Matrix here. This is my contribution to Rendezvous. Keep in mind that my story is completely unrelated to RLM's one-shots. We just decided to publish them together, as part of our challenge.

By the way, don't be shocked to find that I poke fun at Twilight in this story. It's just so easy to do.

By the way, part two. The fabulous RLM gave me this completely epic title for my fic. Gotta love her.


Fangs and Strings and Shiny Things

Part I of quite a few more to come.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock going about its business, unstopping in its merciless ringing until I took charge and turned it off. I rolled over in my bed to stretch, and my sight rested on my window. I looked out to overcast skies, with large clumps of white swirling weightlessly. I immediately frowned and wanted to crawl back under the covers. I was suddenly in a very bad mood. It was the middle of January, 7:30 in the morning, and the only fact I knew for sure about my day was that it was going to be very cold.

I debated my options. Drag myself out of bed and into the shower, then throw on some clothes and get some coffee. Or get back to sleep. I would have gladly fallen asleep, but I knew I had something to get done before the roads got even worse—I needed a new car. I was still driving around my uncle's powder-blue Buick from '53, which was way older than I was. The Beast was still in prime condition without a scratch. The problem was, no one could look remotely attractive, let alone sexy, in that car. It was a muscle car, its only purpose to be admired by males. No woman cared about the car. Just a few of the reasons I needed to be rid of it. I was headed to Al's Car Emporium. I had money for one of his cars, but not for one of my dream cars, a Lexus.

You see, the reason I'm always short on cash is because I'm a bounty hunter. My name is Stephanie Plum. I work for my cousin Vinnie. He's a bondsman. He bonds people out of jail after they've committed a crime—the larger the crime, the larger the bond. They can return home, but they have to come back for their court date. If they don't appear at court, I have to find the people he's bonded out of jail, called FTAs. Some people just forget the date, while others run from it, and try to avoid me, too. Connie, Vinnie's secretary, gives me the bond agreements. I just have to catch the FTAs, dead or alive. There are some rules: I do have to follow the law, which includes no shooting, and I have to catch them before the two-week period ends. If I can, I get ten percent of the bond. If I can't catch them, Vinnie looses out on all of the money, and so do I. Which is why I try my hardest to catch the vermin out on bond.

This is where it gets tricky. I'm not the greatest bounty hunter. Even with my sometimes-partner, Lula. She's a large woman, and tries to squeeze herself into four-sizes-too-small clothing. She carries a gun, and has threatened people who've commented on her weight. She's a 'ho turned file clerk, taking the job only because of her resistance against Vinnie and his sexual harassment. Her last job was pretty handy in that respect. We're a pretty dysfunctional team, and when something bad happens, like burning down a pot house or finding dead bodies, the police think it's us. And it is us. More like me.

I'm a magnet to danger. The "success" of my career is my luck and my intuition. Plus, I have my mentor and friend, Ranger. He's what Lula calls fine, and more than that, too. We've had quite the interesting relationship. He's my protector, I guess.

Deciding that the lure of a new car was a worthy cause, I dragged myself out of the cocoon of warmth that was my blanket and scuttled to the shower. I was useless in the morning without my coffee, so I made the shower quick. I towel-dried my hair for now, and dressed in jeans, a tee shirt, a fleece sweater, and stuffed my feet into my warmest boots—knock-off Uggs.

I walked into my kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. After a few seconds, I looked into the pot. No glorious, steaming dark brown liquid had appeared. I opened the top and discovered the reason to my problem: there was no more coffee. I unearthed the coffee can from my kitchen cupboard and looked inside. I was at the bottom of the can. I emptied the can into the machine to get a few more grains of the bean, hopeful that it would be enough. I turned it on, and put the can in the trash. I had so many items on my growing grocery list. There was so much I needed, since I'd been running short on cash. I needed to find someone if I ever wanted to eat again.

Food was the main motivator for me to keep my bounty hunter job, along with paying the rent. And seeing Ranger, I guess. I'd gotten used to him. But more than Ranger, I needed money. And I needed a car to do my job to get money. It was a big problem that's never ended. There were always more skips than I could handle, and when I did manage to catch a few, there are always more waiting to be caught. Connie tried to hire someone else to pick up some of the slack, but no one's fit well. So it's just Lula and I, with occasional help from Ranger on the bigger, badder, harder bonds. And that's fine with me. I put my life on the line enough as is.

Once the coffee was done brewing, I poured it into a cup and drank it quickly. I already felt the buzz of caffeine as I walked into my bathroom. I showered, blow-dried my wet hair, and put it up and under a baseball cap. I put on two layers of waterproof mascara to make myself feel more upbeat and positive. Today was going to be a good day, I told myself firmly, despite the mood the weather outside gave me.

I gave Rex, my pet hamster and the only other permanent resident in my apartment, a grape for breakfast. He waggled out of his sleeping hole, took the grape into his mouth, and with his cheeks puffed, went butt-first back into his hole.

After stuffing a Rangers hat onto my head, I put on my thick winter jacket and made my way to the door. Grabbing my big leather handbag, I opened the door and shut it firmly, locking up behind me. It never stopped people from entering my apartment before, but maybe today would be different.


I was in pain. In agony. I had no idea of what was happening around me. No intentions of even figuring out where I was. That's how strong the pain was.

The last thing I remembered from this nightmare was Edward looking me in the eyes, his amber eyes shining, telling me it would all be okay, and taking my wrist to his lips. After that, the only thing I could feel or remember was pain.

The pain was so large I couldn't see what was going on around me. It fluctuated, so at points I was more aware than before.

I writhed, twisted and turned while lying down on a couch in a dark room.

Slowly, after hours of agonizing, I began to focus on some snippets of conversation. At one point, I heard a familiar male vice saying, "Dark…people…teach her…small place." I wasn't sure what the man was talking about, but I knew the answer would come with time.

Sometimes, I could hear and feel nothing but the pain and my own voice screaming in my head. At other points, I heard more conversations. The same man was saying, "…be soon… smoggy… no one will know… keep her safe…"

I began to feel things around me. For instance, I felt a hand clutched in mine. Soothing patterns being rubbed over my palm. Edward's voice whispering to me.

I realized it was his voice I had heard earlier.

Over a long period of time, I finally had the strength to open my eyes. I saw Edward sitting next to me in the dark. His eyes connected with mine and I felt whole. I knew exactly what had happened. Edward had changed me. I was a vampire.


After the elevator ride, I walked out through inch-deep slushy snow to the Buick. My jacket sleeve worked as a broom to dust snow away from the car, and as soon as the front, side, and back windshields were cleared of snow, I got in my car. Putting the keys in the ignition, I turned it on. I put the heat on high, and I sped out of my lot, wishing I was one of the many lucky senior citizens with nowhere to go, who were able to sleep through the snow.

Wipers working tirelessly, I drove along the streets to Al's. I was just down the street from his lot when I realized he, too, may be taking advantage of this snowy day to sleep in, or partake in another activity. I shuddered to think of what this activity could be, and I hoped, for my sake, that he would be able to see me.

I steered into his lot and saw Al. I was joyous to see him working, and despite the weather, I was smiling as I stepped out of the car.

"Need another car already, Stephanie?" asked Al.

"Yeah, as always," I responded. Since I visited Al so frequently, I could be his main source of income.

"See anything that interests you? I have a nice new Ford over there. Strong and sturdy," he offered, knowing my history of blowing up all of my cars, aside from the Buick.

"I was thinking maybe that one," I said, pointing to a car covered by snow. Underneath the white exterior was a green, almost-black Mazda 3. I had seen it the last time I was in need of a car, and had decided after one more blow-up, I would buy it. It was almost as old as the Buick, a '60, with almost 50,000 miles on it. Without my help, it would soon be headed to car heaven, so I figured I might as well speed up the process.

Al and I cleared off the car, then decided on a price that was within my budget. As I was about to drive away, I asked, "Hey, do you think I can leave that car here?" I pointed to the Buick, having forgotten all about it.

"Do you want me to sell it?" Al asked.

"No thanks. I think it's a family heirloom," I joked. "I'll ask someone to pick it up later."

"Sure. Take care, Stephanie," Al called as I drove out of the parking lot.


Edward sat with me, talking to me and explaining what had happened to me. But I could barely concentrate—I was so hungry. He only caught my attention when he told me, "We're going to travel to Trenton, New Jersey. It's on the east coast, up north. Carlisle and I discussed this, and he thinks it's best that newborns be around humans as soon as possible so as to let them become accustomed to being around blood. He's already gone ahead to secure us an apartment."

"Where're we going?" I asked. "Why is it safe for me to be there?"

"We're going to the burg, as it's called. It's part of New Jersey. It will be safe for you. No one will be aware of your, well, condition. This time of year, Trenton is covered by thick snow clouds and smog, so there's no sunlight. We just have to let you become accustomed to being around humans. And I'll keep you safe, Bella. Don't worry."

I let Edward gather me in his arms to comfort me. His touch still felt cold. I pulled back from him.

"Edward," I said. He looked down at me, very confused.

"You're warm," he said, as though he was now able to read my mind.

"Can you read my mind?" I asked, afraid that becoming a vampire had led to my undoing. Edward would become bored being able to read my mind, and he would leave me. I would be left to travel this lonely world forever.

"No, I can't. But I felt your warmth," Edward explained, bringing me back from my nightmare and calming me down. He gave me a hug once more, rocking me back and forth to reassure me of his constant love. He turned my face towards him, and kissed me, hard. I knew I was a vampire then; he kissed me with all of his might, and I was not hurt. I pulled back and we both smiled.

"So, what kind of powers do you think I'll have?" I questioned him.

"We'll have to wait and see," Edward said. "It took me a month to realize what was truly happening to me, and it was a few years before I was able to realize the extent of my power."

"So, when are we leaving for Trenton?" I asked.

"As soon as you're ready. First, we have to pack us a bag. Alice already bought clothes for you," he said, pointing to a bulging bag at the end of the couch. "We're going to run there. You're not going to be safe going into a crowded airport yet, and you would become very dissatisfied if we were to board the plane. It will be hard for you at first. You're never going to leave my sight." Edward looked at me with concern, as if he expected me to argue with the arrangements. I was too weak to do anything but sink back onto the couch. I asked another question after a few moments.

"Is anyone else coming with us?"

"Just us," Edward replied soothingly. "I'll leave you alone now. You lie down for a few more moments." He left the room, presumably to gather our belongings.

It was then I fully realized that I would not see any of them for a long time. Not Jacob, whom I wasn't sure if I loved, and the rest of the Quileute boys. I had become close to them after the vampires and the werewolves worked together to save me from Victoria, who was trying to kill me in return for Edward killing James, her mate. It was a lover-for-lover deal in her mind. Fortunately, we dealt with her before she could touch me. I was going to miss them all so much. I sat with my memories of the werewolves' protection, until a strange thing happened. My eyes began to feel heavy. Soon, they closed of their own accord. Almost similar to sleep...

Both Matrix and RLM would greatly appreciate any feedback you have to offer. Comments, questions—use your imagination.