Chapter 1: Openings

Authors Note: This is from Edward's POV

Another day in a paradise I never earned. Bella, the love of my life, winner of my heart, was playing checkers with our daughter in our cottage. Soon Reneesme would be advancing to chess, if she hadn't already picked up the game from watching her uncles play. Even I had a hard time keeping track of just how fast she learned and grew. I sat in a chair, reading a book by Terry Pratchett. While his most famous series had started in the 80s, I hadn't read any of them until recently. Along with his regular humour, I found his completely wrong depiction of vampires to be quite side splitting. I laughed aloud every time one of his characters said "everyone who knows anything about vampires knows that".

To think there would be different types of vampires just because of the regions we were changed in. Like subspecies on different evolutionary chains...although I had to admit that being more exposed to the global vampire community, it wasn't completely without merit. Certainly we had our differences, but more cultural than biological, just like the humans. Still, Pratchett had clearly taken the false propaganda spread by the Volturi and just gone further in his imagination. All of the myths about garlic, coffins, stakes, holy water and even lemons were in here. One vampire was even killed by a cat of all things. It had been several years since I had last seen a house-cat.

As a rule, we avoided pets, both owning them and visiting humans with them. Our lifestyle and our unchangingness made ownership of animals impractical. I know my mother Esme would not be able to bear having only a few short years with a dog or cat only to have to watch it die. Plus, even domesticated, most animals had access to a plethora of senses that humans lacked. They saw through our lures because despite my family's diet, animals were not the prey we were designed for. Cats saw us and ran, dogs tended to avoid our scents. Though, if Pratchett had know how many of Greebo's larger cousins I had drained of their blood, maybe he would have rethought putting his witch's cat into the coffin.

I looked up from the book I read in front of our cottage to the field where my wife and daughter played. Soon I would join them, after a few more pages. She wore a conforming burgundy sweater that fit snug to her shapely body and blue jeans. A brief shudder ran through me as I remembered the ghastly sweater she had worn as a human. So unflattering and shapeless, hiding her very femininity beneath its baggy folds. Nowadays of course, Alice bought all of the clothes for the family and dressed us. My sister would not hear Bella's protestations when she vowed the disposal of her human wardrobe.

Alice was not entirely wasteful. Everything still in good condition had been donated to reputable charities. At least, those clothing items that Alice deemed acceptable to go on another person. Some items my sister decided that the less fortunate should not be hampered by the extra burden of having to dress like that. They had it difficult enough, those humans could at least be looking nicer while clothed and warm or so Alice claimed.

I got to the sweater first though.

Alice saw that I would. She saw what I would do, so she allowed it. In fact Alice never even questioned me on the frumpy sweater. Ok, she never outright stated her approval, but the smirk in her thoughts gave it away. Neither of us had told Bella though. At the time, my wife had still possessed the extraordinary strength of a newborn vampire and the temper, despite the control. I did not need to see a display of that power over a sweater.

Bella had been out, what I know now was to see Mr Jenkins. Charlie and Jacob were watching Reneesme. It gave me an opening to slip in to Bella's former room and isolate myself with the sweater. My eyes flashed now with the memory.

It had been quick.

It had been brutal.

I ended the frumpy sweater that day!

I was efficient but also thorough about it. The only thing I had needed were my hands.

Now no trace of that horrendous garment existed to be found and my days of bliss were that much better. Despite the natural stillness of my species, an involuntary shudder passed through me at the memory of the hideous sweater.

Just as Agnes was commenting how people have to kill their own vampires, I set the novel down. It was time to enjoy my life with my gorgeous wife and wonderful daughter. Bella had just won their board game, although Nessie seemed to think that her mother had cheated. It was hard to see who was in the right as Bella gently shushing our daughter. While Bella was not as bad as my siblings when it came to cheating at games…she did not like to be beaten by a little girl who was in reality only two years old. Physically she resembled a nine year old and was far smarter than any human nine year old, despite the lack of life experience.

I swept aside the disputed checkers board and burst open the door. The day was bright, clear and our cottage had no human witnesses for many miles. I took the most important ladies of my life into the glow of the day that was ours to have. We reflected the light every which way, seeming to burn the grass as we raced across it.

Here was a game without rules or structure. Racing and chasing, my small family sped across the wilderness. Each of us laughed incessantly as we let loose to our speed. No human, if they were there, could have been capable of tracking our movements. Despite our random speed, we were gentle on the flora about us. Our wooded home was so perfect, none of us could bear to see it damage. My family needed to kill the local animals in order to continue to survive, but we each consciously acted not to be more destructive than absolutely necessary. When you are immortal, care of the planet means that much more.

I reflected on my love for my family as we ran about. The reality is how blessed I was with having all of the family I could ever want in my life. Bella got to share in that too, and even got to have her father, Charlie in her life. Charlie's care and calm was a blessing on all us. Luckily the Volturi were currently unaware that he…

Aro had seen my thoughts and Alice's. He had seen ALL of our thoughts up to that point. I slowed and stopped my legs as my streaming thoughts brought me to a reality that I SHOULD have seen a year ago. That had I not been such an idiot, I should have put together before I ever let Aro touch me in that clearing…My eyes widened in horror of another justification for the Volturi to come back for us. But if that was the case, then Aro would have mentioned in during our confrontation. So clearly the information was not a big deal to him. Besides, we knew that the return of the Volturi was inevitable, but most likely they would wait a few decades for us to let our guard down. Not worth upsetting Bella's peace of mind over. I still hadn't told her that her mother unconsciously projected her thoughts on everyone around her.

By now Bella and Reneesme had noticed my paralysis and halted their frolicking. I adjusted my expression upon seeing the grave concern on Bella's face,

"Edward, what's wrong?"

I didn't bother to plaster on a fake smile, Bella would see through it too easily, but my most recent pondering had given me an idea,

"Bella, my love, I was just thinking that it has been a long time since you had called your mother. I know it might be hard to explain all the changes that have happened. Our plan A with Charlie failed miserably. I know how much you love her though, maybe it is time to call her. A phone call couldn't hurt much. I was just thinking how much it would hurt Esme if I went so long without calling."

My wife's lovely face brightened up past what the refracting sun beams could ever do.

"Oh Edward, sometimes I have wondered, but always stopped myself because of all the questions I wouldn't be able to answer. Renee would never be able to handle it as well as Charlie. But I think it has calmed down enough, we can figure out a better story than we tried with Charlie."

I smiled, happy to have far more conquerable problems.