A Friendship in Eternity: Cullen and Mason
This oneshot is based off the Fate/Love/Hope Trilogy. You have to read that before this will make sense.
***This was written for my very good friend TwiCarol who bought this o/s at the FGB auction. While she didn't have to buy anything from me (I would've written it for free), her generosity supported a very good cause.
She requested a little background on Cullen and Mason growing up in the Cullen household. Please keep in mind that this o/s takes place before they go to Italy to serve the Volturi. So, this would be a prequel to anything I may have written about the Cullens in Italy.
***Carol - hopefully, I don't disappoint! I hope this brings a little smile into your world. And, sorry it took me so long! Oh, and since you're my comma beta…I apologize! Lol
***Thanks Jasper's Darlin' Kathy for beta reading this for me!
Cullen's POV
A New Arrival…
I got a new baby. Well, I didn't really get a new baby, Uncle Edward and Aunt Claudia did. But, they said that they would share him with me. At first, he didn't do much. He slept, ate, cried and pooped, and he drank way more blood than I did. Uncle Emmett went on a lot more blood runs, leaving him less time to play with me. I wanted to play with Mason, but the Professor said that new babies needed their rest, but he promised me that would all change very soon and we would be lifelong friends. I think he was right because anytime I was near Mason, I could feel how much he liked me.
Catching Up…
The Professor was right, Mason became active really fast. He was running almost before he was walking. Dr. Cullen said it was because he was more vampire than he was human, so his physical characteristics would develop faster. I liked running in the yard with him, and teaching him to climb trees and jump from branch to branch. Sometimes, our dads would take us in the woods and let us run as fast as our legs would take us. Uncle Edward always won. Right now, Mason and I were at the same speed, but I knew eventually he would be faster.
Dueling Gifts…
"Cullen!" Mason yelled. "That's not nice."
"What's not nice?" I smirked, knowing he had heard exactly what I'd said.
"You said that I couldn't play in your room." He pouted.
"I never said that," I argued. "Not out loud, anyway."
He was angry and I could feel that he was going to cry. I focused on his emotions and then he started to laugh.
"Stop that Cullen Whitlock! It's not funny." He laughed.
"Then why are you laughing?" I innocently asked.
"Because you're making me." He giggled.
"No, I'm not!" I insisted.
I am, and you can't make me stop!
"Yes, I can," he shouted.
"Hey," I said. "Stay out of my head."
"Aunt Bella," he yelled.
Oh No! He always called my mom.
I felt his satisfaction as my mother walked into the room.
"Stupid mind reader!" I said.
"Stupid empath!" he challenged.
"Hey you two," my mom warned. "Cut that out!"
Lessons…
"Pay attention," Dr. Cullen told us. "I only have a few hours before I have to go to the hospital and we have to get through this science lesson."
"I already know it," I informed him.
He smiled. "Yes, Cullen, I know, but we need to teach it to Mason."
"I'd rather learn about the Civil War," I said. History was my favorite subject.
"And, your father will cover that in tomorrow's lesson," he assured me.
"Hey!" Mason said. "I thought tomorrow was music with my dad."
"No, that's Thursday," I said. Each family member took a day and taught us a subject. This was fun when Mason and I were smaller, but now it was getting boring with just the two of us. We wanted to experience life outside of the Cullen house.
"Grandpop," Mason said. "Cullen and I want to go to a real school with real teachers and real kids."
"I'm sorry," Dr. Cullen said. "That's just not possible at this time. You know that you're different; special." He smiled. "And, trust me; you'll get a much better education from all of us. We've lived it, and in most cases, several times."
"That's not fair," I spoke up. "You let the others go to school before we were born."
"Yes," he sighed. "But, they were older."
"So, when we're older, we can go to school?" Mason asked.
"We'll revisit it later." He promised. "But, for now, how about we forgo the science lesson and go find Uncle Emmett?"
"Gym!" Mason and I yelled in unison.
"Yes," our Grandfather laughed. "Gym class seems to be in order."
We Are Who We Are…
Some of my favorite times were when Felix and Demetri came to visit us. When I was younger it was exciting because it meant Aunt Alice would bring us lots of gifts from all over the world, but as we started to get older, it meant that our training was becoming more intense.
As the years progressed, it was becoming more frustrating for me, because no matter how hard I tried Mason was just stronger, faster and more capable. His strongest attribute was tracking, and Demetri couldn't have been prouder. Obviously, Aro knew what he was doing when he paired those two up.
"What's the problem today Cullen?" Felix asked. "You're just not on your game."
"I'm just not very good at this stuff," I admitted.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "You are doing so well. Your father is going to be so proud of you. Your battle skills and talent for strategy rival his and you're only 12."
"No matter how hard I try," I said. "I'll never be as good as all of you."
"You sound just like Claudia used to," he said.
I knew there was a reason why my Aunt Claudia had identified with me. She lived amongst the Volturi vampires her entire cross-breed life. I knew I had it better than she did, because my family accepted me for who I was, but it was still hard for me.
"Cullen," Felix sighed. "You are going to lead the Volturi Guard someday. Alice has seen it."
"But when?" I asked.
"When you're ready." He smiled. "And, it's part of my job to make sure when that day comes, you'll be prepared."
"Felix," I asked. "Why do you suppose it's me who leads and not Mason? He's clearly the better candidate."
"Because it's your destiny Cullen and we don't question fate." He pulled my arm and flipped me on to my back, causing me to hit my back hard on the ground. "Now, show me how a leader responds to a threat."
Boys Will Be Boys…
"They are going to kill us," Mason said. "You do realize this."
"We don't die that easily." I smirked.
"This is the third prep school Cullen." He reminded me and I felt the panic he was radiating. I replaced it with calm. "Any chance you think they called your mom in to retrieve us?"
"No way," I said. I could already feel my father and Uncle Edward's emotions as they approached the school grounds.
"Oh, shit!" Mason growled. "They're not happy. I can hear what they're thinking."
Mason and I had a difficult time integrating with the human children. We tried public school, but we were way too advanced for that. Prep school was a bit more challenging and we were learning how to "dumb" it down, but we didn't like the discipline. In our house, we were used to the others falling all over us. We didn't have many rules, so it was hard for us to follow such a rigorous schedule.
My father walked in with Uncle Edward only a few steps behind him. They glared at us as they walked into the principal's office. They didn't say a word, but they didn't have to since I felt what they were feeling and Mason heard every word.
"We're fucked!" he said. "Something about shipping us to Alaska with Eleazar?"
"Great!" I hated Alaska. I know that was where my parents got together, but it was dark and cold and I often wondered how my mother even ended up there. Why would she leave Forks to go to school in Alaska? It never made sense and my parents never really talked about the time before I was born. I wasn't even sure how my mother got involved with a coven full of vampires. It probably had nothing to do with Alaska, but it didn't sit well with me.
"They're not going to send us to Alaska," I assured him. "The women in the house will never allow it, and don't be fooled. Just because old Jasper and Edward are going to rule the vampire world, it's Bella who has final say with those two."
I was often curious about the connection my mother had to Edward. We never discussed that either, but I could feel the love she had for him; it was different than what she felt for Uncle Emmett and my grandfather. And, Edward's love for her was just as strong.
"We're not supposed to call them by their first names. My father hates that," he said.
"He hates when we get thrown out of school too, but here we are again," I reminded him.
"This one was your fault," he said.
"You went along with it," I said.
"Yes, but it was you who manipulated that teacher into changing those girls grades to straight A's," he said.
"You could have talked me out of it," I said. "But, you knew that Bree wasn't going to be able to go out with you on Friday night if she didn't get a good report card."
"You had the teacher change the final grades, but nothing in between," he said. "All of her tests were below average."
"Well, that's why I went back into the computer, to fix my mistake. You were supposed to keep an eye out, you know with your mind-reading ability and super sensitive hearing. How did I get caught in the first place?"
"I was distracted." He smiled and I felt his lust spike. Bree was pretty hot, but then she dimed us out to the headmaster, and here we were, waiting to be expelled for hacking into the main computer system.
Our fathers stepped out of the office. I could feel their embarrassment, anger and frustration as they shook hands with the headmaster and apologized one last time.
"Well, thank you for coming so quickly, Professor Whitlock." He released my father's hand and took Edward's. "Dr. Cullen, please tell your father I said hello."
"I will," Uncle Edward smiled, but he was anything but happy.
My father walked over to us and pointed to the door. I cowered before him. Jasper Whitlock could be extremely intimidating when he wanted to be. We quickly got up and headed out of the school, for what I was sure was the last time.
Alaska Here We Come…
"I had to dazzle him!" My father yelled. "Had to manipulate him into letting us give the school a sizable donation to prevent them from pressing charges."
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
"Really? Because I'm not feeling your remorse," he yelled.
"Jasper," my mother said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"No, Bella," he yelled. "Not this time. He gets away with far too much in this house."
She nodded, and smiled apologetically at me. She knew when to pick her battles, but I knew she figured that I wasn't getting out of this one.
"What were you and that dim witted cousin of yours thinking?" he asked as he paced the room. Pacing was never a good sign for a vampire. He was too charged up. I could feel it. "For two boys who have off the charts intelligence levels, you act as if you have no brains at all."
"It's unrealistic dad," I said.
"What? To expect you to behave when I send you off to a very expensive school?" he asked. "To not hack into a computer system and break the law?"
"No, I mean, yes, but…" I was all flustered now.
"What?" he asked.
"The expectations that are put on these human children," I said. "The way they're expected to perform, to act, to learn. It's crazy."
"That's society Cullen, and you need to deal with it. Those girls' grades were not your problem."
"I felt how panicked they were," I admitted. "Report cards were being issued and I knew the pressure they were under. I wanted to help."
"Cullen, sweetie," my mom said. "What you did was wrong. It was dishonest."
"I know, but I wanted to help."
"By using your gift?" My dad said.
"I know that was wrong," I said. "I won't do it again."
"You wanted a chance to be human, see how those kids lived, so we gave you that chance. Three of them, to be exact. And, what did you do?" My father asked.
I didn't answer. He was doing fine all on his own.
"You used your supernatural gift to aide a human girl," he said. "I hope it was worth it."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"We're out of schools, Cullen," he said. "Carlisle has agreed that you can begin your college training here at home. He'll outline the curriculum."
"But, I'm only seventeen," I said. "I still have another year before college."
"Well, you'll just be really prepared," he snapped.
"Mom! Please." I begged.
"Cullen, school's not working for you and Mason. It's better that you figure it out here before we go to Italy."
"Maybe I don't want to go to Italy!" I yelled as I stood up and headed for the door.
"Cullen!" My father yelled and was in front of the door before I could blink. "Italy is a done deal. We don't have a choice. It's for your future. Please try to understand that everything I'm doing is for you."
"I never asked you to," I said.
I felt his disappointment and hurt.
"May I be excused?"
"Go!" My father stepped aside and opened the door.
We're In It Together…
"It won't be so bad," Mason said. "Uncle Emmet will be home with us."
"I know," I said.
I hate disappointing him.
"Jasper has already forgiven you," Mason assured me. "I read it in his head."
"And the others?" I asked.
"Everybody's cool," he said.
"Great," I said as I climbed the nearest tree. Mason followed me.
"Cullen, you need to come to terms with this," he said. "We're not human."
"Half of me is," I said. "I've never been able to explore that side of who I am."
"We tried," he said. "It's not the life we were meant to have."
"Why is it so easy for you?" I asked as I settled in on the highest branch that would support me. Mason stood on the one directly below me but leaned his arms over the one I was sitting on.
"I don't want to be human, I never have," he said. "I want to be like my father."
"Your father was human once," I reminded him. "Don't you feel like something is missing?"
"No," he said, and I envied him. I wanted to accept who I was. I wanted to be the son my father could be proud of. I just couldn't live up to the future me; the one who leads the Volturi Guard.
"I wish I could lead the Guard," he said, clearly reading my thoughts.
"The job's yours." I smiled.
"That's not what Aunt Alice saw, but I'm going to be there with you, like I always have been. We'll wreak havoc in Italy the same way we do around here."
"Somehow I don't think we'll get away with that." I laughed. "Not like we do here."
"We still have a few more years to screw things up here," he said as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Bree's phone number." He smirked that crooked smile that made him look just like his father. "And, she said she and Jillian are extremely grateful for what we tried to do."
"Hmm, well I'm certainly old enough to collect on that gratitude, but you're only 14." I laughed.
"But, according to my school records, I'm the same age as you are. I'm even taller than you." He smiled.
It was true. When we went off to school, our family thought it best that we stay together, so they fabricated Mason's records, so that he could be in the same classes as me.
"But, you are still three years younger than me. Let's not forget that."
"Oh, but I'm a lot older than 14, we both know that."
"In the vampire world," I reminded him. "You're barely a teenager in the human world."
"Look," he said. "I've read the minds of those human teenagers, and trust me, they know more than both of us put together."
I pulled out my cell. "Well, let's give them a call."
"Sweet!" Mason smiled.
Starting the Future…
The next few years weren't as bad as I thought they would be. Mason and I continued to get our education from the rest of the vampires in the house. Felix and Demetri came more often as we got older, and sometimes Jane and Alec would accompany them. Jane intrigued me because our gifts were similar. She could bring a person to their knees with physical pain, and I could do the same on an emotional level. The training intensified and I started to find peace with what I was and who I was to become.
"We're leaving first thing in the morning," my father said as he came and sat down on the porch steps with me.
"And, you're okay with giving up your life here and serving Aro?" I asked.
"I knew this day was coming for almost twenty years," he said. "It's what we're supposed to do."
"You're doing this for me," I said.
"I would never let you go without me," he said.
"I'm ready to do this dad," I told him. "I can do this."
"I know you can," he said. "You're going to be twice the vampire I am."
"That's not true," I said. "You're Jasper Whitlock; the Major. I've heard the stories."
"Yeah." He laughed. "Peter has a way of making me sound much better than I actually was."
"Well, hopefully I'll be just as productive in battle," I said.
"Yes, well, hopefully with Edward and I serving with Aro, we'll create a more civilized vampire society."
"Not before Cullen and I actually see battle," Mason said as he jumped out of his bedroom window. "Please Uncle Jasper."
"We'll see," my father rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go make sure the others know what time we're leaving tomorrow." He smiled at us both before leaving and I felt the pride he felt. That was all that mattered to me.
"You're going to be just like him," Mason said.
"I hope so," I responded.
"So, Italy," he said. "It's finally time to be in the Guard."
"Yeah, we have years of training ahead of us and we both have to be turned before we can be full Guards."
"Minor details, Debbie Downer," he said. "This is what we were made for."
"I know," I sighed. "I just can't believe it's finally time. Aren't you the least bit curious about what's in store for us? I mean all of us?"
"Nah, I don't think about those things."
"That's because you've always accepted our destiny," I said. "I'm not as sure as you are."
"It'll be fine," he said as he threw his arm around my shoulder. "We have each other."
"We always have." Mason was my brother in every sense of the word. I knew with him by my side in Italy, it would all work out.
"And besides, who in their right mind would screw with us?" He smirked.
Yeah." I laughed. "I guess it does kinda help that Edward and Jasper will be seated on either side of Aro."
I knew things would work out in Italy. The entire family was coming and we were all starting a brand new life. That was what the Cullens did, after all, and now it was time for Mason and I to take our rightful places along with my father and uncle. It was an exciting time for all of us.
***Just something fun and light!