Chapter 7 – Return of the Cullens

The familiar stench of the Forks High School cafeteria warmed Bella's nostrils, and also sickened them. She gulped back the urge to run from the place that had so much blood, so many potential victims. She and her four siblings each collected a tray of food and then found a chair in the crowded cafeteria. Bella was pleased to see that there were no faces that she remembered, and none that seemed to remember her – though she did recognize characteristics from a few of the students. She relaxed when she saw that none of the Cullens were in the cafeteria.

The day passed in relative boredom. None of the students were brave enough to speak to Bella or any of her siblings, and none of the Andrews cared to speak with any of the students – it all worked out rather well.

"Mom, we're home," Bella called as the five of them stepped into the house.

"Oh that's great! Come in here you guys!" Allura's voice came from the family room. Bella was holding her breath still from the school. She was going to have to get used to the scent of that amount of human blood around her every day, but she didn't know when that would happen. She quickly hung her jacket in the closet and rushed off to follow her siblings as they were quicker and had already entered the family room.

"Tyko, Ben, Alyson, Malachi and Bella, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, his wife, Esme Cullen, and his children, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and – "

"Edward," Bella cut her off, her eyes staring into the great amber orbs of Edward Cullen.

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Bella felt her nervousness wear down into a dull murmur and she grimaced at Jasper. She felt her family's worried stares on her and she simply pulled her hair down to create a curtain over her eyes so that she could ignore the stares.

"Bella?" Allura whispered, wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Honey what's the matter?" Bella hugged herself tightly while keeping her head down. "Sweetheart, are you okay? Talk to me, please."

"Remember me talking about a family of vampires that I lived with before?" Bella whispered so softly that it was hardly audible – even for a vampire. Allura dutifully nodded her head, even if she did forget she wasn't going to let Bella know that. "This is that family."

A round of gasps could be heard from Bella's current family. Each of them turned to stare at the Cullen's.

"You were the reason that I found her damn near death?" Tyko snarled viciously at Edward. Bella flinched at the memory.

"No Tyko, it's not their fault, it was mine."

"Bella stop it! You always try to blame yourself for anything that has to do with these... these cretins!" Tyko exclaimed angrily.

"They aren't cretins," Bella laughed weakly. "And it's because it really was my fault," she closed her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest so she could rest her weary head on them. "I left."

"Still," Tyko's voice wavered and sounded like she was having trouble being angry still.

"If I may interrupt," Alice squeaked.

"No," Tyko growled. "You cannot."

"Tyko! Shut up!" Bella stood up suddenly, angry with her sister; she turned and stormed from the room overdramatically and up to her room, slamming the door with what seemed like enough force to knock the door from its hinges.

Alice sighed, "That's what I was trying to stop."

Allura laughed nervously and looked over at Carlisle and Esme. "I'm very sorry for my daughter, she has had some trouble... coping with what happened."

"I understand," Carlisle nodded. "How has she been overall, though? Happy, sad, etcetera?"

"Normally she tries to be happy, but you can see it in her eyes. She's wishing for death with every passing day and night. When we had to stay inside all day when we lived in Mexico – don't ask, it was one of Tyko's brilliant ideas – she was so depressed that I thought she would simply fall apart and burst into combustion on her own, without anybody's help. In general, she tries very, very hard for our sakes I think. If she was still alone, she wouldn't have made it this long. She knew about the Volturi and made sure that we went there to prove something to them, but she wouldn't tell us what and she made sure that she had a private consultation with them. I thought we were going to lose her to them, but she came back out same as before and seemed to have another weight lifted off her shoulders," Allura paused for a moment and glanced towards the direction that Bella had left in. "Alyson, would you please go and speak with her?" she asked, glancing towards her newest daughter.

"Of course, Mother," Alyson was the eldest of all of them, even older than Allura, but she humbly assumed her position as daughter and was kind to all of them, even on bad days. She was the one person out of all of them that would be able to make Bella listen. She quickly sped off to Bella's room and disappeared behind the door.

Allura sighed and turned her head back so that she could smile at Esme and Carlisle. "I'm extremely sorry about all this, she can be quite stubborn at times," she chuckled to herself before Edward made his snappy reply.

"We know," he snarled, glaring at Allura. Jasper placed a tranquil hand on Edward's shoulder, causing him to instantly relax. "I'm sorry. Bella is a rather difficult subject for me to speak about," he admitted, uncharacteristically. Apparently Jasper had tossed some warm-and-fuzzy-spilling-your-guts feelings in there too.

"That's alright, Edward. You are a difficult subject for her to speak of as well. Not once has she ever mentioned any of you by name. She always said subtle things, like Emmett's strength, Rosalie's beauty, Alice's kindness, Jasper's ability – more than once he came up. She did mention him by name, but I'm guessing it was an accident and most of the time he was always brought up in times of great difficulty or anger. And then there was Esme's kindness and Carlisle's amazing ability to be around blood. Edward, you were a different phenomenon all together, though. She could hardly ever speak of you without looking upset, and I think that – if she were still human – she would've cried more than once."

Both families turned to look at Edward who had dropped his head. "She didn't deserve what happened," he whispered.

"No, she didn't!" Tyko snarled in her sister's defense. "You didn't see her in the forest the day we found her, trying to starve herself to death because she was so disgusted by what she had become. You didn't see how weak she was, watching a simple deer and holding back her thirst. You didn't see any of this because you weren't there!"

"Tyko!" Bella roared. "That is enough!" she paused in the entry way, her eyes ablaze, Alyson was a few paces behind her. .

"Bella, even you don't know –"

"I know enough. I've seen your mind more than once, Tyko, I've seen a lot of things," she threatened quietly. Tyko hissed angrily and stepped towards her sister. Almost immediately, her eyes went blank and her entire facade changed to a happier one.

"Bella!" Allura scolded angrily.

"Allura you know that I had to," Bella replied softly.

"Still, what have I told you about using that power on your siblings?"

"Not do it," Bella rolled her eyes and sighed. She had not once used her power on Allura because she thought it was wrong to. She turned towards Carlisle to explain. "I did get a power, only it came later. It took quite a while for me to realize what it was. I can manipulate minds and change them to what I want. I'm still not sure to what extent I can do this, but I know that I can."

Carlisle looked confused. "Manipulate minds?"

"Yes. And change them; change their thoughts. That's what I did to Tyko just a moment ago, so that she would stop fighting with me."

"That's..." Esme began, at a loss for words.

"I try not to use it too often, mostly it is helpful when somebody figures out what we are," Bella chuckled grimly. "I'm thinking about using it on myself one day."

"Bella you are taking our return rather well," Carlisle said, watching her with curiosity.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Bella smiled. "I've missed you terribly. I think that seeing you now may help me last for the next few centuries, hopefully. If it doesn't, I'll go visit the Volturi again," she added as a slight joke. "Kidding Allura, kidding," she felt Allura's death glare on her back.

"Isabella Andrews that's not even funny," Allura snarled.

"Andrews?" Edward asked, hardly above a murmur.

"That's my name now, Edward," his name rolled off her tongue before she had meant it to and she flinched. "I gave up my old names the moment I left the house. Well, one of them. What's the point in keeping something that somebody doesn't want me to have anymore?" that was mean and she knew it.

Now, it was Edward's turn to flinch. "Bella I wanted you to have it. I told you that if you were ever to tell me to leave I would."

"But you had to take our whole family with you? Didn't you understand that I wasn't angry with you at all; I just needed blood, Edward! Why couldn't you have sent Alice or somebody hunting with me so I didn't have to rip the goddamned throat out of a pregnant woman and her husband? Do you have any idea how disgusted I was? I had to live with that my entire life, Edward! All this time I've had to deal with knowing that my first victims were a pregnant woman and her husband! I tore her throat out! Ripped it out like it meant nothing, like it didn't matter that I was a monster because I needed blood! I didn't just tear her life out, oh no, that wasn't just it. I took her whole life with it! AND her baby's life! I killed them! They will never come back!" she was screaming with fury now. Why didn't he understand?

"Bella," he murmured, reaching his hand out to touch her cheek. She flinched back and shook her head.

"Please, don't," she whispered, her voice was breathless and upset.

"Bella, please..." he sounded hurt and she felt her heart breaking into a million shards.

"Just go away, Edward. I don't want you anymore."

A/N Okay so that was a little harsh... anyways, I'm still deciding on whether they should get back together, or if she should leave. REVIEW I need opinions, people!

Thanks.