Title: Gloaming
Author: Readingmama/Vampiremama
Beta: AcrossTheSkyInStars
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.
Continuity: AU
Rating: M for sexual situations and violence.
A/N- Thank you to my wonderful Beta who loves me even when I stuff her inbox full of chapters.
Reviewers are still getting teased.
Chapter 11
BPOV
Seeing my son come home unscathed from the confrontation was a huge weight off my mind. I didn't know what happened and I didn't want to. All I needed to know was that my son was home safe and there would be no fight with the Cullens. I would rather have been lunch than have my son die to defend me. It may have been his job to protect La Push but it would always be my job to protect him.
That Saturday, Jake decided to take Rebecca into Port Angeles to a movie that she had wanted to see, so I headed over to Charlie's for a visit. The old house looked exactly the same from when I had lived there. If it had not been for the minor changes made when I moved in, I'm sure it would have been exactly the same since Renee had lived there. Charlie had never been good with change. He was a simple man with simple ideals and I loved him for it.
"Dad, do you want me to come over and dust for you again?" I asked blowing a layer of filth off the mantle. The particles flew up in my face and I stepped back sneezing.
"Do you think it needs it?" he called from the kitchen. I shook my head at his blindness to the state of his house.
"Unless you want to start hunting dust bunnies with that rifle of yours," I teased.
"Very funny, Bells."
I joined him in the kitchen. As usual, I was cooking for him and the boiling pot on the stove told me that things were just about ready. I made stew as I knew it would be easy for him to deal with the leftovers. Heating stew up in the microwave was easy enough, even for Charlie. I had precut all the ingredients prior to going over; I didn't like using his kitchen space. The only thing that Charlie ever made for himself was steaks on the barbeque in the summer. He seasoned the meat right on the countertops and the buildup of scum on them was revolting.
In addition to supper, I had also stocked his fridge with fresh fruit. I liked to pretend he would eat it. Charlie was one of those men that just needed a woman in his life; unfortunately, he was also extremely loyal so any chance that he would get over my mom leaving was pretty low.
We chatted as we ate. It felt weird having a conversation with my dad. It seemed like the most important things happening in my life right now were secrets. While our relationship had never been full of talk, I found myself feeling distanced from him.
"You take care of yourself," I told him as I gave him a quick hug.
"Sure, sure," he replied.
"Stop it, you sound like Jake," I scolded but he just laughed.
The screen door closed behind me and I made my way towards my car. I heard deliberate steps on the ground and I looked up, my breath catching in my throat.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender.
My heart thudded uncomfortably in my chest as my mind searched for any sign of this being a trick. Edward stood there and assessed me as I worked to get my breathing under control. I didn't want to scream, I wanted Charlie to stay safe and sound inside his home. There was no need to take out the last of the Swan lineage in one go.
"What are you doing here?" I asked once I composed myself.
"I wanted to apologize," he said.
"Okay…you did it. Can I leave now?" My voice tried to sound brave but I heard it crack.
"I would like very much if you could let me explain." His voice was smooth, and if it were any other fifteen year-old, I would say his tone was condescending, but I think it was more that he had an air about him. It was obvious to me he was from a different time.
I glanced back at the house, looking for any sign that Charlie may come out. "Sure, but can we go somewhere else?" I asked.
"Of course. You choose, please, I would like you to be comfortable," he replied.
A sound of disbelief escaped my mouth as I muttered, "I think it's a little late for that."
His mouth curled up in a small smile and I could appreciate what a good looking kid he was, when he wasn't trying to kill me. I told him to meet me at the coffee shop, I didn't know how he would get there but I was certainly not about to offer him a ride in my car.
"I think it might be better if we kept this outdoors," he replied to my suggestion.
I searched my brain for a crowded, outdoor place and the best I could come up with was a bench that sat opposite the main street. It wouldn't be packed and it wasn't the safest place but at least it was away from Charlie. I had to try and believe that if he was going to kill me, he would have done it by now.
He was already seated with two Styrofoam cups of steaming liquid in his hands when I arrived. I wondered how he had gotten there so fast and in time to buy drinks but then I remembered how he came at me at the gym. My body trembled at the memory. The shiver didn't go unnoticed.
"I got you a tea; I hope that is all right…. If you want something else I can…" If I didn't know better, I would say that he was nervous. He sat as far over on the bench as he could, as if not wanting to get too close to me. The feeling was mutual. He did, however, have his legs turned towards me. I kept mine facing forward, just turning my head to see him. It was a silly gesture; body language would not protect me from this creature. He placed my cup on the bench between us.
"No, its fine," I answered, picking up the drink to prove my point. He cocked his head to the side, studying me again. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I asked. He didn't look like someone enjoying the sight of his next meal but more like a psychiatrist trying to crack into my head.
"I'm sorry, I just find you very hard to read."
"And why do you want to read me?"
"Because I can't," he said simply.
"So you wanted to explain something," I pressed. His gaze was causing my body to tense, I wanted to do this and be done with it. My mind was hoping that this wasn't an elaborate game. Surely he wasn't just playing with his food.
"Yes, of course. It is a bit tricky to explain…there is a very rare occurrence that can happen. You see, for each of us, there are very few who are different. The call of them is louder, if you will. It makes us want them very badly." The unspoken words 'to eat' rang out in my head. "My family and I abstain, as you know, but there are cases when it is harder than others." He paused and ran his hands through his bronze locks. His golden eyes looked pained in the moonlight.
"So I am a rare occurrence?" I asked trying to get things straightened out.
"In more ways than one."
It may have been the delirium of the situation getting to me as I could not stop the next words out of my mouth. "So you're saying I'm like a steak amongst the salad bar?" His boisterous laughter caused me to jump before it became contagious. He laughed like an angel, and I assumed that was part of their lure, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the sound.
"Yes, when you put it like that, you are most definitely my steak." The way he put the possessive on it made my sense come back. This was not some young boy across from me, he was a vampire and he wanted to kill me.
"Why are you here?" I asked in a small voice.
"I told you, I wanted to apologize."
"But why?"
"I've lived a very long life Mrs. Black and few things have surprised me. You surprised me." He ran his long fingers through his strange, copper hair. There was more to him than he put forward.
I decided to be bold. I may never have a chance like this again. There was so much to learn from someone like him.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Fifteen," he replied automatically.
"How old are you really?"
"My body is seventeen; I have existed for one hundred and twenty three years." I let that sink in.
"Can I ask you something?"
"I will answer if I can," he stated politely.
"Have you travelled the world?"
He chuckled softly. "You continue to surprise me, Mrs. Black."
"Bella," I said, "call me Bella, Edward. I mean maybe I should be calling you Mr. Cullen, after all, you are my elder."
"That is most certainly not required," he replied with humor. "To answer your question, I have travelled through most of Europe and North America, as well as a good chunk of Asia. We tend to stay away from the sunny destinations."
"Yeah, I guess you would stand out on the beach," I giggled, "even more than me, that is."
"It's a little more than that. I will show you sometime." The comment hung in the air. He intended to see me again.
Even though I was still frightened of him, I was also curious to hear his tales. Someone who had lived through the last century would have many tales to tell. I had lost my grandma Swan when I was eleven and I was always happy to hear her stories but she didn't have a perfect memory. Edward would not have forgotten a moment. It was fascinating to me.
"I think I should be going," I said, placing my cup in the trash bin beside the bench. I had been so enraptured by our conversation that I had not even taken a sip of my drink. Without realizing it, I had pointed my knees towards him at some point during our talk. Edward's cup was just as full as mine when he threw it out but I was sure it was for a completely different reason. I wondered why he bothered to get himself one at all.
"Let me walk you to your car," he said standing. I nodded and he followed me down the street. "I really enjoyed talking with you Bella. I would like to do it again, that is, if you would be okay with that."
"I don't really understand why you would want to," I replied.
"Maybe next time I can explain it to you," he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at his persistence and I realized that I was actually more comfortable being with him than I expected to be. He opened my door for me and I climbed in behind the wheel.
"Maybe next time you can," I said as he closed the door.
I started the car and pulled off. I looked in the rear view mirror but he was already gone. I reveled at what a strange day I had. I had made my first new friend in years and it was a vampire.
