Hello! This is my first Twilight fanfic. Just warning you now, it's gonna be long. I expect it to be at least 30 chapters with the chapters being about as long as this one. I currently have 4 chapters written already and I will try to tell you when the next one will be up at the bottom. Enjoy Almost Gone and Still Fighting! XD!
Chapter 1: Hunting Trip Gone... Interesting
"Edward! It was just an idea. You know his background as well as he does. It's the way he was raised," Carlisle said, trying to console me.
Jasper is the 'General' to our little 'army' against the Volturi. He thinks tactically. We need numbers. His first thought was to create an army of newborns. But that is too inefficient. Alice saw an attack coming when the snow sticks to the ground in two years. The newborns would reach full physical growth in one year. But it would take three years for them to be calm enough to be able to identify and attack the enemy.
Besides that point, we live too close to human society to put them in danger. The Cullens believe that because we are vampires, a being which possesses the abilities of both demons and ghosts but is neither demon nor ghost, we do not need to slaughter countless humans, like the Volturi does.
I, however, just want to try to avoid Hell and try not to break all the rules, not that there is anything left for me after this. I am eternally damned. But I don't blame Carlisle for changing me, even though I occasionally catch him regretting changing me.
'I shouldn't have altered his fate… I've damned him.' Carlisle thought.
"No, Carlisle, don't blame yourself. I just need some time to think. I'm going hunting. I'll see you in an hour… maybe two…"
'I'll be watching you,' Alice's internal voice taunted me.
"You don't need to. I can take care of myself," I said as I closed the door behind me.
The next thing I knew, I was running at top speed, pushing myself to go faster. I ran up into the mountains and caught the scent of a mountain lion, male, in search of a mate… Well you are what you eat. I tracked the scent quickly, weaving in and out of trees until I could hear its heartbeat, loud and strong. I silently crouched behind a bush, avoiding all of the twigs, threatening to snap and reveal my presence to my prey. Without warning, I suddenly found myself flying at the innocent animal and snapping his neck before I feel the warm liquid flow down my throat, quenching my burning thirst.
After I finished off my prey, I ran off back down the mountain, towards the meadow I found a few days after we moved up here. I took down a deer or two on the way.
When vampires get excited or stressed, we get thirsty faster. Carlisle is doing a study on that right now. He's going to ask a billion questions when I get home. Another thing I'm dreading when I go back.
When I arrived at the meadow, I started to pace. Now that I have a clear head, I can think.
Jasper wants numbers. The only way we can get them is to create an army of newborns. But if we do that, the Volturi will have more of a reason to slaughter us.
Everyone in my family has something to fight for except me. The only one I would fight for is Carlisle. He is basically my father. He created me and there is a part of him inside me. But if the Volturi were to come, I'm not sure if I would be able to save anyone but myself. I know I'm not strong enough to fight an Ancient off, like Aro. Ancients may be weak but they are extremely skilled.
If only I had something… someone to fight for. Carlisle has Esme. Emmett has Rosalie. Jasper has Alice. But who do I have? Most vampires search for their mates until they give up and ask Aro to kill them. Most of the time the Ancients find use for them.
But the question still remains. Who is my mate? My Esme? My Rosalie? My Alice? Who will I fight for? Is there no-
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping in the distance. I listened as the footsteps got closer. I couldn't smell whatever it was. The wind was blowing the scent in the other direction. It only had two feet and it was way too small to be a bear. It was most definitely a human. I could tell by the heartbeat which was now close enough for me to hear.
I knew all the trails around here. The nearest one is five miles to the East. And the human is coming from the North.
I listened as the human walked closer, tripping once or twice, until I could tell it was a girl, no older than 18. She was five feet from the meadow.
I stood there, frozen, as the wind shifted and blew her sweet smell into my face. I took in a short breath and held it. Her sweet scent almost made me lose all of my self control and take her blood for my own. She was a demon sent from my own personal Hell to torture me.
As she stepped into the meadow, our eyes locked. Those pools of chocolate brown almost made her blood smell sweeter.
Then I saw her whole face. I could tell she was beautiful, with her long brown hair and caring brown eyes, but she didn't carry herself that way. She wore an old pair of jeans with holes in the knees and fresh grass stains and a baggy t-shirt that didn't look too flattering. But with my vampire eyes, I could tell she had a slight build with a nice hourglass figure.
I heard her heartbeat increase and saw her cheeks flush.
But what really caught my attention is that I couldn't hear her mind. How is this possible? I can hear humans almost as clearly as vampires but this was too weird. I could faintly hear everyone's mind back home. It was too distant to hear clearly.
"Oh, thank goodness. I finally found someone. I got lost. I was hiking and I must've gone off the trail. I've been walking for hours. Can you help me?" she asked. I watched as her blush grew darker.
It took me a moment to get over my confusion. "Um… Yes. My house is only three miles that way," I said as I pointed to the West. I can give you a ride home when we get there, if you like." My air supply was gone. I wouldn't be able to talk anymore without breathing in her sweet scent and risking killing her.
She smiled a perfect smile, mesmerizing me. "That would be great! Lead the way!" She took a step towards me.
I turned and walked toward my house. I took a breath as soon as I was in the trees so I didn't catch her scent. She followed after me and soon caught up to me walking by my side. We walked for a while in an uncomfortable silence. The reason it was so uncomfortable for me was because I still couldn't hear her mind. It was so irritating.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "What are you thinking about right now?" Smooth, Edward… smooth as sandpaper.
She was confused. She looked up at me and said, "What?... Um, I guess I was thinking about how I got lost and where that meadow came from. Did you rip out all those trees and stuff?"
"No. I found it."
We were silent again. As we got closer to the house, I could hear everyone's thoughts clearer. Alice saw me running into a girl and almost killing her. Carlisle was so worried about having to move again, so soon. Then Alice saw me taking her home and told Jasper to keep his distance. She could see that this girl, whose name I didn't even know had decided to be my friend.
"What's your name?" She asked out of the blue. I still had some air.
"Edward Cullen. And yours?" I asked.
"Isabella Swan. But you can call me Bella." She held out her hand for a handshake. Without thinking I shook it and she gasped at my cold, vampire skin. "Your hand is so cold," she said.
"Um… Yeah. My family just moved from L.A. and I'm not used to the cold yet." And there goes my air supply… Again.
"Neither am I. I just moved from Phoenix." I was surprised by that. Her skin was so pale. Did she spend her days hiding in the basement?
I turned my head and pretended to cough and took in a breath. "You don't look like someone from Phoenix," I said.
"You don't look like someone from L.A." she said, without missing a beat.
"Touche." Rain started to pour down, just as Alice suspected would happen a few weeks ago.
"How much longer until we get to your house?" Bella asked, impatiently.
"Not long." I pushed a branch out of the way, revealing my house. I could hear everyone's thoughts about this stranger. Emmett was hoping she would stick around for a while. Carlisle was worried about me. He could tell I was breathing as little as possible. Esme was happy that I looked happy with this girl. Rosalie was slightly jealous at the way Emmett was looking at her. Alice's thoughts were smug. She knew we would be friends and there was nothing I could do to help it. Jasper's thoughts were too far away for me to hear over Alice. She was practically screaming at me.
Bella noticed my family gathered at the living room window and asked, "Who are they?"
"My family."
"Can I meet them?" I could hear everyone's minds screaming 'yes' at me except Rosalie who really didn't care.
"Um… Yes. I don't think they will mind a house guest." I lead her to the door and opened it. I took a breath as I walked in. I knew I would be talking a bit. "Carlisle, Esme, I'm home," I called louder than I normally would. We always have to keep up this human facade. That's why our house was so big. It was meant to be open, so we didn't have to hide our true identities anymore. But it was also hidden in the woods, for two reasons. One: if the humans saw a huge house in the middle of the city it would raise suspicion. And two: we are closer to our hunting grounds.
Carlisle and Esme walked into the foyer with Emmett and Alice behind them.
"I wasn't expecting you for another half an hour at the least. You've only been gone for 15 minutes. And who is this?" Carlisle asked.
"Bella, this is my father, Carlisle. My mother, Esme. My big brother, Emmett. And my annoying little sister, Alice." I pointed to everyone individually as I got to them. Alice stuck her tongue out at me like a child would. "Everyone, this is Bella." She waved nervously. I could tell she was intimidated by Emmett.
"Awe. Don't worry. He wont hurt you. He will be on his best behavior. Right, Emmett?" Esme said.
"Well, I think it's time I get you home, Bella."
She nodded and said, "Ch-I mean my dad will have a heart attack when he sees my jeans are ruined. He gave them to me as a homecoming gift. It's okay. I still have the receipt. I'll exchange them tomorrow."
"Esme. You're about the same size as Bella. would you take her upstairs and get her some warm clothes?" Alice asked.
"No. It's okay. You don't need to go through the trouble. I can change when I get home."
"Alice, you're smothering the poor girl," Esme said.
"How about we just go? My Volvo is right in the driveway." I lead her outside and walked to the drivers side of the car and got in. We don't bother locking our cars because we live out in the woods and lock the garage and arm it with our security system. I don't see why we need it. Esme is always home and tends a garden in the backyard. All for the human facade.
Bella got in on the other side and I started the car after we both buckled up. I didn't really need to. With my built in radar, I would be able to tell where the speed traps are and I have reflexes so good I would hear a skidding car before it hit the ice. And if, somehow, I did crash, I would be able to walk away without a scratch and, with our unneeded money, I could get an easy replacement.
I drove her home. She told me where to turn along the way, and we reached her house soon. It was a small two story house with white siding, gray shingles, light blue shutters, and a red door. She stepped out, thanked me for the ride home and we said our 'goodbyes'.
As I drove away, I noticed the Police Chief's cruiser parked right in front. She must be his daughter. I remembered hearing something about that in Alice's thoughts. When she was shopping she overheard that the Chief's flighty ex-wife's daughter was coming home, at last.
Alright, what do you think? let me know in the reviews! Please only constructive criticism, no flames.
The next chapter will be up by tomorrow, if not the next day.
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