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(BPOV)

As I stood before Renee, I praised myself for maintaining the strength and control I possessed to be able to do so. Without a second thought, I bent down to give her a brief kiss on the cheek and a slight hug. At that moment, I was more concerned with hurting her frail and bruised body then hiding my cold skin. I knew I was capable of crushing her face by using the slightest bit of force. The greatest feet I conquered was being so close to her beating heart and not being tempted.

Edward stayed close, yet he suppressed his need to hover over me. He acted as if, and in a way I was, an untrained wild animal. I knew he was only looking out for Renee, so I didn't let it bother me to much.

Carlisle was administering her afternoon dose of morphine, which meant we only had a few more minutes before she fell asleep.

"Oh Bella, I'm so happy to see you. But you really shouldn't have cut your honeymoon short. It is time you start taking care of yourself, instead of your banged up mother." Renee's words sounded much like her normal self, but her undertone spoke volumes. She was grateful to us for coming to her rescue.

"Mom, I wanted to be here. Besides our honeymoon was over. Instead of flying back to Forks, we came here. And I know you need me and that alone was my sole purpose for coming. I just hate that I didn't find out sooner. Or I would have cut the honeymoon short." I quickly glanced Edward's direction and he smiled his million dollar smile and my heart exploded with lust. I had to remind myself that now was not the time for such thoughts. I scrambled to regain my train of thought and put my focus back on Renee.

"Darling, what ever on earth did I do to deserve such a precious child such as you." Renee simply beamed with pride. I knew that no matter what lies ahead for her, that I would always be by her side whenever she needed me. That is till she started to notice I no longer aged. "Did I mention how much more mature you look? Your beauty exudes from your pores. Like rays of sunshine peaking through a cloudy day. My dear, you are stunning."

She then continued her little speech in a soft whisper, assuming I alone could hear, "Making love tends to do that to a woman." Had I still had the ability to blush, at that very moment my entire face would have exploded in scarlet flames. I simply lowered my head and shushed her instead. She knew from my reaction that she had embarrassed me, but didn't question the lack of flush on my cheeks.

From behind me, I heard Edward chuckle. He was throughly entertained by Renee's comment. I even heard Carlisle let out a small laugh. I would defiantly have to make sure the next time we talked, that we were alone. Not like that would do much good with vampire ears in the house. But it would be more private for such a personal conversation.

"Mom, perhaps another time you can interrogate me about my sex life. But not in front of Edward and Carlisle please." She simply nodded, as a huge grin stretched across her face. She flinched with the pain and I reassured her the medication would soon relieve the pain. After a few more minutes, she began to nod off and that is when Edward and I made our exit. Carlisle stayed a few more minutes before he too left Renee to rest.

The next several weeks went like clockwork. Each morning, I prepared Renee a light breakfast. I managed to consume a small portion just to appease her, so she wouldn't grow suspicious. Following breakfast, Carlisle would usher Renee into the den, where he had a make shift rehab clinic complete with a treadmill and a massage table. After lunch, Renee would take a nap and recuperate after her strenuous morning strengthening exercises. Come dinner was the time I dreaded the most. As a human, I loved preparing meals and sitting down to a family dinner. But this had become a grueling routine that I began to dread. I had more or less become a bulimic, having to vomit after each meal to relieve myself of the vile human food I was forced to consume on a daily basis. But the end result, being with Renee and assisting her to a full recovery, was far more rewarding than the purgatory of eating.

I even endured the ridiculous birthday cake that Edward prepared at Renee's request. I can honestly say, aside from the cake, it was the best birthday I had celebrated in years. One being, I was no longer aging, allowing me to have eternal youth with the love of my existence. Also, it wasn't an extravagant, over the top celebration. It was a very small intimate affair. Of course Alice called me with well wishes and a happy birthday in her sing song voice, along with a promise to have an appropriate party once we returned to Forks, of which was to be expected in grand 'Alice' fashion.

As the weeks passed, Renee showed remarkable courage throughout her physical therapy. She was able to use the wheelchair and walker less and less. After six solid weeks of treatment, Renee was beyond capable of taking care of herself. But Carlisle insisted she needed at least two more weeks of physical therapy. Renee complained and tried relentlessly to inform Carlisle she was fine. As to be expected, just as they did with me while human, Edward and Carlisle disagreed and argued she needed the additional care. I scoffed at the idea but decided that I, not having any medical background, would steer clear of any unneeded arguments.

Fall had set in on Florida, the days were cooling down and the days grew shorter. Which allowed me to remove the horrid body suit Alice insisted I wear each day. I had become quite proud of my make up skills. Not once did Renee make any remarks about my pale complexion. I even managed to blow off my cold touch on the air conditioning. She bought that each and every time because her own hands were like ice. But with the cooler months setting in, even in Florida the air conditioning would have to be turned off sooner or later.

After eight weeks, we left our secluded hideaway and returned to my Renee's house. Upon entering through the doors, an eerie reminder that Phil was no longer with her brought Renee to her knees. During her weeks of recovery, we discussed plans for a memorial service and his death in great detail. She seemed to have accepted his death better away from the daily reminders of their life together.

After a few minutes, she regained composure and insisted she was fine. We all knew she was masking her pain, but would allow her the small amount of dignity. It was the most painful thing in the world to witness. We all knew that part of grieving the loss of a loved one was moving forward. Renee dealt with Phil's death far better than I expected, she was very strong willed and an inspiration.

Renee realized staying in Florida wasn't her best option and decided to return to her home in Phoenix. I had to agree that she would be able to move on with her life where friends were abundant. I worried about her naturally and without Phil in her life I worried more. But I had faith in her, that she would prevail. Only time would tell, and from the looks of how things were going so far, I knew she would do just fine.

Now was the time to return home, to Fork's and to the rest of the Cullen's. I was also anticipating continuing my relationship with Charlie, something that was once unfathomable. After all Renee had been through, I knew that the death of her only daughter would be devastating. And that was something I was not willing to put Renee through right now. And if I could have it my way, I never would. My success with Renee renewed my willpower and strength to be around humans. It also left me with the knowledge that becoming a vampire had in return given me all I wanted and more. The only thing left for me to do now was to live my eternal life to the fullest, surrounded by the ones I love.

The End

That's a wrap. I was considering making a sequel to this story. But I want your input. This is your time to speak up and let your voice be heard. Should I continue with a sequel?

I also want to thank everyone for reading and sharing with me your thoughts about my writing skills. As stated on my profile, this story is my first attempt at writing any sort of story/fanfic. Your encouraging words were the driven force that helped me sit down and continue writing. So again Thank You! 3 Joei