Thank you everyone for your support! I want to announce a shout-out to the people who reviewed my last chapter; VampWolf92, ChocolatSugar, and Sefaltreal! I can't tell you all how much those reviews mean to me :D Anyway here is the next chapter. The big ass baggage that Gabby carries around is opened as the Cullens ask her about her former life.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Twilight. By the way, anyone else think it's funny that Kristen Stewart allegedly cheated on Rob?

Chapter 4: New Questions

"If all our life is but a dream
Fantastic posing greed
Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea
For diamonds do appear to be
Just like broken glass to me"

~Northern Downpour, Panic! At the Disco

Wuthering Heights. The Taming of the Shrew. A Brief History of Time. The Da Vinci Code. I sit in Carlisle's library, staring at the immense wall of shelves stuffed with books, everything from first edition Jane Austens to the latest medical journals and publications. I'm trying to understand everything that he's told me so far.

The Cullens are not normal vampires. Their eyes are glaring evidence to that. They manage to survive solely on animal blood; something that I thought would not be capable considering what they are.

Carlisle is sitting behind his solid oak desk, leaning onto the surface on his elbows with his hands clasped together in front of the wall of books. In his light blue pull-over sweater and with his hair brushed back, he practically screams doctor, something that he just so happens to be, despite his….condition. He looks patiently at me, allowing me time to absorb all of this information.

He told me about how each Cullen joined the coven….er… family, as he describes it, including himself and how he managed to figure out a rather peaceful way of survival after several failed suicide attempts.

When he spoke of two other clan…family…members, Emmett and Rosalie, my jaw dropped. Apparently, they were on their eighth honeymoon in Paris. This group was an extremely large one, bigger than any that I had heard of that lived peacefully together. Not that I knew of many. My brother and I had come across a couple covens in the twenty years that we've lived, but none were bigger than three and they were nomadic.

The Cullens were definitely an odd bunch. They did not roam like most of their kind prefer. Instead, they chose 'main-streaming,' as Carlisle called it, and attempt to blend in with the humans. One of the rare exceptions was Bella and her rebirth into vampirism, which Carlisle briefly mentioned in his story of Renesmee's origin. This house is apparently a permanent one.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," he says. He leans back into his chair, as if bracing for my immediate questions, but I seem to be at a loss for words.

"Yes," I agree. "It is."

"Gabriella," he begins.

"Gabby is fine, Carlisle," I say, almost shyly. I always felt that my name was such a mouthful. I much preferred the shortened version of it.

He smiles. "Alright, Gabby." He takes a breath in, as if not knowing how to continue. " As you probably understand, there is a lot happening that I do not understand."

I nod after a moment. "You're wondering why I was on your territory?"

"Yes. But there's more to it than that. The vampire that had been following you had not only beaten you almost to a comatose state, but was drinking your blood. This is of the utmost concern to my family, especially since my granddaughter is also a hybrid."

I realize that my fingers are brushing against the almost completely faded bite mark on my neck. I quickly jerk them down and fiddle with a loose string on the hem of my tank top. "I don't know anything about that." I say quietly. "I didn't even know that was possible. Not that I was ever exposed to vampires in the first place."

He looks quizzically at me. "What do you mean?"

"I've lived the majority of my life moving from town to town to avoid suspicions. It would be a bit odd, usually in secluded areas. My home is in the Appalachians in Pennsylvania in a town called Asheboro. Well, it was my home anyway."

"And you lived with your mother and brother?"

My eyebrows furrow. "Yes. My twin brother, Roman. How did you know about them?"

Carlisle smiles weakly. "We saw your sketchbook, and I just assumed the people in it were your family."

I flush. I'm very private about my artwork.

"I'm truly sorry Gabriella. We just wanted to know a little more about you. I promise we don't usually do that kind of thing."

"It's okay, Carlisle. I understand." After all, he did open his home and put his family in danger by allowing a stranger to recuperate in the extra bedroom.

"So," he continues. "Roman is your twin?" He looks confused as he says the words slowly.

I take a moment to reply. "Yes."

"When Bella was still human, her rather unexpected pregnancy with Renesmee was extremely traumatic. She was at the brink of death in the end and the only way to save her was to turn her." He stops for a silent second. "Is your mother a vampire now?"

"No, God no," I say, almost in relief. Then I remember who I'm talking to. "No offense," I quickly add.

"None taken." He runs a hand through his blonde hair. "I'm just wondering how she managed to survive the birth of two hybrids at the same time without being turned."

I've never asked my mother about our births and she's never mentioned it in detail. She would give vague descriptions of the day of our birth, like it was 'the happiest day of her life.' It never crossed my mind that we were an exceptionally strong set of babies, although I suppose it makes sense. If what Carlisle says about Bella is true, then that must have been a lie for our sakes.

"We've never really discussed our births," I say.

He nods, unblinking. "Is your father still around?"

I stare at him, speechless. I'm not angry or surprised that he mentioned my father. Just dumbstruck. I never knew what to say when it came to my absentee-dad.

"Never knew him," I answer simply. "I don't even know what he looks like."

"I'm sorry for intruding. I don't mean to ask anything personal." The look on his features is genuinely apologetic. "What can I say, I'm an extremely curious individual."

I smile. "It's fine. Ask anything and I'll answer it to the best of my abilities."

"There is one thing that I've been dying to ask you."

Instead of Carlisle's low and soothing voice, I turn from my position on the leather chase opposite of the desk and see Edward, clad in a cream cashmere sweater rolled up to his elbows, jeans, and a pair of worn Doc Martens leaning against the door frame. His eyes still blaze like magma as they stare into mine.

"Anything," I repeat.

"Well, a few things really, but this has been bothering me since the night we found you." He takes a breath in. "Are you a shield?"

A what? I'm stunned. "A shield?" I ask. "I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Gabby," Carlisle interjects. "Do you possess any special abilities?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so. I can run faster than most hybrids can, if that counts. My brother had all the talent in our family. He was a telepath."

"Really?" They say in unison.

Edward is the first to speak. "Renesmee is also. She can portray her thoughts through physical contact, although she is working on projecting them without touch."

My jaw drops for the second time. "Renesmee is a telepath?"

"Yes," he continues. "And I believe that you are a shield, like Bella is."

"What Edward means by shield," Carlisle continues, "is that you have the capabilities of protecting your mind from mental assaults."

"Mental assaults?The only thing I've experienced that sounds like what you're describing is Roman's telepathy. He projects images and thoughts to me all of the time, even over long distances."

"Yes, well. Some vampires and hybrids have…talents. Some might even go as far as to call them powers. Like your brother's ability."

"And like me." Edward is grinning at me now. "I can read minds."

My mouth opens a bit. I wonder what thoughts he has heard of mine, or if he was able to watch my dreams while I was unconscious.

"Don't worry," he says, sensing my bewilderment. "I can't read yours."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Edward cocks his head to the side. I laugh. "Sorry, I'm just glad that I still have the privacy of my thoughts."

He joins me in laughing. "Believe me. I wish I didn't hear everyone's thoughts. Especially living in a house with my entire family. But there are two exceptions to my so-called gift." He holds his index finger up. "One, Bella." He holds another up. "And you."

My eyes grow wider. "So I do have an ability?"

"We believe so," Carlisle says. "Has anything happened to you that you couldn't explain? Some sort of odd occurrence that was never answered?" He pauses. "Besides the obvious, of course." His mouth twists into a weak smile.

I begin to shake my head, but then it hits me. "Once," I begin. " It was like the world had turned blue. Everything that I saw had changed color. And the vampires couldn't see or hear me, like I wasn't even there." Carlisle and Edward listen intently to my story. "I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, this blue light went away and everything was normal again."

"You were around other vampires?" Edward asks, his eyebrows raised.

I take a deep breath in. "My home was attacked by three vampires. That's why I left. Why I happened to come into your territory after a month and a half of trying to get away from them."

"What happened to your family?" I hear a small voice ask from behind Edward. Renesmee steps out from around him, almost shyly.

"Renesmee," her father scolds. "Now is not the time to be inappropriate."

"My mother was killed." I tell her. My voice hitches. I can feel my breathing coming in quick bursts and my eyes begin to brim with tears. I look down at the Persian carpet. I've never said those words before, and hearing them out loud hits me like a ton of bricks. My mother is gone. I will never see her again.

Even though my throat is constricting, and I know that if I continue speaking, I'll cry, I say, "My brother was taken by the vampires. I thought that he was dead until a few days ago, when Carlisle and Edward found me." By now, tears are falling down my face. The drops land on the soft fabric of my pajama shorts and leave moist circles

"And now I'm alone. I have nowhere to go, and no one to go to." My sadness evolves into anger as I continue speaking. "All thanks to fucking vampires."

My hand flies to my mouth. I usually don't cuss. Especially when I'm surrounded by the very beings that I currently loathe with every fiber of my body. "I'm sorry." I say quietly.

Renesmee's brown eyes are wide. Edward begins to push her gently out of the library. "No, dad." Her hand brushes his forearm and she looks intently into his eyes. From what they've told me about Renesmee's telepathic abilities, the two had just exchanged a mental conversation.

Edward backs up a bit, allowing her to enter the room. She moves to sit beside me on the leather chase. The faint scent of strawberries lingers in her presence. "I'm so sorry," she says. "And I'm sorry for my behavior towards you. It wasn't right and that's not who I am."

I sniffle once, and I can feel my face flush red. I hate crying in front of people, and this is just embarrassing. "It's okay, Renesmee. Really. Your family has been nothing but kind to me and I can't thank you all enough for everything that you've done. I just-"

She cuts me off. "It's not enough. That's why I think that you should stay here."

What? Stay? Here? I barely know these people. I can't just live with them.

"Renesmee, I can't ask your family to do that for me."

"Ness is right." I glance at Edward, whose mouth is twisted into a half smile. "Gabriella can't be out on her own anyway. It's far too dangerous."

I open my mouth, prepared to decline their offer. But no words come out. I'm completely speechless at these vampires' generosity. This is far more than I would have ever expected from their kind.

Carlisle nods his head. "I think that would be the best thing for you, Gabby."

"Carlisle, I can't stay." I find my voice again and continue. "I don't want to be a burden on any of you."

"Believe me," Edward interjects. "We have plenty of space and funds necessary to sustain our group as well as you, Gabriella. You're not a burden."

"It's not just that," I say almost in a whisper. "I need to find my brother."

"Your brother?" Carlisle asks.

I nod. "He's still alive."

"Do you know where he is?" Renesmee chimes in.

"No." I look back down at my lap. "When I was dying, I saw him. I thought that I was hallucinating, but I believe that he was communicating with me."

"Communicating? Is he a telepath?" I forget that Renesmee missed our previous conversation.

"Yes. And he told me that he was alive. I'm the only one who knows about him, and I need to find him. I can't just betray my twin like that."

There's silence for a moment. Nobody knows what to say. Carlisle is the first to speak. "Gabby, what is your plan for finding your brother?"

My gaze turns toward him. "I…I don't know yet."

"I think," he begins, selecting his words carefully, "that you should stay here, at least until you're well enough to be on your own physically and mentally, as well as until it is safe for you. With a coven as large as ours, any vampire would be immediately intimidated."

He pauses and allows his words to sink in. "And for your brother, I too would like to get to the bottom of this. Not only for your sake, but for the safety of my family." He glances towards Renesmee as he says the words. "If hybrids are being hunted, it is an important issue.

"In short, My family would be pleased if you stayed. In the mean time, we would be happy to help you find Roman as well as any others that these vampires may have taken." The look he wears is completely serious.

"Carlisle…I…just…" I mumble, not knowing how to process what he is saying. He is offering me a place to stay, help finding my brother, and ultimately a safe haven from the vampires. How could I say no to that? "Thank you, Carlisle. Thank you all."

I intake my breath sharply as Renesmee wraps her arms around my shoulders in an embrace. I sit, wondering how her mood changed so sharply in the past few hours. But then again, when I was developing, my mood was also rather erratic.

She pulls away and I smile at her. It's genuine. One of the first that I've given since leaving my old life behind.

"So I guess we're housemates now," she says, returning my grin.

"I guess so."

Edward coughs from the doorframe, centering our attention on him. "Renesmee, could you go and change the sheets on Gabriella's bed?"

She nods, leaving the room. As she walks out, she calls over her shoulder, "Alice and I are coming back to give you the grand tour, Gabby!"

Edward shuts the door to the room, but I know that any vampire or hybrid in this house could hear our conversation anyway.

"There is another thing that I wanted to talk with you both about" Edward says.

Carlisle nods in knowing and then looks in my direction.

"Gabby," Edward begins. "You know that I drank your blood?"

My eyes squint as I recall the other night. Much was a black blur, but I did remember Edward's cold mouth pressed against my neck. I nod.

"Well, it's had a strange effect on me. And don't let this next part scare you, but your blood is the most potent that I have ever tasted." He runs a hand quickly through his tousled auburn hair. He adds, "and I've had a decent amount of human blood."

I gasp and I feel my eyes grow wide. "What does this mean?"

"We believe that hybrid blood is a much more powerful…stimulant, if you will, for vampires," Carlisle says. "Edward's ability to read minds has been amplified since ingesting your blood, and as you may have noticed, his eyes are startlingly bright."

"I can read minds up to five miles away, now." Edward pinches the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. "It's extremely annoying. You wouldn't believe the things people think about." He smiles briefly. "And it's harder for me to control my strength. I broke two door knobs in the past day."

"You also shine brighter in the sunlight," Carlisle adds.

Edward rolls his eyes. "Yes. That too. I feel so…alive."

Carlisle and I exchange a hesitant glance towards each other. "I think it's safe to say that your blood has had a very odd effect on Edward indeed." Carlisle shifts in his seat and leans back. "We did not believe it was plausible to be able to consume hybrid blood, but apparently it is, and it's happening. You're proof to that, Gabby."

Just then, Renesmee flits back into the room, brushing past Edward. "You ready for the grand Cullen tour?" she smiles at me. "Alice is rolling out the red carpet as we speak."

"Sure." I stand and she loops her arm through mine, about to lead me into the hall.

"Oh, one last thing," Carlisle calls. "It's probably best to tell Gabriella about Jacob."

Suddenly, a million images are projected into my mind. A russet skinned man is the star of all of them. His dark hair glistens under the warm sun and his chocolate eyes light up as he smiles. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he grins. Laugh lines are becoming evident on his well defined features. His nose is a straight line and his jaw is strong. His body is built and his muscles are evident, even under a simple black t-shirt and jeans. I feel my heart thud just looking at the man. He's running towards Renesmee, and he leaps into the air. And as if from straight out of a horror movie, a wolf burst from inside of this man. His clothes are shredded, no longer capable of containing the giant wolf that he has morphed into. His humongous paws hit the ground with a reverberating thud, and he continues racing along, his russet fur coat gleaming under the sun's rays.

Renesmee abruptly pulls away from me, removing her arm from my own. "Sorry," she says, her face flushing a vibrant red. "You weren't suppose to see those."

Edward sighs. "Jacob is a shapeshifter, as you saw in Ness's thoughts. He is of Native American descent, which is where he gets the gene from. He, as well as the other members of his pack and the Quileute tribe in La Push, Washington, have the ability to shift into wolves at will."

I raise my eyebrows. "Like a werewolf?"

"Not a werewolf," Renesmee immediately responds. "They're completely different."

"I'm sure he'll explain in a more in-depth manner when he returns," Carlisle says. "It's important to know that he is around our home very frequently. I don't want his presence startling you."

I shake my head, still a little dazed about the thought of shapeshifters. "I'm completely fine." I was lying. I wasn't the least bit fine. Seeing this Jacob in my mind was having a strange effect on me. The man sent waves of butterflies to my stomach, and my heart was still pounding in my chest. I'm surprised that no one commented on my condition. Surely they heard my breathing grow more rapid and the loud thrumming of my heart?

Maybe it was just experiencing him through Renesmee's mind and how she sees him. He must have the same effect on her.

I shake my head again, trying to clear my mind. I have much more important issues than this Jacob. "So," I say, "How about that tour?"

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How are you liking Gabby now that some more questions have been answered. There are still plenty left to figure out as Gabby continues her journey. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Please leave a review to show your support! Thanks! Next chapter, look forward to a setting establishment as Gabriella explores the Cullen estate!