Loose Tooth, a twilight fanfic

Disclaimer: While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Carlisle and other medical personnel are not to be regarded as authoritative.

Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety.

A/N: The date of this story is correct for my alternate history, as described in my profile. Barbie

Winter 2007

Nessie one A/E six, claiming six, first grade

Nessie

I skipped at Grandpa's side, holding his hand as we walked through the woods. "Let's find a bear, Grandpa!"

He smiled down at me. "Only if you let me kill it or at least paralyze it for you, Nessie."

"That's no fun!" I protested. "I like catching my own meals."

"Yes, but you know you aren't allowed to take down large predators."

"I could," I pouted.

"No doubt, but when your father found out —"

"We wouldn't tell him, Grandpa!" I said eagerly.

He shook his head. "I can block my thoughts, Nessie, but you know you can't always block yours."

"I'm getting better, Grandpa, really! I wouldn't let Daddy find out. Please let's go after a bear?" I stared up at him with pleading eyes, and he turned away with a groan.

"Don't do this to me, Nessie; do you realize how hard it is for me to say no to you?"

"Then don't," I said, grinning impishly.

"Edward would kill me," Grandpa murmured. Then he lifted his head, an expression of relief in his eyes. "I smell a herd of deer about a mile northwest. Go and get one of them, Nessie; this isn't bear territory, anyway."

I sighed as I dropped his hand and took off running in the direction of the deer. I was sure I'd nearly had him…maybe the next time he took me hunting he'd let me get a bear.

Of course, it was all nonsense about Daddy killing him; I knew Daddy wouldn't kill anyone, not even Jake, and Daddy didn't like Jake for some reason. Of course, Jake might kill anyone who let me tackle a bear — but he couldn't read minds to know they'd done it.

I caught my deer easily, knocking it to the ground and sinking my teeth into its neck — or starting to. I pulled back with a cry of pain, letting the deer scramble to its feet and make its escape as Grandpa appeared through the trees. "Nessie? What's wrong?"

I whimpered in reply, my hand at my mouth.

"Where does it hurt, Nessie? Let me see." He had hurried toward me, kneeling in front of me and gently pulling my hand away.

"My tooth," I whimpered.

"Open," he ordered quietly. He tested my tooth with his thumb, and it moved at his touch. With a quick grasp and twist, Grandpa pulled it out, then whipped his handkerchief out at vampire speed and pressed a fold of it into the empty space.

I whimpered softly, and Grandpa pulled me onto his knee. "Does it hurt that badly, Nessie?"

"No," I whispered, my voice muffled by his handkerchief. I pressed against his chest and reached to touch his face. What's wrong with me, Grandpa? Why are my teeth coming out?

"Oh, Nessie. Nothing's wrong with you, honey; all children lose their baby teeth when their adult teeth come in. Don't you remember any of your classmates' teeth getting loose and falling out?"

I nodded, remembering Allasyn's gap-toothed smile. She had been missing all four of her front teeth, but I grew so much faster… Grandpa, what if all my teeth come out at once? What if I can't eat? I ran my tongue along my teeth, grateful that for now they all seemed solid.

"Shh, Nessie. You do grow faster, so I wouldn't be surprised if your adult tooth came in before you have to hunt again." He removed his handkerchief and gently probed the space with his finger. "But even if you did lose all your teeth at once," he continued, "do you honestly think we'd let you starve? We'd get blood for you and let you drink it from a cup."

"Human blood?" I asked eagerly.

Grandpa chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up." He slid me off his knee, gently standing me on the ground. "Your deer can't have gone too far; go find it and finish your meal."

"Okay, Grandpa."

He was waiting when I finished, and I hurried to his side.

"Nessie," he said quietly, "if one of your teeth hurts or you feel it's loose, come to me or your father and let us pull it for you."

I blinked up at him. "Why?"

In answer, he pulled out his handkerchief and showed me the red patch of my blood. "You're probably safe with everyone but Jasper," he admitted, "and I think even he has more control than he gives himself credit for. But I'm sure your father would prefer you come to someone we know has enough control, and not risk catching anyone off guard."

I shrugged. I'd let Grandpa or Daddy pull my teeth if that's the way they wanted to do it, but I didn't see anything to be concerned about. Of course I was safe; it was just silly to think of anyone drinking my blood. Red-eyed strangers, maybe, but not my golden-eyed family who all adored me.

I grabbed Grandpa's arm with both hands and lifted my feet off the ground. He laughed and swung me up to sit on his arm. "Tired, Nessie?"

"No." But I nestled my head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. Maybe I was tired…just a little bit.

oOo

When we reached the little house where I lived with Momma and Daddy, Grandpa set me on the ground. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out my tooth and handed it to me.

"Tell your parents what happened, and let them show you how to put that under your pillow."

"For the tooth fairy?" I asked eagerly. Allasyn had told me about getting presents from the tooth fairy, and I had thought that as a half-vampire it was something that could never happen to me.

Grandpa chuckled. "Well, I don't know about the tooth fairy, but I do know children usually find surprises when they leave their baby teeth under their pillow."

After my bath, Momma gave me a piece of tissue paper, and I carefully wrapped my tooth and put it under my pillow before crawling into bed. "Is there really a tooth fairy, Momma?" I asked as she pulled the covers up around me.

Momma smiled. "What do you think, Nessie?"

I grinned. "I think I'm going to stay awake and see!"

"Oh, no, you're not," Daddy's voice came from the doorway. He crossed the room to my bed and brushed his hand gently over my forehead. "You're going to go to sleep like a good little girl."

I sighed and burrowed down in the covers. "Okay. Will you watch for me and tell me if she comes?"

Daddy exchanged a glance with Momma before smiling down at me. "Of course, Renesmée. Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Daddy."

I seldom had trouble falling asleep, but it was even easier after hunting; I didn't know if it was because I was extra tired or just because I had a full stomach. I almost never woke before morning, but tonight I opened my eyes to a room that was still dark, waked by a steady ache in my gum. I probed the space with my tongue, and winced at the pain. Daddy, it hurts where my tooth was.

In seconds he was in my room. "Open your mouth and let me see, baby." He gently felt the sore gum, and I whimpered softly.

"Shh," he murmured, lifting me out of bed into his arms. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go to the big house and get you some ice." We didn't keep human props in our little house; humans didn't even know it existed.

I was in my nightgown and Daddy was wearing only a pair of pajama pants, but he didn't change before carrying me outside and up the lane to the big house. There was no one but family to see us, anyway.

He worked with one hand, keeping me on his other arm as he crushed an ice cube in his hand and dropped the pieces into a cup. Carrying it to the living room, he settled on the sofa with me in his lap and put an ice chip in the corner of a plastic bag. "There, Nessie," he murmured, holding it against my sore gum. "That feels better, doesn't it?" *

Uh-huh.

He changed the ice as my body heat melted it, and I started to grow drowsy in his arms.

"Edward?" Grandpa called softly from the top of the stairs. "Is she all right?"

"Yes; the new tooth is coming through and it hurts."

"Does she need me to numb it for her?" Grandpa questioned, coming down the stairs.

"No; I've been icing it and that seems to be enough."

Grandpa knelt in front of the sofa. "Here, honey, let me see."

I opened my mouth obediently for him to feel the gum, but honestly I was getting a little tired of this. Daddy's ice made it feel better; I didn't really need a doctor.

Grandpa stood up. "Well, call if you need me, Edward."

"Of course," Daddy said softly. "Close your eyes, Nessie," he murmured; he must have heard in my thoughts how heavy they were getting. I snuggled closer to him as he began wordlessly singing. I never knew the exact moment I fell asleep.

oOo

When I woke, it was morning and I was back in my own bed. I tested the gap with my tongue, and found the sharp edge of a new tooth. Jumping out of bed, I ran to the mirror and pulled my lips back in a grimace. The new tooth was already halfway in; far from losing all my teeth at once, I was never even going to have Allasyn's gap-toothed smile.

I darted back to the bed and stuck my hand under the pillow. I pulled out a tissue-wrapped package like I had left there, but inside was a shiny round coin. I turned it over in my hands, drawing in a breath of wonder at the pictures on it.

I loved coins. I liked the sound they made against each other, I liked the feel of them in my hands, I even liked the metallic smell of them. Most of the family's spare change found its way into the big jar on my dresser, and I had a special box with all the State Quarters they had minted so far. Sometimes I built towers and castles with the round stacks of coins. I never bothered to count them; I didn't really think of them as money.

Running down the hall, I pushed open the door to Momma and Daddy's room. "Look, Momma! Look, Daddy! See what the tooth fairy left me!"

Daddy smiled and lifted me to sit on his arm, taking the coin from my hand. "This is a silver dollar, Nessie."

Is that a special coin?

"Well, they aren't usually in circulation; people prefer paper money."

I grabbed my dollar back and turned it to look carefully at the designs on it. It's pretty.

Daddy laughed. "Nice concept of money, that; give her a dollar and she likes it because it's pretty."

I giggled and pressed my hand to his face. Did you see the tooth fairy leave it, Daddy?

He grinned. "Yes."

My eyes widened; I still wasn't sure I actually believed in the tooth fairy. Really, Daddy?

He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. "What do you think, angel?"

I threw my arms around his neck. I think you gave me the dollar! Thank you, Daddy.

He buried his nose in my hair. "You're welcome, Renesmée. You're very welcome."

The End

* Illustration for this scene can be found at femalechauvinist . deviantart . com [slash] art [slash] Cold-Comfort-707170891

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie