"I'll take that look to mean you're awake?" A voice said.

For a second I was distracted. I recognized the voice, but it was deeper and even more melodic then it had been before. It played across my ears along with the sound of wind and cars on a faraway highway, the rattle and rustle of snakes and insects and burrowed animals. But my new quick mind got over this and almost lazily brought me to sit up and swing into a ready crouch in the time it took the old Gen to blink.

My grin was still pasted across my face as I opened my eyes and took in the miles of desert around us. I frowned as I took in the dust beneath my hands and shoes and found that the strands of dark hair that always fell across my face were dull and pale with a coat of sand.

"You?"

I should be angry. I should remember the pain he caused and hate him. And I suppose I am pretty furious: but now, with the power I feel, the strength, the brilliance of my new sense—not to mention the dedicated hate for Edward and the Cullens and even my sister—next to all of that, my possible grudge against the vampires who changed me is almost nothing.

"It's James." He said, giving me a slow predator's smile. "Remember?"

I shrugged and chose to stand up. Looking around the empty desert I stretched my limbs, reveling in the freedom and ease of movement. "Where's your friend?" I asked finally, beginning to shake the dust off.

"Victoria went for another snack." James told me. "We'd stopped for one but… she doesn't have much patience and it was something for her to do while we waited for you."

"You stopped…" I frowned, remembering. "I smelled… hospital."

He nodded. "You changed quite slowly… it was strange." He took a step closer and raised a hand to my long curls. "But look at you now."

"Covered in dust." I agreed. Then I glanced down at my wrist. "And bloo—"

I scowled as my throat suddenly responded to the thought, focusing all of my new senses on a new hunger, more intense than anything I'd ever felt. Then again, everything that was happening was more intense than anything I'd ever felt.

"Gen, Gen, Gen…" James laughed and pushed the curl of hair behind my ear. I frowned up at him, irritated at his familiarity but also realizing that his brilliant red eyes and chiseled smile were quite… attractive. If you were into that. He was a bit too, well, feral and dramatic for my taste. Still…

"Genevieve." I told him. "What am I?"

"A vampire." He said, his tone simple, like it was obvious. And it was obvious, just as it was unbelievable.

"So I'm thirsty for…" I swallowed hard. "Wow." I looked down at the new, glittering, elegant hands that now belonged to me. "Wow." I repeated.

"Just wait until you see yourself." James laughed. Then he laughed louder, lifting my chin with his hand so that my face was raised to the sun. "Wait until Victoria sees you."

"Victoria…" I stepped back, going from intimately close to feet away in an instant. "It's just the two of you… What do you want me for?"

"Victoria and I are…" He shook his head. "We were traveling with another until he betrayed us to your Cullens. You will—"

I interrupted him with a snarl, finding a temper even sharper then I remembered. "They're NOT my CULLENS." I snapped.

"Yes, Genevieve." James said. "But we'll deal with that later. For now, you must try and focus."

"Focus." I grumbled. My low, angry voice was still as beautiful and melodic as I'd found his. "On what? I barely know what's going on: how am I supposed to know what's important?"

"For now? Control." James said. "Control your temper, control your hunger, until—"

"Not really my strong suit." I interrupted.

James stepped close again, studying me. "No… it's not, is it?" He considered me for a long moment. "Well, it's a good thing you have us then."

And it was.

Everything I wondered, everything I needed to know about vampires, James taught me. I learned about the venom that changed me and that death would stop the change. I learned that fire and vampires were all that could kill me. I learned that I had to stay hidden and that there were strong vampires, older vampires who watched to make sure I would and would punish me if I didn't. I learned how to hunt.

I learned later that James had a talent: he had an insight into anything he hunted. He had an insight into how my brain worked. So it confuses me that he thought it was necessary to have Victoria bring me back my first meal or that he insisted it be someone who obviously walked on the wrong side of the world. The first man I killed drove out willingly with Victoria and when he saw the strange set up? He pulled a gun and shot James and then he shot me.

It was… funny.

But killing him? It was just… necessary. I would have thought that using my strength, using my power, would be fun and invigorating. But it was more… pathetic.

"Are the Cullens still after us?" I heard James ask Victoria after I finished burying the man in the middle of the desert.

"No. I called and gave them your message." Victoria's red eyes flashed toward me. "They won't bother us again."

"Why do you care about the Cullens?" I asked James.

James sighed and shook his head sadly: not because he felt for me, but for the dramatics again. "Do you mean you didn't know?" He laughed as I rolled my eyes. "Well, think, dear girl—" Victoria growled. "—What do you know about them?"

I didn't speak out loud: my vampire brain had gone through the facts and grown more puzzled in the time it would have taken to speak one word. Pale skin, inhuman good looks, went on hikes when it was sunny… "But their eyes."

"Yes." James agreed.

"Freaks." Victoria added.

I grinned at her. "Ok, I'm starting to like you. But why are they like that?"

"Gen… Genevieve," James corrected himself, walking over and putting a hand on my shoulder. I allowed him to turn me, pointing back to the dirt I'd disturbed by burying my victim. "What do vampires do?"

"Drink blood." I said, giving him an irritated look.

"Who's blood?"

"People's." I scowled. "They don't drink people's blood? How do they live?"

"They drink animal blood." Victoria sneered. "Freaks." She added.

"Freaks." James agreed, shaking his head.

"Freaks…" I agreed, muttering the word under my breath. I guess that did explain… No, it didn't. It only explained why the Cullen's hadn't killed me or Bella or anyone else in our high school. But how? I'd met that man and seconds later he'd been dead: I'd had no control. How had that dick fought hundreds of kids walking by him? How had he sat down to dinner with Dad, me, and Isabella and not left the house a murder scene? And why was he bothering with my sister at all?

"Troubled, Genevieve?" James asked.

I turned, wiping a bit of blood from my hand on the corner of my shirt. The outfit was completely destroyed any way. "Thinking about the Cullens. And my…" My teeth ground together with pressure that could have crushed a diamond. "Sister."

"Well, then…" James drawled before stopping for dramatic effect. The part of me that is now a monster starts to think lazily about how easy it will be too kill him. "It's time."

"Time?" I ask when his grin at my puzzled expression makes his smile grow wider and wider.

"Time to find Laurent." James said. "And find out just what we can do about that Cullen problem."

I watch him for a moment and then smile back.

And so my new life truly began.

...

Author's note:

This won't be as regularly updated, at least not until I have some idea of who she's going to end up with. It's a lot more separate from the actual events of the books and is going to take a bit more thinking on my part, but I'd really like to see where this goes so bear with me, ok? Awesome.

Like Stars in the Sky: Yeah, that's part of the reason I've taken so long to update. I don't want her to be evil, but having Gen naturally fall into the Cullen's vegetarian ways isn't quite right for her either. I already have planned the things that will start to make her think about who she is, but to start out... But no, she shouldn't be completely evil. I'm interested to see how Gen reacts to the things I have planned.

Debbie Hicks: Ok. Thanks for the comment.

coveryoureyes: lol ok! I'll do my best.

cpjjgj: that is my new theme song for this story. however, i keep forgetting that. so. :/ now i want to listen to that song.

LadyDelila: :) awesome, glad people like this! I'll do my best to keep it up.