Chapter 7: Unexpected visitors
Edward and I stayed in the same state of relaxation until dawn. A hyper active pixie but an end to our tranquil haven.
Alice and Rose spent the morning giving me a make-over while bombarding me with question after question about my travels and my relationship with Jake; how many ways can I tell them we are friends and I think of him as a little annoying brother before they actually believe me.
Carlisle ambushed me as I escaped the torture known as 'beauty treatments'. I explained how I had used my powers yesterday. I hadn't got past Edward mentally knocking and asking me to have a go at arm wrestling with Emmett when we heard a commotion outside Carlisle's study door. Emmett, Edward and Alice were all arguing about who got to put their ear up against the sound-proofed door. Carlisle's and I just stood and chuckled at them, for vampires they were very unobservant. They were that busy arguing it took ages for them to spot us watching them.
To save further interruptions Carlisle's called to everyone if they wanted to join us. We ended up back downstairs in the dining room. The study was too crowded with us all in there!
I started from the beginning again explaining how I used the different abilities and how they affected me. Carlisle appeared as amazed at my control and my speed and strength as he did about the extras. Neither Carlisle or Jasper had ever come across or even heard of a newborn with either the level of control, speed or strength. I don't suppose I'll ever be considered normal, I never got there as a human and now I seem to have broken the mould for vampires too.
"You mentioned that traits as a human are enhanced as a vampire, could all the running, swimming and fitness stuff I did have an effect on my new strength? Even the level of control, I suppose I did have quite a high level of control of most aspects of my life for a teenager," I reasoned as they questioned my strengths.
"Bella," Carlisle responded, "those things could account for some but you just seem to be more again but I suppose you were a most exceptional human in many respects. You did more in a few short years than most managed in a lifetime."
I laughed, "I did it all in my lifetime!"
"I was referring to the more accepted duration of threescore years and ten lifetime," Carlisle reproved me, softening his words with a smile.
Jasper having the experience he has with newborns found me unnerving. He still struggles with his own blood lust yet I managed to stop mid hunt to ask to watch someone else; 'Freaky' is a word that keeps slipping through his mind.
To all our amazement it was Emmett that pointed out I have the power of everyone that bit me. We don't know much about Victoria's power. Edward heard bits of James's thoughts about her ability to evade trouble, all that time ago when James had spotted Alice in the baseball clearing. When it came to avoiding capture, she had only succumb when distracted by feeding frenzy. James was a tracker even if his bite had occurred nearly a year earlier, my scar proved a small amount of venom must have been left.
A heated debated followed. James was only a mediocre tracker. Edward can only hear the first voice. Alice still can't choose her visions with the precision I appear to have and I can see myself and the wolves while Alice is unable to. Above all my ability to block the powers has them as mystified as anything.
Coincidence is too much of a stretch to believe when the powers are so similar yet I seem to have the upgraded version of each power. The empathy being the exception but I thought Jasper's past had honed his ability to an optimum.
Carlisle had filled an entire pad with notes on me. The debates and theories were getting more far-fetched and heated. I sat back and watched the interactions both within the family unit but also between the couples. Sitting there I could see the walls Edward had built around himself just to live with three such tight-knit couples.
A knock at the door shocked us all. Each one of us so intent on the subject at hand we had never noticed the approach of visitors.
I reacted first, getting up to get the door. I never even considered opening up my extra senses to find out who was on the other side of the door. My sense of smell confirmed vampire.
The first thing I saw as the door swung open in front of me was the red-eyes. I didn't think, I just stepped backwards and felt a pulse pushing out from me. Red-eyes represent attack and pain.
The two people on the porch flew backwards as if they had been hit. I watched in shock.
Jasper ran forwards to them but stopped short, crashing backwards as though he had hit a wall.
The man and woman had picked themselves up, they approached the house warily this time, "Jazz man, what just hit us? What sort of a welcome is this to give old friends?"
The man looked almost like Jasper's brother, slightly shorter and a shade darker hair. The woman, a stunning blond similar in height to Alice.
All eyes turned to me, "Bella, what did you do?"
"Me, I, I don't know I did anything. I suppose I panicked when I saw their eyes after recent events but..." I was shaking.
Jasper rubbing his forehead from the invisible impact sent me a wave of calm, I allowed it to blanket me, "Thanks."
"Peter, Charlotte welcome. Long time, no see. Come in, if you can," Jasper called to his friends.
Peter stepped forward first, hands checking the way was clear, "That's one powerful shield, warn a guy next time."
He extend his hand to me, "Bella is it? Pleased to meet you, I think! That's some shield you have," he tilted his head slightly, "How old are you?"
"She woke yesterday," Edward informed them, stepping forward placing a possessive arm over my shoulders.
"Yesterday, that's the first time you threw your shield?" Shock and awe coloured Peter's voice, "Did you know you're a shield?"
"I didn't mean to, I don't even know I did it," I felt so ashamed at doing that to Jasper's friends.
"All her other powers have been instinctive and she was aware of them as she woke but a shield that might explain it," Carlisle spoke more to himself than the rest of the room.
"Sounds like we have some catching up to do," Peter smiled, he strolled across the room throwing himself onto the sofa.
"Please ignore his manners. I'm Charlotte, pleased to meet you," she had such a warm friendly smile it just made me feel worse.
"I'm Bella, I'm so sorry for..." she didn't let me finish.
"No, it wasn't intentional. Don't worry," she reached over and squeezed my hand.
Esme went into housewife mode, "Come in, come in. It's so nice to see you both. What brings you to the area?"
"Just a social visit, but you know Peter, he always seems to know more than he lets on," Charlotte glanced at me then scowled at Peter. He just shrugged and grinned, "So what's new here then?"
I glanced at Jasper. He gave me a quick mental run down of who Peter and Charlotte are. He had mentioned their names when telling me his history but I appreciated the reminder. He told me of their feeding habits only taking out the low end of society or those that were dying anyway. I sent a quick blast of thanks in his direction.
Peter was looking at us in speculation, "I know you two are up to something, are you going to let the rest of us in on it."
Jasper just laughed, "I was just giving her a quick reminder of how I know you two, then she sent me a direct blast of thanks in reply."
"I think you need to start from the beginning, you're not making much sense at the moment!" he shook his head at Jasper's seemingly cryptic response.
To my surprise Esme took charge of telling how they met me and events that happened since. I was so touched at hearing how highly she thought of me. I couldn't help throwing a wave of love and respect to her. If she could cry she would have tears streaming down her face as she rushed over engulfing me in a hug, "Me too, me too."
Jasper had to explain to the others the reason for her seemingly unprovoked hug attack.
Carlisle took over from Esme giving a far more analytical description of events.
Peter and Charlotte were just as sceptical as the others had been.
A few comments on their thoughts and reactions started to convince them.
Peter was amazed at the level of control of my empathic power. It seems Jasper's control had been a long time in coming improving even more after leaving Maria. The ability to direct an emotion to an individual in close proximity to others, it seems he still struggles with.
I confirmed I had a two more hooks and threads attached to me. Peter had to test it by running off far enough to be out of range to other senses as I gave a running commentary of his location.
Beating Jasper in a fight was the hardest thing for him to accept. I checked the future and saw a few quick rounds, him against me would soon cure him of his disbelief.
I played the vision the other way telling Peter about each round and how quickly I would beat him each time. I checked again to confirm prior knowledge had not changed the outcome then we piled outside to prove it.
I beat him as predicted. It was almost too easy.
We tested the route overlay. I followed some of the darker paths which lead to me losing a few rounds.
Peter came up with the multiple attacks idea. I didn't manage to win them all even throwing emotions at my attackers. It wasn't until I recalled the pulse I felt when Peter and Charlotte arrived that I started practising my shield.
We soon realised the shield was pretty much impenetrable from either side unless I wanted to let anything in or out.
Emmett got clever getting a baseball and getting me to practise bouncing the ball off the shield and playing catch through it. As the ball was thrown someone would shout, the words changed each time but I had to respond by either getting the ball to bounce off the shield or let it go straight through.
I started getting clever changing the shape of the shield so the ball bounced back easily too me or making it change direction as it went through to make it harder to catch.
It was Edward that noticed he couldn't read the thoughts of those on the other side of the shield. Jasper confirmed it was the same with emotions. We spent most of the afternoon practising both the mental and physical aspects of the shield.
I found I could block thoughts and emotions separately if I wanted. I can stop or allow anything though the shield, if I set my mind to it.
Peter had to test my strength and speed too. He came up with some weird and wonderful ideas but concluded I was much stronger than even the strongest newborn he had even encountered.
Charlotte was a lot of fun. She was so much less girlie and willing to join in and get dirty with the men and me. Her sense of humour was a blast, she came up with some great ideas for keeping the boys on their toes. She made it all so much more fun than just the test subject the boys tried to treat me as.
My throat started itching so I called it a day on 'Bella the science experiment'.
Edward joined me for my hunt. The others went back for private time or to catch up with Peter and Charlotte.
I let Edward set the pace, it was so nice to run at a gentle lope. I missed my morning runs that I relied on for sanity as a human. This was so much faster but just as welcome.
An elk that happened on to path made up my evening meal. As Edward gently wiped my chin he looked into my eyes with such tenderness. He leaned in and kissed me, "It's so nice to have you home. I never wanted you to be a vampire, I thought myself too much a monster to condemn you to the same. Now you are I couldn't be happier, we can be together properly now."
I stroked his cheek and leaned in for a hug. We stood in that embrace relishing the others presence.
Edward and I ran on even further. It turns out he was running at top speed, he loves the exhilaration of the speed. I was very loath to admit to him I thought the speed we ran at was just a gentle lope.
We ended up sat on a cliff edge watching the sunset over the ocean.
Edward and I have had so little time together after all my time away then the chaos that followed my return. We sat hand in hand, talking on those cliffs until the sun rose behind us. With reluctance we stood and ran home.