Chapter Four: I've Always Been Here

Cullen Residence - February 5th

"I think that's a delivery truck." Rosalie said, looking around at everyone gathered. The anticipation fell, and nearly everyone moved back inside looking disappointed. Brianna and Eliza hung around on the porch along with Leah.

"Who did they think was coming? Seriously, everyone we know is here right now." Eliza said with a chuckle.

"We all hope for something new to arrive, it is the nature of our existence. Made especially worse with immortality. The next thing is our reason to live." Rosalie said as she hopped down the few steps to meet the driver who handed her a relatively small package. She looked at the name on the address label and rolled her eyes.

"Emmett your game is here." Rose called with a slightly irritated voice, but she couldn't help but smile as Emmett came bounding out of the house.

"Oooh… this collectors edition was sooo hard to find!" Emmett said as he came to a stop at her side, and Rosalie tossed him the box as if it was a worthless piece of trash. He glared at her slightly, but started to turn it around examining the package.

"At least someone is excited." Eliza said with another small laugh.

"It's crushed on one corner." Emmett held out the package showing the damage, his expression more of a sad pout than any kind of anger.

"Sorry man, it was like that when I picked it up this morning." The driver gave him a soft salute and got back in his truck. Emmett waved a couple of times at him without looking and turned towards the house.

"I didn't know they still put out collectors editions." Eliza said, looking after Emmett. "Not to change the subject, but Brianna, have you gone hunting yet?"

"No, we weren't allowed." Brianna replied, causing Eliza and Rosalie to look at each other.

"I'll take her." Rosalie offered. Eliza looked at her curiously, begging for an explanation with a raised eyebrow.

"Eliza, you look like death, and I know you don't want to stray too far from your mom right now. Carlisle is still sourcing a shipment of blood to be delivered and in the meantime there is a big forest out there with a lot of animals still foraging for food." Rosalie motioned towards the forest, and tried to impart to Eliza how much she wanted to help.

"Are you sure?" Eliza asked, already relenting. In truth she just wanted to lie down and snuggle up to Leah while she waited for her mother to wake up. Maybe watch something mindless and romantic, like a rom-com.

"Absolutely." Rosalie gave her a genuine smile that managed to reassure Eliza who nodded at her warmly.

"Brianna, is that okay?" Eliza asked, worried Brianna still believed deep down that Amber eyes meant her harm.

"Yes." Brianna nodded happily, Eliza pulled her into a soft hug which Brianna tightened and lingered for a few extra seconds before pulling away and literally pushing her new sister back towards the house. Eliza chuckled and waved as Brianna followed Rosalie into the woods.

"This kind of hunting is similar to what human's do, although we have some advantages that make it quite a bit easier. First try to clear your mind and focus on your sense of smell." Rosalie explained, closing her own eyes so she could describe it more accurately. "It is a musky scent, different from the molds and dirt, it will feel like lines that weave through the woods."

"I can almost see it, that's so neat." Brianna said excitedly.

"The strongest scent is almost always the most recent, take lead and follow that one and see what we find." Rosalie instructed, opening her eyes to see Brianna's reaction. The girl nodded and took off almost immediately.

Two things were apparent right away, first Brianna was not injured or ill in any way. Secondly, she was very, very fast. It took some effort to match Brianna, and when she pulled ahead there was simply no way to push to catch up. Rose followed behind as well as she could, but it was like chasing a cheetah on a bicycle, there was just no way to keep pace. She wanted to call out to get the girl to slow down, but figured she was only a couple of seconds ahead. It couldn't hurt to let her run at her own speed. Then Brianna stopped, her body rigid standing along the southern edge of Ozette lake. A small group of row boats dotting the water a couple of hundred meters out. The older men dressed in thick coats and fur lined hats, casting fishing lines into the deepest part of the water.

"I don't feel the burn anymore." Brianna looked over at Rosalie. "They're just people now."

"I envy that, the burn is what makes us different from them." Rosalie glanced over at her in surprise, she knew Brianna had gone through some changes but that was more than she expected.

"You fight against that pull to kill, right? That's what your eyes mean?" Brianna asked, looking at her for confirmation.

Rosalie nodded, "that's right, we only drink animal blood. Mostly from butcher shops, but occasionally we have to hunt to satiate that instinct. Hunting is still a natural impulse for us."

"Then, am I still a vampire?" Brianna asked, her eyes questioning.

By the basic definition of the word she was sure that Brianna, Eliza and Isabella qualified as vampires. Yet they were totally different.

Rosalie shrugged, "vampire yes, but I don't know exactly what you are. I think you and your family are different, maybe better, but time will tell us more. I promise if I figure it out before you do, I will explain it as well as I can."

"Thank you." Brianna smiled at her then looked back across the water at the six humans that had no idea how close to death they were. It would take her seconds to reach them, less to render them bloodless. Somewhere inside she knew that pull, that instinct to kill. She could almost hear their blood even from so far away coursing beneath their skin. She licked her lips, and knew it was a temptation she would always have. Yet it was so much easier to ignore than it was before.

"You're welcome. So Brianna, what do you like to do?" Rosalie clapped her hands together, wondering if there was even a point to continuing the hunt.

Brianna furrowed her brow, trying to think of a reply. It was such a simple question, but she didn't have an easy answer. Which forced up her feelings of inadequacy and self worth. She shook her head at Rosalie then ran in the opposite direction. She knew Rose was following but she found it easy to outpace her. Soon she was far enough ahead that she felt alone.

Brianna could almost feel the ocean nearby. The thick scent of the water at low tide and the muffled roar of the waves crashing onto the rocky shore gave her a sense of peace. A break in the trees ahead opened into a clearing where a wolf was standing alone looking up at the moon. Its fur was pure black, and it stood nearly as tall as her at the shoulder and had a bearing that spoke to its strength. The beast turned as she came to a stop and they met eyes.

The wolf tilted its head slightly, and then padded forward in a calm, almost happy way. Brianna stared at the beast for several seconds, the bright blue of its eyes reminded her of something… her mouth dropped open and a trill of sheer joy burst from her lungs as she rushed towards it without thinking and pulled the creature into her arms. The hug was tight and powerful, her body shaking with emotion.

"You're here. You're real." Brianna whispered breathlessly. "You came back to me." Her voice was childlike and full of innocent love as she buried her face in its fur. "Lily, I'm never letting you go again."

The wolf was still, breathing heavily and its head pointed forward in surprise and shock. It slowly knelt down until Brianna plopped to the ground, and then curled herself up against its belly, shutting her eyes in an attempt to push away her frayed nerves and chaotic thoughts. Within minutes she drifted off, her breathing changing and it gave the wolf a choice. It shifted into its human form, and gently pulled Brianna close, wrapping her arms around the girl.

"I'll never leave you, I'm sorry for doubting this." Michelle shut her eyes tightly, the idea that her wolf form meant that much to Brianna was far too much of a sign to ignore. This was right, no matter how conflicted she felt about it initially. She sat holding Brianna quietly, looking up at the moon and letting her mind drift with thoughts of a vague future, until she heard someone enter the clearing. Looking up she found the blonde vampire she recognized as one of the Cullens.

"Rosalie right?" Michelle asked in a low voice as the vampire walked quietly towards her.

"Yes, what happened?" Rosalie looked down at Brianna with clear worry.

Michelle shook her head with a shrug, "I don't entirely know, she seemed to know me in my wolf form. Then hugged me, we kind of just dropped to the ground here, and she fell asleep in my arms. She called me Lily. How could she know that?"

"Know what?" Rosalie asked in confusion.

"My middle name." Michelle said in awe, looking down and brushing some of the hair from Brianna's face.

Brianna sighed softly, "it was the name of my stuffed wolf, the one I lost when I was four. When my dad… when he killed my mom." Brianna said between sniffles, looking up towards Michelle and realizing that this wolf wasn't a creature born of dreams, it was a shifter. One she had forcibly hugged twice. When she realized what had happened she shut her eyes and sat up and scooted away from Michelle's embrace. "I did it again."

"Hugged me? Trust me, I don't mind." Michelle grinned happily, hoping the reason for the affection was some kind of reciprocal bonding.

"Why?" Brianna asked softly without opening her eyes, reaching out to pull on a blade of grass.

"It's hard to explain, and it's new to me. I've been like this for three days and I never expected… to imprint." Michelle tried to keep the shame out of her voice, but she couldn't help it. Barely a wolf, barely an alpha and she found her forever mate. It seemed impossible, yet she couldn't deny the absolute certainty of the feeling.

"You didn't." Rosalie said glaring down at the naked woman sitting in the grass. Michelle shrugged, totally ambivalent under Rosalie's glare.

"I did, and it's none of your business." Michelle said back with a touch of anger, she might feel shame for imprinting on someone younger than her, even though it was barely three years difference, she would not suffer the opinions of anyone else. Save for Brianna's immediate family, and as far as she was aware the Cullens did not count in that regard.

"Rosalie, it's okay. I trust her." Brianna said ending the conflict.

"Fine, I'll be over… there." Rose pointed vaguely towards the direction of her house and took off with more than a little irritation and worry on her face.

"Brie, or do you prefer Brianna." Michelle asked softly, trying to navigate an extremely awkward situation.

"I never want to be called Bree again, but if you want something shorter my mother's name was Anna." Brianna felt strange talking about her human mother, it was so long that she could barely recall her face. She wasn't exactly a nice person, but she tried to show her love on occasion. Maybe in time she could have learned to be a good mother, but she was robbed of that chance.

"I like that." Michelle opened the bag tied to her leg and pulled on some wrinkled clothes. "I'm dressed now."

Brianna nodded and turned around in the grass. "Lily, I know you're not my wolf, but it meant so much to me."

Michelle shook her head, "I am yours. However you want me, a wolf to hug, a friend or a lover. I am now and always will be here for you."

Brianna looked into Michelle's eyes and held up her chin, "I know what an imprint is, how powerful it can be. You are my imprint?"

"Yes." Michelle nodded, marveling at how possessively she asked the question, as though the imprint were mutual and not a one-sided proposition. She had heard the stories, and was told how there was supposedly one imprint out in the world for every shifter. Yet given how many never met their imprint, Michelle had always wondered if that was true.

Brianna dropped her eyes and stared at the ground, picking at the dead grass again. "It doesn't make sense, how could anyone feel those things about me? Especially someone like you."

"Like me, what do you mean?" Michelle's body stiffened slightly, she didn't like how Brianna seemed to be implying that she wasn't worthy of the imprint.

Brianna risked a look up at Michelle, examining her face again. The depth of her blue eyes, and the shape of her face made her almost blush with the attraction she felt. It was the biggest lie she told herself, and another thing that kept her apart from the rest of her school-mates. Yet Isabella and Eliza both had taken women as mates, so it couldn't be taboo here. Even then, how could she possibly deserve someone so utterly gorgeous?

"Beautiful and strong. You're an Alpha of a pack. Why would you ever imprint on someone like me." Brianna sounded incredulous and a bit disbelieving.

Michelle couldn't hide her anger, "you've said that twice now, I am going to demand that you explain why that sounds negative."

Brianna almost folded in on herself before finally shouting back, "because I'm just an ugly thing! Pitiable. Isabella and Eliza may have rescued me, but I don't know if I'll ever be worthy of their gift or god forbid their love."

"Ugly… That's so… What happened to you?" Michelle shrank back and her mouth fell open. She couldn't wrap her head around such a declaration.

"Dad didn't treat me very well." Brianna said barely above a whisper. "Henry said it wasn't my fault, and that I shouldn't trust anything he said. But it's hard, I was told for my entire life that I was a nuisance, an ugly little monster dragging him down."

"Henry was right. It isn't your fault, but more than that. You are not ugly, you are not a thing. You are a beautiful young woman, powerful in your own right and hardly pitiable. If I understand things, you are one of the first of an entire new race of vampires. Vampires that are not stagnant like stone, but can live and exist with humans and shifters in harmony." Michelle's conversation with her father had been long and extensive. She had so many questions, and Jacob did his best to answer them. It was a bizarre idea to think that Isabella Swan was not only alive, but had become something different, more than just a vampire.

"How do you know that?" Brianna looked at her with wide eyed confusion and disbelief. Michelle knew that just speaking the truth wouldn't be enough. But it didn't matter, even if it took years to convince Brianna of her worth, it would be a challenge she would gladly accept.

"Well, there have been two of us who have imprinted on your family. Twice in as many weeks, despite centuries of animosity and hatred. Usually, we turn when vampires are around as an instinctual reaction to their unnatural presence. Yet you, and your sister and mother are different somehow. Not just better in every way that we can sense, but so different that someone like me can bond my soul to yours without need for an explanation. Our nature would normally prevent an imprint like this, but here we are, which is proof enough." Michelle kept her voice even and confident, hoping it would be enough to get through to her a little.

Brianna shook her head, "I don't know, it is all so much."

Michelle wanted to reach out, but stopped herself. Then she kept her voice soft as she responded, "we don't have to be anything, although I would like to be your friend."

"I'm not… you're wonderful." Brianna said, attempting a smile, but failing a bit to push past her inner sadness. "I mean that everything is too much. Just a couple of days ago I was marching towards Alaska to kill the Amber eyes. My body was failing me step by step, even though I didn't know it at the time. Then we were decimated, utterly destroyed by two creatures shrouded in shadow and moving like demons. Then those same demons came to my rescue. Then I find out that everything I had been told was a lie. The Amber eyes are the good ones. It makes sense now, but at the time I was so afraid. Then they didn't just rescue me, they made me a part of their family. Accepted me without really knowing anything about me. Then we bonded, and I've seen through their eyes what they've gone through. All that miserable torture and pain, and yet they were upset about my history. Then Henry, Esme and Rosalie and now you. All of you are saying these wonderful things and I desperately want to believe. I want nothing more than to be yours, to hold you and love you forever. It is just… this has to be a dream. It can't be real."

Brianna sat still, tears so thick that she could barely see, were streaming down her cheeks. They felt hot and she wiped them away quickly, suddenly afraid that someone would hit her because she was stupid enough to cry. Michelle reached out, and gently placed a hand against Brianna's cheek, the touch was electric and Brianna gasped at the contact. Then she pushed into the touch, shutting her eyes on more tears that rolled over Michelle's fingers.

"I'm real. This is real. Anna… It may be too much, but know this. I was born to love you." Michelle said, her voice full of such warmth and sincerity that Brianna's eyes shot open in shock.

"Oh… wow." Brianna stared into Michelle's eyes, a genuine look of love and acceptance meeting her gaze. Then something inside clicked, and somehow she knew it wasn't a lie and it was her father that was the ugly thing.

Old Swan House - February 5th

Angela could hear Zoey's heart ratchet up as it reached the final seconds of transition, and motioned towards the house so that Charlie wouldn't head off before Zoey woke up. He nodded and they were at her side as her heart stopped and her eyes opened. She looked around searching and as soon as she found Angela and Charlie standing nearby she was on her feet and hugging her mother tightly. Angela managed to hold still despite the pain from Zoey's newborn hug.

"I wasn't sure I actually heard your voices or if it was a fever dream." Zoey said frantically into her mother's shoulder. Angela just stroked her hair.

"We're here." Angela said with a very gentle voice. Zoey pulled back once then hugged her tightly again before switching to Charlie, which caused him to grunt slightly at Zoey's strength.

"Oh… god that's right I'm strong now." Zoey let go of Charlie and stepped away with a sheepish look on her face. Then she looked around the room, which had several of her own personal items from home and furnishings that exactly fit her tastes. The room itself was nearly twice as large as the one she grew up in, and the view outside was north facing onto the backyard and forest beyond. She walked over and opened the window.

"I smell everything." She closed her eyes with a look of joy on her face, inhaling deeply then a strange scent crossed her nose and sent a spike of hunger up her throat. "Oh… so that's what you've always had to endure." She looked back at her family with a new understanding as she took in the scent of nearby humans. It was a painful and deeply attractive scent that her instincts were screaming at her to relent to. However the mental walls created by Angela held firm and she felt no reason to give into those impulses.

"You get used to it." Charlie said with a wry smile. Zoey wondered how they lived in a building with hundreds of humans without giving into their instincts. Even with her mental restraints it was somewhat difficult.

"It will get easier as time progresses and your newborn instincts fade." Angela said with a supportive tone, moving over and pulling Zoey into a side hug. "To answer your other question, we're in Forks."

"Wow, I never thought I would see this place. Is this the view Bella had?" Zoey asked, looking out at the yard again.

"Not exactly, the architect did a lot of landscaping. The trees are basically the same, although quite a bit taller." Charlie said with a shrug. Zoey nodded, and pressed into Angela's side.

"Mom, this place is amazing. I wish…" Zoey started, suddenly feeling guilty for reasons that escaped her in the moment.

"About that, there are two other things you need to know." Angela interrupted her. Zoey nodded for her to continue, "you may have a very powerful gift, telekinesis." Zoey's eyes went wide at that but kept her mouth shut waiting for the other thing. Angela looked down and sighed first before saying the thing that might hurt worse. "Your Aunt Bella is alive, but we don't know where she is."

Zoey started to shake her head, "no that's not possible unless…" Then her head cocked to one side, and she went over to her duffel bag pulling out a laptop. "There are only two possibilities. The Cullens who have almost no online presence, or the Volturi chose to hide her existence for some reason."

"We were going to check on the Cullen house to see if there are some clues there." Charlie added, standing back to let his granddaughter work her magic. He could work a computer in a basic way, but he had no idea how Zoey could do so much with just a few keystrokes.

"Let me check the school. My hack should still work, I doubt Miss Cope thinks about network security very often." Zoey pulled up a command prompt and typed in a few lines of code, then opened up a webpage for Fork High. She navigated through a few prompts, and then opened a few documents scrolling through them very quickly. "Okay, I see current student records for Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Adara. Cullens, god they aren't even being subtle about it. They are all… wait we have an enrollment record for an Isabella Irutlova who just withdrew last week after showing up one day. She has a sister named Elizabeth or Eliza as noted in the preferences by Miss Cope. Eliza missed classes on Friday and has not shown up today. Their guardian Henry Jensen has not called in an excuse today."

"Might as well just announce to the world that they are Volturi. Isabella… that has to be a coincidence." Angela said with a dry chuckle. Zoey started to nod, and then opened up something else and immediately shook her head.

"There's also a headline in the local paper about a strange black cloud of smoke and earthquake-like rumblings emanating from the forests north of Forks. Investigators found the remains of a house that appears to have exploded from a gas line leak, although the damage is suspicious. It was owned by Sunbright Trust, which is a Volturi holding. Imaging scans of the rubble have not found any bodies, but there is a cave network near the house so it is possible they are in there. Henry Jensen and Isabella and Eliza Irutlova are listed as missing. Rescue crews sent into the caves have found nothing, and abandoned the search on Sunday." Zoey looked back at her family with a sad look, wondering if they were too late.

"I need to go. Those Cullen bastards must have answers." Charlie said, almost storming off in a fit of anger.

"Poppop, whatever happened was days ago. If Isabella is Bella, she might be dead." Zoey warned, but Charlie wasn't hearing it and just shook his head before heading out to run towards the house.

Angela blocked him.

"We should go together, or not at all." Angela left him no room to disagree, so he grunted in understanding. Zoey set the laptop on her new desk and followed them down to the car. She smirked upon seeing it, an older model with a sloppy electric conversion sticking out of the old gas tank then caught her reflection in the glass. She had always had a bit of an uneven face, with one eye slightly higher than the other. Now they were perfectly even, all her features were perfect. She was stunning, but for some reason she wasn't thrilled with the changes. It was like looking at a stranger in the mirror. Even the blue dye was gone, her hair had reverted to its normal shade of chestnut brown. At least she retained the length, running her fingers through it she realized it would never change. She looked over at her mom who gave her a knowing smile, it was something she had already accepted long ago, it was just strange to realize it had happened.

"We have a decent portfolio and plenty of resources, why are we driving a high-mileage conversion sedan with peeling upholstery?" Zoey asked as she sat heavily in the back seat, picking at a loose thread she found after settling in and looking around. Charlie started up the engine as soon as they were all inside and the doors closed.

"Probably best not to leave without taking the car to keep up appearances. Also, it may not be pretty or new, but it was easy to jump and large enough for you to rest comfortably in the back. We'll pick up something legitimate later." Charlie explained as he tried to keep to the speed limit.

"Will I get my own?" Zoey's eyes widened with hope, and almost giggled with glee when her mom started to nod.

"Of course, and we'll need to register you for school too." Angela said as though it were obvious.

"Mom, I'm a senior and a vampire. Why do I need to go to school?" Zoey grumbled, she had hoped school was off the table for a while at least.

"To finish out your last year, get into a good college and start your life. Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you have to ignore all of that." Angela answered the way she always did, ending the argument.

Zoey shrugged, and Angela looked back. "There is another reason. Your great-grand cousin Madison goes there."

"I know, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to connect with her." Zoey nodded, she had done a deep dive on Madison already, and had a feeling it might be difficult to befriend her.

"I don't see why not, she may not ever know about us but that doesn't mean we cannot look after her." Angela said as nonchalantly as possible, but she really did want to meet Madison and this was the best way to make that happen. Perhaps it was a manipulation, but Madison was blood, and deserved the same consideration she had given to her brother's and their children.

"Can I have this week at least?" Zoey asked, returning to the argument in a vain hope that Angela might change her mind.

"Sure sweetie." Angela managed a bright smile, but then her expression soured and her eyes shut to focus her gift towards the house closing up ahead of them. "Charlie there are a lot of minds up there. I'm counting over thirty, and not all of them are vampires. One is in transition, and another is vampiric but different somehow."

"That doesn't seem possible, the Cullens were always reclusive." Charlie said warily, suddenly worried that they may have a fight ahead of them.

"Maybe their extended family up in Alaska survived the attack and fled down here." Zoey suggested, but that would only put them up to roughly fourteen members, not thirty.

"If they got your message, that could be hard to explain." Charlie looked over at Angela who shrugged.

Zoey leaned forward, "shifters might account for the rest. There were reports of an alliance between the Volturi and a pack of wolf shifters based out of La Push."

"That doesn't sound like the Volturi." Charlie scoffed.

"Isabella might still have ties with them." Angela suggested, which she reasoned would make sense given how much she loved Edward Cullen. Although she always knew that was never going to pan out, because she knew one day Bella's infatuation with Alice Cullen would come to a head and force a break up.

"I guess we're about to find out." Charlie said as they reached the turn off for the Cullen residence.

Cullen Residence - February 5th

Eliza watched Brianna head off with Rosalie and let her shoulders slump, because in truth she was exhausted. She looked over at Leah who was still nearby and moved over and snuggled into her arms and leaned in tightly.

"She was right, I am pooped and I want to just curl up with you but we don't exactly have any privacy." Eliza looked back at the house full of vampires and shifters, and knew every sofa and chair was occupied.

"I have a place down in La Push. It's not very big but it is mine." Leah offered and Eliza's eyes widened in surprise. It made perfect sense, but she never thought of it.

"That sounds heavenly. I'll let Alice know." Eliza didn't want to just run off, but Leah just smiled and motioned with her head.

"Stay here, I'll run up to tell her." Leah almost ran into the house, but kept her pace to a fast walk.

Eliza shut her eyes and leaned against the railing feeling drained. She checked to see if there was anything coming through the link but Isabella's mind was still dark. She created a one-way portal so that she could hear her mother and sister, but they couldn't hear her. Then waited until Leah came back out. She held her hand back and Leah snaked her fingers through as soon as she was within reach.

Then Eliza pulled Leah forward and into her arms, kissing her deeply and then hugging her for a full minute before pulling away.

"What was that for?" Leah asked, although she clearly didn't mind the affection.

"I'll tell you in a bit, lead on." Eliza motioned for Leah to go and she shifted into a wolf without any preamble. The sudden change was a bit shocking, since Eliza had only seen her in one form or the other. But it made her smile, Leah leaned down and Eliza giggled as she climbed on to Leah's broad shoulders, then she couldn't help but let out a laugh of pure joy as Leah took off towards La Push.

Leah let loose with her speed, she wasn't worried about Eliza or being seen since they were taking the familiar routes outside of the population centers. Before long her property north of the reservation town appeared through a break in the trees, the modest two story house had a nice view of the ocean and a lovely cherry blossom tree that Leah had planted as a sapling over seventy years ago.

Eliza got down and a warm feeling came over her, Leah's house was perfect. Picturesque and quant, with obvious attention paid to upkeep. Several modern upgrades could be seen with the solar array on the roof and the hydro-purifier sticking out from the top of a shed in the backyard. A nice privacy fence surrounded the lot, which took up about an acre.

The house itself was clean inside, decorated over the course of decades, with a mix of new and old furniture and bits of technology scattered deliberately throughout. The living room had a comfortable couch with a matching recliner and a large television and coffee table with a few stains that clearly indicated many nights of hanging out with beers and food spread across it. The small dining room had a circular table overlooking a four pane window that had a view of the tree and the vast stretch of forest to the north.

Leah stood awkwardly behind her as she shut the door. Waiting for Eliza's reaction.

"I love it." Eliza said, spinning around and reaching out to cup the back of Leah's neck and quickly pulling her into another long deep kiss. They kept at it for longer than they had ever kissed before, leaning into the passion and getting a bit heated.

They briefly parted and Leah muttered breathlessly, "would you like to see upstairs?" Eliza nodded and they started moving towards the staircase. Eliza reached for her own shirt first, pulling over her head revealing a simple black bra. Leah wanted to look at her but couldn't pull away from Eliza's lips long enough to make the attempt.

They managed to get to the top of the stairs and into Leah's bedroom. There Eliza froze when she looked at the bed. Leah was suddenly nervous, wondering if Eliza was having second thoughts, but instead Eliza just moved over and picked up the old quilt laying on top.

"Where did you get this?" In truth Leah couldn't remember, she had the patchwork of old t-shirts from restaurants scattered around the country for decades. Most of the logos were worn, but it was still in good condition.

"I don't remember, I think Jake might've given it to me." Leah said with a small shake of her head.

"It was mom's. It was a gift from my grandmother on mom's last human birthday just before the Cullens left." Eliza picked it up and ran a hand over one of the shirts, the logo for a diner off of route 66 that had been gone for decades.

"Oh, wow. I didn't know. I've had it forever, I love that thing, but it's yours if you want it." Leah was at a loss, she had always been curious where it came from but always thought it was something Jake had picked up at a gift shop somewhere.

"No, it's okay. It just means a lot." Eliza sat on the bed, and dropped her head into her hands as she let go and succumbed to the emotions that had been threatening to overwhelm her since they arrived in Forks. Leah sat next to her and pulled her close, and before too long they started to kiss again.

Eliza pushed Leah back on the bed and they started to explore with their hands. Until Eliza started to pull on Leah's shirt and shook her head and sat back with a confused look on her face.

"I'm sorry." Eliza worried she would hurt Leah's feelings. "I know we came down here to have sex, but I don't think I'm ready."

Leah sat back against her headboard and just chuckled softly. "I didn't have any expectations. Don't get me wrong, I want you more than anything, but I'll wait as long as you need."

"It won't be long. I'm just feeling conflicted about being here with you when my mother is still unconscious. Like I can't be happy if she might never come back to me." Eliza tried to explain, realizing it was just an excuse. She honestly didn't know why she suddenly needed to hold back, but knew it was the right choice this time.

"I get it, I kind of feel the same. Although I'm so happy you're here. I have been wanting to show you my home since I met you." Leah said feeling a bit self-conscious about the conversation, although the fact that Eliza wasn't even attempting to cover up was mildly distracting.

"I like this room, it's comfortable." Eliza held up her arms and stretched. Then laid back on the bed with a happy sigh.

"With your house gone, you can stay here as much as you like." Leah offered, wondering if it was the right thing to say.

"Will that be a problem with the council?" Eliza looked over, and then turned onto her elbow to face Leah again.

"No, you're a member of the tribe now. I thought you understood what the imprint meant." Leah frowned a little, but she couldn't expect Eliza to instantly know how their laws worked. Especially when it came to the somewhat strange ways they intersected with the Pack.

"I got that it meant I was never to be harmed, but no I didn't realize." Eliza confirmed with a slow shake of her head.

"Basically they recognize you as my wife, or more accurately my fiancé." Leah blushed slightly as she said the word wife, but said it with a hopeful tone of voice.

"Well, I'll need a ring first." Eliza gave her a sexy look, and held out her hand with her ring finger slightly extended.

Leah's face fell in shock, stuttering out, "I… I can get one for you."

"I'm kidding, we're not there yet. But it's nice to know I'll be accepted by the family." Eliza grinned, and Leah let out a deep breath. Despite her own feelings it was way too soon.

"Seth really wants to get to know you better, maybe a family dinner soon." Leah had been wanting to bring that up, but couldn't find the right moment. Then she thought about the wolf-link chatter she picked up on the way down to La Push. "Oh… there are some developments you should know about."

"Oh?" Eliza raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"There were some imprints earlier today. Seth imprinted on one of Michelle's pack, and so did Sarah Call. When I just shifted I heard some chatter about another Imprint and I'm not sure if you'll like it." Leah didn't really know how to say this, because it created a strange new precedent.

"Who?" Eliza could only think of one possibility and she wasn't sure how she felt about the possibility of one of the wolves imprinting on her new sister.

"Michelle, on Brianna." Leah said, wincing preemptively.

"Figures." Eliza grumbled, and then her eyes shot open wide. "Mom, her mind is starting to…" Eliza was up and out of the house in a flash, grabbing her shirt and throwing it on as she ran. Leah followed as quickly as she could, realizing just how fast her mate could run.

Cullen Residence - February 5th

Isabella forced her eyes to snap open, and found herself laying in thick grass surrounded by a dense wilderness. The ancient gnarled trees didn't look like anything she had ever seen, except in dreams or nightmares. She quickly surveyed her surroundings and her eyes went wide when she laid eyes on a familiar cabin, somehow still standing. A thick mist concealed most of the lines of the structure, but after a few seconds they cleared enough to reveal a figure leaning against the dilapidated wooden railing reading a book.

The woman was more than beautiful, she was ethereal with long silky black hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to sparkle despite the absence of bright light. Her long black dress seemed to be made of the night sky full of stars, and flowed across the wood of the porch several feet behind her. She smiled at Isabella, closed the book with a snap and pushed back from the railing as Isabella got to her feet. In a blink the stranger was only a few feet away, tilting her head and examining Isabella intently.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Isabella asked with a bit of hostility.

"You are where you always are, you never left here. As for who I am, Achlys was the first name given to me by humans, although I've been known as Dea Tacita, Anubis, Ereshkigal, Mortja, Freyja, Mania and so many others. More recently you may know me as Death, although none are my true name." Her voice was playful and oddly charming.

"Shouldn't you be skeletal in a hooded cloak carrying around a scythe?" Isabella said incredulously, not sure how to take the idea that she was having a conversation with Death.

Achlys laughed, the sound bright and lilting then her expression shifted to one of irritation, "me skeletal? No. That is very bad PR. I go to one fucking Halloween party dressed like that and Morpheus starts to spread it around to nightmares. Next thing you know that's how I'm represented. Literally millennia as myself, and suddenly I'm an emaciated specter for all time. I swear, it was unfair retaliation, all I said was that his cake tasted like sugary dirt. I was only being honest, it was so dry. It's irritating, although I did my revenge."

Isabella glared at her in disbelief, "ohhhkay. While this is kind of neat, I guess I'm dead?"

"Not exactly." Death looked at her strangely, her eyes flashing a deep black as she examined Isabella intently.

"That's nice and vague. Wait, is that Harry Potter?" Isabella scrunched up her nose at the implication that a celestial being in charge of something as important as death was reading a book about a boarding school for witches and wizards.

"Deathly Hallows. I know, a bit on the nose, but I finally got a chance to read the series. I must say the latter books are much better." Anubis moved over and picked up the book and turned it over a couple of times.

Isabella shrugged, "I never read them, but Eliza boycotted them for a while until the writer died."

"Yes, that I can understand. I have met several talented souls throughout history who did not deserve those talents. As for this story, I hope things do not develop the way I think they are going. Ron is a twit and Hermione deserves better." Dea Tacita frowned, and opened up the back of the book and flipped over the last page. Her nose scrunching up in disappointment.

Isabella let out a chuckle at the absurdity of the conversation, "you and my daughter would get along famously."

Mortja sighed in contentment, "Eliza. You know I wasn't sure at first, but it turns out I was right about you, she is a wonderful woman. You raised her well."

"Right about me?" Isabella raised her eyebrows, wondering what she meant. Although somewhere inside she felt like she already knew the answer to her own question.

Ereshkigal nodded and began to circle around Isabella. "Our last meeting you were quite out of your mind. I made you an offer, freedom and in exchange you would become my avatar on Earth. You have done well so far, but even with the gifts I have given you and your nature as a true vampire, the injuries you sustained burned out your gift entirely. I've seen many close calls over the years, but I can honestly say I've never seen anyone come that close without crossing the line before."

Isabella didn't bother looking at the strange woman as she moved off towards the cabin again and opened the door. "What does that mean, am I going to die?"

Death moved into the building, looking over her shoulder as she spoke, "that is up to you. I must say you are taking this in stride."

Isabella glared after her as the woman disappeared into the darkness inside of the building. She hesitated for a moment and followed.

"It isn't the strangest thing that's happened to me. But I must know, will they be okay, my children?" Isabella kept her voice neutral as she crossed the threshold, the darkness fading to reveal the cabin as she left it, complete with the overwhelming scent of her own blood, piss and shit. She tightened her jaw as she took it in, reliving each torture as she looked around the room.

"They will survive, although without you it will be a half life." Anubis said sadly, her eyes focused on the blood stained mattress.

"Alice?" Isabella said through gritted teeth, not sure if she even wanted the answer.

"No, she will live for Brianna and Eliza, but she will never be whole." Death knelt down as if examining the filthy bedding as though she were a crime scene investigator.

"Why did you bring me here?" Isabella motioned around the cabin, steeped in unbearable memories.

"I didn't, you did. Just like last time, you called and I answered." Freyja answered, standing up and moving to within a foot of Isabella again.

"I don't remember that, but that's why I can summon darkness?" Isabella reasoned, although she wasn't sure the explanation made any sense to her.

"Oh sweetie, no. The darkness is only the way you manifest my gift." Death smirked, her eyes wide, the irises suddenly swirling into what felt like an infinite whirlpool of color.

"I don't understand." Isabella shook her head, forcing herself to look away after a few seconds.

"You're not supposed to understand fully, not yet. Someday, when you're ready, you will." Anubis sighed and turned away again, moving out of the cabin and picking up her book. She looked at the cover and then tucked it under her left arm. Isabella followed, and jumped slightly when the door slammed behind her.

"Whatever, this is probably some fever induced dream anyway. Will my agreeing to this let me go back to them?" The question formed her resolve to go back to her family. No matter how much she wished for everything to end sometimes, she had no desire to die.

"The two things are not mutually exclusive. You have decided, so you will go back to them, in fact your body has already healed." The answer made Isabella feel a wave of relief.

"But I'll lose my shadow powers if I don't accept your offer?" Isabella wasn't even sure that was a bad thing, but she had gotten used to the power and to lose it felt wrong.

"Yes, and more you do not yet understand." Death said, looking towards Isabella intently again.

"Do you have a limit on how I use that power?" Isabella hedged, knowing she would have to get vengeance on the Volturi for their betrayal.

"What do you mean?" The goddess seemed a touch unsure of the request, and it made Isabella wonder how many others had been given this opportunity.

"I have to hunt down and kill Aro and Caius. Can I use your gifts for revenge?" Isabella decided blunt truth was the best choice given the situation.

The enigmatic being stared at her unblinking for a few seconds and then began to laugh. "I'm death, not love. Revenge away. So, do you accept my offer?"

"If you will not stop my revenge, then yes. I accept." Isabella wasn't sure how to seal the deal, so she nodded. In the same breath she felt something cold flood into her, and for the first time she recognized the presence of the gift as it settled inside again.

Death smiled widely showing sharp teeth, "wonderful, remember well Isabella, the song never changes only the players. Death and Fate have been and always will be lovers. We are like two dancers, spinning endlessly to the same melody, inseparable and forever intertwined. Without the other, we are incomplete. Doomed to watch as the world spins around us. However, the other players will work their will against us, and their efforts may doom the world to a destiny far colder and more brutal than even I could imagine."

Then she paused and licked her teeth once with a long tongue, "oh, and a bit of practical information. If someone ever asks you about an imprint, well, it was a bit of a cosmic mistake with the shifters. The whole soul magic thing is tangentially tied Fate which allows them to tap into the true fabric to see their perfect match. It's complicated, but it isn't as one sided as it appears, the pair are literally perfect for each other. Just like you and Alice, makes my little heart flutter with the feels."

"So Leah is literally Eliza's soulmate." Isabella said with a strange awe and pure joy at the thought, while choosing to ignore the implication that Alice was also her soulmate..

"Yup, kind neat. Actually, you have some catching up to do. Honestly, it's kind of sweet most of the time, but I just wish it was implemented a little better. Writers. Anyway, tootles!" Death vanished like the Cheshire cat, with her slightly disconcerting grin disappearing last.

Isabella stared blankly at the space where the woman was standing, and then felt something pull her upward fast. She shut her eyes, expecting something to happen only instead she found herself sitting up in a mostly empty room. Esme being the lone occupant, sitting in a rocking chair next to her reading from a hardcover copy of the collected works of Shakespeare.

"Thank god." Esme said, shutting the book with a soft snap.

"Where are my daughters?" Isabella said with more edge than was probably warranted.

"Brianna is hunting with Rosalie. Eliza is out with Leah. Alice just stepped away to shower and change. She'll be right back." Esme said with a gentle calmness to her voice. Isabella nodded, and got up ignoring the pain that shot up her calves as her feet hit the ground. The blanket laid over her for modesty was not even acknowledged. She noticed a small pile of folded clothes at the foot of the bed and dressed quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Not even remotely. Why am I here?" Isabella said with a clipped almost hostile voice.

"There was nowhere else to go, and you're family." Esme said, trying to impart how much she wanted to be a part of Isabella's life again.

"Am I? Interesting." Isabella filed that away for later, then nodded at her with a grateful expression. "Thank you for the hospitality Esme."

Isabella thought about saying more, but she wasn't sure how. Instead she left and made the familiar trip to Alice's room where she found her stepping out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel. Alice froze upon seeing her, and rushed over stopping only before throwing herself into Isabella's arms.

"Alice." Isabella said awkwardly, not really sure how to act.

"Isabella, I'm so happy you're back. I should've waited, but I've been in those clothes for three days." Alice frowned, thinking about the outfit she had just deposited directly in the trash. She hadn't quite realized that it was covered in soot until Eliza had woken up.

"Why did you stop?" Isabella asked, ignoring Alice's tangent.

"From what?" Alice looked at her confused.

"Hugging me." Isabella didn't have another way of putting it, she wanted the contact. She wanted to feel loved.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted." Alice said feeling a bit insecure. Isabella just cocked her head slightly and then moved forward and pulled Alice into her arms moving her face to within an inch of Alice's lips. She examined Alice's expression, a heady mix of longing and love, with a hint of want and anticipation. Then she pressed forward and kissed her, losing herself in the embrace.


Author's Note:

I know, I know. I set up the reunion and didn't deliver. I do feel a bit bad, but we had some smoochies, so I hope that helps. We are getting closer to our couples actually doing stuff and I had to put out there that I am torn about how far to go. In the original there was some R-Rated sex stuff, nothing too explicit but there were some minor descriptions of the actual acts. The story is this is already a VERY mature story and honestly, while I don't really feel comfortable writing smut, I don't know where the line is. I suppose I'll just trim anything that feels like it goes too far.

Brianna and Michelle's scene does parallel a similar moment between Brianna and Seth in the original but this is a bit longer and deals more with her trauma. Brianna may throw herself into a romance, and she is more adult than she should be given her trauma. However, she is still about to start her first real relationship. While the rules of an imprint state that this is forever for Michelle, I will still take into account this is a 16 year old who has never had anything good in her life before. It won't be perfectly smooth sailing, no matter if it is fated or perfect.

Eliza and Leah continue to be a source of warmth for me when I write for them, as their relationship just moves forward into real intimacy. While quite a bit older than Brianna, Eliza is also fairly inexperienced with everything. The same goes for Isabella and Alice. Alice was married for decades, and Isabella is far from innocent. However, they are both very broken people who have some untreated mental health issue. For them it is navigating through their trauma and hopefully coming through the other side healed enough to maintain what they have found in each other.

Additional Note: Edit to fix a line that didn't make sense.