CULLEN FAMILY: Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Rated: T.
Author: xPaige Turnerx
Summary: COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."
"At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
you know what you want."
-Lao Tzu
Golden eyes watched the deer clumsily search the park for her, knowing she was close. So close but seconds too late.
Past the blood haze in her mind, deep down beneath her hunger and rage at losing her meal, she was startled and surprised at the human in the park trying to calm the frantic animal down. How often did you see a wild, timid animal like that run to people?
The predator's blood red lips curled back over her fangs to let out a rumbling growl. So close. How had she not seen the girl in the park before then? Was she that caught up in her hunt? Sloppy.
Feral instincts faded, receding back into the dark depths of her being, and Alice shook the haze from her head. She sighed dejectedly, knowing she wouldn't find anything else before getting back to the house. She didn't feel like going on an elaborate hunt deep into the woods that night, she had too much to do before school the next morning.
Grumbling, Alice glared lightly at the human who had ruined her supper, wondering just who was out in the old abandoned park. And why, for that matter. No one ever went there anymore.
Alice's head tilted to the side and she leaned forward on her branch, trying to catch a look at the stranger's face. They weren't from Forks, that much was for sure. Alice would have remembered her. There was something... compelling about her, something that dragged Alice's eyes back each time she tried to look away. Those damn shades were in her way, though.
The stranger gently stroked the deer's head, and Alice could hear that frantic little heart slow down. Well, someone had an affinity for animals, apparently. The corner of Alice's mouth curved up in a little smile. What a gentle soul this human must have, to be able to coax such a skittish animal to sit in her lap.
Too lost in thought at how peculiar and... precious this scene was; a human holding a frightened deer, Alice hadn't realized that the girl was actively looking around for whatever spooked the animal. Even though she could not see past the reflective surfaces of the shades, Alice knew that the gaze had landed on her.
She knew when her muscles all locked into place, feeling like she was being electrocuted in all the best ways. When the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. When the agonizing flame in her throat suddenly died out. When the world stopped turning, and night and day crashed into each other.
When she swore her heart, that had died one hundred years ago, gave a phantom beat.
And just like that, it was gone. The deer saw her and darted off again, tackling the human once more.
Alice shook her head while the girl spat out a mouthful of fur, and fell backwards out of the tree. The second her feet touched the forest floor, she tore off in the opposite direction of the park, heading back to the safety of her home.
What was that? What just happened? How... how?
The trees in the forest blurred together and in minutes she skidded to a stop just outside her house. Her mind was filled with images of the girl in the park, questions of what had happened to her, fears of... well, what had happened to her.
She told herself that it was because she didn't want to needlessly worry her family, that she played old eighties songs over and over in her head to keep her brother out. If he heard any of what was going on in there, he would have questions and worries, and he would tell everyone, and then they'd all worry about her, and really it wasn't that big of a deal.
So a girl saw her. Not even her, just her eyes, nothing else was visible. So her gaze was so powerful it literally immobilized Alice until she looked away. So she felt... alive for the first time in her vampiric life.
So what.
"Is there any particular reason we're just standing in front of the house instead of going in?"
Alice jumped at the sudden and unexpected voice, turning to look at the surprised face of her older sister. "Victoria," she breathed, letting out a deep breath. "You surprised me."
Both girls kind of jumped at the admittance, neither expecting that. Alice, surprised? Never in one hundred years had she heard of such a thing. "That's new," she said with a thoughtful look. "What were you thinking about so hard that you didn't see me coming?"
"Nothing," Alice shot out quickly. Too quickly, as she saw Victoria's eyes narrow in suspicion. "I was just thinking of what I'm going to wear to school tomorrow. Must have zoned out for a moment. Sorry." She needlessly cleared her throat and shook off her frazzled attitude, deciding to deal with it all later.
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, though one hand came up to tap her chin. "If you say so," she agreed for now. "How was your hunt?"
"Great, thank you," Alice replied, clasping her hands behind her back. "How was your drive?"
"Not as eventful, I'm afraid," Victoria said, leading the two of them into the house. "Came across the stench of dog, so the Black wolf must be in town again. Remind me again why we let them traipse around our territory but we can't even blink at the border?"
"We're trying to establish trust, Victoria," Carlisle said, sweeping around the corner and into the front foyer. Alice took in the white lab coat and brown briefcase, assuming he was off to work. Carlisle caught her eye and smiled with a nod. "Called in for the late shift. Mrs Weatherfield is complaining about chest pains again."
Alice's eyes glazed over and seconds later she was stifling a smirk. "She's still eating lobster."
"Of course she is," Carlisle grumbled, his face falling.
A big sigh heaved his shoulders and he trudged over towards the door. Just before he left, Alice looked over her shoulder to catch his eye. "She's going to make another move halfway through the appointment when you get close. Lean to the left."
"Oh come on!" he groaned, throwing his hands in the air as the door swung closed behind him.
The girls waited until they could hear his car roar to life before they broke out in laughter. It never ceased to amuse the family when Carlisle got hit on at work. The man was just too kind for his own good and had a hard time letting people down. It truly was a good thing Esme wasn't the jealous type.
"So do you want to talk about it?" Victoria asked quietly. Enough that the rest of the household wouldn't hear them.
Alice's smile fell slightly. "There's nothing to talk about," she replied just as quietly.
"Say what you will, Alice," Victoria said with her own frown. "We've all noticed your moping lately. You've become more reserved and quiet. More distant than normal. You know that you can talk to any of us about anything, that you don't have to suffer silently."
"I know." Alice nodded. She also knew what all of them would say before they said it. That sometimes talking to them was pointless, or at the very least... predictable. And it wasn't their fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just... how it was. But that didn't change the fact that she wanted something more, something different. She wanted spontaneity, she wanted fresh and exciting conversations, she wanted surprises and unexpected delights.
She wanted experience for once, she was so tired of just going through the motions of life. How very dull it could be to know it all and experience none of it herself.
Her family just couldn't do that for her, no matter how hard they tried, so why bring it up at all?
Sensing that Alice wasn't going to budge on the issue, not with her at least, Victoria offered her little sister a reassuring smile. "Things will turn around, Alice. Whatever has you in the dumps won't last long." With that, she blurred off into the house to find her husband before they had to head to school.
Leaving Alice alone. Again.
The pixie sighed, allowing herself to wallow in her misery for only a moment longer until she shook herself and hooked a smile on her face. She skipped into the living room where most of her family was, playing video games, reading, or just enjoying each other's company. Alice beamed, taking her spot next to Edward on the bench of his piano as he played a slightly macabre melody. The boy knew how to brood. "Hello, Edward."
"Alice," he greeted, inclining his head but never dropping his attention from the ivory keys. "So are you going to keep us in suspense, or will you tell us about them?"
Alice froze, wide golden eyes shooting over to her brother's face. How did he know? She was being so careful with her thoughts, she hadn't thought about the park once since getting home. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.
The others looked up in varying levels of interest. It wasn't often Alice didn't know what someone meant. Edward's brows furrowed and he finally looked away from the piano and to his little sister. She looked... unnerved and yet all he could hear in her head was some old song from a couple decades ago, looping over and over. He frowned absently. "The new kid at school. Rumour has it that they start tomorrow. Anything to say about them?"
"Oh," Alice breathed in relief. And then she frowned, too. There was a new kid going to school tomorrow? "I... don't know. I haven't seen them," she said with a twinge of frustration and fascination. First the park and now a new kid? Maybe the strangers were one and the same? Able to hide from her visions? How peculiar.
With her own suspicious thoughts, Rosalie gingerly set down her car magazine in her lap and looked across the room to her youngest siblings. "You didn't see them? How does that happen?"
"I'm not sure," Alice replied honestly. She couldn't stop the corner of her mouth curving up in a smile. "It's kind of refreshing."
"Or alarming," Edward countered. "We've never come across someone whose future you could not see. Even the wolves you can predict through the static and blackouts. This new kid... do they not affect you at all?"
Alice purposefully searched the future this time, her eyes clouding over. A difficult task, reading the future, something she hadn't mastered yet. Not that you could, she was sure nobody ever would. It was like trying to remember something that hadn't happened yet, searching for a memory that you don't have.
She blinked a few times until her eyes cleared up and shrugged her shoulders. "Nope. As if they don't exist."
"Should we be concerned?" Esme asked, trusting her daughter's instincts. Even without her actual visions, the pixie's gut was the most reliable of the house. She could sense danger, even if she couldn't see it.
Alice lightly shook her head. If this new kid was the same girl from the park, which would be an enormous coincidence if it wasn't, then they were fine. The girl was gentle. Kind enough to calm down and protect a deer from Alice. Those were her reasons, definitely not at all because she didn't want the family pulling up roots and moving before Alice could try and figure out what the girl did to her. Or why. "No, I believe we're fine as is, and I would like to meet this... person," she'd almost said girl and gave herself away, "figure out just why I can't See them."
"Let's hope you're not putting the entire family in danger just to sate your curiosity, Alice," Rosalie said, her frown deepening. Any number of things could happen on a daily basis that would endanger their family. What if a human got a nose bleed in Jasper's class? What if they overheard something while the family wasn't paying attention and speaking freely? What if they saw vampiric qualities or actions? Alice not being able to see and therefore prevent this, was extremely dangerous.
Leaning against the doorway to the living room next to his mate, Wensley cleared his throat to make his presence known. "I agree with Rosalie. Flying blind is never a good idea. This child, human though they may be, is a potential risk to us. I don't see why we cannot simply leave and start fresh somewhere else."
"Some of us don't feel like letting a little human chase us out of our home," Emmett challenged from the couch, his game completely forgotten. "It's one kid. Big whoop. Ali says it's fine, and I trust her judgement. I hate moving, and I just finally finished unpacking all my stuff. Grow a pair and just keep an extra eye out if you're so scared." He turned to look at his wife who raised an eyebrow at him. He winced. "No offence, Rosie."
"Perhaps we should call it to a vote?" Jasper asked, looking around the room. "If Carlisle is the tie breaker, he can decide the final decision when he gets home."
Esme nodded. "Yes, that seems fair. Alright. Who votes we pack up and leave?"
Immediately Rosalie and Wensley's hands shot up, and the two looked around the room expectantly. "Don't forget we also wouldn't have to deal with the wolves anywhere else," she said.
Slowly, Edward raised his hand as well. Jasper considered both sides but decided he didn't want to risk the human having an accident around him and he slip up. He raised his hand above his head, confused at the wave of hurt he felt coming from Alice.
"Alright," Esme said quietly in the suddenly silent room. "That's four for moving. Who votes we stay but remain cautious?"
Alice's hand rose in the blink of an eye, followed closely by Emmett. Esme raised her own hand as well, her faith in Alice unwavering. As was Victoria's, who raised her hand up. Wensley looked beside him at his mate, frowning when Jessica slowly raised her hand up too. Alice's eyes clouded over for a second before her face split in two from her grin. "Carlisle will vote we stay, as well. That settles it. Six against four."
As the others grumbled or cheered for their loss or victory, Alice danced back out of the room and up the stairs to get ready for school. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and tried to shake the sense of relief that fell upon her like a cloud.
The thought of leaving, of never meeting the girl from the park... it made her gut churn almost painfully.
This was turning out to be quite the eventful move.
.
.
.
The next morning it was Charlie who woke Bella up to get ready for school, not her alarm like she'd been hoping. He figured she should get an early start on her first day, and slowly eased the bedroom door open after two soft knocks.
Inside was... he wasn't really sure what it was or how it happened. All he could process was Bella's bedroom window hanging wide open, and the room full of birds. He'd never seen such a site in his entire life.
Charlie closed his agape mouth, moustache twitching as he cautiously inched his head into the room. Big blackbirds, ravens if he had to guess -Billy had all but drilled the knowledge of woodland creatures into his head over the years- took up space in Bella's room. On her windowsill, on her dressers, perched on her mirror and footboard of her bed, on the ground. There had to be at least a dozen, maybe two!
One wrong move and it could go horribly, horribly wrong. "Bella," Charlie whispered gently, wincing when one of the ravens ruffled its feathers. A few pairs of those beady black eyes landed on him, making him shift uncomfortably. "Bella!" he tried again, a little louder this time.
"Only if the fish brings his own hat..." Bella slurred, turning over to bury her face into her pillow. Charlie rolled his eyes. He leant further into the room, reaching down to grab a stray sock, and threw it at his daughter. "No! I'm...'m not an alien..."
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Charlie glanced around the room again. Maybe if he could shoo them all towards the window they would just leave? No, what if they attacked? Bella had to be ready to hide. "Bella!" he whisper-yelled.
"-trapped in castle Volt-?" Bella half gasped out, springing into a sitting position in her bed.
Charlie could tell his daughter wasn't completely awake yet. Mostly because she hadn't opened her eyes and was still snoring slightly, but she was mobile and open to suggestion. "Bella, get under your blankets and stay there, okay? Bella? Can you hear me?"
"Dad?" she asked, breaking out into a yawn and stretching her arms above her head. "Oh man, what time is it?" she asked, blinking tired blue eyes at him. "Why is your face like... oh. That's a lot of birds."
"Don't move, kiddo," Charlie said gently. "On the count of three, I'm going to shoo them towards your window. You get back under your covers and get ready."
Bella nodded, pulling the blankets up to her chin until she froze. "WAIT! What if they... ya know... bullseye my room?"
"Seriously?" Charlie deadpanned. "I'm worried about them pecking your eyes right out of their sockets. We can deal with a little bird crap."
"Like hell we can," Bella bellowed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not your room that will be Dung Central." With that, Bella threw her covers off her completely and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Charlie squeaked, his heart in his throat, waiting for those beady-eyed bastards to peck his daughter to death. "Relax. If you're calm, they're calm," Bella said, walking over to her window. The ravens there looked up at her, heads tilting to the side. "Sorry, my little rats with wings, but you gotta go."
With that, she shoved the birds out the window, listening to them caw and fly off. And though no one would believe them, both she and Charlie swore there was an annoyed tone to their caws. Bella went around the room, scooping ravens up and tossing them out the window, every single time praying that they would control their bowels until out of her room.
"Bye bye, birdie," Bella said with a smirk, grabbing the last raven and bringing it to the window. "Tell your pals not to come back."
She watched it fly off with the others and let out a deep breath before turning back to her dad. He opened the door completely, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Well. That was an interesting start to the morning. I think I'm going to go... process that."
"I'd just forget about it," Bella suggested with a shrug. "Seems easier than explaining that."
"Right," he agreed. He shook his head and turned to leave. "Breakfast will be ready after your shower."
"Sounds good," Bella said, saluting his back and watched him leave. She looked around her room, checking for any little white bombs that might have been left behind, and was thoroughly relieved when she found none.
She stumbled around the room, grabbing books and pens and anything she thought she'd need for school, into the messenger bag Renee had bought for her before leaving. Thankfully her mother also thought to wash everything Bella owned before packing it up, and the girl had a wide variety of clothes to choose from for her first day. Jeans and a band tee were her usual go-to, but it was a little chillier in Forks than she was used to, so she pulled a long sleeve over top and headed downstairs.
Charlie was leaning back against the counter, sipping a steaming cup of coffee and reading the newspaper laid on the counter before him. His moustache twitched and he glanced up at his daughter when she all but collapsed into one of the chairs. "Thought you were gonna shower?"
"I was," she agreed and yawned again. She grabbed the big permanent marker beside the notepad at the table and tucked it up behind her ear, stuffing the pad in her bag. Doodling was one of her favourite hobbies and was the only thing that would get her through the day. "Then I decided why put in the effort and did not."
Her father nodded and set the coffee down. "Fair enough." He opened the fridge, grabbed a bowl of cut up fruit and bacon from the previous morning. "You want eggs?"
"Nah," Bella shook her head and waved him over. "Watermelon and bacon, can't beat that."
"You're an odd kid, you know that?"
She waited until he looked down at her, and in the reflection of his badge, she could see her blue eyes darken to milk chocolate. "No. Really, me? Odd? I had no idea."
"Bit of a smartass too," he sniffed, sticking his chin in the air. "I blame the city."
"Me too," she agreed with a snicker. "Renee's the most average person in the world, there's no way she did this to me."
Finally, Charlie barked out a laugh, grabbing the back of a chair to steady himself. "Nope, can't do it. Can't even jokingly agree that Renee is in any way average. That woman is a wild card and I'm glad to see you take after your mother, Bells."
A blush fought its way to her cheeks and Bella looked away, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, well. Maybe. I should probably head out, school and all. Don't wanna be late on top of everything else."
"Sure, sure," Charlie nodded. "You let me know if anyone gives you a hard time, right?" Though his daughter halfheartedly agreed, he could see genuine anxiety and doubt in her eyes. "At least let Jake know, alright? Don't suffer alone, Bella."
She shrugged. "I can take care of myself, dad."
"I know, believe me, I know. You shouldn't have to though."
.
.
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Chapter Dos! Told you I'd update every week. Boom! Keeping promises like a pro. So yeah, I know there hadn't been any interaction between Bella and Alice yet, or at least that they know of, but next chapter. Don't worry. I might post that one earlier just because this one was kinda short, but that's just how it turned out. I don't know, we'll see, I guess. Also, it's nice to see some of you guys on tumblr! I posted a little supergirl ficlet there, and I do plan to post more, so if you're into that show, swing by. Also, if you're into Supercorp, swing by, because that is like mostly what I do there. Other stuff too, but I'm pretty obsessed right now.
Alright, peace out, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Paige