I sat looking down at the house, listening to two heart beats, smelling one familiar scent, Jasper, the foulness of one, and the rest were merely there. I watched my old friend walk about the house looking confused, I wondered if he remembered changing me and killing my brother. I saw the copper haired one before, a long time ago, while passing through a town, he was talking to Jasper, and they booth looked up in my direction. With panic, I dropped from my spot and started heading north. I could hear some talk behind me a ways and another heart beat and a mild wet dog smell. When I looked to my left I saw a large gray wolf running towards me, I stopped right before he tackled me and was pinning me to the ground. I looked into the wolf's eyes, he looked happy. I felt myself smile as if I knew who this was but I didn't.
I heard Jasper and the copper one not far away, "She wasn't looking for you, but caught your scent," the copper one said.
"I thought I left her dying, not changing," Jasper sounded shocked as they walked into view the wolf let me up but stayed close to me as if he was trying to protect me.
"Jazzy!" I laughed with a giant smile on my face.
"Jo?" he looked more confused than he did earlier. "But you-"
"Obviously not, dork!" I walked forward and he embraced me in a hug.
When he pulled back he didn't let his hands off my shoulders, "you look different…it's a good different!" he added the last part like he offended me.
I laughed, "we'll I mean, I really enjoy my hair and the fact that my skin in flawless!" I still remember when his eyes were a nice shade of chocolate, the gold tone now threw me off a little bit.
The copper one coughed, "oh! Josephine, this is Edward Cullen my adoptive brother."
I reached out and shook hands with Edward. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but your wolf friend here seems to be jealous."
I shook my head and looked at the wolf who was watching Jasper with hate, "I know that wolves normally don't get this big, so I assumed that he was a shape shifter, but I have no clue who he is."
Edward looked at me with a little confusion, "well, I don't know how much you know about a tribe near here, but they are able to turn into wolves and they imprint."
I looked up at Jasper who shrugged his shoulders.
"The mutt is in love with you," Edward added without hesitation. "His name is Drake."
I looked over at the wolf who glanced at me with delight but went back looking at Jasper like he was food, I stepped in between them. "I don't understand anything that is going on here, but I'm willing to learn?"
Jasper smiled, "it's good to see you, Jo." He smacked my shoulder. "I don't know how long you'll be around this area but if you want you can stay with my family and meet everyone."
"I would really enjoy that!" I said, looking at Edward who nodded in agreement. I turned to the wolf, "I don't know who or what you are or how you found me, but um…I willing to know you too."
The wolf actually smiled and his eyes became softer and he followed behind Jasper, Edward and I.
"Edward is able to read minds," Jasper said.
"I got that when he spoke for the hound back there," I joked.
"I'm able to feel and control one's emotions, my wife, Alice is able to see visons of people's decisions, Edward's wife Bella is able to keep people from using their powers on herself and anyone else she puts that field around, and their daughter Renesmee can show you her thoughts or images by touching you," he seemed to really enjoy his family. "Do you have any abilities besides drinking blood from humans?"
"Why yes!" I laughed and used my ability to pick up some rocks without touching them and throwing them at a tree. "I can control or move things," I said not wanting to show him anymore. I didn't enjoy my power because in times of stress I couldn't control it.
"Impressive!" Jasper had a little skip in his step that I hadn't seen since before he had joined the military. "I want you to know that the rest of us have rules and have made a treaty with the tribe close by that we don't feed off of humans…So, if you wish to stay here, you have to find an alternative."
"I want you to know that I haven't fed off of someone who was innocent," I heard my tone change defensively.
"I noticed that you had remarkable self-control when you heard my daughter's heart," Edward said. "I haven't known anyone who wouldn't even think about killing a human when that's what they live off of."
"I remember the first time I encountered a human after I was changed," I uttered. "It was a child no more the age of five, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes asking me if I knew where her ma was. I didn't know what to do and the burn in my throat was terrifying me. I watched her cling to this handmade doll that she had and I felt sadness of my own when she began to cry. I kept telling myself that you needed to help her so I did, I picked her up and started running. I found a hospital a few towns over and the blood from the soldiers was destroying me, but I knew that I couldn't allow this child to fear me. I took her to a nurse and said that you need to find someone to take care of her, she's alone, the nurse had taken one look at my dress and thought that I had been injured and tried to make me stay." I felt a lump in my throat form and wanted to cry with this memory. "After I left the child with the nurse and had gathered more strength of my own, I watched the child grow and she saw me once while working with her horse, she was in her teens then. 'You're my godmother,' she said in a sweet southern tone, 'I know you've been there for me when no one else was.' I had embraced her that one time and never saw her again, telling her that no matter what, to remember me and to keep safe." I started to choke up and stop. "I went to her funeral."
"That's where you learned to control yourself," Edward chimed in. "Never heard of a newborn besides my wife to have that much of control."
"I have an unreasonable soft spot for the innocent," I added before we got closer to the house and the foul wet dog smell became more abrupt and the heart beats were loud. "I always went after murders myself to feed off of."
"Can't disagree with that."
When we got the house a shorter than me, pixie haired girl came dancing down the stairs into Jasper's arms, I smiled at her when she looked at me. "Josephine?" she asked. "Jasper said minor things of a childhood friend," she smiled brightly at me. "Must be you!"
I curtsied, "pleasure to meet the wife of Jasper."
"Nice to meet one of his friends!" she laughed a little.
"Grew up together and then she stayed with my property while I was in the war," Jasper sounded way too sophisticated now. "I remember coming back one time and she and Tallulah had made me this wonderful sugar glazed ham."
"Tallulah is doing well," I looked at Jasper and watched his expression go back into confusion. "She was a vampire all along!" I laughed hard. "She got married to another vampire that I found when I went searching for my brother, his name is William and he's from England. They now live in Virginia."
"I would have never guessed," Jasper pondered for a moment. "I guess now that I think about it, I should have known."
"I said the same thing."
"Too much catching up," Edward grumbled. "Drake is getting impatient."
I smiled and looked at the wolf who was laying on the ground looking up at me. "Is this what you would call puppy love?" I asked with a smile.
Alice giggled a little bit. "Well," she sounded happy, "you should meet everyone else. You may be the thing we need to brighten things up again."
"Are y'all depressed?" I asked, following them up the steps and then feeling upset about leaving Drake there.
"No," Jasper expressed. "Just bored."
"Oh, so you need someone to keep you on your toes? I can do that!"
A hearty laughter came from the room to the right, "exactly just what we need!"
"Emmett!" a stricter voice snapped. "No."
"What?" he laughed. "It's just humor!"
I watched the blonde haired gal roll her eyes and the tall, dark haired, and very muscular guy sitting next to her, whom I assumed was Emmett.
"Emmett. Rose," Alice sang, "this is an old friend of Jasper's, Josephine, who may be staying with us for some time."
The blonde gave a little smile and turned her attention to a television with no volume on. Emmett stood up and approached me, I felt intimidated by how much taller than me he was, I'm only five two, he has to be at least six five! I took a minor step back and he laughed at me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't think that I've ever met someone so tall." I could hear my voice fade as I talked.
"Jacob's taller," a women's voice sounded next to Edward.
I watched Edward kiss her cheek, she was pretty with brown hair that framed her face in slight waves. "I'm Bella," she said with a smile in her voice.
"Jo," I said lightly.
I could hear more voices throughout the house, "who is that?" I assumed this was Jacob because this man was a lot taller than Emmett, his skin was darker and his tone sounded nasty.
"Jacob," Bella said, "this is Jo."
He looked at me with disgust and I noticed a girl standing behind him, he stepped to keep her out of my view. I looked at him like he was mental. "I'm not gonna hurt her," I said.
"I don't believe that for a second," he snapped.
"She won't," Edward assured.
The girl stepped around Jacob and looked at me with confidence, she was shy and didn't say anything, but she was the perfect mix between Edward and Bella. She stood in front of me and touched my hand with hers and showed me that Jacob was her boyfriend, she was no older than fourteen and was absolutely beautiful. She then showed me that Jacob was a wolf and had imprinted on her.
I smiled and told her that she was remarkable, then she retreated back to Jacob. I stood there and felt at peace with all the vampires that I had met, knowing that there were two more that were upstairs talking that I had yet to have the pleasure of knowing.
I heard them both come down the stairs shortly after having a brief conversation with Bella about our past. The male was blonde and looked young but too wise to be living here and the lady with him had caramel colored hair and was very motherly looking.
The blonde looked at me questioningly and then at Edward who nodded. "I'm Carlisle Cullen," he announced. "This is my wife Esme and I see that you have met the rest of my family."
I smiled, "I'm Josephine Marie."
"Please," Carlisle said.
"Where are you from?" Esme asked in a sweet voice.
"Texas," I replied looking at Jasper who explained that we had grown up together.

I asked Jacob a while later if he knew the wolf outside and he said that he had never seen him before. I was a little confused since I assumed that they were from the same tribe with having the dame ability to transform into wolves. I later walked out after some separation anxiety and watched his ears perk up and the light came back to his green eyes. I sat down next to him and I could feel the warmth radiating off of him. "So," I said. "You've imprinted on me?"
He merely nodded.
"Are you afraid to show me what you actually look like?" I watched his ears go back and he shook his head no. "Then show me?"
"He prolly doesn't have anything to change into," Jacob shouted at me from the door. "When we phase back into human form we are naked."
I started laughing and Jacob walked down the steps with some basketball shorts in his hands. "Do you think you are from the same tribe?" I asked taking the shorts.
"It's possible. Edward said that he's older than Jasper so he must be a descendant of an original," he looked at the wolf.
"Jasper is only a year older than me," I said watching the wolf watch me.
"Making you 169?" Jacob asked.
I nodded.
"Edward estimated about another 30 years but had stopped growing at 23."
"You old!" I laughed at the wolf who gave me a little grumble.
"He also said that he's part wolf, human, and vamp," his face scrunched up at the last word.
I laughed some more as the wolf walked back into the forest. "You really don't like vampires?"
"Blood suckers!" he laughed.
"If I had had a choice in this, I would want to be a butterfly," my smile grew as I talked and burst out laughing after seeing Jacob's expression.
"I'm going back inside, butterfly," he said turning and going back into the house.
I stood next to a tree for a time waiting for Drake to come out.
"Can you bring me those shorts?" a voice sounded from behind me, it was husky, comforting, and gentle.
I started walking into the trees with my eyes closed and the shorts held out in front of me.
"Thank you," he said taking the shorts out of my hand, he never touched me but I could feel the electricity running between us.
I nodded not opening my eyes for a time and when I did the man in front of me was looking at me in complete awe. His green eyes were sparkling and his russet skin was shinny in the sun light. He had about three days of facial hair and his thick black hair curled around his ears. He was an inch or so shorter than Jacob but he had more muscle tone. I felt my body sink a little and wanted to be with this man 'til my very last second.
We stared at each other for a long time until the sun started to go behind the trees. "You are beautiful," he muttered.
I stepped closer to him, "I've never seen anyone quite like you." I was inches from him and he had to look down at me now. "I've never felt this before."
"Only towards you," he said taking my stone hand in his warm one. "As much time that I have spent on this earth, I've never seen you or anyone quite like you."
I smiled like an idiot and felt his body heat against me. "I like you," I mumbled quietly. "A lot."
"I know," he leaned down so our noses were touching.
I smelt Jasper nearby. I didn't want to be anywhere away from this man, I felt like my heart had just leaped out and into his safe hands.
"Jo?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah?" I breathed leaning closer to Drake.
"Carlisle wanted to talk to you," he muttered, obviously not happy with the scene he was looking at.
"Tell him I'll be there in a minute," I pressed my cheek against Drake's chest. "You're comfy," I whispered.
He chuckled, "thank you."
"Mhm," I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I should go talk to Carlisle."
"Do you have to go?" he sounded hurt.
"You could come and meet everyone," I said kissing his stomach.
"Okay," he breathed.
I had to force myself away from him. "I think my feelings were gonna get me carried away."
He smiled, "I noticed."
We walked back to the house together and Jacob started conversation with Drake immediately. I followed Edward upstairs to a study where Carlisle appeared to be taking notes.
"Josephine," Carlisle said standing as Edward left, closing the large doors behind him.
"Yes?" I felt a little confused.
"Jasper has told me a lot about you and he said that you're a good hearted person."
"That's what he said?" I laughed a little. "For us growing up in such a 'sophisticated' time we sure would beat the crap out of one another!"
Carlisle smiled, "he says that he worried about you for a long time after he was changed but was unable to find you. Alice had found him a long while after that."
"She's incredibly good for him," I said sitting on the floor. "I never thought he'd ever be able to marry."
"Why do you say that?"
"He never went after anyone!" I started thinking back into my human life. "He always treated me like a sister and I think a lot of gals in our town thought that Jasper and I were gonna wed. I never felt like that towards Jasper and people find that so hard to believe."
"I find it difficult to comprehend myself."
"Jasper's parents and my parents were close. My brother Anthony was five years older than I and we got along well but he never played with Jasper and I. My parents died when I was twelve and my brother inherited the house and married, MaryAnne, she was sweet but they drove me nuts! I spent a lot of time at Jasper's house and helped him do a lot of farm work. When my brother enlisted into the Confederacy, I moved in with Jasper's family because I couldn't stand to be alone with Anthony's wife!"
Carlisle looked like he was really taking in everything I was saying.
"When Jasper had gone into the military after the war had started, his parents died that summer. His family's slave, Tallulah and I watched the house." I had let my voice fade.
"Jasper changed you?"
"Yes," I murmured. "I had gone out as a scout in a way for the Confederates. It was nothing more than getting a little money and I had stopped at the camp that my brother was at. He was gonna show me a quicker route through the woods to whatever town I was headed to, when we were both attacked."
"By Jasp?"
"Yes. Jasper went after my brother first and then came after me. I remember feeling so scared and not understanding what was happening. I remember waking up with this hate for Jasper and when I tried looking for my brother, I couldn't." I looked down at my hands.
"Do you think that he could still be alive?" Carlisle had moved to the front of his desk and sat down.
"I don't know," I squeaked.
"I talked to Esme and the rest of the family," he stated. "You seemed to connect with everyone well and we thought it was getting slow again around here, thus, would you like to be adopted into my family?"
I stared at his striking gold eyes, "what last name would I get?"
"What one would you want?" he laughed a little.
"Hale," I smiled.

Jasper and Alice had disappeared when I came back down stairs. While I got to actually know everyone else, Drake stayed close to me. I was informed that they would be moving soon to Moscow, Idaho where Carlisle would get a job and the rest of us would all go to high school together.
I sat and talked with Drake, learning about his life and how he never met his father or mother. He was raised in a English household on the East Coast. He never knew what he was until he encountered a vampire feeding off the pigs that his family had, when he phased the first time, it scared him and caused him great amount of pain. At 23 when he stopped ageing and growing he had become too impatient with his life and told his family that he was moving west where he learned to control his phasing and learned to do it on command. He traveled the country often, never staying in one place for more than a few months.
I was excited to know that in the move, Drake would be coming with us. Drake and I sat in a Jeep with Rosalie and Emmett, it was quiet for a time except when Emmett would crack some corny joke.
When we got to Moscow it was windy, I had to put my hair up just to keep it out of my face. I helped everyone unload their things and then went and sat in my very own large and empty bedroom. Carlisle came in, "I'm going to give you an allowance," he said handing me a bundle of hundreds. "I do the same thing with the rest of them. I'll also get you a car," he handed me a license.
"You don't have to do this," I felt upset that he was doing this.
"You're part of the family, Jo," he smiled. "Think about what car you want, and I'll make it happen."
"Thank you," I said and then hugged him.
"You're welcome," when Carlisle walked out of the room, Drake came in with a large smile on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" I asked putting the money and license on the white carpet.
"You're just so beautiful," he smiled and walked closer to me. "We start school in a week; you and I have all our classes together."
"That's why you're all smiles?"
"And the fact that I get to live with you!"
I laughed as he took my hand and we started dancing around the room.

When school started it was hard to say that I could control myself, the transition from human blood to animal blood was quite hard. One of the reasons Drake was in all my classes was to keep me under control. I hated that no matter where we went people would stare and whisper things.
I walked with Drake into our first class, AP Biology, it was cold and we sat in the back and waited patiently for the bell to ring. I stared at Drake who seemed to be quite content.
As students started coming into the class I could smell blood and began to tense up. "Want to be closer to the window?" Drake asked to only where I could hear.
"No," I replied. "I have to learn to control it."
He nodded.
"Yeah, dude," a long haired guy said looking at his arm that was completely scrapped, he was picking of a scab. "It was the coolest crash I've done on a board." I looked over at Drake who was watching the guy as well. When I heard the teen ask his friend if he recognized who Drake and I were, I thought that Drake was going to go and attack the guy.
"Drake," I whispered. "I love you."
He looked down at me softened, "I love you too."
I smiled and watched all the other students sit down, a few kept turning around to get a glance at Drake and me.

On one of the girls towards the front who had her book bag sitting on the desk, I used my ability and threw the bag on the floor. Everyone turned and looked at her and she turned bright red and stumbled when she went to go pick it up.
"You shouldn't do that," Drake chuckled.
"No one would know," I smiled.
Lunch came soon enough and the whole family sat at the same table, Jacob, Renesmee, and Drake were the only ones who would eat the food.
"Did they stare at you like this?" I asked generally.
"You get used to it after a while," Edward said.
We all looked up at a blonde who was walking towards the table. "Hi!" she said her voice preppy, talking to me.
"Um….Hi?" I asked, not exactly sure how to react.
"I'm Jessica and I'm also cheer captain!" she sounded way too happy about that. "I saw that you are new here and thought you would be a good flyer!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I wasn't getting why she came over.
"You should join the team!" Her blue eyes looked ecstatic.
I rolled my eyes, "I've never done cheer or anything like that before."
"You could learn!" she pulled out a lavender flyer and handed it to me. "Tryouts are next Thursday in the gym. Hope to see you there!" As she walked away she had a little skip in her step.
"You should do it," Drake laughed. "Might make people think we are normal."
Rosalie snickered, "you're kidding! Even if Jo were to try out she wouldn't be able to keep up with being 'human!'"