Snowed In
And
Howling
disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fan fiction! It is my interpretation of Stephine Meyer's characters, and nothing more. All characters, places, etc belong to their respective owners.
Three: an interesting
situation, Panic and Ani's
rule of terror in a hotel's kitchen
My eyes snapped open in the middle of the night. I felt sick. I was sick. I was going to be sick. Holding my breath I rushed out of bed, not caring if I woke Jake up. He slept like the dead, anyways. It didn't really matter.
I stumbled into the bathroom, flicking on the light and yanking up the lid on the toilet, letting all the stuff in my stomach up. I thought you only get morning sickness in the morning?
"You do." Said a voice from behind me, and instinct won over. I turned with superhuman speed to meet whoever was behind me, hissing. Hey, what can I say? I'm knocked up, puking, and I'm not a morning person. Really, sneaking up on me in the middle of the night's not good idea. It was just Ani though, so I stood down. "It's eight o'clock in the morning. Plus, you'll puke a lot- triplets do that to you."
"Eight?" I said, wiping my face with a wet face cloth. "It's totally dark in there."
"Yes. There's a reason for that. Come on." Ani grabbed my hand, dragging me back into Jake and My room. Jake was perched on the edge of the bed, scratching his head and looking groggy.
"What's up?" he asked. He was up to anything.
"Well," Ani hustled over to the window, and yanked the drapes open. "Certainly not our plane."
I gasped. The entire window was covered in a think layer of frost. Even my special eyes couldn't barely see past it. From what I could tell, the entire street was blanketed with white, crystal like snow, and the sky was gray and angry. Snow still fell down like confetti- big hunks of it like potato chips and ice cubes combined.
"What happened?" I asked, taken back. This was insane.
"Snow happened. Winter happened. Early- very early, even for Canada." Ani rocked back on her heels and brought her hands to her waist. I noticed that her blond ringlets were pulled back with a snippet of cloth, and the sleeves on her light blue cotton shirt were rolled up, tightly secured by nots in the fabric. Ani looked tired.
"What are you up to?" Jake asked. He had noticed her appearance too, and he knew it was a bad sign.
"Oh, nothing. You should just come and see the lobby. That's all I'm saying."
A few minutes later, Jake and I were dressed and basically presentable, aside from the fact that I couldn't force Jake to run a brush through his hair. He'd started growing it out again, claiming he felt 'naked' without long hair. Jake had grown his hair since he was seven, and it had only been gone for seven years too. I had thought he'd gotten over it, but I guess not.
When we stepped out of the elevator, hand in hand, my mouth fell open.
The best way to describe the scene before us is bedlam. The front desk was fully staffed, the men and women behind it on phones and computers, typing and talking frantically. There was a giant line before them, all the people in it screaming and waving papers abover their heads. Children were running in circles around the room, and there was a group of teenage boys shoveling their hearts out at the door. On the floor was a crowd of girls, teenage cheerleaders by the looks of it. A blond one who appeared to be their leader was bawling.
"But it's the Ontario Final!" She moaned.
"Oh, big deal!" called a girl from across the room. She was standing in a crowd of girls and boys, from the ages of four to twenty. They all had kilts and what appeared to be highland vests on, complete with knee socks. The guys all had weird purses for belts and the Scottish hats, while the girsl had their hair piled in high buns. You could tell by the strength in their legs they were dancers. "We can't go to our championship! We had a sure bid in for the Scottish Championships afterwards!"
"So what? Hockey's way more Canadian!" the blond girl shrieked back.
A red haired teenage boy stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. "Wanna bet, lassie?"
"Oh, big deal!" the blond said. "What ya gonna do, dance me to death!"
"If highland dancing were easy they'd call it hockey!" a little brown haired girl called. That shut the blond up, and she went back to crying.
The most odd thing about this was my family, sitting peacefully in the middle of this chaos. Some chairs were upturned, but Aro, Marcus and Caius, along with the wives had managed to make thrones out of arm chairs, and sat proudly. Aro was smiling, enjoying his time out of the castle. Caius looked happy at everyone's distress, and Marcus- well, Marcus is Marcus, that's all I'm saying. Picia and Athenodora were engaged in a silent conversation. Daddy and Carlisle were sharing a love seat, and Carlisle was taking care of a three year old with frost bite, and the anxious mother talked non stop.
Ani came stalking out of a back room, banging a pot with a metal spoon. She got a few glances. She marched to the table in the center of the room, and zapped a fog horn into her hand.
"HEY!" she screamed, and sounded the horn.
Silence fell.
"Right, now that I've got your attention," Ani stayed on the table, and began talking through megaphone. "This is not the end of the world. We are snowed in, NOT DEAD! It will take ages to shovel out. I've looked through the upper windows at the door, and the entire hotel has snow around it up to eight feet. What we need to do now is get organized. I want all girls to the left, all guys to the right, and all children front row center." the room, sensing Ani's commanding presence, obeyed. "Good. Now, who can cook?"
A few women and men stepped forward.
"Fabulous!" Ani said through the megaphone. "The hotel's cooking staff had left for the night before the snow set in, so we need food. Simple stuff, not gourmet, nothing fancy. Don't waist anything. Find a way to ration things for us all. Kay?" they nodded. "Good. Go to the front desk, and someone will show you to the kitchens." they did as they were told. "Now, who's a teacher, babysitter, social worker, whatever?" a bunch of women stepped forward and a few men, as well as a good half of the dancers and cheerleaders. "Wonderful. The children are in your control. Take them to the party room, keep them happy. Everyone gets a group of ten to watch- divide them by age groups." the kids and babysitters stood together, getting organized.
Ani pointed at the hockey team. "You! Pile on coats, mitts, whatever, and figure out which door will be the best to dig out from. I want all able bodied men who don't have a medical or entertainment specialty to follow them. Organized teams, and get shifts for digging out. Use garbage cans- they're in each hotel room."
This left her with the assorted vampires and left over teens.
"Teenagers, and whoever else is left," Ani called through the megaphone. "You'll need to get all the blankets, mattresses, pillows, and everything else and get it to the ball room in the basement. Work in teams. Everyone clear?" Ani asked, and everyone mumbled in reply and nodded. "You're meant to say 'Yes, miss Ani, we know exactly what to do'. SAY IT!"
"Yes, miss Ani, we know exactly what to do." the crowd responded.
"Good. Go to work!"
"Question?" the blond cheerleader asked. "What are you doing?"
"Keeping you people alive." Ani said, lowering her head like a bull. She might look thirteen, but she had three hundred years on nearly everyone here. The cheerleader gulped.
"Now, I said, go go go go GO!" everyone went off to their duties.
Alec stepped up to Ani and helped her down from the table.
"Thankyou." She said, lowering her megaphone and snapping to make it dissapear.
"Amazing!" Aro said, clapping once and standing. All the ancients but the women stood too. Aro stepped forward, placing one hand around Ani's cheek as the other grasped her small, ever young hands. "You're a natural leader!"
"I thank you. It must not be easy to admit that." Ani said, glancing at Picia. Picia clenched her teeth, and Athenodora put a hand on Picia's shoulder.
"Ah, but it is." Aro glanced at their hands. "I cannot hear you, either."
"No," Ani said, taking her hand from Aro's. "You can't."
"And I suppose you make it so?" Caius asked.
"Quite right, my dearest Caius." Ani dared, staring Caius down. And Caius looked away. Well, that's a first...
"You're like my dearest Picia," Aro said, looking over his shoulder at his wife. "She can master all talents, and produces them with uncanny accuracy."
"Yes," Picia said, her eye brows raised. "Though I fail to recreate your talents with people, and your 'zaps', as you call them."
Ani shrugged, at ease. "What can I say? I'm unique."
"Her talents elude us all." Marcus sounded, speaking for the first time. He glanced between Alec and Ani, as if thinking. "Mayhap another reason to keep her alive." I caught Alec nod out of the corner of my eye, and I swore Marcus waved his hand, as if to say his words meant nothing.
I was thinking about Marcus and Alec's unspoken exchange a bit later in me and Jake's room. The teenagers had already stripped our bed, and I was just gathering our clothes. Ani had gotten Daddy, Alec, Carlisle and Jane to gather all the water from the pipes before they froze, so the bathtubs were running every where, as well as the taps and everything else. Ani knew that the hydo would go soon, and the pipes would freeze soon, so she was taking precautions. Say what you want, but Ani had lived though bad weather for ages- she knew what she was doing.
I wandered into the bathroom to check on the water levels, and stopped to look at my profile in the mirror. I put my hands on my tummy, which was still a five month size. Triplets- wow. Two girls and a boy, according to Ani and assorted witches. I'm gonna have to get baby names soon... My thoughts trickled away from maternity and back to the odd Marcus and Alec predicament.
Marcus was odd. There was no doubt. And he seemed to be protecting Ani wee bit- maybe for Alec's sake. He'd voted to keep me alive, and he'd tried to get Mum and Daddy out before the human snack pack came in. And he'd told Carlisle about the snow storm.
Still, that wasn't the only thing.
Picia, Athenodora and him had spent a lot of time talking silently, using Picia's skills. And, if Picia could duplicate anyone's talents, she had gotten Mum's too. She can shield now. Which meant that Aro might not be able to read Picia's thoughts anymore. And, if Athenodora, Marcus and her were planning something, he wouldn't know either.
I wondered if our way of life had drawn the two wives and the bored ancient away from the power struggles too, like we had Alec and Jane. I suspected Alec was staying around for Ani, and Jane staying because of Alec, but there was more to that too.
"You're thinking about something." Jake said, coming up behind me, and wrapping his arms around me. His hands met mine over the baby( babies) bump.
"Yes." I said, leaning my head onto his shoulder. "Have you noticed how some of the ancients are talking silently? Away from Aro?"
"Yeah."
"So?"
"So?"
"What should we do?" I started at Jake's in the mirror, expecting some concern. He just shrugged like it was nothing.
"We do nothing." Jake turned me to face him, tilting my head up so our lips nearly touched. That was saying something, the baby bump gave a good seven inches between us. He but a hand to my face, cupping my cheek. "Let them solve their problems however they want. Getting involved will just get us in more trouble." He was right. And whatever happened would happen regardless of us. Picia was exactly what the rest of them were- sly, vicious and power hungry- she'd get what she wanted, and convince the others of the Volturi that they wanted it too. She and Aro were a match made in heaven, totally devoted to each other, but they understood that they'd kill each other if their ego needed it. Who could live like that?
"You're right. Now," I pushed him backwards. "I need to go find Ani and have my daily tea, and you should go take a turn with shoveling out."
"As you command." Jake stepped aside to let me out, and I smiled. I'd noticed that some of my relative's old world manners were rubbing off on Jake, and it suited him. Good looking, smart and well mannered went along fine in my books.
I found Ani in the kitchen. She was in a floor length dusky pink skirt with a shirt reminiscent of Juliet's. The sleeves were rolled up, and her hair was piled into a messy bun at the back of her head, with a few waves of curly hair falling into her pink face. She was standing beside Jane, who was dressed very similar only in black. They were modern pioneers, and the cooking group stood around them with the air of awed students. Jane and Ani were laboring over a giant pot, both with the biggest spoons I'd ever seen in hands, stirring some kind of soup.
"Now, pay attention!" Ani called, without breaking motion. "The water's boiled, and the chicken's in there along with the vegitable peelings and greens. This is going to create a stalk. The hard pieces of bread loaves can be added. This will soften them so they can be eaten, and give the soup something solid."
"The chicken bones are to be picked out after the soup is done." Jane thundered, seeing Ani was out of breath. "As well as a bit of the broth and a portion of the greens. This will give us a base for the next batch."
"A, question?" one of the men in the crowd raised his hand, and the two immortal settler girls nodded in unison. "Why can't we eat real food."
"Now, look." the girls twisted in a flash to face him, pointing their spoon assusingly.
"We've been through this." Ani said.
"How much food do we have in here?" Jane asked, cocking her head to the side.
"A months worth." The man answered.
"Right. And that's suppost to last for a month depending on how many people want room service and gourmet meals." Ani said.
"We have over a thousand people to feed." Jane said.
"Now, we know what the bloody hell we're doing." Ani said, looking at Jane.
"Once, our little village of seventy five had to crowd in a barn when a terrible snow storm came in."
"We had a bit of grain, milk from one cow, no meat and some sugar."
"And we got it through for two months." Jane said.
"Do you trust us?" Ani asked. "If you're undecided, go 'head and check the window."the man glanced at the window.
"Nope. I'm fine with chicken bone broth."
"Now we're talking!" Ani said. "Now! I want all of ya'll to team up, get a pot and use the water. Get as much water from the taps as you can. The hydro's gonna die any minute and we wont have water."
"How will we boil water then?" a worried middle aged woman asked.
"We light a fire." Jane said, looking at her like she was crazy.
"Where?"
"Some of the upstairs sweets have real fire places. Chimmey and all." Ani said, and the girls went back to stirring. "Sides, Alec can get a fire started anywhere. Isn't that right baby?"
"Sure is." Alec said, jumping down from the counter top. I hadn't noticed him there before- but I did notice Ani called him 'baby'. "But darling, Nessie's here for her tea."
"Oh!" Ani said, and dropped her spoon. "Jane, you can manage?"
Jane didn't look up. "Yep. You bet."
When Ani stepped away I saw she had an apron on too, and she dusted her hands on it. She was modern enough to be okay in public, but I knew better. Ani had had that outfit as long as she'd had her cottage and greenhouse- for three hundred years.
"Ness, you're gonna have to come with me. It's just easier to work my stuff away from all this."
"Of course, Ani. What ever you need."
"The triplets have been kicking, haven't they?"
She saw right through everyone. Ani had superhuman powers and the intuition of a person who'd studied people for three centuries. There was no keeping anything from her.
"Yes. I need my tea."
"Oh, come on now. Carlisle's got my herbs." she grabbed my hand, and pulled me along at a brisk walk. I noticed her feet were bare.
After we climbed two flights of stairs an walked down a hallway, we found ourselves in a business room. Carlisle stood at the large floor to ceiling windows, peering into a dusty old book that looked as old as he was.
"Enjoying that?" Ani said, anoucing our presence.
"Yes. Quite." Carlisle turned to face us, though he kept his eyes on the page. "It's rather interesting."
"Of course it is." Ani came up to him, grasping the book on each side and pulling it towards her. "I wrote it." She took the book and closed it. "Now, where are my herbs?"
"On the dresser over there." Carlisle moved his hand to point to the small set of drawers at the end of the room. "You know, dress as you are, all you need is a bonnet."
"I know." Ani twirled in her dress. "It feels lovely to be back in my skirts again. I love them so!"
"Weren't they the ones your mother made you?"
Ani stopped twirling, and looked down. Her face looked sad. "I don't recall." she walked over to her herbs, beginning to grind some together. "I remember so little of them."
"I know." Carlisle said, sitting in one of the chairs and looking mournful himself. "I can't even tell you what color my fiancee's hair was."
"You were gonna get married?" I asked. This was news. Carlisle looked up ate me quite surprised, as if he'd forgotten I was even there. He'd gotten lost like Ani, or like any of the ancients, in a time that was long before anything nowadays.
"Yes. Hadn't I ever told you that?" Carlisle asked. I shook her head. "Well, I nearly was married. Sweet girl. Barely spoke to anyone besides me- but that was the times. She was pretty, small. Frail as snow, if memory serves. Sickly from the beginning. I think she had green eyes. The name was something like Cornellia, or Chastity or Virtue. The last name was Irish or Welsh- something like O'Harrison. She probably had red hair... yes, yes that makes sense."
"What happened to her?" I asked. Carlisle's face was a mix of deep thought and true pity. I almost knew what had happened before he said it.
"My father. He saw her writing. A women wasn't to write in those days, nor read. It was a witches' talent. He decided that she had bewitched me and was cursing the crops. It only took a word of a young girl cursing a crop to make farmers willing to burn her. But I think her father slit her throat out of mercy before hand. Yes, that makes sense. She was buried on unholy ground, though she deseved that of a saints. I recall feeling guilty- I'd taught her to write. She had wanted to be a scholar, and being only fifteen I thought that perfectly fine. So I taught her a word or two. She was only fourteen herself." He sighed. "then he killed her, and I got backed up to a collage on the coast."
"That is absolutely terrible." I said. Carlisle looked up, coming back to present date.
"Yes. Yes it was. I can forgive my father for his ignorance, but never for that."
A silence fell, heavy and sad. It seemed like everyone lost in the past.
"Well," Ani said, looking grim, but forcing her voice to be a wee bit cheerful. "Nessie your tea's ready."
I was still stunned as I walked over to her, taking the cup soundlessly and drinking.
As I sipped the tea, I wished with all my heart my children wouldn't end up as broken hearted as my family- as anyone. I'd seen what the loss of a mate did to someone. I mean look at Marcus, he was dead to the world. My father had nearly killed himself, and Ani and Carlisle's pasts were riddled with plagued love affairs and dead darlings.
But I had my Jake, and my babies, and I'd be damned if I wouldn't keep myself and them alive for a bloody long long time.
Ani smiled, knowing my thoughts as I handed her the cup back.
"I should hope you're right, you darling innocent." she rested a hand on me cheek, and for the first time I realized I was more like Ani's child then her friend. Still, she loved me. "Just a suckling yer self, and 'bout to bare and labour three babes! You're green as the leaves on Eden's tree." she bent my head to kiss my forehead.
"Anilise," Carlisle's voice called, and I could tell he was smiling slightly. " You're acting like she's but a child still."
"She's lived but a septennial."
"I know, I know Ani, but she's as ready as she'll ever be. Her heart wont be broken." he stood and walked over to us, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We simply wont allow it."
"No," Ani said, pulling a lock of my own dark curls playfully. "None of us will."
And by god, when you've got a witch and a vampire saying that, you know you've got the right type of friends.