Nessie's POV

My birthday was the best day ever. Momma and Edward took me out and we did all of my favourite things and I got to miss school for the day. I got presents, and Edward told me that he liked being my Dad and wanted to keep being my Dad. I saw Grandpa Charlie and Nana Esme and Grand-Dad Carlisle. I talked on the phone to Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper, and then I talked to Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett and even Haley. I didn't get to see everybody, but I knew that they were all going to come to the big party at Nana and Grand-Dad's house on the weekend. I couldn't wait… even though I knew Momma was a little bit nervous.

But after the day we spent together on my birthday… Momma looked better too… she seemed happier again… calmer. It was kinda weird.

After a movie, we all went to bed and I fell asleep so fast.

But then Momma woke me up… shaking my shoulder slowly with her hand, with Edward standing beside her.

"What's wrong Momma?" I asked when I opened my eyes. It was weird… they never woke me up… even when I had to go to school I always got up on time by myself.

"Nothing's wrong sweetie… we just thought you might like to see this." Momma shifted my legs over on my bed and sat down while I pushed myself up. Then she held up her cell phone sideways and I had to close my eyes because it was really bright. When I finally looked back at the phone I couldn't help but to squeal. It was so exciting!

"You had the baby!" I cried out and Aunt Alice smiled at me. I thought she would be in the hospital… she was supposed to be in the hospital after she had the baby… that's what everyone told me.

"He finally decided it was time to come and meet us." Uncle Jasper moved his camera to show his face and I smiled, waving at him. "He didn't even give us time to get to the hospital, and he was born right here at our house." Uncle Jasper said quietly and I couldn't stop smiling.

"He is sooo adorable!" I exclaimed excitedly. I wished I was there and I could hold him. He looked so cute in Aunt Alice's arms… it was about time. He was supposed to be born a week ago, but Momma told me that babies like to come out in their own time and not when we want them to.

"I hope you don't mind sharing your birthday with your cousin Nessie!" Aunt Alice said and Jasper moved the camera so that I could see the baby again. It took me a minute to remember that it was still my birthday and I shrieked again… it was an accident, but I was super excited.

"It's so awesome! I'm so glad he chose my birthday to come! Now every year he can celebrate his birthday with me and we can have a big party!" I stopped for a second… "Wait… what's his name?" I asked and Aunt Alice smiled back at us. Momma was watching the camera too and I saw Edward leaning against my door now, watching all of us.

"We named him after a very special person in my life… one of the people who helped me learn to trust and to love again… the man who raised me like a son." Jasper said and I nodded. He wasn't in front of the camera right now, but I knew what he meant – Edward had done the same thing with me. "So his name is Henry… Henry Jackson Hale." Alice told us and I smiled. I liked it. Baby Henry.

"When can I meet him?" I asked quickly, watching Henry as he blinked his eyes and turned his head towards his Momma with his mouth open. I thought maybe that meant that he was hungry.

"We're going to go over later on tomorrow," Momma told me and I nodded. It was a special day today and tomorrow was special too… Henry being born made it even more special now.

"Thank you for letting me see him tonight… he is special!" I told Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper and Momma looked down at me with a smile. She knew how much it meant to me… I hadn't had any experience in my life with stuff like this, so everyone always tried to include me now. It was nice.

"Happy Birthday Ness!" Aunt Alice told me again before Henry started to cry a little bit. Momma took the phone and stood up, congratulating them again before her and Edward said goodnight… even Edward looked like he loved Henry and I could tell that he would love a baby one day too.

After the phone call with Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper and Baby Henry, I couldn't sleep. I tried for a while, but then I got frustrated and got up out of bed. I was too excited to sleep, so I tip-toed out of my room and towards Edward and Momma's room. I thought they would be asleep but their door was open just a little bit and I could hear them talking inside.

I didn't want to be snoop-y, and I was going to turn and go back to my room, but I heard Momma talking about me when I was a baby and I stopped.

"… Nessie was born so tiny, and quick just like Alice described Henry's birth." She told Edward and he didn't say anything, just listened to her. "I thought it might bother me a little bit, jealousy or something… but I feel… like I said last night… at peace. I won't let those years in the bunker take anymore joy out of my future. Those years gave me Nessie, and you brought us back and have been so amazing since then. I will always have some resentment for the years that we all lost… but I can move forward now. With you. With Nessie. With our family and our friends. I can be happy, and I can look at little Henry and miss my little Anthony, but still feel the joy and excitement. It's so strange, to feel so comfortable, even with uncomfortable feelings mixed in." She said and I waited to see if there was anything else. For a minute it was quiet and I leaned in to peek through the door. I saw Edward holding onto Momma in a big hug, but as I leaned in, I lost my balance and before I knew it I was on the floor of their room.

"Ness?" Momma jumped up and came over to me. I was kinda stunned and just laid there for a minute.

"Sorry Momma… I couldn't sleep… and I heard you talking about me…" I tried to tell her when she helped me up.

She didn't say anything and we walked over to the bed, Edward shifting so that we could all sit down.

"I know what you mean Momma." I said quietly and she looked at me like she was waiting for me to explain what I meant.

"I know that it was scary when they rescued us, and everything felt big and new and really, really terrifying. And for a long time it was hard to know who to trust and what was good… and all of the bad stuff was there in my head for a long, long time. It's still there sometimes and I still remember when Mr. James came in and would hurt you… and I remember how scary it was and how much I was afraid that I would have to go back to the shed." I tried to tell her and she nodded, her face a little bit surprised. "But I know now that we have family who loves us – I have you and Edward and Grandpa and Nana and Grand-Dad and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and friends… and I know that even when I'm scared now or when the bad feelings come back… we have a good life now. And you were always the best Momma for me… even in the shed you always protected me and took care of me and we always did fun stuff and you taught me so many different things. And I will always remember what a good Momma you were. I can be happy now, even when the bad stuff comes back in my head. I can keep looking forward and growing and having fun and really living my life… even though sometimes it's still a little bit scary."

Momma didn't say anything. She just nodded her head and hugged me… and then Edward hugged us both.

"Happy Birthday Momma." When we pulled back I looked at the clock before looking back at Momma, 12:02… it was her birthday. She was twenty three now, and I knew that somehow this week she had finally found peace.

I knew that she was finally free.

A/N: Almost done, I have one final chapter – more of an epilogue really and then we are finished. This story has been an amazing journey and I want to thank everyone who stuck with it and read to the end. It is so far, one of my favourites, and I am overall happy with the end result. Thank you also, to everyone who left a comment or sent me private messages asking about different aspects. It always means the world to an author to get this kind of feedback.