(A/N So I totally lost track of what time it is in the story. I'm just going to say that it's been about a month since Bella and Edward left, and there's a week until Renesmee's first birthday. If any of this is wrong, please review and correct it. And, just a reminder, Renesmee does know a little bit about imprinting. She knows that it means she and Jake are "bonded," but she hasn't made the connection to Sam and Emily and the whole, love thing. Oh, and a really long chapter.)

Chapter 26

(Renesmee's Pov.)

It was a day after the zoo and I was sort of sad and sort of excited. I was excited that my birthday was in a week, and I was sad for so many other reasons.

Deep inside I guess I always knew that I was Edwards Cullen's daughter. I never minded it until he was gone. In fact, I cherished it. I loved the fact that I was so much like my father. In my mind he was always selfless, kind, and smart. He was perfect in every way. But that was the mind of a blinded five year old. My vision was clouded because he was my father. I thought that there was nothing he could do wrong, because that's what I was meant to think. When you love someone, you look around the bad and only focus on the good. Yes, sometimes that's a good trait to have, but other times, like in my case, it weakened you. There were just so many bad things about him that there was no room for good.

He left me, that's not what a father does. And he's not my father. He is dirt to me. Emmet Cullen is my true father. That's final.

(One week later. Morning of Renesmee's Birthday.)

My eyes flutter open and instead of groaning about waking up, I sit up excitedly, staring into the dark room of the cottage. I stayed here for some reason last night.

Today is my first birthday!

I fly over to my vanity and grab my hairbrush. I run to the bathroom and hop in the shower. I quickly do my morning routine, singing as I do. I am determined to make today the best day of my life.

I look in the mirror at my nine year old body. My growing was still accelerated really fast in the past week, yet it was slowing rapidly. I now looked ten.

I giggle and start brushing my hair more. A knock sounds at the door and I open it to find Leah, Mom, and Aunt Alice standing there with bags. I squeal and step aside so they can enter the large bathroom.

Alice pulls out a beautiful outfit. A bright hot pink skirt that goes four inches above my knees, the skirt's tips and waist band are a bright spring green. The shirt is the same green that's on the skirt with hot pink writing on it. The writing reads, "Renesmee" in fancy writing. Alice then hands me a shawl/jacket thing that is hot pink with green hints on it.

I stare at it in awe and quickly put it on, not caring who's in the bathroom with me. I twirl around for a minute, fully taking in the beauty. I smile and sit in the chair.

Alice and Mom take care of my hair while Leah starts on my makeup. She only does very faint colors so it looks all natural.

Alice puts me curly hair in a half up half down style and it looks perfect. She place a crown of some sort in my hair and I look in the mirror at myself. Mommy comes over and kneels beside me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Every princess needs a crown don't you think?" She whispers in my ear. I nod and lean my head back on her shoulder.

She stands up, spinning me in her arms so I can cuddle her. My eyelids flutter when she starts rocking me and singing. I lift my head a little and ask, "What time is it?"

Aunt Alice answers. "It's only five in the morning, Ness. Go back to sleep, your makeup and hair won't get messed up if Rose holds you."

I grin and snuggle my head back into Mommy's shoulder.

When I wake up, there is finally light streaming through the windows. For a moment I didn't know where I was until Mommy shifts underneath me.

I lift my head and let out a huge yawn. She smiles back at me and sets me on the ground. My back is a little stiff from sleeping in her arms, but it was nice. I always loved it when Rose would rock me to sleep when I was little.

I look over at the clock and jump. It was eleven in the morning! I look at Aunt Alice with a panicked look and start to run out of the house. She runs after me, grabbing my arm.

"I'm gonna be late!" I shriek. Why is she stopping me? I was told the party was going to start at ten! I was already an hour late.

Alice says in a slow voice, "Your party has been canceled Ness. No one is coming." I stare at my pixie like aunt in amusement.

"Funny. You guys wouldn't do that."

"Man! I thought it would work if Alice told you instead of me!" Emmet whines, coming through the trees. I smile at him and grabbed his hand. I had started calling them Dad and Mom mixed in with Rose and Emmet. I would think of them as Rose and Emmet, but I would call them Mommy and Daddy to their faces.

Rose flashes to my other side and takes my free hand. We make our way to the big house chattering and laughing. As we break through the last of the trees my mouth falls open.

There's pink lights strewn all over the house with a humongous banner that reads, "Happy Birthday Renesmee!"

A huge pile of about twenty presents are resting on a table I the middle of the yard. I guess it's an outside party because there's so many people. I take in everyone who's her.

Both wolf packs, my grandparents, aunt and uncle, Zafrina and her family, Benjamin and Tia, all the wolfs' imprints, Grandpa Charlie, our other human friends that know about us, and, of course, Rose and Emmet.

Leah walks over and lifts me into a huge hug. "Happy birthday, Angel!" She exclaims. I grin and press my hand to her face. This is why you came back?

"Of course, I could never miss this. You're one year old!" She squeals. I grin happily and ask her to set me down. I run around, greeting everyone.

When I get to Zafrina she takes my hand and we automatically start projecting to each other. She takes me to a beautiful island with a water fall in the back ground. My happiness immediately vanishes. That island is so much like Isle Esme that it hurts.

I take my hand out of hers, breaking our connection. I look around me, searching for any of my vampire family, but I don't find anything. Tears come to my eyes as I start thinking of my parents. My real parents, who should have been her today. They should be here, holding me and cuddling me. Telling me that they love me. But they aren't. They're off with my brother on an island that was our special place, not his. Eddie didn't belong there with them; I did. They were my family. I stomp away from the crowd with nobody noticing I was gone.

I walk into the house and start to make my way towards my room, which used to be my father's. As I go, I hear voices from Grandpa Carlisle's office. I go from angry to curious in a second. I quiet my movements and make my way closer and closer to the office until I can hear them clearly.

"… For Nessie." Rose is saying. I peak around the corner so that I can see. There's a medium and small present with an envelope on top.

"So Bella and Edward sent it?" My breathing stops.

"Yeah, it came this morning."

"I don't think it's a good idea to give it to her." Carlisle says lightly.

"I agree." Everyone else chimes in. Momma's voice stands out from the rest.

"I will not give her anything from them. They are not her parents, I am. I am going to get rid of this present and no one breathes a word of this to her. I know it hurts her thinking they forgot her birthday, but it's for the best."

No. They were going to take my present that my parents gave me? I would not let them. That was mine and they had no right to make decisions concerning me.

"Stop!" I scream, bursting through the semi open door. I had screamed so loud that everyone in the yard stopped talking and gathered in the house.

My vampire family was looking at me in shock. I search the room for my present and find it in Rose's arms. I snarl at her and hold out my hands, taking to a menacing crouch. She backs away and says, "Ness, you don't understand it's for th-"

"NOW!" I scream as loud as I can. She hands me the present and I snatch it roughly. "You have no right! No right to take what belongs to me. If you think it's for the best to do something that hurts me, then that makes you a hypocrite. My real parents said it was for the best when they left and you hated that! What makes this any different, huh? You say you just want me to be happy; then stop making decisions for me! I may be one, and I may look ten, but I am capable of choosing my own fate! I am going to make decisions for me. Stay out of my life!" I scream so hard and loud that my throat starts to hurt.

I fly out of the room with my presents in hand, elbowing past the people crowded around the office. "Go home, party's over," I order through clenched teeth. I walk out the front door and run to the cottage, the only place I feel safe. I feel people after me, but the bodies seem warm, so I know that it's Seth, Leah, and Jakey. I let them follow me; only because I know they won't scold me.

When I get to the cottage, I burst through the door and go to my parent's room. When I get there, I shut the door and sit cross legged on the bed.

I set the present in front of me and start unwrapping it. As I do, sobs wrack my body and tears pour down my face. My hands shake but I continue anyway. I get the wrapping paper and stare at the object in front of me. Its two huge photo albums. One filled with mostly with me and the other filled with Eddie and them at the island. I push them aside to look at them later and grab my other box from them.

I unwrap it and my heart stops. It's my locket; the one Momma gave me when they thought we were all going to die. I open it and stare at the new picture inside. It's a photo of Eddie, me, and them. It's the only family picture we have. I press it to my heart and sob louder. My family. They are my family and I can't ever replace them.

(Jacob's Pov.)

The whole thing that happened with Rosalie and Nessie shocked me. I had never seen Ness get that violent. Even when she ranted about her parents leaving, she never got this angry. All the emotions she'd been having couldn't be healthy, not for a girl her age.

She runs past everyone, and I run after her with Seth and Leah by my side. We get to the cottage shortly after she does. I motion for the others not to go in yet, I wanted to give her a little time.

When I hear her sobs become almost screams I know I have to comfort her. I run in the house and tell the others stay at the door. I walk into the room Ness is in. Her small body is curled in on itself and she has something pressed against her chest.

I go over and climb onto the bed, wrapping my arms around her. She turns and curls into my chest. I just lie there, with her in my arms, for hours. We sit there until the sun sets in the background, and the moon rises in the sky. We sit until her sobs turn to whimpers and her whimpers turn to sighs. We sit there until we fall asleep. And I will sit here until all the pain is gone, if she wants me to.