{
She looked so scared. My little girl!
I was quick to run to her, my fears completely lost as I saw with my own eyes the daughter everyone said had died. The look on her face changed to one of panic and she leapt away from me with surprising speed. I stumbled but caught myself on the kitchen counter, having tripped into the room.
"Mom?" Bella said, her voice shaking and unsure. I nodded, my vision already beginning to blur as I sniffled.
"It's alright, Bella," I told her, taking a slower step toward her. "It's going to be OK." I let out a strangled cry of joy as I again looked at her.
"It's not," she shook her head at me. "I'm not – there's something wrong with me, mom." I took another step toward her and she raised her hand and took a step back, her back nudging against the refrigerator. "Don't."
"I know it's scary out there," I reassured her. "And what you must have went through!"
"Stay away from me!" Bella shrieked in warning, sounding hysterical.
}
-Chapter 9: Friendship-
"Edward and Angela are here," Alice said.
I frowned, getting the sense that the fun-and-games portion of my visit was coming to a close. The hours spent alone with Alice and the fight with Emmett had loosened me up and worked away the anxiety that had been churning where my stomach used to be. I looked to Alice with an expectant gaze – I was her guest, after all; I would leave it up to her on how to proceed.
"I suppose we should wait with Carlisle and Esme," Alice rolled her eyes and started toward the back door. I followed behind her with a sigh, but didn't say anything.
"Did he know I was here?" I asked Alice as we entered a small living area, furnished with chairs, couches, and a large-screen television so large, I didn't even know they were made in that size. Alice nodded and moved to the window, following the movements of the Volvo as it rolled out of sight and into the garage.
"I texted him and told him you were coming over today," Alice told me, dancing over to one of the chairs and sitting next to Esme, who was sitting next to Carlisle. I took a seat as well, feeling uncomfortable being the only one standing. "I think he was actually relieved you weren't at school with Angela when he couldn't be there to protect her." Her words dripped with sarcasm and I smiled at her, thankful that at least she trusted me not to kill my classmates.
"Where did Emmett and Rosalie go?" I asked as I picked up the sound of a door downstairs opening and closing. A fraction of the anxiety I had experienced before I arrived crept back in, and I found myself missing the amusing, playful atmosphere that emanated from Emmett. I would even suffer through Rosalie's silent contempt if it meant the brute of a vampire were here to diffuse the situation.
"Hunting," Alice answered absentmindedly. I turned to her and saw that familiar far-away look in her eyes. "They'll be back later tonight." I nodded and shifted my head as I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
Edward approached with a confident stride, though the look of caution in his eyes alerted me to how serious he was about Angela's safety. The girl in question was behind him, though it appeared it wasn't by her own will that she was obscured from my sight. I gave him what I hoped to be a reassuring smile, to which he nodded back. My eyes widened comically; surely Edward Cullen wasn't being polite?
Edward paused after he stepped into the living area and Angela took the opportunity to maneuver around her boyfriend and approached where Alice and I sat. Edward watched the interaction like a hawk, not bothering to sit down, but at least he allowed it. Angela didn't hug me – for which I was grateful – but she made a point to not shy away from me.
"Hi, Bella," Angela greeted, pushing her glasses up on her face, and then took the small moment to wave hello to Carlisle and Esme. "So, did Alice explain everything to you?" I nodded.
"Oh my god," Alice interrupted me before I could talk, her voice vibrating like she was on the verge of giggling. "You should have seen it, Angela; Bella kicked Emmett's ass at wrestling. It wasn't even close." Angela looked to me with her mouth parted slightly in awe. Clearly, she had an understanding of how strong a vampire was.
"It wasn't that easy," I spoke up, not wanting to make my feat more than it was. "Emmett almost pinned me once." Alice let out a 'pfff' sound, which I mentally agreed with if I was being honest. He was fast enough to push me to the ground, but it wasn't difficult to shove him off me.
"I think we all know you beat Emmett effortlessly," Carlisle put in, chuckling under his breath. This drew the attention away from me and Angela walked back to the opposite side of the small room, pulling Edward down beside her.
"Angela, dear, can I get you a snack?" Esme spoke up, looking at the tall girl with fondness.
"Sure," Angela smiled. "If it's not too much trouble."
"None at all," Esme said, shifting head to look at me. "Bella, can I get you anything?" I looked at her in confusion for a moment, before I realized she had no idea I wasn't able to eat or drink anything.
"No," I shook my head. "Thanks anyway." Esme nodded and walked out of the room at a normal speed, disappearing downstairs without a sound.
"Would you mind if I asked you a few questions, Bella?" Carlisle asked me after his wife left. "We could go to my office if it would make you more comfortable." I sighed and shook my head.
"It's fine," I told him. "You can ask your questions here; I don't mind." It was a partial lie. I didn't like talking about that part of myself at all, but I understood why it was important that I did. I had proven I was capable of outmatching a vampire and I had told Alice I beat the wolves in the altercation I had with them, so I felt physically secure. Emotionally, I wasn't prepared at all – I didn't know if I ever would be.
"Alice informed us that you didn't know what you were – only that you were no longer human," Carlisle spoke and I quickly glanced at Alice, wondering how she had managed to tell Carlisle that much without me knowing. "May I ask how you became this way?" I internally flinched, but resolved to skip over the more unpleasant parts of my 'origin story.'
"I'm sure you heard about Phoenix?" I asked him, to which he nodded, looking more confused and intrigued at the same time. "I was inside the capitol building when it happened. I don't remember much – a lot of my memories are gone – but I do know that I woke up in the rubble like this a few hours after the attack."
"It was all over the news for months – it is probably still being covered," Edward supplied. "But…you don't look anything like those things that were walking around ground zero."
"I know," I agreed. "And I don't know why that is, but I am infected." Edward hissed and moved in front of Angela, causing me to freeze. "I'm not…it's not contagious unless I cut her or something – it's not airborne, as far as I can tell. Well, at least my version of whatever the hell this is isn't airborne; I've been around enough people to make sure."
"It's remarkable," Carlisle mused. "Perhaps you are a carrier, since you seem to have no deformities and are completely cognizant. I would very much like to run some tests on your DNA, if you would consent to it." I nodded, forgetting Carlisle was a doctor.
"That…would actually be great!" I grinned. "I would love some answers, but I haven't exactly been able to go see a doctor about my condition."
"No, I suppose not," Carlisle chuckled as Esme entered the room, depositing some celery and peanut butter on the table in front of Angela. "How did you realize you were infected with the virus if you were still you, so to speak?"
"It was the things I could do," I looked at my hands. "I didn't have all my memories, but I had enough to remember I was never able to toss cars around or leap several stories in the air. That, and there were the safeguards that were erected around the city. I don't know how they worked, exactly, but the sentries would light up and sound out a warning whenever something infected wondered too close."
"And you wondered too close," Carlisle guessed. I nodded.
I nearly shivered at the memory of Phoenix as I left for my mom's funeral. The media showed only a fraction of the carnage on the news. It was still practically a warzone when I left – a winding-down warzone, but a violent and dangerous one nonetheless. The disfigured, shuffling corpses that used to be people were still walking about in some pockets of the city and the army had continued to make their presence known.
But the 'zombies' that were shown often on the television weren't even the worst of it. The virus – if it was a virus at all – had mutated and evolved, creating monsters that made the walking infected seem like scarecrows. They were teeth and claws and very difficult to kill unless one had a tank – or shape shifting powers and super strength. Those things were never covered by news cameras, and I doubt they ever would be.
"Do you know who was behind the attack?" Esme asked me.
"No," I shook my head. "I tried to stay low after I woke up, and the news coverage there wasn't any better than the stuff you got here, I'd bet."
"What about your diet?" Edward asked with a direct tone, locked in a staring contest with Alice. I glanced back and forth between the two of them before I answered.
"Apparently it's the same as yours," I told him. "I don't just take the blood, though; I need to consume the entire body – or most of it, anyway." I grimaced as I remembered the chunks of wet leftovers sprinkled with fur from my first and only animal hunt.
Speaking of consuming, I could already feel the familiar fatigue starting to build in my bones. It wasn't quite to the level of hunger I usually let myself get to before feeding, but it seemed to be building faster than it used to – back when I was on a steady stream of human for my meal intake. I wondered if animals were less compatible with my body, or if they were fully compatible at all. I internally shivered at the thought.
What if I had to continue to feed on people?
"Animals?" Carlisle asked. I nodded to him, content to let my fears be my own until I learned whether or not I could live without consuming people.
"I used to survive on the zombies in Phoenix when I was able to," I told him, which seemed to interest him greatly. "But I had to consume people too, sometimes; the wolves were the ones who gave me the idea about animals."
"Ah yes, the Quileute tribe," Carlisle mused to himself. "Alice tells me they didn't quite take to you."
"That's an understatement," I scoffed. "A bunch of self-righteous assholes is what they really are." Alice and Edward grinned at that, and I even saw a half smile fight its way onto Carlisle's and Esme's faces.
"They're not that bad," Angela frowned. "I mean, they're just looking out for their tribe's safety."
"Have you met Paul?" I asked her pointedly, to which she blushed and pursed her lips. I nodded my head in triumph, not bothering to add anything further.
After the informal meeting, the talk dissolved into a friendly gathering of sorts. I couldn't say that Angela and I bonded, but we were definitely able to just hang out with the family of vampires – sans Emmett and Rosalie, who hadn't come back yet. Edward was…civil, which was light-years from his standoffish, growling demeanor during my first two days at school.
After an hour or so, Carlisle motioned for me to follow him, so I waved goodbye to Alice and the others and trailed after the blond-headed patriarch. He led me into what seemed to be a mini-library – books wrapped around three of the walls and an expensive-looking wooden desk sat to one side. Carlisle closed the door as we entered and gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of the desk.
"It's not going to be a problem for me to be here, right?" I said with barely-disguised anxiety as the doctor took the seat behind the desk, looking completely in his element.
"No, no," Carlisle assured me. "I believe we will get along just fine. That's not actually why I brought you up here. You said your…infection cannot be spread unless you cut an individual?" I squirmed in my seat.
"I…actually don't know if I could infect someone else," I admitted. "Whenever I get close enough to do that, I usually kill them immediately." Carlisle 'hmm'ed at that for a moment.
"I know I already brought the subject up downstairs, but would you be willing to allow me to run some tests on your biology? Nothing more invasive than a few blood samples, I assure you; I would just feel more comfortable knowing exactly what the virus inside of you is capable of." I nodded almost immediately.
"Of course," I said. "I'd like to know, too. Do you think…you could find a cure?" I tried not to let any hope seep into my voice, but Carlisle's eyes softened all the same.
"I won't be able to tell until I see what I am dealing with," Carlisle shook his head. "But I will try, I can promise you that." I nodded and sat back in the chair.
"When do you need to take the samples?" I asked.
"Would after school tomorrow work for you?" he asked. "I have a few hours before my late shift at the hospital."
"That works," I confirmed. "I just have to ask Charlie, but I'm sure he'll be OK with me coming over here again."
"Speaking of your father," Carlisle eyed me with speculation. "Is he aware of your…condition?"
"No," I shook my head. "He knows I went missing for a short time after the attack, but he has no idea I am so different." I looked at the doctor, who seemed to be both listening to me and pondering something else at the same time. "Why, do you think I should tell him?" He cocked his head minutely to the side.
"That's your decision, I'm afraid. You know your father better than I do; do you think he would be able to take it?"
"I don't know," I sighed. "He was so happy to see I was alright, especially after my mom…" I trailed off, unable to talk about that topic. "I just don't want to destroy his world by bringing it up – I don't want him to look at me differently." Carlisle nodded in understanding, but didn't follow up with another question. He tilted his head up after a moment, appearing to be focusing on something.
Two seconds later, I was able to hear what Carlisle had obviously sensed before me: the faint sound of footsteps clomping outside and the carrying voice that belonged to Emmett. I rose out of my seat and followed Carlisle out of his office and down to the first floor, where the rest of the Cullens had gathered. Emmett was standing next to a pissed-off Rosalie, both their clothes disheveled and their hair mussed.
"What happened, Emmett?" Carlisle asked when we arrived. Emmett seemed to be in a foul mood, muttering curses under his breath.
"Victoria happened," Rosalie explained. "She killed another hiker in the woods; we ran across her trail just as she was finishing up." There were multiple hisses all around, the loudest coming from Edward, who wrapped his arm around Angela protectively.
"Why didn't I see this?" Alice questioned, crunching her eyebrows together.
"She was right on the treaty line," Rosalie said. "It was probably the mutts interfering with your visions again." Alice let out a dramatic shriek and bounded back upstairs. I gave her disappearance an odd look, which Rosalie must have caught. "Alice gets a little…upset when she misses things; she thinks she should be able to see everything because of her gift." I gave her a small nod before looking back at Carlisle.
"Who's Victoria?" I questioned.
"She is a vampire who was a part of a larger coven that came to Forks a few months ago," Carlisle told me. "Her mate, James, tried to attack Angela after he discovered she was human." Carlisle frowned in thought, looking like he was miles away.
"And what happened to James?"
"He's dead," Edward answered with a hint of pride, giving me the feeling that he would gladly do it again if Angela was threatened – and there was no doubt in his tone that it was he who had killed the vampire.
"So she's what, killing people to get back at you guys?" I tried to wrap my head around that logic. Maybe it was considered poaching to kill on another vampire's turf? Or, perhaps this Victoria knew the loss of human life would aggravate the Cullens, with their animal-drinking lifestyle?
"She wants me," Angela spoke softly, her voice shaking. I looked over at her as she nested against Edward's frame. "Edward killed her mate, so she wants to kill his. A mate for a mate." She said the last bit mechanically, like she were under a spell, and I wondered just how much psychological damage it would cause a normal person to have a vengeful vampire after you – wanting to kill you.
"Was Laurant with her?" Esme asked Emmett, who shook his head. I shuffled closer to Angela and Edward, ignoring the way he stiffened as I drew nearer.
"No, we only saw the bitch," Emmett growled, rolling his shoulders. "I didn't smell anyone else, either." Rosalie shook her head as well.
"Who's Laurant?" I whispered to Angela, not wanting to interrupt the flow of conversation among those already caught up.
"He was part of James' coven," Angela whispered back to me. "He didn't want to fight, so Carlisle let him go." I nodded and eased back out of Edward's 'personal bubble,' allowing him to relax a bit.
My eye caught the stove-top digital clock from my view of the kitchen across the open floor – 5:15. Charlie got off work at 6:00, and if I wanted to get home in time to start his dinner before he got home, I needed to leave soon.
Emmett and Rosalie went upstairs to change out of their ruined clothing and Edward assured Angela he would stay with her to watch out for Victoria, the both of them following the others upstairs. I waited until the gathering had died down and most of the vampires went to their respective areas before I spoke up.
"I probably need to be going if I want to get home before Charlie does," I tilted my head toward the front door as I spoke to Carlisle and Esme. "Thanks for inviting me over."
"You're very welcome," Carlisle nodded toward me. I didn't flinch this time as Esme embraced me in a hug, instead I wrapped my arms gently around her body and returned it, even if only half-heartedly. "I'll see you tomorrow?" I nodded.
"You're welcome here any time, Bella," Esme let me go just as light footsteps tapped down the staircase. Abruptly, I was pulled into a much smaller, but more energetic hug.
"Bye, Bella," Alice said quickly, pulling back with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry you had to sit through all of our drama." I laughed and rolled my eyes.
"It's alright," I assured her as I walked to the door, the small vampire walking along side of me. "It was actually a lot of fun beating up on Emmett – you were right about that."
"Don't worry, you'll definitely get another chance to fight him; Emmett enjoys a challenge."
"Damn right!" Emmett's voice boomed from above my head, the sound echoing strangely as it passed through the multiple rooms and spaces.
"You can come hang out with me tonight if you want," I told her as we stepped outside. "I'm not sure I can stick to my 'sleep' routine with all of this supernatural excitement." Alice nodded.
"I'll be by later, then; after Charlie goes to bed."
I waved goodbye and took off into the forest, following the same path Alice and I took to get here as I raced toward my house.
End notes: No, I don't think I'll be writing Edward as a complete asshole. He'll be protective and he sure as hell won't trust Bella completely (at least for now) but he's not the villain of the story. That comes later.
As for Bella having the gliding ability from [Prototype]: that's probably not going to happen. It's a cool ability to have, undoubtedly, but I always thought it was too...unconvincing in the game. A dense bioweapon that absorbs mass and is practically indestructible shouldn't be able to glide at all (in my opinion, of course).
We'll see how it goes.