Disclaimer: I don't own anything Phantom of the Opera or Twilight (though I wish I did). Only original characters belong to me.
AN: At last, they meet! Also, I have no idea if Forks actually has an annual event for their public servants, so let's just say they do, for the sake of the story. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!
Chapter 3: Meetings:
Fitting into a whole new town is usually a hassle, especially when you don't know anyone but your boss and, if you're lucky, whoever he hangs out with.
Luckily, my boss was the chief-of-police, and everyone he hung out tended to be well-known and at least partially influential in the Forks community. They were also well-liked, which also made things easier on me, since I was the newbie in town. Whomever they liked, others liked, and since Charlie, Doctor Cullen, Billy Black, and Sue Clearwater were pillars of the community, I was absorbed without many problems.
I also took to the town faster than I thought I would. Even though it was small, and (from what I'd heard) rather cold and damp most of the year, I was an Oregonian and used to rain, so it didn't bother me much. And because they were so welcoming, the town's people grew on me, too. I didn't even mind the strangeness of the Cullen family.
Not that there was anything wrong with them, of course –it was just kind of weird that most of the adopted Cullen kids were paired off together as couples. Apparently Doctor and Mrs. Cullen had adopted five children, and from what Charlie had told me, four of them had paired off together: Alice with Jasper, and Rosalie with Emmett. Edward had been the odd-man-out, but he'd met and married Isabella Swan, so I guess it all worked out in the end.
Okay, I admit that I thought it kind of strange that all the adopted Cullen kids ended up together, but at least they weren't actually related, so I did my best to shrug it off. When I'd first come to Forks, I'd heard about the Cullen family before meeting them, and had held my judgment back before meeting them. I was glad I did.
My first meeting with a member of Doctor Cullen's family had been a month after my arrival, when Charlie, Sue, and the Doctor had invited me to go see a movie with them, with Doctor Cullen bringing his wife. I'd been uncomfortable with the thought of being the "fifth wheel," but Doctor Cullen's wife, Esme, had quickly squashed that feeling. She was a very caring, motherly woman, and sort of took me under her wing.
"It's hard moving to a new place," she'd said after being introduced. "If you ever need company, don't hesitate to call us. I'm sure my kids would love to spend time with you. I know Edward and Bella speak highly of you."
And that was how I was pushed together with the Cullen family.
For the most part, they were all really nice people. Jasper was the tall, strong, quiet type, but his girlfriend, Alice, was just the opposite –she was petite, sweet and quirky, and she and I got along perfectly from the start. Sometimes, she asked me to join her for a late-night Saturday movie at the theater, for walks through the woods, or to concerts in the park. I always had fun with Alice. Occasionally, Jasper joined us, but he tended to let me and Alice have a "girls' night out" together.
Rosalie, on the other hand, tended to act a bit snobby, but I guess that was just part of her personality. It probably didn't help that she was also tall, blonde and gorgeous, so maybe she felt she was better than everyone else around her. She wasn't hostile, exactly, just a bit stuck up.
However, Rosalie's boyfriend, Emmett, was funny and loved to joke around and tease me about all kinds of stuff. He would do his best to make me laugh, and I'd returned the favor by teasingly referring to him as a 'jock,' and a jerk, which he found funny. The only times he ticked me off was when he playfully messed up my hair, and he only did that once before Bella cuffed him upside the head and told him to 'play nice.'
Bella and Edward, of course, were great. They always made sure Rosalie didn't treat me too badly, and that Emmett kept putting his foot in his mouth. It was fun watching Bella take him down a peg when he got too obnoxious.
There was, however, one Cullen child I puzzled over: Renesmee. She was the youngest Cullen child, the most recent addition, and she had a very strong resemblance to Edward and Bella. I sort of suspected that Nessie, as they called her, was Edward and Bella's child, but that was impossible; Bella would have had to be ten-years-old to give birth to Nessie, which was crazy.
After a lot of thought, though, I decided not to push the matter. After all, I had some good friendships going with the Cullen family, and didn't want to jeopardize it for the world. Everything was going so well, the last thing I wanted was for something to come and spoil it all.
And as it turns out, it was a good thing I kept my mouth shut. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to face them at the annual fundraiser for the police and fire departments. It was an event that would ultimately rock my world.
Shifting uneasily, Erik wanted to hide behind something. This, of course, would be impossible, given that he was over six feet tall, and stood a bit above everyone else here.
"Here" was the Annual Forks Police and Fire Department Fundraiser. It was an outdoor event, held in a large meadow just outside the town, and everyone was here, gathered under a grey, cloudy sky. The Quileute had come as well, since the police chief was friends with most of them, and as a tribe, they decided to come for the festivities. Unfortunately, they had also decided to forcibly drag Erik from the safe confines of his house and bring him to the event. Billy and Jacob had been a key factor in driving him here in their truck.
Given a choice, Erik would have happily become a recluse in his new home, but Billy and Jacob weren't having it. Jacob insisted that Erik needed to "get out and make some friends," and that he shouldn't worry about people judging him just because he wore a mask.
"We can all guess that something bad must have happened, like a car accident, which causes you to wear that mask," Billy said as they headed for the festivities. "We won't pry, but you seem like a decent person. If you look confident and act like you belong in a crowd, no one will think the worse of you."
That was easy for him to say, considering Billy was already a respected member of the community. Jacob, of course, agreed with his father, but Erik had his doubts. However, by then it was too late to do anything, so he figured he might as well try and enjoy himself a little.
Looking around, Erik spotted Chief Swan speaking with a tall, pale man with blonde hair. Erik recognized him, but couldn't suppress a shudder from going down his back. 'Doctor Carlisle Cullen,' he thought with a wince.
Never had he considered the idea of meeting real vampires. Of all people, Jacob had been the one to introduce him to the Cullen family, and all of its members. He'd already known that the Cullen clan and the Quileute werewolves had been at the center of the battle Nadir had told him of, but to actually meet them was not what he expected.
Presently, the Cullens and Quileute tribe had settled their differences, but uneasiness still lingered, since old grudges are hard to forget. They were trying their best to work on it, though. How strange that it was Jacob Black who was trying the hardest to create a true friendship and link between the two peoples?
The day he brought Erik to the Cullen home Jacob, who had become Erik's official teacher in all things werewolf, had tried to explain his efforts. They had run there in wolf form, and changed back just outside the house, where the vampire clan had gathered to meet them. Erik had been introduced to the whole group, then declared a third and relatively neutral party.
"He might be a werewolf, but he's from outside the conflict between us," Jacob had told everyone. "He's welcome on our reservation, and Charlie Swan seems to like him, so it makes sense that you all try to at least be on good terms with him. I mean, since Dr. Cullen and Chief Swan are friends."
Erik tried to be on good terms with the Cullens, but for some reason, he couldn't be comfortable around them. It seemed that the canine side of him became uneasy around vampires, just like the Quileute werewolves did.
"I guess it's not just a Quileute thing. All werewolves must not like vampires," Jacob had said as they left the Cullens.
From what Billy and Jacob had told him, it seemed that vampires and werewolves were polar opposites, like north and south. Vampires were cold, undead, and thirsted for life. On the other side, werewolves were actually alive, they were hot-blooded, and very protective of humans, who happened to be the main diet of vampires. Thus, the two races seemed destined to be eternal archenemies.
Luckily, that was changing, and all because of Renesmee Cullen. He had seen the way Jacob looked at the young girl, and knew that they were connected. Apparently Renesmee was meant to become Jake's mate, and that certainly explained why both sides were trying to reconcile and stay on each other's good side.
'Too bad that doesn't make things much easier for me in the here-and-now,' Erik thought with a sigh.
Here at this gathering, he was stuck being uncomfortable with not only the presence of the Cullens, but also with the large crowd. Large crowds were not something he liked, and if he could, he would change shape and run off into the forest.
Erik bit back a wistful sigh. Oh, how he loved running through the forest around Forks! Lush green foliage, cool breezes, and the lingering scent of the ocean in the air; it all came together, and made for an ideal place to run and stretch his legs, whether he had two or four of them. His parents had never let him run free in any form, human or wolf, so such a thing was a pure freedom and delight for him.
"Well, there you are!" said a cheerful and familiar voice. "I've been looking all over for you."
Turning, Erik saw Billy roll up to him. Smiling, he reached out to shake his friend's hand. "Since I'm taller than most people here, I'm rather hard to miss," Erik jokingly replied.
Billy smacked him in the arm. "Considering where I'm sitting, I'm at a disadvantage in the height department."
They both laughed and began a casual talk about the weather. Billy tried to steer the chat towards sports, but Erik wasn't interested, so he directed the topic towards the fundraiser itself.
"Do they raise much money with this?" he asked, taking a plastic cup of sparkling cider from a passing server. "The town is small, and I doubt that many people can afford to give much."
"Well, you're right about that," Billy said, sipping his beer. "Most people don't make a lot of money, but for the police and fire department, they're always willing."
He eyed Erik very closely. "Speaking of which, I heard that someone donated a seven-figured check and asked that it be split between the police and fire departments. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Erik tried to cover his embarrassment by taking a drink from his cup. Billy, however, wasn't fooled, and gave him a playful punch in the arm.
"I knew it," he crowed. "And you do realize that the tribe knows, too, right, given that you're the only millionaire in town?"
And what the tribe knew, most of the town knew as well. Swallowing his gulp of cider, Erik peeked out the corner of his eye, and caught more than a few people sneaking peeks at him.
Billy grinned. "Yup, you're the talk of the town. No doubt Charlie will want to thank you by inviting you over to watch football or baseball one of these days."
"I'd rather not," Erik muttered, finishing his drink. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll-"
"Nope, don't even think about it," said a female voice as a hand grabbed his arm. It was Sue Clearwater. "Believe me, you deserve the thanks that everyone has to offer you."
"I don't want thanks," Erik protested as Sue swiped his empty cup from him and pressed a loaded paper plate into it. "I just wanted to do something for those in law enforcement and public service. They deserve it."
"Well, it's nice that someone thinks so." A hand clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the donation, buddy. We can really use it."
"You are welcome, Charlie," Erik replied, embarrassed at the attention. "But I'm sure you'd have done well, even without my help."
Charlie shook his head. "No, not really. We really need a couple new police cars, and there are a few critical pieces of equipment that are way out of our budget. You've given us the chance to make Forks a bit safer."
Erik opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. There was something in the air that stirred his senses, something that pulled at his consciousness like the North Pole pulled at the needle of a compass. Erik tried to focus on that sensation, his mind tracking it as though he were on a hunt.
"Ellie!" Sue exclaimed, momentarily drawing Erik's attention. "I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?"
Turning, Erik froze. He saw a friendly smile on a set of pretty rosebud lips, chocolate-brown eyes that were welcoming, and brown hair tinted with natural red tossing about in the cool breezes of the afternoon. Her cheeks were full and rosy, and she was small, standing up to his chest, but she was the sweetest sight he had ever seen.
As his eyes took her in, Erik's heart swelled, and something inside him snapped. For a moment, he couldn't understand what was going on, or why he felt as though the most important thing in the world had just happened to him.
"Elicia, great, you're here," Charlie's voice echoed in Erik's ear. "This is Erik Garnier. He's just moved here from France, of all places. Erik, this is Elicia Fox."
"Ellie for short," she replied with a smile, holding her hand out to shake. "It's nice to meet you."
Erik nearly choked on his tongue as he tried to think of something to say. After a few quick swallows, he silently reached out to take her hand. When their fingers met, a shock went through his arm, his hand tightening around hers for only a second before releasing her. Ellie looked a bit startled at the gesture, but said nothing as she took her hand back. Erik remained stoically silent.
"Sorry, he's a bit shy." Sue's voice echoed around him as though they were in a cave. "He hasn't met a lot of people from the town; just most of the tribe since he's been here."
Ellie chuckled. "Well, I guess that makes us both newcomers."
"Pfft, you're not a newcomer," Charlie said in disbelief. "You've been here almost a year."
"Eight months," Ellie corrected with a grin. "But who's counting?"
"Well, no matter how long you've been here, you're part of the town now," Billy replied with a smile. "Both of you."
Erik could only stand there dumbly while Ellie smiled at him.
In meeting the Cullen family, I felt that I'd pretty much seen some of the most gorgeous men ever. Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and even Dr. Cullen himself were all extremely good-looking, even with their pale skin. And after spending a lot time with them and being overly-exposed to so much male beauty, I thought I was pretty much immune to it.
Erik Garnier completely destroyed that belief for me.
Tall, dark, handsome, with swarthy olive skin and the greenest eyes I'd ever seen, he was a sight any woman would drool over, even with the mask on the right side of his face. It didn't matter if he was scarred, deformed, or whatever; the 'normal' side clearly indicated some very attractive features that bordered between handsome and beautiful.
His physique wasn't bad, either. I could see some serious muscle underneath the plain green shirt he wore, and under the black jeans was a pair of long legs that made him stand a head above everyone around him.
'My gosh, he's gorgeous. And the French accent is just to die for.'
So why was he staring at me? I mean, I'm no piece of beauty, not the way he was. Okay, I wasn't ugly, but next to Mr. Garnier and the Cullens, I was on the plain side of the beauty spectrum.
'Then again, everyone looks plain next to the Cullens, especially next to Rosalie.'
But that still didn't explain why he was staring at me like that.
"Come on, Ellie," Charlie said, tugging at my sleeve. "I think Alice Cullen wants to see you, and Bella hasn't had a chance to hang out with you yet."
I turned to see Alice and Bella waving me over. "Sure, no problem." I turned back towards Billy and Sue. "I'll see you two on Saturday, right? For the big game?"
Sue gave me a relieved smile. "Thank goodness. I'll be glad for the company."
"No problem," I replied. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Garnier."
"Erik," he said, still staring. "Please, call me Erik."
"Okay, Erik. It was nice meeting you." I gave them a wave goodbye and headed for Alice.
But even as I walked away, I could still feel the eyes of Erik Garnier lingering on me, and didn't know if I should be flattered or frightened.
Erik decided that he really liked the way Elicia Fox walked. She had a very nice figure that swayed in all the right places when she moved, and he liked the sight it presented. It was almost hypnotizing.
Something smacked him in the arm. Startled, Erik looked for who hit him. It was Billy Black, sitting in his wheelchair with a scolding look on his slightly wrinkled face.
"Don't stare," he lectured, "It's rude."
"Sorry," Erik muttered, his gaze turning back towards his future mate.
Oh, yes, he knew that's what she was. Even though he'd never experienced such a feeling before, and though his father had never explained it to him, Erik's wolf instincts knew what had just happened: he had found his soulmate.
'What had Jacob called it? Oh, yes, "imprinting."'
Part of him demanded that he sweep her up and take her away right then, to hell with what others thought. The rational part of his brain, however, reminded him that the Cullens were around, and they might not take kindly to him kidnapping their friend.
'How frustrating,' he thought, frustrated. 'Jacob was right: vampires could be rather annoying, even when they don't mean to be.'
But maybe there was another way for him to get what he wanted.
"Billy, what can you tell me about Elicia Fox?" he asked his friend.
Billy looked at him in surprise, then smirked. "Oh, that's how it is, huh? Well, I think the person you'd better ask is Sue. Women tell each other everything, so in this case, she's the one you aught to talk to."
Unfortunately, while Erik had been ogling after Ellie, Sue had disappeared. Damn it.
"Maybe another time," he grumbled.
Right now, though, Erik desperately needed a good strong drink.
AN: The chase begins! Thanks for reading, and please review!
