-Quick A/N-Okay guys, I know, I know, Bella didn't have a boyfriend before coming to Forks, but maybe not everything is how you think…MUWHAHAHA! And, also to my lovely, beautiful reviewers I would really like to thank you. You guys rock! Seriously, my first twilight fanfic, and I already love my readers! (At least when you review - Lots of love-
-Bella's point of view-
It was awkward, really. Standing there, staring at each other. Eventually Victoria crept around us and asked to see the rest of the house, Elizabeth agreed and they quickly swept out of the room…no doubt to watch us from a better angle. And so we stood there for what felt like hours, and I'm honestly not sure that it wasn't that long, becoming a vampire had disoriented my sense of time.
"Bella…" Oliver started but I was having none of that.
"Its Isabella to you. Bella's gone, sorry." I snarled, my voice curled into a low roar.
"Isabella, then. Please listen to me! I just-" Before he could even say it I was in front of him, my hand raised in a strike. But, he being an older vampire, caught my wrist and held it, while pulling me close. "Isabella please listen to me! I swear it's not what you think."
Growling, I kicked him in the groin, as he fell to the ground I flipped him over, and straddled him while pining both of his hands above him. I leaned down and growled again. "You, you were going to allow them to go through with it!"
Victoria and Elizabeth both choose to charge into the room at full speed then. "Isabella!" Victoria yelled, looking caught between amusement and shock.
"Get off of him, if anyone beats him up…allow me to do the honors." Smiled Elizabeth, she was glaring coolly at Oliver, then turning her gaze to me, studying me intently.
Victoria then came over to us and hauled me off of Oliver. Quietly she pulled me away and towards the hallway where just a few moments ago she and Elizabeth had disappeared.
"Bella, what is going on here?" Victoria asked, eager to help me, and also looking for a bit of a scandal so she could later blackmail me over something silly.
"He and I used to date." I said briskly, it was true enough, but not the whole truth.
"Gee, I never would have guessed." Victoria said, rolling her eyes. Then, returning her gaze to my face, she asked once more, this time with a small edge to her voice. She did not like being left in the dark.
"He and I used to date, but it wasn't because we liked each other. You see, my mother fell on hard times while I lived with her, so…she made a deal with the devil, you could say."
I stopped, trying not to think of the day this whole mess started.
"You see, she found a loan-shark who would lend her money, but she had no way to pay him back. So, since his son was…how shall we say, antisocial, I became his promised bride, something I was dreading. He and I would have married had he not disappeared, which I now think is because he was turned and he ran away like the coward he is." I spat bitterly.
Victoria looked confused, speaking her mind she asked the one question I had hoped she would not. "Coward? If you didn't want to marry him then why are you so angry?"
Suddenly, all of the anger washed out of me. Leaving a hollow void, but that too was soon swept over by a hurricane of pain, anguish and exhaustion.
I looked at her, dead in the eyes with all of my pain flooding out. "Because of him, my mother was nearly killed. She was raped, beaten, and shot three times in the chest because they assumed we killed him. If it hadn't been for Phil, my stepfather, she would have never trusted men again. I have every reason to hate him." Victoria nodded, and instantly began to calculate ways to kill Oliver, or so I would assume from the evil cackle she then gave.
"Can I just go to my room now?" Victoria looked at me with those worried and mother-ish eyes, she nodded and instantly began leading me to my room. We stopped in front of thick old oak door, the hinges were ancient, and the handle and its attachments where just as old, probably looted from some medieval castle.
I opened the door to my room and stood there, adjusting to my settings. It was simple room, nothing grand really. The carpeting was shag and a deep wine color, the walls were painted a shade of burgundy just a hue off of crimson. The ceiling was relatively high. Few personal things haunted this tomb, a bed with crisp white sheets and a mauve comforter, a desk with stationary and small set of pens. There were a few pictures on the walls, nothing of any great importance truly, there was a vase filled with California poppies. –Quick A/N –California poppies are the same kind of flower that was on the cover of New Moon, you know, the white flower with crimson lining?-
The only thing in the room that gave any light was a large window, shaped like a crescent; it had a little seat on it, stuffed with crimson pillows.
"What's with these people and red…" I mumbled quietly, Victoria just looked back at me, "I believe this room is supposed to put vampires into the…mood." Victoria said in mock seriousness. She took me by the shoulders, and said with an air of fake dignity.
"Isabella, as your mother I feel I must let you know how little vampires are born. No, vampiric storks do not bring them! No, my daughter it is time we had our 'Birds and the Bees' talk…or rather, our Bats and Wasps talk…"
I could contain it no longer, it was funny by it self-but with Victoria adding by saying it with such solemn vigor, and I immediately burst into giggles. I was on the floor rolling, clutching my sides in mirth, and before I could even gather a line of defense, Victoria was on me, tickling me.
"MERCY! MERCY!" I screamed out, half heartedly trying to fight her off.
"TAKE NO PRISONERS!" She screeched back in an Irish accent, and continued on for quite some time. We were only stopped by a rather loud 'thud.'
Now, you normally do not hear a 'thud' in a house full of vampires. Why is that? Vampires are graceful and quick, even if they do fall they will spin around and land quietly. So, to see what on earth would desecrate the grace of this house, I turned and saw Oliver staring in slight shock–once again, might I add.- from where he laid on the floor, apparently having tripped.
Victoria turned and looked at him, then in mock awe turned to me with an expression like a three year old watching a horror movie. She opened her mouth, eyes wide with fake shock. "It went 'thud." Was all she said, and I needed no more to burst into another fit of giggles.
When I finally managed to calm down, Oliver had straightened himself up and was attempting to look smooth. "What where you two doing?" He asked, his voice devoid of all emotion. I think I've been spending too much time with Victoria, for what I said next was not like anything I'd ever even thought before. "We were having wild angry tickle sex, care to join?"
Had Oliver still been a living being, he probably would have passed out, instead being an re-animated corpse his eyes simply bulged out as he gasped for breath that was totally un-needed.
Victoria stood and strolled over to him and clapped him on the back so hard that it sounded vaguely like a wall being torn down. "Calm down drama queen." He turned and glared, his crisp crimson eyes alight with malice. "Leave us, Victoria. I would like a private moment with Isabella." Victoria looked at me to see if it was okay, I gave a barely noticeable shrug. "As you wish then."
She walked over and hugged me, turned on her heel and curtsied to Oliver. "Good Evening then, my Lady." And then pranced off into the hallway, mischief evident in her eyes.
"Bella I-" Oliver started, changing his mood from cold to apologetic, I how ever still had a grudge, no matter what his excuse, he could have done something. I glared at him, silencing him momentarily.
"My name is not Bella, I am not an innocent beauty, and I am no longer human Bella. I am a vampire now, so use my name. It. Is. Isabella. Get used to it."
He looked at me, shock radiating from his eyes. "Why do you hate me? What wrong have I done you Isabella?"
That was the wrong answer.
In a second I was on him, we struggled, both of us snarling and biting at each other like dogs over fresh meat. He pinned me with in a few minutes, after tearing apart half the room. I continued to struggle, I now had an endless amount of fight in me and I was not about to let him win.
"Isabella please! Just calm your angers for a moment, allow me to say my peace." I looked back up at him, fury raging through me like an angry beast, and I was close to losing my self-control.
"You philandering rake! I will never allow you peace for what you did to my mother! As we are immortal now, I will haunt you through all eternity, damnation and hell fire would be a kinder fate for you!" Oliver was not shocked, but his eyes were rather large from the pain that seemed now so deeply etched there. I was about to open my mouth to continue my barrage of verbal assaults on him, but the minute I opened my mouth, his cold lips touched mine, sealing them shut.
-Oliver's point of view.-
I did not ask for this, I did not ask to be this. I did not want to do this, I HAD wanted to marry Bella, but she did not love me, so I could not risk her knowing without damaging my own heart.
She told me she is not Bella, not my Bella, that she is Isabella now. I do not believe that, because I can still see my darling Bella in her eyes, liquid amber though they now be, I can still remember a time when those eyes were young and happy, carefree and so pretty they could have shammed the cobalt skies! I knew everything about her, or at least I had.
While she laid under me, clawing her insults, I knew why she did this. She did this because she thought it was my fault, and because she felt like I could have done something. And…she was right.
But how could I have risked letting my innocent little flower seeing me, now a hideous monster?
But, out of my vanity I aloud for my love to be hurt, her innocence now tarnished and destroyed.
Bella, or rather Isabella now, has always reminded me of flowers, from her scent down to her attitude. I could never decide what flower though, for it always changed with her attitude. She could be sweet and delicate, like a honey suckle, with her temper she could be a rose, beautiful and hypnotizing but with her beauty came the sting of her thorns.
She could be so simple, like a daisy, but even then she was flower among weeds, no one deserved her, no one could have her. But, I would be damned if I wasn't going to try!
She was about to say something, most likely another insult to my pride, I deserved it.
But, for some reason, and I have no idea what thought held my mind, and convinced me to this, but in an instant I was on, kissing her lips, kissing away her words, kissing away my problems, she smelled so good! It was addictive to smell her, it was a heavy floral scent, with a separate sugary mix added to it, it was a smooth and cold scent, and I dare say this was better than any drug ever conceived.
I finally knew what kind of flower she was. She was like a California poppy, blinding white innocence stained with crimson sin, beautiful and sweet, but oh so addictive, a hallucinogen for this was so beautiful, so wonderful I doubted this could be anything but an drug induced illusion of paradise.
But, when she kissed me back, I didn't care if it was real or not, because I could stay like this for all eternity, with my Bella, with my drug…my addiction.
-Bella's point of view-
As he kissed me, I slowly realized everything, why Oliver had not come back, why he felt so cold and distant, why he tried to seem so serious around me. It all collided with me, almost instantaneously I began to kiss Oliver back.
He pulled back after a little bit, and looked me in the eyes hesitantly, he was worried I was still mad.
"Oliver, though the storm and her furies rage, you've always kept me on the alive, some way or another, and for that I will always love you."
Oliver looked overjoyed, he hugged me, but I pushed him back a little. Oliver looked at me, worriedly. "What is wrong?"
I looked at him, wanting so badly to cry, hugging myself with my head bent down, all I managed was a dry sob. "Oliver, I am a broken woman! Tell me, can you love something that's not even completely there?" Oliver studied me, his scrutiny making me nervous.
"Bella, I could love you no matter what. Please, just give me a chance, allow me this opportunity to be with you again, not as a lover, heaven knows I don't deserve that paradise. But Isabella, let me, I beg thee, let me be your friend! At least for now, even if I cannot be with you, I am happy to be around you."
Bella looked at me, and for the briefest second I saw Isabella, the true torment of the beast underneath this delicate little flowers petals, and then Bella came back, happy and loving.
Isabella took my hand and I felt as if my heart was racing, dead and cold though it be.
Together, we walked to the door with extreme stealth, opening it Victoria and Elizabeth fell out from the hallway, along with several other vampires.
Clamoring hastily to at least attempt dignity, the few vampires I did not know introduced themselves.
A vampire with crimson hair stepped forth, his eyes a soft gold. He was muscular, ripped like a body builder and at least six feet tall. He was dressed in a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing bulging biceps that looked like soccer balls. His hair was long and pulled out of his face into a low ponytail. His face was beautiful, masculine and angular, his eyes were understanding and mischievous and placed under severely arched eyebrows . He stepped forward and shook my hand, introducing himself as Charles O'Hannigan and Oliver's older 'brother', he shook my hand and winked at me, making Oliver let out a deep guttural growl.
The next was a vampire of medium height and weight named Thomas O'Hannigan. He shook my hand in a polite and calm manner, his scarlet eyes flashed with hidden knowledge and secrets many centuries old. His hair was light brown that floated in waves around his long face, filled with soft features and a serene sensation. His eyelashes were long, making him look slightly feminine. He was Oliver's 'younger' brother.
Next stepped forth a female vampire, she was Asian. Her hair was a lovely blue black that looked so soft, you wanted to reach forth and pet it. Her features were soft, but angular, rounded from a modern diet, she was probably turned in relatively recent span of time –possible twenty, maybe thirty years.- She was short but very strong, her eyes a lovely rose red wine color, her skin seemed to almost sparkle and her smile made me feel instantly at ease. Her name was Himiko O'Hannigan, and she playfully asked me how I planned on making Oliver my 'pet' and if I would be needing in collars for my new 'puppy.'
A very petite girl stepped forth. She looked no older than fourteen, her eyes were like liquid light, yellow but so pale it was like looking at colored and glittered ice. Under the traditional pale of vampiric skin, she was olive colored and dark brown hair that was needle straight. Her name was Medea O'Hannigan.
She gave me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. Despite being such a small girl, she struck me as being incredibly dangerous.
Finally, the leader and 'Father' stepped forward, and kissed my hand. While he made no verbal sign of distaste, Oliver clutched my hand. He was a handsome man, with large amounts of dirty blonde hair that was feathered to perfection and reached his shoulders, he was tall, and like Oliver he could have easily been seven feet tall. He was lean, but he had lots of muscle definition, the vampire stepped back, and with a wide grin his booming voice echoed out. "Welcome! My name is Alexander O'Hannigan! I see you've already met my other children, Elizabeth as well. Now, my dear I have a question for you and your beautiful mother!" Victoria rolled her eyes, and I giggled a little.
"Yes, now what is your question my Lord?" I curtsied in imitation of Victoria's earlier mockery of Oliver.
Alexander laughed loudly, his laugh was a real one, deep and booming. "My oh my! Are you sure you are not Victoria's distant relative? You both have the same sense of humor! And, you are both stunningly beautiful…" He drifted off, still holding my hand, Oliver pulled me away by my waist and growled.
The others proceeded to chuckle. "My, protective already my dear boy? But you are right! I am sorry my dear Isabella, it would have never worked out, I never date girls half my age!" Cooed Alexander.
Medea choose that time to speak up "Half your age? Your two thousand years old! I doubt she's even a tenth your age!" Medea apparently, as I would come to later find out, had a mind like a steel trap and was quite gifted at ribbing her relatives.
Alexander faked hurt. "How could you hurt me like that? Your only father at that!" He yelled, his voice high and shrill.
"Don't you need feelings in order to hurt them??" Chided in Elizabeth.
"Not you too! Ack! Is my whole family against me?"
"YES!" The O'Hannigan's shouted, while we Legatt women just smiled tossed each other teasing glances.
"So, what should we do to commemorate this momentous occasion of receiving Isabella into the vampire community?"
We girls locked eyes, then before the boys could catch on, "SHOPPING!"
And, our suggestion was met with a loud "NO."
After a little bit debating, which turned into arguing we managed to decide how to solve it. We would have a an arm wrestling contest, Charles versus Thomas. Charles volunteered to fight for us girls because his wife -Medea- told him no 'play' time for a year, and that the next time they went to the beach she would were a one piece, so Charles was on our side quickly.
Charles, with his bulging muscles was actually having to put up a good fight against Thomas. But, the match was disqualified because Victoria tried to 'help' by jump kicking Thomas in the head.
So, after a very heated argument we all calmed down and decided to go to the movies. We all loaded into the various family cars. We took only two cars, a black Mercury sable which was what Oliver, Victoria, Alexander and myself road in. The other was a green jeep liberty which Charles, Medea, Himiko, and Thomas road in.
We were heading there, and while stopped at red light, when I looked out of my passenger's side window. On the sidewalk was a young girl, and not twenty feet behind her was a vampire, a hungry vampire. I hoped out of the car, but I was too late, the vampire was already about to attack, so I lunged.
Immediately we collided, and it sounded like granite being hurled at granite. The girl was to scared to move, the vampire and I were snarling at each other, soon Oliver and Charles jumped into the fray and we were all going at it against this vampire who did not take no as an answer!
Seeing that we neither side was going to win, the vampire quickly retreated. Before Oliver could ask me what I had been doing, as I knew it was surging up his throat at that precise moment, I turned to the girl.
"Are you okay?" Concern veiled my voice.
"Y-yes, I think so… Thank you for saving me!" She seemed a little shaken, so I offered to walk her home.
She lived a block away from the movie theater, so it was okay with the others, they all piled into the cars and left, even though Oliver needed a little convincing.
-Him drinking humans, he thought it was totally unnecessary for me to care about this girl, but his diet habits were going to one of the many things we would 'discuss.'-
We walked for a little while with small talk spattered here and there. Her name was Ashley Barrows, and she was a dance instructor. When we got to the door of her apartment –I insisted on walking her up.-
She gave me a card for free lessons. I looked at it, a little confused. Ashley seemed to catch on. "It's the dance studio I work at…since I'm poor I can't pay you back, but I hope this will do!" She seemed genuinely convinced that I was expecting repayment.
"Ashley I can't take this! Really, I don't need repayment." I put the card back in her hands, but she took my hand with both of her hands and laid it there, in my palm.
"Please, Isabella I really would like to repay you ,so please take this, from me to you."
Ashley just smiled, giving me a look that look suspiciously like puppy dog eyes. I just rolled my eyes in semi-sarcastic manner. She grinned like the Cheshire cat and winked, I giggled and patted her on the shoulder and told her to have a good night.
She told me to have a good night as well, with pleasant dreams, which instantly got me thinking about those yellow eyes from my dream,.
I absent-mindedly put the card in my pocket, hell I might even go. I really liked Ashley, she was very friendly and bright.
I walked down the concrete stairs of the apartment complex and out into lobby, soon through the doors and out onto the street.
I quickly checked the place to make sure that other vampire had not followed us here, no sign of him. I began to walk at human speed to the theatre, enjoying the night air and crisp feel of the cool breezes that gusted by.
I almost felt like dancing, I had made friends with Oliver again, I had a new family, I'd even made a new friends! The whole where Edward had been in my heart didn't heal, but it was starting to.
"Thank you, Edward…thank you for hurting me, because other wise I would not have gotten this amazing chance." I whispered quietly, my voice gone in the whipping of the winds.
As the theatre came into sight I began daydreaming of those yellow eyes from my final sleep…the eyes that weren't Edwards.
I was starting to recognize those eyes, and their owners.