"Emmett..let him go."
"What?"
"I said let him go!" Edward snapped and Andrea heard a soft thud, following by hacking. She glanced over her shoulder.
"James? Are you okay?"
"Alive." He coughed out and then crept slowly towards her, away from Emmett and Rosalie.
"Are you going to let me go now?" Edward asked patiently.
Andrea growled again. "I don't know. I'm a little more than pissed off."
"Let him go, and we'll leave. You can live with your murderer and lead happy little savage lives." Rosalie spoke again.
"Shut up, bitch." Andrea hissed and then relaxed her hold a little. "Promise you'll leave."
"I promise." Edward replied.
"And you'll say the hell away. Our lives are not your concern, Edward. I can't believe you did this. What about Carlisle?" She saw the boy flinch. "I bet he won't be pleased." She let him go and jumped up, standing beside James and gently touching his arm. "Now leave, all of you. Leave."
Edward stared at them both for a moment, disgust obvious on his face and then he nodded at Rosalie and Emmett. "Fine. We offered you a chance for a better life, Andrea. You're just throwing it aw-"
"I said leave." She snapped and Edward growled once, before glancing at James, and then turning to disappear with the rest of his company.
-
Andrea and James stood side by side for several minutes, waiting for the trio of vampires to return. They never did. Eventually, Andrea sighed and began to walk back towards the small cement building she had been changed inside of. The rugged James followed her quietly, until they reached the building.
"We should go." He commented softly and she nodded, then glanced at him.
"Are you okay?" He made a face as she reached out and touched his throat.
"I'm fine."
"I can't believe they attacked like that! Carlisle was always so laid back and gentle..I would have never thought the Cullens would pull something like that. Just because I wouldn't side with them?" Her sentence was a question, and she looked to James for an answer.
The blonde man shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I think the mind-reader was just trying to slip in a little revenge for his girl."
"I'm still surprised." Andrea sighed and then jumped when a sound came from the trees nearby. She growled quietly in caution, and James pushed her behind him. "James.."
"It's okay, Andrea."
"But what if it's-"
"It's not." The strong creature in front of her relaxed, but she continued to stare detemindley at the dark trees before them.
A pale, handsome, blonde man with gold eyes stepped carefully from the forest. Andrea stared for a moment, and then growled again. He raised his hands in peace and stopped a couple yards away. "Andrea, it's okay. I'm alone."
"Like we should believe that." She snapped, but James touched her arm lightly.
"Shh, it's alright." He assured her, but she didn't relax. "What do you want? Trying to finish the job your stupid family started?"
"No. James, Andrea, I can assure you that I did not send them here."
"No? So they just cross the country and find us by themselves because they want to? They come to try and kill us just for their own sake?" James' voice was a low hiss, his body still protective around Andrea.
"I don't know why they did, honestly. Edward wanted some revenge for Bella, and I think they got carried away with the idea that I wanted Andrea to feed like we do."
"She's not going to be one of you ridiculous half-vamps!"
"I know, I see that now. But I wanted to try and ask her myself."
"I'm not going to be like you, Carlisle." Andrea growled. "After what your damn family did, not ever!"
"Andrea, they are not me. I wouldn't try to hurt you."
"Not me, Carlisle. They wanted to kill James!" She hissed, body crouched predatorally.
The older vampire seemed surprised by something, although Andrea doubted it was the fact half of his family had wanted to kill her creator. The golden eyes studied her for a moment before trailing to the figure beside her, and then back. The gaze softened, and Carlisle exhaled quietly. "You care about him a lot, don't you?"
Andrea hesitated, surprised. "..yes."
"And you care about her?"
"Yes." James nodded slightly, only his legs tense, ready to spring at any moment.
"Tell me, James, how does a savage Tracker fall in love with one of it's prey?"
The question was simply curious, but James still eyed the older man, wary. He shifted, uncomfortable, and glanced down at Andrea for an instant before his dark gaze flicked back to the Cullen. "How did your mind-reader fall in love with his prey?"
"That's different; you know we don't feed off humans. So technically she wasn't his-"
"Yes she was, half-vamp. You know it, he knows, we all know it." James voice was stronger now, tinged with anger at the Cullens and their way of life. "We all know that for someone's blood to be so strong for him, no matter how controlled he thinks he is, he should have killed her. She should have become his meal."
"But he loves her, James."
"Which is nonsense. If he loves her, not just her scent, he would have turned her by now. Just look at what I did."
"Stop it, James. Stop putting thoughts into my head, just so Edward will see them when I return."
James smirked, not phased that the other man had figured out the reason for his lecture. "Why? Because you know it's the truth, right?"
"I never said that."
"But we all know it, Carlisle! That's what I'm saying." The Tracker was excited now, his entire being intense as he paced in front of Andrea.
"You still haven't answered my question." The gold-eyed vampire returned calmly.
James sighed and brushed back some of his stray hair, as if tired. "People can change - you should know that."
"Perhaps, but I can't imagine you having such a change of heart." Carlisle smiled slightly. "Hard to do when you don't have one."
James matched the smile, slightly more dangerous, and chuckled softly. "Very good, Carlisle, very good. You're funny." He paced quietly again. "But no, you're right."
"Then what is it?" Carlisle asked again, while Andrea watched them both, fixed by the turn in conversation.
"Why do you need to know, half-vamp?"
"It might silence my curiousity, and put my worry that you're going to use her for something dangerous, at rest."
James glanced up, black gaze surprised. "You think I changed her for..for a weapon?"
Carlisle shrugged. "None of us know what to think. And honestly, that's the only thing that makes sense to us."
The Tracker growled as he continued to pace, and shook his head. "Well you're wrong. No, I don't want her for a weapon."
"Then why, James?"
James sighed again, and Andrea got the feeling once more that he was tired with needing to explain. "I..I can honestly say I don't know."
Carlisle stared for a moment, light-eyes thinking, until he nodded slightly. "I guess I can take that as an answer. You care about her - that much matters I suppose. You're not using her for a weapon either. And it's not out of spite to us, is it?"
"No. I couldn't care less that you people think." James' lips pulled back over his white teeth in disgust. "I don't need the opinion of freaks."
"I didn't think so." Carlisle smiled tightly and glanced at Andrea. "You're not willing to just try to live as we do? Edward wasn't lying - it would help you feel more normal, considering you didn't have a choice in this change." He ignored James angry growl and continued. "If it doesn't work to your liking, you can go back to James. I won't stop you, and I'll make sure my family doesn't either. This isn't a game Andrea, it's more dangerous than you may think. We're the safest route."
His voice was gentle and persuading, and Andrea was swayed by it. She glanced from him to James, and back. "I..I can't, Carlisle. Killing people isn't exactly an appealing notion to me, but maybe if I can find people that deserve it, it won't be so bad.."
"Edward already tried that Andrea, it still makes you a murderer and leaves a conscience."
"I'm not Edward, Carlisle." Her gaze darkened, and he knew he'd said the wrong thing; he had cleared away any hope for her change of mind there might have been. "I will live like I'm supposed to, and with whom I want." She glanced up at James, at his beautiful face and smiled slightly. "It's what I want, Carlisle."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." She hesitated, and then gently continued. "If I get to the point where I change my mind, I know where to find you."
Carlisle nodded. "That's right." He glanced over at the man beside her, nodded again, and sighed. "I guess I've done what was intended. I'm sorry again for what happened with Edward, Emmett and Rosalie. I didn't..." He shook his head, disappointed. "I'm not thrilled with any of them. I'm glad you two are okay though."
"It's time you go, Gold Eyes." James commented, features stern and unemotional.
The older vampire smiled gently. "I know, I'm going." He stepped back toward the trees. "Teach her well, James." And then he was gone.
The both stared at the dark forest for a long moment, and then the scent of the Cullen was gone, not even a breeze able to bring it to them. James gently touched her arm, and led her back to the small, abandoned building. "I'm sorry about that." Andrea said softly and James glanced down at her.
"What for?"
"I'm what brought them all here. I'm what they want to change."
The tall, strong man wrapped an arm around her small shoulders, pulling her to his side as they approached the building. "It's not your fault, I'm the one that changed you."
Andrea smiled slightly. "Why do I think neither of us is going to let the other take the blame?"
He smiled gently back. "Good point. Listen though, that half-vamp was right. I need to teach you, and take care of you."
"Don't worry James, I know you will." She turned to face him, as they stopped walking.
"You're right, I will." He gently cradled her pale fale in his large hands. "You're everything I've got right now." His dark eyes dropped as he grew slightly uncomfortable with the show of emotion, with the weakness.
Andrea noticed and understood, and changed subject by studying James' pale, beautiful features. "Do you need to eat?"
He glanced up at her. "In a bit."
"You need to eat soon, James. Your eyes are black. Didn't you eat the entire time I was changing?" He didn't answer. "James?"
He shrugged. "No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. As hard as it was to listen to your screaming, I couldn't leave. You were too vulnerable like that." His faint smiled was lopsided, and he didn't meet her gaze again.
"So you didn't eat at all?"
"I'm fine."
"We should go and find something."
"Andrea the second we're near humans, you'll lose it. We have to stay away from people until you get better control."
"I can control myself!"
James smiled softly. "Not for long. Don't worry, I'll eat. You just won't come with me."
She smiled softly in return and twisted her fingers into his, looking down shyly. "What if I don't want to be away from you?"
"Then I'll wait longer to eat."
"I was kidding!" She yelped and he laughed, the sound warm and comforting, easing the tension still faint in the air.
"I am too, trust me." He smoothed down her hair with the palm of his hand, and she sighed, leaning against his firm chest, closing her eyes. "We'll figure it out." He said softly. "We'll figure it all out."
"I know. And James?"
"Yeah?"
"When you were telling Carlisle about how Edward should have killed Bella..what does that mean about me?"
James paused. "How do you mean?"
"Well..does that mean my blood did for you what Bella's does for Edward, or that..it was more than that? Y'know..deeper than that."
He sighed, and answered smoothly. "It was deeper than that, far deeper than that. Like I said before, it's been near a century since there's a been a being that wasn't afraid of me. So you won." He smiled to himself.
"Carlisle said this wasn't a game." Andrea pointed out, and he could hear the faint smile in her voice.
"Sure it is. Just the best kind - a deadly game." His voice was a low murmur, her body pressed against his and his face in her hair.
Andrea sighed contentedly, a smile on her lips. "A deadly game indeed.."
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Alright, there it is - all done. I hope the ending worked out well for all of you; I have to say I kind of like how it went. Thanks so much for reading, all of you, and reviewing. This story would be so much more lame without you guys! ;) Thanks again xx