Chapter 10 - Gift
BPOV
The following few days were awkward to say the least. Edward kept his word though. He didn't overstep. I could see the longing in his eyes to be closer to me, but he remained at a respectful distance. I knew the rest of the family was curious, but they didn't push me to explain what was going on. Neither did they push Edward. We settled into a rhythm of sorts. We spent time together as a family in the mornings. Usually we would break off and do our own things in the afternoon. Sometimes in the evening we would hunt in groups. Other times we would stay and chat together again. The beginning of the night we spent playing games or working together on projects.
Esme and Edward spent this time making his room, which delighted Esme of course. His room was the one across from mine. I wasn't too sure how I felt about that. But I dealt with it. The rest of the night until the morning the couples all retreated for some private time and I was grateful for the soundproofing that had been done to the extreme. There were only slightly muffled sounds to be heard if I concentrated. I usually didn't and made sure I had some music on when that all started.
I was in my room tonight as well. I sat on the window seat, the glass had been repaired already, as if I had never jumped through it. I was reading but my mind was drifting to Edward every now and then and wondering what he was up to. I sighed and tried to force myself to focus on my book. Try as I might still my mind wandered to Edward. He'd been respectful these past days. He hadn't touched me, although I could sometimes see his eyes linger on my face, my body and a longing would fill them. I knew he wanted nothing more than to hold me again, that I would be his again. But I wasn't sure how to do that exactly. We had trust issues, that much was obvious. I bit my lip wondering how we were going to solve them.
Time was one factor probably. Time to see him honour his word that he would change his behaviour. The more time I had spent with Rosalie, the more I had realized that Edward had been controlling for longer in our relationship than just the part where he decided to leave me for my own good. I knew it was partly because of his instincts to protect me, and because I had been human those instincts had warred greater within him than if I had been a vampire from the start. Still it was something I had realized and did not care to repeat. He needed to see I was a strong independent vampire now. He needed to respect that fact. I wasn't weak or helpless and I didn't need anything decided for me. if he could show me he could do that, then we could work from there. So far he hadn't done anything to disprove himself. But it had only been a few days. We continued like this for a while longer.
One night when the rest of the family was otherwise occupied. He stopped by my room and asked me to join him on a hunt. His eyes had still been amber, so he hadn't been thirsty at all. But it had been my third day since I had last hunted. I had planned to ask Rosalie later to join me, so I bit my lip and nodded.
'Alright.' I murmured, setting my stuff down and stuffing my feet in a pair of sneakers. Edward remained near the door respectfully. 'Where are we going?'
'Close by.' He said. 'There's probably some elk near the stream a little ways north of here.'
'Alright.' I tried not to wrinkle my nose at the thought of elk. Of every animal we could hunt, I hated elk the most.
His lips pulled up in a half smile. 'I know. They're not the best.' He agreed. It seemed I hadn't been doing a well enough job at hiding my distaste.
I shrugged. 'better than nothing.' I stated. He nodded.
We descended the stairs and I noticed Edward wince as we passed the second floor. I tried to hold in the chuckle. As soon as we were out the door we started running. We ran side by side keeping pace with each other.
'How have you survived for this long with them?' I asked. 'I mean the soundproofing helps me, but I'm sure you can hear just about everything.'
He grinned at me. 'I made sure to be out of the house most of the time.' He said. 'Music helps too. I could usually turn it up loud enough to drown most of it out.'
I grinned. 'I wonder..' I stopped, shaking my head.
'what?' Edward pressed.
'No, nothing. Never mind.' I muttered.
Edward groaned. 'please, Bella. Please tell me.' he pleaded. I knew it drove him insane to not be able to hear my thoughts. And if I spoke half an idea and then stopped it drove him insane trying to guess what I could have been trying to say.
'Well, I just wondered. If perhaps my mind being closed to yours is something I could try to expand. What if it was like a… a shield or something.'
Edward stopped suddenly. I turned around quickly and headed over to him to look at him. 'It's stupid I know… I already have my super control as a gift. I shouldn't even be thinking of this.' I quickly muttered feeling embarrassed.
Edward shook his head. 'No!' he said quickly. 'No, I think you're right. A shield! I can't believe I didn't think of that before.'
'Why would you?' I asked confused. 'Is it something common?'
'No not at all. But it would make sense that your silence was something unique and powerful. It was a lame theory on my part to suggest you simply worked different. I've never met anyone I couldn't read, of course a shield is much more likely.'
I grinned at that. 'So you really think it could be something?'
He nodded. 'Definitely. And I think it can be amazingly powerful as well. I'll talk to Carlisle when we get back. He'll know someone who knows about shields. We can try and see if we can train you.'
I grinned at him and nodded. 'I'd like that.'
He smiled at me and then sniffed the air. 'It seems we're in luck. There's some coyotes close by.'
I sniffed as well and noticed the smell immediately. We sank down into crouches and let our senses lead us.
When we had returned home, most of the couples had remerged from their nightly activities. Carlisle was downstairs when Edward excitedly burst through the doors ahead of me.
'Carlisle!' he yelled. Carlisle looked up from the book he was reading and stared at Edward in surprise.
'Yes?' he asked. Esme looked up from her sketches as well. She gave me a quizzical look and I shrugged.
'Ah, sorry.' Edward had the grace to look abashed for his loud outburst. 'I thought you would still be upstairs.'
'No worries. What is it, son?' Carlisle asked.
'Well, Bella had a theory and I wondered if you would know something about it.'
'What kind of theory?'
Edward walked over and sat down on the coffeetable across from Carlisle. Esme gave him a look but he was so wrapped up in whatever Carlisle was thinking or what he was going to say that he didn't notice. I sat down next to esme on the couch. She wrapped an arm around me immediately and I leant into her, soaking up the comfort she gave eagerly.
'About her silence.' Edward said. 'Her mind. What if it's a shield?'
Jasper appeared in the doorway. 'A shield?' he mused.
Carlisle looked at me then. 'I suppose it is possible.' He thought about it for a moment.
'But for it to manifest as a human, it would have to be immensely powerful.' Jasper said.
'Wouldn't we have been able to see something by now?' Esme asked.
'If it's a purely mental shield it wouldn't really be noticeable for us, except for Edwards ability being thwarted.' Carlisle said.
'And Bella's so used to it, she wouldn't think to try and expand it either.' Edward said.
'No, she would have no reason to.' Carlisle mused.
'Do you think Eleazar would be able to tell?' Alice asked, appearing at Jasper's side.
Carlisle was already nodding. 'yes. I think that would be probable.'
'Are there other's like it?' Edward asked.
'I only know of one. It's not exactly like Bella, but similar. Renata, a member of the volturi guard, she's a physical shield.'
'What does that mean?' I asked.
'Well when you head towards her, she has the ability to divert you. suddenly you find yourself heading back the way you came.' He grinned. 'it's disconcerting to say the least.'
'How is that similar though? I can only block Edward.' I said.
Jasper mused for a moment. 'I think anything mental would be blocked, if you're indeed a shield. I'm guessing a lot of the Volturi's gifts would be useless on you.'
Edward suddenly picked up. 'You think she's immune to Jane?' he asked Jasper.
Jasper nodded. 'It's likely.'
I shuddered, suddenly grateful. Alice had filled me in on the Volturi in the first few days after my transformation. Warning me that if ever we stepped out of line they would swoop down on us in an instant. The guard was filled with powerful vampires. Each with special gifts that protected the three vampires that ruled all vampires; Aro, Marcus and Caius. If my mental silence was indeed a shield, it meant I could protect myself and others from their guard. I was suddenly anxious to see if I could train myself.
'How would I train it?' I asked Jasper.
He shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Our gifts just manifested themselves. Mine is simply physical. Although it took me a while to really get the hang of manipulation of emotions, I could work from the fact that I could feel everything. '
'My visions were simply part of me. Even as a human.' Alice said, grimacing slightly as she probably recalled the fact she spent her human years in an institution because of it.
'Carlisle was the one to figure my gift out.' Edward said. 'I had been answering his thoughts as if he'd said them aloud. He knew before I did.'
I frowned. 'but I don't know what I'm doing to block you.'
Carlisle pursed his lips. 'I'll ask around, Bella. I'm pretty sure some of my contact would know something about mental shields. We'll find someone who can teach you.' he assured me.
'And there's no rush.' Jasper said. 'We have all the time in the world to figure this out.'
'Indeed Bella. There's no pressure.' Edward added. I sighed and nodded.
The boys continued their talk about possibilities who to contact and I headed up to my room. Alice joined me in my room.
'Are you okay?' she asked.
I nodded. 'I guess.'
'want to talk about it?' she asked with a knowing smile.
'About what?' I asked playing dumb. She rolled her eyes at me. I sighed. 'I don't, Alice.' I told her. She smiled and nodded and didn't press the subject further.
'want me to do your nails?' Alice asked changing the subject.
Although as a human I had hated playing barbie Bella, as a vampire I didn't mind so much. Of course it helped that Alice really asked my permission and opinion about what she was doing these days, but it was also just nice to spent time together this way. Sometimes we would huddle up in my room with Rosalie and Esme and just spent hours doing each other's hair and nails, bonding as a family.
I smiled at her now. 'Yes please, this coat is getting chipped.' I showed her my nails. She had painted them a lovely blush colour before Edward had arrived.
She squealed as she took my hands in hers. 'What did you do?' she shrieked. 'they're completely scratched! Why didn't you tell me sooner!'
'Well, I only just noticed.' I admitted. She groaned.
'I'm trying so hard, Bella, to make you into a fashionista. I need some help from you.' she ground out.
Rosalie appeared in the doorway and laughed. 'I think you have a better chance at turning Emmett into a fashionista, Alice.' She quipped.
I stuck my tongue out at her. 'So makeover night?' Rosalie asked.
Alice was already nodding and I nodded as well. Alice flitted downstairs and then reappeared with Esme in tow and her arms full of make-up bags and hair combs. I smiled and we all settled on my bed and started buffing and filing each other's nails.
talk flowed easily between us as if we were having a slumber party and were just regular girls. It felt normal. It was nice to just relax like this with my family beside me.
