Chapter 4

NPOV

"What?!" everyone beside dad and Alice gasped.

"Wonderful job Alice." I said being sarcastic.

"Sorry." She apologized again.

"He marked my daughter while she was asleep?" Mom growled. "I'll fucking kill the pervert!"

"No! Mom wait, it's not how it sounds. He did mark me... But in my dream." I said.

"Your dream?" Grandma frowned.

"David got into my head. I don't know how exactly, but he did. In my dream he bit my neck and somehow the mark remained even after I woke up." I explained flashing them David's handy work.

"Like Freddy Krueger?" Emmett asks.

"Exactly. Only without the burnt skin dude with razor fingers." I said.

"You're not to step outside this house." Dad firmly states.

"What?"

"I mean it Renesmee. You are not to go wandering off by yourself. You stay where we can keep a close eye on you at all times." He said.

"Don't you think you're a tad bit overreacting?" I ask wondering if he had suddenly lost his mind.

Dad shakes his head.

"To keep my only daughter safe from a pack of rebellious night crawlers. No, I don't."

"You can't just cage me." I argued.

"I think you'll find that as your father, I can." He assures me.

"Son, nothing good can come of this. You know what will happen if you try to keep them apart." Grandpa intervened.

"What would you have me do Carlisle? Allow this to happen?" Dad hissed.

"Edward calm down." Grandma said.

"Would you quit making a mountain out a moles hill already. Nothing is going to happen. What if David is my true mate. Why make what could be something good into an unpleasant situation?" I ask folding my arms in frustration.

"She has a point." Mom says.

I was glad at least one person agreed with me. Then again Mom always had my back, no matter what.

"Bella how can you say that? Do you really want our daughter to socialize with those fucks? To allow her to walk into the lion's den and become a savage?!" Dad shrieks looking outraged at mom.

"Wow. Thanks for having faith in me dad. It's nice to know that I can always count on you for support." I said feeling down right insulted at that point.

"Edward what the hell? How could think that about her let alone say it?" Mom hisses in fury. "This is our little girl we're talking about, not some blood thirsty newborn."

"I didn't mean it like that." Dad defends himself.

"Then what did you mean it like?" I bitterly ask him.

"I just meant that I want you safe, Renesmee. You mean everything to your Mom and I, you know that. But those creatures care for nothing. They won't stop to think about taking advantage of the most innocent soul because of who you are or what you are. They will hurt you."

I shook my head.

"I don't believe that. It doesn't feel that way. Not to me."

Knock knock knock

Out of nowhere a soft tapping noise got the attention of everyone in the room as I watched all eyes flicker to something behind me. I then turned on the spot to see what they were looking at and got one hell of a surprise.

"Laddie?"

His small form was in a crouched position just outside the window. The second his eyes found mine I saw his tiny little face glow with joy.

"W-what are you...? How did you...?" I faltered.

The little guy threw me a wave before turning his back on us and jumped off the ledge.

'FUCK!'

"Laddie!" I yell out in terror.

I went to go after him only to be forced to a stop by my dad who had a tight grip of my arm.

"Renesmee don't, just let him go." He says.

"What do you mean let him go? Are you nuts?! He could be hurt." I shrieked at him in contempt.

"He's a vampire Renesmee. One of them. A jump like that can't hurt him."

"Maybe so but he's still a kid." I gritted.

I then yanked my arm from his clutch and ran out the room bucking it down the stairs. In my haste I nearly took the front door off its hinges (sorry Grandma). However, by the time I rounded the house Laddie was nowhere to be seen.

"Ladiiiie!" I call out cupping my hands around my mouth.

I saw my dad zip up to me followed by mom who was telling him to calm down.

"Renesmee stop! He's gone." He tells me.

"I gotta find him. I can't just leave him out there alone." I said.

"The hell you won't. I forbid you!"

I rolled my eyes at my father's tone of authority.

'Just try and stop me.' I thought, provocatively.

Just as he was about to make a grab for me again, I did something completely and utterly stupid. In one swift move I had caught his arm and given him a hard kick between the legs.

"Argh! Fuck!" He cried dropping to one knee holding himself.

"Don't fucking touch me! I hate you!" I yelled at him.

Without giving him a second thought, I dashed into the pitch-black forest hearing my mom call after me. I did not stop though. I was determined to find Laddie and ensure that he was alright. If I can find him that is. My ears perk up as I hear my family give chase. I growled in annoyance and push myself to go faster.

"Renesmee!" I hear Aunt Rosalie cry out.

"Renesmee stop! It's not safe!" Ah, Uncle Emmett.

Damn it! They were closing in. Fast. I tried like hell to rack my brains and come up with an idea to give them the slip. But just then though I felt something jump on my back causing me to yelp and crash to the ground with a thud.

"Ouch. Damn it." I hissed feeling a sharp pain shoot through my side.

"Are you ok?" A familiar tiny voice asks me.

I whip my head round to look over my shoulder, and there was Laddie staring down at me.

"Laddie," I gasp as he crawls off my back so I could get up on my knees. "You're here. I was so worried about you."

I give him a tight hug and kiss the top of his head as a flood of relief overcame me.

"Laddie what were you doing out here so late at night?" I ask pulling back to look at him.

"I wanted to see you. I didn't like you leaving yesterday. Neither did my brothers." He said looking terribly sad about it.

"Where are your brothers now?" I ask aware that my aunt and uncle were closing in.

"They went out and left me with Star, but she was being really mean. So, I came to find you."

I was about to ask him something else when from out the corner of my eye I saw Emmett and Rosalie come into view. In an instant I was on my feet shielding Laddie behind me.

"Do not take another step." I warned them.

"Renesmee please we just want to help." Rosalie says still walking toward us.

"I said STOP!" I shout bringing her to a halt.

"Ness we're on your side, okay?" Uncle Emmett says holding his hands up in surrender. "But you have to come with us right now. Your dad's freaking out back there and your mom won't be able to hold him off for long."

"So what? I go back to staring at my four walls until my dad decides when it's okay for me to leave the house. Because that is how it is gonna be. Hell, that is how it has always been. Poor little Renesmee is so weak and pathetic that she cannot possibly handle life beyond her own home. I maybe half human but I am also half freaking vampire for god sake! I can take care of myself!" I yell and just then I glance down hearing a gasp come from Laddie.

"Your half vampire?" He asks with eyes as wide as saucers.

I nod and smile at him.

"Like me?"

"Well, not particularly like you little bud. But yeah, I am." I tell him.

"None of us would ever think that way about you Renesmee. We only want to protect you." Aunt Rosalie tries to assure me.

"FROM WHAT?!" I scream throwing my arms out. "What do I need to be protected from? I am not in any danger. You guys are suffocating me here. All I want to do is get Laddie home then find David and get my answers."

Just then I was taken back as Laddie suddenly latches on to my leg.

"No! I don't wanna go home!" He cries.

"Laddie we have to get you back. Your brothers will be looking for you." I tell him.

He frantically shakes his head.

"I don't wanna go back. Star hates me. She hits me sometimes. She said she would make bad things happen if I told."

I'm struck dumb by his confession. I am suddenly on my knees hugging this frightened child to me. If I wasn't pissed off before I was sure as hell smoldering fire now. How dare this Star woman lay her filthy hands on Laddie. If I get my hands on her I was gonna rip her to shreds. What kind of sick bitch was she?! He's just a kid for god sake! She would pay. Oh, she would pay.

"I'm so sorry Laddie. I wish I'd known." I said rubbing my hand up and down his back, trying my best to sooth him as he sobbed into my shoulder. "Its gonna be ok. She will never hurt you again, I promise."

"Don't leave me." I hear him utter.

I felt my heart break right then for this poor little boy. How could anyone be so cruel? It was horrible.

"Never. I'll never you." I tell him truly meaning it.

I barely knew this boy and yet I already felt a strong attachment to him. I wouldn't see him go through anymore pain. I gather Laddie up in my arms and rotate round to face my aunt and uncle.

"Guys, I have to find David and the others. They have to know about this." I tell them keeping a tight hold on Laddie.

They nod.

"Absolutely." Rosalie says looking pissed off herself.

"I'll go back and talk to Carlisle." Uncle Emmett says.

"We'll meet you there in a few minutes. Give Edward a chance to calm down." Rosalie tells him.

Emmett nods before vanishing out of sight. I can only hope my dad won't kick up an even bigger fuss. I know what I did earlier was wrong. But in my defense, he was being a dick.

"What if dad doesn't agree?" I ask Rosalie.

"Then we'll do it without him. Either that or I'll kick his ass." She says.

I had to laugh at that last part.

"Let's just hope mom can talk some sense into him." I said.

I get the feeling that we were in for a long eventful night.

Fifteen minutes later we arrive back outside the house, and instantly I'm on edge due to how quiet it was inside. This could either be particularly good, or awfully bad.

"I don't like it. Something doesn't seem right." I mumble to Rosalie.

"Stay here. I'll go check it out." She says motioning for me to stay put.

"Be careful." I tell her, tightening my hold on Laddie.

I watch as she walks up to the house and goes through the front door. No soon after that did I sense a presence behind me. I didn't have time to think before I heard Laddie say the next thing he did.

"Max!"

'What the hell?' I thought to myself.

Panicking I quickly spun on the spot to face the individual and was taken aback. It was the guy who had served me at the video store yesterday. What in the heck was he doing here?

"Well hello again. You must be Renesmee." He says smiling at me.

"H-how do you know my name?" I ask taking a step back making sure I had safe hold on Laddie.

He chuckles.

"Oh, my boys have told me all about you and your family."

I raise one eyebrow at this.

"Your boys?" I ask in uncertainty.

"David. Marco. Paul. Dwayne and even young Laddie here." He says motioning to Laddie.

You have got to be kidding me! He must be pulling my leg.

"W-when you say, 'your boys'. What do you mean by that?" I ask still not trusting him.

"They're my sons." He says.

'Well… that's one hell of an eye opener.' I think to myself.

"Laddie, is that true?" I ask the little boy in my arms needing confirmation.

Laddie quickly nods.

"Yeah. Max is our maker. He made my brothers and I into vampires." He eagerly tells me.

That made a lot more sense. It explains why the boys seemed so tight when I saw them last night. They really were family.

"Wow. That's err… that's kind of a big deal." I said, and that's when I turn my attention back to Max. "But wait a minute. What are you doing here? And how do you even know where I live?" I ask him.

He clears his throat.

"Well, the answers to those questions just so happen to be in that house at this very moment."

Once he said that I practically hear the alarm bells set off in my head. And without saying another word I run vamp speed into my home only jolting to a stop in the living area as I came face to face with a startling scene. I saw my father being held on his knees by Marco and Paul who had hold of both his arms behind his back. Dwayne had a hold of Rosalie by the neck. The rest of the family were perched on the couches with terrified infuriated expressions. And stood in the middle of it all was David who was staring at me with an unknown smirk on his face.

All I could think in that moment was, 'oh shit.'

Author's Note: Oh shit indeed. How will the Cullen's get out of this one? Find out next time.

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