Chapter 2

Stranger Things Have Happened

As we approached the Cullen property, I felt a warm and enticing rush hit my senses. It was getting easier to handle having both Charlie and Renee come to visit at once for an extended period of time. Now that my eyes were a deep ocher color instead of their frightening scarlet, both of my parents grew accustomed to my new "contacts".

Renee had returned to Forks for the fall baseball season because Phil had transferred to a minor league in Japan. Claiming that she couldn't stand being an ocean away from me and her new granddaughter, Renee began renting an apartment in downtown Seattle. Prices being what they are in the city, Carlisle and Esme filtered money to the landlord without Renee knowing…needless to say, Renee was thrilled at the cheap price of her beautiful loft.

Charlie often visited with her, catching up in the car on the way to the Cullen's. At first, I was a tad apprehensive about my father's attentions to my mother. But as time went on, it was clear that my dad's thoughts were better aimed at an attentive Sue Clearwater.

"Something's wrong." Edward muttered, and I looked to see that his brow was crinkled in consternation.

"Uh-oh. What? Is Renee ok?" I asked. My mother was more than likely the reason for anything to be hectic. She had definitely calmed down a lot now that I was settled down and clearly very happy in my new life, but sometimes she made a lot of fuss about nothing…which hadn't really changed.

"Yes, she's fine. It's Carlisle." Edward said, and pulled me faster to his father's house. Immediately I sensed the tension coil in Edward's body. I ran evenly paced with him as hurried home.

We broke into the clearing of the Cullen house, and Edward yanked me towards the back of the massive modern domain. I was used to it; Renee and Charlie could just see us jolt into the yard at the speed we ran.

"Go to the front yard." Edward said. He looked focused, and yet confused about something. My worry shot to red alert.

I left him at the back of the house and walked quickly (for a human) to the front yard. My parents were standing with Alice and Esme, talking normally. Alice appeared nonplussed…a good sign, I supposed.

That changed when she saw me.

Alice flew to my side with speed that should not have been allowed in front of my parents, but they were too busy speaking with Esme to notice.

"I need you to shield Carlisle. And me. Right now." Alice whispered so quickly and quietly that it took only a second.

"Why?" I whispered back, but I did exactly as I was told. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I couldn't hear anyone in our perimeter that I did not recognize by their scent or footfall pattern.

"I saw something, Bella." Alice said, and her eyes shone with more concern and fear than I had seen in a long time.

"What? What is it Alice? And what's wrong with Carlisle?" My voice hummed speedily as my parents cheerfully discussed what sounded like Halloween plans to Esme. I snuck a quick look to my mother-in-law: she seemed peaceful…out of the loop. She must have been able to hear me and Alice talking; it was a certainty with vampires to hear everything. Why was she so unconcerned? Maybe things were not as bad as I thought…

"He…interpreted something that I saw. He's researching now in his study." Alice said.

Researching?

"Renesmee-" I nearly shrilled.

"No! No, Renesmee isn't involved…look, you need to talk to Carlisle. I'll…I'll distract Edward."

"He went up to talk to Carlisle." I said, then after a fraction of a second, "Wait…"

Alice looked at me warily.

"Are you trying to hide this from Edward? Is that why you're asking me to shield you and Carlisle?" I asked, frowning. What could be so important, and yet need to be kept from Edward?

"Bella…this is complicated. You really should speak with Carlisle as soon as I can get Edward out of there." Alice whispered, and then she was gone around the back of the house. I grimaced at her speed, but looked to see that my parents' backs had been to us the entire time. The exchange, the inhuman ability…all lost to them.

Actually, this is when Renee turned to look at the house and even noticed my existence. "Bella!" she cried, and walked over to embrace me.

"Hi, Mom." I said, still painfully aware of the difference my bell-like voice must be to her…and that I needed to go find Carlisle.

"Oh, I've missed you! You'll never guess who I saw in town yesterday; your old dance teacher! Isn't that wild?" Renee gushed. I could tell she had been anxiously waiting to tell me this news.

"Wow, Mom…yeah, that's crazy." I said, awkwardly. If only Renee knew how much I would have loved to meet and eat my old teacher. She hated me and my bony knees and severe lack of skills.

"She's hit some tough times after her studio burned to the ground…it really is too bad about how some things go in life…" Renee trailed off, and then changed the subject, "Well, enough sad talk! Charlie and I were just talking to Esme about what your Halloween plans are! We wanted to help with Renesmee's costume!"

"Renee wanted to help with Nessie's costume." Charlie muttered.

"Yes, but you wanted to make a haunted house! Oh, wouldn't that be fun, Bella? I always wanted to have the best trick-or-treat spot on the block!" Renee said, looking at the Cullen house like she was already making plans for all of the fake spider webs and splatters of fake blood.

I sighed. Unfortunately, once Renee got an idea, she stuck to her guns. I looked up at the Cullen house…from here I could see Carlisle's study window. With my heightened eyesight, I would make out the desk where my father-in-law usually sat, and his array of paintings along the back wall. No one was inside; I could tell from the lack of shadows moving.

"Bella."

Carlisle put a hand on my shoulder once he had reached us. He had come around from the back of the house, too, but however he had managed to miss Edward was beyond me.

"Excuse me Renee, Charlie. I must speak with Bella for a moment, if you don't mind." Carlisle said. His countenance was blank…almost, masklike.

"Yes…of course, Carlisle!" Renee said, "Is everything ok?" Immediately her face fell to an expression of anxiousness.

"Oh, yes. I told her that I would help with a small project that she was assigned for class. I just wanted to go over it with her briefly before she brings it back tomorrow. I have to go to the hospital in an hour, so I figured we'd…get it out of the way." Carlisle's lie wove around my mother like a comforting, warm blanket. My father looked bored.

Carlisle turned to me. "If you'd like, Bella, there is a book that would fully demonstrate the problem that you have been having with the math. I looked it up online, and they should have it at the Fork's library. Would you like to go pick it up with me, and I'll explain on the way? You can take my car back after you drop me off at the hospital."

"Yes…yes, that would be fine. I'll just run back and get my purse." I said, turning to leave.

Carlisle held it up in his hand. "Got you covered. I told Alice about it, and she went out and grabbed it for you."

"But…Renesmee-"

I was cut off by my mother. "Oh, we'll stay with Renesmee while you're gone! Please, go and get your work done. I really am so proud of you for taking those community college classes after getting married and adopting a child…so much work!"

I forced myself to laugh. "Ok, well…I guess we should get going so Carlisle won't be late for work. I should say goodbye to Edward-"

"Alice spoke with him about your leaving." Carlisle said. His voice was almost hard in its urgency.

"O...Ok." I said, warily. I turned to hug both of my parents, wave to Esme, and then follow the brisk walk of Carlisle to the garage.

Once we were out of sight of my parents and Esme, Carlisle shot to his Mercedes. I followed suit, and climbed into the passenger seat with haste. What was going on? Carlisle was so on edge that he seemed ready to hit something.

"Carlisle-" I said, quietly. Carlisle started the car in that instant, and hit the gas like we were starting a police chase. Even though we practically blasted off from the garage, there were no squealing tires to give us away in Carlisle's hurry to leave.

As we sped down the long, winding road from his home, Carlisle turned to me and looked so forlorn and so afraid.

My own fear and worry reached the boiling point. I felt my shield sift back from covering Alice, and I hoped that she had gotten far enough away if she needed to avoid Edward hearing her. Or that she was doing Arabic translations again. My mind snapped back to attention when Carlisle swallowed and turned back to the road.

Carlisle looked like a child seeing the monster that was supposed to not exist under his bed. Carlisle was not that kind of man. He was our family's backbone; our sort of…commander. Never did Carlisle show as much barefaced panic as I saw now.

"Bella. I am so, so sorry." Carlisle whispered.

"Carlisle, you're scaring me…" I said. If my heart beat, it would be racing.

"Bella…Alice saw something that I never thought could ever happen. I…I never thought that the Volturi would try something so…so…horrific."

"Carlisle, what-"

"Lilith." Carlisle's voice boomed inside the cab, suddenly too loud for the space, "They are going to awaken Lilith!"

Carlisle smacked his hand so hard on the steering wheel that he left a dent, and then swung it around to turn towards the center of Forks. A human in that car would have slammed her head into the window from the instant force, but I held on to the door handle and the seat. My fingers punctured the leather with my fear and human-like reaction.

Before I could inquire as to what Lilith was, Carlisle started talking. "She is thought to be the origin of all vampire kind. A demon woman who was first claimed by the virus that ran through our veins!"

"But how have I never heard of her before? Edward never mentioned anything…or you."

"Edward does not know. I never told anyone. The only one who knows now besides you is Alice. And she saw her."

"She saw her?"

"Alice came to me this morning. She saw the Volturi approaching a woman in all white with pure white eyes. They were in a deep cave of some sort-"

I could not stay silent anymore. "How? How do you know that it's Lilith? Why are you keeping this from Edward?"

"Bella, this is more complicated than I even thought at first. We cannot tell Edward. Not yet." Carlisle zoomed into town, and screeched to a halt in front of the library.

I didn't realize that we were actually going to the library. I looked out at two startled pedestrians leaving the building and grimaced. Looking back at Carlisle, I saw his eyes crinkle with sadness.

"He will never forgive me for what I must ask you to do." He whispered, and he shut his eyes as though trying to clear them of tears.

I took a deep, shaky breath. "Carlisle, I don't understand. I don't understand what any of this has to do with me. I don't understand why we can't tell Edward."

"Because he would never let you go." He said quietly, looking out his own window to avoid my gaze, "He would never allow your involvement in the task that must be done."

I did not even think. "What do I have to do, Carlisle?"

He glanced back at me quickly. Noticing my intense expression, his face crumbled further. "Bella…"

"No, if this was something that wasn't important, you wouldn't have driven me from home and away from Edward and the rest of our family to talk to me about it. Carlisle, what did you have in mind? I can tell that we need to hurry-"

"You have to infiltrate the Volturi. They want your power; that is certain. It would be easy for them to accept you. You can protect yourself from Aro's mind, and as a whole they would want you when they face Lilith."

"Why would they even think to face Lilith without a shield? Wait, what power does Lilith have?"

"That is the problem…no one knows. The Volturi are insane to even attempt approaching her."

I thought about that for a second. "But what can I do? Once I become…one of them?" I asked. Immediately I thought about what becoming "one of them" might entail.

"I have thought about this while you were with Edward in the forest this morning…I think that you can make some of the vampires see reason."

I stared blankly at him.

"Listen," Carlisle reasoned with me, "Do you remember Renata?"

I blinked for the first time in minutes, thinking back to last winter. I felt my eyebrows come together in my confusion as I replied, "Yes. She was Aro's shield. Well…she was the distracting one."

"Exactly. And do you remember how she was acting that day?"

"She was…worried. Scared, maybe? Scared for Aro's safety."

"No. That is where my theory takes hold…I spoke with Edward about it following our…episode. She was not afraid for Aro. She was afraid for herself."

I shook my head, trying to clear the thousands of thoughts that began whirling at once.

"Don't you see, Bella? You can bring her to our side."

"And what then?" I fired back, my fear and lack of understanding causing me to snap, "Hope that two shields can escape and manage to stop the entire guard and the Volturi from reaching Lilith?"

"No, of course not! From there, you can turn others-"

"Carlisle, how can you think so highly of me? I may have matured early and I may have a strong shield, but that does not make me a superhero in the face of the Volturi and apparently the carrier of the first vampiric gene!"

"Bella-" Carlisle held up his hands, trying to reason and keep me calm at the same time.

"Carlisle, I can't do something like that…I can't!" I cried, "I could get myself killed and leave Renesmee…and Edward…and my entire family!"

He paused at that moment and looked more serenely into my eyes.

"I know." He said, "It is so much to ask of a vampire so young, and one with a new family. I know. And this is why Edward can never learn about this."

"What would happen?"

"Pardon?" Carlisle asked, confused.

"What would happen?" I repeated, "If Edward found out? It they awakened Lilith?"

Carlisle hesitated for a moment, looked outside at the humans getting through their quick, busy day. When his gaze returned to mine, he sighed and said, "They may have already."

"What do you mean?"

"The rainstorm last night…didn't you find it odd how much damage the wind and the rain left behind?" Carlisle asked.

"It was strange, of course, but-"

"It was her. Lilith." In a fraction of a second, Carlisle changed tactics, "I want you to go inside that library and find a book called Deities and Demons. It will be found in the history section. Read up on Lilith."

"Read up on Lilith? You mean…humans know about her?" I asked. I was shocked. But then I remembered looking online at certain myths and legends about vampires ages ago…

"Read. Find me when you have finished. I will leave the car here for you and walk the rest of the way to the hospital." Carlisle replied, and then was out of the car faster than a human could blink. I watched him walk at a human pace down the street and around the corner towards the hospital.

Shakily, I got out of the car and walked up to the library's front steps. I finally felt the snap and sift of my shield as Carlisle left its protection. It was up to him now to avoid Edward…

Edward. I felt torn between wanting to call him and doing what Carlisle asked of me.

After a moment's hesitation, I placed my hand on the cast-iron handle to the library, and let myself in to a new complication in my life.

~*~