Can't Fight the Moonlight
Chapter 26
Calm Before the Storm
Things had settled down for the Cullen family, now that Bella had been dealt with they began to relax. Carlisle's documented journal was finally coming to a stop. Harry hadn't put on any weight, or gotten taller in three weeks. They were hoping that his ageing had stopped but they would of course have to wait and see. Carlisle thought deeply immersed in his journal, wondering briefly if the gene had shot Harry to his majority. He was half human, half vampire much like his great many times grandfather. No record was ever made of his death. It was put down as a clerical error; for all Carlisle knew the man could still be alive. Perhaps he'd panicked when he realized what he was? Or freaked out when he began wanting blood? The possibilities were endless.
"Harry do you have any family pictures?" asked Carlisle curiously.
"What kind?" replied Harry from where he was down stairs completing his homework.
"Of any grandparents you have?" Carlisle said to him. He wanted to know what this man looked like, the half human half vampire hybrid.
"Um I think I might, but they are all back in England." said Harry.
"I see." said Carlisle frowning a little in disappointment, they'd come far in solving the mystery. There were just a few other things he wanted to know especially about Simon Potter the hybrid. Ironically enough Simon Potter had been adopted by a couple with last name Evans. No relation to Lily though, the couple adopted the child then moved to England. Simon did indeed keep his last name, and gained a very substantial inheritance that his vampire father had saved over the years. It was actually substantially reduced; James Potter wouldn't have much to give to his sons. He'd been spending it like it was going out of fashion. Either that or his wife was Emmett sometimes was far too nosy. When he got into searching for things, answers, he delved as deeply as he needed too. It's how they'd come across this new information. Emmett was brilliant with a computer; his hacking skills knew no bounds.
"Wait a minute….the pictures I liked…I scanned them they might be on my computer…" said Harry remembering belatedly scanning them. Although he wasn't sure if it was the new laptop or if it was on the old PC in his room back in England. His memory was sharper but only things he had done since he began changing into a vampire. Before that it's like his memory stayed on the frequency he had as a human. It was odd but Harry had long ago stopped worrying about it.
"I'll go get it after I've finished," said Harry continuing to finish his homework. He always left it to the last minute, like the rest of the Cullen's. It only took twenty minutes at the most, since he could write longer and much faster.
"Thank you Harry," said Carlisle graciously.
"No problem," shrugged Harry still writing away despite his attention being on Carlisle. "Why do you want pictures of my grandparents?"
"He wants to know what Simon looks like, Carlisle knows many vampires. He's just curious to know if he might still be alive." Edward told his mate before Carlisle could reply.
"You think he might be?" asked Harry surprised, excitement thrumming through him. The thought of meeting his great, great grandfather was awesome to say the least.
"It's just an idea Harry," cautioned Edward, "He might be gone."
"I realize that," said Harry sighing sadly.
"Come on then," said Edward, putting his folder on the table, his homework finished. His thoughts were always much like Carlisle's, centred around Harry. His worry over the past few months would have left him with ulcers, if he'd been able to get them. He was terrified Harry would continue to grow and age. Even the students at school had commented on his sudden growth both ways. Harry was so different from when he first came to Forks. He had been small and almost petite in appearance, now he was a lot taller and had filled out. There had been a lot of speculation about it, mostly from Carlisle. Assumptions about the gene stopping Harry from filling out as all normal boys did by his age. The gene activating had sped up the aging and finally letting him fill out. Then again he might have just had a lot of his mother in him.
"Where are the others by the way?" asked Harry as he slid into Edward's Volvo.
"I don't know we don't spend every day all day together. Next year Rosalie and Emmett will be off to college." said Edward.
"What about Jasper?" asked Harry, "So you aren't always together then? How long are you all at college before you live under the same roof again?"
"Three or four years, before we move and begin the process all over again." replied Edward wryly, and he wasn't going to be living with Carlisle and Esme this time around. No, he had a mate of his own now, who he'd be following wherever he chose to go. It would nice, having Harry all to himself every day. Whatever college Harry got into he'd attend, he'd done everything he wanted to years ago.
"Ah," was all Harry said, he didn't know why he assumed they spent all their times together. Perhaps it had to do with how close they all were with one another.
"Jasper waits for Alice to finish before going to college; it gives him a year free of struggling. It won't surprise you that he relishes those years he gets of peace." chuckled Edward in amusement.
"That's going to be weird," admitted Harry. The thought of not seeing them every day was saddening. He'd gotten so used to it, going to school, and then coming to the Cullen's then of course going home most days to see his mum.
"What is?" asked Edward, stopping at the red light.
"Well not seeing them every day," said Harry, "My mum too, will be kind of refreshing too…you know independence and all that."
"Yeah," said Edward, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He'd done it over a million times. His first taste of rebellion and 'Independence' had been not so independent or nice. He'd left Carlisle and Esme and began hunting humans. Out of all the people Carlisle had turned, he had the most blood on his hands. He was ashamed of it of course; he'd done his best to atone for it. He had since then abstained from human blood, it hadn't been without its challenges but he'd done it. Carlisle was proud of him, and in turn Edward felt better about himself and his past actions.
"The question is though, what do you want to do?" asked Edward.
"Will I be able to do what I want?" asked Harry.
"What do you mean?" enquired Edward confused.
"Well, what's the point in getting qualified for what I want to do…if in the end I'm not going to be able to do it? Get a job and keep at it - I'm going to end up repeating High School again in five years time." said Harry bluntly.
"If you want to stay and have a job, you can." said Edward, his unbeaten heart lurching at Harry's words. What Harry said was true; could he be horrible enough to stop Harry from being what he wanted? Unfortunately it had nothing to do with him. Harry had been bitten by James not him, its James who had started the whole process. It was just luck that they'd been there and helped Harry understand who and what he was now. In the process he'd found his mate.
"No I can't Edward, I'm not leaving you, you are my life now. Plus if I keep aging I want to spend all the time I can with you." said Harry honestly.
"Don't say that," said Edward emotionally, the idea alone nearly crippled him. It didn't help that he thought about it nearly every day. It was killing him, the unknown.
"It's true Edward, and if I don't age…it's not like I can get a job and keep it if I remain looking eighteen year old." said Harry, opening the door when Edward parked the car at his house. "Just wait there, I'm gonna grab it, be right back."
Harry ran up the stairs, nobody was home; Severus had taken his mum on a short break. Severus of course staying well out of the sun, but his mum was enjoying herself. Sun bathing all day and spending all night with Severus. They would be back tomorrow, unless of course they extended their little holiday. He grabbed his laptop from his bed, case and all before running back down the stairs. He made sure to lock the front door before jumping back into the car.
"Right then lets go," said Harry, opening his laptop, waiting patiently for it to load. As Edward began driving again, Harry began going through all his pictures. From when he was younger, with friends and family to being older. Just as he was loosing hope, he finally found what Carlisle was looking for. "Haha! There we go! Emmett got a photo printer?"
"Yes," said Edward dryly, name a piece of technology Emmett didn't have.
"He got paper?" asked Harry.
"That I don't know," replied Edward. He was more interested in music and other things. Emmett and Jasper were the computer buffs none better than Emmett though. Alice and Rosalie loved anything to do with fashion, shopping mostly and wearing it. Esme loved architecture and painting. They all had their own thing, which they were all of doing today. Carlisle's new favourite thing, when he wasn't working, was puzzling over the mystery that was Harry.
"Guess I'll find out," said Harry.
The drive back seemed a lot less long, before they knew it they were pulling back into the Cullen house. Harry went into Emmett's computer room to find what he needed. Thankfully there were photo paper, and Harry downloaded the programme and printed the pictures. They were black and white, very old but surprisingly intact.
Shutting down his laptop, he put it back in its travel bag before putting it beside his homework. The pictures he took up the stairs to Carlisle still in his office. It was his favourite place as of late.
"Come in Harry," said Carlisle even from outside the door he could sense the amusement and happiness in Carlisle's voice.
"Hi, here it's a picture of my great, great grandfather and grandmother," said Harry handing them over.
Carlisle looked at them intently, "I do not recognize him, perhaps a few of my acquaintances might. Thank you Harry, I really appreciate this." he told the teenager before he placed the pictures inside his journal keeping them safe.
"No problem," laughed Harry leaving, although he was slightly disappointed, but he would never give up hope that he'd meet family that will always be with him. Sure he'd have his mother, but it would be nice to have his grandfather too. He barely remembered his grandfather, but when he looked at the pictures he felt a great fondness for him.
Harry didn't think anything of Carlisle's phone ringing, it ran quite often. Although he stopped when he heard Severus' voice on the other end. What he heard froze him in shock, his eyes going wide with fear. Barely able to breath, he would have fallen to the ground if Edward didn't grab him. Trying to comfort his shocked mate. Normally hearing those words would inspire happiness. Unfortunately it just filled everyone with dread and fear.
Lily was pregnant. They were on their way home.
as all of you suspected - lily was indeed pregnant...will we have the volturi become involved? or is that overdone and just have it all happen quietly and the cullens get on with their lifes? R&R PLEASE!