Welcome to Chapter Ten of Extraordinary! I really loved writing this chapter but I have to admit, it wasn't the chapter I intended to write at all. It seemed like Elisa and the Cullen boys just took over with their own story-they didn't seem to want me to rush them along. :D So I'm sorry if some things take a little longer to get to, but hey, might as well enjoy it while you can because the story is almost over. I very much hope you all like this chapter.

Your wonderful feedback has been so much appreciated...PLEASE keep it coming. It inspires me in ways I can't describe.

You know the deal...Twilight and all of its characters, storylines, and sequels belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Extraordinary: Chapter Ten

My hooptie, rolling, tailpipe dragging,

heat don't work and my girl keeps naggin'

6 9 Buick, deuce keeps rolling',

one hubcap 'cause three got stolen...

'My Hooptie', Sir Mix A Lot

It took me several long seconds to process Edward's words, but once I did I have to admit I actually shrieked like the rabid fangirl I was. He stepped back at a bit at my peal of happiness, raising an eyebrow. I was too excited to have any sense of shame at the moment.

"You're kidding! I can go to your house? And meet your family? Alice? Carlisle? Everybody?" I burst out.

Edward smiled again, a little grudgingly. "Everybody. Even..." He sighed lightly. "...Bella." His voice betrayed a slight reluctance.

I squealed again. "Bella?!" I stopped myself from jumping up and down. Barely.

"Wait." Jasper interrupted. For a sad moment I thought he was going to object to the whole Crazy Elisa Meets The Vampire Family plan, which I was totally for. It would make all the nearly- mind- zapped- by- Jane/-eaten- by- a- bear memories SO worth it.

But instead he just asked, "How are we going to get her there?"

Emmett shrugged. "We'll run her. Edward does it with Bella all the time."

Edward shook his head. "Not that far. I don't know if she can handle it."

"I can too handle it!" I said indignantly, sputtering a little as the rain soaked my hair and dribbled down my face into my mouth.

All three of them looked at me doubtfully, then their lips began to quiver as they spoke quietly to each other once more.

"Could you please stop doing that?" I demanded. "That is really annoying."

Edward shot me an exasperated look. "We're going to run you part way." he said. "There's a road about ten miles out. Jasper will go ahead, liberate a vehicle, and meet us there."

I giggled. "You're going to steal a car?" I looked at Jasper.

Jasper shrugged. "There's a campground and parking area not far from the road, but it will be slim pickings. Most people don't come out in this kind of weather. We might end up running you the whole way after all."

"OK." Emmett rubbed his hands together. "Let's do this before she drowns." He looked at me and snickered. The torrential downpour looked like it was barely touching the three of them, almost as if it was propelled away by some 'I'm too sexy' vampiric shield. It was entirely unfair. I flushed, knowing I probably looked like a drenched rat. How totally embarrassing, to look as bad as I knew I did surrounded by a buffet of Culleny hotness.

There was a blur of motion that I barely noticed, then I gasped as I suddenly realized that Jasper was gone. Wow. I knew they were fast but seeing it for myself put it in a very new perspective. Was I really going to be going that fast as well? I swallowed hard, wondering if I could handle it after all.

Emmett noticed my worried expression. "We won't be going at quite the same speed." he assured me, then turned to Edward. "So do you want to do the honors, or should I?"

Edward inclined his head towards Emmett. "You can take her."

"Alright then." Emmett turned around, then knelt down. "Hop on, kid."

I have to admit, my face nearly turned purple as I climbed onto Emmett's back and wrapped my legs around his waist. I hadn't taken a piggyback ride since I'd been about six, and this was so different, so...intimate. I was once again extremely grateful for the jeans I was wearing. I would have died trying to do this in a skirt.

"Hold on tight, Elisa." Emmett warned me, then suddenly, without a second's notice, we were flying.

It felt like both hours and no time at all before I felt Emmett slow beneath me. The trees became visible again now that we were moving at a speed where I could actually register them, and then we were stopping. I'd completely lost sight of Edward, but he was there as well, appearing almost as if by magic at our side. Emmett knelt down a bit so I could slide off his back, and turned to me with a near invisible motion as my feet hit the ground.

"You OK?" He asked.

"That was AMAZING!" I cried in response, my heart pounding in my chest. "It was so much fun...like flying!" My head suddenly whirled, and I stumbled. He caught me before I fell, his eyes sparkling.

"OK, so it was a little...extreme." I admitted, blushing. "I loved it though! I want to do it again!"

Emmett laughed out loud now and patted my head fondly, turning to grin at Edward. "She's so cute! Can we keep her?"

Edward gave him a hard look then turned towards the road, inclining his head. "I think Jasper's coming now."

The sound was loud enough that even I could have figured that out. Long before the dingy brown car appeared around the bend in the road, we all heard its engine sputter, clicking and clacking as it shuddered along. Finally, it came into view, Jasper barely visible behind the rain pelted windshield, and gasped to a stop next to us.

Emmett and Edward both looked completely disgusted. "Jasper, what is this?" Emmett complained as he yanked open the passenger side door.

Jasper glared right back at him. "I told you there wouldn't be a lot of choice. The only other option was a spray painted Volkswagen van that was in about two hundered pieces. I didn't think you all would want to wait while I tried to reassemble it."

Edward pressed his lips together, looking like he'd rather cut off a vital body part then ride in the hunk of junk Jasper had stolen. "It will have to do then." he muttered finally. "Who wants to sit where?" He gave me a wary look and I suddenly realized he didn't want to sit beside me. That stung, and I shot him a dirty look to mask the hurt.

Emmett noticed too. "Sit in front, Edward. I'll ride in back with the oh so scary little girl." His voice was mocking, and I felt a rush of fondness for him, even if I didn't love him calling me a little girl. At least he didn't seem to think I was a total freak...even if I was.

We climbed into the back and I noticed Emmett's face twisting in disgust as we settled against the seat. Before I could ask him what was wrong, Edward turned to Jasper as his brother struggled to restart the car.

"What is that stench?" he demanded, his voice as disgusted as Emmett's face had been.

Jasper just gave him another 'shut up about the stupid car' look in return. Emmett took a cautious sniff, as if checking the air, then shuddered. "I believe that is the aromatic aura of feral cat." He turned to me. "Sorry that you have to inhale that, Elisa...at least we don't have to breathe if we don't want to."

I shrugged, turning to stare out the window as we began to move. "I don't smell anything." As the scenery began to roll by -slowly- my excitement began to rise once again and I twisted myself until I was on my knees, turning in the seat to look out the back window. I couldn't believe my good fortune -I was going to the Cullen house and I wanted to see everything on the way. This was a trip I was going to remember forever.

"Elisa." Edward snapped from the front seat. "Sit down and put on your seatbelt."

"Why?" I asked, rubbing the fog off the window so I could see better. "Is Jasper planning on getting into an accident?"

"Elisa!"

"Fine." I slumped back down in my seat, frowning, and put on the threadbare seatbelt that was so loose I'd fly out of it any way during an impact. "Kill joy." I whispered quietly to myself.

Emmett heard me, of course, and chuckled. "He's no fun, is he?"

"No." I still hadn't forgiven Edward for getting so mad at me back in the forest, despite his what I suspected was a less than sincere apology. I knew it was childish, but he had really hurt my feelings, besides nearly scaring me to death. His current attitude wasn't making it any better either...he was starting to remind me of my father.

"Well, now when you go back to wherever it is you came from, you can set everyone straight and tell them that I am the most fun Cullen of them all. Don't forget to throw in studliest as well." Emmett winked at me.

Twin snorts came from the front seat. Jasper turned his head to look at me. "Excuse me, but Elisa has seen enough to know that I am clearly the superior brother. I am head and shoulders above you both. Literally." His eyes crinkled and for the first time, I saw he had the tiniest of laugh lines. So quiet Jasper had a sense of humor after all...that was more then I could say for Edward. I shot another dirty look at his back, and almost as if he'd sensed it, he turned and looked at me.

"Considering the fact that Elisa traveled to Italy, however unconventionally, to save my life, I really don't feel the need to get into this childish boasting match with you two. Obviously only one brother is worth risking a nasty confrontation with the Volturi for. I win." His voice was smug and I gritted my teeth.

"Ha! That was then, this is now. Elisa doesn't like you anymore. Does the phrase mean, uptight jerk spring to mind?" His voice was amused. "She likes me better now, don't you, Elisa?" Emmett beamed at me.

"Yes." I said immediately. Suck on that, Edward Cullen. Good looks don't get you everything. My thoughts were just as smug as Emmett's face until Edward's eyes widened.

"They don't?" He asked me innocently.

I nearly choked. "You heard that?" I burst out.

He grinned. "Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I did. What exactly is it that I'm supposed to suck on?" Beside him, I saw that Jasper's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.

Turning bright red, I wished I could sink through the floorboards and disappear. "I thought you couldn't read my mind!" I wailed.

Edward frowned slightly. "The flashes that I'm getting from you are getting clearer, but it's mostly an occasional word here or there. This is the first time I've been able to make out a full phrase, except for when you were...ahem...scolding me back in the forest."

So his ability to read my mind was getting stronger. That totally sucked. I sat back and folded my arms across my chest, not even bothering to disguise my scowl.

"Elisa." Edward's voice was gentler now as he addressed me again. "I'm flattered that you think I'm good looking." He smiled angelically and as hard as I tried to stay mad at him, I could feel something inside of my chest melt. "And I am very sorry if I'm coming off as...well, a bit of a grouch. This is just a very unusual situation we've found ourselves in with you. I'm not exactly sure how to handle it."

Just as I was about to embarrass myself by dissolving like a chocolate bar in the sun at his words, the car shuddered so hard that the vibration went right through me. For a minute, I thought it was going to grind to a complete stop, but after a moment of complaint, it kept going, jerking us every couple of seconds as it staggered down the road. I didn't want to say it out loud, for fear of getting my head actually bitten off, but I had a feeling that even I could outpace the speed at which we were traveling.

Edward seemed to be thinking the same thing as he turned to look out his side window, scowling. "This is intolerable." He grumbled as he stared outside. I thought I caught a couple of other phrases, like 'shoddy American workmanship' and 'can't believe he stole a Dodge' but I couldn't be sure.

Suddenly, his profile brightened. "Stop the car!" he cried. Jasper slammed on the brakes and our stolen goods creaked to a grateful stop. I had immense doubts about whether it would restart-why had we stopped here?

"Be right back." Edward said cheerfully as he opened his door. I stared out my blurry window but he was already gone.

I was just about to ask Emmett what was going on when he grinned and pointed out the window. "Perfect!" he crowed.

I squinted my eyes, and saw a gray car coming down a side road so narrow I hadn't noticed it amidst the trees before. "Is that Edward?"

Jasper nodded as he opened his door. "Yes, the boy finally made himself useful. Everyone out!"

We all climbed out of the rickety car and waited next to it until Edward pulled up a few seconds later, looking very pleased with himself. "There was a house back there, and they very thoughtfully left this nice piece of Japanese machinery at the end of their driveway. Now we might actually get home sometime before tomorrow."

I couldn't help but smile as once again, Emmett and I climbed into the backseat. Edward refused to give up the wheel, so after a few seconds of mild snarling Jasper climbed reluctantly in the front passenger seat and we were moving once more. The contrast between the speed at which we were moving now and the speed at which we'd trudged along before was massive. Edward was pushing the gray car to its limits and it was almost flying along, the scenery such a blur now I couldn't make out an individual piece of it.

As we drove, Edward pulled a small silver cell phone out of seemingly nowhere. "We should be close enough to get a signal now." he murmured, more to himself. He dialed once, using only one finger that moved so fast it was barely visible. "Carlisle?" he asked after a moment, and I was so surprised that I jumped in my seat.

"Listen, Carlisle, we're on our way back to the house. We ran into a...complication." I saw his eyes briefly look at me in the rearview mirror. " No, I can't explain now. Would it be possible for you to leave the hospital early and meet us at home to discuss it? Good...we will see you there." He flipped the phone shut. "He's on his way."

I swallowed hard. I was so happy, yet completely nervous. I was actually going to meet Carlisle. And Rosalie. And Esme...and I'd get to actually talk to Bella and Alice this time...I couldn't believe it! It would be just my luck to wake up now, just as my long-time dream were about to come true...

At that thought, I remembered the anxiety that seized me earlier and it began to well up again as I sat there, pushing the anticipation away. Why hadn't I woken up yet? It had been hours...the longest I could remember ever being in one of these dreams was what...half an hour? Forty five minutes? Something was wrong; it had to be.

I recapped to myself what I knew. I'd gone shopping, talked to Rae about something that I couldn't remember, then...what? I concentrated. For the smallest moment, there was a sudden flash that didn't make sense, one that involved shock and fear...one that involved me flying. No...that couldn't be right. I was having flashbacks of the run through the woods I'd just taken.

I searched my mind once again. I must have gone home and gone to sleep. That was the only possible scenario. Except...why did I not have any memory of it? I thought harder, then a horrific idea struck me. What if I wasn't asleep? What if I had really lost my mind after all, become a babbling idiot right in the middle of Horton Square, and was now sitting in a padded room, imagining all this? My hands began to shake. It couldn't be true...I wasn't crazy. Was I?

It was a relief when Emmett gently nudged my shoulder, releasing me from the horrifying images that were racing through my brain.

"Elisa, we're here." His voice was gentle as his window, indicating that I should look out it.

"Great." I said, distracted still, but then I saw we had turned and were going up a long, tree studded drive and in the distance, I could see the most beautiful white house I'd ever seen in my life. It was so much more majestic then I'd ever pictured it. My jaw dropped and I was suddenly so dizzy with anticipation that my head swam and suddenly I didn't care whether I was crazy or not-I wanted to be here and no place else in the world.

I was about to meet the family.

To Be Continued

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