I don't own Twilight :(

Chapter 2

Confused

Unknown Mermaid POV

I watched as the human unintentionally glanced in my direction. I ducked further into the black waves that were clam and inviting while he stared at me indirectly. I felt my heart jump even though I knew he couldn't see me, and I dreamily hummed. He must have heard because his eyes went a little unfocused and his full lips pulled in a slight smile, one of confusion yet amazement. I continued humming and he slowly got up before taking his shirt off. I let my head plop into the water again, and I stopped humming.

It was too late. He was already swimming towards me. If I left him out here, he would drown because he isn't exactly in his right state of mind and would come with me without a second thought. I slowly swam to him and just as he reached me, he stopped. His eyes were closed underwater and he swam to the surface. I stayed low, unsure of what he was doing. He glanced down and I was thankful that it was night time and the water appeared to be a bottomless pit of darkness, hiding me easily. I had forced my tail to become black a few hours ago, so I could secretly watch him without getting caught. I let myself float to the ocean floor; not that we were far in the ocean. We were only about 15 minutes from the shore. He glanced back to land and then swam away from me. I sighed in relief. I was relieved because I don't want him to fall in love with me.

I'm not good for him. I don't even know if my kind falls in love with humans. I'm sure they do because it's no secret that I'm falling for him. I don't even know his name. I have been watching him come to the beach for weeks now. And every little thing he does makes me fall for him a little more. I gently pushed my tail against the light current and carefully poked my head above the water. The waves were swaying me from side to side. It was comforting as I watched him walk away from me. I felt a part of me pull towards deeper waters, and I allowed myself to give into the call of the ocean. It was so powerful.

Humans told tales of the call of the ocean turning a mermaid's heart cold. That's a lie. If anything, the ocean keeps a mermaid sane. We have an unusual lust for water. We need to have it, be in it, see it, hear it, and taste it. A sad humming pulled me out of my thoughts. For some reason, I felt my heart flutter and a wide smile spread across my face. I went to a nearby rock and nearly tore myself away from the water. I listened intently and my heart jumped with every lyric that beautiful voice sang.

It was distant and I knew I'd have to swim for a little bit, but I love the ocean and all I could feel was desperation and loneliness. I quickly jumped off the rock and into the water. My tail rapidly pumped in the water and within 30 minutes, I had to stop swimming because the water was getting shallower every 10 seconds. I blinked and I was too caught up in the melodic voice, that I didn't recognize this shore.

I enthusiastically jumped out of the water and wobbled a bit when I landed on my legs. I tried to run, but I stumbled and nearly fell forward. I took a deep calming breath and settled my nervousness and excitement. I walked carefully and quietly, yet quickly. My legs suddenly stopped and I felt fear fill me completely. I glanced in the direction of the beautiful voice and I was torn. Half of me wanted to go to the ocean because something wasn't right. The other half was concerned about the girl singing a few hundred miles away. I repeatedly glanced between the ocean and the woods.

The singing stopped abruptly, and everything I felt completely vanished. I didn't feel desperate, lonely, or concerned. I was just there. I wasn't even sure if I should look for the voice. There was no more singing and I've only been a mermaid for a few months. I already know that I'm not very good at finding others of my kind. I heard a hiss and a snarl coming from the woods, so I carefully walked backwards. I must have snapped a twig because the noises stopped and I felt like someone was staring at me.

My muscles froze and I turned quickly. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the protests my legs were making and the occasional wobble that would throw me off balance. I just ran. I ended up at the shore again and I was hit with déjà vu. I quickly pushed the memories away and plunged into the waves. My tail returned and pushed the water so I could put some distance between us. I glanced back nervously and saw a man with red eyes, light brown hair and pale skin. He had a straight nose and he looked cautious, nervous, and guilty.

I pushed myself away from him and he didn't pursue much to my relief. I swam further away and only relaxed when I was in my secluded underwater tunnel. I slid down the wall of the tunnel and allowed the warm sand to relax my rapidly beating heart.

Edward POV

I held Bella as she cried her eyes out. This had become a nightly event and I clutched her to my chest, rubbing her back comfortingly. She couldn't stand the fact that we couldn't find Cynthia anywhere we looked. Demetri didn't even know where Jane had put her. Bella sobbed and clutched my shirt in her tightly fisted hands. She was hysterical and constantly beat herself up for leaving Cynthia. It wasn't her fault and I repeatedly tell her that, but she doesn't listen. I kissed her soft brown hair, and her sobs quieted down. She sniffed a few times and then stopped altogether.

I waited. I had no other way of comforting her and I knew she'd rather cry until her eyes burned. Then she'd cry some more. She likes to have some kind of release for the pain that she always kept bottled up. Every time one of her tears fell, I felt my heart break. I couldn't stand to see her in so much pain.

I kissed her lips and she leaned into my touch. "Don't let go of me Edward," she mumbled in her thick voice.

I shook my head as I rocked her back and forth in my lap. "I'd never let go, love." She liked that answer and buried her pretty little head into my chest. I loved when she did that.

"Why do you do that, Bella?" She stayed quiet and I knew she was confused so I continued, "Why do you bury your head in my chest?"

She stayed quiet and then answered in a low, heartbroken voice, "I feel safe with you. You know all mermaids have security issues. And whenever I do that, your shirt covers my face. I feel like it's only the two of us on this earth and I like it that way."

I nodded and kissed her hair again. "I like how you do that," she mumbled.

"Do what?"

"Make me feel loved."

"You are loved."

"Doesn't feel like it sometimes." I shook my head and then smiled slightly at the answer I was going to respond with.

"That's okay. I love you enough to cover for everyone that doesn't know you." She stayed quiet and I kissed her temple and then both her cheeks before planting a final kiss on her nose. "I win, love."

She didn't argue. She simply put her hand on my neck and pulled me down. We kissed passionately and I still felt that bolt of electricity shoot through my body with every touch.

"You won't stop loving me?" I shook my head and she relaxed in my arms.

"Silly little girl," I mumbled into her hair.

"Hey, I'm not little!" I was thankful that I was able to distract her from Cynthia, at least for the moment. I knew Cynthia wouldn't want Bella crying all the time.

"You are to me."

She growled at me and then asked, "How so?"

I shrugged. "You're cute, somewhat innocent, and you are very self conscious and shy at times."

She lifted a shoulder and dropped it, no longer caring for the subject.

"Thank you for distracting me Edward." I nodded and kissed the back of her hand that was entwined with mine.

Leah POV

I gave Jacob another kiss before I dove underneath the waves and swam to the underwater tunnel that was at least 10,000 meters underwater. None of us knew how it got there, but it was a cool place to hang out. I quickly swam and continuously looked behind my shoulder in case a vampire was following me. We didn't need them to find our safe house.

I knocked on the door a few times and hummed a little in response to the other mermaids. The door opened and I swam inside. I came to another door and I took several deep breaths of water so I could change. The water slowly drained out and I held my breath as my tail disappeared, leaving two legs in its place. I took a ragged breath of air and knocked on the next door which opened easily enough. I slipped inside and walked down the tunnel for several miles until I got to another base.

I opened the door and got inside quietly before taking a seat next to a very distraught Bella. I hugged her to my chest, a little jealous that she had her vampire to hold her. She brought him everywhere and I guess I didn't mind. I was just jealous. I wanted Jake to come with me so badly. I wanted to be held and to be comforted when I felt like I had no reason to be alive.

I shook out of my thoughts and gently kissed Bella's cheek to calm her down. I glanced at her vampire and he ran his hand through his hair as he usually did when he was uneasy. He shrugged out of his shirt and gave it to me. I didn't even bother hiding my shock and he said, "Please take it. I know you can't get cold, but I'm not just going to let you sit there completely naked." He was staring down and wouldn't look up to my face.

At least he was staring at his lap instead of my exposed body. I looked around and noticed everyone had some type of clothing on. I thankfully accepted the shirt and put it on. Bella leaned into me and grasped Edward's hand so he wouldn't feel left out. "Bella, it's going to be okay." I kissed her head, and she sobbed. She leaned into me and I felt her shake her head against my shoulder.

"Cynthia's been gone for 3 months."

I nodded and patted her back gently. All we know is that a vampire coven in Italy had taken her, and she is being held against her will. We don't know how to find her or if she's even alright. I mean, she was taken. That alone says that the coven has something up their sleeve. Edward disagreed. He said that we shouldn't worry and that our little sister is okay. I didn't believe that because a mermaid is more powerful than a vampire and a coven of them still managed to take my little sister.

I thought about what I could do to make Bella happy, but I couldn't come up with anything. I glanced at Edward, and he was staring at Bella. I decided I could take in his appearance since I wouldn't be caught. He looked concerned for Bella. Not only that, he was really sweet. I never would have thought I would like a vampire after Cynthia was taken, but Edward was an exception. He always cared about our wellbeing. And on more than one occasion, he has gotten into arguments with Bella concerning her safety which I thought was sweet because we can't exactly get hurt.

Edward is constantly trying to take part in our discussions and help us with our knowledge of vampires. He is a good vampire and he believed he was going to hell. I thought otherwise. Edward wouldn't go to hell if he ever did die because he was just too good of a person. He even saved my sister Kate. I scanned the room for Kate and found her staring at her hands in her lap. She was so distant now. None of us pushed her and none of us expected her to attack Bella again. Kate somehow convinced herself that she is a monster and should be killed.

Bella usually talks her out of her insane plans, and Edward watches from a distance. He's there, not as a threat, but as a protector. He watches Bella and if Kate were to try something, Edward would simply get closer as a reminder that he wasn't going to let anything happen to his Bella.

It still hurt all of us whenever we would see them together, but it wasn't so bad. Since Edward didn't have to breathe, he could be underwater and wherever Bella went, he went without a second thought. So, we could easily be with our sister.

Selina got our attention by clearing her throat. What I love most about our colony was the freedom. We didn't exactly treat Selina as our leader or queen. She simply treated us as her sisters and she never abused the authority she had.

"We all know that our sister has gone missing and we have no way of getting to her, but we have decided that we will give the vampires a war if that's what they want." I noticed Edward stiffen from the corner of my eye and Selina simply nodded to him before continuing.

"You get your hands on any vampire you see EXCEPT the ones with gold eyes. If I find out one of you has killed a gold eyed vampire, I will be very upset and things may result in a fight between us. I'm only speaking truthfully. Edward is one of our very good friends and he is nice enough to stay by our side even though he is a vampire. I would like you all to stare into his eyes and commit it to memory. Do not kill any gold eyed vampires. Simple enough?"

Everyone nodded and she asked, "So, does anyone have any updates?"

Serra gasped and her eyes brightened, "Can I go?" Selina smiled and nodded, but we all stared in shock as Serra waited for Edward to say something. He chuckled and nodded, making her squeal and jump up quickly. She ran to the middle of the room and stood in front of everyone.

"Okay, so I was watching the Cullens yesterday and the short pixie looking one looked really out of it, so I got scared and got out of the water. I ran inside and she was okay, but I stayed next to her when she went back to that place in her mind. It looked like she was having a flashback. I had asked her what it was and she told me she was seeing a brunette strapped to a chair and an older man kissing her shoulder."

Bella's head snapped up and she glanced at Edward, who stamped a light kiss on her lips. Serra continued excitedly, "The man went and slapped the girl hard enough for her to fall out of her chair." A few murmurs echoed throughout the tunnel and stopped when Serra squealed and clapped. "She was seeing Cynthia's past, which means something. We aren't sure what, but I know it means something and that it has got us somewhere. We'll find Cynthia in no time."

Bella smiled slightly and then asked, "What do we do if things get worse?"

Serra sat down and waited curiously for the answer. "Well, if things get too bad, we are going to have to swim to Italy and kill humans as well as vampires," Selina quickly answered.

Edward seemed a little hesitant with that thought and when he glanced at me, I couldn't help but give him a wide smile. He was such a sweet vampire. He gave me a crooked grin back and I said, "You're not going to hell." Bella looked at me and gave me a small smile before smiling at Edward. Edward looked shocked at first and then shook his head as he looked down at his lap.

"You mermaids never fail to surprise me." We all heard and agreed with him seriously before allowing our thoughts to return to Cynthia. Bella stiffened in my arms and got up. She left without another word and Edward gave us a nod and left with an, "Excuse me, ladies." I shrugged and began humming and running my fingers through my long strands of hair, trying my very best not to let the loss of Cynthia hit me too hard.

Bella POV

I ran outside as I heard a familiar humming. I felt Edward scoop me up in his arms and ask, "Where to, love?" I smiled widely and pointed outside the door to the ocean. He nodded and unlocked the doors so we could leave the underwater tunnel. I still don't know how humans got it down here. Who cares? It's so much fun. It's like a maze underwater. I grabbed Edward's hand and let my beautiful tail unfurl beneath me. I quickly stretched it out and then darted through the water, following that beautiful noise. I swam for a few hours, ignoring my inner voice who was being extremely paranoid at the moment.

I didn't really think things through and before I knew it, I swam right into a trap and Edward wasn't behind me. I frowned and tried to go around the vampire, but he simply dodged me. I made my eyes go white and I stared him in the eyes so I could manipulate him and make him think what I want him to think, but he just smiled tauntingly.

I backed up and tried to swim away, but a sharp blade pierced my fin. I shrieked and tried to pull my tail to me, but he just pushed the blade further into my fin. I bit back a sob and stared at him, not sure what to do. He was tackled from the side and I frantically tried to pull at the blade in my tail. Demetri came to my aid and put a finger to his lips so we wouldn't tell his partner that he was really on our side. He winced and I nodded for him to pull out the blade. He pulled it out roughly and I bit my cheek harshly. He gave me an apologetic smile and I pouted at him. He used his shield to make my tail weak. Normally, the blade would have bounced back, but Demetri somehow used his power to let the blade go through my scales.

I felt my teeth touch each other through the pierced skin of my cheek, but once I let go, my cheek healed and my tail stopped bleeding. There was still a painful thudding in my tail, so I reflexively pulled it up to my chest and hugged it tightly. I motioned with my head for Demetri to go, and he did. I turned around quickly to ask him if Cynthia was okay, and he must have checked my thoughts because he gave me a thumbs up. I smiled slightly and went back to soothing my aching tail. Edward came back within a few minutes and inspected my tail. He bent down and kissed my tail in various places, murmuring apologies every time his lips touched one of my scales. He patted my tail and then lifted me in his arms effortlessly.

He shook his head and said, "The Volturi wanted to catch us by surprise. Demetri was here to cover up their tracks so we wouldn't know they were in the area beforehand. He actually lowered his shield from the vampire's mind so I could read his thoughts. The Volturi are going to stop at nothing to get us."

I kissed his lips and apologized for dragging him into this. He shook off my apology and then stopped walking. I looked up at him, still in his arms and stroked his cheek with the back of my hand. "What is it Edward?"

He hesitantly met my eyes and I saw pain and anger in his liquid gold pools. "I read Caius's mind. Caius was the other vampire." I nodded and panicked by the tone Edward was using.

"Edward what is it? Tell me."

"Cynthia isn't okay wherever she is."

I raised my eyebrows in confusion, not wanting to panic. Edward licked his lips and slowly linked eyes with me when he murmured, "They gave her to someone from her past. And according to Caius's thoughts, the person she's with is planning on torturing her." I gasped, and Edward nodded.

"So, what do we do?"

Edward looked frustrated as he ground out, "I don't know. I don't know where they are keeping her or how they even got her." I nuzzled his neck to comfort him and thought of my 'daughter' Cynthia. I wanted to cry, but I kept everything back. She wouldn't want to see me so upset. She'd want me to calm down and think rationally about what I can do to save her as quickly as possible. Why wouldn't the Volturi take me instead of Cynthia? Why did they want to use her to get to me? Why can't they just let her go? Why does she have to be tortured? How can she be tortured? She can't be physically hurt by a vampire. I couldn't stand all of this anxiety, stress and worry about Cynthia.

I leaned forward and kissed Edward deeply, in hopes of my thoughts and conflicting emotions to be momentarily forgotten. It worked. As soon as his firm lips met mine, a fire erupted from the pit of my stomach and slowly spread throughout my body, incinerating every thought in my head and relaxing every tense muscle in my body. And still, my thoughts managed to return to the Volturi. I kissed Edward again to make me forget, and it worked for a little while until my inner voice made a promise to my 'daughter' being held captive by the Volturi. I promise I will do everything I possibly can to get you home safely.

Sorry this took me so long to write. i had writer's block. I promise it will not be this long before i update again. i am going to continue updating daily... I really hope you guys like it so far(:

Review and tell me what you think, nicely(: