Emmett and Rosalie were streaking across the hot, dry sand of Arizona, roaming the dry, arid desert and rocky canyons in search of their last witness. Carlisle had warned them that the woman they were looking for did not take kindly to strangers, but they knew that she would be priceless in the battle if it came to that.
Just as Rose was about to suggest heading south, closer to Mexico, they saw faint footprints, far too light to be seen by humans, leading towards the edge of the cliff they were facing. Emmett went ahead, careful scenting the air as he remembered Carlisle's words. 'She will not hurt you, but she may run. You'll know her when she is near, I believe she will know your coven by your eyes.'
When he was about five feet from the edge of the cliff, a soft voice spoke from across the 10 foot gap. "You don't drink from humans."
Emmett shook his head, gesturing for Rose to come closer as he noticed the young girl standing dangerously close to the edge. The toes of her scuffed black combat boots stuck out over the ledge and they could see that she was rocking herself on the balls of her feet, as though ready to bolt or jump. "We are a part of Carlisle Cullen's coven. You know him?"
The young girl stared stoically across the ravine, her plump, rosy lips pressed in a grim line before she nodded once. "I met him once upon a time. Why would he seek me out?"
As Emmett negotiated with the young girl who looked to be barely out of her teens, Rosalie eyed her suspiciously. Carlisle had told them that she was eccentric, possibly even antisocial, but she hadn't expected this. The girl wore a pair of dirty combat boots, the laces knotted in several places to hold the strings together, a pair of torn up denim shorts, and a white tank top that looked orange from the swirling dust and sand of the desert. Her skin was sparkling like a million diamonds as the hot sun beat down on them, though she made no effort to hide it.
"We are gathering witnesses. A member of our coven has been falsely accused of a crime, and we plan to prove our innocence. Carlisle said you would be a great help." Emmett spoke softly, not wanting to spook the girl. She already looked as though she were about to run, her ruby-red eyes flickering rapidly as though plotting her escape route.
"I have never ran afoul of the Volturi and I don't plan to now." Her fingertips toyed with the frayed strap of her crocheted knapsack as she edged closer to the 100 foot drop in front of her.
Rose spoke up this time, using the line Carlisle had whispered to her in secret before they left. "They are aiming to destroy a perfectly innocent child. The child of a vampire and his human mate before she was turned." Her eyes bore into the cold red orbs across from her as the seconds ticked by, the only sound around them the wind.
"...how is it possible?" She whispered, her head tilting to the side as her long, chocolate colored hair fell over one shoulder, revealing the faint scars she retained from her past life.
"We will explain it all to you, but we have to hurry. The others are gathering at our home in Washington." Emmett answered, stepping closer to the ledge as the girl teetered as if teasing them.
"I will go." Before they could respond, she stepped off of the ledge, falling gracefully to the rocky, rushing river below.
O
As Bella watched Nessie playing her father's piano fondly, Jacob at her side as always and Garrett watching her in pure delight, her eyes were drawn to the three dark blurs approaching through the forest. With a murmured explanation to Jacob, she met her husband outside of the house and waited in his arms.
It took only seconds for Emmett and Rosalie to appear, Emmett with a mischievous grin and Rosalie with an uncommon smile on her plump lips. "Is Garrett in the house, by any chance?"
"He was in the living room with Ness-" Bella began, only to chuckle as the smirking Patriot himself zipped out of the house.
"Someone rang me?" He greeted the two newcomers before his ruby red eyes flickered from Emmett, to Rose, to Bella. "What's everyone looking at? You two look like you just saw a-"
He froze mid-sentence, his nostrils flaring as his eyes widened. "I must be losing my mind." A subtle fragrance of apple blossom and freshly cut grass washed over him and he couldn't help but grin.
A soft, teasing voice spoke up from one of the trees as they all looked up, hearing her approach. "You lost that sometime in the 1790's."
Perched on a tree branch was a young girl, barely 5 feet tall and dressed in threadbare clothes. She gave the much taller man a smirk before she hopped down, landing on her feet gracefully in front of him. He shook his head before letting out a boisterous laugh, wrapping his arms around her waist and swinging her around in a wide circle. "Amity Stone, I haven't seen hide nor hair of you since the 60's! Nice way to treat an old friend, running off like that."
Amity laughed gleefully as she clung to the man she considered her only friend. "Last time you saw me, you were piss drunk and trying to eat Paul McCartney after a concert. I wanted no part of that."
"I came this close, too." Garrett held his fingers an inch apart before he hugged his old friend tightly, burying his face in her tangled brown hair. "I missed you, Am. God, have I missed you."
"I missed you too." She whispered against his coat, closing her eyes as her red eyes became glossy with thick venom tears. "They told me something about a child. I needed to see for myself."
"It's marvelous." He stroked her back gently, feeling the small imperfections that the change had failed to heal completely. "A half-vampire."
"How is it possible though?" Amity gently pulled away, peering up into his eyes in confusion. "They said a human gave birth to her."
"I did." Bells spoke up awkwardly, biting her bottom lip gently as she held onto Edward's arm. "Before I was turned."
Amity turned to the woman and tilted her head curiously, playing with one of the many woven bracelets on her wrists. "May I see the child?"
"Nessie'll be in good hands." Garrett spoke, holding Amity's hips as he reassured the doubting parents. "Amity would rather walk into a fire than harm a child. She'll fight tooth and nail for the little thing."
Edward led them inside to where Nessie was sitting on the couch, letting Esme run a comb through her perfect bronze curls. "Renesmee, we have another guest. Would you mind?" They all watched as Amity approached the small child, her eyes wide in shock as she sniffed delicately, catching a trace of the human blood in her veins. Jacob watched, ready to jump it at any moment as the newcomer dropped to her knees in front of the couch, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously.
"I'm Amity." She spoke softly to the child in front of her, gently reaching out to smooth one of her curls. Venom tears filled her eyes as she remembered her own curly-haired siblings before she forced the thoughts away. "I've heard a lot about you."
In response, Renesmee's soft, warm hand gently cupped her cheek and Amity gasped quietly as images appeared in her mind. A frail woman, somewhere dark and warm, the blood and the screaming, they all entered her mind before she recoiled, swallowing the venom that had pooled in her throat. Renesmee looked at her parents, unsure if she had done something wrong or not as the stranger stood up quickly. Garrett touched her arm softly, murmuring, "Amity, breathe. Don't lose yourself here."
Shakily, Amity nodded and released an unneeded but calming breath of air. "I'm sorry for scaring you, little one. Thank you for showing me. May I show you something now?" Her eyes flickered to the couple standing in the doorway, the parents.
Edward frowned as though he were concentrating on something before he suddenly came to a look of realization, nodding. "Go ahead."
Amity closed her eyes, standing ramrod straight as the world around them began to blur, then shift. The Cullen's clean, modern house gave way to a cotton field, with a quaint dirt road running through the center and lined with wildflower sprouts. Nessie grinned as she looked around, tugging on Jacob's hand as the adults stared in awe at their surroundings.
"Welcome to 1775, everyone." Garrett announced with a smile, wrapping one arm around Amity's shoulders. She opened her eyes slowly, peeking around cautiously as though making sure none of her darker memories had snuck into the vision.
Nessie had already begun traipsing through the field, giggling as the cotton fibers cling to her like little snowflakes, looking back to make sure Jacob was following her. Bella let out a soft laugh as she shook her head in disbelief. "This is amazing."
The small group was startled when the boom of a cannon firing interrupted Nessie's gleeful exploration. Garrett gripped Amity's hand and shook her gently, "Amity, stop the vision. Don't push yourself."
Renesmee returned to her parents, clinging to Jacob's leg as the girl shut her eyes, her brows furrowed as though it hurt her this time. In seconds, the vision faded and they found themselves standing in the living room once again.
"I see you've discovered her gift." Carlisle spoke from the doorway, watching his children look around in shock. "This is why she's instrumental in our confrontation with the Volturi. She can project her memories into visions, which are incredibly lifelike."
"I need to hunt." Amity blurted out before running from the house with Garrett on her heels.
I'm trying something different with this story, I hope it works out! I know this chapter wasn't very descriptive, but I promise it'll get better. Amity does have a personality and the Cullens won't be around just for one-liners, I just found it hard to start the story in a good spot.
Anyway, please leave me a review so I know people are interested! If anyone is reading this who also reads my other story, How Do You Want It, I promise I'll have an update ready for it soon as well.