Thank you to chichi5, EsmeAliceRose and Marshmellow for your reviews.
XXX
1955
A week after the incident with Alice the family had moved to Grand Forks in North Dakota. The house Esme had purchased for them was spacious and open and nestled in the forest just outside the main town, which afforded them privacy. They quickly settled in and unpacked and within a week the house looked and felt like home.
For four years the family remained settled and happy in Grand Forks although Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice bypassed the whole school experience this time. Instead they stayed close to the house and rarely went into town so that rumours didn't start about the unschooled Cullen children. One afternoon Carlisle returned home early from the hospital and as soon as he walked in the door Edward suddenly sat upright.
"I am guessing from Edward's reaction you have something to tell us?" Esme smirked in amusement.
"Yes I do," Carlisle laughed and glanced at Alice and sure enough her eyes were glazed over.
"Oh yes!" Alice squealed as she came out of her vision and clapped her hands and Carlisle laughed again.
"I don't know why I bother," he teased.
"Well some of us have no idea what is going on," Emmett frowned.
"A new doctor started today at the hospital," Carlisle announced.
"So?" Rosalie asked.
"He's one of us," Carlisle told them.
"A vampire?" Esme whispered.
"Yes my dear," Carlisle nodded. "What is even more amazing is that the coven he leads is also vegetarian like us."
"There is a whole coven of vampires here?" Jasper gasped and instinctively reached for Alice.
"It's a smaller coven than ours," Carlisle admitted. "There are only four of them. I don't think they pose a threat to us. They are vegetarians like us and seem to live like a family, much like we do but on a smaller scale."
"Can we meet them?" Emmett asked excitedly and Rosalie could tell he already had visions of baseball games and chess games.
"It's already arranged," Carlisle grinned. "I have invited them here this evening. They will be here in an hour."
"I can't wait," Alice giggled.
"It will be nice to meet more of our own kind," Esme admitted.
"I think you'll love them," Carlisle grinned.
XXX
An hour later the Cullen family were all gathered in the living room waiting when they heard the approach of car tyres. They sat waiting in anticipation as the car came to a stop outside the house and moments later there was a knock on the door. Carlisle got up and went to answer it and when he returned there were four vampires behind him.
"Allow me to introduce everyone," he smiled. "This is my wife Esme and our children, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice. This is Julian Porter the doctor I was telling you about."
"Hello," Julian smiled formally and turned and held his hand out to his family. "This is my wife Lisette and our children Vincent and Stella."
The two families stood for a moment sizing one another up. Julian Porter looked like he was about thirty and was tall with dark hair. Lisette was a small woman with long flowing blonde hair and dainty features and except for her golden eyes that told them she was a vampire she looked like she was fragile and would easily break. Stella Porter had a long mane of black curly hair and her beauty rivalled even Rosalie's. Vincent Porter had blonde hair and stood at just over six foot and Emmett immediately zeroed in on him as a possible wrestling opponent.
"Come, sit down, please," Esme smiled to break the silence and the two families moved to sit in the living room.
"I can't believe we have found another coven like ours," Lisette said excitedly. "We didn't think there were any other animals feeding vampires in the world."
"We call it vegetarian," Esme grinned.
"I love it," Julian laughed heartily.
"Oh, it's going to storm," Alice gasped excitedly and all eyes turned to her. "Whoops, sorry to interrupt, but it is."
"Baseball?" Emmett grinned.
"You play baseball?" Vincent smirked.
"Yeah, you interested in a game?" Emmett asked. "Alice is never wrong about a storm and it's the only time we can play."
"I'm in," Vince nodded.
"Me too," Stella giggled.
"How about we let the young ones play and we can relax here?" Carlisle offered when he noticed the worried look on Lisette's face.
"That would be lovely," Lisette smiled. Edward suddenly shifted closer to Alice and put his arm around her shoulders and Jasper frowned as he glanced at him. Everyone else noticed the sudden tension in Edward and Carlisle turned to look at him.
"Edward?" he asked firmly.
"I think we need to share with each other who has mates and what gifts we have," Edward murmured, his eyes locking on Vincent.
"I guess to save problems that might be a good idea," Esme nodded.
"Lisette is my mate but Stella and Vincent are single, they are merely brother and sister," Julian offered. "Lisette and I have no gifts but the children do. Vincent can incapacitate his enemies, make them freeze I guess you could say. Stella's gift is a little more complicated than that. She can manipulate feelings, but only certain feelings."
"That's interesting," Carlisle nodded. "Obviously Esme is my mate. Emmett and Rosalie are together as are Jasper and Alice. Edward can read minds, Alice can see the future and Jasper can sense and influence emotions."
"It sounds like our Jasper and your Stella have a similar gift," Esme smiled.
"Oh, I doubt that," Stella smirked haughtily.
"Stella is not allowed to use her gift," Lisette said, throwing a warning look at her daughter.
"I won't," Stella pouted and Vincent grinned at her and nudged her.
"Stella," Julian growled.
"I said I won't," Stella sighed.
"Good girl," Julian smiled.
"So, are we going to play or what?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah we are," Vincent grinned and jumped to his feet and Stella instantly appeared at his side. He smiled as he threw his arm casually around her shoulders and Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and Edward got up and joined them and the group of younger vampires headed out of the house to a nearby clearing.
When the group reached the clearing they split into two teams, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper against Stella, Vincent, Alice and Edward and they began to play. Stella batted first and hit a home run and as soon as she passed over the home plate she giggled and threw herself into Vincent's arms.
"Well done Stell," he smirked as he hugged her.
"You're up next Vincent," Edward announced and Vincent let Stella go and walked over to Edward. He handed him the bat and he stepped up to play as Alice walked over to stand beside Stella.
"I love your shirt," Stella admitted as she smiled at Alice.
"Thanks," Alice grinned. "I got it in Paris when Jazz and I were on our honeymoon."
"It's really nice," Stella commented.
"You like fashion?" Alice asked.
"Of course," Stella nodded. "Sometimes Lisette and I go shopping together but her control isn't very good so Julian doesn't let her mix with humans much. We did go to Paris once but that was nearly fifty years ago."
"Rose and I were thinking of going to New York for a weekend," Alice offered. "You should come with us?"
"Your sister wouldn't mind?" Stella frowned.
"Of course not," Alice grinned. "The more the merrier."
"I'd love to," Stella smiled. "It would be great to have some shopping companions. When I was human I had three sisters and we went shopping together all the time. I miss that. Being the only girl in the family that loves to shop gets a little lonely sometimes."
"Oh, you won't have that problem around us," Alice smirked. Rosalie overheard the entire conversation and for some reason she felt wary about Alice inviting Stella on their shopping trip. She knew the others would call it jealousy but for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that Alice befriending Stella was the worst thing that could happen.
"Alice, you're up," Edward called out and Alice flashed Stella a final smile before stepping up to bat.
"You ready sweetheart?" Jasper smirked from the pitcher's plate.
"Of course," Alice grinned and had a quick vision of how he was going to pitch. She adjusted her batting accordingly and slammed to ball way into the outfield, sending it way over Emmett's head. As Emmett took off after it Alice began to run the bases and she managed to make it home, also bringing Edward home.
"Time to switch," Jasper called out and the teams changed over. Jasper walked over to Alice and handed her the ball Emmett had tossed back to him and she grinned at him as she leaned up and kissed his lips.
"Jasper, stop making out with the other team," Emmett teased and they pulled apart and Alice poked her tongue out at Emmett before moving to the pitcher's plate. Emmett stepped up to bat first and when he hit a hard, fast ball Edward took off after it. He caught it easily and pegged it back to Alice at the pitcher's plate but Emmett had already run home.
"Yes!" Rosalie squealed and Emmett smirked at her as she stepped up to bat. After Alice threw a perfect pitch Rosalie hit the ball easily but she sent it in the opposite direction to where Edward was standing.
Stella took off after it and she caught it easily as she slid to a stop on the north side of the clearing. She grinned as she spun back and threw it towards Vincent at the home plate and Rosalie saw it and stopped safely on the third base. Vincent stood up to throw the ball back to Alice but Jasper quickly called out to him.
"Wait!" he yelled. "She's in a vision, she won't catch it." Vincent stopped as Jasper raced over to Alice's side and her eyes quickly focused again.
"A vampire is coming," Alice whispered quickly.
"When, where?" Jasper frowned.
"Oh no, now," Edward snapped, seeing Alice's vision clearly in her mind. Rosalie, Emmett and Vincent all moved to stand with Edward, Jasper and Alice and Vincent looked over towards Stella who was still over near the edge of the clearing.
"Stell, come here!" he yelled quickly. Stella started to move towards them but she had only taken a few steps when the vampire of Alice's visions leapt from the tree cover and sailed towards her.
"Stella, watch out!" Vincent screamed. Stella turned quickly as Vincent began to run towards her and the other vampire crashed into her, sending them both hurtling through the air before they crashed to the ground.
"We need to help them," Edward said quickly and they all began to run after Vincent. On the ground Stella struggle to get away from the stranger but he had her pinned to the ground and he suddenly began to kiss and grope her. His change from attack to desire seemed strange but Vincent didn't even seem to notice it as he reached them and grabbed the man and flung him away from his sister.
Jasper, Emmett and Edward stepped up beside him as the other vampire dropped into a protective crouch and let out a hiss. Rosalie and Alice moved to stand either side of Stella and Rosalie bent down to offer her a hand up but Stella just stayed sitting on the ground.
The vampire began to lunge towards the men but Vincent suddenly concentrated his gaze on the man and he seemed to stop cold. The others realised they were witnessing Vincent's ability to incapacitate others and they watched as he kept his gaze on the other man and quickly moved to him. He grabbed him and snapped his neck and then proceeded to tear him limb from limb.
"I'll get a fire going, we should burn the pieces," Jasper murmured, the more experienced out of them all in destroying their own kind.
Vincent nodded his head and Emmett and Edward raced off the find some branches. The men worked together to destroy the dead vampire and once they were done they turned to where the women were sitting. Alice had dropped to her knees beside Stella and the look on her face made Jasper rush to her side instantly. Rosalie didn't look much better and Emmett also raced to her.
"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper asked worriedly.
"I feel, I don't know, strange," Alice whispered as she reached for him and he quickly scanned her emotions and as he did he almost fell to his own knees from the intensity of what she was feeling.
Beside them Emmett had pulled Rosalie into his arms and she buried her face on his chest.
"Rose?" Emmett whispered worriedly as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Make it stop Em," Rosalie whimpered as she clutched at him and wriggled closer into his embrace.
"Stella, Stell, calm down, rein it in," Vincent gasped as he rushed over to them and he quickly pulled Stella into his lap. "Come on Stella, you're losing it."
"What is going on?" Emmett frowned, noticing the effect of whatever Stella was going through seemed to be flowing onto Rosalie, Alice and Jasper and for some reason it seemed to be turning him on. Edward also seemed frazzled and only Vincent looked like he was remaining calm.
"Stella, I know you were scared but he's dead, he can't hurt you now," Vincent sighed. "But Stell, you really have to rein it back in, your affecting everyone else."
"I'm sorry," Stella mumbled against his chest and she seemed to have an inward struggle for a moment before everyone began to feel a little better.
"What was that?" Rosalie gasped as they all got to their feet and Stella looked at them all apologetically.
"I'm sorry," she said again. "I have to work so hard to keep my gift under control. That guy attacking me scared me and I lost control of it. I didn't mean to project onto you all."
"That was pretty powerful," Emmett admitted. "Not even Jasper can project that intensely."
"It won't happen again," Stella sighed. "Please, don't tell Julian I lost it."
"We won't," Vincent assured her and looked pointedly at the Cullens and they all nodded their heads.
"Of course we won't," Rosalie agreed. "It was an accident, you didn't do it on purpose."
"Thank you," Stella smiled.
"I'm sorry to ask this but what were you projecting?" Alice asked quietly. "I would think given the situation it would have been fear or something but quite honestly, that wasn't what I was feeling."
"No, it wasn't," Stella sighed. "I don't project and feel emotions like Jasper does. It's really only one specific emotion which is why it is much more powerful that Jasper's gift. Lust."
"She can project and feel it and also manipulate it," Vincent added.
"Which is why Julian and Lisette won't allow you to use your gift?" Rosalie asked.
"Exactly," Stella smiled. "You have no idea the dramas projecting lust can cause. You saw how that guy changed from attack to amorous as soon as I projected and I wasn't even trying to manipulate him. I keep it buried and in check as much as I can."
"That certainly explains it," Edward nodded.
"I should get you back," Vincent suggested.
"We should all get back," Edward nodded and the group made their way back to the house.