Forever Young

Chapter 12

 The picnic in the forest was the best lunch of my life- not just since I had moved in with the Cullens. Koda was still holding the flowers that he had plucked near the swing, and twisted them into a crown that he placed on my head. Nessie was talking to me, laughing as she leaned so close to whisper into my ear that the warmth of her shoulder was pressed against mine. And Esme had even remembered to add blood to my food, making it delicious as it eased the burning in my throat.

Glancing at the people around me, I realized how much I had gained. Just a week earlier, the idea of being around other people was laughable. Vampires had terrified me and humans were so... human. And the wolves had been nothing but giant toys that I could trick into chasing me when I was bored.

But here I was, sitting between a werewolf and another vampire-hybrid child, smiling and laughing.

And we were in the forest! I hadn't truly realized how much I had missed it. It was something I had tried to force out of my mind, knowing that I wanted to stay with the Cullens and sure that I could not have both them and the forest.

As Esme began packing up the food and dishes, she promised me that we could try to come out and eat in the forest whenever I asked- as long as the weather was agreeable. And Jacob promised to take Nessie and I into the forest to play sometimes, adding on that Koda could join us when I asked. Takoda smiled widely at me.

"Alright, girls," Esme said, helping Renesmee and I to our feet. "I think it's about naptime".

Though I wanted to whine and complain until Esme let me get out of taking a nap, Takoda started talking before I could.

"Can I stay for naptime?" He asked, glancing between Esme and Carlisle.

They glanced at Jacob, who was shaking his head with a small smile. "I know what you're trying to do, Takoda," Jake said. "Emily is already upset that you took off on your own. Stalling won't help your case. Time to face the music, kid."

Koda sighed, biting his lower lip as he nodded. He stood slowly, shuffling over to sling an arm around me. "By, Ammie".

"Bye, Koda," I said. I hope you don't get into so much trouble that you don't get to come back. Please come back.

Carlisle started walking towards the house, and Esme came over to Nessie and I, putting a hand on each of our shoulders to guide us after him. Esme pulled Nessie onto her back, and glanced over at me. "You can cross the river on your own, Darling?" 

I nodded. 

"You're certain?" 

I nodded again, easily clearing the river with one bound. Glancing at Esme's face to make sure she had seen, I smiled proudly and started skipping ahead before remembering that I was supposed to be trying to talk myself out of a nap.

I slowed down to allow Esme and Renesmee to catch up. Carlisle must have done the same, because even though our pace was slower, he was now just a few feet in front of us. It made me nervous- if he was listening in to the conversation, I would have to convince him to let me skip the nap, too. Trying to talk two people out of something had to be even harder than talking just Esme out of it.

"Esme?" I asked as she approached. 

"Yes, Darling?" Esme reached out to grasp my hand in hers as we walked, and while there didn't seem to be a purpose to it, I still liked it.

It took me a few moments to figure out exactly what I wanted to ask. "Can I not take a nap, please? I promise I don't need one. When I was by myself, I didn't even sleep every night. I would just stay up until I had to sleep. So I probably don't need a nap."