Chapter 28: Edward's POV
We got home from the funeral in the early afternoon; the sky was still overcast, but the rain had eased up, leaving behind a thin layer of mist around the forest that made it seem almost dreamlike as we pulled into the bungalow that had become our new garage. I pulled the keys out of the ignition and looked over at Bella, the worry that had creased her brow this morning had been replaced by a gentle contentment as she looked back at Angela's reflection in the rear view mirror. I was still kept out of her mind, she was able to briefly allow me past her shield, but despite the amazing control she had over it, she still had difficulty pulling it away from herself. I didn't mind much though; it meant that she would always be protected, even if she relinquished her control over the larger shield, her own mind would stay sheltered.
I heard Esme's voice, her mental one, run off in tangents. She was thinking about others as usual, her own compassion shining through as she thought of the best ways to make people happy. I could tell how she already saw Angela as another daughter, despite the fact that Angela already had a mother. There was little anyone could do to stop Esme from mothering people; it was one of the things that made her so loveable. I climbed out of the car, smiling through the kitchen window where I could see her cooking, again. Since Seth, Leah and Jake were pretty much living with us, we had been cooking more than ever. I grinned at the idea of what Esme would do if she didn't have all these new mouths to feed, she'd probably follow them back to LaPush and insist on cooking for them there.
Ah Edward's back, just in time too. Joseph will be here soon and I know that Edward wanted to be in on the meeting.
Carlisle's own thoughts interrupted me as Bella and I walked up to the house, closely followed by Nahuel and Angela. He and Esme had left the wake early an hour or so before us, Esme had told us it was because Carlisle had work to do but I knew it was because she couldn't stand being away from her grandkids for more than a few hours. Carlisle's friend Joseph was here soon? That was good; Sam had been getting antsy waiting for him to arrive. Joseph was the vampire that had written the sort of encyclopaedia on everything supernatural and he was thrilled at the idea of coming down to meet the Quileutes and seeing the hybrids. He didn't know yet about Elsie, Zack and Maddy, but I figured that he would get excited about them as well.
'We're gonna have a visitor soon, you know that friend that Carlisle invited down, the one who wrote the book' I said and Bella nodded, 'well he's going to be here shortly so don't be shocked if a strange Welshman comes to the door' I chuckled and she raised her eyebrow.
'Welshman eh? Does that mean he's more or less insane than an Englishman?' she asked and I laughed.
'You'll see what I mean' I winked, Joseph had a habit of shocking even the most broad minded of vampires, so I looked forward to seeing their reactions to his…eccentricities.
'Speak of the devil…' I murmured as a multi-coloured blur sped towards us, slowing down as he approached the house. 'Hey Joe' I called to a short man; he had wiry auburn hair with a small beard and was wearing what looked like a patchwork quilt made into a waistcoat.
'Oh Edward, long time no see. How's life treatin' ya?' he asked as his gaze flicked to Bella who was grinning widely at him, I had a feeling she would like him instantly. 'And this must be your lovely wife, I'm sorry I couldn't come to the weddin' but I was in Peru tracking down some imps' he smiled, his thick Welsh accent causing the words to dance around. He came over and kissed Bella's hand theatrically. She chuckled and rolled her eyes, smiling at him when he straightened back up.
'Carlisle's in his office waiting for you, along with Sam and Jacob, the two alphas from the tribe we told you about' I said and his eyes lit up.
Oh god, I can't believe that shifters are real. I've come across some legends in my time, and one very weird group of people who seemed to think that sacrificing goats and running around naked on a full moon made them shape shifters, but never before have I come this close to meeting a real life shifting tribe…
His thoughts were so enthusiastic that they almost shouted out at me and I controlled a snigger at his memory of meeting the group of obviously mentally unstable people who had believed they were supernatural. It never failed to surprise me when I met those who were convinced they were vampires or werewolves, completely unaware that the weird rituals they performed or the strange black robes and eye liner were nothing like the real thing. We headed into the house, Angela and Nahuel had already gone in and were sitting in the living room watching a film with Nessie. The latter jumped at the sight of Joseph, before bursting into tiny peals of laughter at his slightly clown like appearance.
'Ah, these must be the hybrids that I've heard so much about' Joe sang, jumping onto the sofa and perching himself on the arm so that he resembled a sort of multi-coloured frog. 'And who may you be little one?' he asked Nessie who beamed up at him, obviously just as charmed by Joe as Bella had been, he had that effect on people. It was part of the reason why people were so willing to share information with him during his research trips.
'I'm Nessie' she giggled, shifting onto her knees so that she was facing him. He grinned down at her, thoughts of amazement and wonder in his mind as he took in all of her physical features.
'So this beautiful little child was carried by dear Bella when she was human' he murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
'Yes, Nahuel is also a hybrid, though he's a good one hundred and fifty years older' Bella chuckled as Nahuel smiled at Joe in greeting.
'Ah and you took…how long to mature?' Joe asked, placing his chin in his hands.
'About seven years, as did my sisters' Nahuel answered him warmly.
'Carlisle has already catalogued a lot of information from Nessie and Nahuel about their growth, diet, physical differences and so on. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to give you copies' I said, not wanting Nahuel to feel interrogated again. I could see in his mind that he liked Joe, but wasn't really in the mood to be questioned, his thoughts were more focused on spending some quality time with Angela. I had to block him out then because I didn't feel right seeing the more…explicit fantasies that played out in some people's minds. I winked at him and he flushed slightly, guessing what I had seen a glimpse of, sorry I mouthed and he rolled his eyes, turning back to the film.
'To Carlisle then, wherever that is. Esme has really outdone herself with this house, I'm surprised you don't get lost' he grinned and I had to agree with him. She really had gone a bit over board; it was still an amazing house though. I especially loved the music room/library, with its rows and rows of books lining the walls and every instrument you could imagine, a perfect sanctuary for me. I lead him up the stairs; Bella had decided to join Nessie on the sofa, choosing to opt out of all the man talk as she liked to refer to it whenever Carlisle and I went into his office. I knocked quietly on the door, knowing that Carlisle was aware we were outside but keeping to social convention anyway. It helped to get used to the habit of doing human things like knocking on doors so that when we were around humans it would look more natural.
'Come in Edward, Joe' Carlisle's voice murmured from inside the room and I opened it, gesturing for Joe to head in front of me as I closed the door behind us.
'Carlisle my old man, how're you doin?' Joe grinned, gripping Carlisle in a hug, his shortness compared to Carlisle's height made their hug look bizarre.
'Good good Joe, I see you haven't changed a bit' Carlisle smiled, taking a step back and patting him on the shoulder. 'Let me introduce to you Jacob and Sam, they are the Alphas of the Quileute shifters I told you about, I believe you talked to Sam briefly on the phone already but apparently you got cut off' he said, raising a questioning eyebrow.
'Oh yeah, sorry about that. I never could get a handle on these little phones, I can run fast and smash through concrete but I still can't use a bloody telephone. It's ridiculous' he chuckled and I rolled my eyes, some vampires never could get their heads around technology, no matter how intelligent they were. Carlisle smiled and sat back down behind his desk, pulling out a few note books and folders and placing them in front of him.
'Here is all of the information I've compiled on the hybrids from Nahuel as well as the observations I've made about him, Nessie and Nelle.' He said, handing Joe a thick folder that probably contained all of the photographs, measurements and general characteristics of hybrids. I knew that Nessie's identity would be safe, Joe's studies were always very scientific, referring to the subjects anonymously and never by name. Carlisle placed another folder in his hands along with a notebook, 'here is everything that Sam has allowed me to compile about his tribe. General information like imprinting, legends, physical characteristics and life spans…everything you need to know basically' he said as Joe gripped onto the folders like they were the greatest treasure he'd ever seen. The main reason why Carlisle and Joe got on so well was the shared curiosity and love for knowledge, they were both like children on Christmas morning the minute they even thought they saw something unknown. Carlisle smiled and tapped his fingers on the last notepad that was left; the thoughts running through his mind were of anticipation and excitement as he wondered how Joe would react to yet another new type of vampire. I could see he was thinking of Zack, Elsie and Maddy as I heard the inevitable pitter patter of tiny feet as Alice brought down the hallway.
'There is another way of making vampires that I've been excited to tell you about' Carlisle grinned as Joe gave him a curious look. 'Alice, Maddy, if you please' he said and the door opened, Maddy ran in with vampire speed, jumping up into Carlisle's arms as Alice's tinkling laughter followed her into the room.
'Calm down Maddy' Carlisle chuckled as Maddy jumped up and down in his arms. 'Maddy this is Joe, he's a friend. Joe this is Maddy, Alice's daughter.'
Joes face was filled with confusion as he looked down at Maddy, her dark brown eyes staring curiously back at him as he looked between Alice and Maddy. 'I can definitely see the resemblance but…how?' he gasped.
'Eric, a new member of our family has a gift that can physically manipulate people's bodies. He was able to allow for Rose and Alice to conceive children' Carlisle explained as Alice scooped Maddy back up into her arms.
'And this is one of the children?' he asked, shock and excitement sparkling in his eyes as he looked at Maddy.
'I'm special' she laughed, causing the sound to reverberate around the room.
'I can see that' he smiled. 'How fast does she grow?' he asked, looking to Carlisle.
'Oh about roughly twice as fast as Nessie' he answered, picking up the notebook from the table. 'It's all in here' he said, handing the notebook to Joe who took it and added it to the stack in his hands.
'Thanks so much Carlisle' he said, placing the books and folders into the black satchel he had strapped on.
'So when are you planning on going to research Eric and Katlyn's tribe?' I asked, searching his mind for the answer before he said it.
'As soon as you decide on who you want to come with me' he shrugged, 'I think it'll be good to bring someone from your pack' he said looking to Sam and Jacob who both nodded thoughtfully. I considered his suggestion for a second, it did make sense. If there was a tribe of shifters out there, it would be understandable for them to be wary of vampires. It would make sense to take someone who was their own kind to help ease communications. I listened in on the other thoughts to see if any of them had come up with any decent suggestions.
I don't think I can go, although I want to. I need to stay behind and lead the pack. Maybe Paul, but he's a bit of a loose cannon, I wouldn't want him to end up attacking someone if things got heated…
Sam's thoughts weren't much help; most of his pack members were either too young or imprinted and wouldn't be able to stay away from their other halves. Jake's mind wasn't much help either; he understood that they needed to send someone reasonably sensible but also able to hold their own in a fight if things took a turn for the worse. He didn't want to go himself because it would mean leaving Nessie behind, I had expected as much, I knew it was painful for him to be away from her for any length of time. A flicker of an idea was building in Carlisle's head and I listened to his reasoning, nodding in agreement and smiling over at him.
'I think that's the best solution Carlisle' I murmured thoughtfully and he raised his eyebrow at me.
Eavesdropping were you? No surprise there. He thought at me and I laughed, Jake rolled his eyes at us.
Typical, another mysterious telepathic conversation. Speak out loud you morons he groaned in his head.
'I think it'd be best if Eric and Leah went with Joe, of course it'd be up to them' Carlisle said as Jacob and Sam nodded pensively.
'Eric is from the tribe of shifters that Joe will be researching, and Leah is a good representative for the pack, don't you think. Plus they're a couple so they won't be missing their other halves at home' Sam murmured and smiled, thoughts of relief and happiness that Leah had finally found a mate swimming around in his mind.
'It's settled then, we'll ask them over dinner, which should be in about…ten minutes I think' Carlisle said, looking at his watch. I watched as Joe gave an exited little hop, causing Maddy to burst into chimes of laughter at his happy little dance. I rolled my eyes at him, barely able to stop myself from laughing at him.
We went downstairs, Joe enthusiastically planning out the research trip as Sam and Jake nodded along, obviously barely able to keep up with the fast jumble of words streaming out of his mouth as we headed towards the kitchen. Esme and Bella were already in there, putting the finishing touches on what was sure to be a fantastic meal for those in the house who actually ate. I went over and wrapped my arms around her waist, nibbling on her ear as she chuckled.
'Guys come on, we're about to eat' Jake moaned, rolling his eyes and taking a seat at the table next to Seth. I chuckled and kissed her briefly on the temple, picking up a couple of plates and carrying them over to the dining table.
Joe watched in amazement as the pack ate, I had felt the same shock when I'd first seen them shovel food into their mouths; it was truly astounding how much they could consume. And I listened in amusement to Joe's thoughts.
Holy crap, maybe it's because I'm a vampire and I don't eat but that can't be possible. Where do they put it all, that Leah woman is very slim but she eats like a Scotsman…he thought, staring wide eyed as Jake and Seth both reached for the same potato, sharing a brief, wolf-like stare before Seth rolled his eyes and gave it to Jake who grinned triumphantly.
Despite all the territorial food disputes and shocking consumption of food, the dinner ended without much incident. Carlisle brought up the subject of the research trip to Eric and Leah who thought it was a great idea, I could hear the tenor of his thoughts. Excited and anxious at the same time about the possibility of finding descendants of his tribe, the possibility of there maybe being someone in existence who grew up hearing the same legends as he and Katlyn had in their youth had his mind positively glowing with restrained anticipation. He briefly wondered whether the story of his family's massacre would have made it into the tribe's history, though he quickly pushed that thought aside as a flicker of sadness tainted his eagerness. I could feel the pain of his memories through his thoughts and imagined how conflicted he must be. On the one hand he could be meeting elders who would know of him and his sister but on the other he was worried that if they existed, they wouldn't be welcoming of his vampire lifestyle. Leah's thoughts were exited too, she had always wondered whether there were other shifter packs out there, considering what possible animals they could turn into and if they would have the same rich history as the Quileutes.
We stayed in the kitchen, helping Joe, Leah and Eric plan out their trip. They would head to Texas, where their tribe had been moved to, hopefully finding someone who may know if the Cana tribe still existed and if so, where they were now. Leah thought it best that they leave straight away, a brief glimpse at the conversation she and Seth had had with Charlie springing into her mind. I was aware of Charlie's plans of proposal; it was pretty difficult not to be, what with being able to read minds and his less than subtle behaviour. Bella was still blissfully ignorant about everything though, just how Charlie wanted it to be until he told her himself. Leah felt the need to be there for her mother when Charlie proposed, so she wanted to leave soon, hoping they would be back in time for him to pop the question. Eric didn't have much problem with the idea of heading out so quickly; as long as he was with Leah he would be happy, his only thoughts were of her these days, as was usual with imprinted pairs. Joe loved the idea of leaving straight away, ever eager to move onto the next research trip as his mind buzzed with happy anticipation.
They packed their things relatively quickly, unlike Alice; Leah was one of those women who didn't feel the need to pack mountains of clothes for every trip. I smiled in memory of the time we went to New York for the weekend about five years ago, remembering how Alice had taken about five suitcases full of clothes back with her.
'This is all so sudden, are you sure you're going to be okay?' Esme asked, worry touching her eyes as she hugged Eric.
'Don't worry, it's only a short research trip Esme, we'll bring you back a present' he said wriggling his eyebrows and she laughed, kissing him on the cheek. Oh I hope they're alright, I don't want to lose them she thought as she hugged Leah and then Joe, who kissed her softly on the cheek, guessing that she was worried. I laughed as I waved goodbye, the giddy excitement in Joe's thoughts as they disappeared into the woods was childlike in its enthusiasm.
'I hope they'll be okay' Esme repeated her thoughts out loud as Carlisle hugged her to his side.
'They'll be fine, he may look a bit like an idiot but Joe knows what he's doing, besides according to Alice they'll be back in about a week' he murmured and she relaxed a little bit, thinking happy thoughts as she headed back into the kitchen.
The next couple of days passed uneventfully. As expected the children grew, their speech becoming more complex and their thoughts maturing as they developed. I was sitting in the music room, playing a song I'd been working on, when Maddy wandered in looking for Jasper. Apparently they'd been playing hide and seek and he was a little too good at the whole 'hiding' part. She came up to me and climbed onto the stool and tugging on my sleeve.
'Have you seen daddy uncle Edward?' she asked in her tiny voice, worry tainting her thoughts as she feared that he'd gone missing.
'Oh sweetie, don't worry, your dad isn't missing, he's just cheating at hide and seek' I whispered and she smiled before a frown of annoyance crossed her face.
'That's not fair' she moaned and I chuckled, mussing her hair.
'And what do you call it when you teleport and hide somewhere else just before he finds you, is that fair?' I asked, raising my eyebrow as she smiled guiltily up at me.
An idea came into her head that turned my amusement into confusion. I watched apprehensively as she pictured Jasper in her mind, focusing on his face before the same golden glow that signified that she was going to teleport shone through her skin. Only this time she didn't gradually disappear, the shimmering sparks that usually swarmed around her before she vanished weren't engulfing her body this time, instead, they were spreading outward from her and swirling around in the air, seeming to gather in the centre of the room as I watched. Carlisle ran in, feeling the strange shift in atmosphere from all the way in his office, he stopped dead in the doorway and watched as the golden lights formed themselves into the outline of a person. Bit by bit the shape began to appear, at first a glowing gold and then solidifying into a distinguishable form. Within only a few seconds we were both staring at Jasper, glancing around himself in bewilderment as he fell to the floor, the faint glow now leaving his skin as he sat up.
'Um…why am I in the music room?' he gasped, eyebrows shooting up as he took in his surroundings. Maddy clapped delightedly, giggling as she ran over to her father.
'Found you!' she laughed, ignoring the shocked silence from me and Carlisle, I looked at him, the same endless questions were in mind. How had she managed to adapt her power like that and since when? He shook himself out of his frozen stance and glanced at Maddy and Jasper, then back at me, projecting his thoughts.
Well Edward, I guess she's even more powerful than we thought.
A/N: Oh plot twist! Well…not really a plot twist, more like something I decided to add to Maddy's power. She can teleport other people if she wants, though it's easier if she's touching them at the time. What y'all think?
