Five Prominent Bonds (Revision)

Her eyes widened as she stared at me, speechless. She didn't look like she knew how to respond; how to process what I just told her. She was warring with herself. Her 'beast' and her rational mind clashing. The one that acknowledged and accepted my claim with one of its own; versus the one that knew I should technically belong to her brother.

Whether Uncle Jasper felt my emotions; my claim or hers. He looked equally hesitant and concerned as they locked eyes in some form of non-verbal communication, connecting the dots of moms' behavior; and my own. Jasper and Rosalie pretended to be twins to the human world. It wasn't until just now that I realized how well they could actually pass for it.

Their behavior didn't go unnoticed by anyone else. "What is it? What's happening?" Auntie Alice asked from where she was still feeding my sister. She tried to keep her face clear, but I could detect the jealousy; she wasn't used to being on the outside looking in. She was used to being the one who knew what was going on before anyone else.

Dad and Esme were also waiting for an explanation; simply accepting that Uncle Jasper and Mom would explain why they were both suddenly cautious and uncertain.

"She - ..." Mom began but stopped abruptly when the 'tension' returned. Edward stopped at the threshold of the living room while he eavesdropped on the room's thoughts. Mom's 'beast' was prepared to defend her young; again, it was completely subconscious as she shifted so I was protectively cradled against her chest while still ensuring I could drink my bottle. Uncle Jasper was monitoring the emotions in the room, his face tight with concentration. Renesmee reached out to grab my arm; she too anticipated something bad was about to happen.

After what felt like forever, Edward sighed, running his hands through his hair, messing it up good and proper. He looked stressed and worried. "I know you girls may not understand this right now, but your mommy is in the other room. She won't be able to see you for a while. I just need you to be a little patient, can you do that for me?" I almost felt bad that he completely missed what actually happened. I didn't have to wait for my mother; I wasn't even asking for my mother. I was ensuring that my mother knew that she was my mother.

The only one in the room who looked convinced by his conclusion, was Aunt Alice. Mom and Uncle Jasper went back to their unspoken communication; if I didn't know any better, I would think they could communicate like Renesmee and I could. I had no interest in encouraging his line of thought, though. I wanted everyone to know she was mine. My mother. The possessiveness between us ran both ways.

Keeping my eyes wide and innocent, I placed my hand on my mother's cheek and ensured that no one could misunderstand, even if they tried too. 'Love. Adoration. Possessive. Mine. Mommy!' Surprisingly, I hadn't only passed on pure emotion; with my desperation for my intent to be known and understood, my 'gift' once more adjusted instinctually to suit my needs. The words were very clearly heard and understood by not only my mother, but Uncle Jasper, who was monitoring my emotions, and Edward, who was listening to everyone's thoughts.

The implications of my emotions startled Uncle Jasper who was still intently monitoring the room, but he managed to answer the unspoken question of the two still watching us waiting for a proper explanation. "Gracie is under the impression that Rosalie is her mother." He admitted reluctantly. The room collectively held their breath and Edward didn't disappoint.

His worried and stressed appearance disappeared; swapped with an air of annoyance, anger, and offense. A growl built in his throat as he glared at my mom and practically ripped me out of her arms; much to everyone's displeasure.

If she hadn't been afraid to hurt me; Mom would have fought back. I could still see the struggle in her eyes. Fighting her 'beast' to stay buried beneath the surface. She had always had amazing control over herself; never even tasting human blood. Being so out of control was probably overwhelming for her; now I really did feel bad.

Something in mom seemed to snap when she heard my distressed call; not only did I hate being held by Edward, but he was also holding me too tight. Either she let her 'beast' take partial control, or she just stopped fighting it. Both Uncle Jasper and Mom were staring with near black eyes at Edward's hands wrapped around my tiny body as he forced as much distance between us all as he could.

My emotions were still erratic. 'Distress. Panic. Fear.' Renesmee could feel them and began thrashing in Aunt Alice's arms trying to get to me; trying to help even if she didn't know how. Her own 'Distress. Fear. Anger.' mixing with mine and only proving to enhance both of our respective breakdowns.

Jacob was whining low in his throat; his imprint was hysterical, and his wolf was demanding that he fix it. That he make it better; give her whatever she needed or wanted to make her happy again. His wolfs 'Desperation,' quickly turned into 'Hostility.' aimed at the one it deemed responsible for his imprints unrest. His nearly black eyes were now also trained on Edward.

Whether he realized the predicament he was in or he was just trying to stop me from struggling; he pulled me tighter against his chest. I was forced to stop struggling simply because it became hard for me to breathe. 'Fear. Terror. Trauma.' Remembering how we had almost suffocated not long ago; my body began to shake.

{Gracie! Look at me! I'm here!} Renesmee tried; her hissing, struggling, growling, and screaming becoming more pronounced as Alice tried to subdue her. Jacob took Renesmee, his wolf nearly demanding he be the one to soothe her, but he knew that without Graciela; there was nothing any of them could do.

My body continued to shake, my breathing becoming desperate as I continued to panic; 'Anxiety. Dread. Hysteria.' Big, Fat tears fell from my eyes while my mouth was open in a silent scream; but only whines seemed to escape. From my peripherals, Mom, Uncle Jasper and even Dad were watching with helpless eyes. I didn't know where Esme or Carlisle were, but I had no time to think about them.

"Edward," Mom kept her voice low and coaxing; it didn't hide her 'Desperation.' even as she tried to placate him. "I understand what you're feeling, and I didn't put the idea in her head. We can – We can work to make her understand that Bella is her mom..." I flinched and Moms pain at the statement radiated in her eyes. "...but please - please just give her back to me." As she spoke, she was taking small and slow steps toward us. My chest burned with 'Grief. Heartache.' at just the thought of her rejecting our bond. I needed her...didn't she understand that?

She had nearly reached me, our fingers grazing as I reached for her at the same time, she reached for me; but Edward snapped. In a flash we were in an entirely new section of the room. His back in the corner and his teeth bared at my mom. I had expected a negative reaction. I was sure he would be upset. This was far from what I imagined. From our new position I could see Esme watching the scene with tears she couldn't cry in her eyes; a broken sound leaving her as she watched me. Just like the rest she wanted to do something but didn't seem to know what was best.

Carlisle appeared behind Esme, his appearance a little haggard. Whatever he was doing, he had rushed to finish so he could come and hopefully help. Edward paid him no mind; he forced me to turn so I was looking into his own black eyes. They were doleful and pleading.

"Graciela, I am your daddy." He pointed to his own chest, tapping his fingers repeatedly like that would help me understand. It didn't stop my 'Panic. Fear. Distress.' His grip was still too tight; I didn't dare move. "Your mom is in that room over there!" He pointed to the room where he was often disappearing to sit by Bella's bedside while she transitions. "She will be able to see you in just a few days. All you have to do is wait..."

I shook my head, my tears still falling from my eyes. It didn't matter what anyone said, I had made my choice. It had never even felt like I had one to begin with. She was my mom; I even looked like her. What would I do without her? Why did he always have to try to ruin my happiness? In a final attempt to get far away from Edward, I did the only thing I could think of.

"Daddy!" I cried desperately; my arms extended in Dad's direction. My wide violet blue eyes begging him to save me from the man who was now the villain of my story. Uncle Jasper, Mom and Jacob who had been busy staring at Edward with contempt, switched to staring at Dad in astonishment. Aunt Alice's eyes were squeezed tight while she rubbed her temples; was she trying to see the outcome? Esme was looking at Carlisle imploringly, who only returned her look with one of resignation and a hint of regret.

Whatever his thoughts were caused the hold that had finally loosened at my declaration to become barely existent, and it gave Dad (who was first staring at me shocked until it changed to protective as his own 'beast' recognized my claim and accepted it) his opportunity. He was across the room and back with me in his arms before I could finish blinking. We were standing beside the windows as far away from Edward as we could get.

Dad held me securely against his chest, one of his hands supporting my lower body while his other hand ran his fingers soothingly through my hair. I curled my legs, my fingers clinging to his shirt as my 'Panic. Fear. Distress.' turned into 'Relief.' while I took solace in his comforting embrace. His eyes were locked onto Edwards, daring him to try to take me away again.

"I have you, Angel. I have you." He whispered soothingly in my ear with a kiss to the side of my head. Uncle Jasper, Mom, and Jacob holding Renesmee practically ran across the room toward us. In a raw sense of unity, they all stood protectively in front of Dad and I. Mom turned toward me, her eyes scanning me intently for an injury. She handed my dad my bottle and he switched to cradling me in the crook of his arm; slipping my bottle into my mouth as I settled my own emotions and drank slowly.

Renesmee grabbed my hand and squeezed it to remind me she was there; her own emotions settling thanks to our closeness and Uncle Jasper. Jacob breathed in relief when he saw Renesmee finally settle.

While Dad held me, and Renesmee held my hand; mom placed her hand against my back and Uncle Jasper joined her. Even Jacob had taken to playing with a few of the baby curls on my head. That's the last thing I remembered before I fell into a deep but dreamless sleep, thanks to Uncle Jasper.

*****

The first thing I noticed as I woke, was that I was no longer in Dad's arms. I couldn't smell his scent, 'pine trees with a hint of cinnamon.' It was only the familiar scent of Jasmine and Honey with a hint of vanilla that kept my heartbeat steady. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes I looked around.

No one had moved. Aside from me now being in Moms arms instead of Dads, everyone was in the same exact position as when I fell asleep. Dad, Uncle Jasper and Jacob were now shielding myself and Mom. Edward was still in the same corner; his chin tucked against his chest and his fists clenched tightly. Carlisle had wrapped his arms comfortingly around Esme but they were still standing to the side observing. Alice was still rubbing her temples off to the other side.

{Gracie!} I could feel Renesmee's relief as if it were my own.

{Ness...what happened while I was asleep?} I questioned cautiously.

{Daddy has been stuck in the corner. Anytime he tried to move Uncle Emmett, My Jakey and Uncle Jasper would glare at him. Grandpa Carlisle has been thinking about 'anything' except whatever we all have to talk about. Grandma Esme is worried about you. Auntie Rose won't let you go, and Auntie Alice has a migraine.}

{Do you think my mom is mad at me...?}

{No! Of course not. Why would she be?}

I didn't answer her, instead I slowly and hesitantly looked up into the eyes I knew were already watching me. I put my hand against her neck so I could feel her emotions. 'Relief. Uncertainty. Confusion. Possessiveness.' "She's awake," She breathed in relief. With her statement some of the tension in the room faded. She wasted no time scenting me, her nose almost buried in my neck where I knew my scent was the strongest.

'Worry. Rejection. Hurt.' my own emotions reflected to her from where I had forgotten my hand was still connected to her. "I'm not rejecting you sweet girl, never." She whispered so low I was sure I was the only one who could hear it. She pressed her lips against my cheek and let them linger. "Let's just see what Carlisle has to say, please?"

I nodded; 'Acceptance. Love. Trust.' and I felt her continued relief that she hadn't lost me due to her own doubts.

"Since this discussion centers around young Gracie, I decided it was best to wait for her to wake after such a ...trying ordeal." Carlisle's voice was unusually tight at the end. He locked eyes with Edward, his gaze somehow both reprimanding and apologetic.

"No," Edward gasped, his eyes were still squeezed shut but now his palms were pressed against them. "No, no, no, no, no!" He shouted and fled the room; a slamming door following his retreat. Everyone had taken to staring at Edward, even mom had finally lifted her head to follow him with her eyes. As soon as he was gone, everyone shifted their attention to the patriarch of the family.

"What is it, Dear? What aren't you saying?" Esme asked with a hand on Carlisle's arm; her eyes showing how deeply unsettled she is by everything that she has witnessed. Carlisle squeezed Esme's hand and took a deep breath.

"In many myths about Hybrids; Dhampirs, even Nephilim...the child rejects their birth parents and creates a soul bond with another pair." He informed the room diplomatically; names weren't even part of the explanation, but they weren't needed. Realization settled in everyone's eyes as they stared at mom, dad, and I.

Another deep breath and he spoke again, though we hadn't needed further explanation. "It would seem, Graciela has rejected Edward and Isabella and soul bonded with Emmett and Rosalie. If you look, as I'm sure we've already noticed; even her features have taken on that of her bonded parents. Rosalie had the same violet blue eyes; Emmett had the same button nose as a child; to this day he retained the dimples that Graciela has inherited. Even her natural scent; orange blossoms, freesia and mint with a hint of ginger is an exquisite blend of their scents."

"You have my eyes..." Mom whispered more to herself than to me as her eyes flitted across my face; taking in everything Carlisle was pointing out. I was sure she had noticed before; her 'beast' definitely had, but I suppose this had to do with her lingering doubt. Now that there was an explanation for my claim instead of just a possible 'misunderstanding' it was safe for her to accept consciously.

Her eyes glistened with tears she couldn't shed as she finally understood; I was hers. I could see it in her eyes the minute she had accepted her 'beast' instead of fighting it. The second she accepted my claim and with a slight widening of her eyes; realized that she had claimed me long before she realized. She tucked my face in her neck while she closed her eyes and to help her come to terms with what was happening, I ensured I passed on not only that I loved her but exactly how much I loved her. The perpetual sadness I could always feel lingering beneath the surface was fading; her biggest regret was that she could never be a mom and I was giving her that chance.

Carlisle's voice broke our moment but neither of us moved to break the connection between us, "Rejection of the soul bond is possible; but it must be done quickly." He both warned and cautioned my mom; from the resignation in his voice, he was well aware the chances of that were slim. None the less, he kept going. "It will be painful for everyone involved... I would liken it to the severing of a mate or imprint bond." Even Jacob flinched at that. The rest of the room looked dismayed with the very idea. "According to myth; once she recovers from the rejected bond, she can create another with another mated pair, though we have no way to assess the legitimacy of that theory."

I tried not to let that little sliver of fear enter my heart as he continued to explain that my mother very well could reject our bond but despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop it. 'Fear. Insecurity.' My mom sensing my emotions assured me without words; 'Love. Possessiveness.' And for added measure, her 'beast' rushed to reassure her young. 'Mine.' There were no words to describe the relief I felt. It was such a weight off my heart that I could have cried.

When Mom was sure that I was reassured, then and only then did she answer Carlisle; whose eyes had been locked onto her waiting for her verdict. In fact, now that I looked up; everyone was watching the two of us.

"She is mine." Mom's voice was hard and left no room for doubt or argument. Dad put his arm around the both of us, showing that while mom had chosen a singular; I was theirs. He looked just as challenging as Mom did, yet again daring someone to try to take me away. Mom shifted so I was tucked safely between both of my parents, and I ensured my hand stayed connected to her neck. I needed our connection to stay open to soothe me.

"She is not!" Edward stormed into the room; black furious eyes trained on our little family. Teeth bared threateningly. In an instant Dad was repositioned; his back to us, his body in a slight crouch. He was prepared to fight to defend us. "You will reject the bond. You will reject her. When she is hurting and looking for a new bonded pair; Bella and I will be there and give her the parents she needs."

A spike of pain caused my chest to clench, and I whimpered; it was like our bond was giving me just a taste of what I would feel if this were allowed to happen. Mom's eyes widened when she felt my pain through our bond; her eyes instantly turned black, her 'beast' taking over as she tucked my face in her neck pushing, 'Comfort. Love. Security. Care.' while she rubbed my back.

Edward, realizing he was being ignored; opened his mouth once again but Carlisle beat him to the punch. He sighed, a long and drawn-out sound while pulling Esme into his arms. "It won't work." His voice was a mixture of relieved and apologetic. Apologetic toward Edward as his first born; but relieved that we didn't have to cause mom and I any pain. "Once a bond is broken or rejected, it cannot be recreated. Furthermore, in order to reject the bond, it has to be official."

"How does someone officially reject a bond?" Jacob asked while most of the vampires in the room looked as if they had paled even further than normal at his words. I was also curious; I had never heard of this.

"A bond cannot just be rejected." Jasper was the one to answer him. "Even if one doesn't want it; eventually it will pull them together. No matter intent...unless you make it official. It's a phrase I've heard of but I've never known anyone who would dare use it."

"In the case of Rosalie and Graciela.... the phrase would be as follows," Carlisle never missed an opportunity to teach someone something. "I Rosalie Lillian Hale of the Olympic Coven, do hereby reject the soul bond between myself and Graciela Vera Hale of the Olympic Coven. So mote it be. Once the words are spoken, the soul, mate, or imprint bond between the aforementioned parties will, quite painfully, shatter. Amun from the Egyptian Coven is one of the oldest vampires in existence today; over four thousand years old and he has only heard of it being performed three times."

Edward opened his mouth; no doubt to continue his argument despite what he just heard, and this time, it was Uncle Jasper who interrupted him. "If – If Rosalie were to stomach the thought of going through with the rejection; I wouldn't force Graciela to go through the pain of another rejection and I don't think I'm alone in that. If the bond shifted to Esme and Carlisle, do you really think either of them would subject her to that? She will never belong to you, Edward. You should accept it now; it will make things easier for everyone involved."

Alice and Edward shot him an indistinguishable look before Edward decided to flee the room, back to Bella's bedside. Only then did Dad relax and rise from his half crouch. He caressed my head as he moved to stand by Mom and me, again.

"Will..." Alice seemed to hesitate, her eyes flicking between the door to where Edward and Bella were and Mom, Dad, and me. "Will Edward and Bella be, okay?" She finally voiced in a small and sorrow filled voice.

"It may take some time but they will recover. Renesmee is still bonded to them; so at least they have one child." Carlisle absently answered while writing in his notebook. Esme was reading over his shoulder and nodded to support his words.

"Why does the rejection take place?" Alice asked with another glance in my direction.

"In the myths, Dhampirs; half breeds, hybrids, whatever you choose to call them; were ostracized and considered freaks among even our kind. It was customary practice for the parents to reject their offspring, considering them an abomination. The soul bond is...almost a perfect balance between an imprint and a mate bond. It's as strong as a mating bond; without the romance or intimacy. It's as devout as an imprint bond; only the devotion goes both ways."

He took a pause, collecting his thoughts before he continued, jotting down a few more notes as he continued, "It's purely speculation, mind you; but I would hypothesize that the twins could hear him while they were in the womb. Edward was never shy about voicing his adverse reaction to the pregnancy. As a result, her DNA acted accordingly and accepted his rejection... - "

"But he never spoke the phrase!" Alice protested weakly, arguing on Edwards's behalf.

Carlisle gave her a small and sad smile, "That would be where the misunderstanding lies, I suppose. There are five types of prominent bonds. A mate bond, a soul bond, a familial bond, a parental bond, and an imprint. The phrase is needed to properly reject a mate bond, a soul bond, or an imprint. Those are the three most powerful bonds in our world. A familial bond and a parental bond are exceptionally temperamental. They're fragile from infantry. If the bond isn't nurtured or nourished, encouraged or stimulated; it will simply dissolve."

"So, the parental bond between Graciela and Edward dissolved." Dad stated more than asked.

"Yes," Carlisle nodded with a grim look on his face. "As a result, she was more susceptible to an imprint, a mate bond or a soul bond. Rosalie is obviously mated to Emmett and not a wolf; continuing with the assumption they could hear us far sooner than we realized, than Rosalie fighting for her would have offered Graciela the security she was lacking; it would have created the soul bond before they even met. The purity of the love Rosalie was willing to offer Graciela before she was even born and the purity of the love that Graciela returned; created a powerful backlash. A bond born of safety, love and protection but more importantly trust." He mused thoughtfully, "Given the fact that Bella is Edward's mate; something in Graciela's biology must have extended the rejection to her, just as it extended the soul bond to Emmett as Rosalie's mate."

"And Renesmee?" Jacob questioned, "Why didn't she also reject him, then? From what you're saying, it relates to both of the girls."

"Ah, to that I have two theories." Carlisle admitted, "One more likely than the other."

"Bella also fought for them," Mom's brows were furrowed as she looked at Carlisle, her fingers absently tapping against my back. "Renesmee chose Bella whereas Graciela chose me."

Carlisle looked excited that someone else followed his thought process, his eyes lighting up as he turned to his notebook, once more. "The first and least likely theory I have is that Renesmee chose to forgive Edward; therefore, keeping the parental bond intact. The second and most likely is as you stated, Rosalie. Both you and Bella were fighting for the twins. Graciela soul bonded with you while Renesmee soul bonded with Bella. Again, the bond between Renesmee and Bella would have extended to Edward; making it easier for her to ignore or forgive his transgressions against her."

"Essentially Edward's inability to accept them in the womb was the base cause of both the dissolved parental bond and the subsequent soul bond." Uncle Jasper clarified looking thoughtful.

"Yes, that's it, in a nutshell; as they say." Carlisle squeezed Esme's hand reassuringly when her eyes landed worriedly in the direction leading to Bella and Edward; we were under no illusions that Edward wasn't listening.

"Is there no way to reestablish the parental bond before Bella wakes up? He didn't understand; he was worried and scared. Bella will be devastated!" Alice pleaded; her words aimed at Carlisle but her begging eyes aimed at me. Mom gave her a dark look and I turned my face in the other direction, my face tucked into my mom's neck.

"The soul bond was strong enough to take Graciela's features and ensure she looked like a miniature Rosalie even though Bella was the one who gave birth to her, Alice." Uncle Jasper intervened his gentle eyes trained on his upset mate. "It won't be so easily replaced."

"I agree with, Battle Scars. If a soul bond can do that, I highly doubt it will concede to a parental bond, which according to the doc is weaker than the soul bond, shortie." Jacob added with a scoff and a smirk at Uncle Jaspers raised brow.

"The only bonds stronger than a soul bond are an imprint or mate bond." Carlisle agreed. I smirked when I felt the flare of 'Jealousy.' from mom through our bond. I didn't even have an imprint or a mate, yet. "Had a soul bond not been involved in the equation; there is a possibility it could have been salvaged but its much too late now."

A contemplative silence rang through, everyone thinking about what we learned and what has happened; leave it to Dad to, as usual, interrupt the silence with some comedic relief.

"So...I have a daughter now." His statement caused all eyes to land on him. "A daughter that is basically my Rose in miniature form."

"Yes, Emmett, you do..." Esme answered cautiously; my lips twitched when I saw Carlisle, Uncle Jasper and Esme's eyes narrow in suspicion. They knew him better than to assume he was anywhere near finished.

"A daughter that will turn into a teenager who looks like Rosalie." He stressed and I saw realization settle in most of the room's eyes, they realized at the same time as I did what he was hinting. Mom was described as the most beautiful person in the world and I had inherited her looks. "As long as I promise not to feed off of them; is killing teenage boys completely off the table?"

Carlisle and Esme looked like they didn't know whether to laugh or face palm. Uncle Jasper was trying not to laugh; Jacob didn't bother to hide his snicker. Alice was the only one who didn't look amused but I figured that was just because she was still upset on behalf of Edward and Bella. Even Renesmee was giggling.

Before anyone else could respond, Mom beat them to the punch with a dark chuckle. "Don't worry, Em." She murmured with an affectionate pat to his cheek. "Teenage boys go missing all the time. And if no one ever finds them, they only have themselves to blame."

Whether they remembered the last time Mom deliberately killed human men where she was able to hunt them into paranoia and then torture them to death without spilling a single drop of their blood; or they knew her personality enough to know she may not be joking...the only laughter heard as Mom slowly swaggered her way up the stairs with me cradled protectively in her arms like the absolute girl boss she is; was mine and Renesmee's.