Disclaimer: SM owns it all.
The Visitors
Bella came downstairs from her "girl talk" looking fairly traumatized. I had heard some of what was said, but tried politely not listen. I would have been more sympathetic, but as far as I was concerned, Bella got off easy. None of us had any privacy, but at least she hadn't been subjected to Emmett's singing.
"How'd it go?" I asked. She looked even paler than normal as she took a seat next to me on the piano bench. I had been playing to occupy the time while she was upstairs.
"Fine, I guess. Are they always that nosey?"
"Yes. You have to understand Bella, between our… abilities, there is virtually no privacy around here. It's something we learned to deal with long ago. I suppose it's even gotten to the point that not knowing is frustrating."
Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't look particularly concerned. Without a word, she closed her eyes and leaned against my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head before beginning to play one of my compositions softly. We stayed like that for awhile, Bella occasionally asking me what the name was of a new piece of music.
When I caught an especially disturbing thought from upstairs I sighed heavily, allowing the music to slowly fade away. "When will they be here?"
Bella opened her eyes and looked up at me, confused by my question. She was about to speak when Alice appeared next to the piano. "Around five."
I nodded my head slowly and looked at Bella. "Fine. We'll have Bella home by then."
Bella was still confused. "Who will be here around five?"
"Actually," Alice started, completely ignoring Bella, "they'd like to meet her."
That can't be good. "How do they even know about Bella?"
"That would be my doing," Carlisle answered from somewhere in the house. He quickly entered the room to continue. "Yesterday, when Jacob said there were five more wolves I decided to call them. We've never dealt with eight before, Edward. I thought it safer that they knew of our situation in case we are ever in need of assistance."
I couldn't deny his logic, but I still wasn't happy about it.
"When they heard about Bella," he continued, "they decided to make the trip. It has been a long time." He sounded rather sheepish as he tried to justify the visit.
"Who wants to meet me?" Bella had grown frustrated at being left out of the conversation. Already she was fitting into the family.
I smiled down at her apologetically. "Tanya's coven."
~*~
Bella had already known about the vampires from Denali, as well as Tanya's and my "history." I hadn't seen the need to tell her about that at the time, but Alice likes to talk. A lot. The news of Tanya's visit had made Bella considerably jittery. She'd tripped going up the stairs and I'd had to catch a glass of water she dropped before it crashed to the floor.
She had gone home earlier so she'd be there when Charlie returned. She spent a couple hours with him before Alice went to pick her up. Alice told Charlie that she was taking Bella to Port Angeles to shop for undergarments. He had blushed redder than his daughter ever had and said a hasty goodbye.
Bella was now sitting next to me biting her nails despite my numerous attempts to swat her hand away. I finally had to wrap my arms around her, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. "Honestly Bella, it won't be that bad."
She shot me a small glare, but otherwise ignored me.
Want me to help?
Jasper's services were exactly what Bella needed. I gave him a small nod and he walked over to us from where he stood chatting with Alice and Carlisle. He leaned down and said, "Everything will be fine," as he patted Bella on the shoulder. She gave him a weak smile until she realized what he was doing and then he got a glare as well. Despite her reluctance I felt her muscles relax almost immediately. I said a quiet "Thank you," and Jasper returned to Alice's side.
"Can I let you go now, Bella?"
She nodded and I freed her arms, but kept her pulled close to my side. "I still don't understand. Why do they want to meet me?"
I shrugged. "Curiosity, I suppose. Our relationship is fairly unique."
"And Tanya? Do you think… will she not like me?"
"Bella," I sighed, "that was a long time ago. There's nothing for you to worry about." I hope. I know Tanya has a tendency to speak her mind, but I can't see her intentionally causing trouble.
We sat quietly for a few minutes until Alice announced, "They're here."
We all listened as the car approached the house and came to a quick stop. Bella stiffened beside me as even she could hear the four doors opening and closing. The doorbell rang unnaturally soon, causing her to jump. This was not starting off well. I half-lifted, half-pulled Bella to her feet and we went to join the others.
As we stood together waiting to greet our guests, I couldn't help but notice Emmet hovering protectively around Bella. I smiled to myself as I realized he was taking his new role of big brother seriously. This side of Emmett certainly made the singing, teasing, and punching side bearable.
Carlisle opened the door for the five visiting vampires, who came inside one by one with Tanya leading the group. Greetings were made all around, but the room quickly became quiet. The attention had turned to Bella.
"So this is the human." Tanya, of course, had been the first to speak.
I pulled Bella closer to my side and Carlisle came between us to make the introductions. "Tanya, this is Bella Swan. Bella this is Tanya, Irina, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazer," he said, gesturing to each in turn.
"Hi, nice to meet you all," Bella said quietly.
Kate smiled and shook Bella's hand as she introduced herself. Carmen was next. Tanya's eyes were raking over Bella's form and her thoughts were infuriating: That's what he chose? Poor guy has no taste. No wonder we're not together… She caught me glowering at her and smirked. What? It's true. Look at her.
I growled at her low enough that Bella wouldn't hear, but unfortunately everyone else could.
They all turned to look at me and then followed my gaze to Tanya. Irina whispered, "Play nice," to her sister and then came forward to greet Bella. The others slowly began to talk amongst themselves until the next interruption. This time it was from Eleazar.
He had been looking at Bella intently when a smile pulled up one corner of his lips. "Carlisle, why did you not tell us this one was special?"
The other four Denali vampires turned to Carlisle and Eleazar, waiting for an explanation. I was a little curious myself. Eleazar's ability allows him to see the gifts that other vampires and humans possess.
Carlisle glanced at me and said, "Perhaps Edward would be the best to explain it."
"Bella is the only human I've ever encountered whose mind I cannot read. We don't know how or why this is."
Eleazar laughed out loud. "A shield! Bella projects a shield."
I'd heard before about vampires who can produce shields. One in particular, who lived in Italy, was often sought out as a bodyguard of sorts. Her ability not only blocks herself from mental attacks, but anyone she touches as well. I looked down at Bella who was looking more uncomfortable by the minute.
"Curious… I wonder…" Eleazar quietly mused to himself. To my horror he then asked, "When do you plan to change her?"
"Eleazer, please. We have not discussed this yet."
"Forgive me, Edward, I did not know."
"He has a point," Tanya interjected, "you can't keep her human forever."
"That's enough," I snarled. It may have been an overreaction, but her earlier thoughts were still fresh in my mind.
Her eyes narrowed at me and she thought, You don't want her around forever, do you?
"Pettiness is not an attractive trait, Tanya."
Alice giggled and tried to cover it up by clearing her throat. Seeing as how that act is wholly unnecessary for a vampire, the effect was ruined. It did serve to lighten the mood enough that the others began quietly talking and dispersing into smaller groups. Tanya reluctantly followed Irina and Esme away and Bella breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm so sorry, Bella." I couldn't begin to imagine what she was feeling right now. In a matter of minutes she had met five new vampires, learned she possessed an extra ability, and was asked when she would become a vampire.
"It's alright, Edward. Really." She grabbed my hand and started to walk towards the living room, but I didn't move. "What?"
"Do you know you're absolutely amazing?"
She rolled her eyes at me and tugged at my hand. "Come on, we should go – "
But she never got to tell me what we should do because I pulled her back to me and kissed her senseless.
~*~
The next few hours went by much more smoothly than the introductions. We'd joined Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Kate, and Carmen in the living room. Bella and I were both slightly dazed and giddy from our kissing session, which resulted in us finding everything that was said much funnier than it actually was.
Bella was getting on surprisingly well with Kate and Carmen. They'd politely asked about her family and school. Since Bella had only taken French, Carmen decided to teach her a few romantic phrases of Spanish like quiero estar contigo para siempre and te quiero con todo mi corazón. She also taught Bella a few that made her blush when she learned the meaning. The others had barely contained their laughter as Bella repeated those ones over and over, practicing her pronunciation. At one point Emmett had burst out with "Trust me, it's not that big!" That had earned him a nice punch from me.
When eight o'clock arrived, Bella announced that she had to leave. "My dad is expecting me," she explained when Kate and Carmen expressed their disappointment. She said goodbye to them and moved into the dining room where the rest of the family and guests were sitting. "Bye everyone. It was nice meeting you Eleazar, Tanya."
"The pleasure was mine, Bella," Eleazar said, bowing his head.
Even Tanya said, "It was nice to meet you, Bella." Her thoughts were hesitant, but suggested she was telling the truth. Perhaps hearing how well her sisters got along with Bella had changed Tanya's mind.
I walked Bella back to where Alice sitting. "Ready?" she asked. When Bella nodded, Alice disappeared upstairs and returned a second later with a shopping bag. "Here, you'll need this."
"What is it?" Bella asked.
"Just a few things," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "We told Charlie I was taking you shopping. You couldn't exactly turn up empty handed."
Alice then went to the kitchen to let them know she would be taking Bella home. I took the opportunity to walk Bella down to the garage. "Are you coming over tonight?"
"Do you want me to?" I asked. She nodded as she put her bag in the backseat of Carlisle's car, which Alice often drove. "I'll be there as soon as Charlie's asleep," I said, pulling her in for a hug.
She wrapped her arms around my waist but tilted her head back to look up at me. "Edward? Tonight, can we talk about the… things they said earlier?"
I sighed and used one hand to guide her head to my chest. As I laid my cheek against her hair I whispered, "If you'd like." I'd barely considered the topic of Bella becoming a vampire myself, and already she wished to discuss it. I could hear Alice waiting just inside the door to the house, allowing us a few moments to ourselves. "Come in, Alice."
She walked in offering me a sympathetic smile, knowing I had some difficult decisions ahead of me. I said goodbye and watched as they both got in the car and backed out of the garage.
~*~
When Alice had returned, she told me Charlie would be in bed by half past nine. I was preoccupied through most of the intervening conversation and felt relieved when it was finally time to leave for Bella's. I excused myself rather hastily, but none of the guests were bothered by this but Tanya. She hadn't hid her jealous thoughts fast enough.
When I arrived at Bella's, the only light that was on in the house was coming from her bedroom. I bent into a slight crouch and then launched myself up and through the open window without a sound. She was sitting on her bed, already dressed in her pajamas, as she flipped through the pages of a book. When she saw me she set the book on the table beside her and smiled. I quickly slipped my shoes off and sat on the bed next to her.
I didn't say anything as I sat smiling at her. After a few moments she began look suspicious. "What?"
"I'm just amazed at how well you did today," I answered as I took her hand in mine. "You weren't even intimidated by them."
She snorted and shook her head. "Are you kidding me? It would be impossible to be in a house full of women that gorgeous and not be intimidated. Plus, did you see the way Tanya looked me?"
I nodded my head and quickly turned away. I didn't want her to see the anger that the memory stirred up. When I looked back she was watching me with narrowed eyes.
"You heard what she was thinking, didn't you? Will you tell me?"
"No."
"It was that bad, huh?"
I sighed in frustration. This was one situation where I could see no right answer. If I didn't tell her, she would assume the worst. If I did tell her, she would surely be upset by it. "Let's just say Tanya has a high opinion of herself and leave it at that. Please?"
She looked unhappy about it but eventually agreed. "Fine." She perked up a little as she changed the subject. "How did Eleazar know I'm, uh, different."
"That's his gift. He can tell when others have extra abilities."
"So, I have a shield?"
I shook my head, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "Not exactly. It's more like you are a shield. You can shield yourself from mental attack. Possibly other people as well. Who knows." I stared at Bella almost in disbelief. How surreal it was to discover than Bella possesses a gift that is coveted in the vampire world.
"What do you mean attack?"
"Attack, invasion, intrusion; whatever you want to call it. What I do, Bella, it invades a person's mind. There are vampires with abilities that work the same way, only they aren't so… painless."
As Bella thought this over, I wrapped my arm around her and leaned us back until we were lying side by side. She twisted around until she was on her stomach, facing me. "What they said… about changing me…"
"They shouldn't have brought that up. I apologize."
"Edward, don't apologize. I was just wondering if you had thought about it… about making me like you."
"Bella," I sighed, "I would never do that to you against your will."
"How do you know it would be against my will?"
"You don't know what you're asking for, Bella. How difficult our life is. Besides, you would have to leave your friends, your family…"
"I'd also be gaining a family." She looked down at where our hands were intertwined and bit her lip. "We'd really have a forever."
I clenched my eyes shut at the word. I'd been avoiding this subject, pushing the thoughts away when they came. "There's nothing I want more than to spend forever with you, Bella. It's just… the rest of us… Carlisle only changed us because it was either this or death. You have a long life ahead of you."
"You don't know that. You always say my truck sounds like it could blow at any minute."She smiled and I couldn't help a small laugh. That truck is awful.
"I'm not saying it won't happen, Bella, but you have to be sure. Plus, we still have time. You haven't even finished school yet."
"Why is school a problem? You and Alice and the others all go."
"We've had a lot of practice, Bella. When you're first changed it's a nearly impossible to resist human blood. You wouldn't be able to be around people for awhile."
She swallowed thickly. "How long?"
"The hardest part lasts about a year, but it could be much longer before you have enough control for it to be safe. We would all be there for you of course."
She let her head drop slowly to my shoulder. I smelled the saltiness of her tears moments before they began soaking my shirt. Despite my uncertainty on the matter I suddenly had a sinking feeling in my chest. "I told you, Bella, you don't have to change."
Her head snapped up so she could look at me again. The tears streaming down her face were heartbreaking. "It's not that I don't want to, Edward. It's just a lot to take in, you know?"
"I know." I brushed her hair back from her face and wiped her tears away with my thumb. "There's plenty of time to think about it, Bella."
She laid her head back down and pulled in a deep breath. "I think the hardest part would be leaving Charlie."
"Why's that?"
"I don't really have close friends. I'd miss Renee, but she has Phil and they're happy together. Charlie would just be here alone."
This was one area where I couldn't help. Both my parents had died of the same illness that would have killed me.
I rubbed gently circles on her back and pressed my lips to her forehead. I felt her begin to drift to sleep after awhile and pulled the blanket up around us. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too."
~*~
School was interesting the next day.
Some things were the same. Bella and I still worked together in Biology. I deflected a basketball from its path towards the back of her head in gym. She didn't even notice, but Mike Newton gave me a thumbs up when he saw it. Bella even still sat with Angela during lunch.
Other things were completely different. The word spread fast after we were seen arriving to school together and holding hands. We were the topic of conversation everywhere we went. Some people whispered quietly to friends, others came right out and asked us if we were together. I could hear the more malicious thoughts that people left unspoken. Bella and I both had our fair share of jealous onlookers.
The extra attention had made Bella fairly edgy. I tried to convince her that we'd be forgotten in no time, but it took Alice's verdict of "Next Wednesday" to convince her that it wouldn't last forever.
We were walking to my car at the end up the day when Alice caught up to us. "So, Bella, when do you want to go dress shopping?"
"Dress shopping? For what?" she asked, sounding puzzled.
Alice's face fell. "Oh I'm sorry, Edward. I forgot to check if you'd asked her yet."
I heaved an exasperated sigh, but couldn't bring myself to actually be upset with her. After we'd walked the last few steps to the car, I turned and took Bella's hands in mine. I watched as her eyes grew wide.
"Isabella Swan, will you go to the winter formal with me?"
__________________________________
This chapter was a lot more fun than the last. I hope you guys like it.
Don't worry, Tanya's not going to be an issue in the story. The Denali group will play a part at the end, so I figured this was a good time to bring them in. They were also useful in introducing the idea of Bella's transformation.
Reviewers get to whisper dirty Spanish phrases to Edward.
