Two years later.

Bree POV

“How long now?” I asked for the third time.

“Not long, maybe an hour,” Eleazar chuckled.  “Looking out of the window won't make it go any quicker.”

I knew that.  I just couldn't help myself.  Fred and I had been apart for a whole month, and I missed him.  Sure he had called and he'd emailed, but I still missed him. I would have begged him to take me with him, but no one takes their sister on their honeymoon.  Half an hour later I heard a car approaching, but was disappointed when I recognised it as Kate and Garrett returning from hunting.

Carmen came and rested a consoling hand on my shoulder before she went out to meet them.  I reluctantly left my post and joined her.

“Hey there, squirt,” Garrett laughed as he ruffled my hair.  I scowled at him as I always did when he did that.  Between him and Emmett it was a wonder any follicles survived.  I soon gave in and gave him a hug.

“So any news from the newly-weds?” he asked.

“We're expecting them shortly,” Eleazar called out.

My phone buzzed.  The message ID read Tanya.  Be there in 10 Tx.

I smiled as I read the message from my new sister-in-law, as I'd missed her too.  I couldn't believe how close we had become.  I hated her at first.  The minute she set eyes on Fred on that first visit to Denali, our lives as nomads were over.  Fred had noticed Tanya in Forks, when we returned to face the Volturi.  She was not at the house when we arrived, and I didn’t see her until the other vampires joined us in the clearing.  She barely exchanged two words with Fred after the confrontation, as the lost of her sister left her oblivious to the presence of her future mate.

If the Cullen's thought they had seen the worst of the teen monster, they were wrong.  Jealous teen monster was much worse.  Fred and I had taken to hunting animals the moment we decided to stay in Denali.  Carmen and Eleazar were very supportive, but it was so hard.  The animal blood did little more than sooth the burn.  It did nothing for my taste buds; they still craved the rich, thick, nirvana that was human blood.  Fred seemed to take to it more easily, but then I guess he had a strong motive.  The combination of the change in diet and the jealousy over Fred's new relationship made me just about impossible to live with.  I don't know how they all stood it for as long as they did.

The turning point came when I overheard Carmen on the phone with Carlisle.  The exasperation she was feeling about my behavior was clear in her voice, as she asked him how much longer she could expect it to go on. 

“She's past her first year; surely she should have calmed down a bit by now.”  She vented her frustration.

“Carmen, my dear, I'm afraid this may not be a vampire problem.”  I could picture the disapproving look he used to give me as he answered.  “I believe what you have on your hands is a teenager.  Unfortunately I don't have a lot of experience with actual teenagers, but I'm sure Jasper would be willing to stay with you for a while.  He may be able to help,” he offered.

The thought of Jasper's growling put me on my best behavior for a whole week, and I could almost hear the collective sigh of relief.  When the threat of Jasper had been removed, I confessed to Seth during one of our calls that I was ready to start on Tanya again.  Seth was the voice of reason.  He made me see that my dislike for her was irrational, as I hadn't even tried to get to know her.

“Even if she's the wicked witch of the west, the bottom line is, she's his mate,” he pointed out.  “You can't change that.  All you’re doing is continuing to make him miserable.”

I didn't want that.  He deserved better from me, so I decided to make the effort to get to know her.  Tanya was tough.  She didn't scare easily, but when I suggested we hunted alone together for the first time, I swear she blanched.  Fred looked positively panic stricken too.  But that hunting trip was the start of our friendship.

--00—MC—00—

Fred and I had been on our own for just over four months before Tanya first came into our lives.  We didn't go straight to Vancouver as planned when we left the Cullens because Fred wanted to wait until after the ‘accident’ had taken place.  Jasper had sent a text with the funeral arrangements, and we went back to Vancouver that day, but we didn't go anywhere near his family.  Fred would probably have been okay, but I was still testing my control.  We had tried hunting animals a few times, but the craving for human blood was so strong that we always ended up hunting traditionally within an few days.

Fred was good at finding us places to stay.  They were not as grand as the Cullens’ home, but heaps better than anything Riley had come up with.  We had to take some risks though.  Staying out of the sun without Alice's help wasn't easy.

I missed the Cullens, especially Rosalie; I was surprised how much. Rosalie had called regularly after we left, and once we got past the first awkward call, I felt our relationship was just as it was when I was seeing her every day.  She always reminded me that I was welcome at any time, and Fred promised to take me to them the minute I’d had enough of our nomadic lifestyle.  She had told me all about the wedding and had emailed pictures for me to see.  Bella looked amazing and Edward didn’t look too bad either.  Why hadn’t I noticed how hot he was before?  Fred had given them a cursory glance but he wasn’t especially interested in who wore what.  I couldn’t believe how many humans were there.  I know they said they interacted with them all the time, but to actually see them side-by-side with so many of them was still quite shocking.

The call from Seth, a few weeks after we left, came out of the blue.  Edward had confirmed that he had been forbidden from making contact with me.  Seth said it was okay now, as he wasn't in Sam's pack anymore.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  If he could just change packs, why didn't he do that before?  Then he could have called me anytime.  Our chats weren't very long, but I found I looked forward to them.

It was odd when the calls from Rosalie stopped.  I didn’t worry much for the first few days, but after a week I thought I may have offended her in some way and had called Emmett.  He was polite but short, and I didn’t speak to Rosalie at all.  Even Esme was busy.  I tried Seth, but I always got his mom and she always said he was out.  Fred suggested they were probably preoccupied with Bella and the move, and would be in touch again when things settled down a bit.  I thought he may be right, but it still hurt. 

When Rosalie made contact again a few months later, she asked if she and Emmett could meet up with us.  As we were in Montana, we agreed to meet at the campsite where we’d hunted before.  I expected Emmett to bound toward us, talking ridiculously loudly, and scaring every creature in sight.  But they approached us with solemn faces.  They explained that they were still in Forks and needed witnesses, but wouldn’t say what for.  They did confirm the Volturi were involved and insisted Edward would explain it to us when we got there.

Fred was worried it wouldn't be safe.  He thought Bella was still human, and the Volturi had gotten wind of it.  It was the only reason, he concluded, for them to still be in Forks.  I did wonder if that was the reason the phone calls had stopped: so that we wouldn't know about Bella and the fact that they hadn't moved.  We deliberated for two weeks before we decided that whatever the reason, we owed it to them to hear Edward out.  But Fred was adamant; if Bella was still human, Edward had brought it on himself, and we were leaving.

The concentration of different vampire scents became stronger as we got closer to Forks.  I started to think Fred was right to be so cautious.  Something serious was going on; there must be over twenty vampires in the area.

I was completely taken off guard when vampire Bella stepped out onto the porch, followed by a small child, accompanied by a giant russet wolf.

“Has he adopted a human child now?” Fred muttered.  “No wonder the Volturi are pissed.” 

I initially thought the little girl's heart was beating so fast because of her fear.  Then I became aware of her scent.  Even with the odor of wet dog, the unique scent was still detectable.  Why was there a wolf in the house in the first place?

Then Seth came out of the door carrying a plateful of food.  What the hell was going on here?

“Hey, Bree.”  He greeted me and bounded down the steps, while still managing keep a hold of his plate.  Fred stepped back pulling me with him as Seth approached.  We had never been so close before and his foul odor was overwhelming.  I couldn't believe they let him inside the house.  I was also surprised at how hot he was.  It was December, and even though he was only wearing a pair of cut off pants and a t-shirt, the heat was radiating off him.

“Why are you so hot?” I blurted out.

“You think I’m hot?” he teased with a smile.

“No, your body’s really hot.”  I attempted to clarify, but just made it worse.  Thank goodness I couldn’t blush.

“Thanks,” he laughed, and the red wolf huffed along with him.

I didn’t think it would be wise to say anymore.  Not only was Seth laughing at me again, but the other wolf was joining in.

“It’s a wolf thing,” he explained.  “Our temperature runs hot all the time, so we don’t feel the cold so much.”

Bella came down from the porch to join Seth, and the little girl remained on the porch with the wolf.  Was that even safe?  He lowered himself down and rested his head on its front paws.  I guess it seemed harmless enough.

“Hello, Bree,” Bella greeted me.

“Hi,” I responded.

“Fred,” she said extending her hand to him.  “It's good to finally meet you.”

“Good to meet you too,” he replied, taking her hand and shaking it briefly.

“This is Renesmee,” she said, indicating the little girl who was now sat on the top step scratching the wolf’s ear with one hand.  She waved at us with the other and we both waved back.  “She's my daughter, mine and Edward’s.”

Oh no, Fred was right.  They’ve adopted a human child.  Unless they abducted her, and the FBI and the Volturi were after them. 

“She was born in September while I was still human.”  Bella explained.  Bella didn’t look pregnant when I met her, and the child looked about four years old, so there was no way that kid was born in September.   Was she expecting us to believe that they’d had sex while she was still human?  The steady, rapid, thumping of the child’s heart was hard to ignore, but it did distract me from the road my thoughts were starting to travel down.

“That's Jacob with her,” she added, indicating the wolf, and he raised his head and nodded a greeting.

“Er... hi.”  This was getting more bizarre by the minute.  If that was Jacob, what was he doing in Edward's house?  Why did he appear to be babysitting his daughter?

“You ok, Bree?” Seth asked stepping back.

I stepped back a bit too, as the heartbeats were getting to me.  I didn't understand how Bella could remain so calm.  She couldn't be more than four months old; the sound should have been driving her up the wall.  The wolves were definitely safe from me, and the child's scent was sweet and not particularly food like, but the continuous thumping was starting to make my throat itch.  It was just as well that Rosalie advised us to hunt before we came.   

Emmett must have heard the concern in Seth's voice as he came out of the door in a flash, followed by Rosalie.  I expected Jasper to appear and administer a heavy dose of lethargy, accompanied by his familiar growl.  But the door didn’t open again.  Rosalie scooped Renesmee up into her arms and planted a kiss on top of her head.  “I think you should go back inside with Jacob for now,” she said, putting her down beside her furry babysitter.  Renesmee gave us a shy smile, waved goodbye, and disappeared into the house. 

Emmett led us away from the house and explained about Renesmee.  Bella told us how Jacob had left Sam's pack to protect her from the wolves while she was expecting, and Seth had followed him.  They had planned to keep Renesmee a secret so the Volturi wouldn't find out about her.  That was why everyone had been so uncommunicative.  Fred asked if the other wolves were still a threat, but they assured us they were allies once again.  No one explained the swing of allegiance between the Cullens and the wolves.  Maybe this was a regular thing with them.  Like siblings, squabbling one moment, and best of friends the next.

The Volturi were due to arrive within the next two days, so Edward and Carlisle were already in the clearing waiting for them.  They knew it would be early in the morning but couldn't pin point the time due to the absence of Alice.  That was another turn of events that no one explained.  

They were all very polite about it, and took great pains to stress their gratitude to us for coming to their aid, but given my poor control, they thought it would be best if we didn't stay in the house while Renesmee was there.  We didn't mind, because the cold didn't bother us, and when the snow fell intermittently, we took shelter in the garage.  Most of the cars were gone, as most of the other vampires had taken them to go hunting.  We were here to act as witnesses, but the possibility of a fight could not be ruled out. 

There were only seven other vampires in the house when we arrived, and Esme brought them all out to meet us.  All of their eyes were a deep burgundy, like Fred’s.  Two of them were straight out of a horror movie.  All dressed in black, their skin deathly white and sort of dusty in appearance.  Really creepy.  There were three Irish vampires; they seemed friendlier, and I loved their accent.  The last two had a slightly darker cast to their skin.  It was still pale, but it was almost as if they had attempted to catch the sun.  They were a mated pair from Egypt.  Their creator had known Carlisle for centuries apparently.  The male, Benjamin, could manipulate the elements.  He used the river to demonstrate his ability, pulling the water into a gigantic wave until it looked like it was going to come over our heads and soak us, then he pushed it back at the last minute.

It was a light-hearted moment before our thoughts were drawn back to the present when the other vampires returned.  I smiled, shook hands, and made small-talk, but I was just staggered by the fact that there were so many of them.  Fred and I hadn't come across any during our limited travels.  To think I was once surprised to hear that Carlisle had vampire friends that lived in another state.  He knew vampires all over the world.      

We made our way to the clearing in the evening and were greeted warmly by Carlisle and Edward.  Then we waited.  It would have been eerily silent if not for Jacob's loud, rhythmic snores as he slept in a tent with the little girl.  None of the family seemed bothered by the fact that he was in such close proximity to her.  The only negative reaction came from Rosalie, who would occasionally roll her eyes and wonder how the child managed to sleep at all.

The rest of the wolves arrived before dawn and they fanned out behind us.  I spotted Seth and gave him a small wave, and he nodded back.  I would have moved toward him, but Fred had a firm grip on me.  A gray wolf that was slightly smaller and thinner than the others came and stood next to him.  I couldn't be certain but it appeared to be glaring at me, so I put all thoughts of moving any closer out of my mind.  Their heartbeats seemed to beat a tattoo as the cloaks of the Volturi appeared through the gloom.  I felt the same chilling fear I had that first day I arrived in Forks.  If it wasn't for the death grip Fred had on me, I'm sure I would have bolted.

Aro and Carlisle greeted each other like old friends, but despite the politeness of their words the amiable exchange was obviously false.  That Aro guy was so dramatic, playing to his audience.  Even the blonde one with him was getting fed up.  I was sure he wanted to forgo the charade and just get to the fight.  Aro was in no hurry; he had a show to put on.

As the whole confrontation stemmed from the accusation that the Cullens had created an immortal child, the female who had made the report was called forward.  She admitted she had made a mistake, but Aro still insisted on taking Edward’s hand to verify the information for himself.  At one point he looked at Fred, and I knew that he knew about him.  I put my arms around Fred’s waist pulling him closer to me, as if that alone could keep him safe from the pompous egomaniac.  He reciprocated in kind, slipping his arm around my shoulder and holding me just as tight.

The female who had made the false allegation was destroyed but that was not enough.  I could tell the Volturi wanted all of the Cullens, and their allies, dead.  We prepared for the worst before Alice and Jasper made their appearance, accompanied by two other vampires and another hybrid.  Apparently there were even more hybrids in South America.  Why did anything still surprise me?  The whole vampire mythology was nonsense, and it would seem that there were half vampires running around out there as well.  I also learned that Seth wasn't even a werewolf; he was a shape-shifter apparently.  I wondered if he knew that.

Aro and the rest of his cloaked court soon departed with their tails between their legs, but everyone knew this wasn't over.  We had witnessed his defeat.  The battle was only verbal, but it was still a defeat.  I didn't need Edward's gift to know he would try to destroy all those who had stood with the Cullens.

Fred couldn't wait to get away after the confrontation.  He didn't say as much, but I was sure he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the Volturi as possible.  Before we left, Carlisle's friend invited us to stay with them in Alaska and for once Fred didn't decline.  He'd never been interested in meeting Eleazar before, if anything he was suspicious of his motives.  I guessed Fred felt he no longer had anything to hide, as the Volturi knew all about him now.  I was wrong of course; Eleazar wasn't the reason he suddenly wanted to go to Alaska.  We didn't go straight away, and I thought he'd decided not to bother, but three months later he announced that a trip to Denali would be a good idea.  

--00—MC—00--

So here I sat on the porch of the place that had been my home for more than a year.  Rosalie and Emmett had taken me on a trip to New York for the first three weeks after the wedding, but the last week had dragged.  Poor Seth had listened patiently as I moaned down the phone about my brother's absence.  My new extended family was great.  They did their best to keep me occupied, and I really did enjoy spending time with them, but I still missed Fred.

Exactly nine minutes after her text I heard their car.  I tried to remain on the porch, and I managed to stay put until he cut off the engine.  I even hovered until he helped Tanya out of her seat.

She dropped his hand immediately. “Brace yourself darling,” she advised her new husband.

I connected with him before she uttered the last word.  “Hey.”  He absorbed the impact and managed to stop us colliding with the car.  “Miss me?” 

I looked up at his smile.  Fred smiled more often these days, but when it was directed at me, it still felt special.

Tanya had been welcomed home by the rest of the family before she turned to where I was still holding onto Fred and asked, “Do I get a hug, or do I have to get your presents out first?”

“Hmm.”  I pretended to debate for a minute before I flung myself into her arms.

“I was sure you were going to opt for the presents,” she laughed as she pulled me closer.

We made our way into the house while Eleazar, Garrett and Fred retrieved the luggage.  Fred and Tanya were home, and my family was complete again.