A New Cullen Sister

Chapter 12

"Tell us all about her, Aunty Alice!" begged Renesmee. Alice and Rosalie had just arrived home. After a brief reunion, the family plus Jacob, Leah and Seth, retreated to the living room. Renesmee was sitting on Alice's lap on the sofa. Jasper sat next to Alice, and next to him were Bella and Edward. On the next sofa, sat Rosalie and Emmett. Across from them, sat Leah, Seth and Jacob. Alice glanced at Rosalie, who nodded in assent.

"She is really sweet, Nessie. I can see you two getting on very well. All of us will get on well with her. She is so eager to meet you all. You will have forever to get to know your new aunt a little better."

"What else?" This came from an enthusiastic Emmett.

"She likes reading and classical music. She hopes to one day further her violin playing skills and wants to study medicine. She loves stationery and Winnie-the-Pooh. She's not been in school for a while but takes online classes to keep up. She's from Seattle."

Renesmee smiled happily, appeased. A brief, silent conversation appeared to go on between Edward and Alice. Edward nodded, and caught Jacob's eye, nodding down at Renesmee. Jacob caught the hint quickly.

"Hey Nessie, shall we go get you some breakfast now?"

"Okay Jakey."

"How sick is she, exactly?" queried Edward, as soon as the two of them were out of earshot. Alice and Rosalie both showed him the image of Amelia lying in the ICU in their heads. It was worse before we arrived, Edward. Edward shuddered in horror.

"Hey, no fair! We want to know too!" exclaimed Emmett.

"She is very sick, Emmett," said Rosalie, "Alice reckons she will possibly make it to September, perhaps even October before she passes on. She sounds like a tractor when she tries to breathe, it is hard work and she is in a lot of pain. She can barely even wash her hair on her own. She apparently told Esme that it's hard trying to shower because she can't take her oxygen line with her, and she can't go for more than a few minutes at a time without it. Washing her hair is taxing, so Esme has been helping her with it. She has these horrible coughing fits which sometimes end with her throwing up."

"It's going to be a brutal and forgiving death. She is going to suffer," stated Alice sadly, replaying the vision she saw of her littlest sister dying in her head - Esme distraught with grief, Carlisle trying to hold her together whilst barely hanging on to his own emotions. A sharp intake of breath followed that, and she locked eyes with Edward.

"But you said that she has chosen to be like you?" said Leah, "Has that now changed?"

"Not as yet, but it is going to be tricky to decide when exactly to turn her. Carlisle won't take away her mortality before it is necessary, but it is going to be hard for him to watch her suffer in the interim."

Leah nodded in understanding. Seth looked sad. Jasper, Edward and Emmett held their wives a little closer.

"How did she take the news about us being, well, us?" queried Bella.

"Her best friend was Bree Tanner," stated Rosalie.

"From Victoria's army? The girl who surrendered?" exclaimed Seth. Bella stiffened. Leah's face contorted. A sigh from the kitchen informed them that Jacob was remembering that battle as well. After all, he had had half of the bones in his body crushed by a newborn vampire. It was not an experience he hoped to ever relive.

"The very one."

"So she's the Mia that Bree was referring to!" said Edward, relieved to finally have tracked the girl, albeit unwittingly.