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？〃
〃Twenty…six 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 come 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 rare…disease 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 Jacob…y 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 offer。
I took a deep breath and shifted Renesmee's weight to one arm。 I put my left hand in his—he didn't even
flinch at the feel of my cool skin。 〃If I don't kill Charlie tonight； I'll consider forgiving you for this。〃
〃Whenyou don't kill Charlie tonight； you'll owe me huge。〃
I rolled my eyes。
He held out his other hand toward Renesmee； a request this time。 〃Can I？〃
〃I'm actually holding her so that my hands aren't free to kill you； Jacob。 Maybe later。〃
He sighed but didn't push me on it。 Wise of him。
Alice raced back through the door then； her hands full and her expression promising violence。
〃You； you； and you；〃 she snapped； glaring at the werewolves。 〃If you must stay； get over in the corner
and commit to being there for a while。 I need to see。 Bella； you'd better give him the baby； too。 You'll
need your arms free； anyway。〃
Jacob grinned in triumph。
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Undiluted fear ripped through my stomach as the enormity of what I was about to do hit me。 I was going
to gamble on my iffy self…control with my pure human father as the guinea pig。 Edward's earlier words
crashed in my ears again。
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 couldn't imagine the pain of failure。 My breathing turned to gasps。
〃Take her；〃 I whispered； sliding Renesmee into Jacob's arms。
He nodded； concern wrinkling his forehead。 He gestured to the others； and they all went to the far
corner of the room。 Seth and Jake slouched on the floor at once； but Leah shook her head and pursed
her lips。
〃Am I allowed to leave？〃 she griped。 She looked uncomfortable in her human body； wearing the same
dirty t…shirt and cotton shorts she'd worn to shriek at me the other day； her short hair sticking up in
irregular tufts。 Her hands were still shaking。
〃Of course；〃 Jake said。
〃Stay east so you don't cross Charlie's path；〃 Alice added。
Leah didn't look at Alice； she ducked out the back door and stomped into the bushes to phase。
Edward was back at my side； stroking my face。 〃You can do this。 I know you can。 Ill help you； we all
will。〃
I met Edward's eyes with panic screaming from