Ahh, next installation
Ahh, next installation. Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership Noownershipnoownershipnoownership
"So that's what happened?" Carlisle asked sharply. Edward and Jasper nodded mutely looking into their father's scanning eyes.
"This is…not good. I trust you knew what to do with her?"
"We did." Do you think you could take a look at her? Carlisle sighed.
"Yes."
Without another word, he vanished with inhuman speed and came back a few moments later with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Go get everyone. Bella too."
Bella had been finishing the laundry. Dinner was over, Charlie had gone to bed and the house had been cleaned till it sparkled. She could never sit still when she was worrying about Edward, but while her hands lazily played with the fabric of a pair of Charlie's work pants, her mind raced. 'Edward did leave in an awful hurry. Why was he so eager to volunteer for this? I know he loves me and wouldn't betray me, but I just don't understand…' She sighed and folded Charlie's pants along the creases, turning her thoughts to her dad. When he'd come home, he found her in a somewhat moody state.
"Bella, what's wrong?" She'd turned to him with a smile.
"Nothing. I just can't believe how frustrated I am. The water for dinner is taking forever to boil. I think we might have to check the burner." It was a thin excuse, but Charlie bought it since he was never anywhere near the stove.
"I'll have someone take a look at it." Bella smiled wider.
"Thanks dad." He grunted and went in the next room, but called back.
"You know, there's a new hiker in town. Said she was taking a vacation. Looks to be about your age. Have you seen her?" Bella froze. 'A new hiker on vacation?' Bella cleared her throat.
"No dad, I haven't been into town today." Charlie grunted.
"Really pretty blonde. Kinda reminded me of your mother." Bella frowned. 'Why would he bring up mom?' She'd turned back to the pot which finally boiled and started with dinner.
Bella dragged herself out of her reverie. 'Edward should've been back by now…' With a firm pat, she set the pants on top of a large pile of clothes and carried it upstairs. 'A few hours…I have absolutely no idea where he is or how to find him. It's been ages-I know how fast he can run-and how well he can track. He really should've changed posts with someone. Unless…' Her stomach plummeted as she remembered her vision. 'He couldn't…wouldn't have left. They couldn't all have just been taken like that could they?!' Her heart raced and her breath started coming shorter. She could feel herself panicking and didn't know how to stop it. At that moment, a hand on her shoulder nearly made her leap out of her skin. She whirled to find herself face-to-face with her Adonis of a boyfriend.
"Edward!" She flung her arms around him in as tight a hug as she could manage. Edward chuckled.
"Miss me much?" Bella just hugged him tighter.
"Bella, something's happened and everyone is going back to the house. Is Charlie asleep?" Bella nodded and he swung her up on his back.
When everyone had assembled in the garage, they looked at the girl in the backseat of the car. She was pale and far too still to be sleeping.
"What do we do now?" asked Alice.
"We wait" replied Carlisle.
"So then why did everyone have to come here?" Rosalie asked-annoyed. "I mean, that dishwasher isn't going to fix itself.
"Because you all need to understand why this girl is here right now and what happened to put her here." Edward and Jasper spoke and explained what had happened in Seattle-starting with the bookshop and ending with the fight. By the end of their narrative, the room was full of statues.
"Do we really have to keep her alive?" asked Rosalie silkily. "I mean, if we're in so much danger and it all comes back to her, it wouldn't seem like a very good idea to let her live."
"Rosalie!" snapped Alice. "That's a horrible thing to suggest. We don't know that she's the cause of it, we just know that it all comes back to her, which means that she might be the only clue we've got as to what it is." Bella spoke quietly.
"She's very muscular. Just lying there, she looks very peaceful, but very tired even now. Look at the circles under her eyes." The room at large was silent for a while.
"Bella…" Edward said slowly. "She's still dangerous to us. And the way she fought…" He trailed off. Bella glanced back at him. 'Is he awed by her? She fought well and did him damage. Does it go beyond her looks?' She stared at the girl in the car. 'She is impressive, but he didn't mention anything in her thoughts about her being attracted to him. How could any girl not be attracted to Edward?' She felt herself becoming more awed by the girl before her until she wasn't sure if she was really looking at a person or simply a derailed deity. Edward touched her shoulder.
"Well, that's all we gathered to explain. Would you like to go home now?" Bella shook her head.
"I know nothing is being helped by my being here, but somehow, I prefer it to going home." Edward looked at her curiously, but not as though he disagreed with her decision.
"All right, let's go in."
As they turned toward the door, a groan came from behind them. In a flash, Rosalie, Emmett and Esme were gone. Bella turned to Edward.
"Should I stay?" Edward paused a moment.
"I think you better. I have a feeling we're all going to be laying our cards on the table soon." Alice nodded. They watched as Gaia rubbed her eyes, muttering to herself.
"Damnit, I'm so sick of this crap…one little surge and wham…" She looked around. As soon as she registered her surroundings, she sat up quickly. Carlisle was there to push her back down.
"Careful, you've been out for a while", but Gaia shook her head.
"It's nothing new." She sat up again. Carlisle looked at her strangely, but removed his hand.
"How did I end up here?" Gaia barked. Everyone was taken aback, but regained their footing quickly.
"I think we should explain fully." Edward said and nodded to Alice and Bella who each in turn explained about their dreams. Alice had to pass hers off as a dream because Gaia didn't need too much information right away. All the while, she looked at them with a kind of incredulous annoyance. When they'd finished, she spoke with a bit of hesitation.
"So…by me coming here…you think you're in danger? And that's why you followed me?"
"That's the basic gist of it." Gaia looked…what was it? It wasn't annoyed, it wasn't frustrated. It went far beyond anger. She looked…murderous. Bella looked to Edward and nearly reeled in shock. He was glancing around the room as though looking for an escape. His eyes were crazed and there was something in his face that made Bella think of a whipped dog-cringing and painful. She reached out and laid a hand on his ice-cold arm. Behind him, she noticed Jasper fighting with something. It was only a moment or two-but it felt like ages until she could feel the atmosphere become calmer. Edward's arm muscles gradually loosened under Bella's hand, but she could tell he wasn't completely relaxed. She glanced toward Jasper again, but he seemed to be focusing hard on keeping the room at the level of calm it was at. Gaia spoke after a time.
"All right, I can understand that. But why would you do all this based on two dreams?" She looked at them-daring them to lie to her and every person hesitated. Edward was the one to speak.
"I was going to talk with you in the morning about this, and technically, it is morning-albeit early. But I asked you before-do you know what we are?" Gaia took everyone under that dim light in with a long look before saying slowly.
"It'll sound crazy, but if I'm right, it'll still make sense." She took one more look at the chiseled, perfect faces before her before speaking.
"You're Vampires."
…There was a long, long silence. They sat in the silence, staring at each other and assessing the other party. Bella was looking with some curiosity and trepidation at the girl in the car. She looked bigger now that she was awake and moving around. Finally, Alice spoke.
"That's true. Though, you should know, we don't drink human blood." Gaia looked at her sharply.
"Really? That legend is false?" Alice sighed.
"Unfortunately, no, but our particular family decided that it wasn't right to treat humans like cattle. Bella here," she gestured to the slim, pale girl beside her "is fully human." Gaia's gaze was pulled to Bella and the two girls stared at each other-blonde to black.
Bella was surprised to find that while Gaia was certainly just as beautiful as any model, there was no air of arrogance or snobbishness like in most pretty girls. 'Like Lauren…' She thought grimly. 'But it's not too surprising. She dresses to detract attention. In fact, she's got a very self-possessed feel-not arrogant, but confident and very relaxed. I think she'd be very level-headed in a hectic situation.' Alice cleared her throat to speak again.
"You might remember that Edward is very strong…" Gaia nodded, still looking at Bella.
"Well, all vampires are exceptionally strong-just like we're all pale. But some of us have…other abilities." Gaia's gaze whipped away from Bella to focus like a laser on Alice.
"Such as reading the future?" Alice sighed.
"Yes." Gaia was quiet for a moment. Bella studied her quietly. 'Wonder what she's thinking about.' She glanced toward Edward, but he had his brow furrowed in concentration. 'I can't even tell if he can get a read on her or not. This has got to be awful for him.' Her thoughts went to the internet connection on her ancient computer. 'It's one thing to have no connection whatsoever, it's quite another to have a connection that shorts out randomly.' Gaia spoke again.
"So, do you all have unique abilities?" Alice shook her head.
"All but two. Would someone please get everyone else?" Carlisle nodded and vanished out of the room. Gaia noted how fast he left.
"So is speed common, or is that special?"
"Common. We all have extra speed and strength to spare. You know I can see the future, but it's restricted. I can only see what might be and that's only if a person doesn't change their mind."
"So it depends on the choices and decisions people make."
"Exactly."
"So what are the other unique abilities?" Alice hesitated.
"I can tell you mine freely, but I think we should have the others here before I tell you theirs." A whispering sound came from behind her. Alice turned as the others came into the room.
"We're all here except Esme. Apparently, she sensed something strange in town and went to check it out." The vampires looked somewhat worried. Gaia glanced from face to face as if she was trying to puzzle something out, but shook her head and decided to push on with her questions.
"So is anyone here willing to tell me what their abilities are?" Rosalie turned to Alice. The light was dim and Gaia couldn't see well, but Bella knew Rosalie well enough to know she was furious. 'By her tone of voice, Gaia would have to be thick to not be able to tell her anger.'
"Alice, you told her about us?!" Her voice dripped acid and menace, but Alice remained calm and sedate.
"No Rosalie. She figured it out herself from her interaction with Edward yesterday. Danger usually stems from ignorance, so if she understands us a little better, she might not pose such a threat, and if we understand her, we might not have to be so ridiculously worried." Rosalie huffed, but stood in silence. Alice returned her attention to the room at large.
"All right, so is anyone willing to tell her their special ability?" Edward nodded.
"Alice can see the future. I can read minds." Gaia looked at him incredulously, but Edward continued.
"There have only been two exceptions before and both of them are in this garage. I can't read Bella's here at all." He put an arm around her to make their relationship clear. "I can read yours, but not particularly well. Like I told them, it's like a badly tuned radio that gets clearer the closer I am to you." Gaia may not have felt fear, but her basic consciousness told her to move away from him. His ability made her terribly uncomfortable.
"So you knew what I was thinking this whole time?" There was a tone of steel in her voice. Edward shook his head.
"Only bits and pieces." Gaia didn't hesitate for a second.
"Use your ability on people who don't know about it. It makes me angry."
"I promise not to use it on you." Edward swore. Suddenly, she could feel her anger dissipating. As though he was shining a beacon, she whipped her head toward Jasper, who cleared his throat.
"I believe that leads us to my…ah…talent. I sense and to some extent can control emotions." Gaia froze. He moved so close to her that she could feel the cold radiating off him. He put his lips close to her ear.
"I think we should talk later." He said quietly. Gaia bowed her head. She could hear him move away in a rustle of clothes. Without raising her head, she spoke with force.
"So you said two of you don't have unique abilities. Who are they and what's the last ability you've got?" Alice spoke this time.
"Rosalie and Carlisle here don't seem to have anything beyond normal vampires. Though, Rosalie is, as you can see, remarkably beautiful." Bella's jaw nearly dropped as she watched Gaia glance over at Rosalie with the swiftest of glances. 'It's as though she wasn't in the least bit jealous, but instead completely and entirely didn't care.' Alice was still speaking "…and Carlisle is an astoundingly good doctor. He should be…he's spent, well, more than decades studying." Carlisle moved smoothly across the room.
"I'd like to take a look at that hand though." Gaia sighed and extended it forward. She was no longer wearing the stabilizing gauze and the bones seemed to have reset well in their sockets. Carlisle felt her hand, testing the bones and the tissues in the back of her hand and all down the wrist. Finally he sat back
"You broke this earlier today?" Gaia nodded, feeling as though she was back in the doctor's office-though she hadn't been there in years. Bella noted how critically Gaia was looking at them. 'Not fearfully, but like she's plotting and turning things over in her mind rapid-fire.' She looked to Edward before remembering his promise not to read her anymore. Carlisle looked at her hand with wonder.
"Can you heal abnormally fast?" Gaia shook her head.
"Nope. Field surgery." Bella was still looking at Edward and saw him raise his eyebrows as if something had clicked for him.
"Ah." Carlisle dropped her hand and moved back.
"Since Esme isn't here, we shouldn't speak for her" said Emmett firmly. Everyone nodded in agreement. Bella found herself agreeing fully with Emmett. 'After all,' she thought 'Esme's gift really is wonderful in itself.' She watched as Gaia looked around at them all.
"So speed, strength, pale, ice cold, beauty, and a few extras. Is there anything I'm missing?" They all stared at Gaia in wonder. She said it so bluntly, so matter-of-factly that she might have been commenting on the color of dirt, not like she'd just found out about the unique abilities of a group of vampires. Bella swung her gaze to Edward. He wasn't trying to read Gaia, but his face still betrayed a trace of confusion. It wasn't until she looked behind him to Jasper that she grew a little fearful. Jasper was looking at Gaia as though he'd never seen anything so remarkable. There was something else in his face. 'What is that?' Bella wondered. 'He's astounded, but he's…scared. She scared him with what she said?!' Jasper looked at her and she realized that her alarm at his fear would've registered to him. She felt the atmosphere in the room become calmer and more sedate, but she couldn't make herself forget the incredulous and frightened look on his face. Emmett spoke again.
"No, there's nothing you're missing. But I think it'd be best for a few of us to go find Esme." There was a general consensus again and Bella watched as Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Carlisle melted out of the room. With just three of them left in the garage, Bella felt herself shiver a little. It was early in the morning and the garage was cold. It had been worse with all the vampires in there, but the conversation had been so interesting, she hadn't noticed in the least. Now, even in her sweatshirt, she could feel the bite at her skin. Edward noticed her slight shiver and suggested they move into the house. While they were settling in the living room, Gaia looked around her in amazement.
"You expected vampires to live in large old castles with gargoyles and coffins around every corner?" Edward laughed. Gaia looked back at him coolly.
"Well…I didn't know what to expect, so yes. But I'm glad to see that you haven't decided to add cobwebs to the décor. And I think the coffins would've been a little over the top." Jasper smirked.
"You should see it around Halloween. It's a bit closer then, although both add quite a bit to the décor." Bella was surprised to see the serious girl in front of her crack a smile.
"Right. So you do have skeletons in a closet somewhere." Both Jasper and Edward smiled weakly. Bella did too, though she had a better idea how many secrets this family had-it was quite a lot. Gaia had only begun to scratch the surface. Edward still smiled through his speech, but Bella thought she could hear a note of exasperation in his voice as he spoke.
"No more than you." Jasper turned to Edward and Bella.
"On that note, I would like to speak with Gaia privately. No mind reading, ok?" Edward nodded and Bella felt his hand on the small of her back only for a moment before they found themselves in the kitchen. When they left the room, Jasper turned to Gaia, keeping his distance so he wouldn't smell her as strongly, but he pierced her with a look that would have made her uncomfortable if she'd been any kind of girl to be shifted by such things. There was a long, long silence before he spoke.
"So Gaia, you move fast enough to catch up with werewolves, you have exceptional vision, you caught a vampire in your home, you managed to hurt said vampire, you know field surgery, you can read in at least 3 languages-though I'm betting there's more in your arsenal, you clearly have a past you're not showing, you can fight, and all this is wrapped up in a model's body. I can accept this." Several times during this list, she'd opened her mouth to speak, but hadn't managed to get anything out. But now Jasper leaned in slightly and looked at her with the most bewildered, awed and fearful expression he'd had on all evening. Gaia was staring back at him defiantly, but as though she knew exactly what was coming. Jasper took a deep breath.
"I can accept this. But explain to me how you never experience fear."
