Renesme's Dream

Renesme's Dream: Chapter 23: The Waiting Game

Chapter 23: The Waiting Game

**Bella’s POV**

Ben raced through the woods, dragging me along behind him. Granted, it didn’t hurt. The rocks and roots of trees I was bounced against felt as harmful as water droplets falling onto my skin. But the run was jarring and uncomfterble. I struggled as much as I could, but his grip on my wrist was too strong.

Finally, I managed to use my free hand to grasp his wrist. I hauled myself up, and bit his arm. He yelled in pain, and let go. Before he could react I flipped in mid air, and took off the other direction, back toward the reservation.

As I approached the house I heard yelling. I ran through the front door, and Edward grabbed me and pulled me into his arms before I could register what was happening.

“Bella!” He breathed. “Thank God! What happened?!”

“I bit him.” I smiled sheepishly.

He smiled my favorite crooked grin proudly.

“What was all the yelling about?” I asked, turning to find everyone staring at us. “Esme! Are you alright?”

“Yes, dear.” She lay on the floor, her head in Carlisle’s lap. He was stroking her hair and face, calming her. “He didn’t hurt me too badly. I’ll be fine.”

“We were yelling because we were arguing. Alice had a vision.” Edward told me. “She saw that Ben and Max have made the decision to attack tonight. But we don’t know where yet.”

“So what’s to argue about?”

“Our next move. Whether to find them before they find us, or wait it out and see if they change their mind.”

“I still say we find them!” Jacob growled from the corner where he was holding Renesmee.

My daughter peeked out at me from behind her curtain of curls. She leaped out of Jacob’s arms, danced across the back of the couch, sprang off of Edward’s shoulder, and landed in my arms.

“Whoa! Where did you learn that?” Edward asked.

“I was watching the gymnastics Olympics earlier.” She stated plainly, as if it were an obvious and perfectly logical answer. “Momma, are you ok? I saw you get taken away.”

She touched my cheek and replayed the incident from her point of view.

“Yes baby, I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”

I balanced her on my hip and shifted my weight to my other leg. It was a human tick the Cullens had taught me so I wouldn’t stand still too long around humans. Even though these humans were used to it, it had become a habit. 

“We need to stay here.” Sam said from the other side of the room. I hadn’t noticed him before, he must have arrived while I was being dragged through the woods. “Here the pack has authority and power, and the ability to help you. Off of our lands, it becomes more dicey.”

“I understand that,” Jacob argued. “But if we find them first and attack first then we’ll have the upper hand. I’m not risking Nessie’s safety-“

“No one is asking you to!” Edward exclaimed. “Jacob, if we leave, we give them an advantage. We’ll be on the move, and more vulnerable. Here, we’re planted, we’re solid, we’re able to force them to come to us.”

“Um, excuse me?” Rene spoke up in a timid voice, afraid to interrupt.

“What is it mom?”

“I was just wondering, why are these two vampires such a threat to you all? You out number them 5 to 1 at the very least!”

“In Renesmee’s vision, Max had a gun with bullets that could penetrate vampire skin. That’s a huge issue, nothing can penetrate our skin except our own teeth. They have weapons we do not posses, therefore they are severely more dangerous.” Edward explained. “If they have that kind of weaponry, we can’t be sure what else they have in store for us.”

“I see. And will they attack us as well?” Her voice shook as she asked the question.

I nodded solemnly. “Yes.”

Renesmee started crying in my arms, clutching at her head, and screaming.

“She’s having another vision!” Alice said. “Bella, stand still, try to touch her as little as possible.”

Her reaction was less severe this time, she didn’t thrash or writhe in pain, she just screamed and cried and grasped her head. Which was bad enough as it was. After a mere minute, the vision ended.

When it was over, she looked calm, but puzzled. She thought for a long moment, her small eyebrows furrowing together much in the same way her father’s did when he was thinking deeply.

We all stayed silent, waiting. “Momma,” She said calmly. “This dream was different. It wasn’t scary. Watch.” She touched my cheek.

I saw Renesmee and Max running through the woods together with Jacob, playing tag. Edward and I strolled behind them, holding hands and laughing. Edward ran ahead and scooped up Max under one arm, and threw Renesmee over his shoulder. They squealed with laughter, and I chased after them.

She pulled her hand away. “What does it mean?”

“It means there’s hope.” Edward said softly.  “It means there’s a chance we can still change Max’s mind.”

A sighed and visibly relaxed slightly, my shoulders going down a fraction of an inch. There was a chance….

“What about Ben?” Carlisle asked.

“He’s too far gone.” Emmett stated. “There’s no way he’ll stop. He’s too hell bent on revenge and bloodlust.”

“So what do we do then?”

Charlie asked from the couch. I looked over to find he was holding Rene’s hand, and she was holding Phil’s hand. It amazed me that even after over 50 years of divorce, they were still friends. And they still loved each other, just not in the same way that Rene loved Phil. And Phil was ok with it. It simply amazed me how their lives had worked out.

I remembered a fear I’d had back in elementary school. It was muddy and cloudy, and hard to see. I remembered listening to them fighting with each other, their yelling floating through the ceiling and into my room. I’d feared that they would end up strangers who hated each other, and I’d be stuck in the middle and be forced to choose between them.

In the end, they’re friends, and they care for each other. They’re happy. I felt my heart lurch at the realization that if we all survived this, I’d have everything I’d ever wanted.
Edward. Renesmee. Charlie AND Rene would know about my true life. I could visit them both now. And I’d still have Jacob and the Cullens.

If we survived.

“So What do we do then?” Charlie asked.

“We wait.” Edward announced, his tone final, daring anyone to argue with him.

No one did.

***I'm not sure how many more I'll be posting tonight, sheesh it's like almost 20 pages on word and then practically NONE on here! harumph! >:/

ANYWAYS comments please?? <:)