After Forever (a Twilight Saga fanfiction: 10 years after Breaking Dawn)

15 ∘ Chaos (BPOV)

September 20th, 2016

“What are you talking about?!” Jacob was shouting. Charlie was here about Renée, claiming she knew something was up. She was looking through his family photo albums from the last twelve years, since I came to Forks to live with him. What she found really threw him off guard. It was a Christmas picture from 2010. Edward, Renesmee... and me.

“She kept demanding that I tell her the truth! She said she knew how proud Bella was to be part of the Cullens, and never heard of Renesmee before six days ago. But somehow there’s a picture of you three together,” my dad explained.

It didn’t have a date on it, but there was a decorated tree behind us, so my mom naturally assumed it was from Christmas 2005, the year I met Edward. It was the only Christmas we shared before my death was announced the next year. But she put the pieces together. Edward wasn’t with me that Christmas. He left me three months prior.

I was on their right, with Edward on my left, and Renesmee on his. I was kissing Edward’s cheek, so my face was hidden by my hair. We got lucky. I didn’t look the same as my human self. I had the same features, of course. But my vampirism solidified them. She could have thought it was any brunette, but my name was on the bottom of the polaroid.

“Wait, so how did you leave it? I hardly believe the mother I knew would let you go without giving her an answer.” It didn’t sound like her at all.

“I got a call from work. They were filling me in on a case. I just told her I needed to go in, and that I’d talk to her when I got back. But I don’t know what to say. So that’s why I’m here. What do you suggest we do?”

“Well, if you knew there were pictures of Bella in your albums, why did you let her see them?” Jacob asked. He was angry, and scared for Renesmee’s safety.

“Hey. It’s not his fault. He can’t remember every single photo he has.” Jake was pissing me off.

“Watch your tone, Jacob,” Charlie growled in his professional Chief voice. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I told her I didn’t have many photos of Bella because she didn’t like being in them. She wouldn’t take that as an excuse. She said she wanted to see beyond that. She could clearly see I was close with you guys and still considered the Cullens family, after Bella’s death. She wanted to see how happy we were, and I couldn’t say no. I didn’t know how to.”

I didn’t blame him. I knew how my mom was. She was the complete opposite of my dad. Where he was perfectly fine not knowing what he didn’t need to, she needed to know every detail. It’s like a disease. She couldn’t help it. I learned to accept it a long time ago.

Charlie continued, “After she saw the photo, I didn’t let her look at any more. She was too busy pacing and yelling at me, so she didn’t notice me hide all four albums. Then I came straight here.”

We said we’d talk about it, and he left for work. He said he would stop by here again before going back home in a few hours.

I looked over to Edward, then to Carlisle. “Is there honestly anything we can do? I mean, shy of saying Edward found someone else with my name. We can’t tell people that every vampire they notice is another one of your relatives. The same lie can only work so many times before it’s just not an option anymore.”

Carlisle sighed heavily, and paused before speaking. “I agree. But, Bella—”

“Dad.” Edward cut him off, but he went on anyway.

“Have you considered having your parents be a part of our family?”

“You mean—” He nodded. Was he actually saying he’d be willing to change my parents, not only so I wouldn’t lose them, but so they would be able to know the truth without getting killed? “I’m in this life because I chose to be. I can’t ask them. That, on top of admitting what we are, would... It would put too much pressure on them. And they wouldn’t have much time to think about it. It would freak them out. I can’t.”

They all changed their expressions. Edward looked shocked.

“So... you want to,” Carlisle stated.

I was reluctant, and felt completely selfish, but I nodded.

“Why have you never said anything?” Edward asked me. He suddenly looked at Jasper in anger and confusion. “Or you?!”

“It wasn’t my place,” he said in an obvious tone.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How could you possibly know?”

“I suspected,” he corrected me. “By your emotions when you first saw your mother last week.”

I lowered my head. “Well, it doesn’t matter. What else is there to do?”

“We don’t have a lot of safe options, Bella. Whatever we do is up to you,” Carlisle said.