Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I just play here.
CH. 6
Carlisle Cullen sat quietly in his own home, his own living room, his family around him, and he had never felt so alone. This strange woman, claiming to be more than seven hundred years old, had saved his family that dreadful night those long months ago. It was a gift, un-hoped for, unbelievable, utterly unexpected. But he felt that the price for that gift might be more than he, or his family, could afford. Yes, they had Bella and as far as he could tell, she was in every way their Bella. But Bella had also died that terrible night, and only he knew it. Finder had also brought something even more terrifying to him. The studies he had undertaken into the information she had given him that night horrified him. The flash drive contained data on a new, largely unknown virus, one like nothing Carlisle had ever studied. His vast experience, gained over more than four hundred years of study and research, had never encompassed a disease as virulent as this one appeared to be. If the data were correct, experiments had been performed on living, sentient subjects. He really didn't want to know how this had been done under controlled conditions, because controlling a vampire or a true werewolf was all but impossible for any other than another of their kind. This virus was some sort of haemorraghic type, but not like others Carlisle had studied. It seemed to be able to equally attack humans, vampires, werewolves, and other preternatural creatures, and if his projections were correct, every being infected with it would die. He had never even heard of a vampire falling to anything short of violence at the hands of other supernatural beings, but this data indicated just that. And those files Finder had given him - stolen, he had no doubt - indicated that someone had already performed experiments on humans, vampires and actual werewolves, all of whom had died. Whatever was going on, it wasn't just about some story about Templars and treasures. And whoever…whatever Finder was, it wasn't some ordinary human with a gift for storytelling. This was…Carlisle had no words for the weight he felt pressing on him. Esme turned to him, worry in her eyes, and touched his face. He shook off his reverie and smiled at her, but he knew that she saw the smile didn't quite fill his eyes.
Alice trooped in from the driveway, carrying two large bags that all but dwarfed her tiny frame. "Is this all?" she chirruped to Finder, who smiled and nodded. "Well, come on, let me show you to your room, and you can get changed while they figure out what they are going to do." Alice let the way up the glass staircase and Finder followed, a small smile on her face.
As soon as she was out of the room, Jasper began. "If this is going to be a test, it needs to be a hard one. Let's all go outside where we are sure we can't be overheard." The family followed, Carlisle bringing up the rear, talking amongst themselves. He cast a last glance toward the staircase, then banished worry and fear from his countenance, guarded his thoughts and joined his family.
"Alright then, this is far enough," said Jasper. The family deferred to Jasper's military experience in planning their response to Finder's challenge, sensing that they needed a strategy to truly test their guest's claims. "Finder suggested that we each take something from the house and hide it somewhere. I suggest that we change the rules a bit. Each of us will take something, and exchange it with one of the others, then each of us will hide our object."
"Wait a minute," objected Reneesme. "Isn't that cheating?"
"Sweetie," said Jasper, kneeling to her eye level, "part of a good strategy is not letting your opponent set the rules. Yes, she said one item apiece, but we aren't going to have a real test if she sets the rules. Do you understand?"
"It still feels like cheating to me," the child grumbled.
"Nessie, Jasper is right. We can't have a true test if Finder sets the rules. If she doesn't know we have changed the rules, then we have a better chance of figuring out if she really can do what she says she can do." Jacob met Jasper's eyes, and though his tone was light, the seriousness of his expression was not.
"But Auntie Alice thinks Finder will win," Reneesme complained.
"Maybe. Maybe not. You know everything Aunt Alice sees doesn't happen, right?" asked Edward.
"I know that, Dad, but still…"
Edward swung his daughter up into his arms. "I think your sense of honor is a very good thing, Reneesme," he smiled. "I also think Uncle Jasper is right. We have to do it this way. I promise, Finder won't mind."
"You can't read her mind, how do you know that?"
The family all chuckled at Edward. "She's got you there, man," grinned Emmett.
"No, I can't read her mind, but if all this is real and she is being truthful with us, then she will actually expect us to make this as hard a test as we can. So if she is truthful, then she won't mind. And if she isn't, well…."
"We will deal with that if it arises," said Carlisle with finality. "Everyone have your idea?"
The family nodded. "Then Jacob, you and Reneesme should go together. The rest of us, split up. And do keep to the twenty-mile limit. We don't want this to take forever, now do we?"
"Ok, Nessie, what do you want to hide?" asked Jacob and she whispered in his ear. "You sure?" he asked doubtfully, and she shook her head firmly. "Ok, wait here and I will get it. You can give it to Seth, and he can hide it. You can take whatever he picks and ride on my back and we will hide it. Seth, we will go in wolf form, ok? That way you and I can communicate if anything goes wrong."
"What could possibly go wrong?" asked Esme doubtfully.
"Nothing is going to go wrong, my love. Jacob is just protective of Reneesme and his family," soothed Carlisle. He turned to the rest of his family, adding, "Everyone, get your object quietly, exchange it with someone, and go. We will meet back here as soon as you have hidden your item. No talking in the house," he warned. Catching each other's eyes, the family scattered into the house and then sped away into the woods.
Alice led Finder to the guest room, a large bedroom decorated in deep blues and greens. Finder crossed to the bed, where Alice deposited the two large bags. "Your bathroom is through there," Alice pointed, "And your closet is there. Do you need anything else?"
"No, thank you, Miss Alice. If you don't mind waiting, I will take a human moment," Finder said, removing her jewelry as she spoke. She opened one bag, pulling out several items, which she carried with her into the bathroom. Alice sat on the bed, bouncing slightly in anticipation. She absently noted the sounds from the bathroom, humming to herself. After a few minutes, Finder stepped out, garbed in loose-fitting gray trousers tucked into soft, low-heeled black leather boots and a long forest green turtle-neck tunic. 'No fashion sense', thought Alice, 'but not bad. Not bad at all. Practical. Suits her.' Finder returned the suit she had been wearing to her bag. Alice watched Finder lift the other bag and open it. From one side, she pulled a long heavy wool hooded cape in a deep green and a wide leather belt. Finder tugged the belt on, then opened the other side of the bag. She pulled out a pouch and attached it to the belt. Alice watched, wide-eyed, as she removed two long, thin knives and tucked them into special loops inside the tops of her boots. She pulled up the sleeves of her tunic and strapped on a wrist sheath and knife on each arm, testing carefully to be sure the knives fell properly into her hands. Alice's eyebrows crept into her hair as Finder removed a long sword in a baldric from the bag. "You vampires don't require weaponry, but I do." Finder explained matter-of-factly as she continued to arm. "I do not go anywhere unarmed."
"But aren't your enemies….ummm…non-human?"
"Some are, truly, but most are human. Gifted, long-lived, skilled, but human. And as you saw earlier, my weapons are not exactly standard-issue, movie props." Finder continued to arm, hooking an odd tube in a long carrier to her belt, and placing several throwing stars in the loops on her belt. She tucked a pair of fine leather gloves through her belt, then opened the pouch, checking its contents. She pulled a long necklace out, placing it around her neck. The dull silver chain gleamed slightly, and the charm looked like a small gyroscope of silver and crystal.
"That is pretty," said Alice. "But it isn't an ordinary necklace."
"Perceptive. No, this is a tool that lets me alter time slightly by generating anomalies between the dimensions. The chain is unbreakable, as is the charm itself, but it requires my paranormal gift to utilize its power."
"Do you need it to travel or make these anomalies?"
"No. Sometimes, it is easier to use this…map."
"Ah. And the weapons, do you need them too?"
"Miss Alice, I have trained for centuries in many martial arts. Tools help, but I am the weapon." The steel in Finder's face left no doubt of the truth of her statements. Alice measured her, and smiled.
"I think I ought to be frightened of you, you know. I can see things, dark things, things I am sure you would rather me not know. But I can't find it in me to be afraid of you. Of the situation, yes. I can see that you aren't bringing good things to us, but I can see that this is necessary, and that you didn't choose this." Alice's face was downcast, hidden from Finder, but the woman sat down beside Alice and laid her hand on Alice's cold one.
"It is quite a burden, isn't it? Seeing, uncertain if you can or should change what you see, and despite your husband and family, being so utterly alone?"
Alice trembled and shook her head. "It is horrible. I like knowing, but I hate knowing things I have to keep to myself. I know that my seeing is a powerful force keeping me and my loved ones safe, but it is so hard sometimes." Alice popped her hand over her lips to stop her words. She was surprised at how comfortable she was talking to Finder.
"And yet, your heart is not hardened and your spirit is not diminished. You are remarkable, Miss Alice. I find your courage admirable."
Alice laughed. "It's easy to be brave when you know the future."
"No, it is not." Finder's steady gaze never flinched from Alice's eyes, and the tiny vampire was touched by Finder's insight, and more, by her lack of instinctive aversion. Only Bella, when human, had reacted without a human's subconscious fear of the supreme predators, and Alice was deeply appreciative of this. It made her feel a little less...non-human. "I can't see how this is going to end, though. It just…isn't there, you know?"
"Yes. More than wolves and hybrids can cloud your Sight, Miss Alice. Not to worry: when your gift is needed most, it will not fail you." Finder's lips quirked slightly. "But it may not be much fun until then."
"Sometimes, it isn't all that much fun now." Alice sighed deeply.
Finder patted the young vampire's hand and Alice lightly squeezed the warm fingers. "Thank you. And now, if you are quite finished loading yourself with weapons, I hear my family returning."
Finder laughed and rose, fastening her cape around her neck. She slid her arms through the slits in the front of the cape and adjusted her sword over her shoulder. "I think I can manage with this paltry number of offensive assets." Alice's tinkling laughter accompanied Finder's closing her bags and the two women walked lightly down the stairs to meet the returning family.