Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Never will.
Summary: Bella has never been normal, and as a vampire running from the most feared vampire royalty...will she ever cross paths with normal?
Warnings: It's a little dark...a little later on, maybe some lemons....depends on reaction.
Fight or Flight.
Chapter Two.
Edwards eyes widened, along with everyone else's. For some reason, this vampire seemed to intrigue me.
"How much older?" Jasper asked me and I laughed.
"I am currently about to celebrate my one-thousand-and fourth birthday."
I could tell my light topic of age was causing yet another pregnant silence in the room. Didn't I seem that wise? Guess not.
"Carlisle, you never did tell me how you two met."
Esme's voice came out soft and Carlisle smiled at me.
"Isabella, was with me during my change. When I tried to kill myself for what I had become, she helped me understand that not every vampire must be considered a monster. When I was deep within the tunnels of France, Isabella taught me to trust and search for a greater purpose to the life. We were not the ones to choose the fate and should not be punished as so."
It was true. We were not the ones to decide this fate, and therefore we can choose the path that best suites us. Edward's eyes narrowed, and I sighed. He was like an open book to me.
"Not to mention I gave you a heads up about the Volturi."
I looked at all the vampires in the room.
"Don't ever fall under them."
It was the truest of words. Unless you were a leader-no, even as a leader, the Volturi was still corrupt.
"So you're able to block all vampire attacks...."
"Yes, all mental powers are rendered useless, plus I can mask my scent. Like I said before, I am not a normal vampire."
"Who blessed you with so much?" Rosalie hissed at me.
I honestly didn't know what to say. She thought I was blessed, sure I could run....but If I ever fought....well, that's when my life would be over.
I could feel calm wash over me and I looked toward Jasper, whose arm's were currently wrapped around Alice.
"I can't believe you're letting her stay here."
Soon she stomped away being chased by Emmet to what I assumed would lead upstairs in this mansion-type house.
"Just ignore Rose, she doesn't warm up easily. But I am Alice...I know I can't see it, but we're going to be great friends!"
Her spunk was cute. She seemed like she was more comfortable opening up to people. I smiled at her as Edward rolled his eyes.
"Bella, why would the Volturi be after you?"
I clenched my fists and sighed. I didn't have to tell Carlisle, I knew he would drop it at the sound of me sighing, but I was not going to jeopardize the life he had created for his family.
"They need me to- they need me back. I refused noticing that Marcus was very careful not to have skin contact with me. From the bits and pieces I picked up from eavesdropping members of the guard, they're planning a war."
"Alice, can you see anything?"
She shook her head.
"It could be that they will not decide to go to war unless I am on the guard. I can not join them Carlisle."
I looked up at him as he walked toward me. He placed his hand on my shirt, knowing that I had already seen his life.
"Did you talk to Aro?"
"He remains useless to this day. Everything I request must be approved by all the leaders...."
"I assume that Marcus and Caius did not agree with your plans."
I shook my head as a dry sob came through. I was nothing to them, a female was suited for nothing more than being a Volturi wife.
"So you were part of the Volturi?" Jasper asked solemnly, probably to be careful of my reaction.
I smirked and recognized Carlisle's laugh as it rang through the house.
"You're looking at one of the founder's children."
That's when he bolted from the room....
(-)
Normally, I would have been better able to concentrate on the situation, but her smell...she was drawing me in with every word she spoke. In all my existence, this had never seemed important till now.
I needed to clear my head, before all those years I had worked for control dissipated before my eyes.
I walked the forest at a human pace, needing all the time I could. I could tell Alice was uncomfortable from the ability this Isabella girl-no, woman, had to blocking her visions. I was merely confused being unable to read her mind. Everyone was at my mercy in their thoughts, all but this angel.
"So Edward Masen..."
My head snapped so quickly and a growl left my throat. I instantly regretted it, as her eyes grew wide and she held her hands up.
"I am sorry for startling you. I also must apologize for not telling you of my position sooner. I am putting all of you in a grave danger."
Her golden eyes changed slightly darker making her look angry. Could she really be angry at herself for causing this?
"I should have never came here. I am jeopardizing all of you...Once again I am sorry. As soon as I know Demetri is not in the area, I promise to vacate this city."
She didn't look up at all when she said these words.
"How do you know of us? In all the visits the Volturi have made I have never heard of you Isabella."
"Bella."
She cut me off so quickly it was like I had said something horrible.
"I am not exactly the most social of vampires. Even from the beginning I questioned the motives behind the Volturi and never really felt they did the true job of monitoring the others. Thankfully we have never broken the rule that all leaders must agree on the topic. As to why you haven't seen me... well, if you had three egotistical brothers that wanted to maintain complete control, I am sure you'd understand."
I tried to picture Emmet or Jasper in long grey cloaks giving out orders, but it only brought a smile to my face.
"I am not sure that my two brothers are a good example of comparison. But that still doesn't answer how you know of us?"
She smiled, something I hoped I would be seeing more often. She didn't say anything and merely picked up a small flower.
"Edward, what do you sense when you feel this flower?"
I picked up the delicate object in my cold fingers and was confused by her question. It was a mere purple carnation, nothing more.
"I am not quite sure I understand what you mean Bella."
"One month, seventeen days, sixteen minutes, nine seconds....the life of this flower. It started from a seed from a flower across the meadow. It died nineteen seconds ago. If you were ever told only humans have a soul, that is wrong."
So, did that mean that we were not mons-, no, we were still monsters. We may have had a soul, but that soul was masked by our predator-like instincts. Yet hearing those words, come from this angels mouth, almost made me second guess. However, only one true question still remained in my mind.
"Is that how? Is that how you know who we are?"
"The first time I ever met Carlisle, it was almost overwhelming with all the information I learned in a single touch. I knew he would find you and from then this coven would be born."
"And thats why you froze when your hand touched mine right?"
I could almost see her flinch. Her smile dropped and soon was replaced by a fake one.
"Like I said, it can be kind of overwhelming."
I wanted more information, but I figured I would ask later.
"I suppose we should head back before they think I've murdered you in the woods."
"Carlisle always was a worry wart."
"You were close, weren't you?" Her eyes saddened at the mention of my surrogate fathers name.
"Very close, but not in the way in which he and Esme share a connection, ours was a more sibling type of affection."
It took me a minute to realize we were walking at a human pace. It was nice to have such a good conversation with her. It was like I had known her forever, yet I had never met her before in my life. I was never once open with my family in these past ninety years, so how did she make me break out of my shell?
"Hey Eddie and his girlfriend are back!"
Emmet was so dead when I got inside.
"Ah, it's nice to see the both of you back in one piece. Edward seemed a little angry when he ran off."
'Thank you.'
I nodded to Carlisle's words both in his head and out. I knew he was happy I had accepted her, now Rosalie was another story. Her thoughts still bore hatred to the newest addition, but that was something that did not surprise me.
"Carlisle, I know I would be imposing, and I don't want to ruin the stable life you have. However, may I stay here for a few days, I will keep hidden, and hunt in small portions."
"You don't even need to ask," Esme said as Alice began trembling with excitement.
My little pixie-like sister, wrapped her cold stone arms around Bella and it was then my eyes finally noticed something.
A small, bright white, crescent scar on Bella's hand.
What was she hiding?
(-)
A/N: Wow. Hokey, so two months and some days later I update. Hmmmm, my author senses are tingling with the feeling of p'oed reviewers. I could come up with an excuse, but I personally prefer a reason.
School. Boyfriend. Parents. School. Boyfriend. Babies.
That 'bout sums it up. But please review.
Lex.
