Authors Note: I was so hasty to update the last chapter that I forgot to acknowledge and thank my beta/friend for being awesome and beta-ing. Thanks Dominick. :)
I'm so happy you all liked the last chapter. I am flipping out. Every chapter I just get more and more subscriptions and reviews and favorites, it's so awesome! I have 175 subscriptions. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE PEOPLE ARE READING MY STORY! That's mind-blowing. I don't know why all of you are so interested—hopefully because my writing's awesome and not just 'cause you're looking for a girl on girl sex scene—but I'm so happy all of you are!
It was only a couple of hours later when he noticed.
She had changed. Obviously she changed, she was a vampire, but she was different...He didn't know how to phrase it, but as Carlisle studied her, he knew something had happened. Maybe it was their father's death, or his disappearance, he couldn't put his finger on it. Physically, she was the same. Her skin had always been pale, due to the lack of Sun in London, and her hair was still as long as always. She had built up a front for reasons unknown to him, and that he hoped he to be able get past. Maybe it was her eyes. They were so cold.
He had been so concentrated on the fact that his little sister was back in his life that he didn't take in the details. He completely over-looked them. Being a vampire, his brain registered the fact, but his mind didn't acknowledge it. He had been so happy...The happiness disappeared. No, not disappeared. He was still very much happy, but he was disappointed. He had assumed that she was resourceful enough to think outside the box, just like he had.
He sat up a little straighter and interrupted a conversation she was having with Alice.
"Your eyes are red," he stated.
Bella cocked an eyebrow at him. "Your point?"
"You drink human blood," he clarified. He knew that not everybody knew of their lifestyle, and when they did, they mocked it, but he never thought Bella one to take someone's life just to sustain hers. Bella had been so sweet as a human. She wouldn't have hurt a fly. Yet she killed innocent people to survive.
She was surprised at his outburst, but she quickly caught on. Their eyes were black, so she hadn't known. She had heard the stories. She even joked with vampires she had met how such a notion was absurd. For one to live off of animals' blood was such an outrageous idea. They were monsters; they might as well act like it. She thought about it and came to the conclusion that this was how they must find the control to live with civilization, together as a family.
She kindly requested that they explain.
Carlisle was the one to start. After numerous attempts at suicide, he settled on starving himself. He had holed up in a dense cluster of trees before his hunger overtook him and he attacked a deer. Edward had explained that he fell off the wagon, he had lurked in alleyways while scanning humans' minds and picking off the ones he deemed deserving of death. He soon went back to Carlisle though, not being able to live that lifestyle. Esme had also lost control, as did Emmett and Alice, but they all gained control over their hunger. Rosalie had never drunk human blood, although she had purposely killed, but would not share the story. Jasper's story was the one they all expected to win her over. He was, after all, still battling with his hunger, but with the help of his family he could overcome it.
While Bella found their stories intriguing and very heart-felt—although suspiciously AA-esque—she was unnerved as they all stared at her expectantly, as if she would be happy to renounce the way of life she had been living for the past four-hundred-odd-years.
"I won't kill near the town," was all Bella had to say.
What was she supposed to say, anyhow? It wasn't as if they would understand. She was seeking justice. She found it enjoyable, watching her prey and tallying up the reasons why they deserved to die and how it would ultimately help more than hurt. She would study them, find out what they liked and where they spent their time. On occasion, she would act like the victim, amused by the fact that her prey thought themselves superior, before ripping their throats out. The other times, she would be the seductress, playing on their interests that she had noted, before luring them into her trap.
Men like John Webber made her sick. It wasn't hard to figure out why. He had explained it away; that he was acting in the hands of God, but it was all lies. She had worn what had seemed to appeal to him, but with mortal men, a paper bag could have them drooling when it came to vampires. She had acted like she gave a damn about religion and had then driven him to her hotel where she proceeded to add to the questionable stains on the shitty comforter.
They stared at her in disbelief, but she had nothing to say.
"You have no right to play God, Bella," Carlisle said, his voice earnest rather than harsh. He was rarely ever angry when it came to her. After all, they were all each other had left. He placed his hand on her arm, desperate for her to understand. He wanted her to be a part of this family, and in order to do so, she needed to be able to control her hunger, which was hard to do on a human diet. But he did believe that she had no right to do what she was doing, killing people. But in all honesty, he wondered idly, did he have any right to do what he had been doing? He had been selfish, changing them, when they would have rather died—especially Rosalie—just to satisfy his loneliness.
Bella gave him a tight smile, knowing they needed to think this through, before gently tugging her arm away and standing up. "I should go. I have things to do and I'm sure you all do as well." She looked at her brother. "I moved to a new hotel, just out of town, if you want to contact me. I'm in room 3B, okay?"
"No cellphone?" Esme asked, hoping for an easier way to get in touch.
She shook her head. "Too traceable."
"With the Volturi, you're always traceable," Jasper said.
She smirked. "Good thing I haven't encountered them then, huh?" With that, she bid them a goodbye, giving her brother and his mate a hug before leaving.
The majority of the Cullens sat, shocked.
"I'm going out," Rosalie said abruptly. She stood up and made her way to the door before Edward stopped her.
"It's not going to work," Edward said.
"How do you know?"
"She's stubborn."
Rosalie looked at him over her shoulder, smirking. "I have my ways."
She caught up with Bella quickly, asking if they could talk alone. Bella nodded, wearily. They walked into the woods and once they were a safe distance away, Rosalie turned towards her.
"I want to help you."
"Help me?" Bella responded, incredulous. "I don't need help."
Rosalie sighed. "Why don't you just come back to the house and talk it over?"
"They understood why I left, that's why they didn't stop me, they need to think it over. They're obviously not comfortable with the fact that I drink blood and they won't be comfortable with me, either, until they come to terms with that. So, what are you doing here?"
The blonde huffed. "I care about him, okay? I want this to work. In order for this to work, you need to drink animal blood, understand? You won't be able to live with us without getting territorial if you don't."
She crossed her arms, defensive. "Who said I wanted to live with you?"
Rosalie glared. "Please. You haven't seen him in centuries; we all know you barely wanted to leave his side today."
Bella didn't say anything for a moment, before whispering, "I can't give it up. You understand, don't you? You had a reason to kill those humans. I do, too, I just happen to get a bonus out of it. They don't deserve to live."
"You can send in notes and the police will do something about it, you don't need to kill them."
"I want them to feel pain," Bella said darkly.
Rosalie stared at her, noticing how personal a matter this was. "Do you want to talk about it?" Rosalie asked, hesitant. Rosalie was no bitch. Well, she was, actually—she would be the first to admit it—but she cared for people. People who deserved her sympathy, anyway. Bella obviously did.
"No," Bella snapped. "I don't."
Rosalie nodded in understanding. "Okay." She paused. "But, you need to do this, for him."
Bella stared at the woman who had grown to know her brother well. She may know him even better than she did, which made her immensely jealous. She had gotten to know this new Carlisle, while Bella was stuck with remnants of the past. In order to be able to know her new brother, she would have to be able to live like him with him and his family without flipping. In order to do that...
"Fine."
