The chapter we've all been waiting for! You've all been very patient. And this story is just getting started!
Note: I also just posted the "Arrival 2 of 2" Outtake, which covers the arrival from Jasper's POV. If you like doing things chronologically, I would read Jasper's version first, since it covers their arrival before Edward and Emmett get back home.
I got back to the house just as dawn was breaking. I found Esme waiting for me just inside our edge of the woods, sitting patiently on a fallen tree. As soon as she caught my scent, she called softly back toward the house.
"He's here."
I listened toward the house, curious to see what she meant. I only found Rosalie's and Emmett's minds present. Rosalie addressed me immediately, her mental voice surprisingly… civil. We're going out for a while. Just stay in the woods until I'm gone, all right?
Emmett was sending me a similar message, though with a rougher tone. Wait a few minutes before you come in. Rosalie's trying really hard to stay calm, and I'm taking her out for a while. But when I get back, you and I need to talk. That was all I got before he switched over to reciting baseball statistics, along with his viewpoint of Rosalie hurrying to get her shoes and purse ready, and flying out the door. Their thoughts, and the sound of the Lincoln's engine, soon faded away as they drove off.
I turned back to Esme. "What was that about? And where's Carlisle?"
"We explained your situation to Rosalie and Emmett last night. And they do understand, a bit better now, why you were having trouble yesterday. But they're still quite upset, and so they… agreed… that for today, at least, it would be best if you all had some time apart." Well, they didn't exactly agree. I told them that was how it was going to be.
She gave me just a few brief glimpses of how the night had gone. She had already tried, while Carlisle and I had been down in Connecticut, to calm Rosalie down, and explain everything- both about her transformation, and about the Yale incident. But Rosalie had refused to listen to any of it, demanding to wait to speak to Carlisle. But once Carlisle was under fire following his confession, Esme had taken charge. She had finally gotten Rosalie alone upstairs, and told her that yes, she understood why she was hurting, and yes, I had been wrong to provoke her. But she had also told her that attacking me physically during an argument had been inexcusable, and that as angry as I was at the time, I really could have hurt her. That was when Rosalie had shut up her crying, and finally listened long enough for Esme to explain why I had been so upset yesterday. She had responded with a very unladylike phrase, but Esme had grown angry herself then, telling Rosalie that we had enough problems this week without her using language like that. She somehow managed to extract Rosalie's promise that no matter her feelings, she and Emmett would return the favor of my absence whenever I returned home.
"It's nothing permanent," she told me quickly. "Just for today. They're going to go hunting together, and they both had some paperwork to do at Dartmouth, and…" she trailed off, looking back up at me with pity. "Oh Edward, I'm so sorry all this has happened. But I'm so glad Mr. Lewis is going to be all right, at least. You don't know how worried I was for you, when, when-"
"Esme, shhh…" I took her in my arms, pulling her close as she tried not to weep, and not to think about what Rosalie and Emmett might be planning in the privacy of their car. I just held her tighter, comforting her in her fumbled attempt to comfort me. "I'm all right, really. Where's Carlisle?"
She smiled sadly, looking down at her hands, which were trembling in her lap. She still had on the same dress as yesterday, and her hair was still a mess from when she had dragged Rosalie away from me. "He's out hunting. It was a difficult night."
She didn't want me to see, but I did. I saw how ashamed Carlisle had looked last night, when she and Rosalie had gone back downstairs. Emmett was towering over our father, his ever-present grin replaced with a scowl. That was when Esme explained the Yale incident to him, and repeated her request that he keep Rosalie out for the next day, as I had given them that same consideration during the night. Emmett had grown even angrier after that, demanding to know why Rosalie should have to leave when I was the one who had picked a fight with her. I couldn't see what sort of look Esme had given him. But whatever it was, it had sure worked. It seemed like he had shrunk a couple of inches, and mumbled his agreement to the floor.
Most of the rest of the evening had been passed in quiet conversation as Carlisle repeated his apology to Rosalie again and again. But she was more than happy to transfer her anger at me onto him, and things had gotten bad again around three in the morning. Esme officially declared the conversation over then, and she and Carlisle had gone outside, giving Rosalie and Emmett the house. Carlisle had, at Esme's insistence, gone hunting soon after that, while she waited for me.
I worked very hard to control my anger as I watched. I understood that Rosalie must be hurting right now. And I deserved any anger that she felt toward me for my horrible words yesterday, and for the fact that I really would have hurt her, had our parents not gotten there in time. I even understood why she was angry at Carlisle, for his choice. But really, it was almost twenty years ago! And how did she think Emmett felt, standing there and doing his best to be supportive, as she made abundantly clear to everyone listening that she wished Carlisle had never changed her, for any reason? If I had been standing there, listening to my wife spout that venom, and hating her life, I know how I would have felt. I would have felt completely worthless, and that our marriage clearly wasn't enough to compensate for the lot that she had been given. But that was just Rosalie, as always: it was all about her. It was a good thing she was gone, because now I wanted to slap her.Couldn't she at least pretend, for Emmett's sake, that his love was enough? No wonder he had taken it all out on Carlisle.
"I suppose my room's been trashed," I said, hoping to lighten the mood. Esme just shook her head.
"No. She's not… that kind of angry." She didn't seem to have the energy to explain what that meant, or even think about it anymore. She just leaned into my shoulder, staring down at the rumpled skirt of her dress as she played with the fabric. Our feet were dangling off the ground, and I remembered, with a smile, that Esme had once been my sister. Not at home- she had instantly fallen into the role of mothering me, when we were in private. And as her romance with Carlisle had quickly blossomed, that role became even more natural. But our cover story, back in the beginning when she had first begun appearing in public, had been that she was my older sister. Our parents had died two years before that, and she and her wealthy new husband had taken me in. We had first come up with the idea because of our similar hair color, and it had been an easy way to explain the closeness in age, to Carlisle especially.
But our cover story had evolved over the years, and I hadn't played her brother in quite some time. And really, Esme and I hadn't had much in the way of time alone, lately. She was thinking right now that although the reason was an unfortunate one, she was looking forward to spending more time with me in the coming weeks. My smile faded as I realized that I would be taking this away from her, as well. But it was for the best. Her memories of the wretched night they had all passed, and the fact that her children couldn't even be under the same roof right now, only confirmed that I had made the right decision. When Rosalie and Emmett came home tonight, I would already be gone.
"It'll be all right," I promised her. I pulled her even harder against me, turning my face into her hair and inhaling her warm, sweet scent. My favorite scent in the world… I would miss this.
"I know," she said in a faraway voice. "We'll come through it. We always do." But there it was again, her worry about Rosalie and Emmett leaving us. She had been counting on Emmett to calm Rosalie down, but it hadn't turned out that way. "I'm sorry, I keep going on," she said tiredly. "What did you do all night?"
I looked down at my own hands, taking a deep breath. "Not much. I just wanted to give them some space, like you said. And, well, I did some thinking, about what might be next for me…"
Esme turned inside my embrace, smiling hopefully up at me and letting her worries rest for a moment. "Oh? What did you come up with?" I'm so glad you're moving on from this. You don't know how worried I was about you last night.
I frowned back at her, unsure whether now was the right time. I had spent most of the night coming up with how I was going to tell my parents that I was leaving. And having Rosalie and Emmett out of the picture was perfect, really. But I couldn't tell Esme like this, not right now. For one thing, she was exhausted. It wasn't like her to take charge like she had done last night, and it had worn her down emotionally. And for me to add this burden, without Carlisle here to help her, was too much. And besides, then I would have to explain myself twice.
It wasn't going to be like last time. I knew that my leaving tonight would hurt my parents, or worry them at least. But I would make it clear that this was not history repeating itself. I would explain that I just needed some time to cool down as well, and time to sort things out for myself. I would tell them that I was only planning to be away for a few months, perhaps a year. I would leave calmly, assuring them of my return. I would pack a suitcase this time, and take the Lincoln. I would hunt again today, leaving them with the reassuring memory of my golden eyes. I would even ask for a few samples of the blank letterhead that Carlisle always kept around, so that it would look like I was planning on creating an identity. I would leave no doubt in their minds, visually, that this was nothing like 1927. I would give them some sort of rough itinerary, specific enough that they would see that I had thought my decision through, but be vague enough that it would be clear that I didn't want to be followed.
Because in reality, I would be heading straight up into Northern Canada, into as empty a habitat as I could find. I would need plenty of space, from humans especially, but animals as well. The sense of peace I had felt last night, upon making my decision, had only grown as I made my plans. This was the right thing to do, for myself as well as for my family; and now that I saw how miserable my outburst had made everyone, I was fully determined to leave tonight. I really didn't know how long I would be able to make it without feeding, though. The longest I had ever gone was three and a half weeks. And so the process might take longer, if I had to start over a few times. And there was the possibility that the North Pole wouldn't be empty enough, and I would have to head to Antarctica. But that was all right; that was why I would be giving my parents only a vague guess as to when they could hope for my return.
"Oh, nothing too specific," I said uneasily. "I'd love to talk more with you later, Esme. But you don't look well. Aren't you going to hunt?"
"I'll get out later today," she promised. I just want to see how Carlisle is, when I get back. Maybe the three of us could go out together later? Or maybe just you and me, like old times.
"Yes, I think that would be nice," I said, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. Dear, dear Esme… I hated that I would have to hurt her later today. But this would be the last time, ever. When I came back, I would be a new man. One that she could depend on… one who wouldn't destroy everything he touched. I jumped off the tree trunk and pulled her inside the house, seating her on the couch in the living room. I spent the rest of the morning playing her favorite piano pieces, and even singing for her. The singing was especially rare, and by the time it was ten thirty, her thoughts were tranquil and hopeful again.
Carlisle returned home then, and after a nod and some mental reassurance to me, he joined Esme on the couch, and listened to my music as well. But I hadn't gotten through two more songs when I heard Emmett's thoughts growing in my mind.
I'm not supposed to come back yet, but I had nowhere else to go. She wants some "alone time". Can you meet me out back? Tell them I promise not to hurt you… much.
I abruptly stopped playing, and stood, frowning. I should have spoken to Carlisle and Esme when I had the chance. "Emmett's back, but Rosalie's still out," I informed them. "He wants to talk to me. No, Esme, it's all right. He's calmed down."
They nodded, trying to hide their relief at having some time alone. Maybe it was better this way, actually. They always needed this respite together after a family blowout, and this way I could tell Emmett first. It would be the practice run, and he could tell Rosalie…
Rosalie! I still hadn't gotten the Jaguar back home. I would need to do that, before leaving. Maybe Emmett could come with me, right now. Depending on what mood he was in, I liked the idea of spending some time alone with my brother before leaving. I ran into the woods, finding him easily. His eyes were still dark, and he seemed sullen, though not angry anymore. He was worrying about Rosalie, who had insisted on being let off right in the middle of town.
"Thought you were going hunting," I said cautiously.
"Never got around to it. Uh… you wanna go together? Coolidge?"
"Absolutely." I could think of nothing I'd rather do right now- and I could go again with Esme later, if she still wanted to. Now that I knew this was my last day with my family, for now, I was feeling sentimental. After we hunted, I would offer another wrestling match, or some sort of game. Anything to cheer Emmett up- he was the real loser in this fight, though I doubted he would want to talk about it with me. And besides, he had always been there to put a smile on my face when I needed it. Or more accurately, he had always been there to punch a smile onto my face.
We ran in silence for a while, heading Northwest into deepest part of the Park. Emmett soon caught the scent of a pair of black bears and sighed in relief. "You go ahead," I insisted. "I'll get something else. Back here when we're done?"
He nodded, eagerly shooting forward to attack. I continued on for a while, settling for a tasteless deer. Was this my last meal, before I put my plan into action? Part of me hoped not, but I reminded myself that the whole point was to deny myself every part of the pleasure of feeding. It was fitting that I stop this way. Still, if Esme and I came back out later, I'd get something else, just to please her. I fed standing up, refusing to descend into the frenzy. It was pretty easy; it was just deer, after all. I dropped the deer unceremoniously, digging a shallow grave with one hand and smiling ruefully. At least my fingernails would stay clean while I was away.
I returned to find Emmett strangely quiet, both in conversation and in mind. It seemed he felt guilty towards me, though I couldn't imagine why. I wasn't the one he had spent half the night yelling at. I approached him at a walk, my hands shoved in my pockets. I leaned back against a tree and waited for him to look up at me.
"So, Carlisle told you everything, then?" I asked quietly.
"Yup." Interesting story.
"He meant well."
"I know…" I know. I'll apologize to him later. I had to defend her, you know? What hurts her hurts me.
I nodded, trying not to acknowledge the misery that his mind was going through. It was just as I had thought, last night: he kept replaying the moment when she had screamed at Carlisle that she hated this life. For once, I was glad I wasn't an empath. I hated to think how it felt to hear your own wife say that, right in front of you. At least I knew how to cheer him up.
"Hey, Emmett. Wanna fight?"
He looked up with half a smile. "Don't much feel like it today." Thanks, though. That was a good one the other day, wasn't it?
I took a deep breath. "Yes… though I almost hurt you. I'm sorry about that."
He finally grinned. "Almost hurt me? In case you've forgotten, little brother, you're the one who got his face beat into the dirt."
"Ah, yes. It's all coming back now." We laughed together at the memory. It wouldn't serve any purpose to tell him how close I had come to biting. And it would only hurt his pride to know that I had been holding back in any way.
I slid my back down the tree, sitting with my wrists balanced on my knees. I picked up a stick, and began peeling it, revealing the white layer underneath. I smiled as the memory of our reading lessons came back to me. Emmett had come so far since then; he would never devour books like I did, but his literacy had opened up a whole new world to him. And here he was, getting ready to attend college for the first time. It was his turn to make our parents proud for a while. "Emmett, I need to talk to you about something."
"All right, but me first."
"About Rosalie?"
"Yeah. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not mad. I mean, I understand that it wasn't your fault." I guess I'm grateful, in a way. That you gave Carlisle a reason to change her. I know she's not happy that he did, but I am.
"I didn't ask Carlisle to change anyone, Emmett. You know I would never do that."
"I know. I would have, though, if I knew her. As a human, I mean." I just wish I could say the same for her.
"Em…" I sighed, trying not to get angry again. It really was good that I was leaving, seeing as how I still got angry every time I thought about Rosalie. "You know she didn't mean it, when she said she hated her life."
He snorted, sitting down and mirroring my posture. He even picked up a stick and started peeling it, as well. I conjured up a humorous image of us at our real human ages: forty-nine and thirty-five. No, that was too young. Seventy-five and sixty-one, and we were sitting on the porch of a general store, smoking our pipes and whittling wood as we talked about the good old days. I supposed that I would be the big brother, in that one.
She meant it, all right. You should have seen her.
"I did see her… Esme showed me. She was just angry, Emmett. And really hurt, to find that out. Especially the way that she did."
He glared up at me. "I am mad at you for that part." Maybe I WILL beat you to a broken pulp, after all.
I just smirked back at him; he wasn't really angry anymore. Though if he did want to take a swing at me later, I would oblige him. "Emmett, believe me, she's happier than she lets on. You have no idea how different she was, before you came along."
That got his attention, though he chided himself for smiling about it. "Really? You two fought even worse back then?"
"Well… yesterday was the worse, I'd say. But she was a lot… I don't know, emptier back then. Sadder. Finding you was the best thing that ever happened to her." I thought, for a moment, about telling him about the whole George debacle- just to demonstrate how much she had needed him- but decided against it. I didn't know if she had ever told him about that, and I had put my foot in my mouth enough for one century. "Really, Emmett, this house was pretty awkward up until the day Carlisle changed you."
He snorted again, ripping an angry chunk out of his stick. "It's pretty awkward now, I'd say. It might take her a few weeks to get over this one. I bet she stays out every day, at least that long." Why can't she just want me with her?
"If I knew the answer to that, I'd write a book on women," I said grimly. "But anyway, she won't need to do that. I'm leaving tonight."
He looked up, frowning. "What do you mean, you're leaving? Where?"
"I'm going off on my own for a while," I said casually. "You know, like you and Rosalie did."
Because of what happened?
I shrugged. "It's as good a time as any, don't you think?"
Emmett held his stick up in front of his eyes, twirling it studiously. "You're not gonna… you know, do the human blood thing again?"
"Of course not!" I snapped, throwing my stick at his face. He caught it without looking, twirling it at a right angle with his own.
That's good. Um, Edward? Can you keep a secret?
"You know I always do." He gave me a look. "Okay, with the exception of yesterday. What is it?"
He said it in vampire speed, before I could snatch it out of his mind. "I had an accident while we were away."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise, but nodded for him to go on.
"It was a old lady in our building. You know how some people smell better than others? Well, she was like that. Anyway, Rose and I were the only ones home when it happened. She had just fallen down the stairs, and busted open the side of her face, right as we were walking in the door to the stairwell. It happened so fast, her blood didn't even hit the ground."
"Wow. I mean, it's okay, Em. It happens. Remember when Esme had that thing in the Himalayas?"
He nodded, sharing my memory. It was back in '42, and we had been just coming down from the peak of Mt. Everest. Carlisle and Esme had gone off for some alone time and to hunt, and when they met up with us two days later, Esme was crying and hiding her eyes. It had been a mountain climber, a man who had been grossly unprepared in terms of equipment. Carlisle and Esme saw him falling, and Carlisle dashed forward to help, telling Esme to stay behind and hold her breath. But no sooner had he reached the man than Esme crashed into him, unable to stop herself. They hadn't hunted yet, and it could hardly be said that she killed him, considering the injuries he had sustained from his fall. Still, it was a difficult few weeks for our family after that. It was also the time when the three of us siblings had gotten along the best, as we all rallied around our grieving mother, and did our best to be kind to another, for her sake.
He shrugged. "I know. And after we, you know, took care of things, that was why we moved to that other apartment complex. And that was why we had to stay away for so long, because of my eyes." I pretty much just sat at home, and we spent a lot of time out at Sterling Forest. It was awful.
"Emmett, you could have come home! You know we would have understood."
"I know. But since we were already away, we wanted to just keep it to ourselves, and not worry anyone. And it always hits Carlisle so hard when one of us messes up, you know? Like he did it himself. "
I clenched my teeth, knowing that he was right. And though Carlisle had been careful not to think like that around me yesterday, I knew that this time was the worst, in a way. This time, the humans had seen it happen. My actions would reflect on him professionally, once the rumors made their way to his hospital. Dr. Cullen's son, causing a scene during surgery and nearly killing the patient. How much of the truth would make its way back to his ears, through the whispers of his colleagues? It made me sick.
Emmett saw my face change, and he mumbled an oath. "I didn't mean it like that, Eddie… I really didn't. What you… what happened to you wasn't even an accident. I mean, the guy's gonna make it, right?"
"I hope so."
"Anyway, do you think I should tell Carlisle about it? My accident, I mean?"
"I don't see the point. Especially not right now."
"Yeah, I guess not. Anyway, that's why we stayed away as long as we did. Rosalie wanted to come back earlier, even back before the money problems got really bad. She just missed everyone, but I wanted to wait for my eyes to turn back."
"Wait, she really wanted to come back? Before you two went into debt?"
"Of course she did! She never wanted to stay away that long. Anyway, that's the only reason I'm telling you about it now. I know you think she only came back because of the money thing, but she didn't." I also wanted you to know that the money thing wasn't all her fault. I couldn't work for like four months, because of my eyes. That was when she tried to get that job at the body shop." I just wanted you to know that some of the stuff you said about her wasn't true. Just setting the record straight, for when you two make up." And you better apologize to her. Profusely.
"I will," I said miserably. Now I felt like even more of a cad. Half of the things I had said- yelled- to her yesterday hadn't even been true! "Though I was planning on leaving before she got home tonight."
"You don't have to leave at all. She'll get over it eventually." Come on, Edward. Think about how Esme will feel if you disappear.
"I am thinking about Esme!" I growled, taking a deep breath to calm myself. "I was thinking about travelling anyway, for a while now. I just wanted to wait until you two were home, so that she wouldn't be too upset."
"Liar. You were going to go to Yale this fall."
"I…" I glanced up at him sheepishly, caught in my lie. That hadn't exactly been my best performance. See, this was why I needed a practice run. "Well, what I meant was, I was going to do it eventually. I didn't know you were coming home this soon." That was better; quite believable now. He nodded suspiciously.
"So where are you going, then?"
"I thought I'd try living in London for a while, or maybe in one of the smaller towns around there. I'd like to get a job, like you did. Maybe something in, I don't know, banking or something."
"Banking."
"I don't know!" I growled. I hadn't exactly invented this part of the story yet. "Something that doesn't involve being outside. And definitely no blood."
"Probably a good idea," he laughed. "I'm glad you're coming to your senses. Vampires and hospitals don't mix."
"Right," I said dismally.
"I'm kidding, man. It was just a fluke. I mean, what did you expect, nosing around in an operating room?"
"I get the point, Emmett."
"I'm just saying, there's no use crying over spilled milk." Or blood, ha! He cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing up to see if I was laughing along with him. I wasn't. Oh, come on. The guy didn't even die. Say, you're not planning on staying away too long, are you?
"No. A year, maybe."
"Well, that's good," he said, jumping up to his feet. "Because I still owe you a good pummeling. I'll let you off today, since you're leaving. But who am I supposed to wrestle, if you're not around?"
"Carlisle, I expect." I got up as well.
"You've got to be kidding. He hits like a girl!" His booming laugh echoed through the trees, and I sighed in contentment as we began the run home. I felt better, knowing that I was at least leaving him in good spirits… as good as could be. As we ran, both of us were thinking through some of the fun times we had had together, many of which had taken place during our world tour: the condor rodeo, our race to the top of Mount Everest, and then there was the tiger incident, back in India, which had totally been Emmett's fault, because-
I stopped on a dime, sniffing the air. "What's that?" I wondered aloud.
Emmett stopped as well. Vampire. No one I know. You?
I shook my head, following the trail off to the south. I listened ahead, but heard nothing except a human man as the very edge of my range. He was in pursuit of a buck, and didn't seem to have heard anything unusual in the woods. I inhaled more deeply, distinguishing two distinct scents. I mentally flipped through all the nomads we had met on our travels, and a few extra scents that Carlisle had given me through his memories. It was no one that he had ever encountered, either.
"Two of them," Emmett said, before I could open my mouth. "And they were running fast."
I frowned. "How can you tell?"
He rolled his eyes. "Look at the footprints. They're so far apart that they had to have been going at, I dunno, at least a hundred miles an hour."
I hadn't even thought to look. Emmett pointed out a couple of them. Definitely two, and one had such a tiny foot that it had to be a female, or even a child. My instincts bristled at the thought: what if one of the nomads were an immortal child? We didn't want that anywhere on our continent. And what was their hurry, whoever they were?
"Let's get home," I said.
"Yeah," Emmett said uncomfortably. "I think we'd better." One of them must be a kid. I thought that was illegal.
"It is," I said stiffly. "Although it could be a woman."
Emmett shook his head doubtfully. "Let's go."
We followed the trail, growing more anxious as it continued to lead us toward the direction of our home. In fact, their trail followed closely along the one that Emmett and I had left earlier this morning. This meant that the strangers were tracking us, but backwards, to where we had come from. I confirmed this theory as their scent grew stronger- more recent- the further east we got. I kept listening ahead as far as I could, hoping we would overtake them before they picked up the scents of our family. Why did Emmett and I have to come out here to hunt, of all places? We hardly ever came into Coolidge.
Emmett was speeding up, starting to worry about Rosalie. They followed our trail back home, Edward.
"I know. Do you want me to go on ahead?"
"No, let's stay together, just in case there's a fight." He was picturing me sprinting home, and getting myself torn apart before he could catch up.
"Not likely," I snorted, keeping pace with him. "You know most nomads aren't aggressive."
"Yeah? Then why are they running towards our house at breakneck speed? And why are they purposely tracking where we came from, instead of where we were headed?"
"Less talking, more running, Em."
"Right." He surged up to his top speed, worrying again about whether Rosalie might have already gotten home. He wasn't sure which scenario to hope for; he hoped she was still out in case there was a confrontation, but on the other hand, having three at home would discourage there from even being one.
-swam to France… school at night, when nobody…
"It's all right," I said, signaling for Emmett to ease his pace. "Carlisle's telling his story to them. He sounds calm."
"Friendly, then," he mused. "Wonder where they're from." And why they were so eager to find us.
"Well, if there's one thing we all have in common, it's our curiosity. They probably just found our scent, and wanted to say hello. Come on."
I was curious as well, and still a little uneasy. This was the first time that anyone other than the Denalis had actually visited us. It wasn't that we weren't welcoming; it was just that most of our friends weren't fond of committing to being anywhere at any given time. And we moved so often that Garrett had joked that we were more nomadic than he was.
Hi, Edward! … me yet? I wasn't… so… name…
I stumbled over my feet, shocked as the unfamiliar voice pierced my mind. It was decidedly feminine, and energetic, in a sing-song kind of way.
"I'm hearing the female," I said, grimacing as she continued her mental salute an octave above what I was used to.
"And?"
"She's thinking at me." I still had no visuals, and she did sound friendly, but I was confused. This wasn't like Carlisle, to broadcast the truth about my gift so soon after meeting someone. Maybe they were friends of a friend, or something like that.
I know you can hear me now, so tell Emmett I said hello!
Well, this was different. "She says to tell you hello," I told Emmett, sharing his confused look.
"How does she even know you can hear her?"
"She couldn't know that. Maybe she's been saying the same thing for the past hour." We ran on and I grew uneasy again. She had specifically said "I know you can hear me now". What did that mean? Was the she gifted at sensing one's direction and proximity, like Demetri? But she hadn't ever met me before, so that didn't make any sense. I tensed for a moment, fearing that the male might be Demetri himself. But that wasn't right either; I knew Demetri's scent, and this wasn't it. And even as a burst of fear shot through me at the possibility of these being Volturi guards, I dismissed the idea. I highly doubted that the Guard ever ran anywhere, or greeted their targets so cheerfully. And they certainly didn't go around barefoot.
A few seconds later, I could see them through Carlisle's eyes, and I could hear their minds; though at the moment, they were merely picturing the events that Carlisle was telling them about his life. The male had golden hair, a bit darker than Carlisle's, but it was much longer, coming down to almost sweep his shoulders. He seemed to be nineteen, or twenty perhaps, though his expression made me wonder if he was older. He had two scars on his face- bites. My instincts tensed briefly at the sight, but I had seen scars like that before on a couple of the nomads we had met on our travels. He was lean and well-dressed, though Carlisle wasn't looking at his feet, which I knew to be bare. He was seated on the couch in the living room, though he looked rather uncomfortable doing so; his back was ramrod-straight, his shoulders tense. He had the female tucked protectively under his arm. His mate, then.
Her appearance matched her voice: tiny, energetic, and light. She was no bigger than a pre-adolescent child, though she seemed fully mature. Even her hair looked energetic, sticking out from her head at all angles. Her face was just as small as Jane's, though much happier. She was wearing a light blue dress that sort of matched the male's shirt, though it was worn with age and use. She had her legs folded up underneath her as she snuggled up to her mate, listening in rapture to Carlisle's tale. She moved then, glancing up at the male with some fond expression, and her eyes-
"Her eyes!" I gasped. "She's a vegetarian!"
Emmett grinned. "No wonder Carlisle's so cheery. The male too?"
"I don't think so. Wait a minute." I waited impatiently for Carlisle to look at them again; he was sharing a loving glance with Esme as he told our visitors about their first meeting. I didn't recall being surprised about the male's eyes, but now I wasn't sure. Carlisle finally looked back at him.
"No, red. Well… mostly red."
"Huh. Wonder if they're friends with the Denalis?"
The male was glancing out the window now, his arm tightening around his mate slightly. All at once, his voice was in my head, strong and serious. Edward. I don't know if you can hear us yet, but don't be alarmed. My name is Jasper, and my mate's name is Alice. We are not hostile. He repeated the message again, moving his eyes back to Carlisle and nodding solemnly at something he had said.
"I have the male now," I told Emmett. "Their names are Jasper and Alice, and he's saying that they're not hostile."
Alice perked up, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. "They're almost home," she told everyone, picturing Emmett and I entering the house. She must have seen the pictures hanging in the hallway, to know what we looked like. Though as she pictured our return home, the image was fuzzy and bright around the edges, like a picture that was frayed from handling. She was picturing the door bursting open, and me practically falling in the room as Emmett shoved me inside. Then she turned to Jasper. "He heard you," she assured him, her golden eyes twinkling. He just nodded, unsurprised.
"Amazing," breathed Carlisle. "Simply amazing. Jasper, can you sense them yet with your gift?" Jasper shook his head.
I stopped running completely, my eyes wide.
"What?" Emmett growled, dancing to the side to avoid running into me.
"They're gifted," I said in awe. "I'm not sure of the specifics yet, but it's something like mine. The female's gift is stronger than the male's, I think."
"Hey, that's great!" Emmett laughed. "You'll all be able to stand there and think at each other. Come on, I want to meet them."
Not a bad idea. I concentrated, thinking back to them. Alice, Jasper. Can you hear me as well?
Neither of them seemed to take any notice. No matter, though, we were already home. We ran into the yard and right up to the porch. I paused, realizing that Rosalie was home as well. Great.
Emmett reached around me to open the door, shoving me inside along with him. In fact, our entrance was an exact copy of the scene that the female nomad, Alice, had imagined twenty seconds ago… that was odd. Everyone was still in the living room: Carlisle and Esme seated in chairs pulled in from the dining room, and Rosalie standing beside Esme. Our newcomers were still on the couch, and the male was reminding himself to remain seated, so as not to appear hostile.
The female had no such reservations. She popped up off the couch, landing on her feet right in front of me. She was even shorter than I had expected, but it was still a shock. I jerked backwards a step, and her mate flew to her side, reaching for her shoulders and thinking about pulling her back. But she was too quick for him, springing up into my arms and squeezing her face right into my shoulder. I froze apprehensively as her arms went around my neck, but she didn't seem to be attacking… unless yelling in my ear at vampire speed could be considered an attack.
"Hello, Edward! I'm Alice! Well, you already knew that, because we told you. It's so good to see you, in person I mean! Oh, isn't it wonderful?!"
Her mate- Jasper- just looked on, understandably uncomfortable with our closeness. I gently peeled Alice's arms away from my neck, setting her down onto her feet. But she bounced up toward Emmett this time, and he laughed as she hugged him, as well. His huge arms went around her in acceptance, and the top half of her disappeared from view. Jasper swallowed, thinking how Emmett could snap Alice like a twig. Rosalie tensed as well, but didn't protest.
"Sorry," Jasper said to both Emmett and I. "She gets like this sometimes. She's harmless, though." His voice was tinged with a Southern accent, more so than his thoughts had been.
"I doubt that," I replied, smiling to show my lack of offense. Everyone laughed, and even Jasper cracked a smile. His shoulders finally relaxed a bit, and he took a breath. I realized that until now, he hadn't been breathing at all. He must have been nervous before, to find himself among such a large coven.
Emmett set Alice down, and we all laughed again when we saw them standing side by side. Even Rosalie thought it was funny: the biggest vampire she had ever met, right beside the smallest. In fact, she was laughing almost like she was drunk. I watched her mind curiously, but I saw nothing unusual. She caught my gaze, greeting me mentally. Don't worry, she thought. I'm not mad anymore. And I'm sorry I hit you.
I nodded, trying not to show my confusion. How could she have possibly gotten over our fight already? I supposed that our visitors had distracted her. It was odd, though. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen her this relaxed. I'm sorry too, I mouthed to her. She just shrugged, turning her attention back to the newcomers.
Who was this girl, and what had she done with my sister?
But there was no time to worry about Rosalie; Alice was back in my face again. Or rather, my chest. She was tiny. Not quite as tiny as Jane, but that was hardly a comparison worth making. "Edward Cullen," I said, nodding politely down to her and over at her mate. "And my brother Emmett."
"I'm Jasper Whitlock," Jasper said. "And this is Alice."
"Just Alice?" Emmett asked in amusement. She's so little she doesn't even get a last name! Ha ha!
"Just Alice," she sang, dancing back to her mate's side. I was hoping you could help me with that, actually, Edward.
"How so?" I asked, still confused. She was speaking mentally to me with ease, like she had been doing it for years. I tried communicating with her again, in the same way. Can you hear this? Are you a telepath as well?
She didn't seem to hear my silent question; at least I didn't hear it echo in her mind. I know you can read my mind. I thought maybe you could help me learn about my past. I don't have any human memories at all, so I thought maybe you could, you know, dig around and find them.
"It doesn't work like that," I said apologetically, and she pouted, looking like a five-year-old. I opened my mouth to ask if she was a telepath, as well, but now my words echoed in her mind before I said them.
"Nope, guess again!" she said happily, and I blinked. What…?
"Would somebody please tell the rest of us what's going on?" Rosalie demanded.
"Edward's trying to guess my gift," Alice announced. "He thought I was a telepath at first."
She has visions of the future, Rosalie thought, just to get the conversation moving.
"Visions of the future?" I echoed in disbelief, and Alice pouted again.
"Right," she said, "though I know you didn't figure it out on your own!"
"I'm still confused, Alice," Carlisle said. "If you don't hear thoughts, how did you know that someone told Edward silently?"
"Because it was going to take him another forty seconds. So when he got it sooner, I knew someone had helped him, though I don't know who."
Jasper cocked his head to the side. "Forty seconds? I've never heard your predictions be so precise before."
"That's because I've never had a clock to look at before!" she replied, pointing to the grandfather clock on the wall behind Esme. "This is going to be so much fun! See if you can guess Jasper's gift, Emmett!"
Emmett just wrinkled his forehead, glancing back and forth between me and our visitors. Are you as confused as I am?
"Definitely."
I saw a flash in Jasper's mind, just like I had seen in Alice's earlier, and like I frequently saw in Eleazar's, when he was using his gift. Jasper looked over to me. You're feeling curious, he hinted, and now you're feeling excited. I grinned back at him. I was excited. I had always wanted to meet an empath! I almost shouted the answer to Emmett, but Alice stopped me.
"Don't, Edward!" she hissed.
"But he got it first," Jasper protested.
"Only because you helped me cheat," I admitted.
Esme held her head in her hands. "What are you three talking about?" she moaned.
"It's like having three Edwards," Rosalie growled. "He's an empath, Emmett!"
"Time!" Carlisle called, laughing as he held up his hands. "I think we're all getting a bit confused. Jasper, why don't you and Alice tell your stories, like you did earlier?"
They agreed, and Jasper started first. He was older than any of us, it turned out, save Carlisle. When he got to the part about being in the Southern Wars, he kept his mind carefully blank of any visuals. I don't like to remember that part, he explained mentally. I nodded my understanding, and he went on. When he got near the end of his tale, Alice burst in to begin her own. I held up my hand soon after she began.
"I can help you with one thing," I told her, looking at her memory of when she woke up. "It looks like you were wearing a hospital gown when you were changed."
"That doesn't mean much," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "You were wearing one as well, Edward."
"I was?"
He nodded. "Perhaps whoever changed her found her dying in a hospital, like I found you."
"Then why would they just leave her alone like that?" I wondered. What an awful thing to do!
"Let's move on," Esme suggested. "Tell them about your visions, Alice, those first ones. I'm sure Edward will be curious to see them."
Alice smiled, eagerly showing me what she had seen, and continued with her story. It seemed that Alice had known about our family for years, and had been watching us for years. The idea was rather unnerving.
"How much, exactly, have you been watching us?" I asked uncomfortably.
She smiled sadly at me. If you're wondering about your years away, yes, I saw all that. And I have a pretty good idea of what happened the other day, too. My whole body stiffened in shame and anger, and Jasper put a warning hand on Alice's arm. Sorry, she added, but don't worry about it. I love you anyway. And we all have things we'd rather keep to ourselves, but gifts like ours don't always allow everyone their privacy. You of all people should understand that!
"Be that as it may," I said stiffly, "I hardly think you needed to watch all that, when we couldn't-"
"Oh, come on, Edward!" Alice said impatiently. "Don't pretend you don't understand! You carry the 'burden of invasion into sacred, hidden places of the heart', just the same as I do." She waved her fingers in the air as she quoted my-
I jumped to my feet, enraged. "You've been reading my journal?!" I snarled.
Jasper jumped up as well, baring his teeth and throwing himself in front of his mate protectively. There was a bright flash from his mind; his gift processing my sudden anger, no doubt. But oddly enough, I felt suddenly calmer. It really wasn't that big of a deal that she had seen my journal, was it? Wait…
"Not on purpose!" Alice squeaked from behind Jasper. "I just had a habit of checking on you all to see what you were up to. It was just that sometimes, when I checked, you happened to be sitting at your desk, writing. It's not my fault I have vampire vision, and can remember everything I see for eternity!"
I held up my hands peaceably. "No… no, it's all right, Alice. I understand. And you're absolutely right, I…" Why had I gotten so angry? "Never mind, please continue," I said sheepishly, and sat back down. Jasper watched me intently for a moment, before taking his own seat.
She didn't mean any harm, he told me. And I understand the burden you spoke of, as well. But watch yourself. I will defend her if necessary, and you will lose. I finally saw the memories he had been hiding earlier; I saw a vicious battle between himself and two other vampires, and I watch in awe as he destroyed his opponents, tearing them limb from limb. I flinched as he imagined doing the same to me, if I threatened Alice again.
"That wasn't necessary," I muttered. "And I wasn't threatening your mate."
Felt like it to me.
"Is there a problem?" Carlisle asked quietly. Jasper and I shook our heads, eyeing each other warily, and Alice continued her tale. She told us about the day she had found Jasper, and about their travels together since then.
"And here we are!" she said in conclusion.
"Here you are!" Emmett laughed. "What a tale! I want to hear more about those Wars, Jasper."
"Judging by your excitement, Emmett," Jasper said in a low voice, "I'm guessing that you haven't felt a vampire's bite yourself. And I'm not speaking of the bite of transformation."
"Nope," Emmett admitted with another laugh. "But Edward has! Tell him, brother!" Jasper turned to me with interest, but Alice was already picturing what had happened, in perfect detail; she must have been paying attention that day.
"It was the day Emmett woke up," I told Jasper. "He scented a human, and we were trying to stop him. Didn't work, though."
"I imagine not," Jasper said with a smirk, thinking about Emmett's obvious strength. I can't even fathom how strong he was as a newborn.
"You have no idea," I replied. "Long story short, I lost a hand and got bitten."
"Still has the scar, too," Emmett said triumphantly. "What about you, Jasper? Got any other scars?"
"Emmett," Esme scolded. "Don't be rude."
Jasper was struggling to control his thoughts, trying to hide his violent memories. I supposed that I would too, if it had been me. "It's all right," he told Esme. He swept his hair aside, revealing an ugly, jagged scar which curled halfway around his neck.
"That had to hurt," Emmett said approvingly. I can't wait to spar with this guy. He must know all kinds of moves.
"You should have seen the other vampire," Jasper murmured, and I flinched again as I saw the outcome of that particular fight.
"I didn't know it was even possible to tear a vampire in half with one hand," I said in awe.
"Can we talk about something else?" Esme asked quietly. The poor boy. I never realized how lucky we all were to have Carlisle be the one who changed us. I always thought of the Wars as so far away. But I wonder how many of our kind are still trapped in that life?
"Okay!" Alice squealed, popping up out of the couch. "Who's ready to go shopping?!"
"Shopping?" I asked in amusement. Carlisle was grinning and shaking his head in confusion as he watched the women fly upstairs.
I think this was exactly what our family needed this week, he thought. It seems like Edward's doing much better. And Rosalie! What a difference. Maybe having a sister will be good for her.
He was right. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't noticed Rosalie having any hostile thoughts toward me this afternoon, or even toward Carlisle. And I knew for a fact she had still been angry at both of us when she left this morning. Her sudden change of heart was peculiar, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. One thing was certain, though. I would need to delay my departure for as long as our visitors were here. They seemed friendly enough, but I wasn't about to leave my family unprotected- especially when one of those visitors was a skilled warrior. My mind-reading would be especially important in the coming days.
Alice was convinced that she was settling in for life, but Jasper seemed a bit more realistic. He was just grateful that their "initial encounter" had gone so smoothly. And they were both so strange… I was glad now that I hadn't gotten a chance to tell my parents about my plans. And leaving immediately wasn't really necessary, now that Rosalie had suddenly decided to become the forgiving type. It was just so odd…
"I think we had better make ourselves scarce," Carlisle told Jasper, Emmett, and I, "unless we want to get roped into going with them."
"Let's show Jasper around," Emmett suggested, standing up. "You like bears?"
Jasper shrugged. "All animals taste the same to me." Awful.
"It'll get better," Carlisle promised.
The women came back down, Alice giggling as she wobbled down the stairs wearing Esme's high heels. "We had to stuff some paper into the toes," Esme explained. "Our first stop is the shoe store!" Both she and Rosalie were bursting with ideas of what they could get for their new life-size doll.
I don't like this, Jasper thought anxiously. We've barely met these people, and now they're putting her in a car and taking her where I can't go.
"Can't go?" I asked.
Jasper glanced over to Carlisle, hesitant to admit the truth aloud. I can't be around humans, he told me silently. It was fine back when I was hunting them, but I've lost all self-control now.
"I understand," I said sympathetically. "Don't worry, she's in good hands. But don't expect them back before the stores close!"
He frowned. "Why? How long can it possibly take to buy some clothes?"
Emmett and I laughed, following Carlisle into the garage, where we kept our hunting shoes. Jasper obviously had a lot to learn about...
My smile faded and I stuck my head back through the kitchen door to shout at whoever was listening. "WOULD ANYBODY MIND TELLING ME WHY MY STUFF IS IN THE GARAGE?!"
I hope you liked it! And don't worry, the next chapter will continue right where this leaves off. It was just getting so LONG, and after all that angst recently, I wanted to end it on a funny note :) Reviews are like hugs!
