Chapter 22

(Renesmee's Pov.)

As we break off after the big "cry party" as Jacob has nicknamed it, I head to the cottage. I hadn't been there since Daddy came and apologized to me before Eddie was born. Jacob follows a few feet behind me. I see in his face that he's unsure if I want him with me.

I hold out my hand for him to take and look at him expectantly. He smiles and walks to my side and grabs my hand. "I didn't think you needed m-"

"I'll always need you Jakey." I say sweetly to him. We start off walking again, towards the house that holds so many memories. All the good memories seem to be turning sour. What if all the good times we had together were fake? What if they really didn't love me?

I make sure to keep my face blank, and Jake doesn't seem to notice. I smile a hint in satisfaction. The smile drops from my face as we reach the front door.

I breathe in deeply and take in the scent of flowers in the air. Jacob puts his hand on the knob and starts slowly twisting it. "Stop, stop!" I say frantically. I'm not sure if I want to go in there, where all the good and bad memories await me.

He halts his movements and blinks his eyes towards me. "I-I want t-to do it." I stutter out. He respectfully backs away, stepping behind me and placing a large hand on my shoulder in comfort.

I lift a shaky hand to the doorknob, holding my breath in anticipation. I don't know why this is such a big deal, but it feels like a life or death situation to me. I open the door and step inside, taking small slow steps.

Jacob steps inside behind me. I want to tell him that I want to do this alone, but that would just hurt him. Momma was his best friend, and when she left I wasn't the only one hurt. I figured out yesterday when everyone admitted their feelings about Daddy and Mommy leaving that I was only thinking about myself. Other people were hurting too, and I was just making them push aside their pain for mine. I was being selfish.

Instead I back into him and he puts his hands on my shoulders. I breathe in deeply. The scent sends a pang through me and I drop to my knees. It still smells so much like them. Tears start to form in my eyes, but no sobs come yet.

Jacob slides his hands under my arms and lifts me to my feet. I take small steps towards the living room. Their smell is a bit stronger here, and I keep breathing deep, long breathes, trying to get as much of them as I can.

"I had forgotten their scent, Jakey. I forgot it." I whisper.

"So did I Ness, so did I." He breathes. I squeeze his hand tighter in mine and beg him, "Never forget my scent, Jake. Please."

He kneels in front of me and says, "Of course not. Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you are my world. Even when you were gone for a month I didn't forget anything about you. It's different that I forgot theirs, but I will never forget you." I hug him tightly and turn around, letting my arms slowly drop from to my sides.

I walk towards my bedroom, the one I slept in from when I was born until a few months ago. Their scent isn't as strong there, but it still lingers. I backtrack out and walk down the hall to their room. Jacob is sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. I would comfort him later.

I stand outside the door and push against it lightly. It hadn't been closed all the way, so it open easily. I take a step inside and am overwhelmed by the scent. It feels like they're standing right next to me, holding me in their arms.

I run to their closet and throw open the doors, still breathing as deep as I can manage. I grab the clothes and yank them off the hangers, creating a huge pile on the floor, about five foot wide and three foot tall. I lay in the pile of clothes that smell so much like my absent parents.

It hurts; the pain is ripping through my chest like a serrated blade. It hurts, yes, but it is also healing me. Like the burn I your muscles after a hard exercise. It's helping you, but it still burns. I strip off my shirt and pull one of Daddy's on. It's almost like a dress on my eight year old body but I honestly don't care. I can feel my father with me, even though he's miles away. I find a pair of Mommy's shorts and put those on too, tightening the built in belt.

I laugh slightly, and keep laughing and laughing until it hurts my throat and I start screaming. I'm treating this like they're dead. Oh wait! Their hearts don't beat! I laugh/scream at my own horrible joke.

The screams rip my throat raw and I start to sob. "This isn't fair! This isn't fair!" I scream until no sound comes out, my voice gone from the laughing and screaming.

A sound comes from the doorway and I whip my head around. Jacob stands there, having witnessed the whole thing. I rub my face, it probably looks terrible right now. My parched lips crack into a smile and he stares at me like I've gone mad. I probably have, but oh well.

I stand up slowly, the borrowed clothes dragging on the floor. I go over and climb onto the bed, all while keeping my eyes locked on his. I stand on the bed, making sure the ceiling is tall enough. Jacob could stand on the bed and reach his hands up and still probably couldn't touch the ceiling.

I stretch my grin even wider and I jump. Just one, small jump. I've never jumped and a bed before, and this one shoots me up pretty high. I giggle as best I can with no voice, and jump again.

I keep jumping, letting out choking, dying cat like sounds that are really laughs. I jump and do flips and everything I was never allowed to do before.

Jake makes his way over to the bed and climbs up with me, jumping all around like I was. The tears fly off my face as we jump. We could probably fit like, ten more people on this bed with how big it is.

We jump more, and we keep laughing. I can see that we're both crying now. I hop off the bed and go over to the stereo, turning up some music as loud as I could.

That's how the rest of the family find us, jumping up and down on the bed with music blaring, crying and laughing at the same time.

Alice climbs on with us and surprisingly starts jumping too. Next is Jasper, then Emmet, and finally Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme settle into chairs and watch us with bittersweet smiles. We jump the whole night, bumping into each other and laughing. We all share stories about Momma and Daddy as we settle down throughout the room.

It feels right, what we're doing. I feel the need to say something as it all goes quiet. I stand up, clear my healed throat, and start. "I'm sorry. I know I've been so obsessed with my pain that I didn't realize that you all were hurting too. They were your brother and sister, and your guys' best friends. I understand now, thank you. And I also know we are all treating like this like they're dead, because that's what it feels like. There's been no contact for three weeks, and they told us they were leaving and left within an hour. But, I know that they'll be back. I'm not sure what it is, but I've felt a little buzzing in the back of my head, and I know it's crazy but I think it's Eddie. I didn't tell you before because he asked me not too, but he could talk to me like I talk to you guys, my gift. It's only with me and I'm not sure why. I think he didn't want me to tell mom and dad because he wanted to try to talk to me over this long distance, and they probably wouldn't have let him. I know it all sounds crazy but please, believe me."

I sit down after letting out the huge secret I've been holding since they left. Everyone is quiet as they let it sink in. Leah grins up at me on the bed from her place on the floor. Jake rewraps his arms around me and I snuggle back into his chest.

"I believe you, Nessie." Rosalie smiles. I smile back and squirm out of Jacob's hold. I launch myself across the room to Rose and Emmet. They both cuddle me at the same time like Momma and Daddy used to. Strangely, I feel almost content. I realize for the first time why Mommy was so jealous of Aunt Rose.

Aunt Rose and I fit together so perfectly. With Momma gone now, Rosalie has completely taken over her spot. I always felt like Rose was as much my mother as Bella was. Now I could actually see how much of my mother Rosalie actually was.

Emmet was always like a father to me in some ways. Whenever I stayed at the big house, they would always be the ones to take care of me; to treat me like their own. I remember wishing that they were my actual mother and father. Daddy got mad at me for that so I stopped thinking like that. But now, I do see them as my parents, and that's what they are. My real parents were gone, and these were my other parents.

They rock me back and forth, carrying me into a sleep like state. The sun is just rising above the trees as my eyelids start to flutter close. "Goodnight Mommy, goodnight Daddy." I say sleepily.

"Your parents aren't here Nessie." Jacob's husky voice says, cutting through the sleepiness.

"Yes they are!" I argue. "Emmet and Rose are my parents now!" I slur happily. I here other words faintly in the back if my head, but I don't listen to them. I let myself drift into the best sleep I've had in a while.

(A/N I apologize if the story isn't going the way you wanted. I just always saw Rosa and Emmet as her parents.)