The entire evening I wasn't very enthusiastic. Something kept gnawing at the back of my mind, trying to make me remember it, but I couldn't think of it. Finally I just gave up trying to be pleasant and get killed time and time again on Halo 2 and I set my controller down before standing up.
"What's wrong, Bella?" Jasper asked.
"I'm getting a headache," I lied. "I think I need to stop staring at a T.V. screen for a little while."
"Are you hungry, kids?" Esme asked suddenly.
"Maybe a little," Mark admitted from his spot on the floor. He had moved down there so he would be closer to the screen.
"Supper's in the kitchen," Esme announced with a smile. Mark and I stood up and wandered in the direction of the kitchen, followed closely by Esme. She bustled around and filled our plates for us before setting them on the table in front of our chairs.
"I hope it tastes okay," she said worriedly. "It's been a long time since I've tasted my own cooking. And it's been cooking in the crock pot all day, I hope it didn't burn."
"It's great," Mark told her after taking the first bite. She smiled in relief.
"Thanks Mom," I added. She looked like she could cry.
"What's wrong?" Mark asked in alarm at her sudden shift in mood.
"I've always wanted you to be able to call me that," she answered quietly, talking to me. "Even before I met you, since the first time I heard about how much Edward cared for you, I've always wanted you to be able to call me mom." She smiled at Mark then and added, "But she found another man to take care of her, another woman to call her mother-in-law. I'm glad you're there for her, Mark." She patted his hand in a motherly fashion and hurried from the room. I stared after her.
"What was that about?" Mark asked.
"She's a mother," I answered. "I don't try to keep up with their changes in thoughts and moods." But despite my casual dismissal of Esme's behavior, it continued to run through my head. I would have loved to be able to call her mom. I would have loved to actually be a part of the family. That couldn't happen unless I trusted Edward again, but even then, I would have to watch myself grow old while they all stayed the same – exactly the same. I sighed and pushed my food around my plate.
"That upset you, didn't it?" Mark asked quietly.
"A little," I answered.
"You could just trust him again and you could be a part of the family then," Mark suggested. I glared at him.
"It's not that easy," I informed him. "What about you? What if Edward chooses to leave me again? I may have spent the past week with him, but that doesn't mean that I trust him again."
"But you love him," Mark said. He said it as if that dismissed all the other problems.
"Let's not talk about it," I pleaded. "It's Christmas, and I want to have fun, not spend it talking about dark and depressing subjects."
"If that's what you want," Mark answered with a shrug. He shoveled more food in his mouth.
"I don't know what I want," I admitted. "But let's not talk about it anyway."
"Who's ready for presents?" Alice called several minutes later.
"Me! Me! Me!" Emmett called childishly. I rolled my eyes and got up to put my plate in the sink. I'd have to wash the plates later.
"Bella? Mark?" Alice called.
"We're ready," I called back. Mark put his plate on top of mine, and we walked back into the living room.
"Sit," Alice commanded, pointing to one of the couches. I ended up sitting in between Edward and Mark.
Fourteen seconds later Alice had all the gifts passed out. Much to Victoria's surprise, she even had a few sitting on her lap.
"How-" she asked, and Alice cut her off.
"I saw that you would be here," she answered. "So I made a few preparations."
"Why didn't you tell us?!" Edward exclaimed.
"It's not my fault that you weren't paying attention," Alice sniffed arrogantly. "You were too busy trying to plan Bella's next surprise to pay any attention to me."
"Let's open the gifts," Carlisle suggested.
"Yes, let's." Mark agreed.
Emmett counted down, and there was a flurry of paper as the vampires and Mark all ripped their presents open as quickly as possible. I took my time, choosing to avoid getting another paper cut.
Carlisle had received several medical books, all very thick, and a new briefcase to carry his papers and such things back and forth to his job. Esme had received several gift certificates to various home improvement stores and an old, broken down house outside of town to work on. Emmett had received some video games and a Nintendo Wii. Jasper received some books, and instantly started reading. Alice left shortly after opening the package with the car key in it; I could only assume that Edward had made good on his promise to get her a yellow 911 Turbo Porsche. She left her other gifts unwrapped in a pile next to Jasper on the couch. Rosalie received a few things from Victoria's Secret, and I assumed that those came from Emmett. She also received several gift cards, though where they were to I couldn't tell.
Mark's presents were mostly books and money, typical gifts to a college student. My gifts were books, a new cell phone (after all, the one I had was already two years old. Gasp.), some make-up products (I know Alice and Rosalie would want to try them on me afterwards), and a small box that was locked.
"I'll explain later," was the note taped to the top. I shrugged and set it aside.
I didn't see what Victoria's gifts were; she opened them and moved them out of sight before I had an opportunity to glimpse them.
Edward's gifts were normal, all but a few. He received some paper with pre-printed staff lines; I assumed so that he could write down his piano compositions. He received a sack of something that I couldn't see, and he hid it before anyone got a chance to ask what it was. He received some clothes from Alice and Rosalie – apparently they thought his wardrobe needed some help. But the most puzzling thing he received was a note.
"I'm hidden somewhere obvious?" he asked out loud. Jasper looked up briefly to grin and offer an explanation.
"It's a treasure hunt," he explained. "You have the first clue, now you need to find the second one."
"What kind of a clue is this?" Edward asked.
"A very vague one," Emmett answered patiently.
"So I don't know what I'm looking for, I have a very vague clue to lead me to it, and you expect me to like it?" Edward asked.
"Of course, silly," Alice answered as she danced back in the front door. She was grinning from ear to ear.
"Did you enjoy the drive?" Carlisle asked.
"Yes," Alice answered. "Thank you, Edward!" She waltzed over, gave Edward a hug, and then returned to her position on the couch.
"So…" Mark started, "What now?"
"We take Bella upstairs and-" Alice said, but I cut her off.
"Wait!" I exclaimed. I had just thought of what had been nagging at me for the entire evening. I whipped my head around to look at Victoria. "You had friends with you earlier."
"What?" she asked innocently.
"You had friends with you. Where are they?" I demanded.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Victoria said. I felt light headed for a moment, and everyone else's faces went smooth and blank, like they were all asleep with their eyes open.
"Stop it," I snapped when I realized what was going on. "I don't want you to confuse everyone, I want answers. Where are your friends?"
Victoria sighed, and simultaneously everyone else in the room started blinking as if they were waking up.
"I can see that I'm going to have some problems with not being able to confuse you," Victoria commented. She nodded her head towards the window and said, "My friends are outside, waiting for my signal."
"Your signal to do what?" I asked. I seemed to be the only person in the room besides Victoria who was awake. Everyone else seemed to be in a trance, or just waking up from one. They all looked disoriented.
"Either come in and share in the festivities or come in and kill all of you," Victoria answered. "They would prefer the later, obviously, or I would not have picked them to begin with."
"What would you prefer?" I asked.
She smiled a kind smile, and I saw gratitude in her gaze. "I would prefer that they come share in the festivities, but I wasn't sure if they would be invited or not. You really are a remarkable girl, Isabella. I think you are the only human I know who could stop a vampire bent on revenge from wanting to kill her prey."
"I think they can come in," I said uncertainly. I glanced at Carlisle, but he was still sitting there, blinking and staring at the wall.
"Girls," Victoria called. Two female vampires instantly appeared at her side and stared at me.
"Are you going to un-confuse them?" I asked, indicating the Cullens and Mark.
"They'll snap out of it in a moment," Victoria answered pleasantly.
Sure enough, a few seconds later Edward jumped up.
"Who are they?" he growled.
"What's going on?" Carlisle asked.
"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, and Edward turned to stare at her. Alice looked around frantically and saw me sitting safely on the couch. She calmed down and sat back again.
Mark was the last to come out of the trancelike state. He jumped when he saw the extra vampires in the room.
"More of them?" he asked me.
"Yes," I answered. I turned to look at them, to take in their unnatural beauty and their bright red eyes.
"These are my friends, Dalya and Phillis," Victoria announced. "Dalya, Phillis, these are the Cullens," she motioned at all the vampires, "And Bella and Mark… what's your last name again?"
"Kingery," I answered.
"Ah, yes. Bella and Mark Kingery." She turned to address her friends. "Bella was kind enough to invite you in, girls, isn't that sweet?"
"Why aren't you killing them yet?" Dalya asked.
"I don't want to," Victoria said with an undercurrent of warning in her voice. "I've changed my mind."
"You said that we would get to help kill the others," Phillis reminded her.
Warning growls issued from all the Cullens, and Mark slid closer to me, disturbed by the surround sound growling.
"There was a change in plans," Victoria told her. "Take a seat and join in the fun."
"What just happened?" Carlisle asked.
"I asked where her friends were, she tried to confuse everyone, it didn't work on me, I demanded details, and she brought her friends in," I summarized.
"We didn't come to party," Dalya said, ignoring the rest of us. "I came to help you kill a girl and seven vampires."
"If you don't want to party, you can go home," Victoria sneered. Dalya jumped at her.
"I don't have a home, and you know it!" she shouted as she tackled Victoria to the ground. Phillis joined in the brawl, and the next thing I knew the Cullens were all holding back the angry vampires.
"Take it outside," Esme commanded forcefully. "We don't allow brawling in the house."
"Who are you to tell us what we can and can't do, you weakling?" Phillis spat. "You aren't even strong enough to drink from our real food source."
Esme was across the room and had slapped Phillis before I could even blink.
"Take it outside," she repeated, and Emmett, Jasper, and Edward threw the three women out the back door.
"Finish it out there!" Emmett called. He brushed his hands together and went back to sit next to Rose.
"What will happen?" Carlisle asked Alice.
"You'll see," she answered with a wicked grin. Carlisle opened his mouth to demand that she tell him what would happen, but at that moment three vampires appeared in the back door.
"Who are they?" Phillis asked, blinking at us a few times in confusion.
"How do you know them?" Dalya added. We all grinned in understanding, and Victoria gave us a little smug nod.
"These are my friends," Victoria answered. She went around the circle and introduced all of us.
"Why are there humans here?" Dalya asked.
"They are friends of the Cullens," Victoria answered, "and thus my friends too. Why don't you come inside, girls, and we'll have some fun?"
Phillis and Dalya, obviously very confused, came in and sat down in the two remaining chairs. They seemed uncomfortable.
"Well, let's have some fun then!" Alice exclaimed, finally breaking the silence. "I'll go get the twister mats!" She ran off, practically turning invisible as she ran.
"No," I groaned.
"It's okay, Bella," Carlisle assured me. "You can be the spinner."
"What's Twister?" Dalya asked.
"A human game," Jasper told her. "We'll explain it better when we have it down here."
"Actually, I think I need to go," Dalya said uncertainly.
"I'll go with you," Phillis said.
"Thanks for coming anyway, girls," Victoria said. "I'll show you to the front door."
She stood up and led her friends to the door. None of us said anything as we waited for her to come back.
"They'll be confused for 50 years," Victoria laughed as she came back.
"No offence," Mark said hesitantly, "But why did you decide to send your friends away? Why are you deciding to join the Cullen's coven?"
"Why do you spend Christmas with vampires?" Victoria retorted. "You love Isabella enough to spend time with her dangerous friends and her even more dangerous ex-lover. I like her enough to try this insane way of life."
"Are we going to play Twister or not?" Alice demanded. I hadn't even seen her reappear, and we all gave her odd looks at the sudden change in subject.
She sighed, exasperated. "It's Christmas people, not somebody's funeral. We're supposed to have FUN, not sit around talking like somber bumps on a log!"
"I've never seen a bump on a log talk," Mark mused out loud.
"Oh… you… just… just shut up," Alice commanded, unable to think of a good comeback.
Who couldn't laugh after that?
A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay for the past few chapters, guys. I've been so busy with life. Then we lost our power two days ago and just got it back today. I'll try to make updates a little more frequent, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm in a college class right now, I'm still in all my senior classes at the high school, and everybody's giving my tons of homework. Not good excuses, I suppose, but true nonetheless. I'm just so busy. I'll try to have the next chapter up by tomorrow evening, I swear.
Until the next chapter,
Addie