Chapter 5: Introductions

I was getting nervous. The calm that I had attained during my short talk with Alice was wearing off and the instinctual nerves were rising again. The day was winding down as Alice strolled next to me, closer than necessary, while Jasper was twenty feet in the lead. Jasper's shoulders were stiff, his whole form moving as one rather than fluidly. I peered at Alice, nodding my head in Jasper's direction as if to question why he looked so tense. Surely it should be me that should look like that, not someone who would be safe with six other immortals at his side? Alice understood and gave her mate a warm look.

"Jasper can 'feel' your emotions, Bella." Alice said sweetly.

"What does that mean?" I watched Jasper as he sighed.

"You're nervous. Actually, you're outright stressed." Jasper spoke away from us, not turning. "I can feel your emotions emanating from you, as if they were my own. They are quite strong; you are very in tune with your own mind. It's not a huge deal but feeling other emotions can take its toll on me. I had to feel the panic of the police officers, your lust for their blood, your fear at Alice and I, and now your stress." Another sigh escaped his lips.

I understood; he had a gift as well. Did all seven of these vampires have gifts? Carlisle? Alice could see the future which I was sure was one of the most powerful gifts I had ever seen. Jaspers didn't seem strong; it seemed more of a burden than a gift. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. The scent of the forest on my tongue helped as I could discern no other dangers around me. Just small animals and pine trees.

In the distance I could hear the grand piano being played. The tune was beautiful, but I couldn't tell what it was. I saw the break in the foliage where the clearing would be. The scents of the others began to mingle with ours, stronger than when I had visited before. I sucked in another breath and stopped just before the forest ended. We were at the back end of the house where the huge glass wall used to be, now covered in tarp. The other two continued on, Jasper speeding inside to announce to whoever was there that they had a visitor. Alice went around to the front. The clearing looked much the same, save for the grass being fixed where the criminals had left their tire marks. All the glass in the house was still shattered. Small rays of dying sunlight peaked through the clouds and landed on various spots throughout the lawn.

I stepped forward onto the fresh grass and took a wide half circle around the house to where Alice sat on the front porch steps, elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. The front of the house was not covered, and I could see into it. The living room was now sparsely furnished with a couch, a couple of chairs, and a coffee table. The entry way had the grand piano, now vacant, and a few paintings on the walls. A thin carpet ran the length of the first flight of wooden stairs. All the glass had been cleaned up. I saw no other vampire besides the two I already knew. Jasper waved me closer as he sat on the third step of the staircase.

"Okay, Bella?" He voiced his concern.

"Yeah, I guess. As okay as I could get." I offered a small half smile.

"Here's what we will do; one by one we will come out and stand in the entryway, instead of assaulting you with all of us at once. You are already on edge and the site of so many of us at once is sure to get your instincts stirring. We don't need a more drastic incident at this house. Sound good?" Jasper sounded like he had experience with more out-of-control immortals.

I nodded and watched the top of the staircase. I heard the whispers of footsteps as the first immortal strode forward. She was about the same size as me, with caramel-colored hair that fell across her shoulders. She looked soft, somehow, the first time I had ever had to use that adjective for a vampire. Her face was rounded, and she was pretty. Her eyes the bright gold that I was becoming accustomed to. She wore a maroon long sleeve blouse and tan slacks, no footwear. Her hands were intertwined in front of her stomach. Her smile conveyed affection. She descended the stairs slowly, exaggerating that she meant no harm to me, and stopped next to the piano.

"Hello, Bella." Her voice was soft as well, "My name is Esme, Carlisle's wife. I am so incredibly pleased to make your acquaintance."

I mulled over the term 'wife'. Not another of our kind ever used that term; more commonly referring to their partners as 'mate'. I was beginning to understand the differences between this coven and the norm. They cared. They were not together for convenience but for love. I couldn't quite get a grip on that. Did other vampires love their mates? Yes, absolutely. They would kill for them. Would other vampires kill for the other members of their group? Probably not, not if it meant their own safety. This coven would. They would jump in front of danger for any one of the others.

"Hi." My voice was low as my emotions swung wildly from side to side. "It's good to meet you too, Esme. Thank you for allowing me to come back and I'm sorry for what I did to your home."

Esme waved her hand dismissively. "Don't fret about it, dear. Now I know I need hurricane proof glass; I already ordered the replacement for the house. None of the children mind a breeze, anyhow."

A new term; 'children'. Now I was confused. Alice and Jasper were a mated pair. But did they come from the same creators? Did Esme and Carlisle create the others to be their children? The thought made me sick to my stomach. I had always considered myself more monster than human. Sure, this life gave some great perks, the strength, speed, beauty, and of course, my gift. But I never signed up for it. I never signed up to take humans lives to sate my own. I also never thought of an alternative, but the thirst dictated that. I would never think to condemn someone to this fate unwillingly. I could see Jasper's eyes squint as he read my emotions.

"What question do you have, Bella?" Jasper inquired.

"I'm wondering why Esme calls you her children? Surely, Esme, you would not create Alice and Jasper and the others just to swoon over them like babies?" My tone was sharper than I intended it to be, but my emotions were swelling.

"Ha! That's rich!" A voice from upstairs shouted.

"Shh, Rose, wait your turn!" A husky male voice responded.

The next immortal stepped out from a room to the side. She was, undoubtably, the loveliest vampire I had ever laid eyes upon. Her beauty was beyond compare and my subconscious shrunk back from her looks. She was tall, her slender legs trapped in tight grey designer jeans ending in high heels. Her hair, blonde and wavy, flowed freely to the small of her back. Her jawline was sharp, her eyes and nose the perfect size for her face. Her lips were plump and, unlike most vampires, had some red color in them. Her curves were nothing short of being perfect in proportions. Her white short sleeved blouse had a small ring of gold LV text around the bottom edge. She wore a sneer as her expression, which did not lessen her beauty. The newest member flitted down the stairs and stood in the doorway, hands on her perfect hips. She glared at me with her amber eyes; they were not as bright as Esme's.

"You have some nerve." She growled, "We welcome you to our home, the one which you already violated, and you speak to our mother like that?"

She took a small step forward before Esme placed her hands on her shoulders, pulling her into the entryway. Esme offered me an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, Rosalie. I'm sure she meant no harm." Esme chided.

"It's actually a good thing that she asked that question, don't you think, Rose?" Alice chimed, "It means she cares. That she has compassion. That she doesn't care to waste life."

Rosalie huffed, glared down at Alice who was staring at me with wonder, then flitted to the living room and dropped in an armchair. She snagged a magazine from the coffee table and flipped through it quickly. Of course, the most beautiful vampire was also the most dramatic. I grinned. I wondered if her gift was extreme anger, yet another burden.

"It's good to meet you too." I said quietly, knowing she would hear me. She ignored it.

"C'mon babe, what a way to make a first impression." The husky voice said to itself.

I heard a loud booming laugh come from the same room Rosalie exited. The next member was up and by the sound of it in a good mood. He stepped out and I cringed back. He was massive. The first thing I noticed was the way his arms flexed as he bent them, his tight baby blue shirt stretching unwillingly. He was strong. I took a moment to steady my urge to retreat as he stepped down the stairs more gracefully than should have been possible. He stopped next to Esme and put his arm around her shoulders. His smile was childlike with his dimples showing. His hair was dark, short, and curly.

"Don't take offense, kid. Rose is just protective." His husky voice was louder than the others. "I'm Emmett, Rose's worse half." He grinned as he spoke.

Obviously, this was not Rosalie's worse half. But as a mate, he had to make sure she was happy; otherwise, he had an eternity to hear about it. Once I could get over his size, if ever, I felt this was someone I could be genuine friends with. That was if Rosalie would allow such a thing.

A thought popped into my head, "Can I ask who was playing the piano earlier?" I questioned. The melody was stuck in my head.

Esme smiled kindly and looked towards Rosalie, "That was Rose. She's exceptionally talented." Esme was obviously an adoring mother.

"Edward's the most talented musician, but Rosalie comes in a close second." Alice stuck her tongue out in Rosalie's direction.

"Well, it was a beautiful sound, Rosalie." I stated, offering my approval.

"Speaking of talented, Alice told us that you have an awesome gift. How was it, Jazz?" Emmett turned to give a teasing grin at Jasper.

"It was something, Emmett. In fact, I'm more than sure you would be one to enjoy such an awesome gift." Jasper perked up and turned his head to me, winking.

Emmett turned back to face me and released Esme, pretending to crack his knuckles. His smile was sly as he stepped forward through the doorframe. I didn't know how he fit through it so easily. I quickly look at Alice in a panic, her face full of worry.

"Emmett, I don't think…" Alice started.

"It'll be fine!" Emmett cheered, "I just want to know what she's about. You don't use the term 'awesome' often enough, Alice."

"We haven't even introduced Edward yet; don't you think it would be better to wait until she is comfortable." Esme reached towards Emmett, though too far away to grab him.

Emmett stopped his descend from the porch, a thoughtful look playing on his face. I saw Rosalie peeking up from over the top of her magazine. I couldn't tell if she was worried about Emmett or ready to attack me if I hurt him. I put my hands up, showing my surrender to the situation.

"Yeah, Emmett. It's really good to meet you and all, but I'm not looking for a fight." I gave a small chuckle. "Besides Carlisle, isn't there supposed to be one more of you?"

"Good point." Jasper spoke, "Where is Edward? He was here when we left."

"He went to the high school earlier to register. He should have been back by now. Maybe he stopped off at the hospital to talk to Carlisle." Esme said.

"Yep, the coward did." Alice growled. It was weird to hear her high-pitched voice put out. "Unlucky enough for him, I know how long he'll be there for. Let's go." Alice jumped up.

Jasper just shook his head, standing up and moving to the couch in the living room, splaying himself across the length of it. Obviously, he was out of Alice's plan. The way these immortals acted, so human, was unnerving. My body felt no need to sit, lay down, blink, fidget. I didn't need to breath, but it was a very important sense to have. And what was this about high school? Registering at Forks High? It had been twenty years since I had seen that place. I couldn't quite make out the faces of my former teachers anymore.

"It's just Bella and myself, then. That's okay." Alice perked up and flitted to my side, grabbing my elbow with hers. "Let's go meet Edward!"

"Is it really that important, Alice? I can always come back later. It's getting dark." I looked up at the clouds. It would be a rainless night, which was nice.

"It doesn't have to be so much about just meeting our final member of the family, we can check on your dad as well. How about that?" Alice was convincing and that was a dangerous trait.

I groaned. I did want to know how Charlie was doing. Would he be awake? I doubted it. Not that it mattered, I wouldn't be able to see him if he were. I silently agreed with a nod and Alice jumped in elation. She let go of my arm, running inside and through a door next to the kitchen. I heard an electrical motor turning and a door opening. A loud engine roared to life and tires squealed on polished linoleum. Rosalie threw down her magazine and sat up. Around the side of the house a red sports car came flying, skidding to a stop next to me.

"Hop in, quick!" Alice laughed. I did as she asked.

We were quickly flying down the drive, the engine purring as Alice pushed the gas pedal. The gauges in front of her showed the red needles climbing with increasing speed. We both turned our heads as we heard it.

"You better count your days, Alice!" Rosalie yelled down the drive, standing in the rearview.

We both laughed. Elation filled me. I didn't normally run all to often, liking to take my time. But being in a vehicle, one that I was not in control of, was sort of exhilarating. And it obviously being Rosalie's, the one member of the family I had already made an enemy, made it even better. Alice drifted onto the paved road, breaking free of the forest. The vehicle shifted smoothly as Alice came to stop at one hundred miles per hour. Alice's smile was huge, and I felt mine matching. I rolled down the window and stuck my arm out, feeling the soft air hit it. Alice was beginning to feel a lot more like a friend than I thought she would have. The idea of being around her and the others didn't seem so bad while Charlie was healing. I stared at the black forest flying by and smiled to myself. This could be the start of my first friendship.