Chapter 2:

Family

Dearest Rena,

I truly miss you. I hope you come visit soon! I know school is starting and your probably getting everything ready for that, just don't forget about me! I mailed you a package so make sure you head to town and check it out! Why you don't have a real address boggles my mind, but a P.O. Box will have to do I guess! Well, any who I hope you enjoy everything I've sent. Call me when you get it, and tell your boyfriend I said hello. Jodi spoke highly of him! Love you always

Sophie

I read it 4 times before I hit reply. Reading her emails always make me feel as if I want to cry, however, that no longer happens. Sophie has been on my tail for a while trying to get me to visit. Im getting closer to that point however, as of right now, it might be too much for her. Or…even too much for me. My changes are drastic now, so I want to be able to ease it in without having to scare the living hell out of her. She also has been eager to meet Seth ever since Jodie went back to jersey bragging about him. She is one to talk; I truly miss her as well. I speak to Jodi every other day or whenever we get a chance. She's back in Seattle getting ready for school so she called me once she was close enough to my time zone. She has plans to come up for her Thanksgiving break so I know before long ill be with my best friend again.

Seths loud snoring caught my attention from the couch. I turned around and glanced at him as half of his massive body hung off and the rest was curled up with a pillow. That pillow was now covered in drool. He put a smile on my face, I almost wanted to carry him upstairs so that he could nap, but my cold touch would probably wake him from his deep slumber. I turned back towards the screen and pressed on with my email.

Mom,
I miss you terribly. Seth is great! we're all pretty much settled in. I told you not to send me things! What is it! I'll be heading to the city tomorrow so ill pick it up and then I'll call you. Seth and I were thinking me might come to jersey for Christmas. Let me know if that's ok? I Love you.

Rena

I hit send, and turned around to face Seth. He was now completely on the floor and drooling on the marble. It always amazes me how he sleeps so much and in such awkward positions. Im glad I didn't sleep anymore because that would be an issue for me. I looked down at the black marble and noticed the puddle getting bigger. If I didn't get that mopped up before he woke up, he'd slip and fall on it, typical thing for Seth to do. I glided over to the kitchen and was greeted by Noah who was sitting at the bar countertop with his laptop.

"Hello Rena" he said without looking up from the screen.

"Whatcha doing" I asked as I danced over and sat across from him.

He looked up at me and smiled and slid me a picture. I slowly picked it up and looked at it. The little boy standing next to a woman, was the same little boy that Natalia showed me in her visions a few months back. It was Noah, and his mother. She was beautiful, had long black hair and showed where Noah got his looks from. He resembled her a lot.

"Shes beautiful" I said.

"Was, was beautiful. I miss her so much." He replied… I felt a lump rise in my throat.

"I'm…sorry. Did you get to see her… before she passed?"

"Yes actually. I waited until I was accustomed to my new diet. I took the first plane out to Philadelphia to see her. She knew I was different the moment she saw me. She was so happy to see I was still… alive, if that's what I am. She was so frail laying in that bed, sick. The cancer ate through her so quick that I barely had anytime to say goodbye. I blamed myself for it, and that's how I found out exactly how 'immortal we were. After her funeral, I tried to kill myself, obviously failing. After about three weeks of staring at my body, I put my head back on and contacted Carlisle. He came once again to the rescue." He said as he looked at the picture.

"Even though he was there for me twice, it still felt like something was missing. Even when I began working at the school, being around people all day even didn't help. I've never felt more alone in my entire life. Then you walked into my office, and I knew there was something special about you." He smiled at me suddenly.

"I felt drawn to you for some reason, which of course ended up being brought to light after our run in with Natalia. I realized that day that I was no longer alone. I once again had family…" he looked back down at his hand and began to fidget with his bracelet. I definitely understood what he meant, for I didn't feel like I had a family beside Sophie, until I met him.

"Thank you, Noah" I said as I squeezed his hand.

"For what hun? I should be thanking you for not only saving us that day in the meadow, but teaching me that nothing is impossible." He smiled at me and my bottom lip began to quiver.

"Thank you for being so gracious and helpful, I don't know if I would have been able to make it through without you." I said as he squeezed my hand back. He looked back at his laptop and he smiled.

"There's an email from Sam, Emily had her baby! They want Seth to come visit!" he said. It replayed in my head again as I analyzed his words. 'Seth to visit.' Just Seth.

Just then we heard a groan, followed by a very loud thump. I never mopped up Seths Drool! I zipped over to him to see if he was ok. He was laughing at himself as I helped him up.

"Im fine! I promise!" he said as he towered over me and gave me a bear hug.

"Sam emailed you, he wants you to go visit him and Emily. They had the baby." I said, sounding more bitter then expected.

"oh… OH? OK…" he said as he let go of me and grabbed the phone. He walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. I didn't follow, for I could spy from where I stood. Why would they just want him to come. Were they still in fear of having vampires coming around? Wasn't there a treaty? Or did they know that I had not answered his proposal. All these thoughts began to flood my mind, but were soon interrupted by Seth's conversation.

"When will Jake and Nessie be there?... awesome I can't wait for Jake to meet Re…. huh? Well that's just dumb…." They began explaining why I wasn't allowed to come. I felt my hands begin to shake. I tried to calm down but I only felt rage. Everything in the living room began lifting off the floor as I started to lose control of my powers.

"Calm down Rena" Noah said suddenly. I didn't realize he was behind me. He must have read my emotions. I took a deep breath and slowly put everything back in its place with my mind.

"Oh… I guess that does make sence… but seems kind of unfair… no, your right. Well, I'll leave in the evening… k… cya then." I heard him hang up and heard him exhale strongly. I walked up onto the landing and waited for him. He was walking towards me with his head down as I stood still as a statue.

"I'm guessing you were listening." He said. He unfolded my arms and grabbed my hands. I walked closer to him and stared into his eyes. I didn't respond, I just wanted an answer.

"Jake and Nesse had plans to come down this weekend, even before they baby came. They felt bad telling them not to come." He said.

"But they don't feel bad asking me to stay? And why does one of the vampires have to be forced to stay home, what happened to the treaty?" I asked

"Its not like that my love. They are looking out for your safety. You don't smell like a full vampire. You still have a human like scent. A passing by vampire would smell you then Nesse, then think your both hybrids. It would be a target made in heaven for a bad guy. They don't want anything bad to happen."

"What makes them think a bad guy would be anywhere near La Push." I heard the tone in my voice change. He looked at me apologetic and held the side of my face.

"This is a big thing, this is the first time in centuries that this tribe has passed on the tradition two generations in a row. Sam's baby could be the next generation in Alphas." He said. I thought about that, and I thought about how that would be something vampires would be intrigued in. Especially now that they all are aware of how much a threat these wolves are. Sam and Seth were right. I was being selfish by acting like this. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Noah nod his head in agreement.

"Your right, im sorry." I said.

"what are you sorry for. I should be the one apologizing. How am I to make you my wife if I cant bring you around my family?"

In that moment I had no time to stop it. Before I could correct my expression, He must have seen my grimace because he quickly dropped his hand from my face. I felt Noah shutter in the corner as he must have felt Seths pain.

"Oh yea, that's right. We're not sure if we want you to be my wife yet… forgive me for being hopeful." He said to me as he pressed by me and stormed upstairs. He wasn't all the way up the stairs before punching a hole in the wall. Noah looked at me as I just stared off in thought.

"I didn't mean to…" he stopped my sentence by raising his hand.

"I'll go check on him…" Noah said and began walking upstairs. "You know, Its not my business, but you really need to tell him how you feel."

"Noah, I don't know how I feel…" I replied.

"Judging by how quickly you grimaced at the word "wife", proves you already know your answer…" we stared at each other for a min, and then he was gone. My morning went from being so happy and appreciative of family, to a drama filled heartbreaking event. How do you go on breaking someone's heart, especially someone you love so much. I am a horrible person. I went from standing in one spot to running full speed out the front door. I grabbed glasses and my cell phone on the way out. I ran down the stone gravel path down to the hidden dock. I didn't even bother with the stairs, I leaped from the top landing straight into the boat. I hesitated before turning it on, where was I going? I looked around, revved the boats engine, and pulled off. I totally forgot about the boat being tied to the dock but was soon reminded when I heard it break apart as I pulled away.

I sped out the cave and into the Strait of Georgia towards our private beach. The sun was beaming down on the water and I saw my skin sparkle everywhere. I didn't even care if anyone else was out. I made it across in ten minutes, I pulled up and docked the boat. I grabbed my things and leaped from the pier to the sand. I pulled out my electric remote for the garage and opened the doors. There sat three cars. Noah's BMW, Seth's red Ferrari Italia Coupe, and my all black Maserati Granturismo. I clicked the automatic starter and the engine revved up. I put on my glasses and gloves and slipped into my 150,000 dollar vehicle. Every window was tinted and the interior was black leather. Overall the car was beautiful, not as flashy as Seth's but more my style. I pulled out and sped up the hidden driveway onto the highway 99.

I was doing at least 98mph heading towards Vancouver. By the look of the skies from behind the mountains, I could tell that rain was coming, which was good. I couldn't just drive around the city all day. I kept picturing Seth's face as I drove. I hope he'd be home still when I got there, at least so I could say goodbye to him. Having him be upset with me was a lot more annoying then I'd thought. I felt like I could do anything to make him happy, except the one thing he wanted from me. Saying yes to his proposal meant more then just marrying him. It mean being with just him for the rest of his life. I would not die, but if he chose to give up on his lifestyle, he would no longer phase, and I would slowly watch the love of my life die. Did I want that? Was I being selfish by saying that? So many different things to think about, its too soon to just make a decision like that. It wasn't just my life I had to take into consideration.

The city came into view as I slowed down before going down the exit ramp. I pulled up to a light next to a park. A couple was walking by holding hands. They looked so happy, knowing that they are meant to be married. I envied them. They would grow old together, watch their children grow together, die together. A sudden series of beeps snapped me out if. I pulled off and zipped down through the city. I drove for a bit before I pulled up to my destination. The clouds had not yet covered the sky enough for me to get out, so I drove around a bit more.

A man buying ice cream for his son then caught my attention. Seth, would never get to experience something like that. He would go on through life, with his statue of a wife, who would never be able to bare a child for him. Just then I realized I ran a red light and slammed on my breaks. I began to skid off the road. I turned the wheel to change directions of the car, just missing collision with another expensive looking vehicle. The other car beeped fiercely before speeding off down the road.

"Pull yourself together Rena!" I shouted out loud.

Just then the rain began falling. I looked around and went to go put my car into drive, when I noticed a very tall and muscular man standing across the street. Something about him was very appealing and I couldn't take my eyes off him. His skin was almost an olive color and he had feathered hair down to his chin. His goatee was dark but close shaved to his face. He wore a brown leather jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. His khaki's looked like he'd been through a lot in them. I noticed he had a book bag, must be a tourist. When I glanced back at his very attractive face I got glimpse of his eyes. For a second, only a split second, they shined silver.

A bus suddenly drove between my car and the man, blocking my view of him. When the bus cleared out of the way, the man was no longer there. What was it about that man… I looked around before I straightened my car out and drove off. The streets were still filled with people walking around. Now most up them had umbrellas while others used news papers or other items to cover themselves from the rain. After about 30 minutes, I finally pulled up to my destination, the post office. I parked my car, set the alarm and walked through the rain into the office. I walked up to the wall where the P.O. Boxes were, found mine and put the key in. when open, there was a certified note from the post office saying "please pick up your order at the desk" I closed the box, then walked up to the counter.

The lady behind the counter looked young, maybe a senior in high school? She was sitting on a stool with her feet propped up on some boxes, while she played on her game boy. i walked up so quietly she hadnt realized i was standing there. The smell of her blood flowing through her veins sent a burning sensation down my throat. It was strong, but not enough to make her possible dinner. i was definitely getting better at this. As she yawned she glanced up and saw me. She screamed and stumbled out of her chair onto the ground.

"oh my god you scared the living hell out of me. I'm sorry I didn't see you there can i help you?" she asked startled.

"yes, im here to pick up a package." I slid over the paper from my P.O. Box.

"Miss Wyatt... okay let me check the back." she said as she walked to her back room where more boxes and mail was being held. While waiting I glanced up and looked around. I stopped on the "missing persons" bulletin board. So many young people missing, some looked to be barely out of high school. It's sad to me now, knowing what I know about the world, most of these people probably became a vampires dinner. There are so many types of vampires, different shapes sizes; Some with abilities, some without. it's a miracle the world hasn't be overrun by my kind.

"Here you go!" the young woman said almost nervous. She had a medium sized box that was about two feet wide, two feet deep. I shook my head when I saw it, Sophie always out doing herself.

"i just need you to sign here and initial on this line" I grabbed the pen from her hand and began to sign my now perfect signature. When I got to my last name I hesitated... then wrote out Clearwater instead of Wyatt. I stared at it before sliding over to her. Did it feel different? Did it feel, right? Nope, still doesn't feel right.

"Has anyone ever told you, you should be a model, you're like, super pretty" the young girl now said. I looked at her through my black glasses, smiled, then picked up my box.

"Thank you" I said with a smile on my face and a swagger to my walk. She was right. I am now extremely beautiful. The perfect trap to lure my prey in. I walked out to my car and got in. I put the box in my passenger seat, and began to drive away. I didn't want to head straight home so i drove to an empty parking lot where I could park. I took a deep breath before I opened the box. I took in all the scents that were coming from the box. I could smell the air freshener that Sophie used in her house, I could even smell her. I ripped open the box using my finger nail and pulled out the contents. The first thing I seen was a picture frame with a picture of me and Sophie hugging. It was my favorite picture. It was taken on Halloween when she and I went to a pumpking festival and took a hayride for my birthday. We had an amazing time that night. After the hayride, her and I went to one of my favorite local food places. It was a 50's themed diner slash fast food restaurant. Best milkshakes ever.

The next item I took out was a box of Girl Scout cookies. The coconut caramel and chocolate ones. They were my favorite and whenever Sophie ran into them, she'd always bring me home a box. I cant eat these, so I'll have to give them to Seth. The thought was all that mattered and now I felt like I could cry… if it were possible I might have. There were also some new sheets she bought for me, a new digital day planner, and in the bottom there was a jewelry box. It was long, blue and had Swarovski written on top of it. I reached in and opened it. I inhaled when I saw the contents. Inside there was a silver necklace with a rhinestone key at the end. The crystals shined bright and reminiscent of the way my skin now does in the sun light. On the inside of the lid from the box was a taped note. I opened it and it read,

"I saw this and thought of you. Keys symbolize lots of things. Open doors and new changes for one. I was always behind a closed locked door, all my life, until I met you. Rena you are a blessing to me and I thank god everyday that I was blessed with the opportunity to adopt you. You were the key that unlocked many doors for me, one being the opportunity to feel like a proud mother. I hope u like it. Love you! Oh and btw, look on the back of the key."

I turned the key around slowly and there was a scripture. It read "May this key open any doors that stand in your way" I felt my bottom lip quiver. If I had my passport I would drive all the way to Jersey. I put the necklace on and reached for my phone. Before I could even do anything, it began to ring. I looked at it and saw that Jodi was calling.

"Hello?" I answered

"HEY GIRL! SOOO ARE YOU BUSY?" Jodi asked in a high pitched voice. There was lots of noise in the background and low hums of people talking was the most dominant.

"Um, no, im in the city right now picking up and package… what's up is everything ok?" I asked.

"Well I have a surprise!" she said as I suddenly felt over whelmed; I couldn't handle any more surprises. Sophie's was enough for a life time.

"um… a surprise? Like, what do you mean?" I asked.

"well.. IM AT THE AIRPORT, HERE, IN VANCOUVER! COME PICK ME UP!"

….