Hiya! A lot of you guys were super excited to see two chapters posted yesterday and I hope y'all enjoyed them! As for today, we'll see what the day brings...

On a side note, I'm getting very close to having a brand new story finished! Yes, i still have the stories I pulled hanging out and are going to be reworked, but this new one I HAD to get finished before I try jumping into anything else. So, hopefully soon, within the next week or so, I'll have that ready to start posting. I will give fair warning right now, the new story does deal with rape, and I'll have the warnings up all over the place when I post it.

But for now, onward!

Chapter 10

BPOV

We walked into the back door of the house to see Carlisle and Esme talking to a tall man with dark brown hair, and looked to be around his mid-thirties or so.

"Bella, Edward! Come meet one of our friends from Alaska. This is Eleazar." Carlisle motioned for me to come over to where they were.

Edward held my hand and I pulled him along with me. When we were beside Carlisle, I held my hand out to Eleazar. He shook my hand, then had a perplexed look on his face as he stepped back beside Carlisle.

"…Carlisle, you didn't tell me everything. She is obviously pregnant… it's not possible." Eleazar said, never taking his eyes off of me.

I felt Edward wrap his arm around my waist, protectively.

"Eleazar, this is why I called you. I didn't want to tell you over the phone. And yes, this is what you think it is." Carlisle told him.

Eleazar looked to be in total shock right now. But then walked up to us slowly, and… actually bowed.

Umm, ok…

"It's a pleasure to meet the parents of Una Potente. We've never believed that it would ever happen, but seeing you now… there is very little argument." He stood back at his full height and still looked perplexed.

What the fuck.

"Uhh…Thank you?" I said it almost as a question. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too. I'm glad you could come here on such short notice."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Carlisle… you have one of the most rare creatures here in front of you. It's hard to reach her, but… I think I've got her. But I want to know what all has happened and what she's been able to do before I'm completely sure." Eleazar said, reverently.

So we went into the dining room and sat at the huge table. It was a lovely, heavy, antique, cherry wood table with matching chairs.

Holy shit. These have to be centuries old.

Carlisle and I told Eleazar what has happened. Along with interjections from Alice a few times to help us, we get through it and Eleazar was totally baffled.

"This is even more than I thought. So, Bella is the one who doesn't know what her gift is?" Eleazar asked, pacing around the living room.

We nodded and he looked at me. It looked like he was processing everything in his head.

But when he spoke, I was totally shocked.

"She's the Great Protector. That's why no one can breach her. She's protecting herself. From what you've said, she only opens up when she expands her mind around someone. Bella, it's something you will have to work on, but it seems you've done a little bit of it already. But at your greatest power, you'll be able to protect as many people as you want, and of your choosing. Meaning if the people you want to protect are amongst those who you want to protect them from, then you can selectively put your protective layer over whoever you choose to. Your gift works to protect your mind and anyone else's mind that you want from an attack. There are those among us that have gifts like the rest of this family. Those gifts that get information, if you will, from your mind and use their own gift on it. Alice would use your decisions to see your future, Rose and Jasper would feel your emotions. But with you protecting your mind, no one can infiltrate you. Your mind is essentially Fort Knox. And you are the only one with the key. I imagine with practice, you won't even have to think about it." He looked pensive for a moment. "I'm also feeling that you can, not only, protect your mind from others, but I believe you will be able to project other people's gifts, as well. Like deflecting them back on someone. But, again, it will take work. And you have time for that." We're all kind of sitting there, slack jawed.

"But, on to the baby. The reason it has survived, is because your protection is veiling it as well-"

"Her." Edward and I interjected.

Eleazar looked at us, completely shocked. "You already know what it is? I thought you were only a month along when you were changed?"

Edward and I shared a look with each other, smiling.

"Yeah. We've both kind of had 'visions' of her in our unconscious states. And Alice has already had her own visions of her. I've seen it, and she's perfect." I said.

"Hold on, you actually saw her? Like really saw what she will look like?" Edward asked me. I nodded. "You guys didn't tell me about that. I want to see it. Alice?"

Alice was sitting next to me, so I was sitting between her and Edward. She got that glazed look in her eyes again, and I knew she was going back through her visions of Olivia.

I watched as Edward, no doubt, saw the same visions of us with Olivia. He was totally focused on what he was seeing in his mind, and I saw his lower lip tremble slightly. Then a sob tried to break free from him when his hand flew to his mouth. He had an almost pained look on his face. Then he turned to look at me with such adoration. He grabbed me and held me to his chest.

"She's going to be perfectly fine, Edward. You saw the same thing I did. It's what we've always wanted. Although… we wanted a house full of kids, I'll be perfectly content with this little angel. I just hope she's happy and healthy. Are you ok?" I asked him in a hushed tone.

He nodded into my shoulder. "I just never thought that the glimpse I had of her when I was laying on the highway would be true. She was the most perfect thing. Graceful, beautiful, full of life, and absolutely adored you. The way she just fit into your arms… I could have cried at how perfect you two were together. It's the only other thing in this entire world that I've wanted more than anything… apart from you." He said in a low, strained voice. Then I tightened my hold on him. I would be a bawling mess right now if I were still human.

I heard Carlisle clear his throat beside us and remembered we weren't alone.

"As soon as we're done, we'll leave you two to have some time alone. You've been apart for long enough. But let's get back to this, shall we." We both nodded. "Alright then. Eleazar, you were saying?"

"Oh, yes of course. Well, Bella, you protected her when you were being changed. It's part of why we never understood how a baby could be born to one of us. A vampire's body won't allow it. I'm shocked to see that your body is compensating itself to the growing part." I lowered my hand down to my baby bump and rubbed it. It made me a little self-conscious that it was so damn visible, so fast. "But I guess this will be an obvious learning process for all of us. Bella, what was going through your mind after the crash?" Eleazar asked.

I lowered my head. I hated thinking about it. I could have, should have, lost the two most important things in my life. But seeing as I have forever to live, it won't soon be forgotten.

"I thought about… protecting Olivia at all costs…trying to stay alive for her. Trying to stay alive for Edward. I knew Edward would be an utter mess if he lost me and Olivia at the same time." Edward reached over and gripped my hand tightly and pulled it to his chest. "But I made a resolve in my mind that I would protect her however I could… Why, is it important?" I asked, suddenly wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Your protection was already working with your mind and body. The 'shield', if you will, was originally only supposed to be a defense for the mind. I've personally never seen it before. Much less one that can project gifts back. I've only ever heard of there being one or two in the world. But they are secluded and don't get involved with the things our world contains. They know of the Volturi in Italy, but run from them for fear of being used. Which is what they do. They collect gifted vampires. We also need to keep your existence a secret for as long as possible. If they get word of this, they will come for you, and bring the entirety of their gifted vampires with them. It's not just Olivia you will need to protect, it's yourselves, also. You two are the rarest kinds of vampires. And pretty much the most powerful ones. If they come for you, Edward, you will be the only one that can know of their intentions.

"The Volturi, they're older than most any other vampire in the world. There are a few others, but they prefer to stay secluded and not deal with these particular vampires. Aro, Caius and Marcus are very power-hungry, and very much collectors of vampires. Aro is able to see recent events if he touches you. They've said it's like snapshots for him, that it's not a continuous thing. But, if he can see something from any of us, then they'll have knowledge of you three. So we must avoid all contact, if at all possible, with him. Marcus and Caius is not gifted vampires, which is why they want so many around to protect them.

"Bella, you would be the most prized possession for them, aside from your daughter. You will be the one who can stop their advances if they bring Jane and Alec. They are two of the most dangerous vampires. They look sweet and innocent, but are deadly together. Jane can cause excruciating pain just by looking at you. Alec can stop you dead in your tracks by taking your senses. You would be a sitting duck if you weren't protected. They are basically the Volturi's personal bodyguards. But you should be able to withstand all of that. Your mind is yours to protect. Some have also said that your shield will be able to physically protect you as well. It's something I've never heard anyone else coming across. But it's said that the Great Protector will be able to do that. But we don't have someone here to test that theory right now." Eleazar explained.

Holy hell.

"Ok, that's a little intense… So, basically, I could protect Edward's mind as well if he was standing near me? Or Alice or Jasper?" I asked, trying to sort this all out.

"Yes. Let's say, you all are… in a fight in the city or something along those lines. You would be able to shield each person in this room, and leave the other vampires at the mercy of whatever mental attack is happening. You personally, will never be left vulnerable. But it will take practice to get it to work around the ones you want it to be around. We'll be glad to help out. I can bring my 'sister', Kate, out here and we can work with you on this. That will give you an opportunity to try to cover all of the Cullens with another group of vampires around. Like I said before, the only other thing I've ever heard the Great Protector would be able to do is reflect whatever gift is used on them back at whoever used it on them. I'm sure Kate would love to have a crack at this kind of exercise. She'll be one that we can test out the physical aspect of your shield, Bella. If she touches you, she can shoot an electric current through you, essentially electrocuting you. There aren't many in the world that have physical abilities like that, but they are out there. Like Carlisle. He may be able to help, too. We'll have to see. I'm not sure if his gift would work with what I'm thinking, but we can give it a try. Zafrina has also been visiting us, so maybe I could ask her to join us, if she's free. She can manipulate you to see things she wants you to. It's quite a powerful gift. She tries to stay off the radar from the Volturi. They would swoop her up in a second if they found her. She would be a huge help in preparing you, Bella. And she understands the need to be away from the Volturi's sights. She would keep you safe as long as possible. Any questions?"

"Can vampires get headaches?" I asked, rubbing the sides of my head. This is so fucking surreal. How the hell am I supposed to protect myself from that kind of shit, much less eight members of my family?

Did I just refer to the Cullens as my family?

Why the hell not. They've been more supportive than my mother ever has been, so yeah, I guess they're family now. Family is people that take care of each other and support them, help them.

I heard a few low laughs from around the table and couldn't help but laugh, myself. "Sorry, this is just… a lot. I don't know if I'm ready for all of this." I looked into Edward's eyes with a little bit of panic.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm here, and so are the Cullens. You said it yourself that they've been so helpful already and that they're going to be there for us. We're not going to be alone. We've got a group of people who are willing to go through this with us. So stop worrying so much." He said, then kissed my nose.

"Awww…" I could hear Alice beside me, like she was watching some chick-flick.

We turned back to Eleazar and Carlisle. "Edward's right, Bella. We're here to help you. Both with your powers and with Olivia. Don't let the fact that we aren't family hold you back…" Carlisle started.

"No, Carlisle, you are family now. You saved us, saved our baby, you've let us stay with you. You're letting us decorate a baby room and our own room. You've helped me with what little I've been able to figure out with my gift, and you've all been there for us. And I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay you enough for it, but I'm eternally grateful to all of you." I told him, and felt Edward nod beside me.

I saw Esme put her hand over her heart like she wanted to cry out of joy. She stood up and ran around the table to hug Edward and me. "Aw, my babies." She was one of the reasons this group of people felt like a family. She was the mother none of us had left. And Carlisle, while he was a confidant, he was also the father. And Alice… God, she was the sister I always wanted. Jasper, he was such an amazing brother and friend. And Emmett seemed like the big jokester of the family, always ready to make us laugh. And Rose has been nothing but helpful. Even though she's had her moments of looking at me sideways. I'm not sure why.

"Well, Carlisle, I'll leave it up to you all if you want me to call them to come down here. I'm going to excuse myself to hunt. It's been over a week and if I'm going to continue to be near the human population, I'm going to have to do it soon. I hadn't expected to stay as long as I had in the city. But I'm glad I have, now." Eleazar said, then turned to Edward and me. "It's been so wonderful meeting both of you. I hope this information I've given you two will help you better understand. Both of your gifts are extremely invaluable. I'll talk to you all when I return." With that, Eleazar excused himself from the table and out the back door to the woods.

"What do you think, Bella? This could be a great practice for you to test out your gift and Edward's, as well." Carlisle asked.

I thought for a moment and felt Edward pull me into his side. I tried to focus on him and see if I can somehow put my shield around him. I leaned my head against his shoulder and reached my hand up to touch the back of it to his cheek so he could hopefully see what I was thinking about.

I heard an intake of breath and felt Edward stiffen slightly, then relax as he held me tighter. He obviously saw my thoughts.

Edward, do you think we should do this? I'm scared to death that I could hurt someone with this gift. It wasn't much before, and now that I know I'm this powerful, I'm afraid I'll freak out and hurt someone. I thought to him.

Bells, you can't be afraid to protect yourself. Or Olivia. The best way to be sure of any of this is to test it out, practice. I'll be right beside you through it, baby. And if it's someone that Carlisle trusts, then I don't see a problem with it. As long as it's a 'controlled environment', it might be easier than doing trial and error out in the real world if we came across someone. We can do this. He thought, then kissed my temple.

"Woah. Did you two just totally have a private conversation without talking?" We looked over to Emmett.

"Yeah." I said.

"Holy fuck. Eleazar wasn't shitting us when he said you guys were powerful. Pops, have you ever seen anything like it?" Emmett turned and asked Carlisle, who had a very mesmerized look on his face.

"No Emmett, I haven't. This is extremely curious for you now, Edward." Carlisle said, and Edward just shrugged.

We don't know how it works, but it does.

"I guess we're ok with having Eleazar bring the others here. If they're willing, then I'm more than happy to have the help. I just don't want them to feel like they have to." I said to Carlisle as he walked over to where we were sitting.

"Bella, I will talk to them myself and explain things to them. If they decide they don't want to help us, then that's fine. But I have no doubt that they will be here in no time. They have always supported our way of living, since we taught them of our ways." Carlisle explained.

I nodded. "…Ok, let's do it then."

We waited until Eleazar was back and told him we'd like the others to come here to help. He and Carlisle went off to make the call, while the rest of us talked.

We really had no problem talking and learning more from each other.

Rose was a little standoffish, standing by the window and glaring out it. For some odd reason, I could feel how resentful she was feeling towards me. I'm not sure if that was one of the lovely quirks of my gift, but I didn't like it. The feeling seemed to be amplified, for some reason.

I could actually feel my anger rising.

"Bella, calm down. Whatever it is, don't do it." Edward said trying to soothe me, somewhat.

"No. I'm feeling a lot of shit from her, right now." I said, pointing at Rose. "If I'm going to be a part of this family, I'm not going to be made to feel like a pariah. I'm feeling way too much out of her that seems to be resentment. I can't be around this kind of shit right now." I said, getting up and walking out the back door to sit by the river.

I know, from what Alice told me, that Rose resents outsiders. And that some of what her problem is stems from the fact that I'm having a baby. That I'm a vampire, having a baby. I understand wanting something like that, but to make someone feel like they shouldn't be around doesn't make for a great impression. She's up and down with this shit, on a regular basis, and I can't tell which Rosalie I'm going to get on a given day. Right now, I only see her as a raging bitch that has resentment issues. I've seen it pop up several times since I woke up in this new life.

I was sitting on a rock by the river, watching the moon dance across the water when I heard someone behind me.

"I'm fine Edward. Really." I said, not looking backwards.

"It's not Edward." I heard, what I could only figure was Rose, behind me.

A/N: Still with me? Things are gonna start getting interesting here soon!

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