A/N: Bella's going to be really out of character in this chap because my friend told me to make her funnier, and well, I'm here to please (: If you love it, do tell, if you don't, well, then, don't tell me -_-, no haha just kidding, criticize my work as you please. Thanksomuch for my lovely reviewers from chapter one! Oh! And I'll try and update every day.
I must have been lying on the floor a while, because when I finally stirred, it was because I heard the sputtering engine of Charlie's car pull up.
Oh, Charlie.
In, all this mess I had completely forgotten about him.
I plastered as best a smile as I could muster for him, and tried to extinguish all thoughts of my meeting with…Marcia.
I got up, lunging for the couch's armrest for support and stumbled over to the door to greet Charlie.
"Hey Bells," he said, stepping through the doorway.
"Hi dad, how was work?" I asked, trying not to reveal how horrible I was feeling right now.
I guess no matter how bad I looked, compared to the disgruntled and unkempt Charlie, I was a freaking supermodel.
"Good, good." He finally replied before slumping on the couch with a beer. He slammed the buttons on the remote until the game came on.
I hobbled over to the kitchen, managing not to trip over dust and air like I usually do.
I turned the dial to start the oven and began making Charlie's dinner.
Opening the pantry to grab some gourmet shake-and-bake, I was startled when an icy hand fell on my shoulder, but relaxed when I heard the familiar smooth voice in my ear.
"Bella," Edward said seriously, "What happened today, why do you smell like…"
If he said I smelled like BO, I was seriously going to slap him. Not matter how it injured my hand.
"What, Edward?" I asked, trying to appear offhand. I dumped the chicken into the oven. "I took a nap, that's all."
"Bella, Alice saw you with that…woman."
"Oh," I just said, forcing back the memory. But against my will, it came flooding back. The woman, the glowing hands, the threats.
I dropped the box, but Edward was quick to catch it.
"Bella?" he asked, concerned, "Bella, love, what's wrong?"
I don't know, I wanted to say, but I was speechless, and I remembered Marcia's threats against my family. I was frozen to the spot, motionless as Edward waved his hand in front of my face.
"Earth to Bella!"
"Houston, we have a problem." I said, finally able to speak, "I think I just turned a whole supernatural race against us."Don't hate me, I mentally added. If Edward thought me a useless wrench after this I would have to demonstrate for him my new magic trick; come one, come all! Witness the woman with the glowing hands!..
Edward growled, "No one will ever hurt you, Bella, but I think we-the whole family-have to talk. Tell Charlie Alice invited you over."
I just nodded distractedly. I wonder what Charlie really thought of all these sleepovers at the Cullens. I'd have to ask Edward sometime…this weekend…when we're alone…focus, Bella! How bad is it that I have to leave home? What was the real depth of the situation?
Questions could be answered later.
I poked my head out into the living room.
"I'm sleeping at Alice's, okay dad?"
He grunted in reply, obviously focused on his game. Typical fathers and their football games; what a stereotype. Number one on their priority list is watch the game, then work, then family…
I took Charlie's caveman reply as a yes, and let Edward pull me out the door.
We walked a little farther and soon faced his silver Volvo.
I guess Edward was prepared.
A little too prepared? I thought as I noticed some of my stuff in the car.
He gestured toward the bag in the backseat.
"Alice came and packed your things earlier."
I nodded. Fine. Whatever. It's not creepy at all that hyper vampires break and enter into my house and take things from it.
As he strapped me in, I fidgeted. In the car where I usually felt so safe…today I felt…uncomfortable. Anxiety perturbed my stomach.
Edward noticed my fidgeting, and took it for worry.
"Bella, it's ok, you're safe with us."
Yeah, ok. Safe with a bunch of vampires in the middle of the woods with another species of bump-in-the-night creatures after my life.
The trip to the Cullen house was tense and silent, unusually awkward in a relationship that had no secrets…or as it looked from the outside.
And I wondered, maybe that's why I felt so weird. Because I'm keeping something from Edward.
Eh, or maybe it's just gas.
Soon, we pulled up to the looming white house, ominous against a backdrop of ready-to-burst rainclouds. Edward led me inside, where the whole family was already waiting, lounging on different pieces of furniture in the living room.
Creepy how they were all there…waiting for me.
Most of them looked serious, as what befitted the situation, but Alice smiled anyway, and danced over to give me a quick hug.
Ah, why does this girl-vampire-stalk me! Does she not realize I have friends?
"Hey, Alice," I whispered through my teeth, clutching my sides where she hand just squeezed the air out of me.
She just smiled one more time, then slipped back under Jasper's arm on the other side of the room.
Edward and I settled into a loveseat, and he put his comforting arms around me.
I shivered…and yes from the cold. (A/N: sorry, but SM always puts "blah blah blah, Edward did this, and I shivered…but not from the cold. I just wanted to clarify, sorry, continue reading.)
I don't know why, but yet again, I felt kind of awkward in this house that was my second home-around these people who were my second family. But something was tugging at me, something I didn't understand.
And it wasn't gas this time.
I pushed the feeling away. First, I wanted answers.
Bella," Carlisle finally began, "Tell us exactly what happened today when this…woman stopped by your house."
As I explained, everyone's eyes widened, though I left out the part about my hands glowing-they didn't need to have another thing to worry about…or put me in an asylum for.
Finally finished, I sighed as the discussion began.
Everyone was so polite and soft spoken; I could have a dainty cop of tea in front of me, and be reciting "the rain stays mainly in the plains".
"So, what does this mean, Carlisle?" Edward asked.
"It means…we have to be careful. Bella, what is your relation to this woman."
Ah…I was adopted! No, she's my monkey's uncle!
Bella, you're a horrible liar, I told myself.
No I'm not!, my self said back.
Oh great, now I'm schizophrenic, too. I'll be locked away in the crazy house before that hag Marcia could arouse her little army.
I sighed. Lying was useless.
"She's…my mother," I said weakly. They gasped.
No, I felt like saying, she's my baby momma.
That would have gone off well.
"Then that means…" Edward trailed off.
Carlisle eyed me curiously.
Stop checking me out, old man!, I wanted to yell. But that would have been very out of place.
"It means she's one of them." Carlisle said finally.
Shoot! I forgot about the whole hereditary thing. Oh well, what's done is done, they can think of crap of me if they want.
"Oh, Bella." Edward hugged me.
"So, wait…you don't hate me?"
"Why would we ever hate you Bella? We don't care what you are-if we did, we'd be hypocrites." Alice said with a reassuring smile.
"But…I thought because…because of what I am…I'm your enemy."
Hellooo? Enemy means, 'I extremely hate you for no reason other than someone told me we were enemies! And they are right because I say they are!' Don't you guys know about politics?
"Bella, it's not what you are that defines you; it's what you do, and you've never done anything to harm us. Why should we doubt you?" Carlisle's comforting words relieved me somewhat. Although you can never trust those doctors…
"Ok, now what?" I asked no one in particular.
"Now," Carlisle began, "I explain who exactly these people your mother leads are."
Joy.
