Chapter Twenty-Two: It's All Fun and Games… - Angela

"Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd."
- Albert Von Tilzer/Jack Norworth (Take Me Out to the Ball Game)

Friday, September 16, 2005

"It's midnight and we still haven't gotten anywhere!" Emmett yelled in an uncharacteristic show of frustration and aggression. His entire body was tense, coiled and quivering slightly with fury. He was ready to blow up and I wasn't sure anyone should be around when he did.

"There is too much on the table to solve in an evening. The vision…" Carlisle started, hoping to calm Emmett down a little.

"Which you two aren't sharing." Bella said pointedly.

Alice lowered her head, replying in almost a whisper. "For a reason, I don't know what will happen if you know all the details." Bella then glanced towards Edward who shrugged.

"This is Alice's ball game, I'm just an observer." Edward's reaction made Emmett puff up and cross his arms.

"That's a childish evasion." Emmett said with no humor in his voice.

"Emmett!" Esme scolded.

"Just call 'em like I see 'em." Emmett said, shaking his head in frustration.

"Just because you're hurting doesn't give you the right to be like this." Esme admonished his attitude which had been negative all evening.

"Hurting, what if Carlisle told you suddenly that your entire relationship was a lie? Tell me you would feel all hunky dory and ready to accept a stranger who might have been the reason all this happened in the first place?" He started to shout, realizing at the last minute that he was going too far and his shoulders slumped.

"Emmett, I don't think Mason did anything to Rose, and I'm so sorry about how things went between the two of you. But, this anger isn't good. I trust you implicitly, but I'm a little afraid of you right now." I said feeling a bit out of place, but Emmett immediately flinched, and opened his mouth a few times before responding.

"God Angel, I'm sorry. I'm just…" Emmett sighed heavily and shook his head a few times. "Bella, I don't blame you. I don't blame Rose. Hell I don't even blame Mason. I just don't know what to do. She was everything to me, now who am I without her?"

"You're our Emmett." Esme said easily, pulling him into a motherly hug.

"Thanks mom." It was such a small moment, but it unnerved me. Looking around at these people, my closest friends and possible future family. They would be my companions far beyond any imaginable timeframe. With them at my side, I would watch the world change as humanity reached out to the stars or fell into oblivion. All I had to do was say the word, and I could be immortal. Eternally beautiful, youthful and powerful. How could I say no, and how could I say yes? I felt like I was being torn apart, and Bella's hand gripped in mine brought that conflict home. Her icy skin burning me with the truth of her new reality.

"It seems to me that Rose started this life with unbelievable trauma. Then she found you and needed to love you. I could easily see how she never had a chance to explore herself, especially with how much she has hated this life." Carlisle said after a few seconds of silence.

"That makes rational sense, and follows what Rosalie tried to explain. I'm just not sure what to think. Rose kind of betrayed me…" Emmett started, clearly starting to work back up into some kind of fit of anger.

"Enough, we need to stop talking about her behind her back." Bella interrupted. "She also doesn't need an armchair analysis of her issues. What she needs is our love and support. Emmett, I'm very sorry about keeping things from you, it was an attempt to spare you pain. We didn't do anything beyond kiss because we never wanted to hurt either of you. Now we are just friends, sisters and will never be romantic. But Rose needs time to figure things out. She was in a loving stable relationship for decades and now she doesn't even know her place in this family."

"I know, I know. I wasn't even that angry at first. I've felt this coming for a long time. I just keep thinking of how much is going to change. How much she has taken away." Emmett said clearly trying to understand his own feelings.

"Or how much it hurts?" I said what he was avoiding.

"Yeah. I feel like she tore open my chest and started digging out my insides." Emmett made a few graphic gestures around his chest, mimicking someone opening him up and pulling out his heart.

"Nice description brother." Edward said with a smirk.

"Like you don't feel the same right now." Emmett shot back, then shook his head immediately. "Sorry, that wasn't fair."

"I made a very stupid choice, you did nothing wrong. Rose did nothing wrong, although I feel like a shit for not seeing it sooner. I always just thought she was shallow, I should have known she was just hiding." Edward furrowed his brow, looking ashamed. Bella clenched my hand just a bit too tightly and I made a small noise. She instantly let go of my hand and looked over.

"Sorry, I'm not used to my strength yet." She looked very upset that she might have hurt me, so I just shook my head and put the same hand she squeezed on her shoulder, despite having almost no feeling in my fingers. Then she turned toward the door, along with the rest of the family. A few seconds later I heard Mason shouting, his voice was full of worry and fear. Emmett had the door open before I could process what was going on as Mason appeared at the doorway with Rosalie in his arms. She looked radiant, almost ethereal even though she was unconscious.

Emmett didn't hesitate or wait for the rest of the family. In one smooth motion he exploded at Mason, propelling himself forward so fast I almost couldn't track his movement. He followed up with a punch delivered squarely to the right side of Mason's jaw. In the split second afterward, I could see Emmett right himself because he had over committed to his punch. Yet even though his body was contorted from the movement, he managed to catch Rosalie in one outstretched arm as Mason let go of her.

"I suppose I deserved that." Mason held his jaw briefly as if it were broken, and then returned his hands to his side.

"What happened to her?" Carlisle stepped forward demanding an answer.

"We spoke. She made the case to unlock her gift, which I helped to guide her through the process. After she had control, she turned her power on me, pushing through my defenses to divine the absolute truth from me. I believe she pushed herself too hard, too fast. I can say with confidence that she will reawaken soon. She simply overloaded her mind and overextended the limits of her new power. It just causes the system to shut down, like a human going into shock." He seemed confident, but in his eyes, I could see something buried like he was omitting something important. I felt confused, for some reason I didn't want to consider that he was lying to us.

"Are you sure she's gonna wake up?" Emmett said with a note of desperation.

"Yes, of that I am certain. However, you should be prepared for…" Mason started, but Rose gasped, drawing everyone's attention.

"That was a trip." Rose opened her eyes, and the room gasped again, this time in shock. She sat up and looked around the room. Silence descended as her now bright crimson irises, which seemed to glow slightly in the low light of the dim room, locked with each member of the family.

"Stop looking at me like that, I'm fine!" She snapped at the living statues staring at her. Everyone broke their gaze except for Esme, who just stared at her daughter in a way that only a mother could. Moving over almost without making a sound and wrapping Rose in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're here." Esme said in a low voice, just loud enough for me to hear. Rose held onto her adoptive mother tightly for a protracted minute, and we stood in silence until Rosalie cleared her throat.

"I'm okay mom." Rose pulled away from Esme, but she switched to an arm around Esme's waist. She clearly wanted the contact.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked gently.

"Nothing." Rose said defensively. "Mason here just helped me work through something personal." She was obviously trying to conceal what she had asked him to do.

"There is no point in lying to us Rose, Mason already spilled the beans." Edward said with a distasteful expression on his face. Rose shot a dirty look towards Mason, and then sighed dramatically.

"Fine, yes I asked him to bring out my power, and apparently, he was truthful about what it was. Then I asked him if he was trustworthy, using my new gift to make sure he couldn't lie. I'm satisfied that he won't betray us, and he can be trusted now." She frowned a little and looked over at Emmett, meeting his eyes and then away, before separating from Esme and moving over to me and Bella.

"As much as I respect her for shielding me from one unpleasant truth, there is something I need to confess." Everyone turned on Mason with varying expressions. "I am ashamed to admit that I don't know what the consequences will be for my manipulation of Edward's, and now Rosalie's gifts. The truth is these extraordinary talents are somewhat fragile and unpredictable things. From my previous interactions with the gifted, your power could grow in intensity, stay the same, or fizzle forever." Edward just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Personally, I don't really care if I get my powers back. They have been a burden I never asked for." Edward added solemnly.

"I'm not sure about what you've done, but you have shown that you care about the well-being of my family, and for that I forgive your transgressions, as long as Edward and Rosalie can forgive you as well." Carlisle spoke clearly and with a great deal of compassion towards Mason, who seemed to be struggling with how to take the responses.

"I don't think it matters, he has been trying to understand how to function in a family, and there has to be adjustment time. I can't see that what he's done is wrong, he was only trying to help." I felt my face turn red in embarrassment, I still wasn't sure of my place in this family and I didn't want to overstep my boundaries.

Bella nodded in agreement and responded to my comment. "Very true, I still feel like an outsider too. I have so much to learn that I feel overwhelmed by it all, and I have all of you for support. Mason on the other hand is truly an outsider, and I can't fault him for trying to find his own way." The room fell silent, everyone seeming to consider her words. Then Alice chimed in, her high soprano breaking the short silence causing everyone to jump slightly.

"We need to break this tension and have some fun. I think with the impending thunderstorm we should go play baseball. It's been forever since the last time, and we have two new players to replace the one we lost." Alice's random interjection stunned the room out of its hostility and in a couple of seconds everyone was smiling again, even Mason. I shot him a sheepish grin and felt my heart race a little as his eyes met mine. Then something occurred to me that didn't make sense.

"I don't understand, why do we have to wait until there is a thunderstorm before you guys can play baseball?" I felt confusion written all over my face. Edward smirked at me, and then he winked so quickly that I wasn't sure if it was real.

"You'll see." Edward chuckled a little bit, and then continued. "You're right Alice, I think it would be a great idea." Alice nodded emphatically, and I noticed Carlisle shaking his head in amusement.

"I'll give you this Mason. You have kept our lives interesting. Bella, do you think you would like to play?" Carlisle looked earnestly at his new daughter, and she smiled at him timidly.

"I'll try, I've gotten a little bit more coordinated, but I make no promises." I could see her facial muscles twitch in that very familiar way that meant she would have blushed if she were still human.

"I'm still not happy with you Mason, but I'll take it out on you by whooping your ass in the game. So, I'm definitely not on Mason's team." Emmett had finally calmed down, his anger had just vanished, and in its place was an anticipation that bordered on bravado. He almost reached out to Rosalie, but stilled his hand and mid motion.

"What's the plan?" I asked a little unsure of what was going on.

"We get ready when Alice says it's time. Would you mind refereeing Angela?" Carlisle's pleasant expression calmed my nerves as I nodded with enthusiasm. I knew the game, but I had never been in charge of calling plays or trying to keep anyone from cheating, let alone dealing with supernatural players.

"Not at all, I can't wait." I grinned at Carlisle and glanced at Mason who was staring at me with an intense expression. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching me more than I realized.

"Umpire, you mean Umpire, not referee." Esme looked at me for a moment then smirked at her husband.

"Oops, I'm a little distracted right now, sorry about that. But you're still willing to go?" Carlisle said with a small frown. They wanted me there, so I couldn't refuse.

"Of course, how could I say no?" Everyone then sprang into motion except Mason, who seemed a little out of place. I went and stood next to him; Bella joined us a few seconds later. I looked at both and began to chuckle. "I guess we're the odd ones out?" Bella beamed at me then took my hand and squeezed it very gently.

"Just a bit, I don't even know if I should play." She seemed amused by the whole endeavor and a little nervous too.

"You need to play." Rose pleaded with Bella.

"Rose is right, it's a simple game, I think you'll have fun out there." Mason tried to reassure Bella and she gave him a soft smile in appreciation, "if anyone doesn't deserve to be out there it is me. I think you should have fun with your family. It will help you bond." He gave her another warm smile then glanced at me briefly to gauge my reaction.

"I'm a part of this family. I don't need to confirm that. Honestly it is more important that they get a feel for you Mason. Playing a game will give them an idea on how you act on a team, it will probably make them a little more comfortable around you. I also know it is the only way you'll get Emmett's respect again." Bella smiled and let go of my hand and made her way over to Carlisle who was now laughing slightly at the situation.

It was settled a few minutes later and then I was driven home by Esme, who said she would pick me up when it was time. I felt drained, emotionally and physically. My mom, dad and brothers were probably asleep so I tiptoed to my room to crash.

When I got to my room I found mom sitting on the desk chair, her legs and arms crossed. She looked very upset. "How dare you make us worry like that!" She kept her voice low but from her tone I could tell she was basically screaming at me.

"I lost track of time." I tried, but she shook her head at me.

"Unacceptable, you've missed most of this week at school and we're done. Starting tomorrow you will return to school and start preparing for your future. That means SAT prep, college applications and getting the best grades." She stood as if there were nothing more to say. I thought about arguing, but it was pointless. Even if I survived the year, I had no interest in college anymore.

"Tell me you understand?" She demanded.

"Yes." I answered truthfully, although I wasn't about to elaborate on how little I cared about school anymore. But I would go through the motions, for her and Dad. She nodded once and closed the door quietly. I immediately fell into my bed and was instantly asleep. Car crashes and monsters lurking in the shadows trying to devour me populated my dreams. I woke up just as the sun was rising to the sound of a thunderclap. I quickly fell back asleep and woke up again to my alarm. I hit snooze and a few seconds later my cell-phone started ringing.

"Damn it." I hesitated to pick it up, a part of me wishing I could reject them, reject her. Bella was important, but was she important enough to risk my life? I closed my eyes, tempted to just fall back asleep.

Two rings, three rings, four… I grunted and picked up the phone.

"We'll be there by noon." Alice said with enthusiasm.

"I have to go to school." I said with a voice so rough that I was pretty sure I sounded like death.

"You're a senior, skip the afternoon." Her voice sounded almost normal, for her, and I was happy she had regained her energy. I just wasn't sure I was up to an afternoon baseball game with a group of vampires.

"I'm not sure I'm gonna go." I admitted, and suddenly felt a bit bad about tapping out.

"It won't be the same without you." She said brightly.

I shut my eyes and hit mute, taking a few deep breaths as something deep inside started to tremble. I couldn't explain it, but a part of me was terrified to go. I just wasn't sure why. Then it hit me, and reluctantly I unmuted my end. "Alice, I go and it means I'm choosing your life." I said as naturally as I could, I didn't want her to hear how much just saying those words was a struggle.

"I don't think so. I think it means you want to spend some time with people you love, doing something insanely goofy." She was clearly speaking through a big smile, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll be ready." I said ending the call. I brought the phone to my chest and sighed, it was too much, but I was committed. I felt tears threatening to come, but I shook my head refusing to give into the urge to break down. I would get through the game with a smile on my face, and I would be as good a friend as I could be.

Morning classes were normal, except for the glares from the other students. I barely interacted with most of them, but Lauren in particular was shooting daggers at me when I sat alone at lunch, ready to slip off campus when I was done eating. I made it to the end of the block without the truant officer stopping me, and a loud honk alerted me to their arrival. I turned and found that everyone was piled into two cars, if you can call Emmett's behemoth 4x4 a car. I got in next to Bella, and then we headed deep into the national forest. When the roads ended, we got out and began to walk the rest of the way. The ground was rough, and I wasn't much of a hiker, so we were moving slowly. The sky was darkening with thunderclouds, and the sun was now completely concealed behind the cloud cover. At the rate we were walking, I doubted we would get to our destination before nightfall. Mason had lingered near the back of the group, but after a few minutes he came up next to me and leaned down to whisper to me.

"I think they are a little too polite, but if you would allow me, I imagine this trip could be a lot quicker." I looked into his bizarrely perfect mis-matched eyes for a long second before nodding my head. I felt my heart almost pause as he smiled in acknowledgement, and then he lifted me onto his back, and I instantly knew I was safe. The contact felt very intimate, and it reminded me of the car crash and his mad dash to get Alice to Carlisle and our wonderful conversation.

This journey was different. I wasn't petrified with worry over Alice, and we weren't headed to meet my friend who had been turned into a vampire. This was a family outing, and I was acutely aware that I was a part of the family, even though I wasn't one of them. The wind was fierce as it buffeted my face, my hair which I had the presence of mind to tuck back into a tight ponytail, somehow came loose and started flapping wildly in the breeze. I wanted to fix it, but I couldn't let go of Mason for fear of falling. I also didn't want to stop, and the minor discomfort I felt as we started the run melted away with the exhilaration of it. I felt like I was flying on the back of a beast of such power that it could transport me to a magical realm of wonders.

It wasn't long before I was almost shouting with excitement, Mason quickly slowed down to see what was wrong, but I just patted his solid chest to urge him to keep going. At that moment I couldn't help but notice his body again, and the perfection of it. The lines of his jaw and neck, the soft fabric of his button up shirt that pressed against the cords of muscle in his arms and stomach. I had my chin resting on his right shoulder and would sneak glimpses of his bare chest through the neckline of his shirt. I felt myself sigh in contentment at this Greek god of a man and wondered idly if he had seen the Trojan War or witnessed the assassination of Julius Caesar.

I knew he had hinted at his age, but I started to wonder how long he had been around? How much could he share about history that none of us could ever know. I felt a burning need to ask him these simple questions, but realized it was silly. But I wasn't sure if his interest in me was real or fleeting. I couldn't understand how this powerful creature wanted anything to do with me. I suddenly felt insignificant being so close to him and wanted to leap from his back to get some distance from him. Nothing I could ever offer would be good enough for him. I wasn't special or especially intelligent, and I couldn't block minds like Bella. But as the melancholy of the thought started to solidify, we breached the tree line and almost immediately stopped.

Our destination turned out to be a vast and practically untouched field that overlooked a small valley vista dotted with trees and ending at the edge of the Olympic mountain range. I sat in the soft grass and waited as they quickly set up the bases. I marveled at the distance each goal was from each other. Home base felt like a football field away from first. The supply bags were unpacked, and a cornucopia of bats, balls, and gloves were deposited on a rack set up near home base. Everyone grabbed the gear they wanted and then the teams split off into their respective positions.

The teams themselves were split evenly, Carlisle, Rosalie, Mason, and Alice versus Edward, Esme, Emmett, and Bella. Bella stood by me and after a few seconds nudged me softly. I looked up at her and she smiled brightly.

"You'll root for my team?" I looked at her and nodded, but then shook my head slightly motioning towards Alice and Mason who both chuckled silently to themselves, unfortunately Emmett noticed my betrayal.

"Et tu, Angela?" Emmett said with a toothy grin.

"Sorry Bella." I said sheepishly.

"You're no longer my best friend." Bella said seriously, although she couldn't hold in her own laughter for more than a few seconds. "Fine vote for the ancient hottie, I get it." She gave me a serious look and then smiled as I balked at her expression.

"I call it unfair bias." Emmett said, shaking his head at me.

"Overruled." Carlisle said ending the back and forth, everyone laughed, and then Carlisle's team took the field first after a coin toss. Mason handled the bases and infield, Rosalie was the catcher, Carlisle was outfield, and Alice was pitching. After they got situated everyone's attention turned to Alice expectantly.

A few minutes passed, until she finally nodded and in her clear sweet voice said, "It's time!"

The game was fast, and I immediately understood the need for thunder, every time they hit the ball it created a sound like a thunder crack. I tried to track their movements, but they were too fast. On a couple of plays I could swear they were cheating, but I simply wasn't sure.

Bella was up to bat last in her team's rotation, and she looked nervous. Her admittedly creepy red eyes focused intently on Alice as she pitched a fast ball. Bella swung, and with a crack loud enough that my ears started to ring, hitting the ball so deep into the forest that not even Mason tried to run for it. Bella giggled and rounded the bases for the first home run of the day.

"Newborn strength, no fair." Alice chided.

"You have an ancient, I'd say the teams are balanced." Edward replied with a smirk.

After a quick laugh, the game continued. The innings flew by, but only a handful of runs were racked up on each side, with Bella getting in two before the outfield started to anticipate her. In less than an hour the game had progressed to the bottom of the ninth inning, and the score was tied.

Then Carlisle hit a spectacular fly ball that rocketed towards the mountains. He rounded the bases and waited patiently for Edward who had taken off after it like the Road Runner. After several minutes he returned with a giant crooked smile on his face. Carlisle was out, leaving the game tied. Overtime was like an exercise in futility as each team managed to shut out the other. This went back and forth for close to an hour, until finally Emmett got lucky and hit a ball so hard that it disintegrated on contact.

Everyone laughed but it basically ended the game. We were about to stop and clean up when Alice went rigid, her eyes blank. Carlisle rushed in and caught her before she fell. Everyone stood in expectation, and a bit of fear. She was motionless for several seconds, until suddenly her eyes flew open and this intense expression of pain crossed her face. She searched the field for a second regaining her bearings, until she found my face. Then she stared into my eyes before speaking. It was obvious the vision was difficult for her.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see them coming." Alice looked mortified and pointed south towards a large cicada tree and the edge of an impressive section of the forest. She closed her eyes for a second and then ran over to my side in a flash. Soon she was joined by the rest of the family who gathered around me. They all stood sentinel by me except Mason who stood a little separate from the group. He took a position a few paces forward, closer to the forest edge where the strangers would emerge. Yet he was slightly off to one side, leaving our view unobstructed.

"I know I am repeating myself but I'm so sorry Angela. They were traveling through the surrounding areas looking for a friend and were about to leave for good. But our game drew their attention, and they didn't even know about us until they heard our game." Alice seemed positively mournful and her tone made Mason scowl. He stared at me for a moment and then closed his eyes briefly letting out a soft sigh as he reopened them. He met my eyes, and our contact seemed to linger for a while before he turned and set a deadly gaze back towards the area where these strangers were going to emerge from the forest.

Esme placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and whispered that they would protect me. Then we watched and waited, until finally two figures appeared from the south. One was an oddly average looking male vampire with long blonde hair tied in a simple ponytail. The other was a beautiful woman with a mane of bright red hair and cat-like mannerisms. Even from here I could tell that their eyes were not like the Cullen's, they were a deep burgundy. I sighed as I realized that meant that they were the terrible type of vampires, the kind that fed off the blood of humans.

Author's Note:

So why am I going with this plot point? Well there are two main reasons, one I thought the baseball game in the original was such a fun silly scene. It honestly made the characters come alive for a moment. Secondly, it introduced the main villains in that story (no matter how random and last minute their inclusion). Here James and Victoria serve a somewhat similar purpose, but obviously the players and situation are different.

Secondly, you may ask why Alice didn't see them before? That one is a little harder to answer, it is plot related, but simply put she choose a path. A future where certain events happen, which means this moment is a nexus point. They always come across James and Victoria.

In this version, because it is significantly after the events of Twilight James and Victoria have already lost Laurent from their coven. They were looking for him because he was last seen in the area.

Next Chapter: ... Until Someone Gets Hurt - Mason

Thank you for reading!