Chapter 4
Meeting At Last
Danica stepped out of her car and toward the shorter girl. She seemed to be around her age. Her chocolate brown hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. Her gorgeous honey, golden eyes gave the unworking old truck a death glare.
"HI" Danica said
"HI, um thanks for stopping, do you have a cell phone I could use?" The girl asked sweetly.
"Sorry, no but I can give you a ride back into town if you would like" Danica offered, not going to leave the girl miles from town, in the rain no less.
The girl looked Danica over quickly, after a moment, apparently pleased that she wasn't some lunatic, she nodded and said "Sure, but do you think you could give me around home instead? It's just up the road?"
"OK" Danica had already come to the conclusion the girl was not a psycho freak.
"I'm Bella by the way" She said as she climbed into the Danica's car which was probably as old as her truck. Bella? Where had she heard that name before? Her tired brain could not place it.
"Danica"
"Thanks for doing this."
Danica laughed "Not like I have anything else to do"
Bella gasped suddenly staring at the bruise on Danica's cheek, sitting in the passenger seat she was able to see it more clearly. It was obliviously larger then she had first thought. "What happened?"
"Um…ah…It…I just fell off my bike." Danica lied to the girl quickly.
Bella looked at her strangely but continued to question "Are you new here?"
Danica thought about it then said "I'm think I might move here"
"It rains a lot" Bella frowned, pointing out the window at the now falling water.
"I don't mind"
Danica turned off the main road onto a hardly visible drive as Bella directed. "The house will be appearing soon" She promised. "So where are you from?"
"Yreka, California" Danica barely managed to get out of her choked up throat.
"I'm originally from Phoenix. I miss the sun, don't see it much here!"
Danica could not reply, she was gawking at the large, white, three story building, her car was heading toward. Bella had said house, more like a mansion! Amazed, Danica parked the car next to a shiny silver Volvo.
"Do you want to come in?" Bella asked, smiling at Danica's awed expression.
Danica hesitated for a second but nodded.
Inside Danica was greeted with a big white marble staircase. A grand piano sat near the door, off to the left was a sitting room that Bella was leading her to.
"Bella!" A voice called. A gorgeous man walked out into the room. He was tall and had auburn hair; his eyes were the same as Bella's, completely gawk worthy.
The man swept Bella up in a loving embrace, lips pressed against her ear. It took a minute of awkward silence for Danica to realize they were whispering urgently back and forth. After another minute the broke part, the man keeping an arm wrapped firmly around Bell's waist.
"Danica this is Edward, my husband. Edward this is Danica" Bella announced.
They looked young to be married but Danica didn't say it out loud. She could tell they love each other just by the looks they exchanged. The same look her Zack used to give to her mother.
She held back a grimace at the thought of his name and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Thanks for bringing my Bella home" Edward said, his voice smooth and calming, cocking his head to one side.
"No p-problem" Danica stuttered.
"Will you stay to meet the rest of the family. I know Bella would love you to" Edward asked.
Danica wasn't sure. Perhaps she should being looking for a hotel, she was tired and needed to sleep, if passing out didn't come first. It was not rare for her to do so. She fainted almost every day for two weeks after her mother's death. The doctor's said it was delayed shock.
"They'll be here soon" Edward smiled.
With that the front door swung opened and seven more beautiful people walked into the house.
One of them stood out the most, to Danica. Maybe the most stunning? He had dark brown hair that fell in messy wisps just below the ear. His facial features were angled, like a elf and he had a tall lean body. Like everyone else in the room he had beautiful honey colored eyes. What she pictured an angel to look like.
"Danica meet out adoptive parents Carlisle and Esme and our siblings, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alec."
"Alec?" Danica whispered.
"Danica?" Said the most stunning newcomer.
She got it then, where the name Bella came from. Alec's adoptive sister.
She might've collapsed right there but Bella caught her before she could crash into the floor.
"Danica? As in PaleAngel?"
Danica panicked, she didn't think this through! What if Alec doesn't want her here? What if an on-line friendship was met to say on-line? They hardly knew each other. Even though Danica didn't think Alec was some whacko, he still could be, right? The whole family could be! Murders! Con Artists! Members of the Mafia!
Now she was just thinking crazy! Nine Gods and Goddesses living under one roof, no way could they be psycho mass murders!
That's what they want you to think! Right?
Alec face darkened suddenly, eyes flashing "What did Zack do to you?"
Danica took a step back, her body trembling. She had temporary forgotten about her stepfather. "He d-didn't d-do anything"
"You're lying!"
I-I'm n-not!" Danica stuttered, turning her head to hide the bruise on her cheek.
"You are!" He murmured, placing an icy hand lightly under her chin, tilting her face so he could look at the mark her stepfather had left.
Tears poured from her eyes, no sense in denying it anymore; there was only so much lying she could do to someone who sounded so concerned. "I tried doing everything I could think of!" Danica brushed angrily at the tears, not wanting to cry anymore. "I thought he would let me stay!"
"He kicked you out?" Alec asked angrily.
She nodded and said "I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude on your life" She really did feel bad; she did not want to cause a hassle.
"You didn't, you can only make it better." Alec smiled a little but then his expression became hard. "Did he give you the bruise?"
The rage concern in Alec's eyes and voice only made Danica cry harder, she spun around so he wouldn't see. He grabbed her left wrist making her gasp in pain and he dropped it quickly.
"Let me see."
She shook her head.
"Danica." He voice was warning. Remembering his stubbornness she spun back to him and held out her arm. Alec took it gently and rolled the sleeve back revealing the bruised and swollen wrist. He clenched his jaw.
"Hem-Hem!" Someone coughed making Danica blush.
The blonde big muscled guy, Emmett snickered, exclaiming "Bella she's like you!"
"Was" Bella muttered.
Carlisle, the guy that looked like a model, seemed to be in charge. "Alec you might want to explain now" he said in a soft voice full of authority.
"Can you look at her injuries, first?" Alec pleaded.
Carlisle thought a second and nodded. "Of course. Danica it's nice to meet you. I'm a doctor at the local hospital, shall I check out your wounds?" he sounded warm and inviting.
"They aren't that bad."
"I insist. Your wrist looks like it might be broken."
Did Alec just growl? People don't growl, do they? Danica nodded and the doctor and he motioned for her to sit on the couch. Carlisle sat next her and took her wrist in his hand, which were as cold as Alec's. He prodded and rotated her wrist. "I think it's just a small fracture. Some ice and a bandage and it will heal in a couple weeks." Her cheek bone was not broken just bruised. "Do you have any more injuries?"
Danica hesitated eyes darting to all the people around the room.
"I could ask them to leave." Carlisle said.
Finally, Danica just shook her head and lifted the hem of her shirt so he could see another large colorful bruise on her ribs where she had been kicked. It took up most of her small ribs making someone in the room let in a sharp intake of breathe. Who, Danica did not know. She winced as Carlisle pushed on it. "They're just brushed as well. I'm amazed you were able to drive though, it must be mighty painful."
Danica did not say a word, she had hardly noticed the aching wounds on the drive here, if her mind was not on driving it was reciting songs along with the radio. To keep your mind off something you keep it busy with other things.
"Alec, I'd like you to explain now."
"Danica let's get you cleaned up" That was Alice, she was short, pixie-like and had more grace than a dancer. She practically floated across the stone floor.
Danica followed Alice and Bella up the stairs and into a very large pink bathroom. Alice pushed her down lightly into an arm chair (an armchair in a bathroom!!) and began to work. Danica hardly noticed as she made the red puffiness under her eyes seem to vanish. "So you're the reason Alec's been locked up in his room, on the computer for the last week?"
Danica blushed and didn't know what to say, thankfully Bella came to her rescue "Alice I don't think she's in the mood for conversation"
"Not with us, maybe" Alice smile brightly "Alec's single you know!"
"Alice!"
"What Bella? They'd make a cute couple!"
"Alice!"
"Sorry, I can't help but see -say it!" Alice giggled at the now glaring Bella.
Danica wanted to laugh along with the girls but she was so tired. Her eyelids started to get heavy and mind began to fog. She was barely aware that she was swaying in her seat. Stone cold arms caught her up before she smashed into the floor. The last thing she remember before slipping into darkness were the eyes of an angel.
An: Sorry if there are mistakes, I haven't really proof read it as much as I usually do.
But any way... tell me what you think!
Oh yeah!!! Go to my profile to see my side show of Pale Angel characters!
