"It's not so bad," I said, trying to lift her spirits up. "We're working together with the Elders, now. C'mon, keep an eye out for those doodles,"

Maybe we should order our groceries instead. But I don't want to hide her. If we're going to be living here for a while, I wanted us to explore the town so, hopefully, she accepted this temporary living arrangement.

LDP2

Chapter 2

We filled our fridge and cleaned up the house after getting back. Amidst all that, the boxes of our things were delivered. I felt like the delivery guy thought it was weird there were people moving into a house that was so far away. Meanwhile, Edward did his best to help and distract Renesmee. It was a bit hectic, to say the least.

"Mommy, when's Jacob coming to visit?" she asked as I tucked her into bed.

"I don't know, honey. Someday. He knows where we are." I said with a smile.

"But your aunts and uncles will be here soon!" I told her. "I bet they miss you already,"

She didn't really give much of a reaction to that. She wore that serious, brooding face Edward sometimes wore, brows slightly furrowed and lips pressed. I loved seeing him in her, but no mother wants to see their child this way.

"Are the Volturi really that scary?" she asked seriously.

The question caught me off-guard.

"W-well... yes." I answered carefully. I couldn't exactly say we shouldn't be. What if Aro managed to get his hands on her and read her mind?

"Their size and influence make them so. They have many gifts, like your father and Aunt Alice. And they've been around for centuries. They might even be some of the first,"

"First vampires?" She asks. I nod.

"No one knows for sure, but it's possible."

"Why are they in power?"

Why was she so curious all of a sudden? I held her arm, shaking it to ask her to show me why. I can only see into her mind, her thoughts and feelings, if she showed it to me. But she wouldn't.

"Renesmee, it doesn't matter," I told her. "They've been necessary. The truth is... their power keeps rogue vampires in line. Remember my scar? Not everyone follows our vegetarian practice," I peer into her eyes, hoping to see understanding.

"It keeps the humans safe, and we must keep them safe. They deserve that,"

I grab her hand and press it to my cheek.

"Renesmee... these are things for us to worry about. We can handle it. You only concern yourself with living peacefully. We've been through enough. Try to enjoy this," A smile of hers started to peek through.

"Jacob is fine, we are fine, and for the foreseeable future we're going to be fine," I added with a smile. "There's no sense in worrying about a future we can't see. Besides, we have Alice to warn us,"

She showed me how a sense of calm started to ease her worries. I smile at her and finish tucking her in as she scooched into position, both her wolf and bunny safe in her arms.

"What do you mean Alice isn't coming?" I said, alarmed.

"She's gone to follow a legend, look for clues about 'immortal children'. See if there's hope she'll stop growing," Edward told me secretly.

"But why wouldn't she say anything beforehand?" He just shrugs, shaking his head slightly. Jasper wasn't here either, to follow her I assumed.

"Dammit, I told her she'd be coming,"

"Where's Aunt Alice?" She asked, right on cue. Edward had announced they were here once they came into his earshot, and she had run ahead of us to greet them. Everyone wore an uncomfortable expression for a second, but Emmet came in clutch.

"They've gone to spend alone time together. It's better for us, trust me," He said, picking her up and twirling her.

"And you and I get to finally play a lot," he added. Alice certainly hogged her.

Did Alice see anything? Why wouldn't she say or tell at least me anything? I looked at Edward, squinting my eyes. He shakes his head 'no'. So, no one knows?

"Sorry, mom. We're gonna make a mess!" Emmett proclaims, carrying her in.

"Hey, Esme," I greet and embrace my new mother. Edward and Carlisle do the same.

We showed them around the house. I was mostly unpacked. Unlike, us, they were invited to stay with the Denali's. It was nothing personal, the little we had with them, the better. But we had room for Emmett and Rosalie here if they wanted to spend time here. Edward warns me though, it'd be best if they didn't stay here together. Something about protecting the habitat of the wildlife.

So, this was mostly a pit stop, so Carlisle could hand over the morphine. We hoped that it would at least mitigate the pain of the transformation. My memory of the past experience was slightly dull, but I remembered it. I feared it.

I watched Edward tuck it away behind him to hide later. We'd pick a day soon enough. For now, let them catch up with Renesmee. Two days was its own little eternity to vampires. Second plus side to vampirism? I'd never forget the following memories I have with my daughter. I might lose the first few, but she'll remind me of them. It's a good trade-off.

You know, I was thinking about what 'book 2' would be about and it seems predictable that the Cullens take over. Funnily enough, because I've been rewatching some scenes, there was this mojo-like movie-based channel talking about how differently things could've turned out and the Cullens taking over was a 'possibility'. Thought the coincidence was funny. It was a 3 year old video too and I never saw it. Anyway, I may casually continue this (the characters bring me comfort, lol), and chapters may be short.