COLOURS || Seth Clearwater

FOURTY

Bella went into labor not a week after that as a result of the baby unintentionally breaking her spine. Both witches had done what they could to take care of the poor girl, but with her weakened and frail state, as well as a broken back, the most they could do was ensure she was given as much vampire venom as possible. Edward was beside himself, and at first hadn't wanted to look at the baby girl, but after receiving a harsh reality check from a very stern Virginia, agreed to hold her.

Renesmee — Bella and Edwards sweet little baby girl — hadn't been put down much after that. Rosalie has taken a liking to her, and held her as often as she possibly could, while Emmett watched the pair contently. Lucinda and Virginia both gave her check-up's constantly to ensure she was healthy and thriving, and had yet to be disappointed.

Jacob, however, seemed to be the most affected; aside from Edward, of course. As soon as the impromptu birth, and listening to Bella's heart slow, he'd been sitting in the same spot out back in the tree line, his knees pulled up to his chest as his entire body shook with silent sobs. Seth and Leah had stayed out with him the entire time to make sure he was okay, but they hadn't been able to get him to talk.

Ignoring the escalating sounds of a fight brewing outside between her family and the Uley pack, Lucinda cradled Renesmee gently in her arms with ease, humming softly in hopes of drowning it out. The tune was old, and the language long forgotten, but she could vaguely remember hearing her mother singing it to her when she was a fussy child and couldn't fall asleep. And, knowing that all the sweet little bundle in her arms wanted was her mother, Lucinda hoped it brought even the smallest amounts of comfort.

"Oh, Darling," Lucinda cooed, gently swaying her body side to side as Renesmee let out a small cry. "Little love, what's wrong? What is it?" She gently trailed her fingertips up and down her back, smiling softly when the baby let out a little squeak before settling against her chest.

It was moments like this when she missed having her own baby to coddle, but knew that it would likely be a few more years before that would happen again. So she would have to settle with holding Renesmee until that time comes.

A small shriek echoed from outside, and Lucinda's gaze snapped to the kitchen window that had no curtains blocking the outside from view. Carefully, while holding Renesmee in a way she knew the baby wouldn't be able to see anything, she walked up to the window with pursed lips. Virginia was holding three of the wolves in the tree line with green ropes of magic binding their paws to the dirt.

Edward, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie were all trying to hold off the rest of the pack, but the wolves were too great in number. Very discretely and carefully, Lucinda moved Renesmee so she was holding her with one arm, and flicked her fingers. Purple sparks flittered through the window and hit each wolf on the forehead, momentarily stunning them so the Cullens had the upper hand.

Renesmee placed a hand on Lucinda's cheek, drawing her out of the scene in front of her, and played a memory of her diaper being changed through her thoughts, then squirmed again in discomfort. "Do you need a change, Lovely?" Lucinda murmured, swaying from her left, her hand gently cradling the back of Renesmee's head. "Well, let's go and do that, then."

She grabbed the baby blanket off the back of the couch and slung it over her shoulder, pausing almost immediately when a soft thud  echoed from behind her. Jacob was on his knees behind her, staring at Renesmee with eyes filled with awe and wonder. He didn't move for a very long time, simply stared at her, arms slack at his sides.

It was nearly five minutes before he blinked and snapped himself out of whatever trance he was in. "Do you want to tell me what the hell that was?" Lucinda asked coldly, holding Renesmee tightly against her.

Still unable to take his eyes off Renesmee, Jacob managed to stutter out "I — um — I think I—"

"You imprinted," Lucinda interrupted bluntly, her blue eyes cold. She briefly clenched her jaw when he opened his mouth to speak, then sighed. "Don't bother explaining yourself to me, you'll have to do it with Bella anyway. All I ask is you go outside and solve whatever it is that's going on out there before someone gets seriously hurt."

Then, with Renesmee still cradled delicately in her arms, she watched Jacob phase in the middle of the living room — miraculously without breaking a single thing — and bounding out into the backyard. He leapt over the Cullens and landed in the space between Edward and Sam, snarling lowly.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but periodically sent bursts of magic in the direction of the wolves who were growing antsy to do something. When they looked up at her with a glare that would send most beings running for the hills, they were met with angry grey eyes full of a bitterness that had built up over centuries, and quickly looked away.

The conversation lasted mere minutes before Sam took two steps back, a silent signal for the rest of his pack to do the same. Lucinda made brief eye contact with Paul, who nodded, and she did the same though it was against her better judgment. But she couldn't blame him for the way he acted; he was doing what he thought was best, and there was no reason for her to resent that.

"Let's go and get you changed then, shall we?" Lucinda hummed after a brief moment, and Renesmee cooed and squirmed in agreement.

She gracefully walked up the stairs to Virginia's bedroom, where the baby had been sleeping just in case something happened in the middle of the night, and retrieved the diaper changing bag from the shelf next to her crib. Renesmee hummed and hawed as Lucinda completed the action that had become second nature to her over the years, and when she was finished, changed her into a soft lilac coloured onesie so she was ready for bed.

The moment her feet touched the bottom stair, Rosalie had whisked over and pulled a drowsy Renesmee into her arms, smiling softly down at her. Lucinda smiled faintly and watched her push past Jasper to get to Emmett, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stared down at the little bundle in his wife's arms. As she glanced around at her family, holding onto their loved ones, Edward watching Renesmee fall against his sisters chest with the briefest of smiles before ducking past her to see Bella upstairs, she felt her heart ache for Kane.

For the family she wished she'd been able to have.

Then the twins appeared on either side of her, their wickedly charming smiles as wide as ever. "That went much better than expected," Leon hummed dryly as he nudged her shoulder.

"That's because we were there, of course," Dorian agreed settling his elbow on the top of her head.

Lucinda chuckled. "Naturally."

"It's all thanks to me, actually," Virginia interjected, pushing Leon out of the way so she could pull her friend in for a much needed hug. "From what you told me about him, he wouldn't want you to be sad still, you know," she murmured into her shoulder.

"I'm not sad," Lucinda promised, holding her in an equally tight grip. "I'm just..."

"...not happy."

She glanced up from Virginia's hair and locked eyes with Seth, and found herself unable to hide her growing smile. "Exactly."

After pulling herself away from Virginia, who then settled on irritating the twins, she surged forwards and threw her arms around his neck. He caught her easily, arms around her waist, and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. "I'm glad you're okay," she mumbled quietly, forehead tucked under his chin.

"Me too."

She could almost hear him grinning, and snorted. "Are you doing anything tonight?" She pulled her head back slightly, just so she could look him in the eye.

Seths brows furrowed as he thought, and a crinkle appeared on the bridge of his nose. "I don't think so, why?"

"You could sleep over," Lucinda suggested casually, as though her heart wasn't about to beat right out of her chest. "We could watch more movies, maybe put Renesmee to bed. Unless..."

Seth was grinning widely now. "...That sounds great."