Thinking of Renesmee brought her to that center-stage place in my strange, new, and roomy butdistractible mind. So many questions.

　　"Tell me about her," i insisted as he took my hand. Being linked barely slowed us.

　　"She's like nothing else in the world," he told me, and the sound of an almost religious devotion was thereagain in his voice.

　　I felt a sharp pang of jealousy over this stranger. He knew her and I did not. It wasn't fair.

　　"How much is she like you? How much like me? Or like I was, anyway.""It seems a fairly even divide.""She was warm-blooded," I remembered.

　　"Yes. She has a heartbeat, though it runs a little bit faster than a human's. Her temperature is a little bithotter than usual, too. She sleeps.""Really?""Quite well for a newborn. The only parents in the world who don't need sleep, and our child alreadysleeps through the night." He chuckled.

　　I liked the way he said our child. The words made her more real.

　　"She has exactly your color eyes—so that didn't get lost, after all." He smiled at me. "They're sobeautiful.""And the vampire parts?" I asked.

　　"Her skin seems about as impenetrable as ours. Not that anyone would dream of testing that."I blinked at him, a little shocked.

　　"Of course no one would," he assured me again. "Her diet... well, she prefers to drink blood. Carlislecontinues to try to persuade her to drink some baby formula, too, but she doesn't have much patiencewith it. Can't say that Iblame her—nasty-smelling stuff, even for human food."I gaped openly at him now. He made it sound like they were having conversations. "Persuade her?""She's intelligent, shockingly so, and progressing at an immense pace. Though she doesn't speak—yet—she communicates quite effectively.""Doesn't. Speak. Yet"He slowed our pace further, letting me absorb this.

　　"What do you mean, she communicates effectively?" I demanded.

　　"I think it will be easier for you to... see for yourself. It's rather difficult to describe."I considered that. I knew there was a lot that I needed to see for myself before it would be real. I wasn'tsure how much more I was ready for, so I changed the subject.

　　"Why is Jacob still here?" I asked. "How can he stand it? Why should he?" My ringing voice trembled alittle. "Why should he have to suffer more?""Jacob isn't suffering," he said in a strange new tone. "Though I might be willing to change his condition,"Edward added through his teeth.

　　"Edward!" I hissed, yanking him to a stop (and feeling a little thrill of smugness that I was able to do it).

　　"How can you say that? Jacob has given up everything to protect us! What I've put him through—!" Icringed at the dim memory of shame and guilt. It seemed odd now that I had needed him so much then.

　　That sense of absence without him near had vanished; it must have been a human weakness.

　　"You'll see exactly how I can say that," Edward muttered. "I promised him that I would let him explain,but I doubt you'll see it much differently than I do. Of course, I'm often wrong about your thoughts, aren'tI?" He pursed his lips and eyed me.

　　"Explain what?"Edward shook his head. "I promised. Though I don't know if I really owe him anything at all anymore. . .

　　." His teeth ground together.

　　"Edward, I don't understand." Frustration and indignation took over my head.

　　He stroked my cheek and then smiled gently when my face smoothed out in response, desiremomentarily overruling annoyance. "It's harder than you make it look, I know. I remember.""I don't like feeling confused.""I know. And so let's get you home, so that you can see it all for yourself." His eyes ran over the remainsof my dress as he spoke of going home, and he frowned. "Hmm." After a half second of thought, heunbuttoned his white shirt and held it out for me to put my arms through.

　　"That bad?"He grinned.

　　I slipped my arms into his sleeves and then buttoned it swiftly over my ragged bodice. Of course, thatleft him without a shirt, and it was impossible not to find that distracting.

　　'Til race you," I said, and then cautioned, "no throwing the game this time!"He dropped my hand and grinned. "On your mark ..."Finding my way to my new home was simpler than walking down Charlie's street to my old one. Ourscent left a clear and easy trail to follow, even running as fast as I could.

　　Edward had me beat till we hit the river. I took a chance and made my leap early, trying to use my extrastrength to win.

　　"Ha!" I exulted when I heard my feet touch the grass first.

　　Listening for his landing, I heard something I did not expect. Something loud and much too close. Athudding heart.

　　Edward was beside me in the same second, his hands clamped down hard on the tops of my arms.

　　"Don't breathe," he cautioned me urgently.

　　I tried not to panic as I froze mid-breath. My eyes were the only things that moved, wheeling instinctivelyto find the source of the sound.

　　Jacob stood at the line where the forest touched the Cullens' lawn, his arms folded across his body, hisjaw clenched tight. Invisible in the woods behind him, I heard now two larger hearts, and the faint crushof bracken under huge, pacing paws.

　　"Carefully, Jacob," Edward said. A snarl from the forest echoed the concern in his voice. "Maybe thisisn't the best way—""You think it would be better to let her near the baby first?" Jacob interrupted. "It's safer to see howBella does with me. I heal fast."This was a test? To see if I could not kill Jacob before I tried to not kill Renesmee? I felt sick in thestrangest way—it had nothing to do with my stomach, only my mind. Was this Edward's idea?

　　I glanced at his face anxiously; Edward seemed to deliberate for a moment, and then his expressiontwisted from concern into something else. He shrugged, and there was an undercurrent of hostility in hisvoice when he said, "It's your neck, I guess."The growl from the forest was furious this time; Leah, I had no doubt.

　　What was with Edward? After all that we'd been through, shouldn't he have been able to feel somekindness for my best friend? I'd thought—maybe foolishly—that Edward was sort of Jacob's friend now,too. I must have misread them.

　　But what was Jacob doing? Why would he offer himself as a test to protect Renesmee?

　　It didn't make any sense to me. Even if our friendship had survived...

　　And as my eyes met Jacob's now, I thought that maybe it had. He still looked like my best friend. But hewasn't the one who had changed. What did I look like to him?

　　Then he smiled his familiar smile, the smile of a kindred spirit, and I was sure our friendship was intact. Itwas just like before, when we were hanging out in his homemade garage, just two friends killing time.

　　Easy and normal.

　　Again, I noticed that the strange need I'd felt for him before I'd changed was completely gone. He wasjust my friend, the way it was supposed to be.

　　It still made no sense what he was doing now, though. Was he really so selfless that he would try toprotect me—with his own life—from doing something in an uncontrolled split second that I would regretin agony forever? That went way beyond simply tolerating what I had become, or miraculously managingto stay my friend. Jacob was one of the best people I knew, but this seemed like too much to acceptfrom anyone.

　　His grin widened, and he shuddered slightly. "I gotta say it, Bells. You're a freak show."I grinned back, falling easily into the old pattern. This was a side of him I understood.

　　Edward growled. "Watch yourself, mongrel."The wind blew from behind me and I quickly filled my lungs with the safe air so I could speak. "No, he'sright. The eyes are really something, aren't they?""Super-creepy. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be.""Gee—thanks for the amazing compliment!"He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. You still look like you—sort of. Maybe it's not the look somuch as... you are Bella. I didn't think it would feel like you were still here." He smiled at me againwithout a trace of bitterness or resentment anywhere in his face. Then he chuckled and said, "Anyway, Iguess I'll get used to the eyes soon enough.""You will?" I asked, confused. It was wonderful that we were still friends, but it wasn't like we'd bespending much time together.

　　The strangest look crossed his face, erasing the smile. It was almost... guilty? Then his eyes shifted toEdward.

　　"Thanks," he said. "I didn't know if you'd be able to keep it from her, promise or not. Usually, you justgive her everything she wants.""Maybe I'm hoping she'll get irritated and rip your head off," Edward suggested.

　　Jacob snorted.

　　"What's going on? Are you two keeping secrets from me?" I demanded, incredulous.

　　"I'll explain later," Jacob said self-consciously—like he didn't really plan on it. Then he changed thesubject. "First, let's get this show on the road." His grin was a challenge now as he started slowlyforward.

　　There was a whine of protest behind him, and then Leah's gray body slid out of the trees behind him.

　　The taller, sandy-colored Seth was right behind her.

　　"Cool it, guys," Jacob said. "Stay out of this."I was glad they didn't listen to him but only followed after him a little more slowly.

　　The wind was still now; it wouldn't blow his scent away from me.

　　He got close enough that I could feel the heat of his body in the air between us. My throat burned inresponse.

　　"C'mon, Bells. Do your worst."Leah hissed.

　　I didn't want to breathe. It wasn't right to take such dangerous advantage of Jacob, no matter if he wasthe one offering. But I couldn't get away from the logic. How else could I be sure that I wouldn't hurtRenesmee?

　　Tm getting older here, Bella," Jacob taunted. "Okay, not technically, but you get the idea. Go on, take awhiff.""Hold on to me," I said to Edward, cringing back into his chest.

　　His hands tightened on my arms.

　　I locked my muscles in place, hoping I could keep them frozen. I resolved that I would do at least aswell as I had on the hunt. Worst-case scenario, I would stop breathing and run for it. Nervously, I took atiny breath in through my nose, braced for anything.

　　It hurt a little, but my throat was already burning dully anyway. Jacob didn't smell that much more humanthan the mountain lion. There was an animal edge to his blood that instantly repelled. Though the loud,wet sound of his heart was appealing, the scent that went with it made my nose wrinkle. It was actuallyeasier with the smell to temper my reaction to the sound and heat of his pulsing blood.

　　I took another breath and relaxed. "Huh. I can see what everyone's been going on about. You stink,Jacob."Edward burst into laughter; his hands slipped from my shoulders to wrap around my waist. Seth barkeda low chortle in harmony with Edward; he came a little closer while Leah retreated several paces. Andthen I was aware of another audience when I heard Emmett's low, distinct guffaw, muffled a little by theglass wall between us.

　　"Look who's talking," Jacob said, theatrically plugging his nose. His face didn't pucker at all whileEdward embraced me, not even when Edward composed himself and whispered "I love you" in my ear.

　　Jacob just kept grinning. This made me feel hopeful that things were going to be right between us, theway they hadn't been for so long now. Maybe now I could truly be his friend, since I disgusted himenough physically that he couldn't love me the same way as before. Maybe that was all that was needed.

　　"Okay, so I passed, right?" I said. "Now are you going to tell me what this big secret is?"Jacob's expression became very nervous. "It's nothing you need to worry about this second___"I heard Emmett chuckle again—a sound of anticipation.

　　I would have pressed my point, but as I listened to Emmett, I heard other sounds, too. Seven peoplebreathing. One set of lungs moving more rapidly than the others. Only one heart fluttering like a bird'swings, light and quick.

　　I was totally diverted. My daughter was just on the other side of that thin wall of glass. I couldn't see her—the light bounced off the reflective windows like a mirror. I could only see myself, looking verystrange—so white and still—compared to Jacob. Or, compared to Edward, looking exactly right.

　　"Renesmee," I whispered. Stress made me a statue again. Renesmee wasn't going to smell like an animal.

　　Would I put her in danger?

　　"Come and see," Edward murmured. "I know you can handle this.""You'll help me?" I whispered through motionless lips.

　　"Of course I will.""And Emmett and Jasper—just in case?""We'll take care of you, Bella. Don't worry, we'll be ready. None of us would risk Renesmee. I thinkyou'll be surprised at how entirely she's already wrapped us all around her little fingers. She'll be perfectlysafe, no matter what."My yearning to see her, to understand the worship in his voice, broke my frozen pose. I took a stepforward.

　　And then Jacob was in my way, his face a mask of worry.

　　"Are you sure, bloodsucker?" he demanded of Edward, his voice almost pleading. I'd never heard himspeak to Edward that way. "I don't like this. Maybe she should wait—""You had your test, Jacob."It was Jacob's test?

　　"But—," Jacob began.

　　"But nothing," Edward said, suddenly exasperated. "Bella needs to see our daughter. Get out of herway."Jacob shot me an odd, frantic look and then turned and nearly sprinted into the house ahead of us.

　　Edward growled.

　　I couldn't make sense of their confrontation, and I couldn't concentrate on it, either. I could only thinkabout the blurred child in my memory and struggle against the haziness, trying to remember her faceexactly.

　　"Shall we?" Edward said, his voice gentle again.

　　I nodded nervously.

　　He took my hand tightly in his and led the way into the house.

　　They waited for me in a smiling line that was both welcoming and defensive. Rosalie was several pacesbehind the rest of them, near the front door. She was alone until Jacob joined her and then stood in frontof her, closer than was normal. There was no sense of comfort in that closeness; both of them seemed tocringe from the proximity.

　　Someone very small was leaning forward out of Rosalie's arms, peering around Jacob. Immediately, shehad my absolute attention, my every thought, the way nothing else had owned them since the moment I'dopened my eyes.

　　"I was out just two days?" I gasped, disbelieving.

　　The stranger-child in Rosalie's arms had to be weeks, if not months, old. She was maybe twice the sizeof the baby in my dim memory, and she seemed to be supporting her own torso easily as she stretchedtoward me.Her shiny bronze-colored hair fell in ringlets past her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyesexamined me with an interest that was not at all childlike; it was adult, aware and intelligent. She raisedone hand, reaching in my direction for a moment, and then reached back to touch Rosalie's throat.

　　If her face had not been astonishing in its beauty and perfection, I wouldn't have believed it was the samechild. My child.

　　But Edward was there in her features, and I was there in the color of her eyes and cheeks. Even Charliehad a place in her thick curls, though their color matched Edward's. She must be ours. Impossible, butstill true.

　　Seeing this unanticipated little person did not make her more real, though. It only made her morefantastic.

　　Rosalie patted the hand against her neck and murmured, "Yes, that's her."Renesmee's eyes stayed locked on mine. Then, as she had just seconds after her violent birth, she smiledat me. A brilliant flash of tiny, perfect white teeth.

　　Reeling inside, I took a hesitant step toward her.

　　Everyone moved very fast.

　　Emmett and Jasper were right in front of me, shoulder to shoulder, hands ready. Edward gripped mefrom behind, fingers tight again on the tops of my arms. Even Carlisle and Esme moved to get Emmett'sand Jasper's flanks, while Rosalie backed to the door, her arms clutching at Renesmee. Jacob moved,too, keeping his protective stance in front of them.

　　Alice was the only one who held her place.

　　"Oh, give her some credit," she chided them. "She wasn't going to do anything. You'd want a closerlook, too."Alice was right. I was in control of myself. I'd been braced for anything—for a scent as impossiblyinsistent as the human smell in the woods. The temptation here was really not comparable. Renesmee'sfragrance was perfectly balanced right on the line between the scent of the most beautiful perfume and thescent of the most delicious food. There was enough of the sweet vampire smell to keep the human partfrom being overwhelming.

　　I could handle it. I was sure.

　　"............