Okay, folks, the plot thickens. Don't forget to drop a line at the end.

Chapter Fifteen:

Fear

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it.

The house was pristinely white, so much so that I had to squint a little at the light coming in from the windows until my eyes adjusted. Once they had, I was amazed.

The living room was beautiful, almost as beautiful as the two vampires standing in the entry way. I was surprised by how cozy it seemed, despite the intense whiteness of all the furniture, the walls, and the plushy carpet. One wall was really one giant window, the greenery outside turning what could have easily been a sterile, hospital-like feel into something that felt like more of a haven than a prison.

My eyes flickered to Edward and then to Carlisle and the gorgeous woman standing next to him. "Hello," I murmured shyly, staring at her. Her caramel hair reminded me vaguely of Edward's, and I could see how they might have passed him as a relative during one of their other stays in some middle-America town. "You must be Esme?"

She beamed. "Yes, I'm Esme and this is my husband, Carlisle."

I glanced briefly as Carlisle and he smiled encouragingly. So she really didn't know that I was seeing Carlisle routinely for therapy?

Carlisle took his wife's hand, smiling. "Bella and I met when I set her shoulder after the accident a few weeks back."

"Oh, yes, of course," Esme smiled, gesturing for us to enter further. "Don't hang around in the doorway, Bella, you'll catch cold. I'm afraid the house is slightly drafty, despite our best efforts."

Her speech sounded so… antiquated; it was endearing. Edward tugged me along, putting his free hand at the small of my back to guide me. I didn't mind the feeling of him surrounding me in such a foreign place. His presence made me feel like he could protect me from anything and I relaxed into his touch.

"I prepared some snacks, if you would like them, Bella," Esme continued. "I haven't cooked in a long time, so I hope that they are alright."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that, Esme," I began, biting my lip. "I know you guys don't eat – I wouldn't want to put you out, or anything."

Esme turned to me once we were in the kitchen, smiling down at me. "Don't be ridiculous, dear," she chided lightly. "You're with Edward now and I take care of my children."

I blushed deeply, Edward's chuckle by my ear feeding the flames on my cheeks. "But you just met me –"

"Regardless," Esme interrupted kindly, taking my free hand in hers. They were ice cold, just like Edward's. "You make Edward so happy, dear," she said, rubbing the back of my hand soothingly with her thumb. "Anyone who makes him feel this way is someone special and you are very welcome here. We may not know each other well now, but we will, dear."

Her confidence in my permanent position in Edward's life eased some of my nervousness. She pulled me to the kitchen table and ushered me into a seat, Edward trailing behind me. "Let me get those snacks."

I turned to Edward. "How did she do that?" I whispered. She knew exactly what to say to me. "Is it like, with you and Alice…?"

Edward shook his head. "Esme's like a mother to all of us. Although none of us are her natural children, she has taken that role in our lives, and us as children in hers." At my confused expression he elaborated, "She's a mother. She always knows exactly what to say to make her children feel better. That includes you, now, if you want it to."

I just shook my head wonderingly, unable to help the smile creeping up onto my face. I couldn't believe this family. Edward. They were all so… perfect. So kind.

Esme's food, of course, was perfect, even if she couldn't taste it herself. I tried to be polite, eating a few of the appetizers she set down before me and trying not to blush as Edward watched me eat. Carlisle and Esme, at least, did their best not to look directly at me, but Edward couldn't hide his fascination.

Esme asked me all sorts of questions about myself, her topaz eyes eager. Alice glided into the dining room as I was taking a sip of water, beaming.

"Hello, Bella!" she chirped, dropping a kiss to Esme's temple and pecking my cheek, sliding into a seat across from me. "I'm so excited you could make it!"

Edward snorted. "As if you didn't already know."

Alice shrugged. "The future works in mysterious ways."

A flicker of movement caught my attention, a flash of gold. I turned my head, spotting Jasper lingering in the doorway. He looked… conflicted.

"Jazz, come here," Alice called, reaching out a hand. "It's alright."

Jasper moved almost jerkily into the seat next to Alice's. "Hi Jasper," I whispered.

He smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Bella." Jasper's eyes were very dark, something I knew from Edward to associate with thirst.

"Jasper is newest to our ways," Alice filled in for me, turning to him with an affectionate gaze. "But you won't hurt her." He seemed to relax minutely.

"Where are Rosalie and Emmett?" Carlisle asked. "I thought they were with you."

"They're coming," Alice insisted. Edward threw her a dark look. "Don't shoot the messenger," Alice erupted suddenly.

My face scrunched with confusion and Esme and Jasper laughed. "What just happened?"

Edward's eyes found mine, but Esme was the one to reply. "Edward and Alice frequently forget that it is rude to have silent conversations, especially in front of guests."

Edward looked slightly bashful, but Alice just grinned at me. I heard the front door open and a bellow. Edward rolled his eyes.

As I turned in my seat, Emmett appeared. It was the closest I'd ever been to him – he towered over everyone, filling the entryway with his body. It almost seemed like he was inside a toy house; like he was just too big to be real.

"Bella," Edward said as Emmett opened his mouth, "this is Emmett."

Emmett bounded over, falling into the chair next to mine. I was almost shocked it didn't break beneath him. "Hey, Bella!" he crowed, his voice booming. I leaned sideways to crane my neck up to look at him. "Look at you! Housefull of vampires and you're already at home!"

I flushed slightly and Emmet laughed.

"Emmett," Esme chided.

"It's okay," I said, smiling. Emmett's good mood was contagious. "You're just jealous that Esme cooked for me."

Emmett barked out a laugh. "I like you," he told me, turning to Edward. "I like her. How did you send up with someone funny?" Edward scowled, but there was a smile crinkling in his eyes. Emmett's golden eyes came back to me. "Edward's a bit of a stick in the mud, usually – it's nice to know you can get him to chill out."

Edward and Emmett bantered a little more, Carlisle eventually stepping in. The whole thing was amusing to watch; I had never seen Edward so lively. I turned toward Alice, smiling, but another glint of gold caught my attention. Rosalie glowered from the doorway.

Emmett turned, "Come on, Rose, come meet Bella."

She didn't move, just stood with her arms crossed, honeyed eyes narrowed, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders. "Hi, Rosalie," I said softly, remembering how Edward had said she didn't like that he had exposed their secret to me.

Rosalie nodded curtly, then disappeared.

"She'll come around," Esme whispered to me encouragingly.

Emmett grinned ruefully at me, then disappeared after her.

"So, Bella," Alice chimed in, drawing our eyes to her. "Are you ready for baseball?"

"Edward said I'd just be watching," I said in horror.

Jasper laughed, no doubt at the expression on my face. "Don't worry, you'll have to watch. We're so much faster than you that you'd never have a chance."

I sighed in relief. "Good, I am not coordinated enough to play sports."

Esme glanced over at me. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"You didn't see what I did to Jessica Stanley," I replied at the same time as Edward chuckled and Alice said, "No, it really is that bad."

"What did you do to Jessica Stanley?" Jasper asked curiously.

I felt the heat rising to my face again. Jasper looked over at Alice and Edward, who both shook their heads.

I cleared my throat. "I might have accidentally hit her – with a badminton racket – from across the gym."

Alice's mouth pressed into a thin line as Jasper cracked up. Edward smiled at me, amused.

At least they seemed to like me. I hadn't been sure exactly what would happen when Edward said he wanted me to come over to officially meet his family, but this was better than I had hoped. Well, except for Rosalie; her stoniness was like ice sliding down my back, but no one appeared to be concerned about that. I tried to put it from my mind.

Edward spirited me off to show me the rest of the house; I was grateful for the momentary silence as we ascended the staircase at the front.

"How are you doing?" he murmured when we reached the second floor.

"Good – a little overwhelmed, but everyone is so nice."

He laughed. "Of course, they are – they love you." He led me down the hall, pointing out different doors.

I worried by lip as we passed Emmett's and Rosalie's room. "Except for Rosalie."

Edward sighed, leading me into Carlisle's study. It was stunning; there were books everywhere, paintings covering the walls, and a view of the trees that lined the front driveway.

"Rosalie has her own hang-ups," Edward explained, touring me around the room, pointing out a telescope and hourglass that looked – and were – antique. "Don't take it personally. She struggles the most with what we are."

"How did you all become vampires?" I whispered, my fingers trailing over the back of a smooth leather chair.

"Well, it all started with Carlisle," Edward said, turning me toward a painting.

The tale Edward wove was incredible; he pointed out different paintings along the wall, which must have been organized chronologically. I had a newfound respect for Carlisle, abandoned, terrified, as a newborn vampire, the subsequent years of trying to destroy himself. Edward told me about how Carlisle traveled to Italy, Morocco, Russia, and everywhere in between, and then finally out to the new world.

"He went pretty early on; there were great tales of open plains and preserved forests – the perfect place for a vegetarian vampire. He traveled, going from town to town as a doctor." His lips quirked.

"Then what happened?" I asked, turning to Edward.

Edward brought me to a painting of a more modern cityscape. There were smokestacks in the background, people walking down streets dressed in long, dark clothes.

"He came to Chicago just before the outbreak of the Spanish Flu."

I listened raptly as Edward described his early life – or, at least, what he could remember of it. "I remember loving my mother very much. Carlisle says her name was Elizabeth. I think she must have been like me, because she seemed to know what Carlisle was. She asked him to save me."

Something about what Edward had said so far had left me with a burning question. "Do you have to be dying to become a vampire?"

Edward looked conflicted for a moment. "No," he finally drawled. "That's just Carlisle's way. What we are – he wouldn't want to inflict it on anyone who had another choice."

I hummed discontentedly. It wasn't the first time Edward had indicated

He guided me fairly quickly through the addition of everyone else: first Esme, then Rosalie and, soon after, Emmett. Edward had studiously avoided any discussion of exactly how they had gone from being human to vampire. It almost seemed like he hoped I wouldn't notice. I didn't say anything, chewing on the information, although the question nagged at me.

Finally, he reached Alice and Jasper.

"So, Alice and Jasper weren't changed by Carlisle?" I clarified.

Edward shook his head. "Alice doesn't know who changed her; she woke up alone in the woods in Mississippi. Fortunately, her ability to see the future helped her avoid humans for the first few years. She saw Jasper and searched him out, knowing that Carlisle and the rest of us were out there and that we lived on animals. I don't know what would have happened to her if she didn't have her gift."

The thought of Alice, wandering alone for years, decades, unable to remember who she was, left an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

~o~

Edward took a few more minutes to show me around, before Alice insisted that we needed to leave soon. The sky was dark above us as Edward boosted me into the largest Jeep I'd ever seen, helping me strap in. "Where's everyone else?" I asked when he'd vaulted into the driver's seat. "And who's car is this?"

The engine roared to life and Edward peeled out of the driveway. "It's Emmett's," Edward replied, turning onto the highway. "Everyone is going to meet us there."

"Are they running?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "I thought maybe you would prefer to drive most of the way, rather than scaling the side of a cliff."

"Thank god for that," I muttered. "Wait, most of the way?"

Edward's smirk made me want to hit him. "We'll have to run the rest of the way. No roads."

I sighed, leaning back in the seat as Edward turned off the highway, slowing slightly as we jostled down an unpaved road. "Should I have brought an umbrella or something?" I said, yelping slightly as we hit a large bump.

"It's going to rain in town, but miss us entirely," he answered, taking a sharp turn.

Too soon – or not soon enough, I wasn't sure – Edward braked, reaching over and helping me unbuckle. He was by my door in an instant, his hands on my hips as he lowered me down. He held me like that for a moment, my body thrumming at his proximity, and then gently kissed me before helping me onto his back.

I was glad for my jacket as he took off through the trees, my arms and legs wrapped tightly around him. It seemed much colder than it should be, and I wondered how far into the woods we had traveled.

When we stopped, I almost fell from his back, Edward pulling me around him and into his arms at the last moment. Emmett's laugh boomed in the distance and I looked around, breathing hard.

We were in an enormous field surrounded by trees and backed by mountains on one side. I saw Alice, Jasper, and Emmett spread out at distances that seemed to large for a baseball diamond, but oriented in such a way to Carlisle, Rosalie, and Esme, clustered just a few yards from us, that they must be setting up bases.

I saw a streak of white and black, and then Alice was in front of me, wearing a baseball cap over her short, dark hair. It took me a moment to process that she'd just appeared feet away, when the last I saw her, she was at least fifty yards out. She looped her arm through mine, tugging me away from Edward and toward Carlisle. I tripped twice over the uneven ground and she caught me both times, shaking her head.

Carlisle split them up into teams, Esme coming to stand by me. There was some bickering, and Esme sighed as they finally started taking their places. "Remember," she called, eyeing Edward and Alice. "No cheating."

"How do you cheat at baseball?" I asked her when we had moved to stand off to the side.

"You mean, how do Edward and Alice cheat?" called Emmett as he got ready to bat.

Edward called from a position that could only be the outfield. "I do not cheat!"

Emmett and Jasper snorted. Alice called from the center of the field, "It's time!" I jumped as thunder cracked in the distance.

Esme leaned down, whispering, "Alice can see the outcome of a bat just before it happens – so Edward has an advantage, given his gift."

"Why not just put them on different teams, so they can't work together?" I asked, bemused.

"That would be the logical answer," Esme laughed. "But you saw them –"

The rest of her sentence was cut off as Alice swung an arm back, snapping it forward at an inhuman speed, and Emmett struck the ball with a near deafening bang. He moved so quickly that I could barely follow him but for a white blur across the field. The need for a thunderstorm became even more apparent as Edward took off after him, Carlisle emerging from the trees to whip the ball to him. I gasped as Edward and Emmett collided somewhere near the middle of the field with a sound like cannon fire, a momentary tangle of limbs before righting themselves.

"Holy shit." I slapped a hand to my mouth and glanced apologetically at Esme, who just laughed. "Sorry."

I watched, enthralled, as the game went on. Rosalie accused Edward and Alice of cheating when Edward took off running just as Rosalie hit the ball, tagging her out. I couldn't help but laugh as Esme told them off and let Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett all take a walk. Emmett teased Edward loudly, taking his sweet time to round the bases, until Esme directed him to hurry up.

"You got it, Esme," Emmett boomed, appearing at home base a second later.

They switched places and I marveled at how Alice, the smallest of them all, gracefully bunted the ball at the last second, dropping the bat and zipping to first base before anyone could rush in to tag her. It continued like this, the thunder cracking in the background, mingling with the sounds of their game.

"I wish human sports were like this," I murmured to Esme, fascinated.

Alice stumbled, freezing. I was so surprised – I'd never seen Alice so much a slip, I was under the impression that vampires did not trip – that at first, I didn't realize Edward and the others had halted too. In an instant, Edward was next to me, his eyes wide and worried.

"What is it?" Esme asked before I could.

"Visitors."

Inexplicably, a chill crept up my spine. Something about the look on Edward's face struck a chord of panic that I didn't understand. He growled, frustrated, turning to Alice.

"What do we do?" Carlisle materialized next to Esme, soon followed by the others. Alice was still gazing off into the distance, Jasper's hand on her arm.

I worried my lip, waiting with bated breath for Alice to say something.

Finally, after long seconds, Alice straightened. "They heard us playing – they are coming to join. They didn't know we were in the area." She paused, eyes flitting to me, stricken. "I'm so sorry, Bella, they just decided to come our way, they were supposed to leave."

Alice looked to Edward. "No, you won't make it."

"We can't stay here," Edward growled.

"How many are there?" Emmett asked, glancing between them.

"Three," replied Alice, gazing distantly again.

"That's all!" Emmett laughed. "Who cares if they see Bella? They can't do anything."

Edward didn't look so easily mollified, and neither did Carlisle.

"If they realize she's here," Alice said slowly, "they will attack."

Rosalie sniffed haughtily. "They're better off running. I could smell her across the field." Edward glared at her, but she just shrugged. "What? It's true."

Edward snatched Alice's baseball cap, pulling it onto my head.

"That's not going to disguise her," Rosalie sneered.

"It will if we're careful – if we're lucky," Edward retorted. Alice gave them further directives, instructing them to keep playing as we waited for the newcomers to get closer. Edward stayed by my side and I noticed that not even Emmett hit the ball as hard as I knew he could, careful to direct it toward Carlisle or one of the others in the field.

A few tense minutes passed. My heart thudded in my chest, anxiety twisting my stomach.

Alice signaled them, speaking quietly as she came to stand by my side. "Keep your head down, Bella, try to stay as still as possible. You're just pale enough that they might not notice you're human, as long as they don't get a good look at your face."

Edward shifted slightly in front of me, Alice and Jasper clustering with us and Esme joining. Emmett loomed near Carlisle and Rosalie. I didn't think it was a coincidence that he was near the front; he looked the most intimidating by far.

I stood by Edward's side, my eyes downcast, as we waited for the vampires to approach. I desperately wanted to hug myself into his side, but instead I settled on holding his hand, tucked next to him. If he were human, I would have probably crushed his fingers by now.

I didn't dare look up, hoping that the baseball cap would be enough to hide my humanity, like Alice had claimed it might be. It seemed like a long shot, but she insisted that as long as we kept the encounter short and I didn't draw attention to myself, I'd be fine. The vampires would move on.

I trained my eyes on Jasper's shoes a few feet in front of me, which were muddied but otherwise perfectly intact. I held my breath, only breathing in small, short bursts as anxiety tightened in my chest.

Edward stiffened and squeezed my hand, and I knew that he could hear them. It was only a matter of time before they arrived in the clearing. I silently prayed to whatever god was out there that we'd escape this.

I could almost sense when they entered the clearing, although I couldn't hear them. Jasper's legs straightened and then bent at the knee slightly, preparing for an attack. A few seconds passed, and then a smooth, deep voice spoke. The French accent muddled the words slightly, but just like all vampire voices, this one was enchanting and silky smooth.

"Hello, I hope we are not interrupting anything?" I worked hard to keep my head tilted down, willing my heart to stop beating a tattoo against my ribs.

Carlisle's voice was strong, but wary. "No, we were just playing a game of baseball."

The deep voice chuckled. "We did not realize there were others of our kind here. Do you claim this territory?"

It was all so calm, but I could feel the tension in the air, in the set of Edward's shoulders and position of Jasper's feet. "Yes, we maintain a permanent residence in the area. Your hunting activities have actually been causing us a few problems."

"Oh," the voice responded, sounding surprised. "We apologize. We do not want to start any trouble."

It was beginning to sound a bit like a dance, this back and forth. I tried to hold as still as possible, eyes on the colored label on the back of Jasper's heels and head bent, Edward's grip on my hand helping to ground me and ease my anxiety.

Carlisle didn't respond immediately, and I heard the deep French voice again. "We would be interested in learning how you maintain such a… residence." The word seemed foreign to him.

"We would be happy to discuss it with you." I thought I knew Carlisle's voice well enough to recognize the tint of anything but pleasure. "But we will have to ask that you do not hunt in the area."

The Frenchman seemed to be waiting for something, searching for information that Carlisle wouldn't volunteer. I didn't dare look up to see the expression on Carlisle's face that was giving the Frenchman pause. "Ah, yes, well, we will refrain from hunting while we are here. May I ask your names?"

Edward bristled next to me, but Carlisle spoke slowly, cautiously polite. "I am Carlisle," he began, "This is my wife, Esme." I couldn't tell if he gestured to her or not. "And these are our children, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper," he listed; he was grouping us oddly, not based on how we were standing, as if purposefully trying to confuse who each of us was. "And Alice, Isabella, and Edward."

I didn't miss how he slipped me in, bracketing me between Alice and Edward, using Edward's name to distract from mine, nor how he used my full name. It was incongruous, and combined with Edward's tense posture, told me that something was really, really wrong.

"Such a large… family," the Frenchman said slowly, like he was tasting the word on his tongue. "I am Laurent," he responded politely, "and these are Victoria and James."

I felt my face blanche at the same time that Edward's hand gripped mine tightly. No, it had to be a coincidence; the name was so common. He wasn't here.

My gaze flickered up from Jasper's shoes for the first time since we had begun waiting for these strange vampires' arrival. I could see the bare feet of three people not too far away from us.

Alice's shoulder blocked my view of much of their bodies, and my gaze skipped up, landing on the olive-toned man at the forefront of the small group, apparently the one who had been talking to Carlisle. A woman with shockingly red hair and a cat-like face stood behind him and to her left –

I felt the air whoosh out of me like someone had just punched me in the gut.

The man there looked different from how I remembered; his face was paler and more angular, his eyes a disturbing burgundy rather than the flat darkness that I had become accustomed to. His brown hair was windblown, framing his face as his gaze cut over me, to Edward, and then back again. Jasper tensed and his eyes slid past us almost lazily, over to Emmett hulking by Carlisle. He would have been beautiful, like they all were, except for the fact that I knew who he was.

James.

He was here. He had come back for me.