The Peace Keeper

Two days later, I finally got a handle on the wheel chair. Carlisle had gotten me to stand on crutches and even to walk a few steps, but I was mainly stuck with the chair. It wasn't so bad, I was mobile again, after all.

I spent most of my time riding around. Whoever was visiting would just follow or push me around the hospital. Yesterday it there was no rain, so Jacob (who happened to be the only one there, Victor headed back to my apartment for a break), took me out side for a stroll around the hospital.

~~~

Once the automatic front doors of the hospital wooshed open, I gulped in my first breath of fresh air.

Sighing, I told Jacob who was pushing the chair behind me, "I missed this so much!"

"You an outdoor person?" Jake chuckled.

I grinned up at him over my shoulder, "Uh-huh! I was born outside, you know."

"Really now? How'd that happen?"

I paused, "Well, you see, when two people love eachother very much--"

"That's not what I meant."

I laughed, so did he, "Yeah, I know... But anyway, my mom was out gardening, like, a month before our-- mine and Victor's-- due date. My dad was in home working on something or other. But yeah, he was so preoccupied, he didn't hear my mother shout that her water broke." I giggled, "By the time he realized what was happening she was halfway through. So my dad called paramedics, and they couldn't take her to a hospital or anything, cause she was so far into the labor process. So she just gave birth to us right there in the garden."

"That's pretty cool, actually," Jacob said absent-mindedly.

"So what's your mom like?" I asked Jacob, this time tilting my head back, grinning up to him.

He gave me a sad smile back, "Wouldn't know. She died before I really got to know her."

I frowned, "That's horrible. I'm sorry I brought it up..."

Putting a comforting hand on my head, Jake ruffled my hair a bit, "It's alright. What about your mom? How come she hasn't shown up yet? And your dad..."

I looked up at him again, "Nobody told you?"

"Huh?"

"Both of my parents have been dead for nearly seven years..."

"Oh my god, Emma, I'm so sorry--"

I cut him off with a laugh, "Oh, it's alright. You didn't know."

Jake still frowned.

We were silent until he pulled me up next to a bench around the eastern side of the hospital. Jacob sat next to me, his long legs awkwardly.

"So you and your brother have been on your own?"

I shrugged, "Pretty much."

"Must have been hard."

Shaking my head, I said, "It wasn't that bad. We got a butt load of inheritance money though. And we still get government checks from the reservations and stuff."

"Reservations? Plural?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Yep! I'm mixed. My mom was fully Lenape, while my father was three quarters Algonquin, and a quarter Irish. Which is why my skin's less reddish than it should be, and my eyes and hair are lighter."

Jacob nodded, running a hand through his long hair, "I'm pretty sure both of my parents were Quileute." His dark brown eyes met with my hazel ones. "So were you're parents peacekeepers too?"

I grinned with pride, "They were."

"Does that happen a lot? Peace keepers marrying other peace keepers?"

Pursing my lips, I shook my head, "No actually. It's really a very rare occurrence. The peacekeeper gene is recessive. It usually pops up randomly, hiding dormant for generations. Normally peacekeepers don't know they're peacekeepers... And think they're just crazy. Tragic really. I'm one of the lucky ones." I began fiddling with a strand of my ringlets. "I'm pretty sure my daughter has the gene too, but I'm not positive yet--"

"Daughter?!" Jake gasped.

"Wow, you're really out of the loop," I stated nonchalantly. "Victor swore to me he told everybody..."

"Nu-huh!" Jake was flabbergasted.

"Well, now you know! I guess it is sorta my fault though... That should've been the first thing I told you!" I giggled. "Hope you're not put off by that..."

"Oh, no, just a little shocked, that's all..."

"Sorry again."

"S'ok...What's she like, then?"

I looked towards the cloudy sky and smiled longingly. "Well, she'll be about four months soon? I've lost track... But, she's absolutely perfect. Curly red hair, and skin just a bit lighter than mine... Her eyes are like mine too...Only less green and more yellowish. She looks so much like her father..."

"Is that where your daughter is?" Jacob was careful what questions he asked. "With the father...?"

I shook my head slowly, allowing my eyes to fall to the ground. "She's with her new parents in California," There was a hard tug on my heart strings, "The dad's dead."

"I'm sorr--"

"Please don't say that..." I whispered. Jake closed his mouth. "I've heard it enough already. Besides..." I looked up at him again, this time with my best smile on, "I'm happier this way. She's safe and content, and that's all that matters to me!"

Jake smiled, obviously seeing through my facade, but still, he asked, "What's her name?"

"Robyn. Robyn Dawson."