Aurora Borealis

Chapter 1 – New Beginnings

I looked around at the chaos, a small smile on my face. Suitcases, cars, furniture; they were all haphazardly arranged on the sweeping driveway outside the large colonial-style house, tastefully modernised with large glass panels. As usual Esme was giving the family a large house where we didn't have to hide in the shadows to avoid who what we are. This was to be a new start for the whole family, all ten of us could finally settle down in one place without attracting too much attention as my daughter Renesmee has finally stopped growing, immortalised forever in the body of an 18 year old.

We had, after many hours of deliberation, settled on a town called Kelowna, situated about 150 miles North-East of Vancouver. We had left the small town of Forks 6 months after the Volturi had almost turned the baseball field into an execution site, the family felt that their presence had caused too much trouble and danger to the humans living in Forks, with a grim sense of acknowledgement I had realised that they were right.

Hands wrapped around my waist and lips pressed into the hollow under one ear. "Are you going to stand around all day or are you going to help us unpack?" breathed Edward, his musical voice sending shivers of delight running through my body. I looked at him innocently for a second before picking up my suitcases in one hand and a large guilt-framed mirror in the other. "I was only giving everyone else a chance to bicker over room allocation, not that you were involved at all" I replied, lifting one delicately arched eyebrow. Edward chuckled, he knew me so well. Taking the mirror out of my hands and placing it gently against the 19th century oak dresser, he swooped and picked me up bridal-style as a giggle escaped from my throat. This action was now a tradition for Edward, even after 8 years of marriage, he still insisted on carrying me over every new threshold, just as newlyweds did on their first house. Walking up the few steps to the covered porch, he opened the left hand wooden door and carried me inside.

The house inside was decorated in the traditional Cullen pale-on-pale design; to me it felt immediately like home. As with the house in Forks; the majority of the living accommodation was open plan, the interior walls having been removed to Esme's exacting instructions. To the left of the door was a raised platform - with ornately decorated stained glass surround – containing Edward's grand piano.

Edward did not stop to let me look around; I knew that there would be plenty of time to explore the new house later. Instead, he headed for the stairs, climbing the flight in a blur in his eagerness to show me the room he had claimed for us. In order to be able to stay here for a few years, we would have to pretend to be 16, and therefore had a room inside the house instead of the private residences we had enjoyed for the last few years. On the first landing, there were 5 doors, one leading to a room for each of the couples and Carlisle's study. Renesmee had been given the converted attic as her own personal space, allowing her peace and quiet in order to sleep away from the rest of the family.

Edward's room was large and bathed in afternoon sunlight from the glass western wall. In the middle of the room stood a large four poster bed, with a white lace canopy above the mattress. Although we technically didn't sleep, I preferred to have some link to my previous human existence – as well as somewhere private to be with Edward. I was finally placed upright on my feet; I danced over to place my suitcases next to the bed, a graceful movement that I would never have been able to carry out in my human form. Turning towards my Edward I kissed my husband with all the passion I could muster. Sensing my mood, Edward kissed me back passionately, causing my mind to lose its clarity and focus. I internally sighed with relief that Edward still had to the skill to dazzle me.

With a large bang, the door to our room opened. Alice, my best-friend and Edwards adopted sister-in-law, having seen our inactivity in helping the family with the unpacking was by our sides to whip us into action grinning wickedly. With a barely concealed groan, Edward broke off the kiss and rested his forehead against mine, the sunlight glancing off the hand he held around my face sparkling with millions of reflections. Alice and Edward stared at each other for a moment, a silent conversation where Edward read the thoughts from Alice's mind and she saw what he would have replied if she had voiced her thoughts. Although this skill was incredibly useful in previous situations, I couldn't help but feel exasperated that I was being left out of what looked like to be a reasonably aggressive argument. That is if their facial features were any indication of their thoughts. After a couple of minutes swinging my head side to side, looking like an observer of tennis, I sighed and gave up waiting for an explanation and turned to leave. As I turned I heard Alice's triumphant laughter and her tinkling voice exclaiming "Looks like it's back to work then doesn't it?" before her arm linked with mine and she tugged me towards the stairs.

Outside, most of the chaos had subsided. Rosalie had driven the cars inside the purpose made garage as they had been emptied. The large remote controlled garage door was wide open and showed the neatly lined up varied cars that we had in our possession. Carlisle had a sleek, black, 3-door Mercedes CLK 63, which he defined as his "speedy old-man car" even though he looked 25 years old. Esme didn't have a car as whenever she needed one, she borrowed from our collection. To make up for this, Edward had two cars. His cars showed his love for class and speed with his Aston Martin Vanquish, the cost of which would have astounded me in my past. The slower and more practical silver Volvo – an updated version of the car the Cullens owned in Forks – was primary mode of transport into towns to avoid attention and remain inconspicuous. This subtly ended when I looked at the next two cars – Alice's canary yellow Porsche 911 Turbo and my red Ferrari 430. Alice, and her uncanny ways of predicting trends on the stock market allowed the Cullen family to live a lifestyle which included the fast cars with high price brackets. Rosalie and Emmet were using Emmet's Jeep after her BMW M3 convertible was wrecked during a baseball game. Rosalie was considering buying herself a Lamborghini as a consolation present. Looking at the cars, I felt a pang of sadness that my old Chevvy truck wasn't around. It was stupid to be thinking that way, especially as it would have looked seriously out of place in the garage full of thoroughbreds. What cheered me up somewhat was that Jacob's black Harley Sprint and my old red Honda were leaned against one wall. Although I never rode my motorcycle anymore having given it Renesmee 4 years ago, it was still a link to the past. Edward often persuaded me to let go of the past. I could understand that it was simpler when everyone connected to your past was dead, but having only been made immortal in the last decade, it was hard to let go of everything about my old life. It was getting easier.

Alice's voice woke me out of my daydream, "Quick it's going to rain soon we need to get all this indoors!" At her words, everyone stepped into fast mode. It was hard to watch even as a vampire. I fought back laughter as I realised that it would look as if each remaining piece of furniture would look as if it had disappeared to the human eye. Dashing up to Edward, I grabbed the last remaining boxes labelled "DVDs" and walked into the house just as the first few drops started to fall. The entrance to the house was filled with furniture.

The next hour was spent sorting out the arrangements of the rooms, which took several rearrangements until Esme was entirely satisfied.

The evening was a quiet affair. Renesmee sat curled into Jacob's side watching the film Underworld, ironically their favourite film even though it is about the usual wolf-shifter/vampire relationship fuelled from hate. As the rest of the family had gone hunting I suggested to Edward that perhaps it would be advisable if we went to fins the high school, as we were all to start the next day. Edward took a long time to persuade as he was not inclined to trust Jacob and Renesmee alone together. After an impressive display of fatherly concern, he finally conceded to my piercing stares and threats to no "special time" for a while.

Driving through the winding countryside on the way to Kelowna, Edward showed his displeasure with his tense posture and the grip on the steering wheel showed his knuckles. I sighed.

"I know you don't like it Edward, but we have to show her we trust her. If we don't she'll just end up finding a way to be with Jacob"

"She is 8. He shouldn't be doing anything with her"

"I know she is technically 8, but physically she is the same age – maybe even older – than you or me. She is a clever girl. We needn't worry"

"I'm not worried about her. It's him. He is still a human 16 year old, as he hasn't aged since his transformation. He has a lot of hormones running through him. He has tried to be controlled with his thoughts, especially around me but sometimes he lets one slip through..." Edwards voice died away with anger in the tone.

During the conversation I hadn't been looking where we were going. All of a sudden Edward slammed on the breaks outside a large square building set back from the road behind a large car park. With vampritic senses, the dark of night was just a different shade of light, filled with more purples and blues than greens and yellows. The building was symmetrical with a clock and bell tower in the centre. Kelowna High School. The building where we would act our parts as Carlisle and Esme's adopted children for the next 3 years. A curl of dread clenched my stomach, even as a vampire with my new family, the thought of being the new girl was surprisingly terrifying. Holding back a laugh I turned to tell Edward.

He laughed at me insecurities with me, leaning over to kiss me. "I can't believe you," he breathed "you can face the Volturi when they swear they will destroy us but you dread the first day of high school!" We carried on laughing and joking as Edward turned the car around to go back to the house.

On our return, we found that the hunters had returned, and Renesmee and Jacob had both fallen asleep on the sofa, Renesmee curled into Jacob's chest. With a smooth face I roused both of them – as Renesmee had her first day of High School tomorrow and unlike the rest of us, it was her first time – and sent them to bed, Renesmee in the attic and Jacob to his converted basement room. Muttered goodnights could be heard throughout the house as Renesmee ascended throughout the house. Like the rest of the family, Edward and I settled into our usual night time activity. We curled up on our bed and I worked to remove the shield around my mind so that Edward had the opportunity to read my mind. Although I normally disliked the idea that someone could delve into my mind but I did it willingly for Edward, for my love.