Baby Steps

Esme's POV

I smelled the strong scent of human blood before I could hear the cries echoing throughout the forest.

Baby cries.

The first thought that came to mind was that someone was probably taking a walk with their child, but it seemed highly impossible judging by how dark this part of the forest was. If it weren't for vampire senses I'd get lost here myself.

The cries only got louder.

I knew I had to be home in a few minutes and Carlisle and I had already wandered off too far while hunting, but the crying had a magnetic pull on me. I found myself walking towards the source carefully for in case it was a trap or if a human was nearby. It led me straight to a shallow river that gracefully flowed through the trees and rocks. There was no one in sight.

The scent continued to a hollow tree near the riverbed, where only the corner of a basket stuck out. I already suspected what was inside. The cries proved me right. Lifting the lid, I was met by a red-faced baby, mouth wide agape as it forced the deafening cries from its lungs.

Immediately I scooped it up - a girl by the looks of her clothes - into my arms, thinking that it was too cold for her in the tree trunk. What could I do about that exactly? I was cold-skinned myself. Pushing the useless thoughts aside, I swayed back and forth, rocking her in a slow rhythm until the cries decreased. Finally, she fell silent and opened her eyes, a pair of crystal blue ones that were red splashed from the crying. She ushered a few more whines and grunts before closing her eyes again, crying from the start.

This was all new to me. Except for Renesmee, who was an easy baby considering the fact that she's a hybrid, I had no experience with babies. What do I do when they cry? Was she cold or hungry? Was she tired or did she need a diaper change? Where was Carlisle when I needed him?

I felt blissful satisfaction when seeing him emerge from the trees. His face was scrunched up in a curious frown as he approached me, never taking his eyes off the baby. I happily handed her to him, watching in awe as she immediately stopped crying when he wrapped her in his coat.

"Where did you -"

"She was abandoned," I said before he could finish his sentence, "There's no scent of another human anywhere near here and I found her in a basket. No blanket, no name tag, nothing."

Carlisle's eyes scanned the area in search for what I guessed was a parent or a sign of human life, but couldn't find any.

"We can't leave her here," he finally spoke, "She needs to be fed and changed. She's so cold."

I felt a tiny flicker of hope, "Are you saying we're keeping her?"

"I'm not certain. I doubt Jasper will agree on it, he's still struggling to control his bloodthirst."

I gently took the baby from his arms, making sure she's still warmly wrapped in the coat, "We better hurry then. It's getting colder."

We walked at a human pace through the forest, too afraid that running might scare the little thing or cause her to catch a cold. We arrived home a full hour later than we planned and promised. No one else except for Alice was waiting for us on the back porch, her golden eyes wide while staring at the tiny person in my hold.

"I had a vision," she explained and eyed the baby warily, her brows furrowed, "Although I couldn't see if we're keeping her or not. Should I gather the rest?"

Carlisle nodded silently and she sped off into the house. It wasn't long before I picked up the rest of my family's footsteps as they received the message.

"I smell a human," Rosalie muttered from inside the house as she and Emmett stepped outside.

Emmett froze solid in his steps, causing her to bump into him, "Rose, you better see this."

His eyes, along with Rosalie's, locked on the baby in my arms. Meanwhile, Alice returned with Jasper, Bella and Edward. Renesmee was at Jacob's for the night and won't be back until later. The icy breeze whipped my hair to the side and Carlisle gave me a slight nudge towards the house, a sign to get the girl out of the cold. The rest followed us like shadows, still not saying much - or nothing at all.

Once inside though, Rosalie was the first to speak, "What's going on? Carlisle?"

"Esme found her," he explained calmly, "She's abandoned. There was no sign or proof that she belonged to anyone. If we didn't find her, she'd be dead by now, judging by the storm coming."

"Are we keeping her?" Bella asked this time. She still struggled to accept the fact that Renesmee grew up so fast.

"Esme and I would love to keep her, but we can't expect all of you to live in fear of hurting her." Carlisle answered softly, glancing at Jasper, who seemed extremely uncomfortable, "It's your choice."

Rosalie didn't hesitate a second, "You have my vote."

Emmett, following his mate's example, also agreed, along with Edward and Bella, who both weren’t done parenting. All depended on Alice and Jasper. I knew very well that Alice wouldn't go against her mate. Her answer would be the same as his. So in the end, everything depended on Jasper.

He clenched his jaw and stepped a little closer towards me. I suddenly noticed that the little girl had pushed the coat open, probably feeling too warm, and was now peeking out with those crystal blue eyes. One small hand reached out and tried grabbing for Jasper, even though she couldn't reach him. Jasper hesitantly brought his hand closer to her, his lips slightly parted as she grabbed his thumb. She smiled a toothless smile, enchanting not only me but the entire family.

"You have my vote." He said out of the blue.

Rosalie gave him a surprised look, honestly stunned that he actually agreed. Edward smiled, obviously knowing what he'd answer.

"I'm in." Alice also gave her vote, "You know she's going to be spoiled rotten, right?"

Carlisle chuckled, "Thank you for understanding. We must start renovating the room next to Esme and mine into a nursery immediately."

"We still have all of Renesmee's things." Bella said, "Her crib, her toys, some of her clothes."

"We'll definitely need it, thank you, Bella." I smiled, "But we'll need more. Alice, you and Bella need to go buy us the basics. Bottles, diapers, wet wipes, the whole lot. The boys and I will start renovating immediately. That includes you, too, Carlisle."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows but knew better to protest.

"What about me?" Rosalie asked.

I gently handed her the baby, "You're on babysitting."

Her eyes softened as she stared down at the tiny human in her arms. She didn't say anything at all, only sat there cradling the baby against her chest while smiling brightly. I could already tell she'll be seen more with little... My thoughts were interrupted when I remembered we didn't have a name for her yet.

"What should we call her?" I grabbed the family’s attention.

Everyone dropped what they were doing to think, but Carlisle turned to Jasper, who still seemed a little uncomfortable, "What do you think, Jasper?"

He stared at the baby as he thought, "I think Grace is suitable."

"Grace Cullen." Alice said, "It has a nice ring to it."

Rosalie smiled and hugged her against her tightly, "Welcome to the family, little Grace.

3rd Person POV

Renesmee arrived home on the back of Jacob's motorcycle. She knew very well that her dad didn't like her riding motorbikes and stuff with two wheels, except for her bicycle. But still, it didn't stop her from doing it. Jacob took the helmet from her and locked it inside the seat. After that, he gently grasped her hand and walked her to the door.

"I had fun tonight, thank you, Jake," she spoke and tucked one of her curls behind her ear.

She started developing these weird but equally exciting feeling towards him. Some part of her wanted them to be more than friends and she couldn't understand why.

Jake chuckled, "You say that every time, but I believe you. It was fun. Just don't tell your father, though. He gave me a very clear picture of what he'll do to me if I take you cliff diving."

Renesmee laughed and opened the door, letting him in with her. It was a habit, more like a tradition for them to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate before he went home. However, she didn't need to be half-vampire to notice the strange atmosphere when they reached the family room.

Her mother and aunt Alice were carrying bags up and down the stairs at vampire speed, her uncles and dad were hauling furniture upstairs and she recognized one of the pieces to be her old crib. Her grandfather was in the kitchen, busy boiling what seemed to be milk on the stove. All who were missing was aunt Rosalie and her grandmother. As if on cue, Esme came down and caught glimpse of the two of them standing stunned in the doorway.

"Renesmee's home!" she announced and straightened her shirt out, not that it looked out of place at all.

"What's going on?" Jake asked the question on Renesmee's lips.

"Renesmee, sweetheart." Edward spoke gently, and greeted her with a hug, "We like to introduce you to someone. Follow me. You too, Jacob."

The two obeyed and tailed him upstairs towards the room next Carlisle and Esme's. Renesmee's eyes scanned over what was once a guestroom, now renovated into a nursery. Her old crib stood in the centre of the room, her old white cupboard and drawer against the wall in the corner, the once white walls were shelved and decorated with stuffed animals and toys, and under it was some kind of platform with a small plastic bath on it. Her eyes landed on the rocking chair facing the glass window where Rosalie sat, rocking back and forth and cradling little Grace in her arms.

"Aunt Rose?" she asked and slowly entered the room.

"Hi," she whispered and glanced down at Grace, "You want to meet Nessie?"

Before Renesmee could ask, Rosalie gently placed the baby in her arms. She froze in shock at the tiny person and was about to give her back, but then the baby smiled. Even though it was a toothless smile, it was enchanting. Renesmee slowly sat down on the rocking chair, feeling suddenly at ease with the baby girl in her arms. Jacob noticed how comfortable she was and sat at her feet, also staring at the baby.

"What's her name?" Renesmee asked as she lightly ran her finger down the tiny bundle's puffy cheeks.

"Grace." Edward answered, "Carlisle and Esme found her abandoned in the forest. She would've died if they didn't."

"You're keeping her?" Jacob asked next.

"She's a Cullen now," Carlisle confirmed when he walked into the room. He walked towards Renesmee and held out a bottle of warm milk towards her, "You want the honour of feeding her first?"

She didn't hesitate and brought the bottle to Grace's tiny mouth, smiling as she started drinking greedily. Renesmee wasn't afraid to admit that the new member of the family already crawled under her skin and into her heart. This was the closest she'll get to having a sister.

"Wait," Jake ruined the moment, "What about the fact that she's completely human and you're all vampires? Wouldn't that be a safety risk?"

"If you're implying that we made a rash decision, then you're wrong." Carlisle spoke calmly, "We all wanted to keep her, Jasper included."

"And how will you explain to her why she's different than you, huh?" he pushed on, "She'll grow up and start noticing things. You can't hide the fact that you're vampires from her forever."

"We'll explain it to her the same way we did to Renesmee." Edward said, "She'll understand."

Jacob was about to argue more, but Renesmee stopped him, "Jake, please stop. I know you don't like the idea of a human baby living with us, but think about me. Don't you think I'd like having a sister around? Someone who also enjoys human food and who grows tired? Someone who's just like me? Please, Jake."

Jacob couldn't say no to her. Never. He sighed and got up, muttering something about taking a walk and thinking it through. Renesmee sighed but knew he'd be back. Instead, she focused on little Grace who was almost asleep in her arms from a full stomach.