Baby Steps

12

It was actually warm and sunny for a change, bad weather for vampires, but for little Grace it was perfect. All she wanted to do was play outside in her new treehouse.

"We can't go out with her." Alice said, "If she sees us sparkling in the sun she'll start asking questions. She's too young to understand."

Almost everyone agreed with her, except for Demetri. He had a whole different argument.

"She's been living with you for almost six years and she's never seen you in sunlight? Hell, do you even take her out when it's sunny?"

"We try to stay in the shade," Carlisle answered his question.

"Listen, she's bound to find out someday, since all family and friends she knows are cold ones and mutts. She's even bound to become one herself, and you all know that." he looked back into the living room where Grace was looking at pictures in one of Jasper's war books, "I'll take her out to play and if she asks, then I'll just explain to her as easy as possible. That alright with you?"

The fact that he asked Carlisle's permission first made it easier for him to agree. Demetri sped to the living room and scooped Grace up in his arms, causing her to giggle at the tingles she got in her stomach. With the other hand, he grabbed her bag of outdoor toys, along with a bottle of water and a healthy snack. After doing some reading on the internet, he discovered that humans can dehydrate and catch bugs when they don't drink enough water or eat enough fruits. Whatever they meant by 'bugs' he didn't really understand, but certainly didn't want Grace to catch one.

"Nessie and I'll join you." Jacob said as he and Renesmee fell in next to him, "Sunlight has no effect on us."

The tracker nodded in agreement, despite feeling a little disappointed because now he'll have to share Grace with them and be stuck with the smell of wet dog.

The time dragged on. Grace played, they watched her, sometimes they would join in and other times she'll only play with Renesmee. However, the tracker quickly picked up the change in atmosphere. Demetri stepped outside the treehouse and listened closely... The birds stopped chirping, insects stopped buzzing and even the cool breeze died down.

Something was very wrong.

"Take Grace inside," he demanded.

"I'm sorry, what?" Renesmee asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Something changed in the wind. Now get Grace inside before it's too late."

Jake picked Grace up and climbed down the wooden ladder, with Renesmee close on his heels. However, just as their feet hit the grass, two figures appeared out of the woods. Their red eyes scanned the group in front of them and they snickered.

"So it's true. The Cullens do have a human infant with them." One said in a thick Romanian accent.

Jake frowned, "Dracula One and Two? What the hell are you doing here?"

"We're travelling, mutt. And it's Vladimir to you!" Vladimir hissed and Stefan had to hold him back.

Demetri jumped down from the treehouse and landed right in front of Jacob, who was still holding Grace.

"Volturi!" Stefan growled and sped forward to attack the tracker, but Demetri was too fast and grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on the ground.

He was close to crushing the Romanian's neck, when the rest of the family, including Caius and Jane, came out to see what the trouble was.

"Let him go, Demetri." Carlisle ordered and he obeyed, "Vladimir, Stefan. A pleasure to see the two of you. If you informed us of your visit, we would've made proper preparations."

"We didn't plan on visiting," Stefan spoke. "Rumor has it that the Cullens were living in England because of a human infant they adopted turned out to be a Volturi's blood singer. We came to see if it's true."

"See for yourself, gentlemen." Carlisle took Grace from Jacob and walked her over to the two vampires, "As you can see, we, indeed, added a human to our family. And yes, the Volturi knows of her, and yes, she's one of the members' blood singer."

Vladimir glared at Caius and Jane, who seemed to have a stare-off with him. The hatred the two covens felt towards each other clung thickly to the air, even little Grace felt it and needed to break the silence.

"Mommy, I'm scared," she whispered to Esme, who wrapped her arms around her daughter protectively.

"You scared her." Demetri growled and dangerously approached the two Romanians, "You have no idea what trouble you have caused."

Vladimir grinned at Stefan, "Looks like we've found whose mate she is. La tua cantante."

It was meant as an insult, but Demetri wasn't having any of it. He was fuming, his eyes literally turning black from rage. It took Emmett, Jasper and Edward's strength to withhold him from attacking Vladimir, who was hoping for this kind of reaction and prepared himself as well. Jane had him falling to his knees in pain just as he was about to launch, which only left Stefan unharmed.

Demetri's struggle caused Edward to crash into Bella, who bumped Esme, which eventually caused Grace to stumble and fall. A high pitched cry made all the ruckus die down immediately. Carlisle was at her side in a flash, along with Demetri and Esme. Grace got hurt pretty badly. She scraped her knees on some rocks and also got a nasty grass burn on her elbows. The sweet smell of blood lingered in the air, and every vampire caught a whiff of it. Demetri's eyes turned black once again as he stared at the blood on his fingers.

"Oh my..." Vladimir breathed, "She does smell appetizing."

The next events happened extremely fast. He launched forward for her, only to be stopped by the most unexpected person ever.

Caius grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a tree, leaning in close as he growled, "Don't you DARE touch her!"

Most of the Cullens were too shocked by the Volturi leader's actions to have noticed Demetri tasting the droplets blood on his hands. Jasper, however, felt the change in the tracker's emotions and turned just in time to see him leaning down to Grace's wounds, ready to bite. He sped over to him with incredible speed and threw him back with force. Jane noticed her fellow Volturi member's struggle against the former Major, and almost used pain on Jasper, but Grace's sobs stopped her just in time. She understood that the taste if her blood made Demetri lose control. Jane shifted her eyes and instead used pain on Demetri, just to keep him down until Carlisle and Esme could get little Grace inside.

Meanwhile, Jacob, along with Alice and Rosalie, had Stefan in a death grip, while he also struggled to break free in order to save Vladimir from Caius. Carlisle scooped up Grace and fled to the study with Esme on his heels. Once there, he began examining her wounds and treating it carefully while also hoping that the fight outside will die down quickly. Esme came in and gave her little girl a glass of milk and a cookie, telling her that it'll make her feel better.

Meanwhile, outside, Vladimir and Stefan left, saying that they'll be back when there are no Volturi members around. Secretly they were hoping on meeting the human the Cullens were raising, but at the same time didn't want anything to do with the vampire leaders.

While Grace ate, Carlisle finished up cleaning her scrapes and covered them with a Barbie band-aid, kissing each knee before hugging her tight.

"Now they'll heal." he smiled as she placed a kiss on his nose.

Just as she took another bite of her cookie, a tiny crack rang through Carlisle's ears. A human wouldn't be able to hear that at all. He turned to Grace, who smiled excitedly and held out her tiny hand for him to see.

"Daddy, look, my tooth came out!"