"How do you think things are up at the house?" Claudia asked, watching Embry attempt to skip another rock in the river, leading to another failure.

"Well, if Sam was attacking I'm sure we'd have at least smelled them coming-if not seen them. And we would've heard a fight if they snuck in the other way." He shrugged as he picked up another rock. "So probably not bad."

"You know I didn't mean fighting." She frowned, and he sighed.

"Alice said that if she had news, she could come back, didn't she?" Embry looked back at Claudia. He sighed again, dropping the rock and walking up the bank to where she sat on a fallen log. "Soon, okay? I bet Jasper isn't even back yet."

"I bet he is." Claudia pouted, pulling her legs up to her chest. "See? I told you. They don't trust me because of what happened."

"That's not true." Embry started, but Claudia whipping around made him stop. He caught Alice's scent before he could turn around, and when he did Alice was already crouching down behind them.

"How is everyone?" Claudia asked excitedly.

"Everything is going according to plan." Alice nodded with a smile, and Claudia clapped her hands together.

"That's great!" She smiled. "Is the baby healthy?"

"She's doing great." Alice's smile widened. "Though, there was a little conflict..."

"What?" Embry and Claudia said at the same time, and Alice laughed.

"Not that kind, thankfully." Alice shook her head lightly. "No, um...Edward and Jacob...had a little disagreement. But Nessie cleared it all up."

"Nessie?" Embry raised his eyebrows.

"What kind of disagreement?" Claudia asked.

"Well..." Alice sighed. "I'd better let him tell you, come on."

———————

"You WHAT!?" Claudia asked, her voice just barely being louder than Embry's laughter.

"Look, it's not like Quil didn't imprint on someone young too!" Jake defended. "And how is it my choice?"

"Her age isn't the problem here, Jacob." Claudia sighed, pinching her nose. "You're telling me that you imprinted on the daughter of the girl that you've been in love with for the past, like, two years? Are you kidding me?" Embry only laughed harder. He knew Quil was going to love this.

"Like I said, can't choose." Jake threw his hands up. "Anyway I'm not in love with Bella anymore."

"Oh, you don't say?" Claudia shook her head lightly. "Breaking away from the pack, becoming an Alpha, changing the treaty, imprinting...this really has been a week for you, hasn't it Jacob?"

"Alright, alright." Jake huffed. "Now if you two are done, I'm going back inside." Claudia laughed as Jake turned away, moving back into the house. Embry finally managed to stop laughing, straightening up as he chuckled.

"Things just keep getting weirder around here, don't they?" He joked.

"Yeah, you could say that again." She snorted, nodding. "Let's go in, I wanna meet her." Embry slung his arm over her shoulders, and they walked into the house. The Cullen's were more or less crowded around the couch, where Rosalie sat as she held the baby. Jake was sequestered to the outside of the huddle for now, pouting on the end of the couch. Embry plopped down next to him as Claudia moved forward.

"Claudia." Esme smiled as she stood up, giving her seat to Claudia. "Glad you're back."

"Thanks, Esme." Claudia smiled up at her. She finally looked down at the bundle of blankets in Rosalie's arms. The baby had Bella's eyes, and was staring up at Rosalie with a tiny, balled fist sitting on Rosalie's cheek. The baby lowered her first as Rosalie smiled, then looking over at Claudia.

"How are you feeling?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm okay." Claudia nodded, not liking the sudden attention on her.

"Good." Rosalie smiled, before beginning to shift the baby in her arms. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Can I?" Rosalie nodded, sliding the baby into Claudia's arms.

"She has the most incredible gift." Rosalie almost whispered as she leaned over, one of her fingers gently stroking the baby's cheek. "She'll show you." Claudia looked down at the baby, and it began to lift its tiny fist towards her face. She looked at Rosalie, who nodded, before looking back down at the baby. As soon as the fist touched the side of her face, Claudia couldn't see the baby anymore. Now, she could see Rosalie, and then, she saw herself. When the baby pulled her fist away, Claudia gasped lightly. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"Was that me?" Claudia asked, looking over at Rosalie, who chuckled and nodded.

"It's how she communicates." Rosalie returned to stroking her face lightly. Claudia looked down at the baby again, a small smile coming to her face.

"What's her name?" She asked, letting the baby play with her hair.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen." Esme said, now leaning over Claudia to stroke the baby's head.

"Nessie's her nickname, way better." Jake remarked, but Claudia didn't bother looking up. She, like the rest of the family, was entranced with Nessie. "Seriously, what was Bella thinking?" Jake mumbled, and Embry chuckled. Embry watched Claudia carefully, like he always did. She didn't move at all, keeping Nessie stable in her lap, though arms still cradled the blankets anyway. Claudia leaned down closer, kissing Nessie's lip and giggling when Nessie did. Embry couldn't help himself as he leaned over to Jake, his voice a low whisper.

"Man, I really like the way she looks with a baby."

———————

Claudia giggled as Nessie moved her hand away. "Again? But I just showed you that." She put her fist on Claudia's face for another few seconds. "Okay, okay." Nessie giggled as Claudia shut her eyes focusing. Then, saw the meadow. Whenever Claudia had gotten to hold Nessie since that morning, she'd been showing Nessie her power. Nessie was, of course, now obsessed with Claudia and would always ask for her if anyone held her-even Jake.

Claudia had decided to show Nessie her and Embry's meadow, and ever since she kept asking for it over and over again. Claudia couldn't figure out what Nessie loved about it so much, but she didn't complain. She missed her meadow, so if the only way she got to spend time in it was in her head, she was fine with that. When Claudia came out her vision, she was put immediately in another one by Nessie, asking to go back to the meadow.

"Maybe a little later, okay?" Claudia said. "It's tiring, I need a little break."

"Great news!" Jake came through the front door with a wide smile. The others had either gone off to hunt or spread around the house, leaving just Embry, Claudia and Nessie in the living room. "I talked to Sam, and we worked everything out." Jake plopped down on the couch and Nessie immediately reached out for him. Claudia didn't fight it, handing her over to Jake before cuddling into Embry's side.

"Just like that?" Embry raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, as Alpha's we can talk-like really talk, not hear each others every thought." Jake nodded. "So we talked, I showed him all about Nessie and how she bit me all night and I'm totally fine so she's not dangerous. So we're all good now, and you guys can come and go from the rez whenever you want."

"Sweet." Embry smiled. Jake sighed when Nessie raised her hand to his face.

"Hungry again." He said, standing up and moving towards the kitchen.

"Hey." Embry said lightly, making Claudia look up. "You wanna go out?"

"Out?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, out." He nodded. "Away from all the stress of the baby and the house where everyone can hear everything." She laughed.

"Yeah, sure." He stood up, pulling her to her feet. "Where are we going?"

———————

"Embry, stop!" Claudia giggled. "You're gonna mess up my hair."

"I don't care." Embry mumbled, pulling her closer. She laughed into the kiss, her hands resting on the sides of his neck. The sun shone brightly into their meadow, illuminating Claudia's skin and sending little sparkles all over the meadow, and all over Embry. One of his arms tightened around her waist while their other squeezed her knee before slowly moving up.

"God, gross!" They jumped apart, seeing Quil standing on the other side of the meadow. "Man, I swear, the first time I see you two in days and you're all over each other. Makes me sick."

"Why do you always show up at the most inopportune times, dude?" Embry sighed as Quil made his way over, plopping down in front of them. "Good to see you, by the way. You joinin' us with Jake?" The pair fist bumped.

"Course I am." He nodded. "Now that I know it's an option and I won't get exiled, yeah I'm joining."

"Hey, that's formerly exiled to you." Claudia said. "We're past the line, aren't we?"

"You're like a mile from your house, yeah you're definitely past the treaty line." Quil snorted. "So, how's things at the vamp camp?"

"Dude, have you talked to Jake yet?" Embry shifted excitedly, and Claudia chuckled as she shook her head.

"No, why?"

"Oh my god, dude!" Embry was already laughing. "So he imprinted, right?" Quil's eyes went wide. "But on Bella's baby." Quil started laughing as well. "So he imprinted on the kid of the girl we was drooling over."

"Oh my god!"

———————

Embry and Quil ran back to the Cullen's while Claudia decided to come home, shower and get back into her own clothes. She was busy towel drying her hair and watching the waves on the beach when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." She called, turning her head. "Hey mom."

"I thought I heard you back." Connie smiled lightly, shutting the door behind her before sitting in Claudia's desk chair. "How was Alaska?"

"Oh, uh yeah..." Claudia nodded. "You knew that was a lie, huh?"

"I figured, Sam called the next day when Embry left and told me everything." She said. "That was very brave of you."

"You think so?" Claudia raised her eyebrows.

"Sure, standing up for your friends against your friends? That's never easy, honey." Claudia nodded, knowing all too well.

"Tell me about it." She mumbled, and Connie chuckled.

"So, what happened?" Connie asked. "How is...everyone?"

"Fine." Claudia nodded. "The baby, Nessie, she's amazing. Absolutely the cutest baby ever. And Bella...is recovering."

"Well that's good." Connie nodded. "And how are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how are you, Claudia?" Connie repeated. "Are you happy? Are things with Embry good? How have you been?"

"I'm...I'm good." Claudia thought for a moment. "Things are just confusing mom, with all of this. I'm still getting used to everything, but being around the Cullen's definitely helps. Jasper is...also new to all of this-well, kinda, and Bella will be too. It makes me feel like...I dunno, less of a freak, I guess. And things with Embry are good, really good. I, you know...I love him a lot and having him with me through this was nice."

"That's good." Connie smiled. "So...are you...living there now?"

"What? No." Claudia laughed. "No, not at all. I'm still living here, that was just a...sleepover." Connie laughed.

"A sleepover, sure." She nodded. "Okay, well just...just make sure to check in every couple days okay? It's nice to know what's going on with you sometimes."

"I'll keep you in the loop, I promise." Connie nodded, standing up. She was in the doorway when she stopped, turning around and looking back at Claudia.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, mom."