Chapter Eighty-Three - Renesmee
*Genevieve*
Silently, I stepped into the room, leaning against the doorframe as I watched Rose gingerly hold Renesmee in her arms. Looking down at the newborn with disdain, not liking how much trouble it had already caused for us.
"Do you want to hold her?" Rose asks, turning her head to send me an encouraging smile.
I quickly shake my head, standing straighter as I step cautiously into the room. The rest of the house falls silent, everyone either looking over Bella or out hunting.
"She won't hurt you, you know," Rose teased, watching me with a playful smile as she continued to rock the baby.
I vehemently shake my head nonetheless but continue to look at the newborn.
She let out a little gurgle as she opened her eyes to look at me.
"It's not normal," I mutter, pressing my hand onto my chest and nervously fiddling with the 4-pendent necklace that sat there. "This entire thing isn't normal..."
My eyes zoom back and forth as I continue to mutter to myself.
"Gen? Are you okay?" Rose asks, pressing a reassuring hand onto my shoulder as she looks at me in concern.
"Just get it away from me!" I scream, shoving my shoulder away from her hand and clenching my hands into fists. "Just... get her away from me... please."
Rose does just as I ask and quickly back away from me, cradling Renesmee a little closer to her chest as she looks at me with wide eyes.
"I- I can't... I can't do this, I'm sorry." I flicker my dark eyes up to Rose before quickly turning on my heels and rushing out of the room.
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Theo and Jasper were both outside on the porch, the two men's golden eyes sweeping the perimeter of the house for the 6th time in an hour.
Apparently, they wanted to make sure that it was completely safe before they let their mates- and the rest of the family- go hunting. The threat of the wolves was still in our minds, regardless of their imprinting law.
Alice was fluttering behind Esme, the two wordlessly standing where I was once, looking in at Rose and Renesmee in awe.
Carlisle and Edward were with Bella, the two men sharing some quiet words as they check over Bella for the 3rd time today. Carlisle wanted to do regular updates to see if there was any progress with her change which should happen 'any day now', according to the good doctor.
Edward, on the other hand, just wanted to be with his wife. He had spent the night cradling Renesmee as she slept. The two silently bond as he hums some of his favorite classical piano pieces to her. Every time, whether she's asleep or not, the little hybrid baby smiles and snuggles just a little further into his chest.
Rose was beside herself with excitement, always lingering a few feet behind Renesmee, watching her with a kind of motherly love in her golden eyes. She was the first to volunteer for anything that was even remotely related to Renesmee, wanting to help strengthen and cement her relationship with her niece.
Alice had quickly and happily taken up the mantle of dressing the baby. Going out at any and all hours of the day to shop for her new 'favorite niece'. It certainly didn't help that online shopping had recently become a new favorite tool that allowed Alice to buy countless more clothes overnight. She and Rosalie happily worked together to dress Renesmee up like their own personal doll, making sure to take plenty of photos for Bella, when she woke up, to look at.
Esme had taken up the mantle of the cool grandma. Looking after her new family member with the care and compassion that only a mother could. She spent her free time reading to Renesmee or walking her around the house and pointing out all the different family member's to the baby, who did nothing but look on with wide eyes.
Theo and I had taken a much more distanced role, opting to look at the baby from across the room as we passed through. The pain and grief that Theo felt towards the Denali's mother, Sasha, made the idea of being another 'uncle' to Renesmee a terrifying thought. I had heard of what happened to Sasha years ago after Tanya had welcomed me to their little family- which was then still just the three sisters. The mere thought of losing the entire family because of a single baby made me sick to my stomach.
"Are you sure that you don't want to meet her?" Rose asked gently, looking away from Renesmee for a moment and offering me a reassuringly hopeful smile. "You don't have to hold her or anything..."
I quickly shake my head, the very idea of holding or even being closer than a few feet away from Renesmee terrifying me.
"Okay... that's okay..." Rose was quick to wrap an arm around me, an understanding smile coming across her face.
I look on as Edward continues to hum to Renesmee, gently rocking her to sleep as they walk around the large room together.
I shake my head and begin to take a few rushed steps back toward the staircase behind us. "I... I need to go."
Rose reached out to me, her mouth open as if she was going to call out to me. She quickly changed her mind and nodded her head, offering me a small wave as she watched me rush upstairs, back to the safe confines of my and Theo's room.
"Too much, again?" Theo muttered, looking up from his spot by the window.
I nod my head and gently close the door behind me, sliding down to the floor and wrapping my arms around myself. "I don't know how they can do it. They're putting everyone at risk..."
"Love makes people do some pretty wild things," Theo says, standing up and moving to sit down beside me, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his knees.
I let out a weak chuckle and shake my head, threading my finger's through my hair. "Why do all the crazy things always seem to happen to us? Like what did we do to lead our lives down this path?"
Theo lets out a chuckle from beside me as he throws an arm around my shoulders. "I ask myself that question every day, Gen. Every. Single. Day."
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The rest of the day didn't pass any easier.
Theo and I had mutually decided to stay in our room for as long as possible. It was just easier for both of us that way.
Theo had made a brief trip downstairs to grab a few books, a computer, a few small plants, and his watering can before closing the door behind him with a huff.
"Okay, I think that I have everything, Gen... plenty of boring books from Jasper. My adorable and beautiful plants- have you seen how much they've grown!? Oh, here's your computer."
He threw said computer towards me without a second thought as he continued to ramble on about his perfect plants.
"-I have to find the most perfect place for them in the room! Oh, what a challenge! How about the window- no! Too much light... I wouldn't want them to burn to death! Maybe the desk... that should work- or the bookshelf? That gets some sun which would be good for them-"
"Darling, I love you. Truly, I do. But is there any way that you could have this conversation just a little bit quieter?" I ask, placing down my brush and turning in my seat to look at him.
He freezes in place and looks at me with a bashful expression. "Sorry?"
I chuckle and watch as he stands back up and sends me a wink, pacing one small plant on the corner of the desk and the other on the bookshelf.
"Perfect!"
Throwing himself onto the couch, he lets out a sigh before rolling around and facing me, his face in his hands. "So, what are you doing today, my ever-lovely wife?"
I chuckle once more and turn back around, "painting... although, I think that I just finished it."
He lets out a groan as he stands back up and starts over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he looks at the painting, a wide grin appearing across his face.
"I love it."
He continues to look at the painting in wonder, clearly fighting the urge to reach out and touch it.
The painting was a photo that I had taken of him earlier before the entire baby debacle had happened. He was in the middle of watering his plants outside in the small greenhouse that he and Jasper had built together. Jasper even made a small appearance in the background of the photo, helping to water a few of the plants, a small whisper of a smile appeared on his face. Theo's face had a wide grin on his face as he watered his plants with the watering can in one hand, the other pointing to something off-camera that he was in the middle of explaining to me.
"I didn't even know that you took a photo then," Theo said, chuckling as he glanced at the photo in question.
"You were far too engrossed in explaining something to me," I say, chuckling as I crane my head up to look at him, pressing a quick kiss to his neck before turning back. "What you were explaining, I had no idea."
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A few days had passed since... everything and Theo and I had come out of our room to the living room to join the family for a little bit.
Sitting next to Theo, I nervously fiddled with his fingers, watching as Edward talked nervously to Carlisle.
"She shouldn't be this still," he said.
"It's the morphine," Carlisle explained calmly, sending him a glance.
"Maybe I was too late," Edward says drearily.
"No Edward," Carlisle said, "listen to her heart."
The faint sound of Bella's slowly beating heart seemed to calm him down slightly. The thought of her making it, coming out of it alive, well dead, seemed to give him hope.
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As the day passed, Bella had gradually gotten better.
Her skin smoothed over, getting rid of any imperfections that it had once held. Her hair lightening slightly and growing healthier. Her body filled out, her ribs slowly disappearing from view, which allowed her to fit in the blue does that Alice had put on her. Her face filled out as well, her skin rounding out, hiding her facial bones that at one point had been poking out against her skin. Her once-ashy skin turned a beautiful pale tone, matching with the rest of the family.
As her heart stood beating as we all took in a collective breath. We all waited patiently in the living room, as Edward rushed upstairs to be with her when she woke.
All of us shared nervous glances as the minutes passed, Theo rubbing my back reassuringly as we continued to patiently wait.
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merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all!
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-T