1 - Homecoming
Stepping back into the big house was surreal. They all greeted me like I had been gone for years. But for me it seemed I had just left. I looked around at all their smiling faces, Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper holding tight to his Alice as she smiled up at him and Mom and Dad holding their arms out to me.
I was loved. I knew that. And at first it was overwhelming with all the hugs and gushes over how I looked so different and how glad they were I was back. But then it started to feel a little suffocating. I had gotten a little used to doing things without permission and making big decisions and I wondered how things would change now. Or if they would change at all.
I wished Jacob had come home with me. He had gone back to the reservation as soon as we landed. He had promised to come see me tomorrow and maybe start teaching me how to drive.
But for now it was just me and the family. And they were all looking at me.
"Why don't we all go sit in the living room?" Esme asked as she ushered everyone out of the foyer.
I wasn't sure how that would be better. Now they would all be sitting and staring at me instead of standing.
I sat on the couch and Mom and Dad sat on either side of me. It was different now. I used to feel like I belonged here but now I felt like an outsider. I finally understood that I was the one who was different. But I didn't know how to introduce everyone to the new me.
I was a big unopened present. I looked down and smiled at the image. I saw Dad out of the corner of my eye giving Mom a look. I turned quick and caught her give him a confused look back. Then back to Dad to see his frustrated look.
"Ok guys, what's going on?" I asked.
Mom put her arm around me and laughed. "Honestly sweetie, I have no idea. Your father is giving me weird looks but I can't decipher them."
Then Dad threw up his hands and sighed.
"Edward, for goodness sakes what's wrong with you?" Mom asked.
"Bella, why are you shielding her? She just got home. I know she didn't have a chance to ask you to. Maybe you should just shield her when she asks for it."
"Oh my god!" I whispered at the same time I heard Mom say, "But I'm not shielding her, Edward."
I could feel my grin splitting my face in two. YES! I had wondered if getting older had started some of Mom's gift like it had Dad. I could shield. I CAN SHIELD!
Dad jerked back and put his hands out like 'Stop'. "Ok, I heard that! You can shield? You knew this?" He asked.
"I had hoped. I can also read minds. Sort of. It's really hard and I can't do it all the time. But I figured maybe if I could do that I could shield too. This is great!" I thrust fists out in front of me and did big circles with them like I was dancing.
This is a disaster! I heard my Dad think.
"Why is this a disaster? Who decided you were the only one allowed to read other peoples thoughts?" I wanted to be mad but then I saw his face.
His eyes were wide and his mouth open. I guess when you are the mind reader it's quite a shock when someone can read yours.
Carlisle stepped forward then. "Have you noticed any other changes?" He asked with a worried look on his face.
"No. I don't know why this is a bad thing. I think as I got older, even though it's only been a week, that these abilities just manifested like longer legs or bigger boobs." I was trying to get a laugh but it wasn't working.
"I can't read minds all the time. I usually have to be thinking of nothing or really concentrating for it to work. And the shield thing, I guess I was feeling really alone, I didn't feel a part of the group anymore, isolated. And that turned the shield on. I can't explain it but I think it's great!" I tried explaining but looking around at all their faces I could see I wasn't getting through.
I let my mind go blank.
This can't be happening…Everyone needs to calm down…She didn't say anything about this in Milan…Did Aro have something to do with this? …Can it be reversed?…Who knows what harm this is going to cause…I don't want Little Bit in my head…I'll have to be careful what I think about around her…It's a good thing she will be living back and the cottage and not in this house.
"Why don't I just make it easier for everyone!" I jumped up and ran to the door. Emmett and Jasper grabbed my arms.
"So, I'm a prisoner now? Can I just go be alone for a minute? Nobody wants me here reading their minds anyway." I struggled against their arms but they were much stronger than I was.
I let my shield drop and looked at Dad. I just need to chill out a minute, please?
"Let her go." Dad said.
Emmett growled. "She's too upset. We shouldn't just let her run off."
I tried to think calm thoughts at my dad.
"She'll be fine." I heard him say and then heard him think.
We need to talk about this new development anyway.
I'm pretty sure that thought wasn't for me. So he wanted me out of the house so they could talk about me. Fine, I didn't want to be here anyway. It was then I noticed Jasper and Emmett had dropped my arms. I took off running.
I just ran and ran. I didn't want to hear what they had to say about me. I thought my new gifts were pretty terrific. Why did people have to see the bad side of everything? I couldn't see any bad side at all.
I realized I was not running in the direction of La Push. Well, that was just as well. I didn't feel like explaining to anyone I might run into why I was out running around when I just got home.
I found myself in a part of the forest I rarely saw. I'm not sure why we never hunted here. Probably because there wasn't any game. I hadn't crossed any fresh game paths in a while.
I breathed deeply trying to pick up a scent. I didn't realize until now how hungry I was. I hadn't had any real food in days and the last time I had blood was before Alice and Jacob arrived in Milan. Just having those thoughts made my stomach growl and I realized I was starving. I remembered that last glass of blood when I got out of the shower.
If I had known then that it would be my last I might have savored it more. Who am I kidding? I would have gulped it down just like I did. Nothing tasted like that. It wasn't fair. I smelled again. I had to find a deer or something because my hands were starting to shake. I shouldn't have run so far and used so much energy.
This time there was a scent in the air so I took off running again. I ended up on the top of a hill looking down a steep incline. At the bottom was what I smelled. I just stared at him. It was not what I was hunting for but…his blood called to me. I could already taste it in the air and could imagine it going down my throat, warm and sweet.
He was all alone.
Who would know?
My new prey.
A hiker.
