DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns the entire Twilight Series, Edward, Bella and all other characters mentioned in this story. No copyright infringement is intended – I'm just having fun!
Special thanks go to my fabulous beta, TwilightMomOfTwo who generously gives of her time to make this story better – thanks!
Chapter 3 – Gone, But Not Forgotten
BPOV
I was scared. I wasn't in my room and I knew for sure I wasn't dreaming. Someone had taken me from my bed in the middle of the night and I didn't know where I was. I wanted to go back to sleep and pretend I was in my room, but I couldn't – I still felt a cold hardness around me and I was too afraid to move. However, I wanted to see where the musical voice had come from and I wanted to know how it knew my name. Could this thing really be a monster? It didn't sound like any monster I'd ever imagined.
All of a sudden the coldness around me was gone and I felt something soft and fluffy underneath me. My eyes were still closed so I wasn't sure how I had gotten from one place to the other. It was all very strange. I felt the surface around me as I pushed my hands out and away from my sides although I didn't want to move too much because I was afraid of falling. I was clumsy enough with my eyes wide open so I carefully moved my hands and arms further out from my body, sliding them over the softness that seemed to surround me.
Even though I was frightened, I finally convinced myself to open my eyes just a little bit and that was when I realized it was dark. As my eyes began to adjust, I could almost see a face. I stared harder at the figure in front of me, blinking a few times as I tried to focus. As the thing in front of me became clearer, I realized it wasn't a thing at all, but a lady, a very pretty lady, prettier than Renee. At first I thought I recognized her, maybe she reminded me of someone else, but it was late, I was tired and I was still scared. My thoughts didn't make any sense.
As the room got lighter, I began to see things more clearly and it seemed I was in a bedroom. The woman, who I could now see had curly strawberry blonde hair, was looking at me. She hadn't said a word since she told me not to be afraid so I decided to speak. "Where am I and who are you?" I asked.
"You are in my home," she replied.
"I want my mommy. Please take me home," I begged.
"This is your home now," she said.
I didn't understand what was happening. Why couldn't I go home? Did Renee not want me anymore? Was she going to live with Phil? Where was Charlie? Wasn't he coming home? So many questions ran through my head all at once that I got anxious and started to cry. I tried to lift the covers up, but they were too heavy and I couldn't get them over my head. I really wanted to hide and pretend that nothing had happened. I still didn't know who the lady was so I asked her again.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound grown-up.
"My name is Tanya," she said. It sounded like she was singing.
"Why did you bring me here?" Maybe my mother couldn't take care of me anymore. Maybe I'd live with Tanya until Charlie came for me. He was supposed to be home for my birthday. Maybe I would only have to stay with her for a little while.
"You're going to live with me now and soon you'll meet the rest of my family. We're going to be very happy together."
Why was I going to live with her? I wanted to be with Charlie. Even though he was away a lot, we always had fun whenever he was home. I didn't want a new mom, and I really didn't want a new dad.
"Are you going to take me back when Charlie gets home?" I asked.
"No, you're not going back," she said firmly. Tanya seemed annoyed with me, like Renee was when I asked the same questions over and over because I didn't like her answers.
Tanya looked at me as she walked towards me, putting her hands on her hips. "You're going to live here now. You'll like it, I'm sure of it."
She looked angry and I was afraid so I didn't argue with her. Instead, I just nodded my head. When I didn't say anything, she walked toward a big door and opened it.
"This is your closet. There are only a few things in there, but we'll go shopping soon." She then took several steps toward another door, opened it and said, "This is your toy room. There isn't much here either; we'll go to the toy store after we buy you clothing." Then she turned in the direction of the bedroom door. Was she going to leave me all alone? Even though I was nervous around her I didn't want to be by myself.
"When will I meet the rest of your family?" I asked.
"They will be joining us momentarily," said Tanya. "I'll be right back."
"Please don't leave. I don't want to be alone," I said. I thought I was going to cry again.
As I said those words, Tanya reached for the door knob and turned it. That's when two very lovely women walked in the room. They were as pretty as Tanya. "This is Irina," Tanya said, pointing to the woman with short silvery blonde hair. "And this is Kate," she said, pointing to the other lady.
"Tanya, where have you been?" asked Kate. "You've been gone quite some time."
"I've seen all the interesting 'sights' around our home so I decided to venture out to see what else I could find," Tanya said, smiling.
"That does not explain why there is a child in our home." The woman named Irina didn't seem happy that I was there.
"It had been quite some time since I'd seen the 'sights' in Germany so I traveled around the countryside. I made my way through Bavaria and enjoyed myself quite a bit. It's always such a pleasure to make new friends," Tanya laughed.
"We're quite aware of how much you enjoy seeing new 'sights' and making new friends," Kate chuckled.
I wasn't paying attention to everything they had been saying, but I was watching them, staring actually. I couldn't help myself – they were beautiful.
"I had decided to make my way back home when it occurred to me to visit Frankfurt. I love men in uniform." Tanya chuckled. "As it turned out, I saw a man, although he did not appear to be a serviceman. Nevertheless, I thought he would enjoy my company; however, that's when a woman walked over to him and took his hand into hers."
"That never stopped you before," Irina sneered.
"No, of course not," said Tanya. "But at that moment I saw the girl."
"I take it this is the girl," Kate said, pointing at me.
"Yes, she's the one," Tanya replied.
"That doesn't explain how she ended up in our house," Irina said as she folded her arms across her chest.
"I followed them. What else was I to do?" Tanya asked. "Should I have walked over to them and said, 'Pardon me, but I'd like to take your daughter away from you so she can live with me from now on.' Would that have been a better choice?"
"You should have just left and not taken her at all; that would have been the best choice," Irina said angrily. "It's obvious you didn't settle on that course of action since the girl is here, so what exactly did you decide to do next?"
"I waited until I thought everyone was asleep. I walked in, took the child and brought her here." Tanya spoke so quietly I barely heard her.
"Tanya, do you realize what you've done?" asked Kate, her golden eyes wide open.
"Nothing, I've done nothing wrong," Tanya said harshly.
"How can you say that? Have you lost your mind? You stole a child." Irina seemed to be spitting out her words. "And have you forgotten what happened the last time there were immortal children? How could you forget about our mother? We will be killed. Aro will not be so forgiving this time." Irina's voice didn't sound like bells anymore and the look on her face made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I was still having a hard time hearing everything they were saying, but I thought I had heard Irina say something about being killed, and that frightened me. A lot. So I sat very still, hoping they would forget I was there.
"You're being ridiculous; she is too old to be considered an immortal child. She's nearly nine – your concern is unfounded," Tanya replied firmly.
"I can see she's not a toddler, but how can you be sure that she'll be able to control her thirst? How do you know she'll be able to learn and adapt to our way of life? She is still a child, after all. Can you guarantee the Volturi that she'll keep our secret?" Kate spoke quickly.
Their conversation didn't make any sense to me, but it was making me very nervous. I started trembling and tried to draw the covers around me again but it didn't work any better than it had the first time. I wanted to hide but was too afraid to move so I started to cry. I hated crying. I wanted to be like Charlie, he never cried; thinking of him made me realize how much I missed my parents and before I knew it, I was sobbing.
"Look at what you've done," Tanya said angrily. "She's just a child, a human child. She doesn't know anything. And you should not have jumped to conclusions. If you would have given me a chance to explain, I would have told you that I wasn't going to change her until she was a bit older."
"Then why did you bring her here now? Why didn't you wait and locate her again later? I'm sure you would have been able to keep an eye on her for a few years. All of this is extremely unusual," Irina stated furiously.
"I couldn't wait. I couldn't take the chance that he'd find who he was looking for. He'll be here soon and I didn't want him to leave again," Tanya said, looking sad.
"What do you mean, him?" Kate asked.
"Edward," mumbled Tanya.
"He'll kill you," both Kate and Irina said at the same time.
Kate stared angrily at Tanya and shook her finger in Tanya's face. "He'll leave as soon as he sees her. He'll never give you a chance to explain. You know he doesn't love you; he never will. Why can't you get that through your head? Why would you do such a stupid thing and put us all in jeopardy?"
I had stopped sobbing but I was still crying – I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. Tanya came over to me, pulled some of the covers back, trying to help me get more comfortable. The smile on her face suddenly reminded me of Renee.
"She looks like him," Tanya said, taking my hair in her hands. "Her hair is nearly the same color as his. He won't leave. Seeing her will make him realize we're meant to be together. I've tried every other possible tactic. This plan will work, you'll see."
"You're a fool," Irina said fiercely. "I'm leaving. I will not be caught up in this fiasco."
"I'm right behind you," said Kate. "Call us when the Cullens arrive."
Then I was alone again in the room with Tanya.
"Why don't they like me?" I whispered.
"They don't know you and they're afraid, but not of you. Perhaps I should have discussed things with them first, but there was no time and it no longer matters. You are here and you are mine. Edward will love you. We'll be happy together." Tanya's face was shining.
She sat down at the foot of the bed and was quiet for a long time before asking me, "Are you hungry?"
I had been so tired and scared that I hadn't thought about food, but just then my stomached growled. "Yes," I said.
"I'm not sure what we have to eat; it's probably not much," she responded. "I didn't have time to properly prepare for you, but I'm sure we can find something for you to eat until we go shopping." Tanya stood up, reached for me and helped me off the bed before setting me on the floor. As she looked at me, she smiled, placed her hand on my back and directed me out the bedroom door and down the hallway.
Tanya found and cooked oatmeal. It wasn't my favorite, but I must have been hungry because I ate the entire bowl. When I was done eating, Tanya took me back to the bedroom.
"We're going to shop later, but you've been awake for quite some time. Why don't you take a nap and we'll go when you wake up," Tanya suggested.
"I don't feel tired," I said. Actually I was very tired, but I didn't want to go to sleep. I was afraid I'd have nightmares.
"Well then why don't you go ahead and get changed. If you get sleepy while we're in town we can return home and continue another day," Tanya said. "It's overcast today but we're not expecting rain, so it's a good day to shop."
I nodded as I wandered to the closet to see what I could wear.
As soon as I was dressed, Tanya knocked on the door. "Ready to go?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied.
Tanya took my hand and I shivered. Her hand was very cold. It was then that she gave me a coat and a pair of gloves; I put them on as we walked out the door.
We went from store to store as Tanya bought clothes for me to wear, toys for me to play with and food for me to eat. I really did miss Renee but Tanya was being very nice. I knew I should be angry or afraid but somehow I knew I would see my parents again. I wasn't going to say anything to Tanya because I didn't want her to get mad at me, but I knew I wouldn't be here long. I decided I would try to have fun for now.
I started to yawn as we drove back to Tanya's house. That's when her phone rang. I barely heard her when she spoke. It sounded like she said, "Stop interfering," but I wasn't sure and before I knew it, my eyes were closed and I was asleep.
I'm not sure how long I slept, but I woke up to voices. The door to the bedroom was open so I listened carefully and tried hard to hear what they were saying. Once I was awake enough to understand the words I had heard, I recognized Tanya's voice.
"I didn't realize you knew she was here, but I suppose that was a mistake on my part," Tanya said.
"It seems you had more than one momentary lapse of judgment that day," Irina accused.
"As I was saying," Tanya continued. "It would appear I temporarily forgot about Alice's gift, although 'forgot' isn't the proper word. I was so focused on the various scenarios running through my mind that the fact that Alice may have seen my plans apparently didn't concern me at that moment."
"I'm not sure how much thought went into your decision at all," Kate replied.
A voice that I didn't recognize spoke next, although I assumed it was a man. "I know we're in a different country and no one would expect her to be so far from home, but have you gone insane? I know it's possible to go crazy after living so long, but I didn't think you were that old."
"I'm not old," Tanya said bitterly. "They'll never find us."
"Do you think they'll just give up?" another voice asked. Whoever had just spoken also sounded like a man but it definitely wasn't the same one as before.
"She'll be safe here," Tanya replied. "I won't let anything happen to her."
"Why is she really here?" asked another voice which sounded like a woman. She seemed very familiar to me, but I wasn't sure why.
"That's none of your concern," Tanya said angrily.
I wanted to know why they were talking about me so I got out of bed and tiptoed toward the door. I tried to be very quiet. I didn't want anyone to know I was listening, but that's when I heard Tanya call out, "Bella, would you come here, please."
I walked down the hall, into the room and then immediately stopped. There were nine people including Tanya, Irina and Kate, staring at me. But what shocked me was that I recognized two of the others. I couldn't remember their real names, but I knew what I had called them – Snow White and the model. I would never forget their faces, especially since I had had dreams about them over the past two years.
"Tanya, I know what you did and what you hoped to accomplish by doing it, but you won't be seeing him – he's not coming here," a dark haired girl said. "I told him not to follow us and he should be on his way to Amsterdam by now. Then he'll be flying to Chicago. I know what you had planned, but it's not going to happen."
"What?" Tanya said rather loudly. "Alice, why did you do that? He has to come here; he has to see her. Everything will have been for nothing if he doesn't come here." Then Tanya's voice got quiet as she said, "Don't you see the resemblance? She reminded me of Edward the moment I saw her. I knew he would love her like a daughter when he –"
Before Tanya could finish her sentence the model stood up and looked at me, motioning for me to walk towards him. He gently pushed me behind his back until I was standing next to Snow White. Then he turned to face Tanya as he spoke, "Tanya, even if he wasn't already on his way back home, we would never allow him to get that close to her. Esme and I have seen this child before as has Edward. Have you ever heard of the concept of a 'singer'? Not many have, but I'm fairly certain she was his. Still is. Her blood calls to him like none other and it was a miracle that he was able to walk away from her and leave her alive the first time. I won't allow Edward to suffer like that again and I won't put Bella in further danger. You've already done enough damage."
I couldn't move. What did he say? It didn't make any sense to me. A singer? I don't sing and blood makes me dizzy. Now I remembered his name. It was Carlisle, and Edward was his son. But where had I met them? I couldn't quite remember; was it in Phoenix? No, that wasn't right. In Frankfurt? No, it wasn't there, either. Oh, was in an airport and it was the day Renee lost me. Edward was my Prince Charming, but he had gotten angry with me and run away.
The model, Carlisle, said something about my blood and Edward. Did he want to kill me? Why? What had I done? Is that why he ran away? And he said Tanya had put me in danger. I guess that was right since she took me away from home, but why would Edward want to hurt me?
Tanya stood up, smiled at me and said, "Bella, come over here, please. You may have my seat; you'll be more comfortable sitting rather than standing."
As I started to walk around Carlisle, he put out his arm and held me back. "No, Bella. Please stay where you are. Jasper?"
At that moment the man with blond wavy hair, Jasper, stood up, and walked over to Carlisle, leaving his chair empty. The dark haired girl named Alice got up off the sofa where she had been sitting next to Esme and sat in Jasper's empty chair. Esme moved over and patted the cushion next to her. I looked from Carlisle, to Tanya and then to Esme before sitting down next to her.
"What are you doing?" Tanya said louder than before. "She belongs with me now. Let her go."
"No, Tanya," Carlisle replied calmly. "She belongs with her family, her parents."
"No! She belongs with Edward. She belongs with me – with us." Tanya looked really angry as she stepped toward Carlisle.
At that moment a huge man with curly dark hair seemed to come out of nowhere and stood on the other side of Carlisle, directly in front of me, folding his gigantic arms across his chest as he said, "Stay back if you know what's good for you."
I couldn't help but watch him as he spoke; he frightened me. I noticed that Tanya had taken a step backward. Apparently Tanya was afraid of him, too.
Carlisle spoke again, saying, "Tanya, calm down. Let's discuss this rationally."
Tanya, turning her focus back to Carlisle, seemed to regain her composure, as she replied firmly, "I am rational. Bella can stay with me. I have everything she needs – food, toys, clothing." Tanya's voice seemed to get scarier each time she spoke and her golden eyes now looked black. "You're not going to take her away even if Edward doesn't come here today. We're going to be a family. One day he'll see her and then he'll decide to stay with me."
Tanya took another step closer to Carlisle, but before I realized what had happened, a beautiful blond woman came and stood next to the dark-haired man, Emmett. Everyone was staring at Tanya, watching her every move.
Tanya seemed to be slowly inching her way closer to me when Alice was suddenly no longer in her chair, but standing next to Jasper.
"I had hoped that you would be present when we changed her," Tanya said. "You've been successful four times already so there's no doubt her transformation would be perfect and you'd be her grandfather." Tanya seemed to be speaking to Carlisle. "However, if you're unwilling, I'll take care of it myself when the time is right. I know Edward will love her, but he is no longer the only reason for me having her here. I want her and I'm keeping her."
Next, Irina and Kate stood up. I thought they would stand by Tanya; however I was surprised when they walked over to Carlisle and turned to face her.
"This ends now," Irina said. "Do you want to tear apart our family over some crazy delusion you have?"
"You'll find someone one day." Kate looked at Tanya with a sad smile. "I know that's all you want but it's not Edward and this child will not help your cause. If you continue with this plan, you'll lose his friendship; you're only making the situation worse. Please, Tanya," Kate pleaded.
I heard a sound that startled me. It was loud and reminded me of a noise an animal would make. It scared me so badly that I felt myself jump up off the sofa.
I never actually saw anyone move, but when my eyes focused again, Jasper and Alice were holding onto Tanya as she seemed to struggle with them. I'd never seen her look like that before. I didn't understand what was happening and I was very, very confused. That's when I felt my head start spinning and I got dizzy. I was scared, but maybe I was hungry, too. I don't think I'd eaten in a while, but it didn't matter because at that moment I felt myself falling.
"Bella, are you okay?"
I wasn't sure who was talking to me, but when I opened my eyes I realized I wasn't on the floor. I slowly tried to lift my head up to look around. Too many eyes. Too many people. Why was everyone standing around me? I tried to breathe but I wasn't able to catch my breath and I started to gasp and cough.
"Everyone back up," Carlisle said. "Give her some space. I think she's having an anxiety attack. Get her a glass of water."
As I tried to sit up, I felt a cool hand on my back helping me. Then Carlisle handed me a glass. "Here, Bella. Take a sip of water. It will make you feel better."
After taking a big gulp, I handed the glass back to him. "I think I'm okay," I said. "Did I hit my head? I usually do when I fall."
"No, we caught you. Actually Emmett caught you."
I looked over in the direction of the doorway and saw the big, no huge, man named Emmett standing there, smiling at me. He seemed nice enough but when he started walking toward me I got nervous and ended up pushing myself back too quickly and slamming my head into the headboard of the bed which was against the wall. "Ow," was all I managed to yell out as I rubbed the back of my head with my hand.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Emmett."
"When was the last time she had anything to eat?" Esme asked, looking at Tanya.
"Oh, it's been a while," she said, looking sad. "I'm sorry, Bella. I forgot how often children need to eat."
"I'll take care of it," Esme replied with a smile as she walked out of the room.
Everyone seemed calm now. I still wasn't sure what had happened earlier in the living room, but Tanya didn't seem angry anymore, just sad.
"I understand your reasoning behind the decisions you made, but that does not matter," Carlisle said. "Bella can't stay with you and she can't live with us. I don't approve of what you've done, although I noticed the resemblance the first time we met her. But even if she was not his singer, Tanya, he would not have stayed. He doesn't love you – you're not his soul mate. You've known this and you need to let him go, for your own sake. For both your sakes. And now for Bella's sake as well."
Tanya sighed. "I suppose you're right, but what do we do now? I hadn't thought about taking her back. I don't have a plan for that. How will we explain everything? We can't allow anyone to suspect us and she's seen everyone. She's not a stupid child. If they question her, she'll end up making a mistake and then what?"
Tanya wasn't mad, but she looked worried. Nothing they had said made sense to me and they talked as if I wasn't in the room, but grownups do that a lot.
"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. The important thing is to get her back. We'll talk with Alice while Bella is eating."
"Thank you, Carlisle," Tanya conceded.
After eating, Esme insisted that I get washed up. She seemed like the perfect mom. I loved Renee and I wanted to go home and see her again, but she wasn't exactly motherly. Esme really seemed to care about me. I remembered that she said Edward was her son, but I wondered if she had any more children. Having her as a mom must have been great but even as I thought about it, I missed Renee. My mom may not have been like other moms, but she was mine. As I was in the bathtub I thought about what I had heard.
I was going home. I wasn't sure how long I had been with Tanya and now that I knew I would be going back, I started thinking about Charlie and Renee and how they must be very worried. What would I tell them? Would they believe me? I didn't think I was supposed to tell them about Tanya, Carlisle and Esme.
I guess I was more tired than I realized when I heard a knock on the door. I think I had started to fall asleep in the bathtub. "Bella, are you okay?" I didn't recognize the voice but I knew it wasn't Esme or Tanya.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just dozed off. I'm coming out," I said.
"My name is Alice," the voice said through the closed door. "There are pajamas on the bed for you. I'd like to talk with you after you're dressed. Is that alright?"
"Sure, I guess," I said as I started to get out of the bathtub.
"Be careful. The floor might be slippery," Alice chuckled.
I started to laugh. Maybe somehow Alice knew me even though I didn't think we'd ever met. I was always slipping and falling and I had been taken to the emergency room more times than I wanted to remember.
"You'll be fine," I heard Alice say again before hearing the bedroom door close.
Once I was out of the bathroom, I changed and walked toward the door, to open it; but before I could get there, I heard a knock and then the door flew open. All of a sudden, in the doorway was the very pretty, dark-haired girl who appeared to dance her way into the room. Her hair stuck out all over, but in a cute way. She wasn't a lot taller than me but she looked older. Her skin was white, kind of like mine but she had golden eyes that reminded me of Carlisle and Esme. She was very friendly and smiled widely as she took my hand and pulled me toward the bed. I realized her skin was cold, too; however, I wasn't nervous because she was so happy and she seemed really nice. She reminded me of a ballerina.
"I'm glad you're okay," Alice said. "Tanya meant well, but she went about things in the wrong way."
I felt very comfortable with Alice. "I don't understand what happened, but after she brought me here I didn't think she was going to hurt me. She seemed nice."
"Well, that's a story for another day," Alice said. "What we need to focus on now is getting you home. Would you like that?"
"Yes," I said eagerly. "I really miss my parents."
"I have an idea that will work, but you're going to have to keep a secret. Do you think you can do that? " She asked.
I wanted to say yes, but I wasn't very good at lying or keeping secrets. I was raised to always tell the truth. "What am I going to have to lie about? I'm not a very good liar."
"Do you think anyone will believe you if you told them that a beautiful woman took you from your room, in the middle of the night, jumped out a three-story window carrying you in her arms and brought you to her home hundreds of miles away only to take you shopping to buy you clothes and toys? That doesn't sound very believable, does it?" Alice was still smiling but it wasn't the same as before – her eyes looked worried.
"I wasn't going to tell anybody," I whispered.
"We're going to have to tell them something different, something they will believe. We're going to have to take you someplace and things are going to get a little scary before you get home, but I promise you we'll keep you safe," Alice said confidently.
Somehow I knew she would keep me safe, but I was starting to get nervous and I guess she knew it.
"Do you trust me?" Alice asked.
"Yes," I said even though I didn't know why. We had just met.
"In that case, you need to get some sleep. You're going to have a busy day tomorrow." Alice jumped off the bed and was heading for the door to leave the room, but I wanted her to stay.
"Alice, would you please stay in the room while I fall asleep. I don't want to be alone. Sometimes I have bad dreams."
"Sure, Bella, no problem," Alice said with a smile as she sat down in the arm chair near the bed, crossing her legs and leaning back.
"Thanks, Alice," I said. That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.
-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o
EPOV
I had not been able to understand the meaning of Alice's vision in which Tanya stood over a child's bed. Alice had prevented me from seeing any more of it and she had refused to provide me with additional information concerning it. I had asked Alice several times what more she had seen but she had not been forthcoming; however, I had known Alice long enough to realize that she did not have fortuitous visions. But the more incessant I became, the more irascible she was.
"I'll explain everything to you later," Alice said in a huff.
I did not doubt that she would provide a full and complete interpretation of the events as construed in her vision; however I did not want to wait. I wanted to know now what Tanya had planned on doing. I opened my mouth to orate further as Jasper walked over to where I was standing. He was glaring at me.
"Leave it alone, Edward." His thoughts were firm. "She'll explain the events to you when she decides it's in everyone's best interest for us all to know what she has seen. Let her be for now."
I did not appreciate my brother interfering in my discussions with Alice; however, Jasper was always rather protective of his wife. So I took small comfort in the fact that Alice would share her vision, the entire vision, with me eventually, when she deemed the time was right.
With all of the shopping Alice had done during the course of our travels, her number of possessions had dramatically increased; earlier in our vacation she determined it would be wise to ship many of her purchases back home. Unfortunately, Alice's more recent acquisitions had not yet been exported. Therefore, we had decided to rent four vehicles for our journey to the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic.
Emmett wanted to drive a jeep comparable to the one he had in our garage, but Rosalie absolutely refused; she had, however, convinced Emmett that if they secured the use of a BMW 850Ci she would allow him the luxury of driving it. Emmett quickly agreed since Rose never permitted him to drive her car. Carlisle and Esme chose a Mercedes SL600 and Alice selected a Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo.
We had been gone nearly two years and I missed driving my Saab 900 so I had procured such a vehicle for myself. Although I could have driven with my siblings and my parents, I thought it would be prudent to have an automobile for my own use should I need to depart Pilsen quickly. I was optimistic that our visit with the Denali sisters would prove to be a jovial experience, but nothing could be guaranteed when it came to Tanya.
Alice seemed a bit apprehensive which set me on edge, but since I did not wish to distress her any further, I decided not to discuss her visions with her, at least for the rest of the day as we continued to make preparations to depart. It was then that Alice walked over to me, a serious look on her face.
"You can't come with us and please don't ask me any questions. It's better this way, but I promise to explain everything later."
Although I had heard every word Alice thought, I was not sure I understood. Of course I was apprehensive about seeing Tanya, but I was looking forward to visiting with the rest of her family. We had planned our trek to the Denali home quite some time ago and I knew Carlisle would not want me to insult our hosts by suddenly declining their invitation without an explanation. I peered over at Carlisle when I heard Alice again.
"You can discuss it with Carlisle if you'd like, but the decision has already been made. We're going to see Tanya, but you aren't coming. Everyone will understand. It's really better this way."
Although a part of me was relieved that I would not have to face Tanya and her unwelcome advances, I did not relish being kept in the dark. However, Alice appeared very insistent that I not travel with the rest of the family and I had learned during years past that it was not wise to challenge Alice and her visions, not unless you were looking for trouble.
I knew that we would soon be returning to Chicago but only for a short time before moving to Astoria, Oregon which was one of the most overcast cities in the United States with approximately two hundred forty cloud-filled days each year. Carlisle had agreed to take a position at Columbia Memorial Hospital and the hunting prospects would please everyone; there were a variety of selections to choose from such as antelope, deer, elk, cougar, and Emmett's favorite, black bear. We had lived in Chicago for a while and it was time for us to leave and relocate at the time we had begun our tour of Europe. In order to keep our secret, it was necessary for us to take up new residences roughly every five years or those around us could begin to suspect that none of us appeared to age.
Alice got that 'look' on her face and I anticipated seeing a vision; however, the pictures flipped through her mind so hurriedly that I was unable to distinguish them accurately.
"Alice, slow down. When you think that swiftly I'm unable to see things clearly."
"That's the idea," she said with a slight smile on her lips.
"Fine," I said. "What do you suggest I do?"
"Take a nice long drive to Amsterdam. From there you can fly straight to Chicago," Alice mused.
At that moment Carlisle approached us.
"How long do you plan on visiting the Denalis?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," Carlisle said thoughtfully.
"A few decisions haven't been made yet, but I don't think we'll be there more than a few weeks, perhaps not even that long" Alice declared.
I turned and once again glanced toward my father. He appeared somewhat reserved; I was not able to penetrate his thoughts although I did not believe he was intentionally blocking me. However, I could not be certain.
As I caught his gaze I heard him. "This time I have to agree with Alice. We'll explain everything when we get home, but for now this is for the best."
After my unfruitful discourses with both Alice and Carlisle, I concentrated on the minds of the rest of my family in an attempt to hear their thoughts in order to determine if they were aware of Alice's plan. However, I was disappointed; it became apparent that Alice had only shared her vision with Carlisle and since I was unable to obtain additional knowledge from them until after my family had completed whatever it was they were required to do in Pilsen, I decided to take my leave and journey to the Netherlands. I kissed Esme on the cheek as Carlisle placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Alice jumped up quickly and gave me a hug. In her exuberance I once again was able to catch a glimpse of the girl from the airport in her mind. Alice immediately realized she had let her guard down and promptly began reciting the pledge of allegiance in Swedish.
"Alice," was all I could say before she laughed, ran over to Jasper and sped off in the Porsche.
I said farewell to the rest of the family and was glad I had had the foresight to obtain a vehicle for myself. The distance from Salzburg to Amsterdam was approximately six hundred thirty miles and would take the typical person about twelve hours to drive; however, I would not need to make the stops as human would, so I hoped to arrive at my destination in only about eight hours.
As soon as I had begun my sojourn, my mind went back to Alice's visions and how the child from the airport seemed to be in her mind quite often lately. I knew Alice was hiding something from me and I was almost afraid for her to tell me what it was. Would I somehow come across the child again? Would I be capable of leaving her alive should I find her alone? I shuddered at those thoughts. No, if I had been able to resist once, I would do so again. I was sure of that, or was I? I knew Alice would help me avoid the girl, as would the rest of my family so why was I so concerned?
It was surprising that Alice had had a vision of a human child, especially one she was not familiar with, at all. However, what was more disconcerting was that the visions seemed to continue. Perhaps it was the same vision, I told myself. Maybe I had only been able to glimpse small pieces each time. Would this girl become important to our family? No, that was not possible.
My thoughts next turned back to Alice's vision of Tanya. How had she become involved in the child's life? I was unable to fathom what the connection might have been – nothing had made any sense to me. There had to be some affiliation between them which I had not yet considered. Although Alice had said she would share all the details with me upon the family's return to Chicago, the endless possibilities were beginning to consume me. I did not wish to linger on the feelings which the memories stirred within me, the thirst and the desire for her blood. As the venom began to flow once more in my mouth I knew things were getting out of control.
Stop. Just stop.
In the nearly eighty years since Carlisle had saved me from dying during the Spanish Influenza epidemic, I had never truly struggled with the lifestyle he had introduced me to. While it was true that I had left for a period of time, acted out and behaved as a rebellious teenager, and while it was also true that I had consumed human blood during that time, I knew my reasons for doing so, and those reasons had never included a lack of control. Why did the thoughts of that child whom I had only come across once and had not seen or smelled in nearly two years continue to haunt me? Carlisle had suggested she could be my singer, but could that hypothesis explain my mind's obsession with her?
Feelings of melancholy and loneliness crept over me once again. The desire to share my life with someone had become a thorn in my side ever since I had stumbled upon the girl's scent that rueful day in the airport. Although I had existed for ninety-six years, first as a human and then as a vampire, never had I felt the need, the inclination, the yearning for a companion as desperately as I had throughout the past two years. I did not understand why those emotions had emerged after meeting that child, that beautiful child, whose blood called to me like no other, yet I knew it was true.
Being around my family, all mated pairs, had never been much of a bother, though there were times when I had removed myself from whatever home we had shared when their thoughts turned too amorous. But even when I had been alone, I never had felt lonely. I had always been able to find distractions in my music, and other interests I pursued; however, the desire to be mated myself had come crashing down around me, burning me from the inside, upon meeting the girl.
From that date forward I seemed to have been split in two – there was the monster within who had become more determined than ever for its thirst and hunger to be satisfied. If that evil being had been able to take control, I knew that some how, some way I would have searched the four corners of the earth until I had found the child; she would have been consumed.
And suddenly, there was the human side, or at least the side of me that wished I were still human, that wished for a wife and perhaps children, a family. It was the part of me that wanted to give and receive love. However, it was not wise for me to ponder on that part of myself. I had less control over that side than I did of the monster. I could comprehend the creature within, its needs and desires, but as the years passed, my human memories had diminished. I could hardly recall my human parents, Edward and Elizabeth Masen. My recollections of them had become fuzzy, although I could still envision their faces. However, I was no longer their son. I was no longer a normal boy. I would no longer become the man that they had envisioned.
And any thought of the child possibly being my mate was utterly preposterous. She was much too young; yet a tiny voice in the back of my mind mocked me shamelessly.
You don't age . . . she'll grow up eventually.
I shook my head in disgust at the route my thoughts had taken. Had I lost all sense of reasoning? I struggled to gain control over the infinitesimal murmurings that continued nagging at my brain. None of it mattered, I told myself. She was too young and I was too old. Even if we could some day appear to be the same age, nothing would change the fact that she was a human and I was a vampire. It was unthinkable, unimaginable. I would never intentionally condemn another human being to this dark existence. I shuddered at the absurdity of it all.
As I continued to traverse the course toward Amsterdam I attempted to concentrate, re-focus my thoughts on returning to Chicago, all in an attempt to distract myself from thoughts of her when I suddenly felt the urgent need to go to Pilsen. I knew Alice and Carlisle both had forbidden me to follow and I also knew that Alice would see my decision as soon as I had made it and attempt to stop me, but I could not help myself so I immediately changed course and headed in the direction toward Pilsen. No sooner had I turned my car around, did my phone ring. I did not need the gift of seeing the future to know it would be Alice. Although I did not want to speak with her, I knew I must.
"Yes, Alice," I said.
"Edward, what are you doing? I told you not to come here. We have everything under control and there's nothing you can do but make matters worse." Alice sounded wary.
"I cannot stay away," I said. "I am unable to understand it myself, but I must be involved with whatever it is you are planning. Perhaps if you would have enlightened me prior to your departure my mind would not continue to obsess needlessly over all the unfavorable possibilities."
For a moment there was silence – then I heard Carlisle on the phone, "Edward, son, what are you doing?"
Although I was sure Alice had told Carlisle exactly what I was planning, he had the courtesy to ask me anyway.
"If I could explain why I have had the overwhelming desire to suddenly travel to Pilsen, I would; but, I am at a loss. All I know is that I must go there. Perhaps you could explain." I was certain he could, but unsure if he would.
I heard Carlisle sigh on the other end of the phone before he said something I would never have imagined, ever. "She's here. She's at Tanya's house."
My mind immediately attempted to make sense of what my father had said; surely he did not mean the child from the airport was there with them in Tanya's home. Of course he did not mean that girl; she would have had no reason to be with Tanya, surrounded by vampires. Then it hit me.
"NO," I shouted as a roar ripped through my chest. "What has Tanya done?" I felt the overwhelming inclination to sob, although I knew no tears would be shed. "Carlisle, what has happened?"
"Calm down, Edward. She's alright. It's a long story, but suffice it to say no harm has come to the girl other than being abducted by Tanya and brought to the Denali's home. Nevertheless, she is still human and she will be returned to her parents shortly. We only need to work out the logistics." Carlisle almost sounded relieved to have shared that small amount of information with me.
"What can I do?" I knew I had to do something; yet I was shocked that suddenly all desire to take her life, to consume her blood was absent. I continued to feel the dry burning in my throat as her scent began to bombard my memories, but the want, the longing, the need to taste that blood, that sweet ambrosia was gone. The monster within had somehow been caged. However, for some unknown reason I felt an overwhelming urgency to protect her.
"Right now there isn't anything for you to do except to stay away. I don't want to see you suffer again and there is no reason to put the girl in another situation which would cause her additional distress. Alice is attempting to see several possible futures which may provide available options, however, none will be pleasant for Bella."
As soon as Carlisle said her name I realized I had never heard it before. Bella, meaning beautiful, was the perfect name for such a stunning child. I shook my head, refocusing my thoughts on what Carlisle had said.
"I am not going to Amsterdam. I need to be there, please, Carlisle," I begged. "I need to help, I need to protect her. I do not claim to understand it, but I cannot allow harm to come to her."
"That's quite a change, Edward," he said slowly, before I heard Alice's voice again.
"I see it now," she said almost excitedly. "It still won't be pleasant for her, but having you around will make the situation safer for Bella, provided you can keep yourself under control."
"I am in control," I said, although I was concerned about being in such close proximity to Bella. However, I was determined not to harm her, to keep her alive, human.
"I know it will be challenging for you, Edward, but I don't see you hurting her so this plan should work. And there will be an added bonus to this new scenario, provided no decisions change, but I'll explain it all later. For now we need to get Bella ready to return to Frankfurt. Meet us at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof. As soon as we hang up, I'll make reservations." Alice spoke so quickly no human would have been able to understand her words, let alone hear them. Then she was gone.
I looked down at the phone, before tossing it on the seat next to me and once again changed my course. Only this time I was going to Frankfurt and I would once again see Bella. I was still unsure of her place in our family, but it seemed we all had a vested interest in protecting her.
Especially me.
And that I understood even less.