Still Dawn: The Saga Continues

Chapter 9, Billy

"Where's Jake?" I asked Edward, even he looked inconsolable,  

"He stayed back with his sisters, but he said he'll be here in an hour or so to check on Ness" he answered glumly. Trust Jacob to be more concerned about Renesmee when his own father had just died.  

I sat down on the sofa and readjusted my arms so I could hold my crying daughter close to me, I stroked her hair and wiped her tears from her face, but even I couldn't make any difference, the tears were flowing freely now and she was starting to hyperventilate, I'd never seen her this upset, not even when Emmett had accidentally crushed her kitten to death 2 years ago. My heart ached for her.  

"Come on Ness, sit up a bit darling" I soothed, lifting my arm to raise her head as if she were a normal newborn baby, not a 6 year old half immortal who looked 16. "You need to calm down baby, I need you to calm down, just a little bit"

Edward walked over and wrapped his arms around me as I held Nessie's shaking body close to mine.  

"Was she there?" I asked him  

"We'd gone for a walk" he began "On the way back she heard Jake screaming and ran into the house, I caught up to her in the bedroom, Jake was still trying to restart his heart" he frowned "she kind of went into shock, I tried getting her out the room but she fought me, when Carlisle" he nodded towards his father "said there was nothing more they could do, Jacob fell to the floor sobbing and screaming, Ness went to comfort him, it took me almost an hour to get her off of him"  

Renesmee's sobs were getting louder now, like Sue, hearing it had obviously made it much more real. If I could've cried, I too would have been the same, poor Billy, he was a lovely, kind man. And even though we'd had our differences in the past, he had always treated Nessie like the precious child she was, and I truly loved him for that.

Eventually Renesmee's sobs calmed down enough for her to talk  

"It - it was so- so scary Mom" she cried into my shoulder  

"I know baby, I'm sure it was" I soothed, still stroking her face, not really knowing what else to say  

"Jake, he - he wouldn't stop screaming, I didn't know how tell help him Mom" her sobs increasing again at the memory, "Why'd he have to die Mom?"  

"I don't know sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to see that"  

"Its not fair" she cried burying her face deeper into my hair. I sat there holding her for 20 minutes until she had no more tears left and she started to drift off in my arms. She was hurting so much and I never wanted to let her go.  

"Come on, lets get you upstairs eh?" I whispered, slowly standing up before carrying her up the stairs. Edward followed. I took my now sleeping daughter into my old room and tucked her into bed. I heard Jake's rabbit pull up outside and looked at Edward  

"I'll stay with her love, you go, he needs a friend right now" he smiled weakly before sitting on the end of my old bed and watching Ness sleep, I smiled slightly at the memories that,that had held for us before turning and making my way back downstairs.

I walked into the living room expecting to see my best friend, but he wasn't there. Instead the scene was pretty much the same as when i'd left moments ago. Carlisle was sat on the end of the sofa. legs crossed holding his head in his hand's, I didn't need to ask to know that he felt guilty, I'd seen him act this way countless time's when he'd come home unable to save a patient, he always felt guilty, like there was something more he could've done. Charlie was still in his chair with Sue on his lap, they were both crying now, comforting each other. I looked at my dad and instantly wondered how I'd feel if I'd lost him, and I felt my heart break. Pulling myself together I wondered whether it hadn't been Jacobs car I'd heard, but when I looked out of the window I saw why Jake wasn't in the room.