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When we reached home, I found that Edward's prediction had been correct. Renesmee had locked herself in her room and was sprawled across her bed.
She turned up the Musica on her IPod when she heard us walk in.
I knocked on her closed door, "Nessie…sweetheart, may I come in?"
I knew she heard me but was purposefully avoiding my plea.
I turned to Edward, who was watching me from behind, and shook my head in defeat.
I pointed to the door in silence. He knew what I was referring to.
I picked up a magazine and absentmindedly flipped through the pages until he returned with Jake.
Edward explained the scenario to him beforehand.
I stood to give Jake a quick hug, "You need to convince her that everything will work out for the best, Jake."
He pondered something for a moment, "Bella, I—"
"Jake," I insisted, "please, do this for me. Edward and I know what we're up to. Please help us persuade her. She always listens to what te say."
Jake nodded, trying to hide his reluctance, "Alright, but no più favors like this, okay?"
"Okay," I agreed hastily, "whatever te say."
Jake asked Renesmee if he could come in and see her; obviously, her answer was yes, even though she didn't respond too quickly.
Edward and I waited out in the living room. We were listening to every word of Nessie and Jake's conversation.
After a few minuti of heated discussion with Jake, Nessie sighed and went along with his advice.
She unlocked the door and stepped out into the hallway.
A slight smile spread across her round face, "Mom, I'm so sorry. I treated te unfairly. I understand that you're just trying to do the right thing and you're not intending to harm anyone."
I rushed over to give my beautiful daughter a loving squeeze.
Jake put his arm around Nessie's waist. Edward tried not to growl.
Nessie let go of me, "Go on, mom. Stay da his side until he wakes up. I don't mind in the least."
I touched my hand to her dimpled cheek and gazed at her affectionately, "Thank you, angel. I promise that I will come back soon."
Edward kissed me softly before I walked out the house, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on the two."
I rolled my eyes and chuckled, "No problem, Edward, but please don't go poking around everything that they're doing."
"Absolutely not," He reassured me, "That will only happen if I catch Jacob thinking something vile."
I closed my eyes and shook my head, "You know he'll do no such thing…well, not while you're there, at least."
With everyone comfortable at home, I ran off to be with my new son. A giorno had already gone by. There were only a couple più days to go before I would finally know his name.
Two Days Later...
I sat in Carlisle's study for the secondo giorno in a row with a Jane Austen novel in my hand.
If my venom was travelling fast enough in his body, then today would be the first giorno of the boy's immortal life.
Leggere preoccupied my time when I wasn't watching over the child.
I faintly remembered how difficult it was to orso the pain of venom burning through my veins.
I wanted the boy to be as comfortable as possible.
His quaking lessened with each passing hour, so that was a calming thought.
Maternal instinct made me want to fight away the pain for him, but I knew that such a desire was impossible to attain.
While immersed in the book, I heard the boy grunt lowly.
I placed my book down on a nearby coffee tavolo and knelt down at his side. I stroked back his ruffled blonde curls, carefully touching my finger to his cheek.
It was no longer warm and pink. Now it was cold, stiff, and pale. He was like a beautiful, lifeless boy carved from stone.
Carlisle quietly slid into the room to check up on us. He stooped onto his knees successivo to me and examined the boy.
"When will he wake up, Carlisle?" I questioned without removing my gaze from the boy.
"I would imagine that he'll beginning waking up in just a few minutes. I heard his groaning. It's a sign that the venom is attacking his cuore now." I pursed my lips in a hard line.
I didn't want to think about the terrible pain he was in, because that just brought me pain.
I waited and watched impatiently for what seemed like eternity, though in actuality is was only an hour.
Finally, without warning, the boy's eyes fluttered open.
He sat up, immediately becoming defensive.
His blood-red eyes were wide with fear as he stared at Carlisle and I.
I smiled sweetly at him, hoping to suppress his anxiety.
The boy was utterly confused, "How did I get here?" He asked, "Why is my memory so fuzzy? Who are te people?"
His voiced dripped with a heavy British accent. I suspected that he came from Europe.
In midst of the commotion, I struggled to find my voice, so Carlisle answered the domande on my behalf, "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. This is my daughter-in-law, Bella Cullen. What's your name?"
The boy's lips trembled, "Adrian," He huffed out in his mellifluous tone of voice, "My name is Adrian Phelps. Dr. Carlisle, where are my parents? What am I doing here in what appears to be your home?"
Carlisle glanced at Bella briefly, then back at Adrian, "Sit down, son, since what I am about to tell te will not be easy for te to hear."
Carlisle explained how I had found him lying a few feet away from his mauled parents in the woods. Carlisle also told him how I brought him here so that he could be saved in time. Then the hardest part of the conversation came all too soon. Carlisle told him that the only way to save him was to make him one of us: an immortal vampire.
"Adrian," Carlisle began, "Bella found te and changed te into an immortal because she deeply cares about you. She wanted te to have a life te would have otherwise lost. I know losing both your parents is tough, Adrian, but Bella is ready and willing to become your new mother, and her husband, my son Edward, considers it a privilege to become your new father."
Adrian eyed me with a wary glare.
I decided to speak up before something went entirely wrong, "Yes, Adrian. I couldn't let te die at your young age."
A domanda popped into my mind, "How old are te anyways, sweetie?"
"16."
"Ah," I thought to myself, "so he is exactly Renesmee's 'age.'"
"But," Adrian apprehensively interjected, "aren't Vampiri#From Dracula to Buffy... and all creatures of the night in between. bloodsucking demons? Why didn't te just finish me off instead?"
I told him that we followed a different lifestyle than orthodox vampires, "We call ourselves 'vegetarians,' since we are not the average vamps."
Adrian still maintained his "deer-in-the-headlights" look, as if he was successivo in line on death row.
"Maybe we should let te meet the rest of our family, Adrian," I suggested, "Does that sound like an appropriate plan?"
"There are più of you?" He asked, shocked.
"Yes," Carlisle answered with a warm smile, "we are a sizeable clan."
I stretched out my hand to help him, even though he didn't need help to stand.
I was so eager to know him better. I wanted to spend some time with him and introduce him to Edward.
I was still unsure how I'd introduce him to Renesmee. I made a mental note to talk with Carlisle about that later.
Carlisle led the way. Adrian shuffled along behind me.
I gracefully walked down into the foyer, but I soon noticed that a recognizable scent penetrated the air around us.
Carlisle picked up on it, as well. He was evidently surprised and a little irritated.
I impulsively threw my arm out in front of Adrian.
I gawked at Edward, who stood in an adjoining hallway. He was mentally apologizing to me over and over again. Why? Well…guess who was being shielded in his arms?
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Edward's got some explaining to do...heehee Thanks for reading, sweethearts! Amore y'all <33 ^.^
