AN ~ FINISHED EXAMS! WHOOT! Happy Last Exam Day to me, and to you, with this adorable chapter in which the Cullens' newest mum meets Nes-Renesmee. It's longish too – all the more to enjoy!
Chapter Sixty Four: Renesmee
Esme:
Still relishing the sight of our new Bella, Alice and I ran into the forest to put the finishing touches on our special surprise. Even Edward didn't know the exact details, and we were determined to keep it that way so he wouldn't tell Bella anything. I wasn't one for pushing material goods on people, but this was a home. Their home.
I stopped in the doorway, right on the threshold, and remembered when Carlisle carried me across his – ours - for the first time. It was only right Edward could do the same, even if the moment had been delayed somewhat. My boy, my Edward...he was all grown up. And I couldn't be prouder.
"So…I have a proposal to offer," Alice started, sensing she was interrupting my thoughts. Or perhaps it was just guilt lacing her tone...
"What have you done?" I demanded, looking from her all-too-innocent face to the equally innocent hallway before us, as if that might yield some clue.
"…nothing you can't live with," Alice's poker face broke out in a grin, and everything I had learned in my last 80 years as a mother told me that was the face of deviousness. I looked around, and everything seemed normal, but Alice's step bouncing as she followed me warned me against comfort. I walked through the house, pushing open each door and examining the room it led to.
Finally, I pushed open the door to the bedroom to find it filled with racks and racks, and shelves and shelves of clothes! Alice giggled and skipped a few steps backward.
"Alice, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Well the other room wasn't big enough," she whined. I rolled my eyes.
"The closet. Is bigger. Than their room."
"But you can work with that!" Alice defended herself.
"Of course I can," I agreed, "but really…ridiculous." I shook my head pitifully and walked into the next room. It was fairly small but yes, with the right décor it would brush up well. I tilted my head to the side, examining the room: square, with a polished sand-coloured wooden floor and pale walls, and a pair of glass doors leading to the serene forest surroundings. Suddenly a wave of inspiration came to me.
Alice was already beside me, holding out a pencil and sketchpad. I took it from her and began to draw. My hand worked the pencil so that it produced the scene of a small garden, spilling out across the page with the ease that Edward's beautiful melodies spilled out from any instrument he touched. The garden decorated itself the way a song did too: layers building on top of each other, weaving around each other…until finally I was left with a small private garden, hidden by climbing roses. In the center was a round pool, clear and flat like a mirror, framed by peacefully shimmering stones. It was tranquil: beautiful.
"I knew you'd do something awesome," Alice murmured, a satisfied glint in her eye as she took the sketch from me and projected it into its surroundings. "It's going to be great! But right now Bella's headed back to the house. Time to meet Nessie! Go! Go!"
I grinned and shot off towards the house, already anticipating the look on Bella's face when she saw her baby. That is the most priceless moment in a mother's life: I was not going to miss it!
I ran straight into Carlisle's arms, shaking with excitement, just as the others converged in the living room with us. Rosalie hovered behind the line, crooning softly to Nessie. Jacob was outside, already waiting for Edward and Bella. Alice sprung lightly up the steps into Jasper's arms and giggled softly.
"Did she like it?" he murmured with a smile.
"She got over it quickly," Alice shrugged, winking at me before looking up and kissing Jasper. Carlisle chuckled, then leaned forward and gently kissed my neck. Everybody straightened and formed a line as Edward and Bella walked in – Bella looking very nervous. Jacob, clearly unhappy about the way things were going, joined Rosalie. They stood closer than one would expect a vampire and werewolf to stand, and even though neither seemed to enjoy the proximity, neither was willing to back down: it had been going on for days. The only time it lightened up was when Carlisle measured Nessie's rapid growth; during which both of them hovered annoyingly close.
"I was out just two days?" Bella gasped, astounded as she stared at her daughter.
"Yes, that's her," Rosalie murmured behind us.
Bella's head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and she took a step towards Nessie. Something about those blood-red eyes reminded us that this was not our Bella, not completely, not so new. There was no guarantee how she might act. She was too close, moving too fast. We couldn't take any risks. We flew into defense positions: Rosalie and Nessie at the doorway, Jacob guarding them, Emmett and Jasper braced for Bella's attack, and Carlisle and I at their flanks. Edward's fingers tightened around Bella's upper arms, just in case.
Bella's blood red eyes flashed pain, and immediately I felt cruel for standing between her and her child. It was heartbreaking enough to be separated, but it must have hurt her more, how little faith we all appeared to have. Yet I could not settle: I had to protect the child with the blood from the monster that wanted the blood. I hated to think of Bella as a monster, but part of her was, just as part of Carlisle was, and part of myself was, no matter what I felt about it. Bella wouldn't bear it if she killed her dear Renesmee. I wasn't going to make her suffer that. I wasn't going to take the slightest risk.
I tore my eyes off Bella's. I was still between them. I was still hurting her. I couldn't look at her.
"Oh, give her some credit," Alice chided. "She wasn't going to do anything. You'd want a closer look too."
"I'm okay," Bella promised, patting Edward's tense hand. "Keep close though, just in case."
Jasper watched Bella carefully, and Edward kept his eyes on his brother as he freed Bella's arms.
"Jazz, Em, let us through. Bella's got this," Edward insisted.
"Edward, the risk-" Jasper made to object, but Edward cut him off:
"Minimal. Listen, Jasper: on the hunt she caught the scent of some hikers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time…"
Carlisle sucked in a shocked breath. In fact, the whole room seemed to. All our eyes locked on Bella – How could this happen to our Bella? It took a moment for us to gather our thoughts, our emotions. Carlisle spoke first.
"Edward! How could you be so irresponsible?" he chastened.
"I know, Carlisle, I know. I was just plain stupid," Edward agreed. "I should have taken the time to make sure we were in a safe place before I set her loose."
"Edward," Bella murmured uncomfortably.
"He's absolutely right to rebuke me, Bella," Edward said, suddenly smiling. Carlisle's brow furrowed, ever so slightly, as he tried not to let on he was confused in the midst of what should be serious reprimand and sincere mediation. "I made a huge mistake. The fact that you are stronger than anyone I've ever known doesn't change that."
"Tasteful joke, Edward," Alice remarked, rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't making a joke. I was explaining to Jasper why I know Bella can handle this. It's not my fault everyone jumped to conclusions."
"Wait: she didn't hunt the humans?" Jasper interrogated.
"She started to. She was entirely focused on the hunt." Edward told it like a thrilling tale. I was so intrigued that I found myself leaning forward, anxious to catch everything.
"She heard me behind her and reacted defensively. As soon as my pursuit broke into her concentration, she snapped right out of it. I've never seen anything equal to her. She realised at once what was happening, and then…she held her breath and ran away."
A moment of pure silence as the shock wave hit and passed.
"Woah," Emmett murmured. "Seriously?"
"He's not telling it right. He left out the part where I growled at him," Bella mumbled, looking as though she wished to disappear.
"Did ya get in a couple of swipes?"
"No! Of course not!"
"No, not really? You really didn't attack him?"
"Emmett!"
"Aw, what a waste! And here you're probably the one person who could take him – since he can't get in your head to cheat – and you had a perfect excuse too." Emmett sighed, disappointed. "I've been dying to see how he'd do without that advantage."
"I would never," Bella hissed, glaring coldly.
"You see what I mean?" Edward asked Jasper, lightly punching him on the shoulder in a brotherly way.
"It's not natural," Jasper muttered. His stony expression did not change. In his eyes I could see fear, shame, confusion, envy. In his face, only a cold slate. And I had to admit – he was right. I put my hand on my heart, hardly able to imagine what could so easily have been.
"She could have turned on you!" I scolded. "She's only hours old! Oh, we should have gone with you."
"Edward, please?" Bella asked quietly, one arm reached up, instinctively stretched out towards her child. Jasper's teeth were set: he refused to step aside.
"Jazz, this isn't anything you've seen before. Trust me." Alice's voice was quiet, soothing. Conceding as usual only to her, he stepped out of the way, but put a hand on Bella's shoulder and traced her hesitant steps towards her child. Suddenly, Renesmee started to wail terribly. The heart-wrenching sounds pulled us all towards her, soothing and assuring her, wanting to stop the pain. Bella looked on, frozen and terrified.
"What's the matter? Is she hurt? What happened?" Bella's questions were echoed by Jacob, who was much more pressing. It physically hurt him to have his dear Renesmee suffering: I hated to see it.
"Oh Rose, let him have her," I pleaded. Rosalie surrendered the baby to Jacob.
"Is she in pain?" Jacob asked.
"No, she's fine. See? She just wants Bella," Rosalie assured him. Sure enough, Nessie had twisted around in Jacob's arms and was reaching for her mother. My eyes prickled with tears they wanted to cry as Bella whispered;
"She wants me?"
It was as though she simply couldn't believe such a thing was possible.
Carlisle slid his arms around my hips and rested his chin gently on my head as we watched Jacob hold Renesmee out for Bella. He did not let go, but that didn't affect the overall power of the moment. Bella still got to hold her child, though Jacob's hands didn't drop, and that moment of realisation swept through her. I watched it light her eyes.
I stopped blinking as Nessie reached up and put her hand to her mother's neck. The heartbeats - Nessie's thrumming and Jacob's strong pounding – marked otherwise silent seconds. Nobody breathed, except of course Jacob and Nessie. Even when Nessie lowered her hand, we waited for Bella's reaction.
"What…was…that?" she choked at last.
"What did you see?" Rosalie asked curiously, leaning around Jacob. "What did she show you?"
"She showed me that?"
"What was it?" Jacob asked.
"Um. Me. I think. But I looked terrible."
"It was the only memory she had of you," Edward explained. "She's letting you know that she's made the connection, the she knows who you are."
"But how did she do that?"
"How do I hear thoughts? How does Alice see the future? She's gifted."
"It's an interesting twist," Carlisle said to Edward. "Like she's doing the exact opposite of what you can."
He and Edward speculated away, and yet Carlisle never seemed to block me out. He forgot I was in his arms, and yet he did not. It was as though we were one person, one awareness. All I could hear was the excitement in his tone as he and Edward exchanged theories.
"Haven't we experimented enough for one day?" Jacob interrupted, his anxiety finally breaking through. "Okay, Bella's doing great, but let's not push it."
Bella glared at him, and Jasper shuffled ever so slightly closer.
"What is your problem, Jacob?" Bella demanded furiously. She lightly tugged Renesmee away from Jacob, but he didn't relinquish his hold; he only stepped closer.
"Just because I understand, it doesn't mean I won't throw you out, Jacob. Bella's doing extraordinarily well. Don't ruin the moment for her."
Edward's words were a warning. The peace was suddenly gone, Carlisle's flow of theories halted in its tracks, his hands ever so slightly tense around my waist, ready to throw me out of the way at the slightest chance of attack.
"I'll help him toss you, dog," Rosalie vowed. "I owe you a good kick in the gut."
"No!" Bella suddenly gasped.
She knew.