Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight.
REVISED
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"Well hello again, Marek," said Jack from behind the kitchen counter as the door opened to admit them into the living room. "How was the party?"
"Wonderful," said Marek. "We're actually having a baseball game later tonight and I'd love it if Aubrey could come." Aubrey was staring away from Jack, her ears bright red as she felt Marek's arm around her waist.
"Baseball? Sure, no problem," said Jack, glancing at Aubrey and smirking. "But you won't want to be on her team. She's terrible."
"Dad!"
"Don't worry, Jack, I'm sure she'll do fine," said Marek. "But it will still be an hour or so until the game."
"Well, feel free to hang out here until the game," said Jack, gesturing around the room.
"Thank you, sir," said Marek, grinning stunningly. Jack smiled back like the kind host he was, though Aubrey could plainly see he was trying to mimic Marek's wide grin. Then, while Marek turned away momentarily, he winked at Aubrey, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together and raising an eyebrow. She threw him a mortified look, following Marek to the couch and taking a seat next to him.
The hours stretched by with Jack interrogating Marek about his family, Maine, how he liked it in Forks, if he'd ever been to Arkansas, the insanity of the weather, and little suggestive comments here and there with a glance at Aubrey, whose face was growing redder by the minute.
"I'll be right back," she said, getting up and walking out of the room. She closed the door to her bedroom slowly behind her and walked calmly to her bed, grabbing a pillow and holding it over her face. She the proceeded to scream her lungs out into the cotton. Jack was absolutely infuriating. It was unbelievable how much he was embarrassing her. She was seriously regretting returning to her house after the visit to the Cullens. Aubrey looked over at the clock on her night table exasperatedly. Only a little more to go, thank the lord and all other dieties watching down on her in her present agony.
She took a deep breath, straightened up, brushed her hair back behind her ears, and walked back out of her room, entering the kitchen area. She froze stock-still as the conversation in the living room reached her ears. Jack was talking to Marek.
"What are your intentions?"
"My...intentions?"
"Yes, with my daughter."
"To take her to go play baseball."
"I mean in the long run. Do you intend to get married?"
"What?"
"How do I know you're not just using my daughter for a quick spring fling, then it's off to the next easy catch along the line?"
"I swear, that is not my intention."
"Swear on what?"
"Er...the Bible?"
"DAD!"
Jack and Marek turned to see Aubrey standing there, her face beat red, matching her flaming eyes.
"Hi honey," said Jack innocently.
"It's time to go now," said Aubrey, walking to the door and opening it, motioning for Marek to join her, but he was already at her side. They walked out into the driveway, closing the door behind them. It reopened as Aubrey was climbing into the passenger seat.
"Your sworn promise isn't good enough, I hope you know! That swear on the Bible thing doesn't fly with me! How do I know you're not an athiest!?" Jack called after them before slamming the door shut. Aubrey brought a hand to her forehead in embarrassment, sinking low in her seat as Marek closed his door and started up the car.
"Your father is quite the character," he pointed out.
"Don't remind me..." said Aubrey from beneath her hand. They pulled out of the driveway and sped along the street. After a significant amount of time in which she recovered, she turned to him. "What are your intentions?" Marek smirked.
"Friends," he said.
"You sure?" asked Aubrey. Marek laughed in reply. Aubrey's heart sank slightly. "You're not just keeping me as a plaything are you?"
"Absolutely not," said Marek, his grin vanishing. "Edward doesn't know what he's talking about." There was a long silence as Aubrey stared out of the window sullenly. She looked back at Marek, who seemed lost in thought.
"Sure you don't want to get married?" she asked with a smile. That sent Marek laughing, answering her question well enough. She turned back towards the window.
They only drove for a short while, pulling off into a secluded clearing off the side of the highway. Marek got out, opening Aubrey's door for her. She stepped out, looking around.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"I honestly don't know," said Marek, "but my car can't make it. Edward's picking up Bella, then getting us."
"In what?" asked Aubrey warily.
"The Jeep," said Marek.
"Jeep? How many cars do they own?" exclaimed Aubrey incredulously.
"Tons, trust me," said Marek. Aubrey had little reason to doubt him.
A few minutes passed in silence before the faint roaring of a car could be heard. Marek put an arm around Aubrey and led her to the road, stopping as the biggest Jeep Aubrey had ever seen screeched to a stop in front of them. Aubrey could see a nervous Bella strapped into the front seat in some sort of harness.
"Hello Eddy," said Marek with a smirk.
"Hello Mary," said Edward, his face remaining stony. Aubrey couldn't suppress a snort. Marek raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, so it's girl names is it, Edwina?" he asked. Edward gave him a look.
"Honestly, Marek, this is childish. You're old enough to behave yourself; just get in the Jeep," he said. Marek sniggered, hoisting Aubrey up into the off-road vehicle easily with one arm and hopping in after her. She strapped herself into the odd harness, noting that Marek merely laid back casually.
"This won't be too painful will it?" asked Aubrey.
"No. Just long and rough," said Edward from the front.
"You probably won't enjoy it," said Marek. Aubrey turned to him.
"And you will?" she asked, eyebrow raised. Marek smirked and nodded, putting his hands behind his head as they hurtled down the highway.
After a while they turned off throuhg the forest, mounting a mountain path obviously not intended for popular use, let alone car use at all. Aubrey wondered how Bella was feeling as she bounced around in her harness, because she herself feeling as though she were about to break through the straps and fly out onto a boulder at any second. She looked at the vampires. Edward remained firmly behind the wheel as though there were no turbulence at all while Marek was as relaxed as he had been on the highway, his eyes half-closed lazily as they jolted up the path. Both had huge grins stretched over their faces, thoroughly amused, much to Aubrey's incredulity.
Finally they stopped, a slight drizzle falling as they pulled to a stop. Edward put the Jeep in park and turned to unstrap Bella, who seemingly couldn't figure out the harness. Aubrey unclipped herself easily enough and climbed down to the ground. As soon as her foot touched the rocks, however, all of the jolting and jerking of the past hour caught up with her in the form of a wave of dizzyness surging through her head. She stumbled backwards, nearly falling. Marek was at her side instantly, leaning to catch her as she toppled backwards and placing her neatly back on her feet, one hand on her elbow holding her steady.
"Have a nice trip, see you next fall," he said, grinning. Aubrey gave him an unamused look.
"A hundred years of life and that's the best you can come up with?"
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a critic," replied Marek in mock offense, walking around Aubrey so that his arm looped around her waist.
"I haven't forgotten the last time yet," Bella was saying to Edward. Aubrey looked over at them. Bella looked extremely nervous, while Edward was smiling softly at her.
"It seems I'm going to have to tamper with your memory..." said Edward. He pulled Bella from the Jeep and set her on the ground.
"Tamper with my memory?" she asked.
"Something like that," said Edward, putting his hands on either side of her on the Jeep, cornering her. Marek laughed.
"Come along, Aubrey, I don't want your eyes burning out from the extremety of this next scene," he said, placing a cold white hand over Aubrey's eyes and leading her protesting away from the Jeep. The crunch of gravel under their feet turned to the rustle of damp leaves and foliage as they entered the woods.
"Where are we going?" asked Aubrey, tiring of the darkness that covered her eyes.
"The field. I'm going to carry you."
"What?" snapped Aubrey at the latter bit, but Marek had already in one fluid movement removed his hand from her eyes and swept up her body into his arms, taking off like a shot. Aubrey stared in shock at the trees and woodland blurring into the distance as she looked over Marek's shoulder. She slowly turned her upper body, her hands fixed around Marek's neck like a cat's claws on a tree trunk for safety, looking into the oncoming forest. Trees were shooting by on either side as Marek maneuvered amongst them, missing each barely, as if he were purposefully running towards them only to divert his course at the last second. Aubrey's claws tightened.
"Voila, le voyage est finie," said Marek, halting so suddenly that Aubrey's head spun. Marek let her down onto the wet ground slowly, holding her until absolutely sure she had her balance.
"Where is everyone?" she asked, looking around.
"Just a little that way," said Marek, pointing. "Edward and Bella should be getting here once they're done playing doctor." Aubrey rolled her eyes.
"So, are we playing baseball in the woods?" .
"Ah ah ah, not you" corrected Marek, holding up one finger.
"Sorry, are you playing baseball in the woods?"
"No. We are playing over there," said Marek, indicating the direction in which the others were.
"Then why aren't we going over there?" asked Aubrey, confused.
"I don't know," said Marek, crossing his arms and shrugging. "You tell me." Aubrey stared at him.
"Come on," she said, lightly slapping his shoulder as she walked off. He smirked, following her.
They emerged into a field the size of several football fields jammed together and surrounded by woods, not to mention with a few mountains in the background. Aubrey stared around, jaw slack, vaguely noticing Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle already scattered around the field in a sort of unmarked diamond. Esme and Rosalie were situated on a hill nearby overlooking the entire field. Marek nudged Aubrey in that general direction, and then sped down to join the other players. Aubrey began to walk over to Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie, the third of whom turned and ran down to the field as well upon seeing her approach.
"Hello Aubrey," said Esme kindly once she reached her.
"It's the blackmailer!" exclaimed Emmett, grinning.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Aubrey, frowning.
"You have our secret, now in return what do you want us to do?" his humor had an edge, but he laughed it off. Aubrey couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Run you to school every day? Act as a personal bodyguard or hitman? Make you immortal?" His eyebrow raised. Aubrey opened her mouth in confusion, but at that moment both Emmett's and Esme's attentions were diverted over her shoulder, and Aubrey turned to see Bella and Edward emerging from the trees, walking towards them.
"Was that you we heard, Edward?" asked Esme lightly.
"It sounded like a bear choking," added Emmett, smirking.
"That was him," said Bella nervously.
"Bella was being unintentionally funny," said Edward. Alice appeared by their side, having skipped over from the field, silent as a leaf falling.
"It's time," she said. Not two seconds later, a rumble of thunder echoed out over the grounds.
"Eerie, isn't it?" said Emmett with a wink at the girls.
"No kidding..." muttered Aubrey.
"Let's go," said Alice, taking Emmett's hand and sprinting down to the field with him. It was very strange watching them together. Like a lynx running next to a bear, but with infinite more grace.
"Are you ready for some ball?" grinned Edward at Bella. She managed a weak smile, punching the air unenthusiastically.
"Go team!" she said, attempting to be zealous. Aubrey laughed at her and she blushed.
"Shall we go down?" asked Esme.
"You don't play with them?" inquired Bella as they started down the hill.
"No. I prefer to referee. I like keeping them honest," replied the motherly angelic figure.
"They cheat?" snorted Aubrey.
"Oh yes. You should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don't. You would think they were raised by a pack of wolves."
"You sound like my mom," said Bella, laughing. Esme laughed too.
"Well I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts. Did Edward tell you I had lost a child?"
"No," said Bella in shock.
"Really?" asked Aubrey.
"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing. It broke my heart." She sighed. "That's why I jumped off the cliff, you know."
"Edward just said you f-fell," stuttered Bella.
"You jumped off a cliff!?" exclaimed Aubrey, nonplussed.
"They brought me to the morgue with my heart still beating," explained Esme. "Carlisle found me there. Edward said I fell? Of course, always the gentleman. Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, even though he's older than I, in one way at least. That's why I'm so happy that he's found you, dear. He's been the odd man out for far too long; it's hurt me to see him alone."
"You don't mind, then? That I'm...all wrong for him?" asked Bella.
"No. You're what he wants. It will work out somehow," said Esme, though she still looked slightly worried.
"Marek's the odd man out," said Aubrey, thinking back to what he'd said. Esme sighed.
"Most of us haven't known Marek long," she said. "Carlisle, Edward, and I met him in Rochester, a while before we found Rosalie. From what saw, Marek wasn't used to living outside of a pack, and our way of life impressed him, I think. He didn't stay with us, though, and we never heard from him again until last summer when he suddenly turned up asking about joining us. Carlisle permitted him to stay, but only if he followed our diet. So far he's kept to it well, but..." She sighed, then smiled apologetically at Aubrey. "We don't feel as connected to him as we do to each other, that's true, but part of the reason is that Edward can't see his mind, and Alice can't see how the future involves him, so it is very hard to trust him. Edward especially is wary, but he has never had someone who he couldn't read before." She smiled at Bella. "Until you came along of course." Bella smiled back. Another roll of thunder echoed out over the clearing and they turned their eyes to the field, where teams had already been formed and were walking to their positions. The arrangement was Edward, Rosalie, and Carlisle, versus Marek, Emmett, and Jasper. Alice was pitching for both teams.
"Alright! Batter up!" called out Esme. Edward was in the outfield, a speck in the distance. The bases were ridiculously far apart, barely visible in the grass. Carlisle was far out between what must have been first and second base and Alice stood on the pitcher's mound. Emmett held a silver aluminum bat, swinging it testily at alarming speed with Jasper crouching a few feet behind him, ready to catch.
Alice stood completely still, staring at Emmett fixedly. The ball hung innocently in her hand by her side. Then, in the blink of an eye, her hand shot out...and the ball hit Jasper's hand.
"Was that a strike?" asked Bella.
"If they don't hit it, it's a strike," said Esme. Jasper threw the ball at lightning speed back to Alice. She grinned, then her hand shot out once more. The bat made contact this time with an earsplitting crack (explaining the necessity of the storm), propelling the ball, whom Aubrey was feeling very sorry for, into the far woods. Edward suddenly disappeared from his waiting position, chasing the soaring ball into the forest.
"Home run..." muttered Bella.
"Wait," said Esme, listening. Emmett was careening around the bases, Carlisle close on his tail.
"Out!" called Esme. The two humans' jaws dropped open. Edward had emerged from the trees with the ball held high in his hand. "Emmett hits the hardest, but Edward runs the fastest."
"Right..." said Aubrey weakly.
Marek was up to bat next, winking at the girls on the sidelines as he struck a jaunty grin. Aubrey put a hand to her face, her ears glowing red. Two strikes went by alarmingly fast before the bat made contact, sending the ball flying past Alice into left field low to the ground. Marek shot to first, then second base, leaping over Carlisle as the elder tried to tag him with the ball Alice had thrown to him.
"Safe!" called Esme. Marek saluted Aubrey, who's shade of tomato darkened to that of an apple.
The inning continued in the same manner, the bat clashing against the ball, the speeding vampires, the loud crashes, and even one incident where Jasper hit a ground ball and raced Carlisle to second, crashing into him with a loud sound like an explosion. Another reason for there to be a storm. Emmett's team was up by one when Edward caught the third out. He sprinted to Bella's side.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through a dull old Major League Baseball again," she responded.
"And it sounds like you did so much of that before," laughed Edward sarcastically.
"I am a little disappointed," teased Bella with a smile.
"Why?" asked Edward.
"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet." He smiled crookedly.
"I'm up," he said, heading for home.
"Come on! Are we playing ball or are we not, ladies?" called out Marek from the outfield.
"Shut up and watch!" called Edward, holding the bat ready and smacking the ball high and away as Alice pitched a fast one.
The game continued, the score changing rapidly, mocking and jeering whenever the lead changed. Esme had to call off fights more than once, restoring the peace. The storm continued to stay dry, as Alice had said, letting out only rolls of thunder every few minutes, which were barely discernable from the clashes and booms of the baseball game.
Carlisle was batting, Edward behind him, crouching to catch the strikes. Alice was about to pitch when she suddenly gasped. Edward's head shot up and he was instantly by Bella's side.
"Alice?" asked Esme tensely. Marek appeared behind Aubrey, staring at the seer as avidly as the rest of them. Alice was gaping.
"I didn't see...I couldn't tell..." she whispered. Carlisle, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were up next to them in moments as well, their heads turned towards the woods.
"What's happening?" asked Aubrey, looking, eyes wide, at Marek.
"What is it, Alice?" asked Carlisle calmly.
"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before..."
"What are they talking about?" asked Aubrey with more urgency, worry in her eyes. Marek sighed.
"Alice saw some others coming...in one of her visions. It seems that now is the time," he said.
"Others?"
"Others...not like the Cullens," said Marek, shaking his head.
"What changed?" Jasper was asking Alice.
"They heard us playing, and it changed her path," said Alice.
"How soon?" asked Carlisle, looking at Edward, who concentrated.
"Less than five minutes. They're running...they want to play," he said, scowling.
"Can you make it?" asked Carlisle.
"No, not carrying...besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."
"How many?" asked Emmett, turning to Alice.
"Four."
"Four! Let them come," scoffed the muscular immortal, punching his fists together eagerly. Everyone looked to Carlisle.
"Let's just continue the game," he decided. "Alice said they were simply curious."
"You catch, Esme," said Edward. "I'll call it now." He stood protectively in front of Bella. "Marek, you stay here too."
"I wasn't leaving," said Marek, frowning and putting an arm around Aubrey's waist, a fact her heart didn't miss, seeing as it nearly jumped out of her mouth. The others returned to the field, resuming play cautiously.
"Take your hair down," muttered Edward to Bella, who complied. Aubrey wondered if she was as nervous as she was.
"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please," said Edward, moving Bella's hair in front of her face. Aubrey quickly moved her own to cover her ears. One blush could give them away completely.
"That won't help," said Alice, watching Bella. "I could smell her across the field. Just Bella. Aubrey's scent isn't as...as..."
"Delectable," finished Bella miserably.
"Yes," said Alice.
"I know..." said Edward in frustration. Aubrey fidgeted, looking down at the ground.
"Relax," muttered Marek. "It'll all be over soon." Aubrey took a deep breath, sighing it out slowly. He tensed and looked down at her. "Just...don't do that..."
"Oh..." said Aubrey, her nerves getting more and more on edge. Marek tightened his fingers on her waist comfortingly.
"You're safe, Aubrey. It's eight to three. Trust me, I won't let them lay a hand on you."
"I'm more worried of them laying a tooth on me," said Aubrey. Marek couldn't resist a small smile.
"If they get that close Emmett will be all over them," he said. The thought was comforting, but Aubrey couldn't help thinking dubiously of Emmett after his comment about blackmail.
"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward was muttering to Bella. "It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I'm so sorry."
Every vampire suddenly snapped to attention, their heads turning to the right, looking out at the woods. They were here.
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