(A/N I realize that I've been skipping a lot of dates and going two weeks later a lot, but I really hate doing filler chapters. I get so bored writing them! If you have a problem please review and I'll try to not skip so much time. Renesmee's growth has shot up again and she now looks about eight.)

Chapter 21: Three weeks later

(Renesmee's Pov.)

It's been three weeks since my life fell apart. I've mostly gotten used to it, but I still cry every day, without them, a piece of my heart is missing. I'm mostly numb, but I need my family. My growth has started up again. I look like an eight year old, but a fairly small one. I don't really know why I don't feel as sad anymore. I guess I see the reason that they did it. They did it for me, but it still hurt.

They didn't care that Eddie understood his shield, and Eddie didn't want me to tell them about our mind communication. He said he had some things planed for it. They wouldn't listen to us, and the fact that they didn't have any trust whatsoever in their children stung.

We had left before to go be a family, when did that change? When did family become Mommy, Daddy, and Eddie? When they came back, I would be bigger, and so would Eddie. Would they even want me as a part of their lives after being away for so long?

"Renesmee stop thinking like that." Jacob orders, and I glance down at my hands, making sure I wasn't touching him. "You don't have to project to me, I can read you like an open book. I know you think they don't love you but they do. The only reason they did this is so you'll be safe."

I glare at him and snap, something I've been doing a lot since they left. "I don't need protection. He's my little brother."

Rosalie comes into the room and taps me lightly on the head. "Drop the tone Nessie." I slump my shoulders in defeat. Everyone knows that I always thought of Aunt Rose as my second mom, but now she pretty much was my mother. And she took being my mother pretty seriously.

"… Okay Ness?" Jacob was saying. I nod absentmindedly and continue daydreaming. I wanted to know what he had asked but at the moment I honestly didn't care.

The door opens and I whip my head around, straining my neck to see who it is. I can't see so I breathe through my nose. A musky scent, like the smoke of a campfire enters my nose. I leap to my feet and jump into her arms.

"Leah!" I squeal in joy. "Jakey! It's Leah!" He comes over to where Leah and I are cuddling. Jacob wraps us both in a hug and says to her, "I thought you weren't coming home for a while! Why did come back?"

Leah had left two weeks ago and she'd made it very clear that the only one she wanted contact with was me. She wanted a change in scenery and I had given her over three thousand dollars of Cullen money for bus fares and stuff like that.

"So…. How was New York?" I ask excitedly. Jacob cocks his head to the side and I realize that Leah didn't want anyone to know where she was. I resort to my favorite form of communication instead.

Sorry. Did you see the statue of liberty? She nods excitedly. And I squeal out loud. Everyone cringes and I apologize quietly. Jacob shakes his head and mutters, "You're so weird."

I grin at him and say teasingly, "But you love me!" He comes over and takes me from Leah's arms and looks me right in the eye. "Of course I love you Ness. You're my life, and I couldn't live without you."

I smile back adoringly and stretch my arms out to wrap them around his neck. I snuggle my head into the nook between his shoulder and neck. His heart beat resonates through my skull and I find myself drifting into a light sleep.

(Leah's Pov.)

"So why did you come back?" Jacob asks. I grin at him "Wow, missed you too Jake! I'm doing great thanks for asking!" I say in a sarcastic voice. He rolls his eyes at me and I grin. "You honestly thought I'd miss Nessie's first birthday? What kind of person does that?"

I see him tense and I realize I just brushed on dangerous territory. Bella and Edward are missing their only daughter's birthday to be with their other child. I know they aren't coming. They haven't been in contact with us since the day after they left, when they called to tell us that Barbie and Emmet would be in charge of Renesmee. They didn't even ask to speak with Ness. They just called, told Carlisle that, and hung up.

"Oh my God!" Jacob suddenly yelps, causing the sleeping girl in his arms to stir slightly. "I completely forgot to do anything for her birthday! No party, or anything! I am the most horrible imprint ever!" He wails in dismay.

Alice dances gracefully into the room and clucks her tongue at him. "You honestly think I'd let my only niece go without a huge first birthday? You hurt my ego Jacob."

He visibly relaxes and hugs her pixie like frame to his huge body with his open arm. Renesmee shifts in her sleep and snuffles a little, like she's crying.

Alice gives her such a sad look that you'd think she was dying. "She doesn't cry so much anymore. You saw her before you left. The first week she cried almost nonstop. She didn't sleep or eat. You left after four days of them leaving, and it only seemed to make it worse. She only cries at night now. She sits on her bed, listening, hoping they'll come in and tuck her in like they used to. When they don't, she breaks down. She doesn't want anyone to comfort her, not even Jacob. Now, every time she's asleep, she dreams of them leaving and cries. I never thought it was possible to have so much pain inside you that you not only cry yourself to sleep, you cry in your sleep. She seems so happy and cheerful to everyone, even comforting Jacob when he misses Bella. But she's not happy. And every once in a while, you can see her mask slip away and her face is raw pain. She hides it from us because she doesn't want our pity." She says, getting louder and louder as she rants. This is the most I had ever heard her speak. "And I hate my brother for causing her this much pain. I hate what he's caused her to turn into, for making her grow up too fast. I hate Bella for not arguing and being too much of a pansy to say that she didn't want to leave us-her, I mean her. I hate that they didn't trust Ness and Eddie when they said he had his powers in control. I hate that they took my nephew from me before I even knew him. I hate how selfish they're being for doing this to our family. And I absolutely despise them for leaving me. They were my best friend and my brother! I need them!" She almost screams the last part.

I turn my head to check if Renesmee is awake, and, surprisingly, she's still out. Alice collapses to her knees and I kneel next to her.

I know what it's like to hide your emotions to protect the ones you love. I also know that you finally get to your breaking point and you just explode in emotions. I wrap my arms around the stone cold body shaking in silent sobs in front of me. Right now, she isn't my enemy. She is my friend that I need to comfort.

As we sit there, Jacob and Jasper watching us in shock, I start to cry with her. For all the things that had happened in my life. For Renesmee and her horrible parents, for the pain of this family losing their own, for my father's death, my lost love.. We rock back and forth crying. Me, big tears streaming down my face, and her, venom pooling in her eyes. I realize that vampires do cry, if they're in enough pain. I didn't see Bella cry when she left, stupid girl.

Barbie comes down the steps, and I see past the beauty and to the love for her family. Her face is so full of pain that she actually looks like a real person. For the first time I truly feel connected to this family as every single one of them, including a very awake Renesmee, in this room very close to us. The women are all crying and the men are trying not to.

For the first time, I feel like I truly belong somewhere. I could get used to the sweet scent. It's not actually that bad.