EmPOV
"Maybe it's nothing." Esme said while pacing up and down the living room. My family wasn't easily flustered but there was a car traveling quickly up the driveway. Normally, I'd be all for it; the more the merrier. But, Alice was still out hunting so she couldn't warn us of any danger and, so far, Edward couldn't hear who was coming. Carlisle's brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. Edward threw him a few quick glances as he rolled possibilities around in his head. Did Carlisle know this person?
"I don't want to take any chances. If they get out of the car, I will face them, but I want you all to be quiet. I don't want them to know you are here, so whatever happens, do not make yourselves known."
"Why? We can take them on! We're fighters not pansies!" I yelled as I stood up, looking at my brothers. Jasper nodded. Edward instinctively wrapped his arm around breakable Bella, looking toward the stairs and the safety of his room.
"No!" Carlisle said sharply.
"Carlisle, what's going on? What have you not told us?" Esme touched his arm, concern etched deeply into her face. A look full of guilt crossed Carlisle's face and Edward's head snapped in his direction before turning back to Bella.
"Just please trust me, okay?" Carlisle cupped Esme's face. "Please, all of you make yourselves scarce. Do not come out until I say. Promise me?"
"I promise." Esme whispered. She never says no to him. Carlisle gave her a quick kiss and she disappeared into the backyard, probably to wait for Alice. I locked eyes with Jasper and we nodded tightly. Like hell we were just going to sit by. At the first sign of trouble, we would be right there. No one messes with our family.
"Now!" Carlisle commanded. Reluctantly, on my part at least, we flew up the stairs. Edward took Bella into his room and closed the door, locking it behind them. Jasper and I stood at the top of the stairs, shoulder to shoulder, ready for anything. Rosalie came back out of our room and stood behind me.
"Emmett, don't be stupid!" she hissed. She tried to grab onto my arm, but I shrugged her off.
"It's fine, babe. You know they can't touch me!" I flipped up the collar of my polo shirt, smirking. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. We heard the car outside come to a stop just in front of the house and someone got out, their heels clicking across the pavement. God, I love heels. So hot. I glanced down at my wife's feet. She was wearing my favorite heels; bright pink and super high. They're even better when they're the only thing she's wearing. Like that one night when she… Jasper nudged me and Edward cleared his throat from his room. I sighed, leaning against the wall. There was hushed whispering downstairs, too low for even us to hear. I heard Carlisle's famous exaggerated huff before he spoke at full volume.
"It is alright, Alice. Everyone, you can come down now. Everything is alright. It seems an old friend has come for a visit. An unannounced visit…" Carlisle called. Edward slowly emerged from his room with Bella in tow, wearing a completely sour face. Such an emo. I swallowed a laugh as his face got even more serious.
"This is no laughing matter, Emmett. I can't hear her!" he hissed in a low voice that Bella couldn't hear. He guided her carefully down the stairs, brooding the whole way. Rosalie huffed and shoved her way past me and Jasper, heading down the stairs after the lovebirds. I bit my lip and pinched her ass. It looked delicious in the jeans she was wearing. I'd just love to- She turned and smacked my hand away, shaking her head as she walked down the stairs. Jasper's chest shook with silent laughter. I shoved him against the opposite wall, but he caught himself on the railing and punched me in the arm. I smiled as we headed down the stairs.
As I hit the landing, I first noticed something shiny. Patent leather black high-heels. They were higher than Rosalie's, and preceded legs that looked a mile long, clad in the skinniest skinny jeans known to man. Damn. When I stared a little harder, I figured out the height was an illusion. She was 5'5", max. She had on a gray shirt that was pretty much see-thru. Daddy likey! I looked up to see a nice rack, at least double-D's, with a bit of cleavage showing. Her voluptuous chest was accented by a few layers of shiny silver necklaces. Finally, I looked up to her face to find her looking right back at me with incredible gray eyes. Her face was framed with long and flowing dark hair, similar to Bella's, but with that quality of vampire perfectness. She looked at me appreciatively and I hitched my chin up just a bit.
Rosalie growled and the girl snapped her gaze at my wife. It was like she had flipped a switch; alluring to deadly in a hot second. "Did you really just growl at me?" For such a small thing, she was quite intimidating. Rosalie glanced over at me and glared before crossing her arms defensively. Completely ignoring the girl, she addressed Carlisle.
"I don't like the way she's looking at my husband, Carlisle. Who is she? I don't like her." she spat. Looking between the two, my mouth started to water. To get both my Rosie and this girl alone, I would be the happiest man alive. Well, dead, actually. Early birthday present? God, I hope so.
"I heard that, missy," Heard what? I was so busy fantasizing I must have missed something. Rose continued. "I don't know who you think you are, but..." she stopped as the girl walked towards her. Yes! Yes! Yes! Please baby just this once! I will be good forever, I swear!
"Missy? You are going to shut up now and sit down like a good little girl." she commanded. I almost laughed. As hot as you are, there is no way...Wait, what is she doing? Rosalie turned around and sat on the couch, not speaking another word.
Marry me.
I looked between her and Rose. "How on earth did you do that?"
LilyPOV
"Knock, knock." I whispered, smiling at the man standing in the door. The house was almost completely hidden by the trees. I stretched my arms above my head, stiff from having driven almost non-stop for four days.
"I wondered if that could be you." His voice was equally low, and sad. His platinum blonde hair shined as he walked inside and sank into the couch.
"Yes, just little old me. Hello, Carlisle." I closed the door softly behind us and followed him into the open living room.
"Carlisle, I'm so sorry!" A younger-looking girl with small features scurried into the room. "I didn't see her coming! I thought it was going to be Maria, messing with my visions again." Her voice was low as well, and I had to wonder just who we were hiding from.
"It is alright, Alice. Everyone, you can come down now. Everything is alright. It seems an old friend has come for a visit. An unannounced visit…" He lowered his voice again before turning to the girl. "Alice, she and I have only ever been friends." If your vision wasn't good enough, you wouldn't have noticed him narrow his eyes at me for a split second, as if daring me to contradict him, before turning to his family members. One came in from outside, immediately standing at Carlisle's side. Others trailed down the stairs. Boy with bronze hair, clutching the hand of a cute brunette. A tall blonde with heels almost as high as mine descended the stairs next. I barely noticed them, though, because my eyes were glued on the last two to arrive. It has to be them. One was tall, buff, and broad-shouldered with dark hair. The other was a blonde and had more of a swimmer's build; smaller yet muscles in all the right places.
Someone growled and I glanced over with my eyebrow raised. "Did you really just growl at me?"
The tall blonde made an ugly face at the dark-haired man and crossed her arms. She ignored my question and spoke to Carlisle. "I don't like the way she's looking at my husband, Carlisle. Who is she? I don't like her."
"This one could be trouble," I muttered.
"I heard that, missy. I don't know who you think you are, but..."
She stopped speaking when I walked right up to her, staring into her eyes. "Missy? You are going to shut up now and sit down like a good little girl."
She obediently turned around and sat down on the couch behind her. The man with dark hair looked at me in awe. "How on earth did you do that?"
I was about to explain when I realized something. I paused, turning on my heel to face Carlisle. "You never told them, did you?"
Glancing at the woman standing next to him, he cleared his throat. "No, I have not. Liliana let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Esme, and our children. That is Alice, Edward, and Bella. She is human, leave her alone," I raised my hands, palms out, in a gesture of innocence. "That is Jasper, Emmett, and the one you compelled is Rosalie."
I nodded. "Pleasure," I said as I sauntered over to Emmett, tracing my finger along his back as I walked. Next to him, I leaned in close behind Jasper. "What if I told you that you could be stronger, faster, and all of these could disappear?" I traced my finger up his cold arm, hitting each visible bite mark.
"Hey!" Alice cried out.
"Relax, little one. I'm not going to take him if he is unwilling." I winked. Jasper turned, looking at me over his shoulder.
"Alice is my mate, darlin'." he drawled in a deep southern voice. I shuddered. I missed those golden southern days.
"For now." I whispered so he couldn't hear. I fingered a piece of his hair as I backed away.
"You may want to tell them who and what you are before you wear out your welcome, Liliana." Carlisle warned.
"Very well, then. As you now know, I am Liliana and I am a vampire. And it has been only six hours since I last drank human blood." Gasps escaped from the women and I was met with serious eyes from the men. Carlisle tried to look surprised, but I knew better.
"But, your eyes! They're not red. They're not even gold. I don't understand!" Esme exclaimed, looking between Carlisle and I. I smirked; I knew whatever I said would come off as condescending.
"That's because I am a different kind of vampire. Something Carlisle has obviously never taught any of you. Like different races of humans, there are different races of vampires. There are Originals, Daywalkers, Midnights, Stones, and Revenant vampires. I am a Daywalker. That means I can go out in daylight and I don't glitter in the sun like you. Your skin is cold to the touch, and hard as a rock, but easy to break. Your eye color is based on what you eat and you can smell other vampires of your race. You could not use your gifts to manipulate me and you cannot smell me because I am superior in race to you.
"Midnights' skin cannot tolerate the sun and so only go out at night, hence their name. It is only possible to become a Midnight if you are changed by one, or if you are a Daywalker and stay out of the sun too long. Your tolerance can dissipate with time, so it's best to live in a sunny area. Stones are what the others call those like you. Revenants…" Carlisle interrupted me then.
"As a Daywalker, Liliana can go out in the sun without being burned or sparkling. Her eyes stay the same as the day she was born. Because of her strength, she is able to compel those less than her and will them to do as she pleases. Her skin is the same temperature as a human and blood flows through her veins, though it is not her blood. She can be injured and bleed but heals quickly, as we do. To kill a vampire of her stature it takes a stake to the heart and burning of the remains." he explained.
Jasper spoke up. "You said I could be stronger and faster. And all my scars? How?"
I grinned. "See? He is willing." My smile faltered a bit at Alice and Carlisle's faces. I huffed in exasperation. Some people have no sense of humor! "You would but have to drink my blood." I held out my arm, wrist up.
"That's it?" Emmett scoffed. "What's the catch?"
"It takes about a month to completely change race. Sometimes longer depending on how long you've been a vampire already. And the process gets a little…messy…toward the end." I gazed at Emmett. His gold eyes caught mine and I smiled.
"Why isn't everyone like you then?" he continued.
"Good question. One many fail to ask. Usually, they don't know they can change again." I slid a knowing glance at my dear friend Carlisle before turning back to Emmett. "Most cannot find another vampire willing to take the time. During those four weeks, you have to drink almost every day and it must be from the same source. There are stages to the transition, and not all of them are so easy to tolerate. Also, undergoing another change puts you in a weaker state until you are complete. Most aren't willing to do that. Personally, I haven't done it for anyone. I haven't found anyone I want to spend that much time with. Yet." I winked and Emmett looked like he was about to blush.
"Will you be staying or are you passing through, Liliana?" Carlisle asked, watching me closely.
"I think I've found a reason," I looked at Emmett, then Jasper, "or two to stay for the time being." I smiled as I walked over to a plush chair, sitting down and making myself comfortable. "That is, of course, if I am welcome?"
Rosalie looked like she wanted to say something but kept her mouth shut. Good girl.
"Of course. Any friend of Carlisle's is a friend of the family. You are welcome to stay here, Liliana." Esme smiled warmly but kept a strong grip on her husband's arm.
"Please, call me Lily."
A moment of awkward silence passed. I decided to break the tension.
"So what do you guys do for fun around here, since chasing humans is out of the question?"
"Have you ever played baseball?" Jasper smiled. I raised my eyebrow and hitched my heel on the ottoman to show them off.
"That would be a no." I turned to look at my friend. "You really have domesticated them, haven't you?" I sighed and got up, looking Jasper up and down. "Such a shame."
"I'm going to run Bella home." Edward shifted nervously and geared his love toward the door.
"It was nice to meet you!" I waved.
She smiled softly. "Nice to meet you t..." She was abruptly cut off by Edward closing the door between us. The rest of the family chuckled at Edward's protective antics, and then dispersed throughout the house. Carlisle lingered for a moment, waiting for the heavy wooden doors to shut between us and the rest of his coven.
Thunder roared outside, and lightning lit up the entire living room. Carlisle's face was as sad as I'd ever seen it.
"Liliana, may I please have a word with you? In private?"