Chapter 5
Beta'd by: RKD-CULLEN
EPOV
Another month has come and gone. Although it's had its challenges, everything seemed to be back in reasonable order. Whenever I rehashed mine and Bella's colorful past, I could say with all sincerity that boredom was welcomed with open arms.
During that first twenty-four hour period that Lana came into our existence, I honestly had my doubts that the world as I knew it would ever be normal again. I was happy to be wrong in this regard, especially as I recalled Bella's strong reaction to my new friend.
However, it seemed by outward appearances that my Bella has finally realized that there was nothing to fear; yet, I still felt this overwhelming sense of unease.
I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on inside Bella's mind than I was aware of, even though I had no proof to back up my suspicions. So, I continued to keep a watchful eye on the two of them whenever they were in the same vicinity. Either I was imagining things again, or Bella had become more skilled in art of masking her emotions.
I honestly didn't know what to think anymore.
After our first official meeting, Lana has become a natural and welcomed addition to our small family. After school more often than not, Lana spent majority of her time at our home, and I was pleased that she comfortable with doing so.
The only sketchy part of the situation was the fact that Lana's parents still weren't privy to our friendship and I was becoming increasingly concerned as time went on.
It was Friday so, like always, Lana sat in our living room after school studying. It was quite humorous how angry she became whenever she noticed that none of my family had the need to prepare for classes, but I explained that this did not come without a price. When she learned of our constant need to matriculate every decade, it usually silenced her rant.
Carlisle brought up the subject of her parents again, which as a result, dampened Lana's mood considerably. I was unclear as to why she was so hesitant to reveal our friendship to them, but Lana finally shared her reasoning.
"Honestly, I haven't the faintest idea what to tell them and what not to tell them without revealing anything about you. I promised you that your secret was safe with me, but telling them any part of what you can do will only raise more suspicion."
"Secondly, my parents have a knack for overreacting, and when it comes to my secret their normal reaction intensifies by a hundred. That is the main reason for my hesitation." Lana's unquestionable loyalty considering she'd only known us a short while was staggering.
"I'm sorry, Lana," I said sheepishly, "I should have considered that before. I wasn't thinking."
"There's no reason to apologize, Edward. This is strange territory. I know that I need to tell them, I just have no idea how to play this," Lana said.
"Perhaps I should be there with you when explains things to them," I said looking at her in concern.
"I don't think that's a good idea. It might be too much for them all at once to have you there; although I'm sure a meeting will be inevitable I the near future."
"Well, whatever you think is best, but I'm willing to be there all the same," I said hesitantly.
"I know that you want to maintain a level of privacy for obvious reasons, but considering my existence in their lives, would it really be that big of a deal if my parents know what you are?"
"It's safest for everyone if they don't know that our kind exists. This is the one and only rule that we have, and there are severe consequences if it is broken," I said.
"There are rules for vampires?" Lana said humorously, "Who enforces these rules?"
The smile left Lana's face the moment we told her about The Volturi, and the role they play as the enforcers of our kind. I knew that she wouldn't risk her parent's safety under any circumstances, and from the fear I saw in her eyes, I was also certain that she would never intentionally cause us suffering either.
Lana was right. This would be hard for her to explain having to omit certain details. Esme noticed Lana's stillness and immediately walked over and hugged her shoulders tightly.
Within the very second that Lana turned to smile at Esme, all hell seemed to break loose; well, at least in my mind. No one else within the room would have noticed yet, because he was still too far away for any of us to pick up his scent. I froze in place and stared at Lana in horror. I attempted to speak calmly so that she wouldn't panic.
"Lana, I think this conversation will happen a lot sooner than you anticipated. Your father is on his way here, he's on foot," Lana looked at me as if I'd grown another head.
"I don't understand. How does he even know where I am or how to get here for that matter?" Lana asked as her heartbeat increased.
"Apparently, he's noticed a change in you lately, and he decided to follow you home from school today with the hope of solving the riddle. It's all he's thinking about at the moment."
"Ah, hell!" Lana exclaimed as she threw her hand up in the air angrily and rose from the couch. She proceeded to pace the room nervously, then several minutes later there was a loud banging on the front door and we all froze in place.
"LANA LANKFORD! YOU COME OUT HERE THIS VERY SECOND, YOUNG LADY!" Her father shouted from the front porch.
Oh God, why is this happening to me? I can't believe he fucking followed me! This is why I hate having to drive around like a human.
I turned quickly towards Lana and realized that her mouth wasn't moving as she continued.
I can't fucking believe this is happening!
Her thoughts! I could hear her thoughts! Whatever it was that blocks me from her mind was gone during her moment of panic, I zoned in and focused on the memories that were swirling around. However, once she calmed herself the connection was gone, and the block was firmly back in place.
My mind continued to reel as everyone else in the room glanced at each other with tense expressions. It was clear that Lana had no idea how to handle this situation.
"What am I going to say to him?" Lana whispered helplessly. Carlisle walked over to her and squeezed both of her shoulders in a fatherly manner, giving her a warm smile.
"I'm sure that your father is only concerned about your well being. Just be as honest as you can be," Carlisle said as we both led her to the front door.
Lana took a deep breath as Carlisle opened the door. Her father's face was flushed with anger as he glared directly at Lana. He was a man of rugged completion; tall and lean with dark brown hair. When his blue-eyed gaze fell upon both me and Carlisle, some of his anger was momentarily replaced by awe, and almost instantly it turned to fear.
As I continued to stare at the man in front of me, I realized that he was positively covered in filth, and his clothing was tattered.
As Carlisle and I took in his appearance in shock, Lana's father shifted uncomfortably as he became aware of our questioning stares. I could then see exactly what took place in his mind and I struggled to contain my laughter.
Lana shrank back fearfully like a naughty child under her father's stare. It was actually quite comical; she's one of the most power beings I've ever encountered, yet this highly breakable human seemed more dominant.
"I don't want to hear a word from you right now. Get your things and let's go home," As he turned and walked away from her, Lana gasped.
"What the fuck happened to him?" she exclaimed before she could stop herself, as she seemed to finally notice his appearance. Carlisle and I cleared our throats to conceal our laughter, as Lana walked back into the living room to retrieve her belongings.
I had to admit that the entire situation was somewhat hilarious. I was just about to tell her the reasons for his appearance, when I noticed her petrified expression that alone sobered me.
"Lana, please let me go with you and help you explain things to your parents. I don't think you should go through this alone," I said while looking into her eyes.
"No, I need to handle this on my own. I shouldn't have waited this long to tell them this regardless of anything. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Hopefully, I'll see you all tomorrow; that is: if I'm still alive. I'm really sorry about all of this."
As she turned to walk out of the front door, I gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me, hugging her briefly. Once I released her, Lana walked out of the house and met her father who was waiting by her truck.
They didn't speak to one another, but I could see in his mind that he wanted her to drive him back to where he had left his car as they pulled away. Alice approached me as I closed the front door and I saw the vision in her mind.
"This is going to be a hard evening for her; they will have a very bad argument once they get home," she said and I nodded.
"I could feel the anger and the hurt coming off him in waves," Jasper added from the living room.
"I was afraid of that. Do you think I should go there?" I asked. Alice went silent and I could see the different scenarios going through her head. It ended with her leaving the house.
"Yes. I think that she'll probably need someone to talk to once that happens."
"Good. Just, keep your distance from the house," Alice said. Bella was standing by the foyer doors and I approached her quickly.
"I'm going catch up with them, I shouldn't be long," I said.
"Okay, I'll see you soon," Bella said as she kissed my cheek and walked away from me quickly. She seemed troubled, and I automatically didn't feel right leaving her. So instead, I followed her up the stairs and met her at our bedroom door.
"Love, if you don't want me to go just say the word, and I'll stay," I said.
"No, Edward, you have to go. She needs someone to be there for her like Alice said. I'm sorry if I seem upset, but just witnessing her father like that, made me think about Charlie. He would have reacted the same way and I realized how much I miss him." I stared at her a moment as the guilt of what I've deprived her of took hold.
"I'm so very sorry that it had to be this way," I said sadly.
"Hey," she said she cupped my face in her hands, "I'm not sorry that I married you, and I'm not sorry for starting our new life together; not one bit. It's normal for a girl to miss her father after leaving home. I might be an immortal now, but I still have some human feelings and emotions, right?" She said as she caressed my cheek.
"Yes, you do have a point there," I said with a smile. I pulled her into a tight hug, breathing in her glorious scent for a moment longer.
"Go, Edward, you're losing time," Bella urged and I gave her a lingering kiss before reluctantly pulling away.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, love," I said.
I sped down the hall way, leapt from the second story window and landed quietly on the grass. I took off in the direction of Lana's vehicle at full speed. By the time I caught up with them, they had just pulled into the driveway of their home.
Lana's father was still extremely angry, but I could see that he was more so hurt. He hated the fact that she was keeping things from them and he felt as if she was slipping away from him. His love for his daughter was obvious, and I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to give his life to protect her.
Once he turned off the engine of his car, he stalked towards the house without even a glance in Lana's direction. She took a deep breath and got out of her car and followed him into the kitchen which was right off the back door. Once they were both inside, I climbed the tree across the street from their home and I watched the events unfold through her father's mind.
Her mother was already there sitting at the kitchen table with tears streaming down her face. Alice was right; this was going to be a very difficult conversation. I could feel it already.
Lana stood in front of them looking at the floor and then torrent began.
"Lana, can you please explain to me who those people are, and more importantly, what you were doing there? You said that you were going to the library to study. Is this where you've really been going all this time?" her father asked calmly.
I smirked as I thought about his filthy appearance and nearly laughed loudly as the events of his dramatic fall filled his mind.
"Yes, I have been spending almost all of my free time there. I'm sorry that I lied to you both, but I just didn't know how to tell you what's been going on without freaking you out," Lana said while she stared at the floor.
"How long?" her father asked.
"A month," she mumbled. Her father huffed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Lana, we have never had any secrets between us before. Why couldn't you tell us this?" Lana's father asked as her mother continued to stare at the table. From Lana's expression, I could tell that hurting them truly ate away at her.
She explained to them in depth what happened between the two of us last month, leaving out the details of our species, of course. She merely told them that I was strong like her, and that I had always been that way. They listened without interruption and her mother's face was frozen in horror, but she felt better now that she knew there wasn't anything twisted going on.
"Why didn't you tell us this right away? You know that protecting you is our number one priority," her mother said speaking for the first time.
"You've been through so much taking care of me all of these years, that I thought that I would try and handle this myself. Besides, everything turned out alright anyway. The Cullen's are wonderful and they would never tell a soul about me."
"Your heart was in the right place, but we need to know things like this. We are a family and we handle things together," her father said.
"I know that, Dad and I'm so sorry that I kept this from you, but I know how you would have reacted and I just couldn't bear leaving another home again. At the same time, look at what I've gained from this situation. I finally have others in my life that truly accept and understand me completely. You know that's all that I've ever wanted."
"We know that, sweetie and we're sorry that things couldn't have been different, but we don't know anything about these people or what they are capable of. I know you believe that you know them, but who's to say that they won't turn around and tell someone?" her father asked.
I could tell from Lana's expression that her patience was teetering on the edge at this point due to what they were implying. Although their assumptions about me and my family couldn't have been further from the truth, I honestly I couldn't blame them for being overly cautious.
"I know them quite well, especially Edward. He would never say anything to anyone about me. Please try to remember that he is different too. His need for secrecy is just at essential as mine," Lana said in the calmest tone she could muster considering how infuriated she appeared.
"It's normal for you to want to be able to relate to someone, but-"
"Normal!?" Lana shouted in outrage, cutting her father off, and officially losing her temper. She quickly walked over to the sink and picked up a large butcher's knife that was lying there as her father leapt to his feet.
"Does this seem normal to you?" At that moment, she lifted the blade high in the air with both hands and drove it into the pit of stomach full force.
Her mother screamed in terror, as her father ran over to her and attempted to pull her hands away from her body. She moved her hands away and he worriedly pulled the hem of her torn shirt up to survey the damage the blade should have caused to her abdomen. There wasn't a scratch on her, not even a welt was evident.
Her father then looked at her hands and saw that the knife she held was mangled like an accordion, instead of the long shiny blade it had once been.
"Have you not heard a word that I've said?" She shouted as she tossed the ruined knife onto the table causing her parents to jump in surprise.
"I destroyed a security camera with my eyes from a few feet away! I ripped off the roof of an elevator with one hand, and flew out of the shaft holding a fully grown man with my other arm! I think based on the evidence, it's pretty clear that I'm not normal! I never have been and I never will be!"
"Now hold on a minute, Lana," Her father said in a tone meant to soothe.
"No, you hold on!" She countered even louder, "Finally, after all these years of never being able to truly connect with anyone besides the two of you, I find others that I can be myself around without lying and hiding; and instead of being happy for me, you automatically make it out to be sorted and disingenuous!"
"You know that's not at all what we are trying to do! We only want to protect you!" Her mother cried.
"I don't know who I am or where I came from! I've lost everything about my life before you found me, and I absolutely refuse to lose anyone or anything else that I've gained since then!" Lana turned ran from the kitchen at top speed. She was already off their property by the time they registered the fact that she was gone.
I immediately jumped from the tree and went after her. Once I caught up to her, I found her sitting on the ground, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
With a shuddered sighed, she finally gave up buried her face in her hands and wept. Her shoulders shook with the power of her sobs, and when I finally decided to make my presence known. I walked over and sat next to her on the ground.
She lifted her head in surprise once she realized that someone was beside her.
"Like I said before, Edward Cullen, you're a friggen ninja," she croaked out. I didn't respond, I just simply wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side in a brotherly way. I realized at that moment, that she was indeed a sister to me in every sense of the word.
"How did you find me?" she asked after a few minutes.
"After you left, Alice had a vision of how your parents were going to react once you told them. She couldn't see you of course, but she did hear what they said, and saw them alone after a while. She assumed that you would leave at some point, so I followed you and your father home. I wanted to make sure that you were alright."
"Thank you, Edward. You truly are good friend," she said as she cried.
"You are our family now," I said while placing my head on top of hers.
We sat there on the ground for a while and just talked. I wanted to take her mind off of things so that when she went home, she was in a better frame of mind to face her parents.
I could tell from Lana's eyes, that she was extremely tired. It was odd to me that she had a lot of human traits. She ate and slept like they do, but she was completely different in every other way.
"Lana, I think you need to head back home now, you look exhausted," I said. At that moment she gave a long yawn and stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah, guess I have to go home soon enough and it might as well be now. Thank you so much for staying with me," she said with a weak smile.
"That's what families are for right?" I stood up and reached my hand down to help her. She accepted it and stood up while wiping the grass from her pants.
"You get home too, Edward. I'm sure Bella is missing you like crazy," she said.
"Alright, but call me if you need to."
"Edward, it's really late and I'm sure that you are tired too after such a long day. Get some sleep, okay?" Lana said. I blinked a couple of times before laughter erupted from my throat. I hadn't realized that this subject had not come up before.
"What did I say?" Lana asked in confusion.
"Lana, vampires don't sleep," I said.
Ever?" she whispered.
"No never, we are creatures of the night, remember?" Her eyes suddenly widened to the size of baseballs.
"Get the fuck out of here! Are you serious?" Why was that almost every time this young lady opened her mouth, I felt as if I was trapped in an episode of The Sopranos due to her language? I didn't answer her right away. I just continued to stare at her with a smirk, and a raised eyebrow, and she immediately understood my thoughts and ducked her head as if she was being chastised.
"I'm very serious, we don't sleep, not at all."
After a moment of staring at me, she closed her mouth and nodded her head. A few seconds later, a sly smile appeared on her face and she looked at me as if she was sizing me up. What on earth was this child up to now?
"I'll race you back to the house? Come on Eddie, let's see what you got," she said enthusiastically. I frowned at her and decided that I would beat her at all costs.
"Are you sure that you can keep up?" I gave her a devious smile.
"I think I can handle it," Lana said sarcastically.
"Now that I think about it, why don't we make things a little more interesting?"
"You mean a wager, Eddie?" Lana asked and I nodded, "What are the stakes?"
"If I win, you will never call me Eddie ever again. If you win, you get to call me anything you like. Do we have a deal?" I asked as I extended my hand for her to shake.
"Deal," she said as she slapped my hand instead of shaking it. We both stood side by side on the balls of our feet in preparation.
"Okay, on three," I said. "One. Two. Three!" We both shouted three at the same time. At that moment we both shot forward like bullets out of a gun. Everything around me was a streaking blur, and I must admit that she was indeed very fast.
Lana kept pace with me and at one point, we were neck and neck. She might have a lot of extra abilities under her belt, but I was still faster. I arrived at the house first, with her hot on my heels. We laughed hysterically as she bowed before me, and declared me the all-powerful, victorious winner.
Once we got our laughter under control, she sighed as she turned and looked at her house. A single light was on in the front of the house and I could hear her parent's thoughts. They were very worried about her.
"You'd better head inside, they are waiting for you." I said turning to her with a serious expression.
"I just don't have the energy to argue about this anymore. Maybe I should sneak in through the window and lock my bedroom door," Lana said while biting her bottom lip nervously.
"I don't think there will be any need for that. They both seem to be calm right now, but they fear that you aren't going to come back to them," She nodded her head as she closed her pained eyes. I was very hesitant to leave her, but I knew that she needed to face them alone. From what I could tell, everything would be alright.
"I wonder why my father was so filthy earlier," I had almost forgotten about that, and it brought an immediate smile to my face.
"It would seem that your father lost track of your car when he was following you, and he decided to walk a bit to find the house since we are so far back in the woods. He tripped over a tree branch and went tumbling down a steep hill just outside of our property. I'm astonished that he didn't break anything."
At her surprised gasp, the laughter I held in check erupted from my throat as I pictured the whole situation unfold. His screams and uttered curses as he fell made it all the more hilarious.
When I finally regained my senses, I noticed that Lana was bent over holding her stomach in complete hysterics.
"No wonder he was so pissed, he must have been so humiliated! That serves him right! Broke-ass, Sherlock Holmes!" She strained out through her laughter. We finally got ourselves under control again and she looked at the house.
"Well, it's time to face the music. I'll see you tomorrow and tell Alice that I said good looking out," she said and turned to go into the house.
"Oh, and for the record, Lana," I said halting her steps, "Stabbing yourself with a butcher's knife in front of your human parents just to make a point, was a tad bit over the top if I do say so myself," I said smirking.
Lana turned and looked at me with a surprised smile. I gave her a wink and gestured for her to go inside with my hand and she followed my instruction. I decided to stick around just in case my assumptions were wrong.
Lana walked into the back door and shut it quietly. The house remained dark with the exception of the living room where her parents were waiting. Her father was pacing back and forth anxiously. She walked into the room and they both looked in her direction.
Her mother leapt from the couch and ran to her, embracing her as tightly as possible. Her father walked over and wrapped his arms around both of them while kissing the tops of their heads. He had changed clothes and showered, thankfully.
I wasn't sure if Lana would be able to compose herself if he hadn't. Their fear of her disappearing was prominent in their minds. To them she appeared out of thin air and they assumed that their little miracle would disappear just as suddenly.
"We're so sorry. We didn't fully understand how much they mean to you, and we didn't mean to make light of that," her father said while releasing them both.
"Our only concern is protecting you. We just didn't want anyone to exploit you, but if you trust the Cullen's, then so do we," her mother said with a warm smile.
"No, I'm the one that should be apologizing. I never should have kept all of this from you for so long, but I wanted to do the worrying for you just this once. You'll never understand how guilty I feel knowing how much stress I've brought into your lives," Lana said while looking down at the floor.
"Lana, you are the very best part of our lives. We don't know what we would have ever done without you. I never want you to feel like you are a burden or that you've caused us any pain because the happiness you've brought to us far outweighs anything else; the decisions we made were our own. We decided to raise you and we've never once regretted it. We couldn't have asked for a better child," her father said.
"I love you both so much," Lana said hugging them both again.
All was well, I thought with a nod of my head, and I realized that I couldn't wait another minute to get home. I'm sure that Lana was right about Bella missing my presence, but she had no idea how much I missed my wife in return; how desperately I needed her to survive more than I even needed blood. With a smile, I launched myself forward as fast as I could. The sooner that I got home, the sooner I would see my angel's face.
AN: So, we have a little insight into Lana's family life. Next chapter, I will add a Lana POV just so you can get a feel of who she is as an individual. Personally, I absolutely love her character, but I'm biased. As always, let me know what you think.