from。 〃No！〃
Edward spoke through his teeth。 〃Jacob's on his way in now。〃
It must have started raining farther east。 Jacob came through the door shaking his wet hair like a dog；
flipping droplets on the carpet and the couch where they made little round gray spots on the white。 His
teeth glinted against his dark lips； his eyes were bright and excited。 He walked with jerky movements；
like he was all hypedup about destroying my father's life。
〃Hey； guys；〃 he greeted us； grinning。
It was perfectly silent。
Leah and Seth slipped in behind him； in their human forms—for now； both of their hands were trembling
with the tension in the room。
〃Rose；〃 I said； holding my arms out。 Wordlessly； Rosalie handed me Renesmee。 I pressed her close to
my motionless heart； holding her like a talisman against rash behavior。 I would keep her in my arms until I
was sure my decision to kill Jacob was based entirely on rational judgment rather than fury。
She was very still； watching and listening。 How much did she understand？
〃Charlie'll be here soon；〃 Jacob said to me casually。 〃Just a headsup。 I assume Alice is getting you
sunglasses or something？〃
〃You assume way too much；〃 I spit through my teeth。 〃What。 Have。 You。 Done？〃
Jacob's smile wavered； but he was still too wound up to answer seriously。 〃Biondie and Emmett woke
me up this morning going on and on about you all moving crosscountry。 Like I could let you leave。
Charlie was the biggest issue there； right？ Well； problem solved。'7
〃Do you even realize what you've done？ The danger you've put him in？〃
He snorted。 〃I didn't put him in danger。 Except from you。 But you've got some kind of supernatural
selfcontrol； right？ Not as good as mind reading； if you ask me。 Much less exciting。〃
Edward moved then； darting across the room to get in Jacob's face。 Though he was half a head shorter
than Jacob； Jacob leaned away from his staggering anger as if Edward towered over him。
〃That's just a theory； mongrel；〃 he snarled。 〃You think we should test it out on Charlie？ Did you
consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through； even if she can resist？ Or the emotional pain if she
doesn't？ I suppose what happens to Bella no longer concerns you！〃 He spit the last word。
Renesmee pressed her fingers anxiously to my cheek； anxiety coloring the replay in her head。
Edward's words finally cut through Jacob's strangely electric mood。 His mouth dropped into a frown。
〃Bella will be in pain？〃
〃Like you've shoved a whitehot branding iron down her throat！〃
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I flinched； remembering the scent of pure human blood。
〃I didn't know that；〃 Jacob whispered。
〃Then perhaps you should have asked first；〃 Edward growled back through his teeth。
〃You would have stopped me。〃
〃You should have been stopped—〃
〃This isn't about me；〃 I interrupted。 I stood very still； keeping my hold on Renesmee and sanity。 〃This is
about Charlie； Jacob。 How could you put him in danger this way？ Do you realize it's death or vampire life
for him now； too？〃 My voice trembled with the tears my eyes could no longer shed。
Jacob was still troubled by Edward's accusations； but mine didn't seem to bother him。 〃Relax； Bella。 I
didn't tell him anything you weren't planning to tell him。〃
〃But he's ing here！〃
〃Yeah； that's the idea。 Wasn't the whole let him make the wrong assumptions' thing your plan？ I think I
provided a very nice red herring； if I do say so myself。〃
My fingers flexed away from Renesmee。 I curled them back in securely。 〃Say it straight； Jacob。 I don't
have the patience for this。〃
〃I didn't tell him anything about you； Bella。 Not really。 I told him about me。 Well； show is probably a
better verb。〃
〃He phased in front of Charlie；〃 Edward hissed。
I whispered； 〃You what？〃
〃He's brave。 Brave as you are。 Didn't pass out or throw up or anything。 I gotta say； I was impressed。
You should've seen his face when I started taking my clothes off； though。 Priceless；〃 Jacob chortled。
〃You absolute moronl You could have given him a heart attack！〃
〃Charlie's fine。 He's tough。 If you'd give this just a minute； you'll see that I did you a favor here。〃
〃You have half of that； Jacob。〃 My voice was flat and steely。 〃You have thirty seconds to tell me every
single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off。 Seth won't be able to
stop me this time。〃
〃Jeez； Bells。 You didn't used to be so melodramatic。 Is that a vampire thing？〃
〃Twentysix seconds。〃
Jacob rolled his eyes and flopped into the nearest chair。 His little pack moved to stand on his flanks； not
at all relaxed the way he seemed to be； Leah's eyes were on me； her teeth slightly bared。
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〃So I knocked on Charlie's door this morning and asked him to e for a walk with me。 He was
confused； but when I told him it was about you and that you were back in town； he followed me out to
the woods。 I told him you weren't sick anymore； and that things were a little weird； but good。 He was
about to take off to see you； but I told him I had to show him something first。 And then I phased。〃 Jacob
shrugged。
My teeth felt like a vise was pushing them together。 〃I want every word； you monster。〃
〃Well； you said I only had thirty seconds—okay； okay。〃 My expression must have convinced him that I
wasn't in the mood for teasing。 〃Lemme see。。。 I phased back and got dressed； and then after he started
breathing again； I said something like； 'Charlie； you don't live in the world you thought you lived in。 The
good news is； nothing has changed—except that now you know。 Life'll go on the same way it always
has。 You can go right back to pretending that you don't believe any of this。'
〃It took him a minute to get his head together； and then he wanted to know what was really going on
with you； with the whole raredisease thing。 I told him that you had been sick； but you were fine now—it
was just that you'd had to change a little bit in the process of getting better。 He wanted to know what I
meant by 'change；' and I told him that you looked a lot more like Esme now than you looked like Renee。〃
Edward hissed while I stared in horror； this was headed in a dangerous direction。
〃After a few minutes； he asked； real quietly； if you turned into an animal； too。 And I said； 'She wishes she
was that cool！'〃 Jacob chuckled。
Rosalie made a noise of disgust。
〃I started to tell him more about werewolves； but I didn't even get the whole word out—Charlie cut me
off and said he'd 'rather not know the specifics。' Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting
yourself into when you married Edward； and I said； 'Sure； she's known all about this for years； since she
first came to Forks。' He didn't like that very much。 I let him rant till he got it out of his system。 After he
got calmed down； he just wanted two things。 He wanted to see you； and I said it would be better if he
gave me a head start to explain。〃
I inhaled deeply。 〃What was the other thing he wanted？〃
Jacob smiled。 〃You'll like this。 His main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this。 If
it's not absolutely essential for him to know something； then keep it to yourself。 Need to know； only。〃
I felt relief for the first time since Jacob had walked in。 〃I can handle that part。〃
〃Other than that； he'd just like to pretend things are normal。〃 Jacob's smile turned smug； he must suspect
that I would be starting to feel the first faint stirrings of gratitude about now。
〃What did you tell him about Renesmee？〃 I struggled to maintain the razor edge in my voice； fighting the
reluctant appreciation。 It was premature。 There was still so much wrong with this situation。 Even if
Jacob's intervention had brought out a better reaction in Charlie than I'd ever hoped for。。。
〃Oh yeah。 So I told him that you and Edward had inherited a new little mouth to feed。〃 He glanced at
Edward。 〃She's your orphaned ward—like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson。〃 Jacob snorted。 〃I didn't
think you'd mind me lying。 That's all part of the game； right？〃 Edward didn't respond in any way； so
Jacob went on。 〃Charlie was way past being shocked at this point； but he did ask if you were adopting
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her。 'Like a daughter？ Like I'm sort of a grandfather？' were his exact words。 I told him yes。 'Congrats；
Gramps；' and all of that。 He even smiled a little。〃
The stinging returned to my eyes； but not out of fear or anguish this time。 Charlie was smiling at the idea
of being a grandpa？ Charlie would meet Renesmee？
〃But she's changing so fast；〃 I whispered。
〃I told him that she was more special than all of us put together；〃 Jacob said in a soft voice。 He stood
and walked right up to me； waving Leah and Seth off when they started to follow。 Renesmee reached out
to him； but I hugged her more tightly to me。 〃I told him； Trust me； you don't want to know about this。 But
if you can ignore all the strange parts； you're going to be amazed。 She's the most wonderful person in the
whole world。' And then I told him that if he could deal with that； you all would stick around for a while
and he would have a chance to get to know her。 But that if it was too much for him； you would leave。 He
said as long as no one forced too much information on him； he'd deal。〃
Jacob stared at me with half a smile； waiting。
〃I'm not going to say thank you；〃 I told him。 〃You're still putting Charlie at a huge risk。〃
〃I am sorry about it hurting you。 I didn't know it was like that。 Bella； things are different with us now； but
you'll always be my best friend； and I'll always love you。 But I'll love you the right way now。 There's
finally a balance。 We both have people we can't live without。〃
He smiled his very most Jacoby smile。 〃Still friends？〃
Try as hard as I could to resist； I had to smile back。 Just a tiny smile。
He held out his hand： an