Title: Eternal

Author: Nadia Mack

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing

Rating: T

Summary: It's been 26 years since Edward and his family left Bella. An unprecedented event changed the course of her future. The life she once had was finally coming to the surface for the first time in a quarter of century.

Author's Notes: I don't want to explain too much until the second chapter. So I'm going to let you guys decide if this first part explains enough that putting an explanation in the author's notes was necessary. By the way, just so no one freaks out, this is a Bella and Edward story so don't be afraid of the character I created. You'll know what I mean when you read it. I believe this is only going to be written in 2 or 3 parts, depending on how much material I manage within in single update. Reviews are always welcome.

Twenty-five years is a long time for a human being, but for him, not so much. Being what he was, it is hardly something he aspired to when he had been just a child growing up in a small town. Never one for ambitious dreams, perhaps that was the very reason he had become surprisingly fascinated with his second life.

Strong.

Fast.

Invincible.

There was nothing he couldn't accomplish in this life, a life filled with endless possibilities. All it took was a little effort, and it became effortless.

He had a family he'd die to protect.

He also had a beautiful daughter to share these new experiences with and a job he found very fulfilling. He wondered more than once why he kept himself idle in small town living, content to keep things constant, unable to accept change.

He supposed that the difference was much more pronounced. What he didn't achieve in his old life was now happening in his current, and he couldn't be happier.

"Grandpa?"

Charlie turned to the sound of the soft-spoken voice and his pride swelled unbelievably at the sight of his grandchild.

"Hey little one."

Her smile lit the room. "I haven't been little since I was five," she smiled, recalling her early years and the unprecedented growth spurts that occurred during that time.

"I don't care how much older you've become," he expressed with a shrug. "You'll always be my little one." Charlie held out his hand to her and she took it willingly. After a quarter of a century, he still had a hard time believing this was his grandchild.

When his granddaughter gripped his hand tightly, he simply stared. Standing a couple of inches taller than her mother, Renesmee Swan inherited her mother's eyes. His eyes. With long wavy bronze-colored hair and feminine patrician features, she had been a gift and every day that passes, she never ceases to amaze him.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, her gaze drifting towards the city's incredible skyline that overlooked the very edge of the rooftop they stood on.

The sun was down, the moon glowed brightly and they were surrounded by the soothing presence of the stars.

"Just thinking."

Renesmee looked at him. "Anything exciting?"

Charlie chuckled. "Not this time, kiddo."

Renesmee pouted adorably. "Well, there's always tomorrow," she said in a hopeful tone.

Being a father, grandfather and a police officer, he quickly detected that something else was on her mind.

"Where's your mother?"

Renesmee's audible sigh confirmed his suspicions. "She's out hunting with Nicholas."

"Hmm." He eyed her speculatively. "Still haven't convinced her to let you and Jake go off on your own, huh?" There was no need to ask because he knew the answer, but he always enjoyed the conversations with his grandchild. It was a relationship he lacked with his own daughter when he had been human and he vowed not to miss it a second time.

"She's being overprotective and completely irrational," she complained uncharacteristically.

"She's a parent," Charlie replied emphatically. "I can relate."

"I know." Renesmee sat down on the ledge, her legs hanging off the high-rise building. "It's not as if I'm defenseless."

Charlie immediately thought of her vampritic abilities and her shape-shifting boyfriend and could not help but agree. Thank goodness his daughter couldn't read minds.

"Your mother knows you can take care of yourself. She's not questioning your abilities."

"Couldn't you plead my case?" she asked in a soft tone mixed with the pleading look in her eyes that he almost caved.

"No can do, kiddo. This is between you and your mom. Just give her time."

Renesmee's eyes widened. "That could take decades."

Charlie laughed. "She deserves more credit than that. She's let you two go off on your own for months at a time before," he reminded her.

"That's only because we still share the same continent," she rebutted. "What's so bad about Europe? If I even mention Italy, she freaks out."

Charlie stiffened instinctively. When his daughter first explained to him about a group of old and very powerful vampires called the Volturi, a chill went down his spine. He had no intention of ever being on their radar for as long as he could help it. His daughter felt the exact same way.

One of the main reasons why they kept such a low profile was to keep nomads and the Volturi from ever discovering Renesmee's existence. From the very beginning, Bella carried an unnatural amount of self-control over her basic instincts while simultaneously helping her him overcome his own. After five years isolated from humanity, they made the decision as a family to relocate in major cities.

"She has her reasons, Nessie." Charlie raised his hand to keep her from interrupting. "And she's going to tell you about it sooner than you think."

Renesmee nodded acceptingly.

Charlie stared. So mature for her age, just like her mother had been.

"Go to bed, kiddo," he insisted, noticing the tired look in her eyes. "You're about ready to drop dead."

Renesmee yawned. "Okay." She got up with a little help from her grandfather and hugged him warmly. "Goodnight, grandpa."

Charlie smiled. "Goodnight, little one."

He stood there for another two hours when his hearing picked up the familiar movements of his daughter. Charlie remained quite and contemplative, a great feat for someone who once spent most of their free time watching sports and catching fish.

Living in the city was dangerous, especially one as populated as New York. But the underground tunnel system, tall buildings and narrow alleyways was enough to give him and his family the maneuverability to avoid exposure to sunlight. It also helped that most vampires avoid cities and the crowds made it easy to blend in. They have yet to come across another vampire since he and Bella were changed.

Besides, they all outgrew small town living.

"Dad?" Bella moved in human pace beside him. "How long have you been up here?"

"Waiting for you actually."

She raised a single eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Should I be worried?"

"Depends on your definition of worry, but you probably already know where this conversation is going. It's about Nessie." When Bella did not react with an outburst, he continued, "I'm not here to tell you what to do, but I will say that she put on a convincing puppy dog look that nearly had me."

"Stupid dog's influence," she muttered beneath her breath.

Charlie held back his smile. "I know you're worried but maybe it's time she knows what's out there."

Bella felt torn at the prospect. It was inevitable that this day would come and there was no way she could justifiably tell one story and not intersect with the other. She has long passed feeling sorry for herself and was content with her life. Happy with the family she made for herself.

She knew her father hated the Cullen's at first, even after she explained everything, and it took a while in her grief to fully understand—in her own point-of-view—why they went away and left her, like they never existed.

The first few years had been undoubtedly hard, and if it hadn't been for the presence of her daughter, a constant reminder of the love lost – in time, it no longer damaged her from within. Like her father, the feelings of anger and betrayal she felt towards the Cullen's ended and in it's place, shocking apathy.

She no longer fell apart at the sound of his name, even when it was spoken in the privacy of her mind.

Renesmee deserved to know the whole truth. She has never lied to her daughter, but at the same time, she never offered up information either. She didn't lack father figures in her life, and early on in her haste to move on, she had kept that part of her Forks life silent.

Up until now.

Bella loved her daughter completely. They shared a similar relationship with her own mother, Renee, who was now in her early sixties. The only real difference between their relationships was that she was not as flighty and forgetful with her daughter as Renee had been with her.

As hesitant as she was to let her daughter go off on her own, she'd like to believe that she was patient and more than a little understanding for her taste. There aren't many mothers out there willing to allow a shape-shifting wolf around their infant daughter, let alone imprint on them.

That had been a whole other issue in and of itself, and Bella wasn't going to go there. She had already accepted it, and Jacob had held his end by becoming whatever Renesmee needed him to be. Babysitter, playmate, friend, and eventually…

So not going to go there.

Bella looked to her father for guidance, one of many times she turned to him since embarking on their eternal journey together.

"Do you think she'll hate me for keeping it all from her."

Charlie held out his arms and embraced her, a characteristic that had been foreign to them in their old life.

"She's a smart girl, she'll understand."

Bella sighed. "Six more hours until daylight. I am so not looking forward to this discussion."

Charlie chuckled and naturally, remained silent.

"You do know she'll probably want to find them," she said, referring to the Cullens.

"Probably."

Bella looked away.

"Is that so bad, Bells?"

"Not bad." To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure what she was feeling. "Inevitable."

Her underwhelming reaction disturbed Charlie. Over the years, she had grown indifferent and apathetic towards certain subjects, most of them centering on the Cullen Family. Sometimes, she would be so matter-of-fact it'd frighten him.

"You can talk to me, you know. You don't have to be strong for everyone."

Bella looked at her father disbelievingly. "You take one psychology class and suddenly you want to be my shrink." She shook her head, indignant and amused.

"I'm serious, Isabella."

She cringed hearing the sound of her name uttered in all its parental admonishing glory. Nearing fifty human years of age and it still bothered her.

"I know, I know."

"Sometimes, I think this unnatural self-control you have is a handicap."

Bella smirked and said nothing for a good long while. When she was finally ready, she gave him her promise.

"I'll speak to Nessie before breakfast."

Charlie nodded. "Good."

Renesmee loved her mom. Even she had to admit to being guilty of idolizing her on many occasions (she still did), but there are times like these that she felt she didn't understand her mom at all.

It didn't matter how hard she looked, and she had pretty phenomenal eyesight.

When she woke up this morning, her mother was watching her in her own little nook in the corner of the room.

It's been many years since Nessie caught her mom watching her sleep. Granted, sharing the same bed with Jacob the last few years probably helped to dissuade her from the habit. It had been a delight at first, but there were moments she missed having her mom there.

Like a guardian angel watching over her.

Renesmee rubbed her eyes, her vision adjusting to the light that streamed through the window drapes. "Is this about Europe?"

Bella smiled. "More or less."

"Okay," Renesmee responded, pretending she understood.

She watched her mother take a deep breath she didn't really need and continued to stare as she got up from the chair and moved to sit beside her. Automatically, she scooted over to make room.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your father."

"What about Nicholas?"

"Not that father."

Renesmee blinked.

Her father?

My father?

This was the first time in Renesmee's entire existence that her mother willingly brought up the topic of her biological father.

The few times she asked, her mother would have a very sad and faraway look in her eyes, it was enough to stopped her from going any further.

She was both curious and afraid to know the truth.

Not even Jacob and Charlie talked about him. Whoever him was.

Renesmee never lacked love in her life, and while curiosity still lingered, she did not crave for it as she supposedly should.

But this was entirely different.

Her own mother was offering information, and that blew her mind. It was a chance she wasn't going to pass up.

"Sweetheart."

She blinked again breaking out of her shocked stupor, eyes refocusing directly on her mother's. "You're really going to talk about him?" she asked just to make sure she heard her right the first time.

Bella looked at her daughter regretfully.

"No amount of apologies would suffice, but I'm sorry anyway that it's taken me this long to even bring him up."

"Was he…" Renesmee gulped. "Bad?"

Bella's eyes widened. "No!" She shook her head furiously. "Of course not!"

To say that Renesmee was surprised by her mother's reaction would be an understatement.

"Then why bring him up now? After so many years."

Bella sighed. "This would've been so much easier to explain if I had your gift." She moved closer to her daughter, brushing her fingers against Renesmee's soft porcelain skin. "His name is Edward."

Renesmee inhaled deeply, committing her father's name to memory. "Edward." She repeated the name with fascination.

A small smile tugged at Bella's lips. "His human name was Edward Anthony Masen. He was born and raised in Chicago until 1918."

Renesmee followed her mother's words closely. "Is that when he became a vampire?"

Bella nodded. "He was seventeen dying of the Spanish Influenza. His sire, Carlisle Cullen, became his surrogate father."

She continued to share more information about the kind of man, Edward Cullen was. Facts mostly. Likes and dislikes. Apparently, father and daughter had music in common.

While Renesmee was taking this all in, she couldn't help but notice her mother's lack of emotional involvement when she talked about him.

She interrupted her just as she was about to describe the rest of the Cullens.

"Mom."

"What's wrong?" Bella asked. "Am I telling you too much? Do you need some time before we continue?

Renesmee shook her head. "No, not at all. It's just that…" She was hesitant to say the words, but she had to know. "He must have really hurt you, didn't he?"

Bella's eyes steeled in front of her daughter. "Your father would never hurt me."

Her words were absolute but Renesmee knew better. Slowly, she pressed her hand against her mother's heart, frozen a long time ago from her transformation from mortal to immortal.

Renesmee's eyes glistened with the tears her mother could never again shed. "I meant there."

With a weak smile, Bella covered her daughter's hand with her own and squeezed it softly. "It was a long time ago." Her eyes darted away for just a second before settling back on Renesmee. "I loved him… very much. But when he left, it was really hard. Harder than I could have ever imagined. I guess you can say, in a way, he broke me."

Renesmee's eyes narrowed. "I already don't like him."

Bella chuckled. "Sweetie, you haven't even met him. You'll likely change your mind."

Renesmee stubbornly refused to concede defeat so early, but she didn't want to argue with her mother and instead, went towards an entirely different topic of discussion hoping to keep her mom from the hurt a little while longer.

"What exactly does my father have to do with me and Jacob traveling to Europe?"

Bella pinched the bridge of her nose as if to quell an impending headache.

"Because of what he told me about the Volturi."

Renesmee looked at her blankly. "The who?" She knew of a town called Volterra in Montepulciano, Italy but that was all.

"The Volturi. They're practically royalty within our species. Edward and your grandfather Carlisle told me once that they were a coven of very old and powerful vampires. They enforce the law."

Renesmee couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Vampires have laws?"

"Yeah," Bella replied, massaging her temples with her two forefingers. "Crazy huh. We're essentially selfish and murderous creatures yet the Volturi are our judge, jury and executioner if we disobey their rules."

"What rule would that be?"

"Isn't it obvious? The only one that's really important. Our existence. The Volturi values secrecy most. They don't want the human world to know we exist. It doesn't help that technology continues to evolve. Their ignorance essentially keeps us in bliss."

"I should've realized that."

"Well, it's not something we think about often. We're kind of in our own little bubble out here."

"So you don't want the Volturi to know who I am?"

Bella nodded. "Nicholas explained to me a little of what he knows about the coven, and you know he's older than all of us put together. Aro, one of the three leaders, is a very curious vampire. He's a collector of sorts, and even thinks of himself as a scientist. I'm afraid they'll take you away. Or worse, kill you."

"But it's been so many years, why would he want anything to do with me now?"

"Because many of his guards are composed of gifted vampires," a voice explained behind them.

Bella and her daughter turned to find Nicholas leaning against the door unaware of his earlier presence. Years of practice amongst both vampires and humans have given him experience to stealthily appear in places randomly, catching everyone off guard. Although, that wasn't his ability, it was simply a learned trait he honed over the course of a thousand years.

Not bothered by the interruption, Renesmee asked, "But my gift is hardly that special."

Nicholas moved away from the door and walked closer, his arms crisscrossed in front of his chest.

"When you were born, we kept your existence a secret for something a little more specific."

Renesmee looked thoroughly confused now.

"We didn't want any vampire out there to think you were an immortal child," he elaborated.

"But I am an immortal child. Well, at least I was. Now I'm just an immortal adult."

Bella chuckled and allowed Nicholas to explain. "Immortal children are forbidden in our world. If even one vampire suspected and notified the Volturi, we'd all be dead. But you're different. You weren't made immortal as a child, you were born into it. But the Volturi aren't always known to ask questions first, and your mother and I didn't want to take the risk."

"So what is an immortal child that has the Volturi afraid of them?"

"They're unpredictable. Violent and completely devoid of understanding circumstances. When they're changed so young, they are incapable of adapting or evolving in their environment. Always remaining in the state of development that they were changed. There's smiles are innocent but their intent are deadly. A single child alone could decimate an entire village, and no one would suspect a child responsible."

Unable to think of an appropriate word to describe what she just learned, Renesmee reacted with the simplest of words.

"Oh."

"We'd never let anything happen to you," he solemnly promised.

Renesmee stared into the burgundy eyes of the man that was the closest thing she had to a father.

"I know."

"Do you think I told her too much?" Bella asked him after Renesmee left to meet with Jacob for breakfast at a local diner a few blocks from where they lived. Worry continued to etch her features at the memory of her talk with her daughter.

Nicholas shook his head and smiled at her warmly. "She's a smart girl, and a brave one too. She'll be fine."

"I told her about Edward."

"I know."

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping."

Bella shrugged, unconcerned. "I should have told her about him before. I've been selfish to keep her to myself all these years. The Cullens believed that our kind are incapable of procreation, Edward at least deserved to see his child grow."

"I know," Nicholas responded understandably. "But at the same time, I'm glad you've given me the opportunity to be a father."

"I didn't give you the opportunity," Bella said with a smile, remembering their early years together with fondness. "Renesmee practically clung to you like it was second nature. No matter what she chooses to do with the information she has now, don't forget that she chose you unconditionally."

Nicholas nodded, his eyes filled with relief and love. Their relationship was a peculiar kind. Casual yet genuine. They were each other's confidants.

Friend… peer… lover…

Nicholas never asked for more than she could give. Her heart had been broken, but he helped her with unflinching kindness she didn't expect from a nomad. Despite the dark redness of his eyes, he fed on humans who were already dying, and never fed on women or children. In the last hundred years and a half, he fed mostly from blood banks, eliminating the need to hunt humans unless absolutely necessary.

Bella's memories drifted to the past. Twenty five years ago, while she lay dying in her father's arms after Renesmee's birth, Nicholas stumbled upon them entirely by chance in a abandoned cabin deep in the woods, his attention entranced by the half vampire half human infant that was guarded protectively by a massive werewolf.

It was not long after that he found the mother of the child nearing death, and a human Charlie begging him to change her, to let her live and ignoring the important fact that the stranger's dark ruby eyes betrayed his diet.

By the time the change was completed, Bella awoke to her new life only to find her father in agonizing pain. A man she didn't recognize kneeled before him, covering her father's body with bags of ice in hopes to alleviate the cacophony of burning pain she knew her father felt.

Unable to find her voice, the stranger spoke up softly.

"I'm sorry," he said, the smoothness of his voice was tinged with regret. "He wanted me to change him, so you wouldn't be alone."

Bella's mouth fell open, her eyes drifting between her father and this unfamiliar vampire. Almost instantly, the thirst to feed nearly overcame her senses and she forced herself to remain still, unmoving.

"You're more controlled than I expected," he observed quietly before standing, his height identical to someone she once knew. "We should get you something to eat."

The first thing she comprehended was his utter lack of fear near her. He didn't seem at all afraid of her or her newborn capabilities, whatever they were. He was calm and collected. She felt his innate confidence that never once stepped over the bounds of arrogance.

"I… I won't kill humans." The hunger had escalated, but she refused to cave. Stubborn in this life as much as the old. Her hand suddenly gripped her stomach in search of something only to find it hard and flat. Comprehension dawned. "Where's my child?" Her eyesight and hearing sharpened all around her. "Where's Jacob?"

The stranger held both his hands in the air; a sign that left little doubt he meant no harm.

"Your werewolf friend went to get some food. He's with your daughter right now. I thought it best she was away when you woke up."

"Daughter?" Bella swallowed the venom that pooled in her mouth. Her mind battling against the hunger she craved as she simultaneously took the information in. "She's a girl?"

"Yes," he replied, his features seemingly filled with a surprising amount of awe. Bella didn't know who this man was, but she felt she was not in any danger from him. At least for now.

Her hand braced her throat. "I'm thirsty."

"I'll take you into the forest. Your friend, the wolf, mentioned that you'd prefer to feed on animals. Is this true?"

Bella stared and saw no judgment in his eyes. She nodded.

"Very well. You're father will be safe here, we won't be long." Tentatively, he extended his hand towards her. "I won't harm you."

She hadn't believed his words at first, for almost a year she kept a careful distance from him, but it was the first meeting—that first impression that caused her to stop thinking and focus on the present.

He led her deep into the woods, her legs running faster than she ever deemed possible, and far more graceful than she ever expected of herself. It was after her first kill, unfortunately it was a deer, totally unsatisfying but it helped. After a few more, the first signs of her thirst abated, and she was finally capable to thinking straight to ask him a question.

"Who are you?"

"I've gone through many names," he said with a soft smile, his striking burgundy eyes didn't inspire the fear she expected from a human drinker. "But my birth name is Nikolai Adelon. Lately, it's been Nicholas Dumas."

A memory flickered into her thoughts. "Like the author? Alexander?"

His smile turned into a boyish grin. "I'm a fan of the classics."

She nodded.

"Are you still thirsty?" he asked.

"Um… do you know where I can find a mountain lion?"

He smirked. "Not in this area, but once you've adjusted to your lifestyle, I'll show you where you can find them. Will you permit me to accompany you?"

His politeness continued to catch her off guard. This vampire, Nicholas, saved her life and kept her family safe. She didn't know what his intentions were, and she largely felt it was best to keep him close in order to discover any dangerous motives beneath the surface, so in the end, she acquiesced, unaware that one day soon, she would come to think of him as family.

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this. You realize how ridiculous it is, right?"

Renesmee looked at her boyfriend with an amused expression as she continued unpacking in her one-bedroom dormitory that was housed in Appleton.

"It's not like I haven't gone to school before," she said with a half shrug.

Jacob groaned. "It's not about the school." He looked out into the window that overlooked the campus of Amherst College. Unlike his best friend Bella, Renesmee's human genes allowed her to mingle with society easily without fear of exposure from the sunlight.

"He's not worth it."

"Jacob, he's my father," she reminded him, her patience waning thin. "I can't form an opinion of him based on everyone else's. Mom even recommended it."

"Bella could never think straight when he's involved," he mumbled angrily.

Renesmee's eyes angered perceptively. "Be careful where you take this conversation, Jake. I let you slide bad mouthing my biological father, but this is my mother you're insulting. I won't stand for it."

Jacob looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I thought I outgrew this animosity, but some things are a little harder to change than others."

Renesmee sighed. "That was years ago."

"He left her, Nessie. Alone, pregnant and completely defenseless. I didn't like him from the get go, but I hated him after what he did when he left."

"I'm not going to argue with you about his choices or justify what he did. I'm not here to create a bond with him; I want to see what he's like. That he's something more than just the man that broke my mother's heart." She settled the remaining clothes from her luggage into the middle drawer and closed it with a resounding thud. She closed the space between them and held onto Jacob, her arms encircling his waist. She looked into his eyes deeply. "Please support me on this."

"Just promise you'll be careful."

"I promise."

"Okay," he nodded, calmer now than he was when they first arrived. "Your father," referring to Nicholas "set me up with a pretty cool loft just outside of town." He hands her the spare keys. "Do you have your necklace?"

Renesmee pulled the silver chain from her neck that revealed Nicholas's ancestral pendant that he gave her just before they left New York.

"Keep it around your neck at all times, okay?" he instructed.

Renesmee rolled her eyes. "I know how it works, Jake. I was there when he explained it to me, not to mention that I have eidetic memory."

"I know I'm sorry, but remember, he's a mind reader. If you're away from it for even just a moment, he'll figure out who you are."

Renesmee fingered her pendant like it was her lucky charm. Nicholas was born during the times of the Roman Empire, making him literally over millennia old. The pendant held some sort of magical or special properties that prevented the wearer from mental intrusion (she made a mental note to question him further about it when this trip was over).

After that morning a few weeks ago when her mother told her about her father and the Volturi, and the decision she made afterwards, Nicholas came to see her and gave her the pendant. Explaining that it was her choice whether or not she wanted to reveal who she was to her father. It wouldn't have been fair for the choice to be taken away from her before she was ready.

She thanked him, knowing that her journey to learn more about her biological father must hurt him on a paternal level. Nicholas was truly the only father she has ever known, they were as close as she was to her grandfather and she hoped that wherever this path took her, their relationship would remain unscathed.

Edward Cullen may be responsible for giving her life, but it was Nicholas that was there that helped sustain it.

"What will you be doing while I'm off learning…" Her mind went blank. "What am I learning this semester anyway?"

"I think your mom mentioned something about music composition."

Renesmee let out a breath of relief. "Thank God. Something I actually have an interest in."

Jacob grinned. "It's a good thing your dad's a savant. He got your paperwork and admissions through with very little trouble, and with little notice. In the meantime, Seth and Leah will be staying with me at the loft."

"I don't need guard dogs to protect me from my own family," she remarked, more than a little annoyed.

Jacob frowned. "For the record, we're not dogs, we're wolves. And just because I'm supporting you on this doesn't mean I won't be cautious about it. They're coming here because they care about you. No one wants to see you get hurt, physically or emotionally."

"Fine," she conceded. "Just make sure you three keep your distance while I'm on campus. They're not idiots. When they smell your scent on me, this whole thing would be over before I even begin."

"We'll keep our distance until you come to us or call us to you, but they're staying."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Inside the Lewis-Sebring Commons in Amherst located in Valentine Hall, Emmett relaxed against his chair while he draped one arm around Rosalie. "So what's the 411 on the new students? Is there anyone here interesting?" He spoke excitingly in hopes to grab the interest of his brother.

Edward replied with an uninterested "Nothing unusual." Other than the incessant chatter of the student body, he could not even force himself to care. Instead, he focused on solely on his uneaten tray of food.

"Don't be like that, Edward," Alice chided. "You've got to at least give us something."

Rosalie scoffed at the notion. "Don't try to turn this into Bella Version 2.0. We've had enough of her to last us ten lifetimes."

Edward abruptly rose from his seat and stepped away from the table, disappearing into a set of double doors unable to be around his siblings any longer.

Alice glared at Rosalie. "You could've at least left Bella out of this."

"She's got a point, Rose." Emmett looked at his wife pleadingly. "It's been a long twenty five years, and Edward's becoming almost suicidal lately. We don't want to push the wrong buttons."

Rosalie refused to censor her words when her thoughts gave it all away regardless.

"He needs to move on. And after all these years, even Jasper can't be near him too long. He needs to get his head out of his ass."

"I don't entirely disagree honey, but this is Edward. And this is the first time since Forks that he's actually attempting to go to school with us. So let's ease him into it, not bludgeon him into the ground."

Before Rosalie could snap back at her husband, something in the air caught the three vampire's attention.

"Did you smell that?" Emmett voiced aloud.

"It's absolutely divine," Alice chirped, looking around the dining hall for its origin. "Where is that scent coming from?"

Even Rosalie couldn't help but look. "I don't know, but it's no scent I've ever smelled before. It's like…"

Alice finished for her. "…Human?" She inhaled once more. "Yes, definitely human but there's something else, something very different."

As the scent grew stronger, the faces of Alice, Rosalie and Emmett turned and in their line of sight, their enhanced vision laid eyes on a pair of familiar brown eyes.

To be continued in Part II