Summary:

'Being immortal for 75 years then one day realizing you're not is scary. I hadn't seen my real family for 50 years. I moved to Forks and met the Cullens. I lived my human life again, I fell in love, I was left alone and my world was turned upside down.' Join me as we learn the truth of Bella's life and how she never truly wanted to be a vampire but it's not for the reason you think…

"Hello to you too Ivy." I chuckled. I turned in her arms and returned the hug.

Ivy was my height with dirty blonde hair. She didn't look exactly like me but we could definitely pass as siblings. She had brown eyes that showed how curious she was.

"Why did you leave?" She asked. Her eyes had a sad tinge in them.

"I had some things to handle, but I'm back now." I rolled my eyes. "And I really don't think it'll happen again, at least I hope so."

We started walking toward the house, each with an arm around the other, when there was a howl in the distance. We both looked in the direction of the noise.

"You know, they weren't happy you left to help them." Ivy said, nodding in the direction of La Push. "And I don't blame them. After what they did to you…"

I stopped abruptly. "Ivy Rose Hale." I said sharply. "Don't say things like that."

"But-"

"I know you're friends with the werewolves and I have no problem with it." She opened her mouth. "I'm talking right now." Her mouth closed with a snap. "I also know that you have not had a conversation with the Cullens, none the less vampires so your opinion of them is based on what the wolves' opinion of them are and the wolves hate vampires." I started pacing in front of her. "Every creature on this planet has a mortal enemy. Vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies-"

"I know this Mom." She said exasperated. "I was just stating a fact. I didn't ask for a history lesson."

"I said, don't talk." I snapped.

"No, you said-"

"Don't be a smart ass Ivy."

"You're being awfully defensive about them. They ditched you! They left you alone, as a vulnerable human!" She yelled. "I don't think I can forgive them for that!"

"I'm telling you what you don't know, how we fit into all this."

"I don't what to know." She huffed and sat down on a nearby tree stump.

"That may be true but you need to hear what I have to say especially since they're back."

She muttered under her breath and looked at me with a bored expression that I ignored.

"With every mortal enemy there is a median. Benders, us, are that median. We are responsible to bring them together in a time of need. And we have similar physical attributes to both werewolves and vampires."

"What?" She asked, shocked.

"We have connections to both. The four of us can, if needed, communicate between each other in our minds, like the wolves, and we change forms, like the wolves but not in the exact same way. We have human attributes like crying and blushing that the wolves also have. We are strong and fast like vampires however. We have skin like vampires, impenetrable, sparkles in the sun." I paused. "We are physically closer to vampires than to the wolves."

"Which means what exactly?" She asked suspiciously.

"We have stronger ties to them than the wolves." I answered. "John is a vampire." I whispered almost silently.

Her head snapped up and her eyes filled with tears. "John? As in my Johnny? Our Johnny?"

"Yeah, our Johnny." I whispered. She shot up and hugged me hard around the waist.

"But I thought he was dead."

"Well technically he is dead." I smirked.

"Don't be a smart ass." She mumbled into the crook of my neck.

We were silent while we held each other. Ivy was processing what I had said and I was trying to stay calm.

She cleared her throat. "Because we are supposed to be closer to vampires I will try to be nicer." She paused. "Not because I like the Cullens, but because of Johnny."

"Sweetie, the last anyone has heard of him was in the 60's, after he had left his coven in the middle of the night without a word." I said as I weaved my fingers through her hair.

"I'm never going to give up hope on him though." She pulled her head up so she could look me in the eye.

"That makes two of us." I wiped a stray tear off her cheek. "Now, we need to get back, Roxy is probably going to self combust with anger."

Silence enveloped us as we walked slowly through the forest.

"I'm sorry for getting all….back there." Ivy whispered when the house came into sight. I looked at her, she was looking down.

"Hey." I pulled her face up to meet my gaze. "Everyone is allowed some freak out, emotional time." I smiled. "Just know that I love you and my only concern is for you to be safe."

"I love you too Mom."

I looked up at the house. It was a simple house, well cottage. It was just big enough for the three of them and me on occasion (although we could afford a huge mansion on the side of a hill). It was two stories and had a front porch that wrapped around the whole house. I opened the front door and a red ball flew through the air and hit the door right in front of me.

I froze. "What the hell were you thinking?" I turned and saw a very, very, very, pissed Roxy.

"About what?" I said.

"Are you really that stupid? You went straight into the lion's den." She yelled.

"You're going to have to explain what 'lion's den' is. I'm not following."

"You went willingly to the Volturi!" She threw another fire ball at me, barely missing me. "You had no right to risk exposing us Bella." She raised her arm to throw another one but someone grabbed her wrist.

"Please refrain from starting another dueling match while you are in the house. I just finished putting it back together from the last time."

Cici.

"She-"

"Doesn't matter who did what." Cici chided.

Roxy is the hot tempered one out of all of us, but it goes with her element so we don't give her too much crap, most of the time. She is shorter than me and has blond, almost white hair that was cut short so it framed her face and her eyes were red.

Cici on the other hand is the neutralizer. She is the older one out of all of us; well she's been alive longer than all of us because we are all physically 18 years old. She acts like the leader when needed but could act like an immature 18 year old girl. She is taller than me with jet black hair that fell down her back in soft waves and crystal blue eyes.

Our personalities matched our elements. We also had a tattoo of sorts of the Chinese symbol of our element on our back and a strand of our hair matched our eye color. Roxy is fire, Ivy earth, Cici water, and I am air, almost.

Roxy huffed, rolled her eyes and yanked her arm out of Cici's grasp and stocked into the living room. Cici rolled her eyes at her retreating back and smiled at me.

Cici reminded me a lot of Carlisle. She cared about our well being and put up with all of our crap. Sometimes it was too much of a reminder and I had to avoid her for long periods of time. That didn't sit well with anyone.

"Come on, we better join Roxy before she hurts herself." Cici was saying. I blinked a few times and followed her into the next room. I glanced at myself in the mirror as we passed it, I still had brown eyes. Perfect.

Once we were situated on the couch and chairs, Cici looked at me seriously. "Bella, why don't you tell us what happened in Italy before we do anything risqué." She eyed Roxy warily.

I smirked before explaining what happened from when Alice showed up at Charlie's house until I got back tonight. Cici sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, it's important that they stay on a need to know basis." She said finally. "For now at least."

"Well, that'll be difficult." I said. "They are very nosy and don't stay out of other people's business, or at least my business."

"Then the best way to do that would be to keep them at a distance." She whispered. "Just until we can get you stable enough before we spend all our time with them, which we will."

My eyes shot to hers and I gulped.

"Get her stable?" Roxy cut in. "How can she be stable when she's not even fully changed yet?"

"That's not possible." I whispered, completely ignoring Roxy and her heated glare.

"Why not Mom?" Ivy asked.

"It may not be but it has to be done." Cici said sadly.

"But she's the only family I have. Besides Ivy of course and..."

Cici leaned forward and rested her elbows in her knees, looking at me seriously.

"That may very well be but the real question is: does she remember you?"

"No, she doesn't." I said sadly. "She hates me."

"Who are you talking about?" Ivy asked.

"All in due time sweetie." I said and kissed her forehead.

Cici glanced at the clock on the wall above the fireplace. "You should probably get going; they are expecting you I assume."

I looked at the clock in surprise. I guess we had been talking longer than I thought.

I sighed and kissed Ivy on the forehead again and lifted myself off the couch. I grabbed my iPod and put my shoes on before heading out the door.

It took me about 10 minutes to walk to the Cullens, although I was walking at a fast human pace.

I stood in front of their door for a few minutes, trying to bide my time. I weighed my options but couldn't come up with a scenario that could get me out of having to go into the house in front of me. It's not that I didn't want to go in, well I kinda didn't, but I knew what I was going to do and I knew that it wasn't something any of us wanted to hear or say out loud.

I knocked.