around the corner, Alice shook her head. "Jake, as in Jacob Black, from the Quileutes?" When I nodded, she said, "Carlisle told us about them when we...well, when we lived here, but I've never seen one of the wolves before now. Man, he's huge, isn't he?"

"Thanks," Jake said with a smirk as he came around the corner in his cut-offs. "You must be Cullen's—" he grimaced when I threw an elbow into his stomach "—sorry, Edward's brother and sister?" he ended in question with a raised eyebrow in my direction.

I nodded. "Jake, this is Alice and Jasper. Guys, this is Jacob Black. He's the Alpha of the pack from the Quileute reservation and my friend."

Jake and Jasper nodded at one another.

Alice gave him a smile before turning back to me. "We have so much to talk about! But first...who's Lizzie, Bella?" she asked quietly, glancing back at Charlie's house.

My breath caught, hearing the name come from Alice's lips. I looked at Jake and then back at Alice. Jake put his hand on my shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze of support.

"Lizzie's my daughter," I answered with a sigh. As I said the words, I noticed my melancholy tone. How I missed her!

Alice nodded, like she'd expected that answer. "And...Jake?"

I shook my head, understanding the unsaid meaning behind her question. "No, Jake and I are just friends. Lizzie's father..." I hesitated. "He's not in the picture."

From her expression, I could tell she knew there was a lot more to the story, but thankfully, she didn't push.

Only a brief, tension-filled moment passed before Jasper asked the other obvious question. "What happened, Bella? When were you changed?"

I bristled defensively, feeling like I had to unfairly explain myself and my current state. I wasn't ready for that—not now...perhaps not ever.

"It's not like I asked for this! Not now. Not when it means I have to leave my daughter!" I felt a wave of calm rush over me and glared at him. "Quit that!"

Alice laughed, attempting lightness. "It can be kind of annoying, can't it?"

"Sorry," Jasper said, immediately pulling back his push of emotions. "And I meant no offense. I know whatever happened wasn't your fault. Alice saw you fighting with the redhead, and then we saw the press conference Charlie gave, so we knew you'd gone missing."

Sighing, I nodded. "It's a long story. You actually just caught me. I was coming to see Lizzie one last time before I..." I looked down at my feet, feeling my eyes sting with venomous tears. "Before I leave for good."

Alice laid a hand gently on my arm. "Bella, I don't know what it means, but I had a vision on the plane on the way here," she said softly. "In it, you were holding the baby."

I shook my head. "Well, yeah, I've held her plenty."

"No, Bella," she said insistently. "You were a vampire, and you were sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, rocking her."

I stumbled back a few feet in shock, until my back hit the trunk of a large tree. Sliding down to the ground, I pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. Could I hope? Could I open my heart up that way, only to have it crushed irreparably?

I didn't realize I was shaking until Alice dropped down beside me and put her hand on my arm, stilling my movement.

"Whatever it means, you'll get through it." She smiled with just the right amount of compassion. "We'll get through it."

We were all quiet then as I continued to process the revelation that somehow, maybe I'd be able to hold my daughter again. There was so much I wanted to ask her—about Lizzie and me, about her and the rest of the Cullens...about Edward, but I couldn't do that here, where Charlie or anyone could see us.

"Jake, can you guys help me check on Lizzie, and then maybe we can all go..." I broke off, not sure where we could all go, aside from back up to the damned cave I'd been in for a week.

"Bella, if you'd like, you and Jacob are welcome to come to our house," Alice said quietly, looking over at Jasper, who nodded.

I looked up at Jake, who shrugged. "Sure, Alice, that would be good. Thanks."

She beamed and jumped up, holding her hand to me. "Come on. I want to get a peek at her. And I promise, I won't let you do anything you'll regret."

I swallowed and stood, taking her hand. Jake walked on my other side, and Jasper stayed close behind us as we made our way silently through the backyard and around to the large tree at the side of the house near my window. Jake and Alice jumped up first, and then, holding my breath, I scaled the tree behind them. Jasper followed me, keeping one hand on my shoulder as we climbed out as far as we could.

I could just barely see around the edge of the crib, but there, under the blanket, her little face lit up by the nightlight and the light coming in the window from the moon, was my angel. She was lying on her back, lips pursed and arms flung to the sides. Her pacifier had fallen out and was resting beside her head as she slept. She was wearing one of my favorite outfits—a soft, white onesie with vintage-looking roses and little light pink bows.

"She's beautiful," whispered Alice with breathless wonder.

I nodded. Forgetting that I was supposed to be holding my breath, I said, "She's a good baby. She's almost exactly two months old."

We were all quiet for a few minutes as we watched her sleep. When she began to stir, I had to hold myself back from climbing inside.

I was so caught up in watching and listening to Lizzie as she woke up with a cry, I was startled when Charlie opened the door to the room and moved quietly over to the crib.

We could hear him talking to her, asking if she was hungry or if she needed a new diaper. When he picked her up and carried her out the door, I'd finally had enough.

Being this close to my daughter without being able to hold her or kiss her made the hole in my chest from Edward's leaving gape wide open. The thought that this might be the last time I ever saw her was just too much, overwhelming me with the intensity of my grief, fear, and anger at the circumstances that had brought me here.

I jumped to the ground and took off, needing to be away from the house. I thought about heading back up the mountain, but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and I turned, moving in the opposite direction.

When I skidded to a stop in front of the gorgeous, three-story house where the Cullens had lived, Alice, Jasper, and Jake—in his wolf form—were only moments behind me. Without a word, I climbed the few steps to the door and then waited while Alice came up with a key.

She opened the door and stood aside, motioning for me to enter.

I walked in, and it was like no time had passed—aside from sheets covering the piano and all the furniture, of course. I still had the same feeling of awe as I looked around, and when I closed my eyes, I could still imagine Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and...Edward, all sitting around in the living room or going up and down the large staircase.

With a sigh, I walked into the living room, pulled a sheet off the couch, and sat, patting the seat beside me when Alice hesitated. She moved gracefully over and sat beside me, drawing her legs up under her, while Jake and Jasper moved farther into the room, removing sheets and taking seats on the chairs opposite the sofa.

"I know we have a lot to talk about," I said, looking over at Alice. "Where do you want to start?"

She looked down at her hands and then up to me. "Lizzie?"

Crossing my arms over my stomach, as if to hold myself together, I took a deep breath before whispering, "I was raped."

"Bella!" Alice gasped, one hand over her mouth and the other clenched in a fist in her lap.

I shook my head. "Let me talk. If I start, I need to say it all, or I won't be able to get through it."

"Okay," she agreed, twisting her fingers together.

She was as quiet as I'd ever seen her as I began telling my story, which ended with me shaking my head at the whole mess and explaining, "He's serving eight years in prison down in Jacksonville."

"And you got Lizzie out of the deal. Why did you decide to keep her?" Alice asked softly.

I growled at the question, and she raised her hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Bella, I wasn't judging you, I promise. A lot of women in your position wouldn't have. That's the only reason I asked," she explained.

Shrugging, I answered, "It wasn't the baby's fault I'd been raped. I thought about adoption, unsure I'd be able to look at it without just seeing him."

Internally, I shuddered, thinking of those first horrible days when fear far outweighed joy. It hadn't been an easy time in my life—I'd felt so alone—but I was proud of myself for moving on...and for seeing Lizzie for what she was.

"But the minute I looked into her eyes, she was mine, not his. It didn't matter who had fathered her or how. She was my daughter."

Mine. My baby...

Overwhelming emotion crashed over me, and my voice broke. "Now, I'll n-never s-see her a-again, and it's my fault."

Without a word, Jake moved from his chair and slid in behind me on the couch, cradling me in his lap as I sobbed.

"Bella," Jasper started from the seat across from Alice. "When you saw Lizzie tonight, and then when Charlie came into the room, you weren't holding your breath, were you? I know you were going to, but you started talking, and I don't think you stopped breathing again. Am I wrong?"

I shook my head. "Why?"

"What did you smell?" he pressed.

"Umm, blood?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was asking stupid questions.

"Darlin', we didn't have to hold you back, even though you were that close to warm—human, no less—blood."

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Luckily, Jake didn't have that same problem.

"So what does that mean?" he asked, tightening his hold around me.

"It means," Jasper drawled, "that the vision Alice had of you rocking Lizzie—after your change—might be true."

"You mean, I...Lizzie?" I stammered, looking to Alice.

Hope began to bloom inside me. My chest twinged as the hole that was ripping me apart started to slowly knit together at the possiblity of Alice's vision becoming fact, rather than conjecture.

She nodded. "You may not have to leave your family."