Secrets and Poison

I was pacing aimlessly in front of Carlisle's study. My hands clenching nervously to my sides, my mind was racing. I didn't know what I was going to tell them. I had always intended to tell them everything- or had I? Honestly, I knew it would come up and I knew I wouldn't have lied. I wish I had the opportunity to tell them first, before they found out like this.

Alice and Emmet had come back an hour ago after catching Victoria and disposing of her. It was a relief to know that she wasn't a threat anymore.

Angela was safely asleep in the exam room. Carlisle and Edward were waiting patiently behind the doors in front of me. What made it worse is that they didn't seem mad at me. They didn't even ask me, though they had every right.

I turned the knob of the door slowly and padded my feet softly across the hard wooden floors. I couldn't even glance up to meet their eyes out of shame. I pulled up the chair in front Carlisle's desk and sat down.

"Bella, Angela is going to be fine," Carlisle said with a kind voice. "Ten stitches, but the scaring will be minimal. She did loose some blood, but she's resting comfortably."

I looked up to him and met his eyes and gave him the most genuine, "thank you."

I took a deep breath and decided to dive in, "I think I always intended to tell you, to tell you everything. It's just I know there are others out there like Edward and if the vampire community were to find out, we would be hunted to extinction."

"Bella, I know, I understand why you kept this from us," Edward interrupted.

"Let me explain, please," I requested, Carlisle and Edward nodded to me. "It's why she smells so appealing to you, it's what she was made for," I paused thinking of how I could explain this better. "All shifters were created for one reason," I had lost them by the looks on their faces, "think of the wolves, their strength, size, speed; their teeth."

"They were made to hunt and destroy vampires," Edward concluded.

"Yes! We were to, though in a very different way. We're poisonous to you. We're walking, talking arsenic for vampires. That first day when you first saw me Edward, you smelled me and you were drawn to me. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"Not that any of us were ever going to bite you, but it would have been nice to know that you were so deadly to us," Edward said.

"I'm not, that's just Angela. The gold mermaids are the most potent. We had heard legend of what happens when a vampire bites a gold mermaid, but it hasn't happened in generations. As you saw, they cause instant disintegration when a vampire feeds on them. We didn't know for sure that would happen until you met her that night on the yacht and then really we only suspected that it might all be true. You were never in any more danger than I was- you're just not used to playing on the same level."

"Touché" Carlisle commented.

I raised an eyebrow and continued, "most of our population would only cripple a vampire. If one were to feed off a black accented mermaid, it would incapacitate them long enough for us to get away. If we had enough help, we could possibly dismember and burn a vampire in their weakened state. It only takes a pint or so of blood to immobilize the vampire and as you can see we are able to counteract the venom so that has no affect."

"So if a black mermaid would cripple me and a gold mermaid would kill me, what would a silver mermaid do?" Edward asked.

I looked down and brought my fingers to my temples, "somewhere in between, you would be more crippled and very easily killed."

It was honest, it was truth, but it was only half. They accepted my answer and Carlisle began to speak, "it's fascinating and it makes perfect sense. It's good to know that though you both would attract unwanted attention from our kind that you are far from defenseless."

"No, we're not completely defenseless. But it is still fifty/ fifty for a mermaid to survive an attack. Vampires don't always bite right away, sometimes they snap necks first or strangle, or whatever else they come up with. That's why I didn't stand my ground that day in Port Angeles because I'd rather take my chances running. Vampires often travel in covens, I figured Edward wasn't alone. Even if I was able to incapacitate him, there would be another I wouldn't be able to deal with. Of course I hid what I really was, but you knowing that I was a shifter was never really any risk. The risk is now you know that we are a threat to your kind, and if others of your kind find out we exist."

"No one will find out, Bella," Edward assured. "My talent is very rare, you're right, there is one other out there who can read minds like me, but our paths have never crossed. Carlisle knows him, but I'm certain he can be easily avoided."

"Aro can be avoided easily enough, he is just one vampire," Carlisle agreed. Carlisle saying this only brought further resolution to my decision to hold my last secret. We can take the risk that one vampire might one day discover us. We can't take the risk that countless vampires would.

After some coaxing from Edward, I decided to try to get some rest and go to sleep. Angela was still out, Carlisle assured she would sleep soundly through the night. I still felt guilty for leaving her as I laid in my bed.

Around 2 a.m. I gave up on sleep and decided to go down stairs to get some water. I saw Alice in the hall who just gave me hug, "Hi Bella, what are you doing up so late," she enquired.

"Just having a hard time going to sleep, I was going to get some water," I said to her.

"Alright, well let me know if you need anything," she offered.

"Thanks Alice," I replied and continued down the stairs. I didn't encounter any other Cullens as I made my way into the kitchen. I opened the cabinet doors and saw that I had opened the medicine cabinet again. My eyes fell on a little blue bottle of Tylenol PM. It was tempting to grab it, my family didn't even keep them in the house anymore. Years ago I had some problems with stress and school; I couldn't sleep at night on my own and had turned to PM medications. I was up to four to five pills a night before I finally realized I had a problem and quit cold turkey. It took me several weeks to be able to sleep the night through on my own.

On second though, I wasn't going there. I shut the cabinet door and opened the one a few spaces over and found a glass. I walked back up the stairs with the water and decided to check on Angela.

The spare room door was cracked open and the lights were dimmed. I pulled up the chair I had spent most of the afternoon in and dragged it over to the bed. I lightly took Angela's hand in mine and spoke to her softly, "if you ever do anything like that ever again," I left the threat open as I shook my head. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Angela, don't you dare ever scare me like that again."

I tried to make myself comfortable in the little chair, maybe I could get some rest if I was just close to her. There was a soft knock on the door and I invited Carlisle in. "Hi Bella, couldn't get to sleep?" he asked me.

"No, my mind's a bit overwhelmed," I admitted.

"Really, she's going to be fine, there's no reason to worry," he assured.

"I know," I said.

Carlisle walked over to the other side of the bed and picked up Angela's other wrist, checking her pulse. Then he placed the back of his hand across her forehead checking her temperature. I looked at him curiously and he responded, "I'm just making sure she's comfortable. There have been no signs that the venom has had any affect on her but for humans it is torturous having even a small amount in their system. She's in no distress though, seems like her system has burned off all the venom."

"Thank you Carlisle, really," I paused, "for everything."

"It's my pleasure, Bella. Would it help if I carried her into your room so maybe you can sleep to? She's still going to be out for a while and I can sneak in to check on her and not bother you."

"Is it okay to move her?" I asked putting my sister's well being above mine.

"Of course, I wouldn't offer if it wasn't okay," he pointed out.

I felt stupid for even asking, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," I let out a frustrated breath, "yes, that would be nice."

Carlisle easily picked up Angela, blankets and all and carried her into my room and placed her on the extra bed. I watched as he fussed over the pillows a little making sure she would stay comfortable. Once he finished I walked up to him and gave him a hug, "thank you."

Carlisle bent his head down and kissed me on the forehead much the same way my father and mother did, "sleep tight, Bella."

Author's Note: Hopefully the pieces are starting to fit together here for you, please share your thoughts by clicking the review button below! Thanks!