Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or it's characters.
This chapter is shorter, but it's needed to set up who the OC characters are in the story.
I promise that Embry will make an appearance soon!
Also, Character Information is on my profile, there's a link for you to go to so that you can see what the characters look like and so on.
Chapter Two: Welcome to the Manor
"Demi! Aria! Your cousin is finally here!"
Callie heard a commotion coming from upstairs as two women appeared at the top of the stairs, large smiles on their faces. They looked like they were about to scream, but one pointed look from their mother quickly deterred that. They ran down the stairs, reaching their mother, a slumbering Brook and a very tired, yet alert Callie in a matter or seconds.
"Thank God you're here! I've been having visions of you coming for two and a half weeks!" the blonde one said in an excited whisper.
"You have no idea how good it is to be here," Callie answered her with a relieved sigh.
"Do you think you lost him?" the brunette questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I think so, he was following me for a little while, but after I made it through Jersey, I couldn't sense him at all. But I had to be cautious. I took the long route here, leaving pieces of clothing in hotels all over the country. I think that will keep him busy, at least for a little while," Callie answered.
"We're just happy the two of you are finally here," the older woman, who happened to be Callie's aunt, commented.
"Me too, I don't know how much longer I could have gone on like that. I haven't slept in what feels like a century!" Callie answered with a humorless laugh.
"Well, you should get little Brook and yourself settled. Do you have belongings in your car?" Aunt Gina asked.
"Yeah, I have our suitcases and a few boxes in the trunk."
"We'll go get them for you," Demi told Callie kindly, an understanding smile gracing her soft features. She stuck her hand out to receive her car keys, which Callie happily handed over. Callie watched for a second as Demi and Aria walked out of the front door and towards her car before she directed her attention back to her aunt.
"Why don't you go sit in the living room for a few minutes while the girls get your stuff?" she offered.
Callie nodded her head and slowly walked over to the living room, shifting Brook in her arms slightly so that she could continue to slumber peacefully. She was instantly drawn to five pictures that hung on the wall. She felt a small smile grace her lips as she took the few steps needed to be standing right in front of them.
Four of the picture frames held four different senior pictures, the last held a picture of four girls.
The first senior picture was Aria's. On the black frame that held it, her name was engraved in silver: Aria Rain Alexander. Callie looked at her smiling face and couldn't help the smile that graced her lips because of it. Aria's straight blonde hair fell over her shoulders in the picture, her bright gray eyes shining with happiness. Her smile was large, but it was gentle. This picture completely fit Aria, in both her beautiful looks, and her beautifully gentle personality as well.
After spending a few more moments looking at Aria's picture, Callie moved on to the next one. This one as engraved with: Demetria Ginette Alexander. After looking at it for no longer than five seconds, she could tell that this picture showed the true colors of Demi. Her dark brown hair was hanging down her back as her bright green eyes sparkled in mischief. Although her eyes spoke of mischief, her smile spoke of her kindness.
The next picture had: Calida Bridgett Alexander engraved on the frame, and Callie couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes at the use of her full name. No matter how many times she insisted on being called 'Callie' someone always had to go against that wish and call her Calida.
The picture was actually fairly recent, since she had only graduated from high school about two months ago. Her dark red hair was in loose waves, as her light blue, almost grey eyes seemed to be looking past the camera lens. Her milky white skin had a light blush gracing her cheeks, adding some color to her face.
She tore her eyes away from the picture that had been taken before everything went wrong, and moved on to the last senior picture. This one nearly broke her heart, and she had to fight to keep the tears that had gathered in her eyes from falling.
Kendra Lynna Alexander was engraved on the black picture frame that held a picture of Callie's big sister. The only thing they had in common aside from their pasty complexion was their light blue, almost grey eyes. That is where the similarities ended though. Kendra had luxurious black hair that was always perfectly straight, and a coy smile that seemed to draw people in. She was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out.
Callie took her attention off of the pictures for a moment and looked down at the beautiful little girl that was asleep in her arms. She had her mother's black hair and blue-grey eyes. Callie knew that when she grew up, she would be the spitting image of her mother, and for that, she couldn't help but to feel grateful.
Callie still remembered the day that she was born and Kendra asked her to be Brooklyn's God Mother. She had been so happy, and at only sixteen she didn't understand the complete implications of her role. If something was to happen to Kendra, and she died, Callie would have to raise Brook. Callie remembered that when Kendra told her about it, at the time the very idea of Kendra dying seemed laughable, so she didn't really think about it.
"Do you know what being her God Mother means?" Kendra asked Callie softly as she stared lovingly at the bundle in her arms.
"Do we have to talk about this now?" Callie whined.
Kendra's eyes lifted from the baby in her arms to stare at Callie, "You need to know what it means Callie," she told her firmly.
Callie simply nodded her head up and down and waited for her to continue.
"If I die, I want you to look after Brook. Raise her as your own. If she calls you 'mom' let her, please. I won't mind, I will know that you will tell her about me, but if she sees you as a mother figure, she will be better off."
"Kendra…" she started but couldn't seem to finish her thought.
"Promise me Callie," she pleaded.
After a few seconds she conceded, "I promise."
Kendra smiled at her warmly and turned her attention back to the baby in her arms.
"Look at her wrist," Kendra told her with a smile.
Curiously, she looked down at Brook's left wrist and saw a small purple pentagram outlined in dark blue.
"The prophecy," she breathed.
Kendra nodded her head as she continued to smile at her.
"The Circle is complete," she whispered.
It wasn't until she died and Uncle Steve told her that she was Brook's legal guardian that the full magnitude of not only her role in Brook's life, but the prophecy as well seemed to be understood.
She tore her eyes away from the sleeping child in her arms and instead focused on the last picture. In it all four of them, they stood with their arms around each others shoulders, laughing. It was taken two years ago so they all looked younger, they all looked so happy. All of them looked so different in comparison to each other, but something seemed to tie them all together. Demi and Aria were on the left, laughing at some joke only the sisters knew, while Kendra and Callie were on the right, laughing at their cousins.
That was the last time they were all together. From what Callie could remember, it was also the last time that she remembered really being happy. But now was not the time to dwell on such things. She tore her eyes away from the pictures once more and walked over to the couches in the middle of the room.
Taking a seat she leaned back and let out a soft sigh.
"We put your things in the room you normally stay in, and since we didn't know if Brook would want to sleep by herself, we put her things in your room as well," Aria told her as she entered the room, Demi and Aunt Gina following behind her.
They all took seats in variously places across the room and looked at Callie expectantly.
Letting out a tired sigh she asked: "What?"
"What happened?" Demi demanded.
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