Only ones who know
Before I tell you my story there a couple of things you should know first; firstly I'm a wizard okay, okay, I understand it's a little farfetched but all will be explained. Secondly and I promise this one will really blow your mind, I was well, er, raised by vampires. Alright before you ask if I'm high on drugs are something, I'm not. But let me explain, there are not many who know this story, the only people who know about us (us being all things 'supernatural' by the way) are the only people who've ever really had a chance at hearing my story. It's a story of death and war but also of happiness and family. Oh and just to sum everything up, everything you've been taught about the world is a lie. All those mystical creatures you pass off as something only kids believe in are real, in fact a good proportion of unexplained murders and disappearances happen because of these creatures. Although our presence of course is secret and any one of us who tells humans the truth is destroyed. 'Keep everything a secret' is the top law of our kind; the laws are decided by our government. Each species has their own government or ministry and then every once a year (sometimes more if there is a 'crisis') to make the absolute laws that all creatures have to follow. But that's enough background for know, so let's begin the story…
My parents (birth parents that is) were Peter Cameron and Maria Cameron (formally Russo), my father had very strong French roots and my mother also had strong Italian roots. Both were wizards, of course and were young and so very much in love. A couple of years before I was born my mum met another woman called Esme. Of course being a witch and all, she guessed straight away that Esme was a vampire, but soon learnt about the way that Esme and her family chose to live their vampire life. She was intrigued about these so called 'vegetarian vampires' feeding on only animal blood, that she went on to form a very good friendship with Esme. Later on when I was born, Esme and her husband, Carlisle, became my God parents; as well as a couple of other family friends. They named me Katherine Anne Cameron, I was said to have my dads eyes and hair colour, but a very strong resemblance of my mum.
We'd lived a fairly happy and normal life up on to when I was 4 months old that is. A war had broke out in the Wizarding world and my family bearing a very strong resistance to Pevureil and his army, were killed off one by one. In the end only me and my parents were left, knowing what was coming to them and knowing there was no way to escape, they crafted a 'hiding area' I suppose that's what you would call it. It was small, but big enough to fit a cot in and it was where they hid me, on the night my life changed for ever.
I would like to say it was a dark and cloudy night because that almost seams fitting, but it wasn't (or so I've been told). It was your average spring night, gradually getting dark and a nice breeze but still fairly warm, with the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen. My parents placed me in the cot and left a letter almost hidden on the counter in the kitchen. At around half seven, Gabe Lament broke his way into my house and tortured and murdered my parents. He searched the house all over for me but I was never found.
The next day, as always on a Tuesday, Esme came to visit along with her 'daughters' Rosalie and Alice. As soon as she stopped the car she knew something was wrong, something not quite right. The front door was knocked of its hinges, and she could smell the blood. She ran upstairs and into my parent's bedroom. Seeing them lay on the floor in a pool of blood, faces twisted in agony but also a sense of relief. Their room was practically turned upside down and blood splattered the walls, although a part from all of this my parents were still hand in hand.
Alice ran up to Esme followed by Rosalie, handing her a note they'd found in the kitchen. She opened the letter slowly still completely baffled by the scene in front of her; finally she unfolded it and read what my mother had written to her;
My good friend Esme,
If you're reading this then it's happened, Gabe Lament has finally got to us. Please look after my darling Kate, raise her as one of your own, I understand it's a big thing to ask but I need to know that she'll be looked after and although there are others who could do that, they are all wizards and well that's a dangerous thing to be right know. Plus I trust you more than anyone I have ever known and know that you and Carlisle will be able to care for her just right.
Although I have just a few requests for her, please teach her to love music the way I know you do and the way me and Peter do, teach her Italian and French it would mean the world to me and Peter to know she was continuing some of our families legacies, make sure she gets the letter I have left in the cot with her when she is old and wise enough to understand, give her the old photo album and frame on my bedside table and teach her about her ancestors and finally and proberly most importantly never let her forget me and Peter (oh and if she's anything like her Father, don't let her get bigheaded).
Please do this for me and for her, eternally grateful Maria xxx
Ok and I guess your thinking right know my mum was pretty stupid not to tell Esme where I was. But there was too bigger chance of Antonin finding it. She was relying on their vampire ability of being able to track scents. It didn't take long, my scent was coming from the wardrobe but I wasn't in there so the obvious thing to do was to push it out the way, which they did, resulting in them discovering the cupboard. Esme leant in and picked me up cradling me in her arms and rocking me back and forth, whilst telling Rose and Alice to pack up my things. She stared into my eyes and soothed "It's ok, you're going to be just fine, I vow to never let anyone hurt you ever" and then placed a kiss on my forehead.
By the way we wizards have a scent that doesn't appeal to vampires, in fact it's less appealing than animal blood and that's saying something. However we don't smell bad like the wolves we just kind of have a neutral scent that doesn't really smell like anything. They could survive of us, I suppose. But were really a last resort and well never really get attacked by vampires. Anyway; while Rose and Alice packed up my things, Esme took me downstairs and fed me then changed me into some fresh clothes. Then they drove me back to their home at that moment in the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. Their house like always was massive and Esme had reinvented it from the derelict state it was in before. Everything about the house was impressive; in fact it wasn't really a house more of a mansion. It was light and open, with a wrap-a-round porch. The outside had a 1920s look, but the inside was a mixture of modern and traditional features.
The inside was immaculate; you walked in and were met with a giant grand staircase. Each floor had its own little balcony so when you looked up you could see right to the ceiling and every floor along the way. The house was home to many rooms that Esme had painstakingly decorated and of course all of it was beautiful. Leading up to the house was a mile long drive way that was surrounded by a forest that covered most of the land around the house. The house itself too was sheltered by the trees but during the occasional day when the sun came out the whole place lit up and dazzled in the sunshine. There was a garden around the back of the house which was mainly home to Esme's flowerbeds but it also had a soccer net that Emmet and Jasper used for the matches they had when an argument got out of hand and they were thrown out of the house. Down at the bottom there was a small stream that was shallow enough to paddle in, it was like paradise in there with all the plants, flowers and wildlife.
Once we arrived Esme undid the car seat and picked me up out of the car, she stood still for a minute bracing herself for walking in and having to tell Carlisle and the others what had happened. Scared for how they might react, that they might not agree with her decision to take me in. Rose walked over to her and put her arm around her "I'll help you fight for her if we have to you know; we have to respect her Mothers wishes. Plus it will be nice having a baby around the house things have been quite dull for a while now. And it won't just be me and you, we have Alice as well I'm sure she'll back us up" Alice nodded at that and smiled. Esme looked up at them both and smiled before starting to walk towards to the house.
Carlisle's POV
It had been a busy day at the hospital and I was feeling incredibly stressed, if I was human then I would have a headache hammering on my brain right now. It was times like this where all I wanted to was to be able to sleep it off but instead I sat on the settee half watching the news with Jasper, Emmet and Edward and waited for my wife to come back. After what seamed like eternity I heard her car pull up and thanked God that she had finally arrived. As soon as she got out the car I could tell something was not quite right and the stress I was already feeling threatened to get even worse. I could hear her approaching the house with Rose and Alice and then the door swung open and she stepped into the room.
Immediately my eyes were drawn to the tiny baby she was cradling in her arms. She wore a white baby grow with little multicoloured dots on it in pastel colours. Her short brown hair was stuck up all over the place of her head that turned to look at me with those big chocolate eyes that belonged to my god-daughter. Kate.
"I didn't know we were looking after Kate, if I'd have known I would have taken some time off. How long have we got her for? I'll book some time off work they owe me some anyway" I smiled at her as I said it to try and show her that I was fine with it and there was no need to look so uneasy. But the look remained and she looked afraid to answer my question, obviously there was something more to it than I first expected. "Esme? What's going on?" I was desperate to know. I thought we could tell each other anything why was she so reluctant to speak. I turned to look at Edward hoping he would give me some answers but he just shook his head at me.
I walked over to her but she stopped before I'd walked a couple of steps. "Maria and Peter have been killed" her tone was full of pain and her eyes full of her hurt. I had to stop myself from falling to my knees, we had all been good friends with them and I loved Peter like a brother. Instead of facing prejudice and discrimination from them, they were welcoming and eager to learn more about our 'vegetarian' lifestyle. But I had to stay strong for Esme.
I went and put my arm around her and she rested her head on my shoulder. I looked over at the rest of my family and they all looked sombre. "What's going to happen to Kate?" Emmet was the one at ask the question that I think I had already guessed the answer too. No one answered instead Alice passed me a letter; I opened it and began to read it. The letter explained everything and although it was not written to me I found it very personal. Of course I was shocked and still confused by what I had been told, but now something had changed and I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude to Maria and Peter for being so welcoming to us.
As soon as I finished reading it I knew what I had to do, I turned to look at Esme who still looked at unease, "When shall we start getting her room ready then?" I asked her with a smile. She smiled back at me and I pulled her into a hug trying not to squish Kate in the process. The rest of our children got up and started getting her stuff from the car.
Well all of them apart from Edward who pulled me into the kitchen. "Are you sure it's wise to bring a baby into the house?" He questioned me.
"Look Edward, I know it may not seam like a wise decision. But she has no one else, she can't go into a human family because she's a wizard and she can't go into a wizard family because of the war. She's lucky to be alive and if she gets taken into a wizard family she might not be as lucky the next time. Plus we owe it to Maria and Peter to raise her to their wishes, they were very good to us and this is what they wanted." He looked at me sceptically but he seamed to be warming to the situation a little more even if he was not completely over the moon about it. But at the moment that would have to do, I knew deep down he would grow to love her as a sister just like he did with Rose and Alice.
I returned into the living room to see Esme instructing everyone on where to put the boxes. "Here give her to me chief" I smirked at her while taking Kate from her arms "You get this lot working in military like fashion building her cot and we can get some paint and things tomorrow to sort her room out properly" She smiled back at me and then kissed me on the cheek before leading the rest of them upstairs including Edward.
That just left me with Kate. I went and sat in the armchair and stared down into her beautiful big brown eyes. "Hello beautiful, I'm going to look after you from now on, ok? And I promise to never let anything or anyone hurt you. Me and you are going to have some good times, we can go to the park and play in the garden and when you're a little bit bigger I'll take you to Isle Esme and you can swim in the sea and build sandcastles or even a hole big enough to bury Emmet in. When your old enough to understand I'll tell you about your Mummy and Daddy, then you can make them proud by going out into the big wide world and you can change you could make it a better place. That's only if you wanted to though, they'd be proud of you whatever you do whether you become a dancer, a writer, a doctor or even an artist. I'd be proud of you too of course and when you graduate from school I can stand tall and clap, I'll be able to say I helped her get there; I helped her become the great person she is. But you have to do something for me, when I'm at work you've got to look after Esme for me, ok? Make her happy her than she has ever been because when none of us are here I worry about her on her own. But know she won't be on her own because she'll have you and she's going to love you so much more than she already does already, if that's possible. Oh but don't ruin her flowers she doesn't like it when you do that, Emmet and Jasper learnt that lesson the hard way." I smiled to myself while watching her sleep in my arms.
Looking up to the doorway I saw Esme leaning in it and smiling at me. How long had she been there? I was to busy talking to Kate to even notice her appear. She walked over to the back of the chair and put her arms around my shoulders with her chin resting on one of them. "That was beautiful what you just said, you know? Thank you by the way for agreeing to it, I was unsure about whether you would or not"
"Well I couldn't have her going to love with strangers, it just wouldn't seam right. Anyway we can giver her a loving family just as well as anyone else can" And I meant it we could, in fact I think she would be loved even more than if she was with anyone else, Esme and Rose would make sure of that.
We stayed in the same position for a long time, just both of us not saying a word. Just watching the newest edition of our family while she slept, wondering what the future would hold for us and for her.
So what do you think? Please review, any comment is welcome and I am grateful for constructive criticism so I can make my writing of future stories and chapters better. Once again thank you for reading
