A/N: Here's another installment of this story for you. Sorry about the wait, but I've had a lot of projects thrust upon me and more are coming. This update is rather short and fast, but I've been pressed for time. Please give it a shot and enjoy it.
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Sadie was fed four bowls of chili before Esme seemed content that her new guest was full enough to make up for the weeks out in the wilderness. In all honesty, Sadie knew that she could have consumed a few more bowls, probably even finishing off the entire pot of chili, but she didn't want to seem like a pig. Besides, Esme said that there was going to be another human there and that human probably had to eat something too.
"And this is where you'll be staying," Alice announced, opening a door to a room on the tour of the house. "We never really use this room since there was no need because we're usually buddied up when it comes to bedrooms." She looked at Sadie with a frown. "Sorry. You probably didn't want to know that."
Sadie shrugged. "Bed buddies really never bothered me as long as I wasn't present for any of it. You'd be surprised to see what I can tolerate," she said, following Alice into the room. "Whoa."
The queen sized bed dominated the room and was covered in what she knew were expensive black blankets. The large windows allowed for tons of sun to fill the room which lacked overhead lighting. A wardrobe sat off in the corner next to a modest desk, the doors opened to reveal tons of clothes that she had never seen before.
"Do you like it?" Alice asked, watching Sadie move further into the room. "Esme and I tried to figure out what your favorite colors and stuff were by the contents of your bag. And we had to find you some new clothes because, well, yours were ruined beyond saving. We can take back anything that you don't like – the tags are still on most of the clothes…"
"No, no," Sadie said, running her fingers over the clothes. "These look like my typical style." She allowed a small smile to spread across her face. "Thank you for getting them for me. I hope that you didn't spend a lot on them."
"Money really isn't a problem with us," Alice admitted. "I think that you're going to be happy here. If you give it a chance…"
"I can try." Sadie plopped down on the bed and sighed in contentment at having something soft under her still slightly sore body. "So, who should I know around here?"
"Well, you already met most of us," Alice said, plopping down on the bed next to Sadie. "Edward is going to be here any minute now with his girlfriend, Bella. She's a human, but a part of the family nonetheless. And try not to think about how weird that is because he will hear you if you do."
"He'll hear my thoughts?"
"Yeah…um, he can hear everyone's thoughts, except for Bella's and we don't know why he can't hear hers, but that doesn't matter. You'll see that some of us have unique powers that other vampires don't possess." Alice pointed a finger at herself. "I can sometimes see what the future holds, no matter where a person in my life goes. That's how I knew you were going to be coming and what condition we had to prepare to find you in." She shook her head. "When you were contemplating going off towards the east, I had a feeling that you weren't going to be found in time…but that doesn't matter. You're here and you're safe."
"Oh." Sadie hesitated a moment. "Does anyone else have powers?"
"Jasper. He's an empath." Alice smiled. "If you ever feel down, he'll probably try to make you happy again. Sad emotions bog him down." Her eyes turned towards the windows. "Rosalie and Emmett really don't have powers like us, but that doesn't matter. We're a happy little family for the most part. Between you and Bella, life has gotten a lot more interesting than it's been in a very long time." The vampire slid a glance in Sadie's direction and a frown tugged at her lips. "You're going to have to forgive Rosalie. She's got a bad attitude when it comes to new people in the family and she absolutely can't stand werewolves. We can act like a buffer zone, but there's only so much that we can deflect. Sorry."
"I can handle it," Sadie muttered, rubbing a hand over her face.
"I hope so."
Sadie fell back on the bed and buried her face against the pillow, breathing in the sweet scent. "Do I have to do anything else today? I feel like I could sleep for days and then eat a horse."
"I would say that after all the travelling you did, that you deserve a few days of sleep, but you were asleep for a very long time when we got you. You didn't even react when we were cleaning you up." Alice patted her on the hip. "And you have to eat under the supervision of Carlisle. He wants to you to heal properly and not rush it." The vampire popped up onto her feet. "C'mon Sadie. Edward's here with Bella."
Sadie made a small groaning sound into her pillow. "I'll be back to you soon, fluffy pillow."
Alice pulled her to her feet and wrapped a supportive arm around Sadie's shoulders. "Remember to keep your thoughts pleasant around Edward."
The sound of a car door closing somewhere outside made Sadie hesitate for a moment, remembering things that she didn't want anyone to glean from her. "Is there a way to keep him from getting into my thoughts?"
Alice shook her head and propelled the girl out of the room. "Nope. But I have found success in keeping him in the dark by focusing on translating the Bible into Old English."
"Great…The only languages I know are English, Spanish, and Sarcasm and I'm pretty sure that he knows all of those."
"We all do, even Emmett which is a feat in itself, but I'll let you learn some things for yourself. Okay? Now smile."
Sadie brushed back her hair and followed Alice down the stairs, hearing the beating heart of a human. Esme was greeting the newcomers with warm hugs and a peck on the cheek, but they hesitated when Sadie paused on the staircase. The vampire male, Edward, stared up at her with a questioning look on his face and pulled who she guessed was Bella closer to his side.
"Who is she?" Edward demanded.
"A new houseguest," Carlisle announced, standing just at the bottom of the staircase.
"Hi," Sadie said, giving a small wave. "I'm Sadie, but you probably already knew that…"
Edward glanced at his surrogate father again, cocking an eyebrow. "She's going to be staying here with us instead of the rest of her kind?"
"Edward, she has good reasons about why she doesn't want to go onto the reservation with Sam and the others, even if she hasn't told anyone what those reasons are," Carlisle said firmly. "And don't bother her about them either. Sadie is my guest and she will be treated with the same respect that everyone gets in this house. Just like Bella."
Sadie bit her bottom lip and shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. No one had ever stood up for her before. It was a strange experience and she hoped that she wouldn't have to have someone do that for her many more times. She wasn't weak, except for the fact that she was recovering from her journey, and probably could hold her own if someone attacked her.
Edward's amber colored eyes burned on her and she knew that he had heard her thoughts since they hadn't been shielded from him. Sadie tipped her head back and moved down the stairs. She held a hand out to Bella first, shaking the human girl's hand firmly. When she offered the same hand to Edward, she didn't expect him to shake it, but a smirk crossed his lips and he shook her hand in a firm grip that only vampires could have.
Friends? Sadie wondered, holding his grip for a moment longer.
The smirk on his face grew larger and he squeezed her hand before looking at Esme. "Is there still some of your chili left over? Bella didn't feel like eating Italian food today…"
And just like that, the attention was off of Sadie for the time being. She watched Edward and Bella walk off with Esme, leaving her in the hallway with Carlisle and Alice. Alice patted her on the arm and smiled.
"That went as well as I expected," Alice commented, smiling.
"Sure it did," Sadie said, rolling her eyes. Her gaze turned onto Carlisle and softened. "Carlisle, thank you…for everything."
Carlisle smiled at her and she felt her uneasiness melt away. "Sadie, you are a guest in my home and can remain here for as long as you want. I understand that you have your secrets and reasons for travelling so far in deplorable conditions and that you may or may not one day reveal them to us. I will respect your privacy as will the others, but I want you to know that you are safe here and welcome to all that we have."
"Thank you," Sadie said, ducking her head.
Esme appeared nearby and looked at Carlisle expectantly. "Can Sadie have more chili, Carlisle? Bella doesn't think that she can eat the rest of it on her own."
The thought of more food made Sadie's food rumble loudly. She clamped a hand over her stomach and felt heat flush her face. Carlisle nodded with a small understanding smile.
"As long as she eats slowly, she can have some more. But no ice cream can follow it, Esme. I want to keep the heavy things off her stomach for a few more days."
Beaming, Esme motioned for Sadie to follow her. Sadie disentangled herself from the hands of Alice and followed the matronly vampire into the kitchen.
OOOOOOOOO
Sadie laid on the bed that she had been given by the Cullens and stared up at the ceiling. All was quiet around her, no heartbeats to be heard from the undead occupants of the house. The only sound she could hear was the sound of Edward playing on the piano downstairs. His soft music made her feel peaceful, though she was wondering if it also had something to do with all the warm food that she had consumed since waking up in their care.
She glanced over at the windows and listened as the wind picked up. Her body shuddered as she remembered the howls of her pack mates as they battled their enemies. She could smell the blood and the sickly sweet scent of vampires as well as the heavy musk of other wolves. Sadie had to bite down on her bottom lip hard to keep herself from making any noise. The last thing she needed at the moment was to have the rest of the house come into her room to see what was going on.
Drawing blood probably wouldn't be wise to do either, she reminded herself when the first coppery drop touched her tongue. They wouldn't like wolf blood, but the blood itself would make them question what's going on in here. Oh my God! What if Edward can hear my thoughts right now?
Sadie draped an arm over her face and slowly released her bottom lip. The taste of blood vanished as her increased healing took hold. This is going to take some getting used to. I never thought I'd have to guard my thoughts again. Or have a place to call home. Or have nice people actually care what happens to me. They may be vampires but they're nicer to me than anyone has been to me in a long time. If I can handle this, I can handle anything. Right?
"Right," she whispered to the ceiling.
And tomorrow I'll probably meet the rest of the family. Great.
The soft sound of Edward laughing met her ears as he changed the song that he was playing into another one. Sadie thought of a hand flipping him the bird as she slowly allowed her thoughts to quiet down. She was asleep by the time Edward reached the middle of his song.
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A/N: Please leave a review in the small box and I will probably get back to you in a timely manner. Thanks in advance, everyone! –Scarlet
