"I'm sorry Alex" Bella said again for the hundredth time.

"Don't worry about it Bella, I'm fine"

"Bella, love, no one is judging you. You're doing so well." Edward said, though his flinch after Rosalie's glare told me she didn't necessarily agree.

Carlisle was checking the placement of the bones, I had already healed from the incident but he wanted to test the theory of the bones returning to their original position.

So far it seemed Edward was right, not a bone out of place.

"I really am sorry; I shouldn't have lost it"

I felt Rosalie nod, but I grabbed her hand with my free one playing with the ring on her finger. "Seth doesn't think about any of that, he just wants Renesmee to be safe. Like a big brother" I reiterated.

"I know I just over reacted... the way Jacob told me about it was more like..."

I chuckled "I'm not surprised. but for us an imprint is someone important. Someone who's existence changes our life for the better, and some who we change for the better... I mean did having me around help you"

Bella thought about it, her memories were still present, fading but she could remember the last year. "yeah, you were the friend I needed. And then you turned into the sister I had to keep safe"

I groaned "everyone says that."

"well, you did say Bella was the big sister and Leah the best friend" Rose added. I nodded before looking back at Bella.

"for Seth, Renesmee is someone he cares about, it's not paternal, it's not quite sibling but it's definitely more than just a friend. He's her protector, her keeper of secrets. A babysitter if needed. The same with Leah and Demetri."

I felt Rose run her fingers through my hair as Carlilse stood up. "well Alex, it seems the venom is working. All the bones are back where they belong, no breaks, just rest it takes a lot out of you to do so."

I nodded feeling a yawn come on. That was the one thing about the venom, it worked extremely well, but I felt so tired afterwards. And it was strange because I found out, since Rosalie injected me with her venom, I don't need sleep as much anymore. I still had to sleep but I could go with far less than normal.

He rested his hand on my head for a moment "Stay still," he ordered, and then he disappeared upstairs. I heard his office door close.

"I can handle that" I replied nodding slightly, Rosalie helped me lean back against the couch. I looked at Bella "you missed a lot... the treaty is stronger than ever. A promise from the council, a treaty not only between the Cullens and the pack but between my pack and theirs."

"your pack?"

I hummed "yeah, Seth, Leah and I... I guess it helps that we have bonds here. Seth won't leave Renesmee it would hurt too much, the same with Leah. And I won't make them"

"is Jacob still a problem?"

I sighed "not really, he's bound by the council, but he's the alpha of his own pack... Sam did mention something interesting before, and the council agreed."

"what?"

"well, with so may alpha's there is bound to be one who is the alpha of alphas. Sam thought it was me, he said when I used my alpha voice to get away from his pack that it was so hard to stay standing. And Jacob lowered himself when I growled. Right now there are three packs, one with two and one with four."

"what do you mean?"

"well, Sam's pack is Jared, Paul and Quil. All of them have imprints, well their mates and ties to La Push. Jacob's pack is just him and Embry, I think they're off somewhere... they work well with Sam's pack for the most part. And my pack, Seth, Leah and me."

"we don't need to worry about that anymore" Rosalie amended her fingers running through my hair.

"What's the matter, Bella?" Jasper asked quietly "No one is angry with you or even surprised, really. Well, I suppose we are surprised. Surprised that you were able to snap out of it so quickly. You did well. Better than anyone expects of you."

"I was thinking about Charlie, actually."

The sound out front dropped off as I heard a few footsteps walk up the steps. It was Leah and Seth; they had the little ones with them. Leah got closer to me turning Demetri around to look at us. "See, she's right there."

"hey little man" I replied as he leaned out towards me, but Leah handed him to Rosalie.

"momma's just a little hurt, she'll be okay soon though."

That didn't make him feel any better, so I held out my arms and Rose placed him on my chest. He snuggled his head into my neck falling asleep.

"We really have to leave, don't we?" Bella asked. "For a while, at the very least. Pretend we're in Atlanta or something."

"Yes. It's the only way to protect your father."

Bella brooded for a moment. "I'm going to miss him so much. I'll miss everyone here."

"he'll be okay, he has my mom and Mark and Eve and Billy" I mumbled, though I was worried about leaving without a goodbye... I didn't want to leave my mom so soon.

Carlisle came down the stairs with his hands full of odd things - a measuring tape, a scale. Everyone in the room sat down, and looked at Carlisle expectantly.

"Must be six," Edward said.

"So?" Bella said.

"Time to measure Ness - er, Renesmee," Carlisle explained. "and Demetri"

"Oh. You do this every day?" Bella asked.

"yeah" I mumbled.

"Four times a day," Carlisle corrected absently as he motioned the others toward the couch. I thought I saw Renesmee sigh.

"Four times? Every day? Why?"

"They're growing quickly," Edward murmured, his voice quiet and strained. I felt Rosalie grab my hand threading her fingers through mine.

Everyone was tense, to the human eye the differences in the babies would be noticeable, barely but looking at them with my eyes and the eyes of everyone around the differences were so profound it was worrisome.

Demetri had matured from a single cell to a normal-sized baby in the course of a few weeks. He looked well on his way to being a toddler just days after his birth. Renesmee was the exact same. If this rate of growth held...

"What do we do?" Bella whispered, horrified. Her eyes meeting Rosalies for a fraction of a second.

"I don't know." Edward replied strained. I don't know what we would do if we lost the babies, Demetri was Rose's lifeline, if he died she would fall into the pit too.

After measuring Renesmee, Carlisle approached us. Rosalie picked him up gently allowing the measurements "it's less than yesterday" she murmured.

"hopefully it's the start of their growth slowing" I said quietly, everyone heard it though. Renesmee squirmed in her position, in Seth's arms, she placed a hand on his cheek, he then turned to Bella.

"How are you?"

"Worried," she admitted.

"I think everyone is" he muttered "but that's not what I meant. She wants you"

"I'm in control," she admitted. Seth handed Renesmee to Bella. I closed my eyes and felt Rosalie place Demetri back on my chest. His hand gripped my shirt tightly, the other played with the totem hanging from my neck. I placed a kiss on his head laid my head back only aware of what was happening around me by sound.

Edward chuckled.

"oh wonderful" Bella groaned "Perfect"

"it's just because he tastes better than the rest of us" Edward replied in an assuring voice. "and he's always so happy"

I heard the patting of skin on skin and Rosalie chuckling. "It looks like she's going to give you a rundown of everything you missed," Edward responded.

I heard a commotion and opened my eyes to see Jasper restraining Bella. "What did I do?" Bella asked.

"But she was remembering being thirsty," Edward muttered, his forehead pressing into lines. "She was remembering the taste of human blood."

"Yes," Bella agreed. "And?"

Edward frowned for a second more, and then his expression loosened. He laughed once. "And nothing at all, it seems. The overreaction is mine this time. Jazz, let her go."

Edward handed Bella Renesmee without hesitance.

"I can't understand," Jasper said. "I can't bear this." I watched in surprise as Jasper strode out the back door.

"He'll be back," Edward said "He just needs a moment alone to readjust his perspective on life." There was a grin threatening at the corners of his mouth.

"Is he mad at me?" Bella asked quietly.

Edward's eyes widened. "No. Why would he be?"

"What's the matter with him, then?"

"He's upset with himself, not you, Bella. He's worrying about... self-fulfilling prophecy, I suppose you could say."

"How so?" Carlisle asked before I could.

"He's wondering if the newborn madness is really as difficult as we've always thought, or if, with the right focus and attitude, anyone could do as well as Bella. Even now - perhaps he only has such difficulty because he believes it's natural and unavoidable. Maybe if he expected more of himself, he would rise to those expectations. You're making him question a lot of deep-rooted assumptions, Bella."

"But that's unfair," Carlisle said. "Everyone is different; everyone has their own challenges. Perhaps what Bella is doing goes beyond the natural. Maybe this is her gift, so to speak."

"That's an interesting theory, and quite plausible," Edward said. I watched Bella begin to think, I decided to ignore it and allowed myself to close my eyes.

"Have you ever seen an equivalent to self-control as a talent?" Edward asked Carlisle. "Do you really think that's a gift, or just a product of all her preparation?"

Carlisle shrugged, "it's slightly similar to what Siobhan has always been able to do, though she wouldn't call it a gift."

"Siobhan, your friend in that Irish coven?" Rosalie asked. "I wasn't aware that she did anything special. I thought it was Maggie who was talented in that bunch."

"Yes, Siobhan thinks the same. But she has this way of deciding her goals and then almost... willing them into reality. She considers it good planning, but I've always wondered if it was something more. When she included Maggie, for instance. Liam was very territorial, but Siobhan wanted it to work out, and so it did."

I let Rosalie, Edward and Carlisle continue their conversation as I drifted into sleep, my hand coming up to rest of Demetri's back.