a/n Hello, my darlings! I'm just kicking this one out-I've been holding on for too long. If you see any grammatical or continuation errors, please let me know. This is set a little over a year after "Private School," and about 26 years post BD. Enjoy!

RETURN TO LA PUSH

To no one's surprise, it was raining when they pulled into the drive of the home that had once been owned and occupied by Billy Black. Seth and Jennifer had headed to the other side of town, to the house Sue had once lived in, and had maintained as a rental. They were close by, and this was comforting to Jacob.

Glancing across at his wife, he noticed that her eyes were starting to droop a little. He reached over to rub her shoulder lightly. The last few days had been hard on Renesmee. The move from Canada was not as bad as it could have been, had they still been on the east coast. As it was, though, the constant traveling, movement, breast feeding, diaper changing, and crying didn't allow much opportunity for sleep. He'd tried to get her to rest the night before, but their son had woken them in the middle of the night, whimpering softly. Jacob had tried to stay awake, but he wasn't the one doing the work, and he lapsed back into slumber fairly quickly. When he'd woken to the alarm at six the next morning, it was to find Renesmee awake, Masen snug against her front in his sling, as she repacked their suitcase to leave. She'd made coffee and packed up the bathroom bag already. All he'd had to do was to roll out of bed, throw on clothes, and check them out at the front desk.

Now, though, for the past three hours, Masen had snoozed away in the back seat, and Renesmee had dozed on and off, waking occasionally to look back at her son, glance out the window to ascertain whether or not there was danger, then return to napping. She'd offered to drive at one point, and he'd had to stifle a laugh to keep quiet, only shaking his head and smiling.

Her eyes blinked slowly as the Highlander pulled to a stop in front of the little red house. She took in a deep breath, and slowly released it. "We're here," she said, her voice very soft.

"Yep." He sighed, staring out into the rain. "Safe and sound." Glancing behind him, Jacob watched as Masen's face scrunched up, just a bit. At four months, he already looked like both of them. He had the soft curly wisps of her hair, but it was darker, the red only showing in deep highlights mixed with the black curls. His skin was darker than hers, as well - only a soft shade lighter than his father's. He had Renesmee's nose and Jacob's mouth, and a little bit of both of them in his ears. His eyes, though, which were blinking open now and focusing on Jacob's dark ones, had never changed from the bright green they'd first been when he'd blinked them open, his little face almost a little shocked, on the day he was born.

"What's up, kid?" Jacob stared back at his son, and chuckled as Masen made a face he recognized. "Yeah, I know, that son of a bitch sucks."

"Jacob." Renesmee's voice was scolding.

"He doesn't understand," Jacob reminded her.

And he didn't. They weren't sure what was going to happen in regards to their son's aging, but already, Carlisle had run tests and found an extra gene already be present in their son. They still hadn't been able to discover which parent it more resembled, but Carlisle seemed very pleased all the same.

"Still." She unbuckled her seat belt, and Jacob reached back, undoing the straps holding the baby into his little seat securely. As his hand passed close to the baby, one of his little hands reached up and grabbed onto his finger. Jacob grinned, maybe a little maniacally, at the feeling.

He had nieces and nephews and friends in the tribe who'd had children. He'd held babies before. The difference between their children and his son was that Masen's grip was more than a little too strong for a four month old. Carlisle had noted immediately that the newborn's muscles had more tone than was normal, and they'd been monitoring it, but it only seemed to grow little by little, paced with the growth of his tiny body. He was a normal baby, just a little sturdier than most.

So here he was, Cheif Jacob Black, one of only two shape shifters remaining in his generation, parked in front of his childhood home, his hand held in place by his infant son, born to his half-vampire wife. It was a little surreal.

Jacob hadn't even noticed that his wife was standing with an umbrella, smiling bemusedly at the pair of them, waiting to remove Masen from his seat until the stalemate ended. Cool autumn air was rushing in, clean from the rain, and more than a little comforting. Finally, the baby seemed to notice his mother, and he turned, grabbing for her, instead. Renesmee laughed, plucking him out of the carrier and slipping him easily into the sling that she'd draped over her front. It had been made by Emily, and was designed to grow with the baby. It kept his wife's hands free, and he'd enjoyed watching her more than once, doing little household chores and babbling away with her son. The first time he'd made love to her after the baby was born, it had been after spending an afternoon watching his wife when he was supposed to be watching baseball. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her radiant face, her eyes bright as she stared down in wonder.

A slamming startled him, and he blinked, realizing she'd closed the back door and was now opening the trunk. She removed a suitcase, leaving her other hand free to hold an umbrella over herself and Masen. He clambered out of the driver's seat and made his way around to grab the other two suitcases. Everything else had come down ahead of them, having been packed into the back of Embry's pick up truck and hauled down a week before. They already had furniture, and Embry had picked up a crib Renesmee had picked out, putting it together and placing it in Jacob's old room. He'd mentioned that he might have done a few other things, but as a homecoming gift. Secretly, Jacob was glad. He didn't want to be painfully reminded of his father, and realistically, the house was getting a little dated, anyway.

Side by side, they made their way up to the porch, and Jacob could see that Embry had painted. Somebody, probably his wife, had put potted plants on the porch, and it looked warm and inviting.

Jacob unlocked and opened the door, stepping aside so Renesmee could enter first. "Holy shit." Her voice was a little awed. Walking in after her, Jacob could see why.

The rug on the floor was the one that had been there since before Jacob had been born. It had been a gift when his parents had gotten married, and he'd always loved it. He could remember rolling around on the rug, and he wondered vaguely if it still smelled like peppermint and tobacco - like Billy.

The coffee table, though, was new, as was the sectional sofa Jacob never would have imagined could fit in the tiny room. It hugged the walls, though, and looked very comfortable. Jacob's TV, one of the things he'd moved down, was mounted above a new, sleek stand that held his various consoles and devices.

"It always amazes me," Renesmee said slowly, wandering down the hall, which now had a nice, navy blue carpet runner going down the center, "how much Embry loves interior design." She opened the door to the master bedroom and shook her head. "Oh, my God."

The bed, comforter, and tables were all new. The walls, where they were plaster instead of wood, were painted a chocolate brown, and all the dark colors made the room very warm and rustic. Jacob glanced across the hall to what had once been his room. Setting down the suitcases, he reached over to open the door.

The unpaneled walls were robin's egg blue now, and the crib stood in the corner under a mobile that looked to have been made by someone local. A low dresser with the top set up as a changing table was just off to the side, and an antique wooden rocker rested next to it, in the other corner. The rug that had once been in Billy's room, another gifted tribal rug, covered the wooden floor to make it a little safer.

"Yeah," Jacob said slowly, "Embry likes his design projects."

There was a knock on the front door, and Jacob stepped aside so Renesmee could settle into the new nursery for a while. Masen was making little grunts, indicating his hunger, and she smiled apologetically.

"Don't be sorry," he chuckled, reading her face. "It's not your appetite he wound up with."

Renesmee smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. It only took a few seconds to forget their surroundings - they hadn't had a chance to really have any physical contact longer than falling asleep together for days - but another knock and tiny, soft fists beating against his chest brought them back to the present.

Jacob laughed when he opened the front door. It wasn't every day a tall, well built man showed up at your house holding a basket with a bit yellow bow on the front, overflowing with muffins. Still, Jacob was very happy to see the man and the muffins. He reached out, managing to hug Sam around the huge basket.

"It's good to see you, Jacob." Sam's low voice sounded pleased. "How was the trip?"

"Long, for a two day trip. Masen's not a huge fan of long trips just yet." Jacob rubbed his temple a little as he stepped aside, letting Sam into the kitchen, which he really hadn't gotten a very good look at himself yet. "Moving with an infant isn't exactly ideal, but hey, what are you gonna do?"

"Right." Sam put the muffins down on the table. "From Emily," he explained. "She's with the kids."

"How is everyone?"

"Very well. Happy you're back, even if it's just for a while." Sam's smile was one of the most genuine Jacob had ever seen. "You've been missed. Both of you." The older man's dark eyes twinkled. "All three of you, now."

Jacob could hear his wife's soft footsteps, and she appeared, smiling, her arms full of baby as she walked toward them. "Hi, Sam," she said, her voice soft, but excited. She'd missed La Push. When he'd suggested moving back for a while, she'd been the one to make the call to Sam. If anything were to happen, it was best if it happened here. Embry had called six months ago to say that vampires had already been in the area, but they weren't sure who, or why. Still, it had resulted in the phasing of two local teenagers, and Sam and Embry had been trying to help the two boys adjust. Having Jacob and Seth around would help even more, and perhaps the four of them would be enough if trouble arose.

And as for the mystery vampire, Sam had been smug to report he or she had dipped off the radar very quickly once the young wolves began their prowl.

Sam was wrapping his arms around Renesmee and Masen, and he took a step back, stooping a little to get a better look at the baby. He grinned when Masen reached out, batting Sam's nose and making the older man laugh. "He is a tough little guy," Sam said, his voice sounding impressed. "Pretty good looking, too."

"He looks like Edward," Jacob reminded him.

"You, too, though," Renesmee said. "I can already tell he's going to have your smile. And his eyes crinkle like yours do, too," she added, smiling.

"All true." Sam held out his hands. "May I?"

Masen seemed to like Sam at once, contentedly settling into the large arms. "So, I've been sent to invite you two out for a night," Sam said, smiling as he swayed, the action seeming almost absentminded. "We want to have a bonfire tomorrow night. The old crowd, you know, and the new boys. Sue and Charlie are willing to babysit the younger ones, and the rest are old enough to be on their own." He laughed. "Hell, some of them will be at the bonfire."

Jacob's stomach lurched a little when he thought of the two teenaged boys who had found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly in a world that had always been deemed fictional. Sam's youngest son had been the first to phase, and when he'd returned home after a week long disappearance, Sam had recognized the changes in his son. Rachel and Paul's youngest, Will, had been next. The boys had had an easier time of it than their fathers, though. When Will had phased, Jacob and Seth had already been waiting, running longer nights than normal, listening to hear any distant, unfamiliar voices. Hearing his nephew's voice in his head like a shout had been a bit of a shock at first, but he felt warm when the boy calmed, hearing familiar voices explaining to him that all was well, and that he was far from the first person to whom this had happened. The pair of boys ran together now, patrolling the village. They would be joined by Jacob and Seth, and the two older men had already made it a point to plan how best to train up the younger boys to protect and defend, if it came to it.

In the meantime, a baby free night at a bonfire seemed to be just the ticket to getting back to some semblance of normalcy, even if it was only temporary.

Sam stayed long enough for a cup of coffee before heading out, promising them a grand time the next night, and he waved as he backed out of the driveway. Jacob stayed on the front porch for a while, listening to the rain, breathing it in. It was all he could smell, the rain, and it seemed odd after spending so many years living with the Cullens. Half of the family had stayed north, not wanting to arise suspicion or risk being seen, and now, only Edward, Emmett, Bella, and Rosalie occupied the house in the woods. The others would visit, though; and the Forks Cullens kept up constant correspondence with Alice, who was waiting, watching to see if any new decisions would be made and set in stone. So far, any plans on the part of the Volturi were disorganized and jumbled, a whole lot of nothings and fallen through plans that were proving difficult for Alice to sift through. From friends, Jasper and Carlisle had heard rumors of defections by Aro's ranks, and Alice occasionally saw some of the former guard members, away from the rest, in her visions.

In the meantime, the protection La Push could offer was exceptional. They were surrounded by wolves, two with experience combatting vampires. Four strong vampire fighters were minutes away, with more waiting in the wings back north. Masen was safe.

That night, after putting their son to bed in his new crib, Jacob took his wife into the living room, planning to relax and watch TV, until his wife commented that the couch looked like a porn couch, and perhaps it had been purchased by Embry for that reason.

"After all," she said, smirking, her eyes never leaving the screen, "he and Lisa have one, and you know how they can get. To be honest, I'm surprised they didn't throw in some rope or a blindfold." She giggled. Telling her about Embry's sexual preferences had been a mistake, one he could never take back.

So instead of commenting, he'd pushed her until she was lying on her back, and realizing that yes, indeed, his friend had given him the gift of some pretty amazing furniture.

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Sue and Charlie must have gushed for twenty minutes over the baby. They'd seen him before, but not since his birth, and for Charlie, seeing his great grandson seemed to be what his life had been building up to. He'd mussed the tiny boy's soft curls, so like his mother's, and therefore like Charlie's, seeming fascinated by the amount of hair Masen already had on his tiny head.

After forty five minutes, when they were running thoroughly late, they climbed back into the car, and Renesmee let out a huff. "Good Lord," she muttered, buckling up as a matter of routine. "I've never seen Charlie act like..."

"A grandpa?" Jacob smiled, pulling out of the drive and onto the street. He rolled down the windows, letting in the crisp autumn air. "You weren't the type to respond to baby talk, kid. In fact, I remember you actually rolling your eyes at it."

Renesmee's laughter was bubbly and it filled the interior of the car. "He's so cute," she sighed, gazing out the window. "And I love him. But it'll be nice to have a few hours without having to change a diaper."

"Absolutely." They were out of town now, heading back to La Push. Back toward home.

The bonfire was roaring by the time they arrived on First Beach, and they received a few raised eyebrows before Renesmee returned the stares with a cocked brow of her own. "Charlie was very occupied making cooing noises, and I didn't want to be rude." She glanced around the group before her eyes settled on Paul, a smirk curling her lips. "You'll forgive my manners, I'm sure."

"They did the same thing when we dropped off Rayen." Off to the side, Jen was sitting with Seth, her arms wrapped around her knees as she leaned against her lover. Over a decade after coming together, Jennifer and Seth still stoically refused to marry. It was a running joke at this point, a refusal to bend to the societal pressure of getting names on a piece of paper that said they were bound, when neither felt the need for paper to bind them together like glue. Still, Jen had made sure their daughter's birth certificate said Clearwater and listed Seth as the father. "Sue's a happy grandma, for sure."

Jacob chuckled low in his chest, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his nephew staring over at them. "Hey, Will."

Will jumped a little. "Hello, Uncle Jacob." His voice was soft, but Jacob could hear how low it had dropped since the last time they'd talked on the phone. His dark eyes blinked slowly before shifting to Renesmee. His eyes were a little wide, and Jacob chuckled again. Will certainly knew a great deal more about his aunt now than he had before. "Hello, Aunt Renesmee. You look nice," he added, seeming a little wary.

Renesmee's eyes softened in a way she had long seemed to reserve for her nieces and nephews, before giving the same look to their son. "Hi, Will." She crossed to stand in front of him, arms crossed, and tilted up her head. "You're tall."

"I'm almost six foot one," he said, his voice a little proud.

"Impressive." Her smile was bright, and Jacob could see Will starting to act a little more like himself. "Maybe you'll be taller than your old man," she added, smirking again in Paul's direction. Will blushed a little when she reached up to tousle his hair. "Now, where is Isaac?" She glanced around, her eyes falling on the young man seated at Sam's side.

Isaac Uley was impossible to miss - he was very nearly the mirror image of his father. He lacked the gray wisps in his hair and the lines under his eyes, and looked like the Sam Jacob had known when he was a younger man. Except for his eyes, which were soft brown and shaped exactly like his mother's. They lent him a kindness to his appearance that Sam had lacked in his younger years. Now, he raised one big hand in a loose wave, announcing his presence.

"Wow." Renesmee sat down next to Jacob. "Look at you." She grinned. "Turning into a man. Last time I saw you, you were two."

"It's nice to meet you again." Isaac nodded across to them, smiling. "My parents have told me a lot about you. Jacob and Seth, too," he added, still smiling.

"Don't believe everything you hear," she teased.

"Believe every word of it," Paul mumbled. Clearly, he was still not over the time she broke his nose.

"You big baby." Jacob watched his wife's chocolate eyes roll, watched as she tossed her long curls over her shoulder. "You healed up fast enough, and you had it coming."

"You kind of did." Will grinned. "You're just mad you got bested by a girl."

"She had an unfair advantage." Paul's frown was sour, and Rachel laughed delightedly.

"She was high as a kite and drunk as shit," Seth reminded him. "You could have taken her if you'd wanted."

Paul scoffed. "Yeah, you want to fight a drunk vampire hybrid, be my guest. I'll be sure to show at your funeral."

In a lot of ways, it was like the old days. They sat around the fire, laughing, eating, and catching up. Quil and Claire were there. It had been years since Jacob had seen the girl who was really older than his wife, and she had positively blossomed. If Emily's features had still been perfect, he wasn't sure she'd be able to tell much difference between the two. Claire was lovely with her long, dark hair cascading down her back, and her warm eyes seldom left her husband's face for too long. She was a little sassy, too, bantering with Quil like an old friend, which Jacob reminded herself they were. But now, Quil continuously peppered her face in kisses, and his face, which had remained unchanged for most of her life, was only just starting to show any sign that he might be aging. There were wrinkles in the corners of his eyes that hadn't been there the last time Jacob had seen him, but the last time they'd seen him, Quil had still been phasing. Now, he aged with his wife. Jacob listened as Clarie and Renesmee swapped college stories. To Jacob, it sounded like Quil had had his hands fuller than he'd ever let on, but Jacob knew his friend would never complain. Even with everything he'd been through with his own wife, Jacob would never take anything back or change a thing.

Leah was there, and Jacob watched as she pelted her brother with questions about her niece. Baby Rayen was barely older than Masen, but already, there were a few small differences between the two. While they grew around the same rate, Rayen had long since moved past breast milk and rapidly became bored with formula, as opposed to Masen, who Renesmee was starting to think would be on breast milk until he could walk. Seth and Jen were already feeding her puréed food on occasion, which she seemed to enjoy more. Other than that, though, the differences between Rayen and Masen were few. Both strongly resembled their half-vampire mothers, but both had skin colorings closer to their fathers, and Masen's hair was much darker than his mother's. Neither grew at the rates their mothers had, but both possessed that extra gene that made them all more than a little curious and frightened of what their futures would hold.

They spent most of the night teasing each other and laughing, Jacob and Seth crowing over the fact that they could now out-eat Sam and Paul. The latter two still ate more than most men, but it was nothing compared to the damage Jacob and Seth inflicted on the huge package of hot dogs. Even Will and Isaac looked impressed.

"I didn't know you could eat like that, Uncle Jacob." Will's eyes were still a little wide with eye as he watched Jacob polish off yet another in a long line of defeated hot dogs. He felt a little proud, he had to admit, to see his nephew looking up to him like this.

"Gotta have my energy, kid," he said, grinning. "I have to do battle with a clinically insane blonde vampire in the near future." He laughed when Renesmee hissed at him, her lips curling back over her teeth. Will jumped a little before Renesmee slapped her hands over her mouth, rolling her eyes upward and shaking her head.

After a few seconds of silence, Renesmee lowered her hands, taking a deep breath and sighing heavily before turning her head heavily toward him.

"Just promise not to break anything," she begged, and Jacob burst out laughing. "I mean it! You two are worse than mom and Uncle Emmett with your pranks. And I'm sorry, but that last thing," she said, reaching up a hand to shoot him a brief image of his last joke on Rosalie, "was too much. You deserved her wrecking your car."

"She wrecked your car?" Isaac sounded honestly shocked that someone would do such a thing.

"What did you do?" Will sounded like he wanted to know how to stay off Rosalie's bad side.

"I may or may not have replaced the entire contents of her underwear drawer with granny panties." Silence followed this declaration. "I may not have," he repeated. "Depends on who you talked to."

"My father," Renesmee said, rolling her eyes, "insisted that you had nothing to do with it."

"That's because he's an honest guy." Jacob grinned.

"Jasper said you're both full of shit."

"Jasper's lying. He's from Texas." He said this as a matter of fact, and Jen giggled.

"And they lie in Texas?"

"No," Jacob said, shrugging. "But he was a legitimate Rebel."

Another small hiss slid from his wife's lips, but she didn't stop or apologize, and Will and Isaac were looking on curiously. Jacob wondered vaguely what Sam and Paul had told the boys about the Cullens, and Renesmee. They didn't seem afraid of Renesmee, or disgusted by her, despite her being half vampire.

"Sorry," Jacob said, raising his hands. "I promise never to stuff your aunt's drawers with granny panties ever again."

"And they were fucking cheap," Renesmee burst out, and Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Distasteful, Jacob," Emily said, but her voice held a distinct tone of amusement. "Rosalie was well within her rights to wreck your car."

"Ew." Rachel scrunched her nose. "Were they the crappy polyester kind?"

"Yes." Renesmee glared. "And they were huge."

Seth snorted, and Jacob took his wife's hand, kissing her fingers. "Love you."

"You're lucky I love you, too." Her voice was still annoyed, but she winked at him.

There was an easy silence that settled after that, the only sounds that of the waves rushing in and out gently. Jacob gazed at his wife, her head thrown back, relaxed and staring lazily up at the stars. She closed her eyes and breathed in, inhaling a deep drag of the scent of the beach as if it were the most exquisite drug. He could feel his lips curling, and there was no helping it. She was magnificent. The soft breeze ruffled her curls and her face was golden in the light from the bonfire.

Perfection. He'd stumbled upon perfection in the last place he would have thought to look. And now she was here, looking more relaxed than she had in months, at home, here.

At home.

They were loading up later when Will caught his elbow. "You really look at her like she's the only person in the world sometimes," he said, and his voice was a little awed. "It's just like mom and dad."

"Sometimes," Jacob said, watching his wife hug Emily goodbye, "I feel like she is."

"I'm glad I get to see you more now," Will said, his smile genuine. He had Rachel's smile. "I kind of missed you. You know, even though I almost never see you."

Jacob laughed. "I kind of missed you, too." He clapped the boy's shoulder. "We're going to have a lot to talk about the next couple weeks," he said.

"Yeah." Will's eyes glinted. "The Bad Ones."

Jacob blinked. "Come again?"

"That's what Dad and Sam call them." Will stared out into the darkness of the woods. "The Cullen family don't hurt any of us, and they've helped us before. They're nothing to worry about. But something is going wrong with that whole world." Will frowned, his face looking too old for a fourteen year old boy. "It's not the Cullens' fault, but maybe they can fix it, you know?" Will looked hopefully at Jacob. "Do you think?"

"I know they have a lot of friends who think very highly of them," Jacob said quietly. Renesmee's eyes darted briefly to him, then back to Rachel, as she smiled warmly at her sister-in-law, bidding her goodbye. Jacob knew he wouldn't need to repeat this conversation later. "Your aunt has quite a lot of people who would stand in front of her if need be to protect her, and really, they're not bad people." Jacob grimaced. "Other than their... dietary habits." Will shuddered, and Jacob laughed. "Good to see a normal, human response."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Jacob, I just think it's kind of gross." He shrugged a little helplessly. "I don't want Aunt Renesmee to think I think less of her, though."

"Easy, kid." Jacob patted his nephew's shoulder. "Your aunt loves you. I don't think she's ever been mad at you a day in your life, and I doubt she ever will."

"Okay." Will smiled before exchanging a hug, then darting off to join his parents.

Sue and Charlie had offered to bring the kids home, and shortly after pulling into their driveway, Sue's mini van pulled in behind their SUV.

"He's been sleeping for about an hour," Sue whispered. "The kids are all passed out. They played a wicked game of twister, then ran around outside for another hour and a half. He's such a little doll," she gushed, smiling. "If you ever need a sitter..."

"I'll add you to the rotation, Sue," Renesmee said, smiling. "Rosalie may not forgive me if I take him away entirely."

"Of course." Sue smiled. "I'd be honored. And you'll tell her hello, of course, and thanks for coming down to stay?"

Jacob thought his wife's eyes teared a little. "Of course. Thanks, Sue. Love you."

He followed as his wife crept carefully toward what was now the nursery, their tiny son bundled in her arms. She managed to get him all the way into the crib without waking him, and once she'd backed into the hall, she stood, staring, her hands on her hips and her wild head of hair shaking back and forth incredulously.

"It's completely different." Her voice didn't elevate in volume, as it may have once, years ago. Instead, it was low and a little stunned. "I know they've been a lot more tolerant of us the past few years, but this?" Renesmee's eyes were unblinking as she stared up into his face. "Did you know about this?"

"I knew sentiments were changing." Jacob shrugged, more than a little helpless. "I'm as blindsighted by this as you."

"'The Bad Ones?'" One of her eyebrows cocked. "'Nothing to worry about?'" She crossed her arms, but more as if she were chilled than angry. She seemed slightly unsettled. "This was the offspring of Paul speaking," Renesmee reminded him.

"But Rachel, too," he reminded her. "She's my sister, and your sister-in-law. And you know she adores you." He held up a hand to silence her when she opened her mouth to argue. "No, you know it's true." Renesmee sighed, but smiled slightly. "And as for Sam, Emily's there, too. The girls have always been a little more understanding. And I think getting to know Rosalie helped a little, too." He rolled his eyes at this, as he always did. He had to admit, however, that as much as he had once hated the blonde vampire, her undeservedly sordid past had somehow humanized her to the women of the tribe. It had made life oddly easier since then. "You know more now than you did when you were a kid. Do you really not see how different your family are?" The words were familiar to him, but the phrases they made up were foreign to his lips.

"Yes." It was amusing that her voice sounded as if she were trying to keep from sounding smug. "I know they're different. Obviously, or I wouldn't be here." She did let slip a wry smile.

"This is a good thing." He slid his arms around her waist, tugging her against his chest. Her arms loosened and slid up his chest to wrap round his neck. "If anything happens with the Volturi now - if they try to threaten you, or the baby, or anyone in the family - they'll have another thing coming. Tanya already said she'd come down to help, and you know there are others who would show up, too. And we're your added muscle," he tacked on, grinning.

"And you scare them." Against his chest, he could feel her smile. "I like that. My husband, the monster."

"Glad you think that's attractive."

They stood in the hall for a while after that, silent, clinging to each other and listening to the soft breathing coming from inside the room just behind Renesmee. She kept glancing down the hall, toward the door, and Jacob sighed softly.

"Seth's running with Isaac tonight," he reassured her. "He'll run with Will tomorrow, then we'll switch."

"So you'll be gone two nights?" Renesmee frowned.

"If you're worried, you can always stay with your family. I'm sure Rose wouldn't mind you being around for a couple of days." He reached over to stroke her cheek reassuringly. "We've done this before, honey. It's what we do." When her frown became a little petulant, he gently reminded her, "Don't forget, Jen's on her own for two nights, too. At least, until we can get something down where Seth and I can both take a few nights off and the boys can run."

"Or if you wind up with more." Renesmee's frown deepened. "What if more phase?"

"Then we'll have more defensive power." Jacob reached for his wife's hand, tugging her around to sit on his knee. "Nobody's going to be mad at you. It'll be a hiccup for a few people, but they'll be on your side. Everybody else is. Hell, even when Leah visited last year, she and Rosalie and Esme were all buddy-buddy." That had been interesting. "Baby, this is what we are engineered to do. And Seth and I have done it before, in more difficult circumstances." He scoffed, and she smiled a little. "For the first time in who knows how long, vampires are not listening to the Volturi as much as they're listening to Carlisle and Tanya and your father. There won't be a fight. A fight would be pointless, and merciless."

"Wow." Renesmee finally pulled up the down-turned corners of her mouth. "Nice speech."

"It's true." And it was. The Volturi were still powerful, but something unseen was happening to unravel them from within. Alice couldn't make heads or tales of Aro's rash decisions, but saw the long run - his eventual failure. There were blank spots in her visions - Renesmee, Jacob, and now Masen - and no indication of any losses on the part of the Cullens. Jacob was sure that was all that kept his wife sane some days. Since giving birth, she seemed to have taken the weight of the family's worries onto her young shoulders. Although he was weakened, more politically than physically, Aro was still dangerous. His focus had shifted from Renesmee, to Masen and Rayen. "Come on." He tugged gently at her hand. "Let's go to bed. You actually look like you need sleep."

"Yeah." She sighed softly, and followed.

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The next morning was cloudy again, and Renesmee padded softly around the kitchen, starting up breakfast for Jacob. Masen was sleeping in his bassinet in the living room, and she smiled, glad her son had not picked up her insane sleep schedule, or lack thereof. She'd been up since three, which was far from unusual, doing crosswords and reading while her husband and son slept. Granted, she'd also spent about forty five minutes staring at Masen's tiny face and smiling at how he slept. Somehow, at four months old, he already slept like his father, his breathing rather heavy and his little mouth hanging open, just like Jacob's. He even slept sometimes with one hand up by his head, almost holding his little ear, which was the position Jacob had been in when she'd woken. Now, Jacob's snores were still going strong, but she knew he'd need to wake up soon. There was a lot to be done today.

Though they'd only just returned to La Push, Renesmee was already feeling secure. It wasn't like any other move they'd made. Instead of going to a new home, they'd returned to what had essentially already been home. Nobody in the town seemed to question the return of two of their sons, and nobody questioned the fact that they looked the same now as they had when they'd left. They seemed older, though, and perhaps that was the difference. In any case, there were no questions asked, and Renesmee wondered if, for the first time in hundreds of years, the townsfolk were in on the secret. The situation was different than it had been, with much more risk than before, and she was vaguely curious as she whisked eggs and milk with some garlic and pepper.

She heard movement outside, but the sound was familiar. She smiled out the kitchen window at Seth, who was ambling through the lawn, waving, wearing nothing but a pair of cutoff shorts. She jerked her head toward the door, indicating that he should enter, and his grin widened. He could probably smell coffee and bacon, and she rolled her eyes, turning back to the fridge to take out more bacon to add to the skillet, and more eggs to be scrambled.

Seth softly opened the door, closing it equally gently, and if she hadn't known him all her life, it would have seemed odd for such a beast of a man to move so quietly. He peered into the living room with his entrance, grinning at his sleeping nephew.

"You know he sleeps just like Jake?"

Renesmee smiled over at her son's sleeping visage. "Cutest fucking thing I've ever seen. Coffee?" Renesmee was already pulling a mug from the cabinet.

"Sounds great." Seth's voice was soft, and she smiled again when she was reminded of her uncle's gentle presence.

"Breakfast will be ready soon." She added more garlic and pepper to the eggs, dumping in more milk as well. "I'm assuming you're hungry?"

"Been running all night." Seth rubbed his stomach. "I'm starved."

"Nothing came up?"

"Not a scent, old or new. Nobody's been through we don't know."

"Good." Pulling another huge pan out, Renesmee plopped in a chunk of butter and left it to melt as the pan heated. Her ears picked up on a stutter in Jacob's snoring, followed by a snort. He was close to waking up, and this meant Masen would be up soon, too. She started a pan of water on the stove to boil so she could heat a bottle for him. "The boys are doing good?" she asked, referring to Will and Isaac.

"I'm pretty impressed with them, actually," Seth mused. "They're moving well, and they coordinate like we did."

"Must be those mad Quileute genes." Renesmee took off the finished bacon and put on more, then dumped the eggs into the pan.

"You so remind me of Emily right now," Seth said, smiling slightly. "She used to do this for us all the time."

"Except she had to feed an army," Renesmee shot back. "I just have you two."

"True."

Jacob let out one final snort, and Renesmee heard him huff out a breath then groan. The bed shifted, and she heard his feet padding down the hall. In the living room, Masen huffed, too, but before Renesmee could make it over, Jacob was there, rubbing his eyes and peering down at his son.

"What's up, buddy?" Jacob nodded when Masen grunted. "I see. That's very important." His huge hands cradled the tiny boy easily when he lifted him out of the bassinet. "I know," he said, his voice crooning and higher than it normally was. "Let's see what mom's got goin' on, shall we?" Renesmee smiled, rolling her eyes slightly when he came up behind her, kissing her neck and inhaling deeply. "I really do love you, and not just for making a huge breakfast."

"You love me for coffee, too." She turned off the water, which was boiling, and dropped in a bottle. She turned, nosing her son's face. He cooed at her, grabbing onto her nose. She giggled and he let go, reaching up to bat Jacob's face.

"Easy, kid," Jacob said, holding Masen securely to his shoulder as he made his way to the table. "Breakfast is coming."

"It's really not fair your arms are so long," Renesmee mused, spooning eggs onto two plates and adding bacon and toast. She put one plate in front of Seth and the other in front of Jacob next to the freshly heated bottle. "I can't eat and feed him at the same time."

Jacob chuckled, maneuvering the baby so that the bottle was in range for him with one arm, and using his free hand to eat.

"Yeah, Rayen just doesn't hold that still." Seth sounded a little jealous.

"Food is very important to my son," Jacob said seriously, his eyes twinkling. "It's important to me, too. Had to learn to do both." Masen seemed to agree, staring up at Jacob with wide eyes. "Yes, it is. So very important, huh?" Jacob leaned down, gently butting foreheads with his son, laughing when Masen reached up a hand to pull his father's long hair. "Come on, kid, cut me a break." He leaned back up, turning to Seth. "So, how did it go?"

They were all business after that, and Renesmee munched on a few pieces of bacon while they talked. She set about cleaning up, refilling their coffee. It was a relatively quiet morning after that. Seth headed home after breakfast and shop talk, from which Renesmee surmised that nothing had happened. When he left, Masen fell back asleep, and Jacob carefully maneuvered himself out of the kitchen and into the living room. Rather than put the baby back in the bassinet, Jacob situated himself on the couch, baby on his chest, looking like he could go for a nap himself.

It was the kind of quiet in the house Renesmee wasn't used to. There were the sounds of heartbeats and breathing, of course, but that was about it. And surprisingly, she wasn't as bothered as she might have been otherwise. She puttered around the house all morning, straightening a few things and finishing a bit of unpacking, but by two o'clock, Jacob and the baby were napping and she found herself on the front porch, watching the rain. The soft sound, constant, was almost as soothing as the sound of a steady heartbeat. She sipped at a cup of tea, sighing softly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been bored. It felt nice.

Her ears picked up the sound of a car approaching, and a minute later, Seth's car was pulling up. Renesmee frowned a little. Seth's face looked hard, and Jen, sitting at his side, was staring ahead, her expression vacant. Something was wrong. She wondered briefly if she should wake her husband, then decided to wait. If Seth needed Jacob, he could wake him himself. Seth killed the engine, and they both climbed out. Renesmee felt panic bubble up, and the thought burst from her, unstoppable.

Something's wrong.

Seth's face softened a little, and she realized the thought had escaped into his mind. She smiled sheepishly. This part of her gift was one only recently developed, and sometimes, it had a mind of its own. "Sorry." She shrugged. "You look like you're on a mission."

"I am." Seth and Jen stepped onto the porch, and Renesmee realized that Rayen was absent. "We had a rather bizarre visit this morning."

"Felix found my sisters." Jennifer's voice sounded a little freaked out, and Renesmee reached out, taking her friend's hand. "They told him I was here."

Renesmee's stomach dropped. Felix. Felix, the huge hulking vampire who sided with the Volturi. Felix, bloodthirsty and terrifying as a nightmare.

"Don't panic." Seth's voice was actually calming. "It wasn't a bad visit. Where's Jake?"

"Sleeping." Renesmee started to stand, but Seth waved her back down.

"I'll tell him later. You ought to her it first, anyway." Seth sat down at her side, sighing heavily. "It's nothing terrible or dangerous. At least, it doesn't seem to be. Just weird."

"You're killing me," Renesmee pleaded. "What happened?"

"Do you remember Chelsea?"

"Aro's guard?" Renesmee frowned. "Yes."

"She's gone." Seth shrugged. "Just up and left. Nobody's sure how or why, or where she went, but she and her mate just disappeared. Left the tower and never came back. This was a while ago." Renesmee inhaled, feeling a little dizzy. If Chelsea was gone... "Things have been rough since then. No Chelsea, no little voice telling you to stay. Aro's been sweet talking the rest of the guard, but Felix and Dimitri got the idea to bail before things got any worse. They split up, and Dimitri's trying to disappear, but Felix came here. He felt like someone needed to give a heads up that things are going to hell, and that the Cullens might be some kind of target for Aro to show the power they still have. Felix said he still has contact with some people in the know and he'd let us know about any changes." Seth made an odd face. "Gave me his cell number. It was weird - he was totally cool about it, like he's on our side now. Said he came here a while back to see if we were in the area. That's probably what made Isaac and Will phase in the first place."

"So, Felix is on our side?" Renesmee frowned. "It seems too easy."

"I sent him to Canada," Seth informed her. "Told him he needed to talk to Jasper and Carlisle. Carlisle's the one calling shots anyway, and Jasper would know if he's full of shit and take him out."

"When will that be?"

"He's already up there. Ran as fast as he could. Carlisle called half an hour ago and said they had a visitor, and that he really seems to be done with the Volturi. They want to go to Alaska to talk to Tanya next, but they think we should all go."

"Coming here was bold," Jen said. "But he said he couldn't find out where the family was, so he somehow got hold of my sisters. I told them we were moving into La Push, and so he came here. He didn't even know you were here. He came to talk to Seth, to see if there was any chance of finding you or your family."

Renesmee stared out into the never ending rain. "So, what does it mean?"

"That's why they want to go to Alaska." Seth's face was odd - a mix of disbelief and awe. "Felix told Carlisle whatever decision we make, we need to make it as a unit. Felix knows as much about the Volturi as Eleazar, and he thinks we can make a more informed decision if we all discuss it together."

Not speaking, Renesmee rose and returned inside. Numb, she made her way to the bedroom. She watched, almost disconnected, as her hands reached out to shake her husband awake. She heard words coming out of her mouth, but she didn't really hear them. Whatever she said was enough to rouse him, and he moved to dress while she floated back to the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she removed a handle of vodka and returned to the porch, opening it, and downing several slugs of the harsh liquor. Not speaking, she held it out to Seth, who chuckled.

"Yeah, I could use a drink after this morning." He brought the bottle to his lips and was handing it to Jennifer when Jacob made his appearance.

Three hours later, Seth and Jen were making their way home, and Rensemee sat on the porch next to her husband, eyes unfocused, while Jacob placed a call to Edward. Her father was standing in front of them in an impressive five minutes, and she blinked, finally managing a smile.

"You ran full out, didn't you?"

Edward scrunched his nose. "You drank like a sailor, didn't you?"

"Smirnoff comes out to play when the world comes crashing down," she replied. "I don't expect you to understand this, since you can't understand the benefits of being drunk under siege." She figured that under normal circumstances, he would have rolled his eyes at this. But his eyes were set in the way they were only when he was listening to every thought rolling through someone's head, and they were widening as she and Jacob thought back on their afternoon. After a few minutes, he sat down cross legged on the porch, in shock. "See? Smirnoff." She took another swig and shrugged, smiling lopsidedly. "Sorry." Then she frowned. She was sorry - the Smirnoff was almost gone. She'd done more damage than she'd realized. Fortunately, there was enough breast milk in the fridge to feed an army of babies, giving her plenty of time to flush her system.

"Jesus." Her father's voice was very faint, and she raised her eyebrows, surprised even in her current state. She could count on one hand the number of times in her life she'd heard a swear slip his lips. "He just left?"

"Language, Eddie," she slurred, waggling her finger. Now, his eyes rolled. "Take it away, baby," she said, nudging her husband. "You are the sober one here."

She listened as Jacob detailed the conversation with Seth. Hearing the words out loud seemed to solidify things for her father, and his eyes began to refocus as he got back to his feet. He paced the porch for a moment, frowning, before his eyes darted to the road. He suddenly dropped back down as a car passed, staying down for a minute before he rose, scowling.

"Mike Newton," he grumbled. "Of all the people to stay in Forks. He was just thinking your wife is hot, Jacob. He was reminding himself he's no longer single."

Renesmee laughed when Jacob just shrugged, grinning, saying, "Well, yeah." Then he frowned. "What was Mike Newton doing here?"

Edward cleared his throat unnecessarily, stalling. "Nothing. I'll tell you later."

"What?" Renesmee peered at him. "Why's it a big deal?"

"He was at the beach," Edward said, and Jacob scowled.

"Liar. It's pouring and freezing. What was he doing?"

Edward sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "Don't mention it to Seth, but he's apparently dating Leah."

There was silence on the porch for a minute, before Jacob picked up the bottle and drained what was left.

"Yeah," he said, wincing. "I won't say a word."

"I don't understand." Renesmee frowned, trying to focus through the fuzziness of her thoughts. "Why is that so bad? I mean, I barely know the guy, but he seems nice."

Jacob sighed, standing up. "I hope there's more vodka. You may want to call Bella, Edward. We're going to need a babysitter."

a/n Thank you so much for your patience - I'm having to sing for my salt this year, and it's kicking my butt fairly intensely. On the upside, I now have a clarinet part for "Skyfall" and my brain feels like it wants to explode MIKA everywhere. My profound apologies. Please accept this, my Mona Lisa, as my gift to you. It took a long time, and lots of tiny brush strokes and touch ups to complete. And it went on for 20 fucking pages. Thank you so much for your messages and reviews! I read them all with quite the smile on my face, because I know something you don't know... And I love that. It turns me on. I sound like an asshole, but it's true.

Keep the suggestions coming! I'm seeing lots of things from you guys that put ideas in my head, and while at this point there's an actual plot (oh, so not what I intended when I started this voyage, but still quite enjoyable), there's a lot of blanks to fill in and I can only do that if there's a first involved. Case in point, I'm pretty sure this first was suggested. I can't remember who, as my brain is mush. So help a girl out! Review!