Chapter 18.

Authors note:

I am so sorry for the late late late update guys! Everything has been crazy between classes and the pandemic- I just couldn't find the motivation to write, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter and thank you so much for your continued support on this story! Please keep commenting, I love to read them!

Edward's pov:

He watched with a heavy heart as his love stumbled over her words, uncomfortable even as she made her exit from the room. He knew this was all a heavy burden to carry, but he so longed to help her with it- if only she'd let him.

'Why is she always so stubborn and independent?'

He knew Morticia Addams was not like the ladies from his own time. If he had met her then, he surely would have proposed right then and there- as if Cupid himself sent one of his famous arrows. Where other girls he knew preferred to be the stereotypical and depend on a man, his love was much different. Morticia held herself with such poise and grace, yet in a time of crisis he saw the fierce warrior she could become.

That's why watching her now, so meek and timid…it made his undead heart hurt. Instinctively he took a step forward as if to follow her, but a quick look from Alice made him stop short.

'Don't chase after her…she needs this time to herself, besides…I think Carlisle can help.' Alice's bright voice in his head held her usual underlying mischievous tone he had learned not to question.

But why Carlisle? What could he possibly do for her in a time like this? He felt the unnecessary jealousy build up inside him but it was quickly quelled with one glance from Jasper. He nodded his thanks and before he could voice his concern, Jacob surprisingly beat him to it.

"Somebody needs to go after her! She's in distress, she shouldn't be running around the woods alone?!" The concern in the boy's voice made a tingle of jealous ire run down his spine as he quickly ran through the wolf's thoughts.

He saw visions of the two playing as children and confiding in one another- naturally, the boy developed a small crush but nothing more than childhood folly, thankfully. Still, the feelings he associated with her made Edward want to grab the nearest piece of Esme's furniture and pulverize it.

A growl emanated from his throat and brought the attention solely on him. Jacob turned his scowl towards the vampire and took a step forward as if to challenge him.

'this boy really has no idea who he is dealing with,' Emmett's thoughts admittedly inflated his ego slightly but a comment from Rosalie deflated it just as quickly.

"Instead of wasting time and energy on the inevitable pissing contest between those two, shouldn't we be getting on with the rest of the story? We can give Morticia 15 minutes to herself at least. She's a big girl, I think she'll be fine without her body guards for that long."

Rosalie rolled her eyes as she finished and draped herself on the nearest chaise with ethereal grace.

Her comment made Edward pause as he realized how…immature he was being. Starting a fight with another boy, just because he showed concern over Morticia? That wasn't who he was…. If it could, his face would be burning with shame as he quickly moved away- settling himself closest to the windows and away from everybody else.

Fauna stepped closer into the room and coughed slightly, "There's no need to worry about Morticia, darlings. She'll be fine. In fact, young Caleb here knows exactly where she's heading and would gladly give up said location….." She turned a withering gaze at the young teen who visibly cringed backward.

"Are you trying to get me killed?... yeah, no thanks, I choose life!" Caleb cried dramatically as he threw himself back into Seth's arms. Seth jokingly pushed Caleb behind himself and puffed out his chest to make himself look taller.

The banter worked as everyone present, Rosalie included, let out a soft chuckle at the display. Although it appeared as if the Fae was not going to be giving up anytime soon because she still looked at Caleb expectantly.

Caleb sighed and moved from behind Seth, "look, I was sworn to secrecy about her hiding spot, like took a blood oath and everything! So if I tell you…. then I've broken my word and dad says that you're only as good as your word."

Edward silently commended the boy for his loyalty and integrity, even if it annoyed him slightly. He easily could have gotten the location from his thoughts, but he knew that would cause even more problems, so he refrained.

Thankfully, Carlisle had a much better solution. "Perhaps there is a way we can get Caleb to reveal this mysterious place without damaging his credibility… what if," he paused as he bent to grab some stationery off the unused coffee table, "you were to say…write it on a piece of paper and one of us was just curious enough to read said paper. That way you never 'officially' told anybody of its location?"

The others stared at Carlisle in shock. Who knew that their resolved coven leader had such an affinity for loopholes? Edward hadn't seen his creator this happy and carefree since he found Esme again.

Carlisle gave his children an unimpressed look, "What? I do know how to get around rules every now and then, I guess I've been spending too much time with Emmett." He chuckled as Esme lightly hit his chest in reprimand.

The other Cullen children laughed as Emmett called out, "He's not wrong. I am the sneakiest of all of us."

Jasper rolled his eyes, "You are as sneaky as a damn tornado, anybody could see you comin' from a mile away!"

The banter easily could have gone on forever with his family but thankfully Fauna decided to intervene.

"Alright, I'm sure we can finish this riveting conversation later, but right now we have some history to discuss. Morticia entrusted me to tell her story and I think it's time that everyone present learn of the entire truth- not just the bits and pieces some of you may have heard."

Bella looked confused, "Um, should I be here? I mean, I don't see how this involves me.."

"Finally, the first intelligent thing she's said all day," Rosalie grumbled under her breath and I saw a flash of resentment towards the tiny human girl. It wasn't resentment towards her humanity as he would have expected, but he could see a worry for Morticia?... Rosalie…was worried….for Morticia?

As if hearing his train of thoughts, Rosalie turned a scowl in his direction. 'If this human causes problems for us as she did in those stupid books, or if she hurts Morticia….' She didn't have to finish her threat; the underlying meaning was there.

Fauna turned to the Swan girl and nodded her head, "This impacts you as well, Bella. You are a part of this world now, even if you don't realize it yet." She shot a look at Paul behind Bella's chair but decided not to comment.

The brunette fae took a breath to settle herself before she started, "our story begins with a nation on the verge of war. My home, Valeria. We were so happy, everyone was singing and there was never a sullen day in my memory. Then everything changed when the cold ones attacked. The first time they attacked our people, they decimated the land and took the lives of many of my brothers and sisters. This angered King Stefan who decreed that any and all cold ones be imprisoned or worse. What he didn't know was that his own daughter fell in love with a mysterious painter who had come into town on a passing fancy. His name was Vladimir Draconus and he fell in love with the crown princess Athenodor of Valeria.

It was love at first sight for the two of them and soon they had plans to get engaged. A spy for her father gave him word of where his daughter was disappearing every night and he sent his guards to kill the creature who he believed to have bewitched Athenodora, but what he didn't know was that I alerted Aurora of her father's plan and helped her and Vladimir escape into the night. A few months later, in the middle of an escalating war, Athenodora and Vladimir welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, Morticia Rose future Queen of Valeria.

They both knew that if their baby girl had any chance of surviving then they had to send her away. I was Athenadora's hand maiden at the time so I was entrusted with the secret and helped them perform the spell that would bring Morticia to a safe place. What none of us knew was that she was meant to be in this universe and find her soulmate," Fauna paused to give Edward a knowing look before she turned back to Bella.

"I know this may seem crazy, love. But I think you need to understand just how much Morticia plays into your life as well. You see she knew everything about you before she even came here. Your entire story was written in a novel written by a woman named Stephenie Meyer and it was called the 'Twilight Saga.' It told the story of a young woman named Bella Swan who came to live with her father in Forks and who falls in love with a vampire named Edward and then becomes in a love triangle with Jacob as well. This spans over four novels but has gained a massive fan following."

She paused slightly to gauge Bella's reaction and the girl was quite frankly gob smacked. She turned her gaze to Edward and the wolf, Paul, let out a mixture of a whimper and a groan. He could tell from Paul's thoughts that the boy had 'imprinted' on the Swan girl. He thought imprinting in animals couldn't possibly be translate to humans but there was the rare occasion he was wrong.

From Paul's thoughts, he easily see how the imprint had completely taken over the boy's mind. Paul seemingly was what one would call a 'playboy' but that line of thought ceased the moment he laid eyes on Bella. It was so entertaining that he was quite irritated to learn that he was still unable to read the Swan girl's thoughts.

Her eyes were easier to read at least. They held obvious confusion but whenever her eyes landed on his own, he could swear he saw an interest there, but it flickered as soon as her eyes shot to Paul's. He hoped Fauna's story wouldn't lead the Swan girl to take an interest in him, He rather disliked the idea of hurting any lady's feelings, especially one whom Morticia went to such long lengths to protect.

Bella started everyone when she said, "but why did she save me tonight? If she already knew how things would play out she could've let me die and then you wouldn't have anybody curious about what you are?"

Once again Rosalie opened her mouth, more than likely to explain just how much she wanted that outcome, but one stern look from Esme made her reconsider.

"Bella, dear. Even though Morticia knew what would happen last night, I'm sure she would never intentionally let anything happen to you…that's not who she is," Esme told the girl with a sincere voice but was rudely interrupted by Paul, "Yeah but she'll steal another girl's soulmate, oh no- she's a totally nice person."

Edward could tell his anger wasn't directed at Morticia but at him. He thought that Bella may still be interested in him and the thought nearly made him phase. But the idea that he would disrespect a woman who wasn't here to defend herself made his nonexistent blood boil.

"Enough!" Edward growled at Paul and caused everyone in the room to jump at the sheer force of it. "Morticia did not 'steal' me away. I knew from the moment Bella walked into our biology class that first day that we weren't meant to be. Her blood doesn't appeal to me at all, nothing like Morticia's does."

The Swan girl looked slightly offended and Paul scoffed, "Oh, so you want to snack on your girlfriend that's a great way to start a relationship!"

Edward smirked and let a little of his teenage mischief twinkle in his eyes, "At least I didn't imprint on her like a….dog, hmm Paul? Care to comment," suffice to say Paul shut his mouth after that comment and Bella looked up at the Quileute boy in confusion.

His father shot him a disapproving look but he ignored it, If Paul was going to question his relationship then he was going to receive the same. It was immature he knew- but he always acted that way when it came to Morticia.

Before anything else could be said, Fauna jumped back into the conversation, "May I please continue?" When nobody else made a further comment, she continued, "Thank you. Now as you all know I am Morticia's protector for as long as she'll have me and I need you all to help me with my charge. This war is nowhere near over. Your Volturi is sure to get wind of her and if that happens…they will surely want to kill her."

Carlisle jumped in, his voice full of confusion, "What does the Volturi have to do with this? Surely Aro didn't have anything to do with the massacre."

Fauna frowned before continuing, "Aro Volturi was the one who gave the order to attack the Valerians first, I remember seeing him in his full battle armor- smiling as he ripped my friends apart. So, yes Carlisle- I'm sure it was him. Your dear friend has such an obsession with collecting beings of power that he planned to enslave the entire population and when our king refused to crumble, he slaughtered countless innocents."

There was an uncomfortable silence that settled over the room as everyone took in what she had just said. "So, Morticia has to hide for the rest of her life?" Alice asked in a meek voice as she held Jasper's hand- if her tear ducts were working he knew she would be sobbing.

"not specifically hiding. Aro does have…others who can seek out those with a special ability but if Morticia keeps her abilities tapered then there shouldn't be any cause for speculation from Aro." Carlisle said thoughtfully as he wrung his hands in contemplation.

The idea of his love having to taper anything about herself made him look at his father incredulously! He couldn't be serious, could he?! Jasper shared his thoughts, "Carlisle! You can't be asking that of her! She's just found out who she is and you want her to suppress her natural instincts?"

His father had the sense to look ashamed, "Yes I see how horrible that is of me to ask, but I fail to see any other options."

Esme put her hand on his arm, "Let us figure that out when the time comes, for now we need to worry about Morticia and her well-being. She seemed very upset when she ran off like that."

"Someone should go after her. Knowing Tisha she probably forgot to grab a coat and she always gets cold even in the summer heat." Caleb smiled in remembrance and from his thoughts, Edward knew he was conflicted about hearing the truth behind his "cousin's" past.

Carlisle rose and stepped closer to Caleb, "Caleb is right, I think it's time to gather our missing guest. I won't be gone long, if you'll excuse me." Caleb slipped a small piece of paper into Carlisle's hand just as they bumped shoulders and in a blink- Carlisle had disappeared.

The others dissolved into mindless conversation, the wolves amongst themselves and the rest of his family the same. Caleb and Bella somehow maneuvered themselves together and began to converse.

"Don't you think this is like..kinda crazy? I mean your cousin is supposedly some weird hybrid vampire and yet she isn't even really your cousin?" She asked as she shot worried glances around the room- as if she didn't understand the concept of supernatural hearing.

"You know, I honestly wasn't that surprised. I mean yeah it sucks that we aren't actually blood related but I've known Morticia my entire life and even if those memories were put in place by some fairy, I always knew she was different from everyone else- even as a kid." His voice held much melancholy and nostalgia that Edward didn't need to use his power to see that the boy was reliving his most precious memories.

"Also, the fact that I'm dating a literal wolf makes everything else's shock factor seem insignificant in comparison." Caleb winked at the girl who blushed a deep crimson.

"Um- y-yeah about that. You and Seth seem like…I don't know, like kindred spirits. If soulmates were a picture, I'm sure you guys would be on a billboard somewhere. Why is that exactly? Is it a wolf thing or?..."

Caleb chuckled and looked in the direction of his imprint, "You could say that it's partially a wolf thing, but Seth and I have known each other for years. We basically grew up together, but thankfully we never saw each other as brothers. It wasn't until recently we decided to give things a try and when I found out about imp-, um actually you know that is something I shouldn't say anything about. Um it looks like Seth needs me over there, sorry!" The boy quickly ran off before he could blurt out anything else to the girl and Bella looked after him in confusion.

From Edward's view point he could see how Paul was clenching his muscles tightly as if physically forcing himself not to move towards Bella Swan. 'That fucking kid nearly blew everything.' His thoughts were much too easy to read as his mental guard was as flimsy as his temper. He wondered how the Swan girl would react to such a development, but that wasn't his problem. Interestingly enough, Paul wasn't the only one having issues with imprinting, Jacob was currently trying to get himself out of the doghouse it seemed with Fauna.

"Can you please just listen to me?" Jacob pleaded as he followed Fauna around the kitchen. The brunette was currently pulling out multiple pans and dishes from Esme's cabinets.

"I can't guarantee that I'll listen to anything you have to say Jacob Black, I'm much too busy thinking about myself and not worrying about my charge- so it seems." Her voice held much spite and Jacob visibly flinched at her tone.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean it like that, honestly." He tried to give her significant puppy dog eyes but Fauna refused to look his way.

"that's the thing with you human boys, you always seem to say the wrong things don't you. You all can't keep a level headed thought even if it killed you. Where I come from the men aren't afraid to show vulnerability with the women they love or admire." She finished her rant, mumbling to herself as she gathered ingredients for…brownies? Yes, brownies.

"Well then I'm lucky that I'm not entirely human, then am I?" Jacob smirked, thinking he'd gotten a leg up in the argument.

Fauna paused as she laid the eggs onto the counter next to the Cocoa powder. "No, you're an oversized mutt, which is even worse in my opinion because now I'll have to house train you if I want to keep you. Now leave me alone, I need to finish this so they'll cool once Morticia arrives and I prefer my food without dog hair." With that remark, she turned back to her cooking, leaving the boy gob smacked where he stood in the middle of the kitchen.

Next to where Edward was standing, Rosalie began howling with laughter after hearing the brunette's response. He had to admit, the tiny fae did have quite the fire in her- one that he doubted Jacob Black knew how to handle.

The next few minutes went by fairly quickly and soon enough Alice was getting everyone's attention by calling out, "They'll be here in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. She even convinced Carlisle to use his native accent at work for the next few weeks as a social experiment!"

Edward smiled at the thought and moved to greet his love at the door. The rest of the chatter behind him became nothing more than background noise as he heard his love's melodious voice from the back yard.

"You cannot be serious, Carlisle! You did not swim the English Chanel just to win a bet!"

Carlisle's laughter and the face of Morticia in his thoughts made Edward's heart lurch. She looked so carefree and happy, it made him happy by association.

As soon as they entered the room, Morticia's laughter instantly stopped as she looked around the room. Her eyes immediately went to Bella Swan and Edward knew she was dreading the girl's response. He moved to go to her side but she sent him a look that made him stop short. He tried not to take offense to it and his eyes traveled to the ground but he sharply looked up when he heard a thought- one he never thought he'd get a chance to enjoy.

'Please don't be angry with me, Loverboy. I just don't know if she's pissed off and I'd rather not get into a cat fight tonight.'

His eyes shot up to find Morticia's but she was deep into a staring contest with Bella swan. The two continued to stare at one another for a few moments before Bella broke the silence.

"…Did I really wear a long khaki skirt to meet the Cullens for the first time?" Her timid voice was overshadowed by Morticia's relieved laughter.

"Yes, yes you did and everybody thought it was horrendous when the books came out and they were still talking about it in my time." Morticia fake shuddered at the thought and Alice nodded her agreement.

Bella chuckled and gave the two girls a small smile, "Well, I guess I'm gonna need some guidance in the fashion department then because we can't let that happen. I may not be fashion oriented, but I'm not opposed to some help…"

Alice and Morticia looked at each other with knowing smiles and answered Bella with a resounding, "Yes, absolutely!"

Bella and Morticia shared a chuckled and it seemed as if any bad blood had been expelled between them, his love sent him a beaming smile- which he returned.

There was a moment of pure glee before Morticia clapped her hands and spun around the room, calling the attention of everyone present.

"Well since we've established I am biologically a freak of nature, what's to stop me from fully embracing this new-found identity?"

Fauna chuckled at Morticia's antics, "Morticia , dear. You are not a freak by any means, the rest of the world just hasn't caught up to your creative vision yet."

Morticia rolled her eyes and scoffed, "If I were to really act like myself, this town would burn me at the stake." It was as if a lightbulb went off above her head and she froze slightly. Morticia turned to the others and a Cheshire grin slowly spread out over her face.

"I think it's high time this small minded town got some….new inspiration," She reached out to grab one of Fauna's brownies off the table. "Besides, I am a hybrid- so why not have twice the fun?" Morticia took a bite out of the brownie as she spoke and moaned in gratification, "Damn these brownies are amazing! How did you know chocolate was my favorite?!"

"Oh, dear that was your mother's recipe from when she was pregnant, she practically ate chocolate on everything!" Fauna chuckled as she watched the girl.

Everyone settled into a calm silence before Bella spoke up timidly, "So…what are you going to do?"

Morticia's mouth twisted into an alarming smirk- reminiscent of a cartoon villain and she chuckled darkly, "Oh Bella. You'll just have to wait and see, but I can tell you this… I have a feeling a lot of people will be rushing for their holy water once they see me…"

The other Cullens chuckled as Morticia began formulating her plan. Tomorrow she would finally show the town of Forks just who Morticia Addams truly was- a fierce and unshaken woman who could handle anything they threw at her.

Morticia POV:

Sure her entire life was a carefully crafted ruse to protect her hidden identity…. that doesn't mean a girl can't look drop dead gorgeous as the rest of her life falls to ruin. If there was anything Morticia's "adoptive" mother taught her it was- if you think the day will be dull, at least you can control how you look and approach it. In other words, plan every outfit like it may be your last and make every day count as if tomorrow would never come.

Thinking of her other family made Morticia wonder what her birth parents were like. Would they be happy with who she grew up to be? What life had they planned for her had Aro not tried to destroy them?

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the wolves muttering to Carlisle that they needed to head back to the reservation to begin their rounds. She looked up at the others while mindlessly pinching off another bite of the heavenly brownie and tried not to think of how many calories she was putting into her mouth.

'Don't think of it Morticia. Just enjoy yourself for once and go for a run later.' She knew her line of thought would get her into some trouble with Jasper- but a run did sound like a great idea at the moment, it would really clear her head. She knew most people would be having a panic attack right now- so judging by her own standards she was doing quite well. Again, there was always tomorrow for the shock to set in.

As the others said their menial goodbyes Seth and Caleb made their way over to her, hands entwined, and Caleb shyly began, "so uh. I know things might be totally awkward right now with all this…stuff. But I just want you to know, magic or not- dad and I are still your family and we're here for you if you need us." He smirked slightly before he continued, "and you didn't hear this from me but dad is having some serious abandonment issues since you've been spending so much time at your boyfriends."

Morticia's eyes widened as he finished with, "No joke I saw him sigh as he passed your bedroom door this morning." With a wink and a wave, both him and Seth made their departure and left her to her thoughts.

'oh god what was she going to tell Tony?! How could she explain this….again?' it seemed as if every single scenario played out in her head, ranging anywhere from him locking her up in an asylum to Edward being shot on the front lawn….

Slowly she made her way to the kitchen and set the remainder of her brownie on a napkin. As she starred out the back window in thought, Jasper's southern drawl made her jump slightly when he spoke, "I really hope you aren't gonna waste that good brownie right there. We talked about this you know."

Morticia turned and gave him a weak smile. "I know Jaz, but I'm not really in a brownie mood anymore I guess."

The southern vampire came to stand beside her at the counter and gave her a worried look, "Is this about what Fauna said about your mother or is it because of your body dysmorphia. Both of which are completely normal- but as your therapist id like clarification, ma'am"

The way he emphasized 'ma'am' made her chuckle slightly before she sighed heavily, "would you believe me if I said it was neither."

Jasper's silence was answer enough, "Yeah I don't believe me either….I guess it's a combination of both. My mom and the whole mental thing. A part of me wants to enjoy myself, but…"

"But you are wondering why you get to enjoy yourself when everybody else doesn't. Morticia survivors guilt is very common in cases like this, even if you never met your mother- you feel responsible for what happened."

Morticia scoffed and turned to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. Slamming the door a little too roughly she let out a humorless chuckle.

"Not only is this my fault Jasper, but had I not been born my mother might still be alive right now! How can I live happily knowing I am the reason she isn't here? I never even knew her but yet…." She paused to take a sip of water and shook her head.

"Jasper I'm not sure if all the therapy in the world could fix me right now and I'm sure they would write books on me if they could," her voice cracked as she felt tears pinching her eyes.

The blonde vampire moved to take her into an embrace and her breath caught. "Well isn't it lucky we have an eternity to try, little sister? I know this isn't easy for you and as cliché as it is we are here for you- literally day and night. You aren't alone in this. I know you may think you have to have this all figured out in your head but its ok to not know what to do next, that's why you have us."

Morticia slowly hugged him back and succumbed to her tears. It felt good to finally just let everything go. Her entire world had fucking summersaulted and now she had no idea where to go next.

The two stood like that for a bit until Jasper pulled back and gave her a gentle smile. "Now I'm gonna get my hide outta here before Edward comes in here and kicks my ass for makin' you cry." He reached up and wiped away a few of her tears, "now I think you need to call it a night" taking a look at the discarded brownie he continued, "don't make me send some exhaustion your way. I better not hear of you goin on any runs tonight all over that tiny brownie. You need the sleep more."

Morticia rolled her eyes and laughed, "I'll be sure to be in bed by 10 dad, thanks."

Jasper laughed along with her and made his way out the door, but not before calling out over his shoulder "I mean it, small fry- not even a brisk walk."

She sat there for a minute, talking everything in. This was her life now. Jasper was her personal therapist, she was dating Edward Cullen, and her parents are mythical creatures.

It wasn't long before she felt another presence enter the kitchen. Without turning around she called, "I wondered when you would come find me."

Edward chuckled and moved beside her, his hand immediately moving to the center of her back as if to center himself. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'll always find you. No matter where you go."

"I won't even comment on how creepy that sounds." She laughed as he pressed his icy lips to her temple. "Creepy but…still romantic somehow." She murmured, looking into his eyes that burned a deep onyx.

"How long has it been since you hunted?" She asked as she reached her hand up to cup his jaw.

He breathed in deeply, "longer than I'd like but for some reason I can't seem to drag myself away long enough. I worry if I leave you too long you'll get into more trouble."

She laughed as he ran his fingers mindlessly through her dark locks, "trouble or not, " she said as she took her hand, "you need to feed…and Tony needs some bonding time with me. I have been neglecting him lately, and Caleb but he has Seth to keep him company."

Edward looked as if he would object so she quickly cut him off with a kiss, "listen this is not up for debate, handsome. You need to hunt so tonight no hot and heavy with me. Instead you will spend some time with your family and I will with mine."

"How can you expect me to catch any prey when I'm worried about you the entire time… being away from you keeps getting harder and harder." He groaned and put his nose to her throat, nuzzling it slightly.

"Then you will just have to catch as many as you can so you can come find me the next morning. I promise if you finish before sunrise you can stay the night in my room, how is that? I'll leave the window unlocked." She smiled as he gave her complete puppy dog eyes and called over her shoulder, "hey Emmett. Make sure your brother gets enough to eat will you?!

She took a step back and drug him with her by his hand. "I need to go, handsome. Now stop pouting and give me a proper good by please."

His arms quickly wound around her ,"no. Never goodbyes."

She returned his embrace and gently traced designs into his shoulder. "Until later then," she whispered as she placed one last kiss to his temple before moving away and towards the door. The others were already waiting there, trying to act as if they hadn't been listening.

"Alright. I think this evening has been way too eventful so if you don't mind I'd like to get some rest before the next bombshell decides to drop." She turned back to Edward with a mock glare. "The next time I see you it better be with those pretty amber eyes of yours." She sent him a wink before turning back to the others.

Emmett threw something her way and thankfully she caught it with ease. To her surprise, it was her keys. At her confused look he explained, "Seth brought Caleb here but Rosalie thought you might need to have your car checked so she went to get it for you."

Morticia turned to the blonde vampiress with a raised brow," was it the car needed checked of you really wanted to get your hands on it?"

Rosalie laughed, "What can I say? I'm a sucker for the early 1900 models."

Morticia laughed and turned her keys over in her hands, looking at Fauna she smiled. "Look I'm sure this will all sink in tomorrow but I wanted to say thank you for all that you did for my mom."

Fauna's eyes got misty, "It was no bother, love. Athenodora was one of my best friends and getting to ensure her daughter's safety is more than I could ask for."

Call it the spur of the moment but Morticia quickly wrapped the older fae in a hug. The older fae was slightly startled but slowly relaxed into her embrace. They both pulled back and were equally flustered.

"Alright I need to head out of here before I get a craving to wear pink or worse- the way this day is going." Alice looked way too excited at the prospect. Morticia decided to finally make her exit and made her way to the door as she threw one last wave over her shoulder. "See you all tomorrow if I don't spontaneously combust before then!"

She knew that comment was eating Edward up inside but she couldn't miss that opportunity.

'come on handsome, I've survived 20 years without you in my life, I think I can handle less than 24 hours.'

It felt good to be back behind the wheel of her own vehicle again, cruising down the streets of Forks as if everything was somewhat normal.

But as we should know by now- nothing stays normal in Forks for very long. Oh how she wished for just one normal day…. But tell that to the creepy dude standing in the middle of the fucking road.

Morticia quickly gasped and tried to swerve around them but too late. Whoever it was flipped up over the hood of her car and caused her to spin out of control, crashing head first into a a large tree on the side of the road.

Her head crashed into the steering wheel and pain immediately radiated along her skull. She tried to focus her eyes to see if the person she hit was hurt as well but her eyes were angrily swimming.

When she finally was able to focus her vision, she really wished she hadn't. The figure lay prone on the asphalt, legs and limbs at different angles. Her headlights were perfectly into place that they shone right on the poor person- as if giving them a spotlight.

'oh god I've killed them! I killed someone.' She began to panic and tried to get her seatbelt unlatched but it was no use, something must have been locking it into place.

When she looked back up at the figure, she was horrified. It began to make jerky movements…as if it were putting itself back together.

"Holy shit." She whispered as she continued to fight with her seatbelt. She needed to get out of here, NOW. Hell with the car, she was maximum five minutes from the nearest house- hopefully she could make it.

The figure by now had rose to its feet and turned towards her car. "Oh fuck fuck fuck. Please don't" She whimpered as tears began to well up in her eyes. Why did this shit happen to her?! And now of all times?! Oh god and she was going to die a virgin…..son of a bitch.

Her thoughts shifted to Edward, oh Edward. If she died he would go insane. Please don't take me from him, not now- not when we just found each other. And Alice will be beside herself.

The figure was almost at her car when she began to scream hysterically. "PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE ANYBODY.!"

"nobody is coming princessa…." A deep voice called by her window. Her head whipped around and she was met with bright red eyes and blinding teeth. "W-who the fuck are you?!" He didn't sound like a character she recognized and it was far too dark to make out any discernible features.

The figure chuckled darkly. "I'm just the errand runner, princessa…. And I don't think you need to guess what I'm supposed to be picking up…or rather who I should say…"

Before she could say anything else, the figure put their gloved hand around her neck and pressed a cloth over her mouth. She tried as hard as she could to not breathe in but with the figure pressing on her throat, eventually she breathed in the chloroform and began to see black fade into her vision.

Her last coherent thought was that she hoped Edward was far away from here and safe with his family. 'I love you, Edward.' Then….darkness.