After seeing Renee and Phil out, Charlie left to go back to La Push for some quality friend time. Mark and I went to the Cullen's house. I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know if Victoria would be there or not. I hoped that she would be, but I couldn't be sure.
Mark was driving, which gave me time to think. Something was trying to work its way into my thoughts, it was gnawing at the edges of my mind, but it refused to make itself fully known. I tried to think of it while Mark drove.
Mark finally pulled up in front of the Cullen's home. "Are you sure it's safe to go in?" he asked.
"It should be," I answered. "We'll be fine. Alice would have called to tell us not to come if it weren't."
"Okay…" Mark said uncertainly. He got out of the truck and met me around the front. He grabbed my hand and we walked to the front door together.
"It's awfully quiet," Mark whispered once we reached the front door.
"They're vampires, they don't have to speak loudly to hear each other," I whispered back. I turned the knob on the door and stepped inside.
All was silent and empty in the house. The lights were out and the room was devoid of all living, or not, creatures.
"Hello?" I called. Mark trailed behind me, and I found I was practically dragging him forward.
"I don't think they're here, Bella," he said. "Maybe we should go."
"They have to be here," I argued. "They wouldn't cancel without telling us." I pulled him closer to the living room area with the couches and T.V., hoping that they would be in there.
"SURPRISE!!!!" Everyone yelled, causing Mark and I to jump.
"Holy Sh-" Mark started, but I cut him off with a finger on his lips. He gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry," he mumbled against my finger. I smiled and pulled my finger away.
"Hi guys!" Alice exclaimed as she came bounding over. She gave both of us hugs. "We're glad you could come!"
"Don't scare poor Mark like that again," I scolded the vampires. Jasper grinned.
"You were scared too," Jasper teased me.
"Surprised," I corrected him, but he just grinned. He knew the truth.
"So what are we planning for tonight?" I asked.
"We're going to have fun," Emmett announced. I instantly became worried. Usually his idea of fun involved embarrassing me.
"We're going to play some games," Alice said, "And we're just going to hang out and talk."
"I'm not sure-" Victoria started, and Edward cut her off.
"You're invited, so you're supposed to be here," he said.
Victoria glared at him. "I was going to say I'm not sure it's smart for me to be here right now. I haven't hunted for a couple of weeks, and Isabella smells absolutely scrumptious. I need to go hunt if I'm to spend any time in the same house as her."
"I'll take you," Emmett offered.
"I'll go too," Carlisle added. "Hunting animals for the first time can be rather odd after hunting humans for so many years."
I glanced at Mark to see how he was taking this conversation.
"Absolutely scrumptious?" he mouthed at me. I grinned sheepishly and nodded.
"We'll be back," Emmett promised. He kissed Rosalie, Carlisle kissed Esme, and then they and Victoria were gone in the blink of an eye.
"Absolutely scrumptious?" Mark asked out loud this time.
"Apparently I smell really good to vampires," I explained. "Particularly Edward. My blood calls to him stronger than anyone else's blood ever has."
"You're odd," Mark informed me.
"So are you," I shot back.
"Children, let's not fight," Edward broke in.
"Children?" I asked. "I'm technically older than you are."
"Only if you count that I was changed when I was 17. Otherwise I'm almost 100 years older than you!"
"Children, let's not fight," Esme repeated. Edward bowed his head.
"Yes, Mom," he said reluctantly. Mark burst out laughing.
"What?" I asked.
"A hundred some year old guy just gave in to his mom," he laughed. "I find that humorous."
"Especially since she's younger than he is," I added slyly.
"What?!" Mark exclaimed. I pulled him over to the couch and we all sat down.
"Carlisle changed Edward first, and then he changed Esme," I explained. "After that he changed Rosalie, Rosalie found Emmett and brought him to Carlisle to change, and Alice and Jasper joined the family later, but they were both already changed."
"How old are all of you?" Mark asked.
The next hour and a half was occupied by filling Mark in on the Cullen's history. He took it all better than I expected him to. I think at that point he was beyond shock. I understood how Edward felt while he had been waiting for me to run away screaming. I think we were all waiting for that from Mark. But I had to give him credit, he took it almost as well as I did, after he got over the initial shock the night before.
Victoria, Emmett, and Carlisle returned shortly after our conversation about the Cullen's history ended. Victoria's eyes were a lighter shade of red, more of a pink, but they weren't topaz yet.
"It's more manageable," Victoria answered the unasked question about if it was easier to be in the room with the humans now. Everyone sighed in relief.
Mark looked uncomfortable. I gave him a questioning look, and then something dawned on me.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, startling everyone except Alice and Edward. "I haven't introduced you to Victoria."
"No, you haven't," Mark agreed, though he seemed reluctant.
"Victoria, this is my husband, Mark. Mark, this is Victoria. She's the one who took me last night and had been hunting me for the past few years."
"I figured that out," Mark said in a strained voice. Victoria laughed.
"He's your husband?" she cackled. "I would have thought that after being surrounded by such unnatural beauty that you'd go for someone better looking!"
Mark and I both blushed. "Yes, he's my husband," I informed her. "I like him how he is."
"But you don't love him," Victoria stated. "Your love is reserved for Edward, isn't it?" She grinned then sarcastically added, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I just burst your little bubble of acting?"
"No," I told her. "Most everyone except anyone who would tell my parents knows."
"How did you know that they don't love each other?" Jasper asked.
"It's part of my gift," Victoria explained.
"Part of your gift?" I asked.
"I have a… complicated… gift," Victoria offered.
"Can you explain it to us?" Mark asked.
"I can see the state that people's emotions are in," she answered, "Much like Jasper, only he can feel them instead of see them. I can also alter those emotions, though I am only able to confuse people. Apparently I was a very confusing human, and my ability is to be able to confuse those around me." She glanced apologetically at the Cullens. "I used my power on everyone this morning. That was the only way I could keep you away for the hour that I needed to kill Isabella." Mark flinched, and I held his hand. Victoria turned her gaze to me then. "I tried to use it on you, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. You calmed down, and seemed almost happy. It helped you think. That confused me."
"Bella has a habit of doing that to people," Emmett laughed.
"So you confused everyone so that we wouldn't remember what we were doing?" Edward asked.
"Yes," Victoria answered, cringing. She was probably anticipating Edward's wrath.
"That would be a useful gift," Edward said. "How long can you keep people confused for?"
"It depends on the situation," Victoria answered. "Why?"
"How long could you keep someone confused about the fact that we're vampires?" Edward asked. Everyone's gaze flicked to Mark, and he caught it.
"Oh no you don't," he protested. "I've finally come to terms with this; you don't get to confuse me into thinking that it never happened."
"A mere human?" Victoria scoffed. "I could keep him confused for the rest of his life. Vampires are harder because of our perfect memories."
"Let's play memory!" Alice exclaimed randomly.
"What?" Mark asked, confused by the change in subject.
"This is a party, silly!" Alice explained patiently. "We're supposed to play games and have fun, not stand around talking about vampires! That's a Halloween pastime!"
"That wouldn't be fair," I protested. "You, Edward, or Victoria will win every time."
"Yeah," Mark agreed, "You'd see where all the matches are, Edward would read everyone's mind to see what moves they plan to make, and Victoria would confuse us all into making mistakes so she could win."
"How about some video games then?" Emmett asked hopefully.
"I'm game," Jasper agreed.
"Me too," Mark added.
"Me three," Edward interjected.
"What about the rest of us?" I asked.
"We have three XBOXes," Esme said. "We keep them for times like this when we all want to play and we have company."
"I'll go get the other two!" Alice called. She was back five seconds later.
"What game are we playing?" I asked.
"HALO 2!!!!" all the guys answered in a very enthusiastic manner.
"Great," I groaned. "We get to kill aliens on Christmas."