Brady's point of view:
I sat at the kitchen counter, scraping the last pieces of chocolate cake from my plate. I thought I would've hated being around vampires all the time, but they weren't so bad. I especially liked Esme. She was caring and a great cook. She always seemed to be cooking or baking something, and I was a willing to eat. Esme placed a glass of milk in front of me.
"This was great, Esme." I smiled at her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, my dear." She put her hand on my arm before moving away carrying my empty plate away. "I enjoy cooking for people."
I drained the glass of milk quickly.
"You're good at it."
"Thank you."
"When did you start cooking for people?" I asked.
"Well, I used to bake cookies for people at the hospital, or I'd make some kind of dish for a pot luck. Sometimes, I'd do a bake sale for their school, and the family would tease me for going overboard." Esme gestured with her hands. "I enjoy it though, and I'm glad I get to cook frequently now."
Esme gave me a warm smile as the garage door opened. Jasper carried some bags while Alice carried Abby. Abby held two cups and two wolves in her arms.
"Uncle Brady, I zoo!" Abby yelled at me.
"You did?" I asked in mock surprise.
"I got Arian pwesent."
She held up one of the wolves and cups.
"Are you sure your Aunt Alice didn't get her that?"
"Actually, it was Abby's idea." Alice kissed her head. "Such a loving girl."
"I give now?" she asked Alice.
"Let's see if we can find her, pretty girl," I told Abby.
Alice handed Abby to me, taking her wolf and cup to put them in a special place. I carried Abby upstairs.
"What animals did you see?" I asked.
"A o-lot! Big cats. I hod a nake."
"You held a snake?" Arian nodded. "You're so brave."
"We go?"
"Can we go?" I asked, chuckling.
"Yes?"
"Maybe one day." I stepped into Arian's bedroom.
Emmett was rocking Arian while Rosalie put a book on one of her many built-in bookshelves.
"Arian, pwesent!"
"Look, Abby got you something from the zoo," Emmett whispered into Arian's ear.
Arian looked at Abby with wide, curious eyes as I set her down.
"It be wof and cup," Abby said walking toward Arian.
Abby held the wolf and cup up for Arian to look at. Arian slowly reached for the wolf and took it in her arms. She hugged it close to her body.
"It looks like Brady," Arian whispered.
It was the first time she'd said something since we brought her home.
"It does, huh?" Emmett asked.
"My Brady." Arian cuddled the wolf very close.
"Cup!" Abby held the cup for Arian to take.
"Look at your new cup." Emmett took the cup from Abby and held it up for Arian to look at. "Can you tell Abby thank you."
"Thank you," Arian whispered.
"You welome!" Abby gave Arian a quick hug.
I chuckled at the look on Arian's surprised face.
"Mommy, can Brady sleep in my bed tonight?" Arian asked.
Emmett looked at me and growled. I gulped.
"Yes, Brady can sleep with you," Rosalie smoothed out.
Arian hugged the stuffed animal to her chest again.
"Abby, bed time!" Ashley stuck her head into the door.
"Otay, Mommy."
Abby skipped out of the room.
"Are you ready for bed time, Arian?" Emmett asked.
"Can we read again?" Arian whispered.
"Of course, Pumpkin," he whispered back.
Rosalie handed Emmett one more book, and before he was finished reading it, Arian was asleep and put in bed with her stuffed animal in her arms. I lay curled up in my wolf form at the end of Arian's bed. She was sleeping in it instead of Rose or Emmett's arms tonight, and they agreed I could stay since I was a form of comfort to her. I felt so grateful that they accepted my imprint on their precious daughter. They'd told me that she seemed at peace with me here, which was what they wanted for Arian.
Eventually, I fell asleep to be awoken up a few hours later to Arian whimpering. I stood and watched her. She thrashed around before holding still. I touched my nose to her skin, causing her eyes fly open. She breathed heavily while her large blue eyes looked up at me.
"Brady," she whispered.
I nuzzled her arm gently. She surprised me when she sat up and hugged me tight. It was amazing being hugged by her; peace swept through me. This was where I was supposed to be, but if only I could hug her back. She lay back down again, and I placed my head next to her on the bed. She ran her fingers through my fur. Slowly she drifted off to sleep, her hand still touching my fur.
Arian turned on her side, sighing contently. I stayed next to her throughout the night, dozing on and off.
"Brady?" Rosalie whispered.
I opened my eyes and lifting my head, I turned to look at her.
"I'm going to go on a quick hunt, and I shouldn't be gone too long," Rosalie said.
I nodded before Rosalie left. I placed my head back on the bed, falling asleep. What seemed like moments later, I felt Arian's hand running through my fur. I opened my eyes to see her laying awake. For the first time since I met her, she seemed calm. I licked her hand, making her grin slightly that didn't last for more than a second. Nuzzling her hand, she put her hand back in my fur.
We spent some time like that for a while before she yawned and stretched.
"Are you hungry, Brady?" Arian whispered.
I nodded my head.
"Will you change?" she asked.
I nodded again before going into her small bathroom to change quickly, pulling on sweats and a t-shirt. I rolled my shoulders and neck since they were stiff from the night before. Arian still laid on her bed, her eyes down cast but she looked up when I came into the room.
"Are you ready, pretty girl?" I asked.
"Grandma makes breakfast," she whispered.
I lifted her out the bed, her tiny head rested on my shoulder.
"She makes good food, huh?" I asked.
"It's yummy, Brady."
I chuckled as we stepped into the kitchen where Esme was cooking bacon, eggs, and and baking what I hoped to be cinnamon rolls. She smiled warmly when she saw Arian and me.
"Good morning, Arian," she said when we stepped up to next to her.
"Good morning, Grandma," Arian whispered.
"Are you hungry?"
"We are, Grandma. Did you make a lot of food? Brady needs a lot because he's so big."
We laughed. It was the most she'd said around me.
"Don't worry, my love. I've cooked food for him before, so I made plenty," Esme said, giving Arian a kiss on the cheek.
Emmett came into the room, and Arian's face lit up.
"Daddy. Oh my Daddy's here," she said.
She lifted her head off of my chest and reached her arms out for him. She was such a Daddy's girl.
"Good morning, Pumpkin," he said, taking her in his arms.
"Good morning," she said to him. "Daddy kiss?"
Emmett gave Arian a kiss before she snuggled into his chest. Esme smiled over her shoulder at the two. I hoped that when I had daughters, we'd have the same bond. I averted my eyes; it was the first time I thought something like that.
Esme put the bacon and eggs on two plates; mine was piled high with food. I quickly pulled my plate toward me and sat in a chair.
"Can we sit by Brady, Daddy?" Arian asked.
"I guess so." Emmett sighed, winking at me. "Taking my baby away from me already."
"Not yet," I said.
I grinned as I pushed her plate toward her, and Emmett picked up her fork and handed it to Arian. We dug in, and I the food in my mouth. I finished my food pretty quick, but Arian ate slowly.
My mouth watered when Esme took some cinnamon rolls out the oven.
"Did Felix make those?" I asked.
"He did. He put them in the oven before he went on the quick hunt with Rosalie," Esme explained.
I watched her spread the frosting on them. Felix was the best cook.
"I promised others some of these," Esme said, catching my gaze.
"Of course," I replied.
"What are those, Grandma?" Arian asked.
"They're cinnamon rolls," Esme replied. "Would you like to try one?"
"Can I share one with Brady?" she asked. "They're so big."
"Sure can, sweetie," Esme said as she finished frosting the last part of it.
She pulled out four, three she put on one plate; the last she cut in half.
"Here you go, my love." Esme set Arian's half in front of her.
"Where's my fork, Grandma?" Arian asked.
"You eat them with your fingers," I told her, picking one up. "You can pull them apart and eat a bite."
"Oh, okay."
Emmett helped Arian eat her cinnamon roll, but she frowned when she was finished.
"Grandma, my fingers are sticky." She held up her hands as if to prove a point.
"Can I help you wash your hands?" Esme asked.
Arian clutched Emmett's shirt as if she didn't know what she wanted. Her eyes looked around as she held on to Emmett.
"Can Daddy help you?" Emmett asked.
She nodded slowly. Emmett moved to the sink while Emmett and Esme watched Arian slowly. She was talking now, more progress than we thought she'd make. It was most likely too soon for her to feel comfortable with others touching her yet, and I was surprised she felt okay with me holding her.
I helped Esme with the dishes while Emmett took Arian upstairs to change out of her pajamas.
"Brady?" Carlisle asked from the kitchen doorway. "Brianna's awake. Would you be willing to come talk to her with us?"
I made a fist, causing the spoon I was holding to snap in half.
"Sorry, Esme. Does she want me there?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, but you could use the closure, Brady," Carlisle replied.
I supposed he was right, but I grumbled as I followed Carlisle up the stairs and to a large bedroom on the top floor. Brianna laid on the center of a large, white bed, her back to us. There was an IV set up next to the bed. Edward sat in a chair in the corner of the room, gazing out the window. Things had been tense with him since the news of Nessie's pregnancy was announced.
"Brianna?" Carlisle asked, moving to the other side of the bed.
"Yes?" she asked as Carlisle sat in the chair closest to her.
"We … we want to ask you some questions," Carlisle said slowly, "if that's okay."
Brianna sighed. "I thought you might want to know the truth."
The room fell silent as we waited for Brianna to start.
"Take your time," Carlisle said. "We have a while."
I leaned against the door frame, not wanting to get near her. We waited for some time before she started to talk.
"I … there were two main vampires, my father, Basil, and Arian's father, Adal. They wanted to create a new race of vampires. I never knew Arian or the other children they ran the tests on. I knew of them, that they were working on a better, stronger antidote for werewolf venom, but never met them face-to-face. They thought it'd give us an edge if we went up against them. One of the other vampires, Adal's oldest son, Klaus, and I were the 'prized' children. We were thought to create more children like ourselves. So they wanted to take the girls for that reason, to make even more hybrids …"
"How'd they get by us?" Edward asked, leaning forward.
"Adal can be unaware to anyone when she wants to be," Brianna said. "If he doesn't want you to know he's there, he can project the image that he isn't."
"And he extends his powers to others?" Edward asked.
"Yes, he kept himself and the others hidden when they took the girls."
The room was silent, and I wanted to ask her what her role in this was, but my question stuck in my throat. Edward quirked an eyebrow at me in a silent question, and I nodded my head at him.
"What was your role in this, exactly?" Edward asked.
"I can seduce any man I want. I had to have Klaus near so no one got suspicious about what I really am," Brianna said.
"And he has the same powers as Adal?" Edward clarified.
"Yes, that's why we were so 'prized' and kept away from the testing." Brianna sighed. "I'm so sorry I didn't stop it earlier."
I snorted.
"I tried, I … I really did." She started to cry her fake tears.
I turned and walked away; I couldn't hear any more.
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