I'm doing my best! Truly, I am.

After school, Bella and her small group of friends stood outside the school. Bella leaned against her truck, at ease while her friends discussed weekend plans. This small group of teenagers -sans Lauren- had wholeheartedly taken Bella into their group. Lauren kept shooting angry looks at Jessica, who was leaning against Bella's truck next to her. Bella could see that she was encroaching upon their relationship, but she didn't care.

The administrative office opened, and a buzz exploded from the opposite side of the parking lot. Mike broke off in the middle of his plan-making. He and Bella, the tallest of the group, looked across the lot over the heads of their friends. Bella could see a group of bronze skinned teenagers. They moved in an arrowhead formation. There were five of them: four boys and one girl. The group was made of impressive individuals. They all had short dark hair, large muscles, and they all stood around six feet tall. Bella watched them, before asking, "Who are they?"

Jess put a hand on Bella's shoulder and jumped as high as she could, trying to see over the heads of her friends. Bella laughed, put an arm around Jess' waist, and pulled her into the air. "Oh! Those are the Quileute's. They live on the reservation."

Bella dropped Jess, catching the girl's arm when she landed unsteadily. Jess straightened out her shirt and stood up straight. Angela covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, while Mike just looked confused. "Why are they here? There's a school on the Rez."

"I heard it burned down," Angela chimed in. "There was a storm last week, and lightning struck. By the time they put it out, it was too late. The teenagers are going to come here for a while."

"Oh, are they?" Jess asked, using her cell phone as a mirror. "I wonder if they need a tour guide?" Jess started to walk towards them.

Angela hooked her elbow through Jess'. "Down girl, give them an afternoon to adjust. I'm sure you can drool over them tomorrow."

Jess pouted. "Fine."

"That girl is hot," Mike said. I hope she needs a guide.

Tyler elbowed Mike, while Eric looked ashamed of his friends. "I hate you guys."

Bella zoned out, looking at the group of newcomers. Something was wrong. They all seemed tense, and were making their way over to the Cullen's. Everyone in the group frowned and talked quietly. Bella headed over to join the Cullen's. Emmett and Rosalie both gave Bella tense smiles, and Edward shot her a look. "Bella, get away from here."

The boy in front folded his arms, glaring at Edward. "I don't think you get to tell people what to do," the boy spat. He was angry, his hands shaking. The second oldest boy put a hand on the lead boys' arm.

"Paul," Edward said quietly, "calm down. Don't do this."

The boy, Paul, glared at Edward, who took a protective stance in front of Edward. Bella took a position at Alice's shoulder. Alice protectively stood in front of Bella. This seemed to make the boy angrier. "Get the fuck away from the girl," he snarled at Alice. Bella was surprised; an actual snarl came from the boy, and a deep growl formed in his chest.

The second boy clamped down hard on Paul's shoulder. The boy's brown eyes were flashing a fierce yellow green. What the hell is he? Bella thought to herself. The girl stepped up. "Jake, he's gonna lose it. We have to go."

"Leah, we can't just drag him out of here."

"We can't just let him turn here!" The youngest boy said.

"I said, get away from her!" Paul growled again as his arms shook harder. Bella could see his nails start to grow.

Bella did what felt right, and she took a chance. "Paul," she said loudly, authority in her voice, "Calm down." Everyone looked at Bella in shock. Paul stopped shaking immediately. He looked at his hands in surprise. The growling stopped, his forehead smoothed out, and his eyes returned to a warm, vibrant brown. The gathered Cullen's and Quileute's looked at Bella in surprise. "What?" Bella said with a shrug. "He was gonna lose it."

Paul continued looking at his hands in surprise. "How-how did you do that?"

"I just have good instincts."

"Guys," Bella said, looking at the crowd around them, "People are staring."

Paul reached out, in control of his emotions, to shake Edward's hand. Edward took it, a false smile on his face. "It was good to see you guys. I'm glad we're going to school together."

"Likewise," Edward said. The Quileute's turned away and jumped into an old four door pickup. They sped out of the parking lot.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Emmett clapped Bella on the shoulder. "How did you stop the-?" Rosalie elbowed Emmett in the side, and a gentle 'oof' escaped him."

"The what?"

"I've never seen anything like that before. You stopped Paul before he could completely lose control." Edward looked at Bella, amazed. "How did you stop him?"

"Let's save the third degree for later?" Alice asked gently. "The entire student body seems to be interested in what's happening over here."

"Let's go, you big oaf," Rosalie said, dragging Emmett to his Jeep. He threw an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "I assume we'll see you at the house?" Rosalie called over her shoulder.

Bella looked at Alice. "You've got some explaining to do," Alice said as she shrugged.

Jasper dragged Edward to the Volvo. "We'll see you soon!" Jasper called as he shoved Edward into the driver's seat.

"How did she do that?" Bella heard before the door closed.

"So, I guess you're traveling with me, huh?" Bella said to Alice. "It seems your siblings have left you all alone."

"It would seem so."

"Bella!" Mike called from the Suburban, as he pulled up next to her. "You didn't answer us about the beach."

"This weekend, right?" Bella asked.

"Yep!"

"I'm sure I'll be there." Mike reached out the window for a high five. Bella obliged, and Mike pulled away."

"So, what are you going to tell my family?"

Bella's easy smile slipped just a bit. "I don't know. Are you guys going to tell me about the Quileute's?"

"Is that even a fair information trade?" Alice asked.

"Not at all. I can't just tell people the truth, you know? Haven't you heard the phrase, 'two can keep a secret if one of them is dead?'"

Alice smirked and started walking to Bella's truck. Bella took a few long steps to catch up to Alice. "Good news for you is that we're all dead." Bella rolled her eyes and opened the passenger door for Alice. "You know, we could run to my house faster than this truck could get there."

Bella mocked Alice. "You know, meh meh meh."

"Bella, for how old you are, you act like a child."

Bella shut the door on Alice and walked around the truck. She hopped in. "I've had a lot of time to mature. Anyways, we're stopping at my house to pick up Charlie. In the meantime, I'll figure out what I can tell your family."

Bella's truck rumbled up the long drive to the Cullen house. "What are you telling them?"

"I have no idea. The bare minimum."

"Well, I need an idea. If I'm not careful with my thoughts, Edward will hear them."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you see, we have special abilities."

"Vampires have special abilities?" Bella laughed. "I'm amazing!" Alice slapped Bella's knee. Bella caught her hand and didn't let it go. "So, what can you guys do?"

Alice looked at their joined hands. She looked shocked. Bella let go of Alice's hand with a small smile on her face. Alice cleared her throat. "I'm not sure if I should tell you." She thought about it, "Well, I've told you Edward can read minds. I can see the future."

Bella slapped the steering wheel. "That is so cool. How can you keep what I am away from Edward?"

"I've lived with him for a long time. He's been alive since 1901, you know?"

Bella nodded. "I know." Before Alice could ask, Bella jumped out of her truck and walked around to open Alice's door. "M'lady." Alice looked at Bella, then jumped lightly out of the truck. "Can they hear us now?" Bella whispered.

"Probably," Alice said at normal level.

"Eavesdropping is rude!" Bella yelled. Charlie jumped out of the truck and charged into the woods.

Emmett opened the door, laughing. "We can't help it. So, you know? Alice, I thought I was gonna be the one to crack!"

"That's because you have zero sense of what's happening around you if it's not in a video game," Rosalie called from in the house.

"Invite her in, Emmett!" Esme's voice drifted out.

"Bella, please come in," Emmett said sarcastically.

Alice caught Bella's hand happily, pulling her towards the house. Bella dug her heels in, refusing to be dragged. Alice spun around and pouted, which is exactly the distraction Bella needed to grab Alice and throw the little vampire over her shoulder. "Let's go, Little Cullen. Your family is waiting."

"You know, Bella, this is rude."

Bella laughed as she walked into the beautiful Cullen mansion. Esme greeted her. "Hello Bella, and," she paused, "my daughter's rear end."

"This is not by choice!" Alice shouted from behind Bella's back.

"So, I've been promised some answers about the Quileute's?" Bella inquired.

"And I demand some answers about anything!" Edward called as he came down the stairs.

"Demand?" Alice said angrily from behind Bella.

Jasper followed Edward down the stairs. He wrapped his arms around Edwards waist, and threw the angry vampire over his shoulder. "Jasper, put me down!"

"We're going to try that again," Jasper said. He disappeared up the stairs at superspeed.

After a moment of silence Alice pounded on Bella's back. "Can I be released now?"

Bella dropped Alice. Alice gracefully hit the ground on her feet. "Rude."

Esme and Emmett laughed. Edward came back down the stairs, a much calmer look on his face. Jasper followed him, smirking. "Forgive me," Edward said. "We would love to answer your questions about the Quileute's. We also hope you can answer some of ours."

Rosalie laughed at Edward, while Emmett whisper, "Whipped." That earned him a sharp slap on the back of his head from his mother.

"Where's Carlisle?" Bella asked, amused by the family's antics.

"Night shift at the hospital. We'll answer your questions as best we can. Please, sit down."

Bella followed Esme's directions. She sat down on the white couch. The Cullen family sat around her. Alice sat next to Bella. Rosalie arched an eyebrow at her sister, but Bella was focused on Esme. "Okay, tell me about the new kids."

"The Quileute's are shifters. They can switch from their human form to a wolf form."

"Lycanthropes? Interesting."

Edward chimed in. "Not quite. They're more of wolf shifters. They're not true werewolves. The moon has no effect on them, and they change at will, mostly because of vampires. The problem with these wolves is they're young and extremely susceptible to their emotions."

"And you're not, Masen?" Bella quipped.

Edward folded his arms. "I'm not susceptible to my emotions," he pouted.

"Right," the family laughed at Edward's expense. "So why do they hate you guys?"

"Instinct, really." Emmett shrugged. "It's what they were born for. Fighting us. They're kind of cool."

"How did you stop them?" Edward demanded.

"I just went off instinct, honestly. I didn't know what those Qulieute's were, but I felt like I needed to stop them. So I told them to chill out." Edward stared at Bella. He seemed to find the truth there.

"What are you?" Edward asked.

"Next question." Bella said, folding her arms.

"What-" Edward continued, but Emmett cut in over him.

"So, like, how old are you?"

Bella laughed. "I am very, very old." Bella looked around the room. "I would guess that I'm older than all of you. Older than Masen's 1901. At least."

Jasper whistled. Emmett and Rosalie had identical expressions of surprise. Esme didn't let her surprise betray her. Jasper simply looked impressed. "1844?" He asked quietly.

"Older than that."

"Older than 1640?" Jasper continued.

"Older than that." Bella smirked, clearly impressed with herself.

"How?" Edward asked. "What are you?"

"Isn't it rude to ask a woman what she is?" Bella laughed and threw her arm around the back of the couch. Alice leaned subconsciously into it. "I can't tell you too much. But it's not because I'm rude. It's to protect you. There are," Bella hesitated, then looked quickly at Alice before looking away again, "people, who, if they knew I was here, would be after you guys too." Bella shrugged. "You don't live this long without making enemies." Bella smiled.

"We have trouble," Edward said suddenly. A howl erupted from the woods. "It's the Quileute's."

Bella jumped up. "Charlie!" Bella threw open the front door to find Charlie on the front porch, growling into the woods. The Cullen's came onto the porch around Bella. A group of wolves emerged, led by one distraught boy. He was pulling on his shorts as he stumbled over a root.

The boy, Paul, jumped up, hurrying to the porch. The Cullen's growled, and Alice took a power stance ahead of Bella. He stopped short, seeing the look on Alice's face and the snarling dog in front of him. "Bella, please. I don't know what you did but, somehow," he looked at all the snarling wolves around him, "you severed my connection to my pack. Please, put it back."

I hope this is a fun continuation.

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