Chapter Two
Reunited and it Feels So Good?
It's been hard all these years sitting back and watching friend, family members and generations of people pass on. This is the unfortunate consequence of `living' as an immortal. This is why we have had to stay away for so long. I just hope the old saying "You can never go back home again," is a myth.
The Cullens are going to live as a whole family unit again. Carlisle and Esme arrived a few months ago to fix up and remodel the house. Carlisle rented the house out while our family was away and the previous tenants did not treat the house in a loving fashion. Walls had been beaten up, windows were smashed and the hardwood floors were scuffed up badly. Esme loves fixing up houses and gleefully took on this challenge.
The house Esme reconstructed for us when we were first married was ruined in a fire 50 years ago. The need to rebuild never captured my interest. I enjoy living under the same roof as the rest of the Cullens. They're my family and I love all the time I get to spend with them.
Pulling up to the old house in Forks brought on a slurry of memories. Some were crystal clear, those particularly which happened after my mortal transformation, others were slightly foggy but none the less, important memories I try hard to cling on to.
"We're here," Edward said with a smile creeping onto his face.
He drove the U Haul truck up to the door and silenced the roaring engine. "It feels like only yesterday when I brought you here for the first time to meet my family."
I smile back at his angelic face, " I was so worried they wouldn't like me; how naïve I was."
Edward leaned over and kissed me on my forehead. "It wouldn't have mattered what they thought; I wasn't going to let you go no matter what."
When he said things like this I was grateful I no longer had the capability to blush. It always gave away how much he was dazzling me.
"I wonder if any of the others have arrived yet?" I asked changing the subject.
As if hearing the question Alice instantly appeared at my door and opened it for me. I jumped out of the vehicle and into her pale arms. "How did you get here so fast? You left two days after we did."
"Edward may be the fastest runner, but he isn't the fastest driver." Alice chuckled with her sing-songy voice.
"Hey now," Edward chimed in. "At least I've never been involved in a high speed car chase in downtown sunny Los Angeles where it was broadcasted all over the network media."
"It only happened just that one time. Besides, I didn't get caught."
"Barely," came Jasper's voice from behind Alice, "If I hadn't been there to calm everyone down, they would have chased you all the way up the coast and then where would our family secrets be?"
We all erupted into laughter at the distant memory. It happened two years before the great earthquake occurred that ruined most of California's coast line. Alice foresaw this event occurring and tried to warn the locale seismologists. They laughed in her face and Alice drove off angry and furious which is when the cops caught her driving a little too fast on L.A.s congested roads. The technology the cops have for catching speeders has greatly increased over the years and getting out of a high speed chase isn't the easiest thing to do anymore.
We all walk inside familiar house and the memories just come flooding back to me. The large glass windows, the clean white open space, it is all so warming. Even after all the homes I've lived in over the years. Nowhere else feels more like home than this place.
"Hello," Esme says with a wide smile on her maternal face "Welcome home."
"It is so good to be home," I smile back. "I love what you have done to the place."
"I really haven't done anything," Esme replies. "Carlisle and I just added a fresh coat of paint and patched the holes. We also added another bedroom for Renesmee and Jacob."
"I think that's what I love about what you have done," I say looking into Esme's mothering eyes, "I love the look and feel of this house and I wouldn't want anything too different to interfere with it."
"Where's Carlisle?" Edward asks while swiftly walking over to give Esme a hug.
"He's upstairs in his office installing the newest computer. Technology sure has changed since the last time we lived here. It won't be long before people are being instantly transferred to any destination with just the push of a button."
I cringe at the idea. One of the things I like about being a vampire is the speed at which we travel. With huge advances in modern technology humans are catching up. There are portable motorized scooter s that can be carried on your back. In a quick flash people can pull these out and have instant speed. I'm not sure people really walk anymore.
Even Carlisle is finding it harder and harder to get a job as a doctor. Great advances in medicine have made diagnosing and curing people easier and easier. People go online, take a quick questionnaire about their symptoms, then are diagnosed. Medicine is delivered right to their home via an underground vacuum tube.
Times are financially hard in a small town these days too. Carlisle finally found employment in Port Angeles as a veterinarian. The family had a good laugh over that. We all just hope he doesn't get too hungry while he's working. Resisting humans is morally one thing, but nibbling on an over spoiled dog is something entirely different.
"Well, we better get the truck unloaded before it rains," Edward suggest.
We mosey out to the back of the truck and begin the process of unloading. It only takes a few trips to unload the 14 foot truck and no tools like hand carts are needed. Edward grabs my solid oak desk with one hand and with the other he takes in a box of clothing. He finagles the awkward piece of furniture through the house and places it in our bedroom. Even after all these years, I'm still amazed by our specie's strength and agility.
As soon as the truck is unloaded Renesmee and Jacob pull into the driveway.
"Mom," shouts Renesmee as she bolts out of car and into my arms. The smell of wet dog rolls off her clothes. "I've missed you so much."
"Me too. How was your time in Russia?"
Honk Honk. Before she could answer Emmett and Rosalie pulled into the driveway. Emmett was behind the wheel; he had a wide grin plastered all over his face.
"You parked in my spot." He playfully shouted at Jacob. "Carnivores first, omnivores second."
"Whatever happened to first come, first serve?" Jacob playfully scolds back.
"In that case," Rosalie announces, "our family was here first."
"Now, now children," Carlisle gestures from the doorway with a warm smirk on his face, "there is no need to fight over who was first. We have all of eternity to unpack everyone. There is no need to rush."
It only takes moments to move everyone in and then we all gather around the dining room table to chat and catch up with each other.
Suddenly panic streaks over Alice's face. She pulls her arms around her chest and begins to tremble.
"No!" she shouts. She looks over at Jasper and if she had the capability to cry, I'm sure tears would be streaming down her face.
Edward's eyes grow large as he picks the thoughts out of Alice's head. With a quick movement both Edward and Alice's horrified eyes shift towards me.
"This can't be happening," Edward cries as he stands up out of his seat. "We need to leave town now!" He grabs me into his arms and buries his face in my hair.
Confusion drips over me as Edward clings to me in his trembling embrace. It felt as if he was afraid he might lose me.
"Um, can somebody fill us in on what's going on?" Emmett interjects.
"Jasper was…then… he," Alice tries to explain but her words just turn into unclear mumbles as soon as the sound escapes her lips.
"Alice sees Jasper and Bella disappearing." Edward informs us after witnessing Alice's struggle with words. "There is no explanation; they're just gone. Something is picking us off."
A twinge of fear streaks through my stone body. "Picking us off?"
"OH," Alice screams and flings her arms over to shield her face from an invisible attacker. Then she collapses onto the floor and goes limp. Jasper runs and kneels by her lifeless corpse.
"What's going on Edward?" Carlisle sharply questions.
"I don't know. She just saw teeth, large teeth coming at her. Then her mind went blank and she… We have to leave now!"
"Alice, Alice," Jasper frantically calls her name. He places his hands on her limp shoulders and began shaking them. "Alice," he chants again as hope begins to leave his face. His stone shape softens around the edges and uncontrollable tremors rip through his exterior. He's trembling so hard his knees give out and he sinks down to lie next to Alice's fallen body. He extends one arm over her still chest and continuous to whispers her name in her ear. "Alice… please wake up."
