Chapter 34- Drive
Sometimes I feel the fear of the uncertainty stinging clear
And I can't help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer
It's driven me before, and it seems to have a vague
Haunting mass appeal
Lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel
Drive- Incubus
March 13, 2005
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By the time we reemerged from the forest, the sky had darkened and the sound of thunder could be heard. Occasionally, a distant flash of lightning would brighten the slate gray storm clouds.
Once Bella slid off my back, I took a few moments to stretch. Carrying a girl plus a heavily loaded backpack through more than two miles of woodland was not an easy task, but it was definitely worth it. Bella's comfort mattered more to me than a little extra back pain. And, the fact that she immediately pulled me down for an ardent kiss made the back ache worth it too.
Minutes later, we were in the car headed towards Forks with the rain pattering against the car's roof in small drops. The further south we drove, the rain increased in its intensity. The wind soon began whooshing by the car as we approached the center of the storm. Branches and leaves littered the road, forcing me to dodge the debris and slow down my speed.
Soon, I slammed on my brakes when I caught sight of a large object stretched across the road. Through the thickly falling rain pummeling the windshield, I squinted my eyes and could barely make out the shape of a fallen tree.
"What is it?" asked Bella from the passenger seat.
"A tree is blocking the road," I roughly sighed as I turned the car around. "We'll need to take a few back roads in order to get to town now." I dug my phone out of my pocket and handed it her. "You better call your father and let him know you'll be a little late. Maybe he can send someone to clear the road once the storm passes."
By the time she got off the phone, I found the logging road that linked up with a main road a dozen miles away. I frowned when I saw that the logging road was now not much better than a mud bog due to the sudden torrential rain. It would be a monumental pain to scrub the car's exterior clean after being subjected to this muddy mess.
"When's your birthday?" Bella asked after a few minutes in quiet musing.
"June 20th," I quickly responded. My frown deepened. "Though I'm not quite sure what to make of it anymore. I'm obviously not a one hundred and three year old man, so how old should I consider myself?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I turned seventeen on June 20, 1918. I went into the vortex on September 26 of that year. That would have made me approximately seventeen years and three months old. Now, keep in mind that I've lived in this time for nearly nine months. If I had stayed in my own time for those nine months, I would be turning eighteen very soon." I let that information sink in for a short period. "So, how old am I, Bella? Seventeen or nearly eighteen?"
She mutely contemplated my puzzle for a short time before she spoke again. "I'm not sure how you should view your true age," she began. "But June 20 is your birthday either way you look at it. You were born on that day in 1901. And, since you appeared on the twentieth of June in 2004, you can say that it's your birthday too- just in another way."
My frown disappeared as I looked at her. She seemed so sure of herself and what she was saying. On that day almost nine months back, I had been thrust into a world that I had no knowledge or experience in handling. I had been taken in by a family that taught me everything that I would need to know to survive in this new age. I had been a newborn, they the surrogate parents and siblings.
Bella was right.
"A rebirth," I muttered in awe.
She returned a small smile. "Exactly."
"And what of you, Miss Swan?" I smiled, wanting to lighten the mood. "When is your birthday?"
"September 13."
My smile grew wider at the mere thought. "That gives me plenty of time to come up with a proper gift for you." Idly, I wondered if buying her a new car would be considered too extreme of a gift for a teenager to buy his girlfriend.
"Oh, no you don't," she hastily responded. "No presents."
My head snapped to my right to look at her, hoping that I had heard her wrong. "What?"
"I said, no presents," she defiantly repeated.
"And why not?" I challenged back.
"Because I don't need them," she stubbornly answered. "Just having you is my gift."
"Bella," I sighed, feeling my prior excitement evaporating. "Being selfless is a trait that I truly love about you, but I do believe that you are taking it a bit too far. It may make you feel noble for not receiving anything, but take a moment to imagine how I would feel. Would you deprive me?"
Her eyes narrowed as she suspiciously examined my face. "What would I be depriving you of just because you can't buy me anything?"
"Joy."
She threw her head back and laughed. "Stop exaggerating," she giggled as the laughter slowly died.
"I'm not exaggerating at all," I defended. "Giving you a little something would-" My speech was interrupted by the sound of the ringing cellphone. I gestured for Bella to hand it back to me, then added, "We're not through discussing this." Her only response was an amused smirk.
Checking the caller ID, I saw that it was Alice and flipped it open. "Hello."
"Edward," came a serious voice on the other end. I barely recognized Alice's voice. Her usual perky and high-spirited enthusiasm was missing. "You need to listen to me carefully and do exactly what I say. Make a decision to turn the car around right now and drive somewhere else. Anywhere else besides Forks."
Her stern tone kept me from questioning her. I immediately decided to drive to Neah Bay, a tiny hamlet fifty miles north that I would never normally choose to go to.
A few brief seconds passed. "Good. Go there now as quickly as you can. Jasper will meet up with you once you get there."
"But why?" I interrupted in frustration. "Bella is with me. Her father is expecting her home soon."
"Forget that for right now," Alice impatiently demanded. "You are being tracked by a nomad right now. You need to get away. Bringing Bella to Forks will only endanger her too."
A nomad.
A nomadic vampire.
A human-blood drinking nomadic vampire.
My own blood turned cold in my veins as realization hit. I whipped my head towards Bella and was struck by her gaze- I only saw her love and the faith she held in me. I could not allow her to be harmed, even if it meant angering her father for bringing her home later than intended.
"I understand," I said to Alice. "We'll wait for him there." As soon as the words left my mouth, Alice ended the call.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Bella with concern.
Carefully, I turned the car around and tried to maintain a calm attitude. Once we were headed in the opposite direction, I cleared my throat and readied an answer to her question. "There's a bit of a complication right now."
"And what would that be?"
"I-um. I'm in a tiny, miniscule amount of trouble, so we need to head up to Neah Bay for a little while," I evasively responded.
Her eyes enlarged and I saw fear pass through them. "What kind of trouble, Edward?" she murmured. "Is Sam giving you problems again?"
"No," I drawled out. "It's nothing to do with him."
This seemed to relax her a little- her nervously bouncing knee stilled. "Then what is it?"
I shook my head, not wanting to cause her unnecessary stress. With any luck, the nomad would be chased off soon enough. "I don't want to worry you."
"Too late," she huffed as she rolled her eyes. "You just told me that you are in trouble. Of course I'm going to worry."
"I want to tell you, Bella," I breathed out in frustration. "I really do. But, I'm not sure how to tell you right now without causing more harm than good. So, could you please try to just relax for the moment and trust me? I promise to tell you soon."
For several seconds, her eyes stared back at me unblinkingly. Then, huffing out a breath, she crossed her arms and relented. "Fine," she reluctantly conceded. "But you need to tell me soon, Edward. I'm at my wits end right now."
I reached out and grabbed her hand from her lap. "I'm sorry about this, Bella. And I will tell you when I can"
Minutes passed and the wind outside of the car howled. The blinding rain had blanketed around us, forcing me to slow down nearly to a crawl. I gripped the steering wheel and tried to keep myself from banging on it in frustration. The windshield wipers seemed to be at a losing battle- even at the highest speed, they could not wipe the glass clear fast enough. I could barely see.
The phone rang and I retrieved it from the dashboard. It was Alice again. "Yes?"
"Edward!" screamed Alice in desperation. "We're coming! Don't slow dow-" The car suddenly lurched with a screeching metallic bang- cutting off whatever Alice had wanted to tell me. The phone flew out of my hands while the front and side airbags deployed. Even with all of the chaotic sounds, I could still hear Bella's terrified screams more than everything else.
An eye blink later, the car halted and jolted back and forth on its shocks. The car seemed to then burst apart without warning- my door flew off its hinges and disappeared into the rainy gloom. Before I could process anything else, something jerked me out of the car, ripping me out of my seatbelt in the process. An instant later, I felt the cold, pounding rain on my skin and sensed that I was being carried around the waist.
I could say nothing in my shock. Whoever had me was carrying me in the most haphazard way possible. When I opened my eyes I could only see the swiftly passing earth fly by. I immediately squeezed my eyes shut again to keep from becoming any more disoriented than I was already.
Abruptly, whoever had me in their grasp ceased running in the blink of an eye. Before I could register the change, I was forcefully flipped back up into a standing position. With blurry eyes, I wobbled in place as the world seemed to spin all around me.
"Not one step closer," commanded a sharp male voice that I had never heard before. Ice cold fingers circled the back of my head. "I'll snap his head off," the voice icily warned.
Slowly, my vision cleared. The rain was no longer falling wherever we were now, and I could see three figures spaced evenly in front of me. Carlisle was standing straight ahead, his usual kind, compassionate face was now livid and bleak. I had never seen such anger emanating from him before.
Emmett stood several feet away from Carlisle. His usual dimpled smile was gone. All that remained was a grim determination as he glowered at the figure standing just behind me. In silent rage, he cracked his knuckles and readied himself for battle.
Alice was to my right, though still too far away to help. Her frantic golden eyes flicked between us as vision after vision flooded her sight. The raindrops had slicked her hair down to her scalp, decimating her spikey, modern hairstyle. Now she appeared more like a jazz-age flapper than a twenty-first century teenager.
Carlisle spoke first. "You've had your fun, James. Now, let the boy go." His tone of voice held no friendliness or patience. It was hard and powerful, befitting his role as leader of his coven
The nomad tightened the pressure on my head, making me uncomfortable and nervous. As I became aware of my precarious situation, my heart began pumping wildly in my chest. I could only hope that this James had spared Bella and that she was still safe back at the car.
"You are in no position to tell me what to do," spat the nomad holding me hostage.
"And neither are you," countered Carlisle. "Three against one is not in your favor."
The gruff laughter of the nomad beside me echoed through the darkening forest. "Normally, I would agree with you. But, in this instance, I think I hold all the cards." Moving me to his side, I was able to see him out of the corner of my eye. The vampire was fairly ordinary in his appearance. He did not possess the jaw dropping beauty that the Cullens could rightfully claim. His dusty blonde hair was long and tied with rough twine at the nape of his neck. His face appeared cold and barren despite his grin.
One look at him and I knew what type of human he once would have been. Smirking. Unsympathetic. Egotistical. Uncaring.
I would not have been surprised to hear that he had been a serial killer once upon a time. And, based upon his ruby-red eye color, he could still be considered one.
Carlisle's golden-yellow eyes flicked to meet mine for a few seconds before darting back to face James. "You may hold some," he said in an even tone. "But not all... I believe we can find a peaceable solution for everyone involved if you are willing."
"Oh?" the nomad mocked. "You have an idea on how to solve this? Please, do tell."
"If you safely let the boy go right now, we will allow you to leave the area unharmed," Carlisle offered. Hearing this deal, Emmett whipped his head around to look at Carlisle- disbelief written all over his face.
The nomad hummed in thought, as if he really were pondering over this offer. Yet, I could sense the amusement coming from him. He was enjoying toying with our hopes and fears. Suddenly, a sense of profound dread settled into the pit of my stomach. He had no intention of allowing me to live. I knew that now.
The nomad's grin turned cold. "That is quite the deal," he replied in a faux friendly voice. "But, after careful consideration, I have decided to decline the offer."
Alice gasped and stared up at me in horror. I had the distinct impression that I would not want to know what she had just seen in her vision.
"Then what do you want?" asked Carlisle in a remarkably calm manner.
"That's the thing," James said with a smug wink. "I already have what I want."
"I'm not following you," Carlisle remarked in confusion.
James mockingly sighed. "Of course you don't understand. There's only one being here that should know, yet it seems that she is still in the dark about everything." Shaking his head, he tutted his tongue disapprovingly.
Everyone glanced at Alice, who was staring at the nomad in apparent mystification.
"Explain yourself, please," demanded Carlisle.
"It's simple really when you get down to it," the nomad replied. "Many years ago, I was touring the Deep South, sampling its fine cuisine." He chuckled at his supposed joke. "It's true what they say, you know. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. You southern belles do taste heavenly, I must admit," he snickered as he winked at Alice.
"What are you saying?" she choked.
His sickening smirk intensified. "You really have no memory of our encounter, do you?" he taunted.
Slowly, she shook her head.
"Well," he began. "I'll tell you a secret, little one. You were my singer long ago. I have roamed this world for generations, yet never had I come across a scent as delectable as yours. Sweet and enticing." He briefly closed his eyes and breathed in a large puff of air- apparently reimagining Alice's once human aroma.
"It was incredible," he continued. "When I discovered your scent, you were holed up in some dreary cell at a Mississippi insane asylum. But, that wasn't what stopped me from taking you, little one. You see, you had made a friend somehow. A vampire who enjoyed playing human protected you as if you were his little pet. I'll never know why he was fixated on you- I wish he would have been honest with me... Anyway, he was able to protect you for a while, but eventually it became too much for him to handle on his own. Constantly keeping tabs on me while guarding his human was a tough job. So, one night he broke you out of the asylum and began the transformation process on you. By the time I found the both of you, you were already hard as stone. It infuriated me. I had spent months trying to bypass your protector, and here he found a way to permanently keep me from your blood. And let me tell you, I am not the type of being to overlook such transgressions."
"You destroyed him," whispered Alice in shock.
James wickedly smiled. "How well you know me, it seems, little one."
Alice's face crumpled in despair as she glanced at me. "I'm sorry for what was once done to you," she uttered dejectedly. "I see that this is my fault and I accept full responsibility for everything. So, I think that it's only fair for me to offer myself in place of the boy there. You are angry at me, not him."
"No!" I bellowed in horror. Having Alice sacrifice herself was not acceptable.
The frozen hand on the back of my head squeezed tighter, reminding me who was in control. "Quiet," he hissed in irritation. Then, with mock gentility, he slapped a smile on his face and spoke to Alice. "While your courage is admirable, little one, I'm sorry to say that in your present state I have no need for you. However, this pet of yours will make fine compensation. He has an interesting scent." He leaned in closer to me and inhaled. "Honey with a hint of flora. Lilacs perhaps? Intriguing, I must say."
I saw a flash of panic cross Carlisle's face. Quickly, his eyes darted to look at me. "Surely there is something we can offer you in exchange," he pleaded. "We have vast resources."
The nomad chuckled at the power he wielded. "Really?" he snorted. "That is interesting." He stroked his chin as though he were seriously thinking. "And just what would you be willing to offer me?"
"Name your price and we will pay it."
"Your house? And perhaps some monetary compensation?"
"Yes, if that's what you want."
James turned to examine me with a critical eye. "That is a tempting offer... And all for this boy? You make me curious. Why is he so important to you, I wonder?"
"He's not," Carlisle answered without looking at me. "We just can't have him come up missing without the locals becoming suspicious of us. A disappearance would bring up too many questions that we cannot afford to deal with."
A slow, creeping smirk spread across the nomad's face. "You are an excellent actor," he commented. "But I don't buy that at all. His scent was too strong on your property to be just a friendly visit or two. Not to mention that I detected his scent on most of your coven members. The boy obviously lives with you. Do you deny it?"
A saw the hope in Carlisle's eyes die. "No," he sighed.
"That's what I thought," James triumphantly proclaimed. Flicking his eyes between my three family members, his gaze settled on Emmett, who had an enraged scowl on his face. "I suggest that you calm down your bouncer," he advised Carlisle. "He seems to be losing his self control."
Emmett's eyes blazed in further hatred. "If you don't let my brother go, I will be forced to show you what I am good at controlling."
The nomad snorted out a laugh. "While I admit that your bluster is amusing, I'm sorry to say that your threat is useless. You must realize that the moment you make a move towards me, your pet here will be snapped in two. But, if that's what you want, go ahead. I won't stop you..." When no one moved, James knew that they cared too much for me to risk anything dangerous. "Now, why don't you three slowly move towards one another. I don't like how you have spaced yourselves out. It's almost as if you were planning on attacking me!" he mockingly taunted.
The three of them edged towards one another while staring at me.
"Excellent," he remarked. "Now all we need to do is wait for my coven to arrive, and then I'll let you know of my decision."
Minutes ticked by. I tried to keep calm despite my terror. I badly wanted to ask one of my family members if they knew what had become of Bella, but I was fearful of what the nomad would make of that. Silently, I hoped that if I died they would continue to protect her until they destroyed this monster.
Carlisle's head jerked up and his body stood at attention. Simultaneously, Alice's eyes began furiously blinking as if she were trying to clear her sight. As though she had become blind. I wasn't certain, but I felt as though something was going on that I was not privy to.
"It doesn't have to be like this," Carlisle announced.
"Save your breath," the nomad chuckled.
"But he's worth more to you alive than dead."
"I'm not so sure of that," the nomad retorted. "You really have nothing that I need. I have no use of your money. Your house is worthless to me. So, unless you have another pet like this one that you're willing to give me, I think that I'll keep him instead."
"We can't offer you anyone in his place," Carlisle replied. "It would go against everything that we believe in."
"Then I would advise that you keep your mouth shut for now," commanded the nomad, silencing everyone for a short time.
James lifted his nose in the air, sniffing curiously. His thick brows furrowed in disgust. "Dear lord," he hissed with curled lip. "What is that awful stench?"
Carlisle exaggeratedly sniffed the air. "What are you talking about?" he asked with a straight face. "I only smell the boy there."
The nomad took another deep sniff. "It's strange... It smells like a wet Saint Bernard that rolled around in manure with a mix of-" he paused to describe the scent. "Decaying skunk."
Emmett shook his head while trying to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting up. "Don't know what you're talking about, man."
The nomad incredulously stared back at them. "Have you three lost all of your vampire traits?" he snapped irritably. "Drinking only animal blood must dull your senses more than I thought."
Emmett kept his eyes focused on James. "Sorry, man, but our senses are great. If anyone is lacking in any sense, it's you."
With narrowing eyes, the nomad clenched his teeth and growled. "Watch your tongue. You are forgetting that I am the only one in control."
Darkly chuckling, Emmett broke out into a huge smile. "But see, that's the problem. You aren't in control anymore, man. There's a six foot tall werewolf standing behind you and you just haven't noticed it."
The nomad's face hardened. "You must believe that I am a fool to fall for that old trick. Just for that, I think I'm going to take my time when I'm feeding from your human. I always find that suffering brings out a unique flav-"
James's voice turned into a scream while something attacked him from behind. An instant later, I blinked and found that I was now standing between Alice and Carlisle.
"Are you OK?" asked Carlisle as Alice flung herself into my arms.
My heart was pounding, I was freezing cold, but otherwise I was unharmed. I took a deep, calming breath and answered him. "Yes."
The nomad's screams soon were drowned out by the sounds of horrifying metallic ripping. I turned to look at Carlisle questioningly. He evidently could see what I was about to ask. "Emmett is disposing of him. He won't be bothering you ever again."
I nodded my head. "Was that Sam?" I asked looking around.
A rumbling voice from several feet away answered me. "Yes, it was," Sam responded in human form. He was barefoot and only wore cut off blue jeans despite the chill in the air.
"You couldn't have come at a better time," Carlisle said to Sam. "You heard a good bit of our conversation with the nomad, didn't you?"
Sam puckered his mouth as he pondered on how to respond. "I heard enough," he cryptically answered.
I cleared my throat and looked at him. "I suppose this is the time I should be thanking you for your assistance."
He shrugged his shoulders in a seemingly careless manner. "You don't need to, Edward. I was just doing my duty."
"Well, regardless, thank you, Sam," I meekly replied.
Choosing to not vocally respond, he bowed his head for a moment to indicate that he accepted my gratitude.
"And I think that it is my duty to inform you that there is at least one more of these nomads running around," Carlisle revealed seriously. "If the other male left the area peacefully as he promised, that leaves only the nomad's mate to contend with."
Sam's eyes appeared to darken. "There's another one?" he almost growled.
"Yes," Alice answered for Carlisle. "I've been getting visions of her running circles around the town, trying to pick up on her mate's scent. Back when we were trying to scare them off, we divided them up and they went in two different directions. Four of us went after him while Esme concentrated on keeping the female busy."
"What about Bella?" I demanded to know. Knowing that there was a second vampire on the prowl filled me with dread. As I spoke to Alice, I vaguely noticed that Carlisle and Sam were in a quiet conversation.
"She's fine," Alice assured me with kind eyes. "She's at the house with Rose."
I finally felt like I could breathe. Bella was safe. She was at home.
She was with Rosalie.
My eyes popped open in shock. "Rosalie?" I yelled at Alice. Out of the entire family, Rose was the least likely to offer Bella much in the way of sympathy or comfort. In fact, I wouldn't put it past her to openly glare at Bella for just being a human.
Alice rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. "Really, Edward. Give Rose a little more credit than that. She's watching out for Bella. I've seen it."
"I need to get to her," I frantically panted. "Bella's probably terrified after seeing me disappear in front of her eyes."
Alice pulled out her phone and punched in a number. "Fine, but let me call Jazz first. He's probably wondering why you never showed up in Neah Bay by now." I agreed and nodded my head.
As I waited, I tried to listen to Carlisle and Sam. Their voices were low and too difficult to hear. Soon, Sam turned on his heel and walked straight into the thickly forested underbrush. A few moments passed, then he strode back up in his wolf form before he vanished behind the trees.
"He's calling for his pack to join him in the hunt for the red-haired female," Carlisle whispered into my ear. "He has agreed to team up with us to stop her before she hurts anyone else."
"That's...good, I think," I carefully replied.
Carlisle tipped his head to the side as he watched me. "I think so too," he muttered in deep thought. A putrid scent mixed with smoke assailed my nose and he turned his head towards the direction it was coming from. "I need to go check to see how Emmett is doing." Quickly, we bid each other goodbye and he disappeared an instant later.
Alice flipped her phone closed and glided back up to me. "OK, I let Jazz know that he can come back to Forks. I can take you home now." She held her arms out towards me while wearing a tiny smile.
I took one look and crossed my arms stubbornly. "No, Alice," I stated in a steady tone.
She stretched her arms open wider while her smile spread nearly ear to ear. "You don't have much of a choice," she replied.
"Yes, I do. I'll hike back to the car and drive back home myself."
Her smile faltered for a moment as if what she was about to say pained her. "Your car is, um, inoperable."
My hands fell to my side. "What?" I croaked.
Her discomfort appeared to increase and she sighed. "I didn't get a good look at it, of course, but I don't think you'll be driving it anywhere for awhile."
At this news, my hands balled into fists and I seethed in rage. If I had been a vampire at that moment, I would have gone and ripped that nomad apart myself. I loved that car.
"Don't worry," she hurriedly explained. "Once we get rid of that female, I'm sure Rosalie will fix your car back up as good as new."
I nodded my head in agreement. If anyone could bring an automobile back to life, it was Rosalie.
"Now," Alice chirped in a happier tone. She reopened her arms and stretched them out towards me. "Let's get this over with. I'm sure Bella needs you."
I looked between her arms and her face. To her credit, she was now hiding her amused delight at my reluctance with remarkable ease. "I'm only agreeing to this for Bella's sake," I announced. "If she were not involved in this mess, I would be walking home right now."
Choking back a laugh, she vigorously bobbed her head up and down. "Of course."
With a heavy sigh, I allowed Alice to scoop me up into her arms. Even in the half-light of the darkening evening, I could see her eyes sparking from suppressed laughter. "Please don't make this worse for me than it already is," I begged. "My sense of manhood is teetering on the edge of a cliff."
"I completely understand," she nodded. "Seeing a tiny girl like me basically carrying a fully grown man bridal style would be a little unusual. Some might say, even embarrassing. But don't worry, Edward. No one but you and me will ever see this..." She paused and a thought entered her mischievous little head. "Though before we go, I think we should go tell Emmett goodbye, don't you think? He hasn't had the opportunity to hug you or anything since he went to take care of that nomad."
If Emmett saw me like this, he would spend the rest of my life coming up with humiliating jokes to torture me with. I would be an old man on my deathbed, and he would probably still have a few up his sleeves to tell me before I closed my eyes forever.
"Don't you dare," I growled in a panic.
Now full on giggling, Alice shook her head. "I was only trying to make you laugh. You seem so tense."
I rolled my eyes and tried not to snap at her. "I am tense because ten minutes ago a bloodsucking vampire was threatening to end my life."
"I know," she gently replied. "Just relax, keep your hands and feet as close to your body as possible, and try to enjoy the run." She sounded oddly like a carnival ride operator. With extreme reluctance, I nodded my head and hoped for the best.
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The moment that I sensed Alice had stopped moving, I allowed one eye to open and observed my surroundings. We were now standing in front of the house.
"We're home," she announced just before she let me go.
As soon as my feet hit the driveway, I glanced at her and emphasised my next words. "Keep that to yourself, Alice. Not a soul."
With an impish grin, she said, "I'll try."
Gruffly I sighed and let the matter drop. I took off towards the front door and turned the knob. It was locked. In as calm of a manner as I could muster, I knocked on the door a few times- resisting the urge to bang and scream for someone to let me in.
Seconds later, the door was pulled open by Rosalie. Her face was enigmatically expressionless. I had anticipated anger or irritation for having to guard another human.
"Are you hurt?" she asked as her golden eyes scanned me up and down.
"No," I replied. "Just a few cuts and scrapes." They were all superficial injuries from when the nomad ran with me. He had no concern for my welfare so he did not try to dodge the tree branches that scraped my exposed skin. With one head nod, Rosalie allowed a quiet moment to pass. I could not stand the wait. "Where's Bella?" I blurted out.
Her eyes hardened slightly before she answered. "Living room," she grimly answered before allowing me inside.
Without another thought, I dashed past her and found Bella curled up on one of the couches. A wool blanket was wrapped around her shivering shoulders. At the sound of my footsteps, her head whipped in my direction. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. Then, as she registered that it was me, she visibly relaxed.
"Bella," I gasped with equal doses of relief and joy. Not taking my eyes away from her, I rushed up to her and fell to my knees. My hands shot out to caress her face as I examined her for any signs of injuries. She appeared unharmed.
Slowly, her hand lifted up to the area just above my brow. I flinched slightly as she traced a small wound with her finger. "You're hurt," she noted with pained eyes.
"No," I assured her. "That's just a little cut. I'm fine. What about you?"
Licking her lips, she answered. "I'm OK."
I released a breath and enveloped her in my arms. It appeared that she wanted to do the same- she nuzzled her face into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist.
"You're soaking wet," she mumbled after a time.
"As are you," I pointed out.
"Just a little," she admitted. I pulled the blanket tighter around her, realizing that Rose must have gotten it for her. I was thankful that Rose had attempted to care for Bella at all.
Light footsteps echoed through the room. Alice glided over to a chair and plopped down onto it. "Rose left to join in on the...search," she hesitantly announced. Thank the heavens she did not say "hunt". That would only serve to frighten Bella more.
"Edward?" uttered the small voice of Bella. "What's happening?"
Nervously, I quickly glanced at Alice, who seemed to be watching our encounter with extreme interest. Since she offered no advice, I looked back at Bella. She had been here, alone in the house, with the icy blonde vampire for longer than a just a few minutes. What had happened during that time? I wondered.
"What did Rosalie tell you?" I asked.
"Nothing."
That sounded like something Rosalie would do. Run at breakneck speed with a frightened human girl and offer absolutely no explanation on what the poor girl may have seen.
"Alice," I called out, catching her eye. In the next instance, I made the decision to tell Bella everything- how I met Carlisle, the Cullens true identities, the shapeshifters. She had seen enough in the past couple of months to know that the Cullens were no ordinary family. And, after the incident tonight, she now knew that they were in possession of superhuman strength and speed.
I knew that I would tell Bella no matter what, but having Alice's approval would certainly make me feel better.
I watched as the vision flooded through Alice's consciousness. In mere moments, her eyes cleared and she regarded me silently for a short time. Her countenance became sphnix-like as she watched me.
"Tell her," was all that she chose to say.
Giving her a brief nod, I turned back to Bella and took her hand in mine. If Alice had told me a month ago that not only would I be revealing my secret to Bella on this day, but the Cullens' as well, I would have never believed her.
"Bella," I softly began. "Do you recall today when I told you that the Cullen's were very special people?" Mutely, she nodded her head. "Well, I wasn't exaggerating when I told you that. In fact, I did not capture their uniqueness nearly enough. Each one of them possesses certain...skills that are more advanced than any human. They are exceedingly fast- as I'm certain you learned from being with Rosalie. They each can lift objects that are hundreds, if not, thousands of pounds. Their skin is bulletproof and hard as marble. Actually... They are no longer what would be considered as human."
As this nugget of information settled into her mind, she perplexedly stared back. "So, what? Are you saying that they are mutants are something?"
"No, no. Nothing like that." I took a few seconds to think of a way I could tell her what she needed to know. "They were human, just like you or me, at one time. But, they were each changed into what they are now. They lost their mortality, but gained invincibility. They do not sleep. They no longer need to eat the way we do. They only require one thing now." I moistened my drying lips and took a deep, calming breath. "They live off the blood of, um, animals."
Instead of saying something, as I had hoped, Bella's eyes seemed to drift off into another dimension as she absorbed what I had just told her. I said nothing, choosing to watch and wait for her to respond when she was ready.
Her brows scrunched together a minute later. "Vampires," I heard her mutter.
"Yes," I quickly confirmed. "But they are much more than that. They value human life far too much to drink from us. Carlisle was the first to be changed. He abhorred the thought of taking a life. And, by accident, he found that he could live off the blood of animals."
I went on to tell her the basics on how they each had been turned from ordinary human to vampire. How they each had to come to a decision- drink from humans and lose your connection to humanity, or drink from animals and your thirst never feel quite satiated.
"But, of course, not all vampires choose to live the way the Cullens live," I went on. "Most, uh, feed from us. And that's the reason why you and I were run off the road tonight. One of those vampires attacked us, but the Cullens were able to keep him from causing any harm."
"That's not exactly the reason, Edward," chimed in Alice. "Three nomads showed up on our doorstep tonight. I saw them coming a few minutes before they showed up, but I did not know it was going to turn out the way it did." She sighed and appeared haunted by what had happened. "Esme opened the door to greet them and tried to nicely send them away. But, the blonde male noticed your scent before we could get them to leave."
"What happened after that?" Bella questioned Alice. At least it seemed she was not completely frightened of Alice yet.
"Well, I saw that he had decided to go after Edward," she began to explain. Then, Alice's head cocked to the side as a vision overtook her. A brief moment later, she focused on Bella. "I knew because I saw that the nomad would target Edward tonight."
Bella flinched in her seat and snapped her head to gaze at me. "How did she know what I was going to ask?" she muttered in bewilderment.
"I know because I can see the future, Bella," Alice casually explained. "When someone decides to do something, I can sometimes see what will happen. You decided to ask me a question, so I saw it."
"Do all of you, uh, vampires have that ability?"
"No," Alice replied with a shake of her head. "Everyone is different. Some have various talents to defend themselves from attack. Others have special mental abilities, like deducing when they are being lied to or things like that. But many of us have no extra talents. My particular ability is rare. I haven't met anyone yet that can do what I can do."
Bella lapsed into silence for a short while before speaking again. "If you saw what he was planning to do, why couldn't you stop him before he got to Edward?"
"We tried," Alice regretfully replied. "But the nomad kept changing his mind on how he would attack. It threw me off. It wasn't until it was too late before I saw that we were practically on top of you two."
"And then?" Bella pressed.
I attempted to covertly shake my head at Alice, hoping she would not go into great detail of how much danger I had been in.
"As I'm sure you saw, the nomad ripped Edward out of the car and ran with him for a few miles," Alice went on. "Rose stopped to help you while the three of us went after the nomad. We almost had him surrounded when he suddenly stopped and threatened to kill Edward."
I shot Alice a dirty look, irritated that she ignored me. Bella, on the other hand, appeared to appreciate Alice's honesty and began scowling at me.
"You weren't planning on telling me about that part, were you?" she dryly remarked.
"I didn't want you to worry," I tried to explain.
Bella released an angered breath and glared back. "I saw you vanish in an instant tonight, Edward. There is no way that I could do anything but worry. Telling me what really happened is better than sugarcoating the truth."
I twisted my mouth and stared back into the chocolate depths of her eyes. I could easily see the hurt and betrayal she felt.
"You're right," I admitted. I then forced myself to reveal the extent of the trouble I had been in. "I was in danger. Carlisle tried to convince the nomad to release me, but he had no desire to do so. He wanted me dead."
I went on to describe the encounter in detail, explaining how the nomad was seeking revenge on Alice's escape from his clutches all those years ago.
"He was waiting for his mate to show up," I continued. "Then, Carlisle noticed the scent of Sam in the air, so he distracted the nomad while Sam came closer. Sam was able to sneak up behind the vampire and took him down."
"How could Sam have done that?" Bella asked with furrowed brow. "I thought that vampires are stronger than us."
"They are," I reiterated. "But Sam and a couple of other Quiluetes are more than just mere humans, love. They are shapeshifters, too."
Bella's mouth popped open. A moment later, she snapped it shut and tried to ask another question. "I don't... How? What do you-?"
"They can morph into wolf form," I gently admitted to her. Taking a firmer grasp of her hand, I squeezed. "They possess greater strength than an ordinary human. So, that's how he was able to take that vampire down."
"Are you telling me that I moved to the most boring town on the planet, yet it secretly has at least two types of mythical creatures roaming around plus a time-travelling boy?" Bella replied in disbelief.
I wanly smiled at her humorous summary. "I'm afraid so."
A slow but steady smile stretched across her face.
"And just what are you smiling about?" I asked her.
"Everything makes sense now," she cheerfully responded. "Between seeing your family's yellow eyes, you confronting a huge guy at the beach, and me thinking I was crazy for suspecting that you were not a modern boy- I can finally relax. Do you know how often I stayed up at night trying to figure out everything? It was so frustrating!"
"So, what? You don't mind that I live with a coven of vampires?"
With a thoughtful, musing expression, she said, "You told me yourself that they were not a threat to anyone. And that they only take animals for their food. So, why would I mind?"
My head snapped to take a peek at Alice. She was grinning widely at the both of us. I swung my focus back to Bella and grabbed her into my arms. "I'm not sure if I should be thrilled by how you feel, or if I should be scolding you for your complete lack of self-preservation."
She lightly laughed in my ear as her warm breath hit the side of my neck. I smiled and relaxed in the moment, enjoying the feeling of contentment now that I had revealed everything to her.
"I do have more questions," she whispered into my ear.
"I'm sure that you do. Ask away."
"OK," she replied as she pulled back to sit up straight on the couch. "How did you wind up living with the Cullens? You can tell me now, can't you?"
"Yes, I can. Though it may sound a bit crazy," I hesitantly remarked.
Bella openly scoffed. "How much more crazier can your life be?"
"Well, maybe it's not quite as exciting as admitting that I talk to supernatural creatures on a daily basis- I will admit," I said with a smile. "But it is unusual. You see, I met Carlisle a few days before I left my family, Bella. He was their doctor. When I vanished, he tried to help my mother find me, but of course, there was no possibility of that. Many years later, Alice and Jasper came along and joined Carlisle's family. Alice told Carlisle what had happened to me all those years ago and that I would be reappearing in a few decades time. Alice predicted where I would turn up and approximately when it would be."
"So they were waiting for you to come?" Bella remarked with a searching eye.
"Yes. And they spent many weeks teaching me the basics of how to live now. I had to learn how to use computers and cellphones. I found out that refrigerators no longer require an ice block to keep the compartments cool. They taught me everything."
"And that's one of the reasons why you try to protect them, because they have helped you," she observed.
"Yes and no," I replied. "I appreciate what they did for me, yes. But I keep their identities secret because I have come to care for them as the kind and loving beings that they are. I wouldn't want them to suffer because I couldn't keep my mouth shut."
"But you've told me."
Alice chose to speak now. "You were going to find out someday anyway. Since you're with Edward now, there's no way we could keep what we are a secret for long. Besides, it's easier this way now. We can talk to Edward about what's going on without worrying that you'll overhear and freak out."
"I suppose that's a simple way to look at it," I wryly remarked.
"It's the only way," Alice haughtily replied.
Bella chuckled and then sighed. "It's still hard to believe that you showed up here the way that you did. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to have left everything behind. Loved ones. Possessions. Money. I would have had a breakdown."
"Actually," I clarified, "it wasn't quite as bad as that. I did leave my family behind, but Carlisle had everything else waiting here for me."
"What do you mean?"
"He was my parents' executor of their will. After their deaths, he protected their estate. That piano is the same one that I first played on when I was five. He kept most of my things that I had any attachment to."
Slowly, a strange look crossed her face that I could not decipher. "You inherited an estate?" she asked warily.
"Well, yes. The Cullens kept their eyes on it until I could come back."
"Just how big of an estate are we talking about here, Edward? A few thousand?"
"Umm," I hummed uncertainly. I glanced back at Alice. "I'm not sure. I rarely keep up with it. Do you know, Alice?"
Alice cocked her head to the side as she thought. "A few months back, I convinced Carlisle to invest our money in a tech company that is set to revolutionize the cellphone industry. So the stock has increased by a little bit."
"How much, Alice?" I impatiently pressed.
"Eight hundred million, three hundred and fiffty-nine thousand, seven hundred and two dollars." She paused a moment and added, "And sixty-one cents."
Bella promptly swooned and slumped onto the floor.
"Bella!" I cried in shock. I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back onto the couch. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her tiny hands were clammy. "Speak to me, please," I begged her as I fanned her face with my hand.
With reluctant fluttering eyes, she subtly moaned in protest. After a couple of minutes, her skin resumed its normal hue and she was once again quietly staring back at me.
"In the span of one day I tell you several terrifying secrets and you don't bat an eye. Yet, the moment you discover that we have a little money in the bank, you faint on me?" This girl was entirely unpredictable.
"What do you mean by 'we'?" Bella asked in an accusing tone.
"Why, you and me, of course," I answered with an eye roll.
Her face almost instantly reverted back to a pasty white.
Perhaps I was rushing things forward a bit too quickly...
"It will be yours too one day in the future," I amended reluctantly.
This appeared to calm her. Her breathing slowed to a normal rate and she silently nodded her head.
Alice soon glided over and handed me a towel to clean myself with. I stood up and wandered over to the window as I dried off.
Without warning, Esme burst inside of the house at vampiric speed and swept me into a maternal embrace. "Oh!" she wailed as her arms wrapped around me. "I was so worried! You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine," I replied. Tipping my head towards Bella, I added. "And Bella is fine, too."
Slowly, Esme turned her head until she could view Bella's sitting form on the couch. Esme's mouth popped open in astonishment. She had not anticipated any human other than me being in the house- and she had just unwittingly shown a trait that all vampires shared.
"Don't beat yourself up, Esme," consoled Alice. "Rose had to run with her tonight, so Bella has already seen how fast we can go. Besides, we just told her everything."
Esme's eyebrows shot nearly to her hairline. "You told her?" she incredulously repeated.
Alice casually shrugged her shoulder. "We needed to anyway. She would have figured it out on her own eventually. She's a smart girl."
Esme turned to sheepishly look at Bella. "So you know what we are?"
With an anxious bobbing of her damp head, Bella gazed back at Esme and confirmed her knowledge. "Yes."
Silently musing, Esme's face became blank. She was hiding her emotions well- I was not sure if she was angered or indifferent to the news.
"What do you think about it all, Bella?" Esme calmly asked.
Bella tilted her head to the side and slightly furrowed her brows as she thought of a proper response. "You want me to be honest?"
Esme nodded her head without taking her attention away from Bella. "Yes, of course."
"When Edward first told me what you are, it scared me," Bella admitted. "I thought back on the time he brought me here to visit and how any of you could have attacked us both. Two humans against six vampires would be an easy meal for you all. Then, I remembered how kind you were to me that day- how nice and motherly you were. That didn't sound at all like the bloodthirsty beings that I have read about over the years. So, based on that, I think Edward was right when he said you were not a threat to anyone. I trust what he says."
Once Bella had finished speaking, I watched as Esme's lip began quivering. I sincerely believed that she would have been crying if she could. "Thank you," she murmured in a small voice. Then, after taking a few calming breaths, Esme went back to her old ways. With a soft, lovely smile, she gazed at Bella. "Would you like a sandwich, dear?"
Both Alice and I could not hold back our laughter. Count on Esme to be the one to worry over food when a vampire was out stalking the neighborhood.
Bella politely smiled. "That sounds great, but I really should be going home now. I'm sure Charlie's wondering why I haven't showed up yet."
"You can't," I explained. "It's not safe. The female nomad could attack you, Bella."
Her eyes widened in alarm. "What about Charlie?"
"He's fine, I'm sure," I soothed.
"But you don't know," she retorted.
"Alice?" I desperately called out.
"Don't worry about it, Bella," she replied. "I have an idea if it's alright with you."
"What?" Bella asked cautiously.
"How about I go home with you tonight?" Alice suggested, her excitement building as she described her idea. "We can tell your dad that we're having a sleepover. I can guard the house while you two are sleeping. Oh! And we can take those fun magazine quizzes and I can brush your hair! It will be so much fun! What do you say?"
Bella's mouth twitched as though she were unsure of what to say. I wanted to reassure her while letting her understand that the decision was entirely up to her.
"You can trust her," I whispered softly into Bella's ear. "She would never harm you. But, if you don't feel comfortable, I'll understand. I can tell her no for you if that is what you want."
Anxiously chewing her bottom lip, she gazed into my eyes as she attempted to make a decision. Soon her eyes flashed with determination as she answered. "I think it's a pretty good idea. Charlie would never suspect that Alice was there to protect us. And it's just for tonight, right?"
"It's however long it takes to catch the female," I corrected. "Hopefully it won't take them long to capture her."
"What will they do if they do catch her?"
"Destroy her," I honestly replied with a grim voice. She nodded in understanding, perhaps not eager to hear the details for right now.
Bella began searching the room, turning around in her seat as she did so. "Where'd Alice go?"
Esme answered her. "She ran upstairs about five seconds after you and Edward began talking. She's probably gathering up a few things to take to your house."
A minute later, Alice appeared dragging a trunk and two wheeled suitcases. God only knew what she had stuffed in there. "No, Alice," I firmly said. "That is far too much to be taking for a one night 'sleepover'. Charlie is a smart man. He's bound to suspect that something is up if a tiny looking girl like you is carrying two hundred pound suitcases."
Her shoulders slumped as she acknowledged my insight. "OK," she glumly conceded. "I'll just take this one. It has most of my important stuff in it anyway."
A couple of minutes later, Bella and I watched as Alice slung one suitcase in the trunk of Carlisle's Mercedes in the garage.
"When you get home, please call me so I'll know you are OK," I said to Bella as I hugged her. "And if Alice bothers you, tell her to give you her phone and call me. I'll tell her to lay off."
Bella softly laughed. "I'm sure she'll be fine. I like her."
Alice slammed the trunk shut. "We're ready to go," she announced.
I took a moment to chastely peck Bella's lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I can't wait," she whispered back with a wink. She then stepped back and turned to get into the car.
"Alice," I called before she could leave. She zipped up to me and waited for me to speak. "I need for you to promise me a couple of things before you go."
"Sure."
"First, if Bella says no to you, respect her wishes even if you disagree."
Alice huffed out a breath. "Really, Edward. I think I know how to be a decent being. I'm not pushy."
I chose not to openly object to that comment. Instead I pressed forward. "Fine. Next, since she seems to be a magnet for danger, please watch out for her. I'll be driving myself mad until they catch that nomad."
"Don't worry. I have that covered. You just relax tonight. Bella and I will have a ball together!"
I smiled at her eagerness. "Well, I hope so. Just, try not to annoy her too much." She glared back and I barked out a laugh.
"Call you later," she petulantly replied as she swung the driver's side door open. As she eased inside of the car, her face brightened considerably. "I've got so much stuff we can do to keep ourselves busy, Bella," I heard her proclaim. "Have you ever waxed before?"
"N-no," Bella answered. "I just shave."
Alice shrugged her shoulders and seemed OK with her response. "That's fine," she commented with surprising calmness. "We don't need to experiment yet anyway. It's probably best if we build up your pain tolerance before we try that Brazilian wax method. I read that it was a real eye-opener if you know what I mean."
Bella's own eyes bulged out and her face blushed scarlet as she snapped her head back at me. I wasn't sure what the problem was, but I was certain that Alice was behind it.
After they were gone, I reentered the living room and flopped onto the couch. Esme soon pressured me to go change into some dry clothes and eat something. The rest of the evening I listlessly played on the piano while I waited for word of the hunt. I had spoken briefly to both Alice and Bella, who assured me that Charlie was too shocked that Bella had shown up with a female friend to question her too harshly about her lateness. Once Alice announced that she was giving out pedicures at the Swan residence, Charlie fled into their living room to watch ESPN.
Esme's phone rang at nearly eleven o'clock. Carlisle informed her that Rosalie had been the one to catch and rip the redheaded female apart. I hypothesized that she wanted revenge for revealing her vampiric nature to Bella. Emmett supposedly was whimpering and complaining that he had not been the one to do the deed. He had always been eager to engage in a true fight, yet all he could claim to have done on this particular night was set their remains on fire. He was profoundly disappointed.
I immediately grabbed my phone and called Alice. "I already know," she answered. "I saw it. Rose looked so mad. She'll be thrilled when she finds out that Bella knows exactly what we are," she teased.
I groaned in dread. "It looks like I'll need protection from her now."
"Nah," Alice assured me. "She'll get over it. Eventually."
"May I speak with Bella for a moment? I'd like to say goodnight to her."
"Sure. Bella! Edward wants you!" Then, she tauntingly giggled in amusement over the double meaning.
"Hey," said the voice that I longed to hear.
"I wanted to let you know that they caught that nomad. We should be OK now."
"I know. Alice told me. I'm glad we can finally relax."
"Me, too," I agreed. "I miss you."
"I miss you," she repeated back. Several seconds passed before she spoke again. "Edward?"
"Yes, love?"
"Alice said that she would do a little spring cleaning around my room while I read. Now half of my clothes are in a cardboard box, including my sweats. Should I be worried?"
"Alice!" I growled.
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A/N- I don't care if Victoria has a talent for evasion. Was it particularly difficult for Edward to kill her in Eclipse? No. It was pretty simple if you ask me. So, why was it so hard to catch her before? It bothered me. So, that's why in this story she is caught much more easily. A friggin' coven of vampires plus three gigantic wolves hunting down one annoying vampire should be a piece of cake.
And before you ask, I decided not to have the Volturi in this. They are depressing, and it would ruin the fun and humor vibe. Let's act like they are too busy draining money and blood from tourists in Italy to notice that two human teens know of their existence. OK?
Depending on how wordy I get, I think there will be about 6 more chapters left of this story. I am very, very sad. I'm going to miss pretending that I'm an Edwardian teenage boy (my husband won't, but hey, this is about me right now).
Next Chapter- Some simple, fun fluffy fluff to finish the alternate universe Twilight plot theme. Prom. And Bella wants to get a summer job- at Newton's with that revolting Mike. What will Edward think about that?
Thanks for reading! :-)