This is something that just showed up last night.

Summary: In Carlisle's study, there are two portraits. One of the Volturi, and one of an unknown brunette woman. Nobody knows who she is, not even Edward. And then, one day, she suddenly appears on their doorstep.

Pairings: Ed/Es, Em/R, J/A, C/B.

When we're going down, down, down,

And all that is left

Are you,

You'll need your friends,

The ones you've made,

And the ones you've not.

Where, at first,

There were only you,

There are now eight.

1623, Location: random forest in Britain

He was a vampire. The very creature he had vowed to kill. He knew he needed blood, but to kill a human? A sentient human being? Absolutely not. He was getting weaker, and he hoped, that if he didn't feed, maybe he would die, either from hunger or from fatigue. He fell to his knees, stopped breathing so he wouldn't have to smell the stench of rotten potatoes that still clung to him, even after bathing and washing his clothes dozens of time, and then he prayed to a god, that never would answer, to admit him to a heaven, which gates would never open for him, a creature without soul.

"Oh, dear lord. Please stop pitying yourself. Please. Nobody here ever wanted to be a vampire or a similar strange creature, but you don't see us whining about it." Carlisle's head snapped up so fast that, had he been human, he would have gotten a whiplash. In front of him, maybe twenty feet away, stood a stunning creature. She was short, with her, at the most, five feet. She was tanned a beautiful, golden brown. She was dressed in a pale yellow dress, looking like something one wore at the Queens Court, just very much outdated. "Who…who are you? What are you doing here?" In his frenzy, Carlisle forgot about the manners his father had practically pounded into his head since he could understand the words. "I heard Antino speaking about a man he bit… he just never had the chance to drain him dry… He's your sire, if you're wondering." Carlisle nodded in understanding. "Excuse my manners, madam. I am Carlisle Cullen, son of Richard Cullen. Excuse me for asking, but who are you?" "Me? Oh, I am Isabelle Swanne, or, at least, that's the closest I have come to translating my name into English. Call me Bella. I was turned into what I am now during a… scuffle in the village I grew up in. This was long before people began talking about beliefs, during the time when everybody fought for themselves and their tribe, only. During a time when a rule under only one monarch was unheard of, except possibly in Asia. Now last, I've been serving under the queens of England, Jane Grey, Bloody Mary and, of course, our dear Virgin Queen. How do you do, Carlisle?"

1718, Location: Volterra, Italy.

Aro looked up in shock when his throne room doors where blown off their hinges. He looked even more shocked when the whirlwind who blew down the doors threw itself into his lap and squealed "Aro!" in a so high pitch it almost hurt his ears. He looked down at the head full of dark brown hair in his lap, smiled and said in a questioning tone "Bella? Isabelle? Is that you? Oh, my dear girl! It's been all too long!" Bella nodded while still purring and rubbing her head all over Aro's chest. A blond young-looking man was standing in the door, looking at Bella with his eyebrow raised almost to his hairline. "Who's your friend, Bella dear?" Bella looked up and said "That's Carlisle Cullen, my mate."

1788, Location: England, London.

Both Bella and Carlisle had taken up service under the King, George the Third by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, and his Queen Charlotte.

"One thing I doesn't understand, m'dear, is why we are servicing a stupid king, and a stuck-up whore of a queen?" Carlisle muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Isabelle giggled and said " It's a perfect cover, dear husband. Who would ever suspect the most trusted servants of the Noble King, and his not so noble Queen, of a crime or a similar disgusting action? None, that's who." Here, they were interrupted by the queens nasal voice. " Belladonna, where art thou, my most faithful? Your queen requires the services of thee." Bella moved out of the shadows, all the while shaking her head. It was only thanks to Carlisle's vampiric hearing that he heard what she was muttering. "I've served her since before her rising up to status of Queen, and she still can not get my name right. Oh, no. Always 'Belladonna' this and 'Bellatrix' that. No matter what, she doesn't get that my name is Isabelle !" She kept muttering even as she sunk into a deep courtesy in front of the queens smaller throne.

1820, Location: Unknown.

Bella reached out and opened the heavy envelope that appeared in front of her an hour ago. She read the long letter, her eyes widening with each passing second. Carlisle looked at her, worried. "Are you okay, dear?" Bella looked up, shaking her head. "No… yes… I will be. I'm just worried. There is a new war starting in Texas… a newborn war. I've told you about those, haven't I? Anyway, apparently Antino is involved, somehow…" Here she began to sob. Carlisle enveloped her in his arms, whispering sweet nothings in her ear in hopes of calming her down.

1860, Location: United States, Texas, Houston.

"Please! Please, don't go!" He was begging, begging on his knees. She smiled sadly at him, gently running her fingers through his hair. "You know I have to, dearie. I have to help Antino." He buried his head in her stomach, sobbing. "Promise me! Promise you'll come back!" She sank to her knees. "I can't promise that, love. I'll do my best. But I am no vampire…" She was interrupted before she could continue. "No, you are something so much more powerful! You are a moon feline, you are a succubus! The first in no one knows how many years! The only one of your kind! Nothing can destroy you! Promise me!" She nodded reluctantly, and fluidly rose to her feet.

She kissed him, long, hard and sweet, before she stepped out back and transformed into a huge white Bengali tiger.

Carlisle was left standing alone in the rain, crying.

1925, Location: United States, Washington, Forks.

Carlisle was sitting in his study, hidden away in the back of the big, white manor which was hidden in the forest outside a small community known as 'Forks', and then the reservation with the shape shifting Quileutes. The treaty had, luckily, gone over reasonably well.

There was a knock on the door, and it opened. In came Esme, the newest addition to the family. Eighteen years old, the mate of Edward was most certainly a woman to behold. "Hello father." She had, surprisingly enough, taken very well to the whole family concept. "There is a letter for you." Carlisle's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Who from?" Esme shrugged. " Don't know. There's no return address."

Carlisle reached out and took the envelope. When he saw the familiar cursive, flowing letters he gasped and ripped the envelope open.

My dear mate,

How are you doing? Things are not going so well where I am, but do not worry. If things go as they shall, I'll be on the next ferry out of here, and then I'm off to dear, old Russia again. I've managed to get Antino and a few more out of the grasps of the horrible woman that controls this army, Maria. The worst, however, is that she has an empath as her lead general.

If he doesn't die or disappear soon, this war will leak into the mortal world, and the mortals will not survive this one.

Antino has planted some suggestions in the minds of some of the more powerful ones, but we are not sure if it is enough. I am afraid, that it will take a long, long time until I can finally rest in your arms again, if it isn't.

I am missing you, missing you so much. I am not sure if you can imagine it.

Say hello to Esme and Edward, and congratulate them both. They, if anyone, deserve it.

Remind the blonde little girl, that if she does drain someone dry, she won't be able to resist when it is the most needed.

Please, don't eat anyone.

Yours,

Bella.

He chuckled and shook his head, used to her cryptic messages and her way of knowing everything- even things not yet come to pass.

1933, Location: United States, Tennessee, Franklin.

When the newest addition to the family, young Rosalie Hale, came running through the door, holding a bloody, almost comatose human, he knew what Bella had meant with her cryptic warning.

"Save him! You have to save him, Carlisle! He's my mate!" Carlisle looked doubtful, and then pointed towards the kitchen table. When she carefully laid him down, he groggily opened his eyes. "Angel?" Rose gently stroked his cheek. "I'm here, honey." When Carlisle came within his vision, his eyes almost bulged out. "God? Is that you?"

1983, Location: Great Britain, London.

When a tiny girl and her very intimidating mate, Alice and Jasper, showed up on the doorstep and told them in no uncertain tones, that they were now a part of the family, nobody really thought that they were serious, or that it would work.

Now, when they had been with the family for almost thirty years, nobody doubted Alice anymore.

However, when neither she, Edward or Jasper managed to find out why he was so sad, the whole family was crushed. If you don't know the cause, you can't remove it, and if you can't remove it, how can you help? And since Carlisle refused to tell them what's wrong, they couldn't do anything, really.

2009, Location: United States, Washington, Forks.

Alice shook herself to get rid of the last of the stiffness after getting a vision and rushed towards Carlisle's study.

"Carlisle! Carlisle! Someone's coming!" She called right before she entered the study. Carlisle turned his head to look at her. "Oh? Who? Anyone we know?" Alice shook her head, both at his question and at the fact that he had been staring at the painting again.

"I don't know! I can't see anything!" She cried, frustrated. "Don't worry, though. From what I can see, they won't hurt us."

Carlisle nodded, and resumed staring at the painting.

A week later

It was in the middle of the night, when there was a knock on the door. Everybody looked up in confusion, since all where able to hear the heartbeat on the other side of the door.

All looked towards Alice, but she just shook her head, a confused frown on her pixie like face.

Edward sighed, looked upwards as if asking for guidance and then rose fluidly. He stalked towards the door, and saw no one. "Down here, dumbass." He looked down slightly, and to his surprise, saw a girl almost as short as Alice. The girl was curvaceous, golden-browned skinned, green-eyed, and, for some reason, purple haired.

"You still in there? Anyway, is Carlisle here?" Her voice was like chocolate dipped strawberries, if one absolutely had to describe it. It was pure sin, and the almost undetectable accent made it more mysterious. He was speechless, so he shook his head and stepped aside to let her in. "N-no… He's… He's working the graveyard shift at the hospital."

Few hours later

When Carlisle stepped out of his Mercedes, Edward was already there to greet him. "There is a girl in the living room. She's looking for you." Carlisle raised an eyebrow, grabbed his bag and started to untie his tie while walking towards the house.

When he stepped inside the living room, his gaze immediately landed on the woman leaning against the wall, and he froze. The purple hair, the modern clothes… It didn't, in any way, mask her presence, her irrefutable beauty.

"Hello, Carlisle. Long time, no see, eh?" She smiled at him. He just stood there, his mouth going a mile-a-minute, but no sound coming out. Finally he managed to choke out a "Bella?". She just smiled at him. "What? How? When? Why?"

" Me. Car. A few hours ago, and finally, I was seriously missing you. It's been 149 years, you know." She grinned sadly at him. In two long strides he was in front of her, stroking her cheek. "You're really here…" When she nodded, he kissed her, hard.

The rest of the family was standing around the living room, all with their mouths open. When Emmet unnecessarily cleared his throat, the two pulled apart. Carlisle looked at his family, who all had raised an eyebrow. "Everybody, meet Bella. Bella, meet everybody." Everybody glared at Carlisle, while Bella laughed.

" Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Edward, Emmet and, of course, Esme." She said, nodding in turn to those she mentioned. " Since I'm sure you're wondering… I am Isabelle Swanne, a few thousand years old, and the mate of your father." Carlisle who had his arms wrapped around Bella from behind, laughed at the dumbstruck facial expressions of the family. "Mate?! I thought you didn't have a mate!" Rosalie said scornfully. "Just because I haven't told you, doesn't mean I doesn't. If you would have asked, I would've answered."

2109, Location: New York, New York.

Bella had been with the family for just about a hundred years now, and the relations was better than ever. Apparently, she was just what the family needed, to keep calm and hidden.

The treaty with the Quileute shape shifters had been nullified, since the newest alpha was way more reasonable than both Ephraim Black and Sam Uley had been.

When the family first found out what she was, on one very memorable hunting trip, there was a riot. A shape shifter in the family? Someone so volatile, in a family of vampires? That just wouldn't work out. When they found out that she was a Moon Feline, Jasper froze in fear. He had heard the stories of the tiger that took out big parts of Maria's army…

In the end, however, they all lived happily ever after, even though that cliché is almost overused.

Later on, the Volturi retired, apparently they felt the need for power shift was overwhelming, and since they couldn't find anyone really fitting, they let Bella take over, at least for a few thousand years.

I'm not sure I really like the ending, but I did my best.

Please, review. Criticism, flames, feedback… Anything. I'd really like a flame or two, it's freezing here!

Read, Review, and, of course, LIKE!

Signing out is: ShadowOfSilver.