Chapter 17: I understand my mother a whole lot better now. (Renesmee)
We reached the river. Mom and I leapt across while Jacob trudged through swiftly, meeting us on the other side.

We were nearly to the entrance when Leah and Seth ran to our sides whining gently.

“I’m all right.” Jacob soothed quickly. “Alert the others, we’ve got company.”

Leah growled as Seth threw his head back, howling loudly. With that, they took off into the woods, running the perimeter they’d set at tuktok speed.

Rosalie ran out the back door, “What’s going on?”

“They’re coming.” My mother sinabi briskly, rushing into the house.


Kasie and Michelle were sitting on the sopa watching television. Esme rose from her place beside them while Jasper and Garrett turned from their stiff positions on either side of them as we entered.

“We’ve got trouble!” Rosalie exclaimed.

“Renesmee get them upstairs.” Jasper ordered, throwing a finger in the direction of the sopa as he stepped toward my mother.

I ran around the front of the sofa, grabbing my friend’s arms and pulling them to their feet.

“Nessie?” Michelle asked anxiously.

“What are you doing?” Kasie demanded.

“No time to explain, let’s go!” I said, dragging them up the stairs after Jacob.


We entered my father’s bedroom. After shutting the door and locking it I turned to the room, looking for a place to hide. Yes, it was super cliché to run upstairs, especially when you were dealing with something that could be potentially horrific, but there weren’t many other options, we didn’t have a basement.

“Nessie what—” Michelle started as I pushed both her and Kasie into sitting positions on the floor at the foot of the bed.

“God! Could you stop with the violence and start with the explaining?” Kasie shouted.

“The Volturi are coming!” I shouted back. “They’re on their way right now!”

“Coming?” Michelle whispered sadly.

“They’re coming to get us? I thought we were ligtas here!” Kasie sinabi heatedly.

“Safer than you would be at home!” I retorted.

“Nessie—” Michelle started, tears welling in her eyes.

“Why are we up here then? Shouldn’t we be in some kind of anti-vampire bomb shelter or something?” Kasie interrupted.

“Do you think I would have taken you to the segundo level of a house if such a thing existed?” I replied obviously.

“Nessie we—” Michelle tried again.

“So we just have to sit here? Sit here and wait for them to take us?” Kasie continued.

“You’re not going anywhere! Okay? My family’s out there, right now, fighting. For you!”

“Yeah. Right.”

“You don’t believe me?” I hissed, my eyes narrowing maliciously.

“Why should I?”

“Nessie!” Michelle shouted.

“What?” I asked, trying to lower my voice, she wasn’t the one I’d been arguing with.

She sniffled, wiping a tear from her cheek. “We have to tell you something.”

“Michelle!” Kasie exclaimed, glaring meaningfully in her direction.

“Oh, shut up Kasie! She’s done a lot for us.”

Kasie shook her head, crossing her arms and turning to the carpet, scowling.

“Our dad’s a vampire.”

I stared at her a moment. How could she have known what my family had been considering for over a buwan now?

“He tried to get Kasie to sumali him a few months back. That’s why she moved here. Mom and I thought she might be safer if we were together.”

“So, you knew?”

“Of course we knew!” Kasie informed forcefully. “Why else would we have accepted you and your family so easily? We already knew about your kind.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, a little hurt.

“We didn’t think it was important until now.” Michelle replied, covering her face with her hands as she cried.

“Why now?”

“Because he’s with those Volturi guys, okay?”

I took a literal step back, staring down at them in shock. Their father was with the Volturi and they knew. This was like some kind of treason. I didn’t know how to react, or what other tanong to ask. I shook my head with a rough sigh then joined Jacob sa pamamagitan ng the window.

I started to cry silently. Today was almost too much to take. First Jacob was taken, then I had to leave a good portion of my family to fight off two, incredibly strong, Volturi soldiers, now my mga kaibigan were dropping a bomb shell like this?

Jacob put an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him as we stared out at the trees.


Thick, silvery smoke rose swiftly into view while we watched, pitching to the east as the wind blew.

“Jake.” I whispered, my voice dripping with fear, as I rested my head on his chest.

His grip tightened, “They’re going to be all right.”

“I don’t know.” I sinabi solemnly, quivering uncontrollably. “For once in my life, I’m not sure.”

He moved a hand to my hair, holding me to him while I cried.

After only a minuto he took a step forward, his hold on me loosening.

“Nessie.” He murmured.

I looked up as he pointed toward the trees branching out across the side yard.


Four figures moved out of the shadows, walking cautiously into the open yard beside the house; Jane, Alec, Chelsea, and a new face, the stranger from Denali, Kasie and Michelle’s father.”


I gasped.

Before I could make any movements, the remainder of my family stepped up before them, standing only three yards away, flanked sa pamamagitan ng Jake’s pack, their heads low and balahibo bristled.

“What is it?” Kasie asked, her voice heavy with shame and anxiety.

“They’re here.” Jacob answered sternly.

I moved forward, pressing my hands to the glass. I peered down at the two groups, one larger than the other, but one far stronger when it came to their gifts. And it seemed as though the absence of a leader made the Volturi guard much madami flexible when it came to making decisions.


Jane peered up into the window as I gazed out at the lawn. She cocked her head to the side a minuto her eyes narrowed, then she smiled.


I leapt back from the window with a gasp, wanting to avoid another does of her medicine.

“You all right?” Jake asked, putting a hand to my shoulder.

I stood silently for a moment, thinking hard. Something wasn’t right. I knew what was going to happen, even if the others didn’t. I couldn’t see it, but luckily I was surrounded sa pamamagitan ng some pretty predictable humans.

I looked behind me as the door hit its frame.

“No!” I called as Michelle darted down the hall and around the banister.

“Michelle!” Kasie called, following after her sister.


Jake and I followed as quick as we could, beating them both to the front door. I stood in front of it, my arms spread wide.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked fiercely.

“Get out of my way, Renesmee.” Michelle sinabi defiantly, glaring heavily. This was a side of her I had never seen before.

“I will not.”

“Michelle, please, listen to her.” Kasie pleaded. “I don’t want to go with them.”

“It’s the only way.” She snarled. “You know it as well as I do.”

Kasie looked to the floor.

It was silent for over a minuto before I finally realized what was happening.

“No. No, no, no!” I shouted angrily. “Don’t tell me you’re going along with this?”

“Nessie . . .” Jacob started.

“You too?” I snarled, a hiss passing between my teeth.

“No, Renesmee I don’t agree they should give themselves up. But we can’t really stand in their way if they want to—”

“What are you saying?”

“Maybe—we should let them do what they want.”

I stared at him silently for a minute.

“I’m sorry,” He sinabi slowly, looking to the floor.

“No, no. You’re right. We should all just do whatever we like.”

His eyes snapped to mine.

I opened the door and ran around the house to meet my family.


I stopped at my mother’s side.

“What are you doing here?” She asked firmly.

“Renesmee,” Jane said, her voice pitching up with excitement. “It’s so wonderful to see you again.”

“And you, Jane.”

“My, how you’ve grown.”

“Yes, well, that happens sometimes.” I sinabi mockingly.

“Yes.” She said, her eyes narrowing at my tone.

“Renesmee, get back in the house!” My mother ordered as she stared unblinkingly at Jane and Alec.

“Must she go?” Jane asked solemnly, smirking lightly. “We’ve only just begun to catch up.”

My mother growled, stepping in front of my defensively.

“Stop!” Michelle called from behind. She ran to my side, grabbing my arm. “You don’t have to fight anymore. We’ll go with them. It was wrong of us to put you all in such a position,” She whispered.

“Michelle, please . . .” I pleaded.

“Michelle?” The man asked gently, stepping forward. “Sweetheart, it’s me.”

“We know who you are.” Kasie sinabi gruffly, halting beside her sister, Jake right behind her. “Honestly, Dad, do you really think we’d forget?”

The man stared blankly in her direction.

Jane moved up beside the man. She was now way, way too close for comfort, especially to my mother who was two feet in front of me. “Am I to understand we will have a quiet transaction?”

My mother hissed, ready to pounce.

Jane’s lips pursed, she lifted her chin assertively then nodded once. “Very well then.” She turned to her brother. “We kill them.”

“No!” I shouted as Jasper, Rosalie, Garrett, Eleazar, Carmen and Tanya took three fierce strides forward, and the mga lobo lowered their heads further, their teeth bared; ready to fight. Carlisle and Esme positioned themselves behind, no doubt racking this brains for a way to end this peacefully.

Jane smiled brightly in my direction, “You have a solution young one?”

I looked at my family, trying to find the answer within the drama. There wasn’t much left to do. As far as I knew, outnumbered or not, Felix and Demetri had finished off my father, my aunt, my uncle, and my cousin. Only heaven knew if they were alive or dead. I felt the dread seep through me as I bowed my head.

“Well?” She asked, pulling herself to her full height as she watched me carefully.

Everything suddenly made sense. The dreams, my course of action, and the reason I wanted to stand beside my family as they fought. Everything. I felt like I had meaning. I was supposed to sacrifice something, even if it meant my life, my freedom. I knew what I had to do.

I looked to Jacob. There were a lot of things I wanted to say to him right now but it didn’t seem there was time. I noticed Jasper’s glance as I stared at my best friend, the pag-ibig of my life. I could imagine what he was feeling. A mixture of regret, fear, sorrow, desperation, and pag-ibig emanated from my being. No doubt he was confused, I knew I was.

“Jake.” I whispered, wanting to look into his eyes.

He turned his gaze to me, his expression bemused.

“I pag-ibig you . . .” My voice faltered on the last word.

His eyes narrowed as he tried his hardest to understand.

I looked to Jane, clearing my throat and lifting my chin in absolution, “I will go with you.”