Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I am just one of her nameless victims.
EPOV
The flight to Italy had been tedious. Not only had I been surrounded by the inane, internal chatterings of the humans around me, but I was also a bit tortured by the smell of their blood, made that much more potent in such a small, confined space. Nothing unmanageable, of course. I'd had decades of practice. I found the needed diversions in my family's thoughts.
Alice had further visions of Italy after the initial bombardment from three days earlier. But they were less frequent and much more manageable. Most of the newer visions concerned her directly.
Carlisle and I had been analyzing her initial premonitions, trying to decipher the details contained in them, and hoping they held a clue as to what Demetri needed from us. The visions, however, were broken and in no discernable order. There always seemed to be a piece missing, a void. We believed, perhaps, the void was centered around another vampire. Each time a vision would begin to lead its subject in the direction of a particular voice, or a promised glance of this vampire, the vision would abruptly end. I had grown extremely frustrated with this fact.
Alice, on the other hand, had grown excited and could barely contain herself. One of her recent premonitions had been of another vampire, a man, which she had been envisioning for years. She, as well as Esme, had all but begun planning this poor, unaware, gentleman's wedding to my sister. The two of them were lost in thoughts of courtship, love, and all the sentimental ideals that accompanied finding 'The One', as they had come to refer to him.
Poor bastard, I chuckled internally.
The Florence - Peretola Airport although crowded, offered some relief from the thirst that had built inside of me during the flight. Our travel preperations had included a much needed hunt before departing Washington but I could read in my family's thoughts that the flight had been just as uncomfortable for them. We would all need to feed again that evening.
As we drove the distance between Florence and Monteaperti, I took in all the breathtaking views of the countryside. It was truly magnificent. The rolling hills, green as far as the eye could see. Emerald peeks meeting the azure of the Tuscan sky. And Sunshine.
Having spent the last three years in Forks, Washington, the Sun was something rarely seen. Like a nomad, showing his face briefly and then disappearing for an indeterminable length of time. Clouds and rain were constant companions in Forks, overpowering and driving the Sun to places unseen. I missed the sunshine. It's brightness, it's warmth on my cold skin, the way it bathed the world in color.
Before long we had arrived at our destination, the Bollai's home. It was a grand villa situated amongst the hills. As the grand home rose up from the green, the faded red of the brick contrasted against the blue sky. In the distant, a small, unassuming, white barn or stable stood out. I knew that structure all too well. Just another of Alice's visions, come to life. I had an overwhelming sense of desire to rush to the building, to uncover the secrets that lay inside, secrets that held my future, the future of my family.
I focused my abilities on the stable, trying to determine what hidden thoughts might lie inside. I heard no one, only emptiness.
We exited the confines of the vehicle and began removing our luggage from the rear. Alice, being Alice, had over packed as usual, this time using the excuse of meeting the 'man of her dreams' and needing to be prepared for the encounter. We avoided pointing out the fact that she always packed in this manner. The staggering amount of luggage this woman brought along resulted in us having to rent a Porshe Cayenne Turbo S. I would have preferred the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider. Alice sometimes chided me for my enthusiasm and appreciation of automobiles. She often commented that my love for cars was a poor substitute for the 'Real Deal', whatever that meant.
We left the bulk of our, well Alice's, luggage at the foot of one of the stairways leading to the entrance of the home. Each of us carried two bags, one in each hand. We began asending the stairs, Alice just ahead of me, Carlisle and Esme in front. We decidely took the stairs at a human speed, so not to frighten or arouse the curiosity of any humans the Bollai's may employee. As we reached the midway point, Alice turned to me.
"Edward, I almost forgot. The red bag," she began as she motioned towards the insurmountable pile of luggage we had just left, "It has my makeup inside and I need to freshen up ASAP. Please be a doll and grab that one for me as well," she begged.
I sighed and began descending the stairs we had just come up. That evil pixie better be glad I love her, I thought to myself. I found comfort in the fact that soon my appointed position as Alice's Personal Assistant would be coming to an end, replaced by that poor sap she was plotting to snag by the balls the first chance she got. I hoped, for his sake, he had some sort of ability to see the future as well. If he did, he would have been running to the farthest reaches of the Earth at that very moment to avoid a future of servitude.
What's so humorous, Edward? Esme inquired of me through her thoughts.
I glanced up to see her looking down at me from her position on the stairs. I realized I had been grinning outwardly as a result of my thoughts. I shrugged, my grin growing even more pronounced.
Be nice. She instructed.
I nodded slightly as I took hold of the bag Alice had requested. I, once again, began ascending the stairs just as Carlisle had begun to knock on the door at the top.
After a moment, the door was pulled open from the inside. I was unable to see who stood on the inside, bidding us greetings, but the voice I heard was unmistakable. It had been the voice from Alice's vision. It was the voice that I had found myself yearning to hear, needing desperately to hear, since Alice's first visions. I closed my eyes involuntarily as I relished in the melodic tone of it.
"You're finally here!" the voice announced with great enthusiasm. "I'm Isabella, mom and dad have told me so much about you. Please come in."
Silence.
I opened my eyes to ascertain what had caused my family's momentary lapse of composure. What had caused their thought processes to be scattered for a mere two seconds leaving them physically stunned.
Two seconds was exactly how long it took. Two seconds for the distinct fragrance of human blood to hit me. Two seconds for me to acknowledge the scent emanating from behind the door as being the most desirable scent I had ever experienced in my existence. Two seconds for me to realize the vampire Carlisle and I had imagined, was in fact, a very human girl.
"Hello, Isabella. It's so very nice to meet you," I heard Esme respond.
My family began filing into the house, finally allowing me a vantage point from which to see the girl, to see the vision that had been eluding us, finally materialized.
As if her voice, her scent hadn't been beaconing enough, her overwhelming beauty drew me forward. I had traveled the world, seen all the beauties and wonders it had to offer. But never had I stood before a more perfectly formed creature in all my existence.
The girl before me had a petite frame, perhaps 5'4". Her body flowed and curved as if carved from the finest of marble by a great artist. She wore a white cotton sundress that hugged her form, accentuating those curves. Mahogany hair flowed over her bare shoulders in loose curls, glistening and contrasting against her flawless ivory skin. Her skin begged me to touch, to stroke, to taste. I had unknowingly began to lean towards her.
Edward! Alice's thoughts broke me out of my trance; you can't eat the hosts' daughter. That would be rude. We'd never be invited anywhere again. Knock it off! She practically yelled towards me with her thoughts.
I half smiled at Alice as I chanced one last glance of the girl.
She had moved to the side to allow entrance into the house. A look of confusion on her face, in response to my reaction towards her, I assumed. Her eyes locked with mine. Brown eyes framed by delicate thick lashes. Her eyes sparkled; in them I could see wonder, happiness, curiosity. Her eyes were truly the windows to her soul, it seemed. I imagined I could gaze into those eyes for an eternity and never fully come to know all the secrets that lay behind them. Good thing I had exactly that. An eternity.
My family had all entered the house, all still stunned by the recent developments, all wearing looks of concern while staring at me. Carlisle broke the awkward silence and in effect, the trance those eyes held me in.
"Pardon me, Isabella, did you say mom and dad?" I heard Carlisle inquire of the girl. His tone filled with confusion.
"I take it I'm not, um," Isabella paused, apparently trying to find the right words, "Expected?" she finished, glancing at me apologetically.
Carlisle let out a bit of a chuckle at her statement.
"Not exactly," he said. "Your parents have left a lot to the imagination with their invitation. But this," he motioned his hand up and down, drawing attention to Isabella's presence, her magnificent form, "was definitely not something we would have imagined. Perhaps you know something of why they invited us here?"
Isabella gave Carlisle an unsure smile. She seemed confused by his words.
"You are here for the anniversary party tomorrow night, aren't you?" she questioned.
Isabella apparently knew nothing of Demetri and Heidi's plans for my family. I could see it in her eyes.
"Of course," Esme responded quickly, cheerfully. "Please excuse my husband's lapse of memory. It was a long flight after all." She winked and smiled at Isabella.
Isabella returned the smile, seemingly unconvinced. But she didn't press the matter.
"I completely understand. I took the same flight 2 days ago. Absolutely miserable," Isabella informed us.
"Why don't you follow me? I'm sure we would all be more comfortable in the living room," Isabella instructed us as she began to make her way across the foyer towards another room.
My eyes followed her, drifting down her body. The hem of her white dress shifted as she moved gracefully towards her destination. Her beautiful bare legs moved in tandem with the sway of her dress. Again her creamy skin, screaming for my caresses, tempted me to taste. Isabella, my Bella, would surely be sweet against my tongue.
Edward! My family seemed to scream towards me, all in unison.
Son, are you all right? Can you control your thirst? Should we go hunt immediately? They questioned me all at once. Ha, if only it was a minor bout of thirst I had to deal with.
Their overt concern was too much for my mind to handle at that moment. Had I been that obvious? I quickly searched for my voice.
"I'm sorry Bell…Isabella," I quickly recovered. "Do you mind telling me where I can put our bags while you show the rest of my family to the living room?"
"I'm sorry, of course. I'm afraid it's not often we have visitors," Isabella explained, addressing all in the room. A small chuckle escaped from her soft, pink lips. I longed to feel the warmth of those lips pressed to mine.
She moved towards me as she began her explanation of our having the entire second floor at our disposal. She had closed the distance between us and reached for Alice's damned red bag. Her hand brushed against mine in the process. In that instant, I flew to the other side of the room with vampire speed before she realized what had happened. Before I, myself had realized what had happened.
"I didn't…I'm sorry…I just wanted to..." Isabella stuttered, trying to find the words. Fear, confusion, concern, remorse all flashed in her sparkling eyes as she attempted to apologize for my own rude behavior. Again with the fucking eyes. I needed to get a grip. What the hell was happening to me? Why was this insignificant human girl affecting me this way?
"Please don't apol...I…I just didn't expect…what I mean is…" I sounded like a babbling fool trying to get the words to come out of my mouth, "Sorry." I ended.
I'm such an idiot! I thought to myself.
Esme had moved to Isabella's side and placed her arm around her shoulders.
"Please, please think nothing of it, dear," Esme said, "It was just a very long flight. I promise, you are in no danger from us," Esme looked towards me and continued, "Edward, why don't you and Carlisle go ahead and take care of the luggage. We girls will just be in the living room getting to know one another."
Esme's arm remained around Isabella's shoulders as the three of them began heading back towards the living room.
Carlisle joined me at my side. Are you all right, son? He inquired of me with his thoughts.
"Yes," I responded simply.
Hunger? He asked.
If only it had been that simple of a reason. What do I say to him? There were no words to describe how she made me feel. Hunger, sure. But hunger was the least of my worries. I wanted to touch her, to feel her body against mine, the heat from her washing over me. I wanted to spend an eternity lost in those fucking eyes, feel those exquisite legs wrapped around me, hear that angelic voice call out my name. I wanted to drown in her scent. I wanted to taste every inch of her, her shoulders, her lips, her neck.
I was going insane! I knew what I was. I knew full well what she was. To attempt any of these things would only lead to her death. There would be no way, no force strong enough, to keep me from ending her life, from feasting on her blood. Venom had begun to flow in my mouth at the very thought.
Edward, answer me, Carlisle demanded bringing me out of my fantasy.
"I'll be fine now. Let's just get the bags and I will explain later," I said, trying to buy more time. With Isabella in the other room I was able to gain control of myself.
Carlisle and I had begun the task of relocating Alice's luggage. Having detected no scent of any other humans in the house, we were able to use our normal strength and speed to accomplish the chore quickly. We had placed all the bags in the hall just outside of the bedroom doors. We knew better than to choose rooms of our own before Alice was able to make her selection.
"Let's join the others, shall we?" Carlisle said.
I chuckled, "Yeah I can't wait for the explanation of how exactly Demetri and Heidi happen to be mother and father to a human."
"It's sure to be interesting no doubt of that," Carlisle replied. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine. The flight, the surprise, all of it, I suppose," I half-heartedly explained, "I've got it under control now." I wondered if he was falling for my weak explanations.
"Yes," he said, "Isabella is quite beautiful, isn't she."
I looked at him with my mouth ajar. He burst into laughter.
Perhaps Demetri and I should work with you on your technique. Teach you the proper way to approach the ladies. He teased me with his thoughts while still laughing.
"Very funny," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. It was the only response I could manage.
I turned from him to start towards the staircase. He followed closely behind, his laughing having faded to snickering. I sighed as I began to make my way down the stairs, towards the living room, towards Bella.
BPOV
I loved my school. I absolutely adored the U.S. But nothing compared to home, the friends I grew up with here, my parents, and my best friend, Ash. The clean air, the peacefulness, the beauty of the Italian countryside, I had missed so much. My family and I had traveled the world but there was never a feeling that compared to the one I would feel upon returning home.
"They should be here anytime now, Ash," I informed the horse standing in the stall in front of me.
Ash had been my fifth birthday present from my parents. The most beautiful pony I had ever seen. We had grown up together. She knew everything about me and I her. When I was away from her, I always felt as though a piece of me were missing. She was the first thing I ran to upon arriving home three days ago and the first thing I had to see the next morning upon waking up.
I had spent my first morning home with Ash. I groomed her, rode her, told her all my secrets, and explained to her the events of daily life at boarding school. I had also been informing her of the visitors that were on the way. The Cullens.
After 16 years, the only vampires I knew were my parents and Jasper. My parents had always sheltered me from their own kind, always explaining the dangers and the laws that governed vampires. I was their secret. One they would protect to the death. So I had always been fearful, yet curious about other vampires. I was just as excited, as I was scared, to meet the Cullens. But their visit also raised many questions in my mind.
Since my arrival home, my mother and father had been acting suspiciously. I knew they were hiding something from me and I was determined to discover what that might be.
I was certain whatever they were hiding involved the strange vampire family they had invited to our home. I knew this was more than an invitation extended to old friends to an anniversary party. There were never secrets in my family so I was certain that whatever my parents were hiding had to be something that could possibly change my life forever.
"Why now, Ash? They haven't seen the Cullens in decades. How can they be certain they won't rat us out to the Volturi? It just doesn't make sense, if you ask me," I confided my worries to her as I lovingly stroked her nuzzle. "How do they even know the Cullens can be trusted not to hurt me, or worse, you? Feeding on innocent animals. Horrible! Don't you worry, girl, I won't let them hurt you," I vowed to her with cooing tones.
There was a bright side looming on the horizon, however. Jasper was set to arrive tomorrow. I was terribly excited to see him. I hadn't seen him in five years. During those five years, we did manage to keep in constant contact. By letter or by phone call, we were always there for one another.
I had known Jasper my entire life. He had always been like a big brother to me. He had lived with us throughout my childhood but left to, as he put it, 'broaden his knowledge of the world'. I knew better. I suspected Jasper had grown lonely, having bared witness to my parents love for one another over the years. I suspected he left in search of the one thing missing from his life – true love.
I often romanticized to him about how a woman, his soul mate, existed out there, somewhere in the world. I would describe to him how I pictured her sitting in a dimly lit pub, just waiting for him to walk through the door. I pictured him crossing the room in her direction, her asking him what took him so long, and him sweeping her off her feet. He just laughed half-heartedly and simply asked if I happened to remember the name of the bar. I guess you could say that I had recently become your average, hormone-driven teenager.
I had begun dating boys from a neighboring school this past year. The combined emotions of excitement and nervousness of a first date was something I had become addicted to. I had never accepted a second invitation from a boy after that first encounter. I restricted myself to the first date alone, never feeling the desire to move beyond what I considered the ultimate experience of the First Kiss, at the end of the night. Nothing compared.
Most of my school friends had already moved into steady relationships with boys. But an extended relationship just didn't interest me at that time in my life. The other girls around me would comment often on my lack of a boyfriend. They could never understand that I wanted nothing more than to simply live in the moment, feel that single human emotion over and over again for as long as I could. They could never understand, that because of who I was, that because of what my parents were, the prospect of experiencing all these human experiences could be ripped from me in a single moment.
The distinct crunch of a car traveling down our gravel drive brought me out of my daydream. The Cullens had arrived.
I quickly closed and secured Ash's stall door. I placed a light kiss on her nose.
"See you tomorrow, girl. Love you." I said to her.
At that moment, a stabbing pain shot through my head. I leaned against the side of Ash's stall waiting for it to subside. It was a familiar pain. One I had experienced a handful of times after convincing Jasper to try out his powers on me. After a few seconds, the pain disappeared.
"Well, Ash, apparently someone in the Cullen family is trying to be nosey," I said, "I really hate when they do that without asking," I added with a halfhearted chuckle.
After regaining my composure, I started out of the barn quickly, headed to the back entrance of the house. I couldn't wait to meet the Cullens and start uncovering whatever it was that my parents were hiding from me.
I entered the house through the kitchen and continued down the hall that led to the foyer, stopping along the way to check my reflection in the mirror hanging in the hall. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair bringing it forward to fall over my shoulders.
First impressions and all, I thought to myself.
"Not bad, Bells," I muttered to myself, using the nickname that had been bestowed upon me by my classmates.
I heard a knock at the door and went to open it. What lay on the other side of the door took me by surprise. Standing in front of me were three of the most beautiful beings I had ever seen in my sixteen short years.
The two vampires in front, obviously the oldest of the grouping, I immediately assumed to be Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Dr. Cullen was a statuesque man, maybe six feet tall, blonde hair, neatly combed back from his brow. Mrs. Cullen was about my height with chestnut hair that flowed in soft waves to just below her collar. In the background, I guessed, was their daughter, Alice. She appeared to be around the same age as I. She wasn't quite as tall as me, with short, black hair that stuck out in all directions.
They were all very beautiful but the most striking thing about them was their eyes. Their eyes shone golden in the sunlight, a remarkable shade of Topaz. I had been expecting the same crimson as my parents and Jaspers.
"You're finally here!" I exclaimed, perhaps a bit too excitedly, "I'm Isabella, my mom and dad have told me so much about you. Please come in."
I moved to the side to allow them entrance to the home. They made no move to enter however. As I quickly tried to figure out what I may have said or done to cause their hesitation, a fourth vampire appeared behind them all. I immediately knew it must be their son Edward. I caught a glimpse of chaotic bronze hair visible over Alice's head. He was standing a step or two below where Alice stood, which did not allow me a clear view.
Esme was the one to finally break the awkward silence.
"Hello, Isabella. It's so very nice to meet you," Esme stated.
They all wore a look of bewilderment on their faces but eventually managed forced smiles of greeting and began entering through the door. As they passed me, one-by-one, I was finally able to get a view of their son.
He was, to say the least, absolutely breathtaking. I felt my heart jump into my throat at the sight of him. He was taller than Carlisle, with a slender, yet solid build. His messy bronze hair was nothing short of spectacular, falling over his brow in places. The features of his face were strong and angular. And then there were his golden eyes.
Oh. My. God. The hormonal teenage in me, took hold of me reasoning.
As soon as his eyes met mine, his facial features contorted and turned into what can only be described as a look of hunger. He glared at me menacingly for the briefest of seconds. Then, just as quickly as his face had turned to one of a monster, his features once again transformed into a look of…I wasn't sure…desire, maybe? Yes, desire. The same look I noticed on the many boys who had tried to woo me at school. I grinned hugely on the inside at the thought of a First Kiss with Edward.
Are you mad? He's a vampire! What are you suicidal, Bells? I yelled to myself.
They had all entered the home. I was closing the door behind them, trying to figure out what I might have said or done to cause their confusion, when Carlisle began to speak.
"Pardon me, Isabella, did you say mom and dad?" he inquired of me.
Wonderful. It appeared my darling parents had left out that small, insignificant detail when they invited the Cullens. I suddenly felt bad for them. This had to be a greater shock to them than it was for me. Well, let's just hope none of them are hungry.
"I take it I'm not, um," I paused, "Expected?"
Carlisle chuckled.
"Not exactly," he said. "Your parents have left a lot to the imagination with their invitation. But this," he motioned his hand up and down, towards me, "was definitely not something we would have imagined. Perhaps you know something of why they invited us here?"
"You are here for the anniversary party tomorrow night, aren't you?" I questioned. I was confused and then I realized I had been correct in thinking my parents had ulterior motives when they had extended an invitation to the Cullens.
"Of course," Esme responded quickly, cheerfully. "Please excuse my husband's lapse of memory. It was a long flight after all." She winked and smiled at me.
"I completely understand. I took the same flight two days ago. Absolutely miserable," I said, trying to find a way to alleviate some of their discomfort.
"Why don't you follow me? I'm sure we would all be more comfortable in the living room," I said, as I motioned for them to follow me.
"Where are my manners? I'm Esme, this is Carlisle, Alice, and Edward," Esme explained as she pointed out each member of her family to me.
"Very nice to meet all of you. My parents are out attending to some last minute party arrangements but should be arriving back shortly," I informed them.
We began making our way towards the living room when I noticed all their attentions had suddenly shifted towards Edward. Understandable, as I was trying to figure out ways to give him some of my own undivided attentions. I would love an opportunity to run my fingers through that hair, touch that gorgeous face, and stare into those golden eyes for an immeasurable length of time.
Damn it, those eyes. I would consider breaking my one-date-only rule just for another chance to be able to gaze into those eyes for a while. I would probably consider breaking many other rules with that boy.
Ha! You can forget that dream. Definitely NOT a possibility! Vampire, remember? Shit! I chastised myself, trying to gain control of that hormonal teen once again.
"I'm sorry Bell…Isabella," he finally spoke, his tone strained, "Do you mind telling me where I can put our bags while you show the rest of my family to the living room?"
Great. Just when I thought he couldn't possibly get any sexier, he speaks. His voice was low and quiet. His tone was strained but calming. I could imagine him whispering in my ear with that voice, brushing his sensual lips against my lobe, the feel of his breath washing over me.
GET A GRIP! I yelled to myself.
"I'm sorry, of course. I'm afraid it's not often we have visitors," I quickly explained to them trying to apologize for being a horrible hostess. I suppose I had been rude in not offering to take care of their luggage sooner. But then again, their son did have me quite flustered in my thought processes.
"You all will have the entire second floor of the east wing to yourselves. Please choose any room you'd like," I began explaining the accommodations to them as I closed the distance between Edward and me, "We have a maid that comes to clean three times a week. Gianna. Umm, she's human and doesn't know..."
I reached Edward and had leaned forward to take a red bag from his hand. As I reached forward, my hand lightly brushed against his. In an instant, he disappeared. A light breeze blew against my face. I drew in a deep breath, anticipating my worse fears to come to life in that moment. I began imagining teeth sinking into the skin at my throat. Would it be quick? Would there be pain?
I looked up and saw Edward standing across the room with a look of bewilderment on his face. I exhaled sharply realizing that my life was not about to end. Suddenly, I felt guilty for assuming the worst of our guests.
"I didn't…I'm sorry…I just wanted to..." I stammered.
"Please don't apol...I…I just didn't expect…what I mean is…" Edward blurted out, trying to apologize, "Sorry," he ended with a sigh.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Esme had come to stand beside me. She placed her arm around my shoulders in an attempt to calm and reassure me.
"Please, please think nothing of it, dear," Esme said, "It was just a very long flight. I promise, you are in no danger from us." She sounded as though she were embarrassed by her son's behavior.
"Edward, why don't you and Carlisle go ahead and take care of the luggage. We girls will just be in the living room getting to know one another," Esme instructed Edward.
With Esme's arm still wrapped around my shoulders, I turned and continued leading her and Alice towards the living room, leaving Edward and Carlisle to their task.
Well, this is definitely going to be interesting, I said to myself.
Question: Umm the Sun? Hello! While I love the imaginings of a certain sparkly peen just as much as the next girl, in my story they just don't. It was critical to the story to be able to have Bella and Edward interact during the day, in public, at times. Thus, burned by the sun-Myth. Sparkly peens-Myth (damn it all to hell!). Sorry guys. Forgive?
Reviews keep me going. That, and gallons of coffee.