Hello! Thanks for taking the time to read this fic. And thanks to all of you who have read the prequel to this fic, Starcrossed. Glad to have you back. Okay, this chapter is just a little fluff I added between Charlie and Bella. I felt this chapter would help fill in some holes since the shooting. (For those of you who haven't read Starcrossed, I highly suggest you read it first.)
Chapter two: Ventilation
As I tried to think of questions to ask Charlie, more flashes of the shooting crept into my mind. Most of them were blurry and unclear, but the pain felt as real as the moment the bullet entered my body.
"So have you hunted already?" I ask him coolly.
"Damn right I have. I couldn't stand the burning in my throat when I awoke! Don't you feel it too?"
"Now that you mention it, I do feel something. But, I'd rather talk to you first before…uh…eating."
"What's wrong?" He asked, lifting one eyebrow.
"What about mom?"
"I—I don't know. We will find a way to keep in touch with her, and maybe even see her," Charlie said with a sigh.
"Dad, look in the mirror," I said grimly.
He turned his head to face the beautifully framed slab of glass to see a gruff, but handsome face. His face was as pale as the moon, and his eyes as red as the blood from which we now drank.
"Look at us," I said faintly.
"I don't know about you, but I kinda like us this way," he said with a smile. "Not to say that you weren't beautiful before! As for me, I don't think I'm looking that bad."
"Dad, I'm serious! You hate change! How are we supposed to see mom?" I said raising my voice.
"Well, we can start by calling her tomorrow."
There was a pregnant pause as we both gazed into the mirror, digesting all that had happened.
"How did you react?" I said firmly.
"Well…Carlisle sat me down and told me that I had shot you. I had no problem remembering that. He said you were okay, but that really didn't calm me down. I had no idea what was going on. Everything was so different. My senses were sharper, I looked like a frickin' god and I just about shot someone when I figured out what I was. Then, he told me the last thing I vividly remember, 'I think it's time for your first hunt.' At first, I thought he was going to have me pointing some rifle at a stupid deer. After experiencing the burn in my throat, I ruled that out. The only thing I could really think of was mauling a stupid deer. All I wanted was blood. So for the last two weeks, Carlisle's helped me cope with things. I mostly took my anger and confusion out on the birds. Shot every single one I saw. Not a single miss. When I wasn't doing that or studying with Carlisle, I was hunting."
It was unlike Charlie to say so much. He was typically pretty quiet. I assumed he needed someone to vent to. "Studying?"
"Well, I guess I wouldn't call it studying…more like dieting. He kept me on track and taught me how to stay focused on animals, not people."
"Ah. So what was it like hunting?"
"I'll leave that for you to find out," he smirked. "I promised we'll sort things out with mom and all."
"Thanks, dad. Guess I'll go talk to the others. It's probably time for my first hunt."
So, what did ya think so far? I'd love to hear your feedback on how it's going. Reviews would be much appreciated….c'Mon, you know you wanna post one.
