A/N: First off, I would like to apologize for my absence. I celebrated my birthday about a week ago, which resulted in a lost work day. I then had to undergo wisdom teeth removal, which was... fun (not really). As a result, I was laid up for a few days because of my aching gums, and restricted to a diet consisting mainly of soup. Nevertheless, I hope you can forgive me with this chapter—I had to reedit some of the dialogue because it didn't "feel" right to me. As always, feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! Oh, and be on the lookout for any grammatical errors.

(Posted on 4/15/17)

Chapter 14: The Cullens

Carlisle proceeded back down the hall again, this time to inform the staff of his early departure, leaving me standing alone in the lobby. The nurse returned to her desk and sat down, all the while glancing up at me, intrigued. "Are you related to Doctor Cullen?" she inquired, her polite tone failing to hide the morbid curiosity that seeped into her voice as she began filling out clerical work—I could hear the graphite from a pencil scratching against a sheet of paper.

I hesitated for a second before answering. "Yes, I am. I'm his younger sister," I lied smoothly. I figured the human would notice the stark similarities regarding appearance—pale skin, beauty, voice. It would be easier to avoid suspicion if I claimed to be a family member, rather than a stranger that coincidentally looked to be related to Carlisle. She nodded and lowered her head, accepting my explanation; I got the feeling that my arrival to Forks would be marked with gossip by the local residents—which didn't necessarily surprise me.

After waiting for a short minute, Carlisle reappeared in the hallway again and joined me. He pushed and held open the glass door for me, motioning that I should go first. "So you're my sister now?" he joked, raising an eyebrow when we both exited the hospital.

"I suppose for the time being," I replied with a chuckle. "An alibi in case any of your coworkers decide to ask you about me." He smiled as he led me through the sparse parking lot, and stopped in front of a pearl white Mercedes. The taillights flashed when Carlisle produced the car keys from his pocket and pressed a button, indicating that it was now unlocked.

"Is that the E400 coupe?" I asked, immediately excited. I was always fascinated with cars—what else were you going to do growing up with vampires and, subsequently, having all the money in the world? While each member of the permanent Guard owned some kind of luxury motor vehicle, it generally served as a kind of memento or just something to drive around the city. I, too, had a few stashed away within the city grounds—the most recent purchases were an Audi R8, a McLaren P1, and an Aston Martin DB9. It was only Heidi that reigned supreme with regard to ownership—she had a fleet of expensive jets, cars, and helicopters that she utilized to transport the humans she lured to Volterra. The opulence helped to settle any potential nerves the humans felt.

Carlisle looked at me, surprise evident in his features. "It is. Sadly, however, I'm afraid I'm not much of a car enthusiast, compared to my children," he admitted with a quiet laugh. I gave him a questioning look as we each opened our respective doors—I got into the passenger seat while he sat in the driver's. After we were comfortably situated, he started the engine—a gentle purr when it came to life.

I took some time to briefly remove the irritating contacts from my eyes. "Your children?" I repeated as he expertly reversed out of the parking space, circling the lot once before pulling onto one of the streets.

"Not in the literal sense, of course. Although," he paused, a grin forming across his face while he shook his head. "they do sometimes act as such." His voice was filled with the affection from that of a parent, which was rather peculiar. It sounded almost exactly the way Aro would speak to me, but Carlisle's tone was far, far stronger. I got the sense that his coven was extremely close knit, much like the Volturi. "I have always seen them as my children—not because I created them, but because I like to think I offer them some, if any, form of guidance," he explained.

Carlisle became silent as we headed east until we hit route one-oh-one, in which we then turned left onto the highway. "You're a newborn, aren't you?" he said suddenly as we traveled along the road, fleeting images of the small town flashing by.

I nodded in response. "I'm nearing two months old now," I announced happily. Although I was young, my unusual exceptional self control near humans was something I prided in—I handled my temptations near blood better than most members of the Guard; even more so if it was an open, oozing wound. "How did you know?"

"Your eyes—they're brighter than normal," he diligently observed. "What ultimately intrigued me is how rational and calm you were while inside the hospital, especially since you're a newborn." He glanced at me curiously without any repercussions—the car failed to deviate a centimeter from its path.

I shrugged, nonchalant. "I'll take that as a compliment."

We crossed the Calawah River via a rusty, rustic bridge, and continued driving north while evidence of human civilization waned; the thick, choking density of the woods thankfully returned. After driving for a couple minutes, he slowed down and turned into a hidden and unpaved road—ferns and other plant life threatened to invade the edges. The road itself was unexpectedly smooth, as if someone had packed down the dirt so it would mimic the hardness of asphalt—which I suspected they did. We snaked inbetween an innumerable amount of old trees while we went on, like a river running along its path through land.

At last, I could see the thinning of forest about a hundred meters ahead. And, built upon a broad clearing, was a rectangular, faded white house, if you could call it that—a wooden porch covered the entire first story, as well as windows dotting the structure in perfect symmetry. It was shaded by ancient, massive cedars that surrounded the territory, which gave off the impression of coziness and safety. Carlisle stopped the car in front of the house—his was the only one in sight.

"You have a beautiful home," I murmured while I pushed open my door, awed by the level of openness and apparent grace. Although, I wasn't exactly comfortable with the prospect; I preferred the dark, cool castle walls of Volterra. But it was still charming nonetheless. I had a feeling Heidi and Chelsea would love the designs.

Carlisle smiled gratefully. "Thank you. My mate, Esme, will be pleased to hear that," he chuckled as he, too, stepped out of the car. "She renovated it nearly from scratch."

To my utter disbelief, I instantly became aware of the enticing thud of a beating heart that crashed in my ear, originating from inside the residence. Was there a human with them? It didn't seem likely, yet the source of the heartbeat was accompanied by several—perhaps four other individuals—breaths. I assumed they were vampires based on the fact they were solely breathing, and lacked any other indicators of life. Consequently, I soon grew wary; what was exactly awaiting me inside the house? Making sure I was fully shielded, I leisurely climbed up the porch steps and approached the front door with Carlisle by my side.

He opened the door, and I stepped in after him. I inhaled noiselessly, tasting the collection of pleasant flavors that swirled around. The most prominent scent was both human and delectable; it permeated the air with its alluring perfume, somehow rich and light at the same time. It was equivalent to chocolate mousse, yet still couldn't hold a candle to its true deliciousness. My throat burned wildly, but I ignored it. Besides the chocolate, there were also hints of cream, apple, pine, and honey lilac—it was all tainted with the satisfying sweetness of vampire.

Speaking of which, four vampires were clustered into a semicircle that formed in the middle of the expansive living room—it looked like it used to contain separate rooms, but the walls had been torn down to create a singular, wide open space. The entire back wall was startlingly built out of glass, while to my left held a ginormous, curved, wooden staircase. The interior was painted in an assortment of soft white; it was oddly cheerful. There was an elevated portion of the floor, off to the right, where a white—what was it with their pale paint scheme—grand piano sat, glossy and elegant.

The apex of the semicircle was led by two tall males and flanked by two females. Just as I had detected, there was a human—a remarkably short girl—partially hidden behind the protective, impenetrable layer. The thing that I could undoubtedly ascertain was their discernable defensive positions—they were clearly guarding her from, what I assumed to be, me.

Carlisle broke the awkward silence. "Everyone, this is Bella. Bella, this is my Esme, along with the rest of my family: Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice," he introduced, gesturing to each respective individual, starting from left to right, then to the middle.

Esme wore a tender expression that suited her caramel colored hair—she was exactly the type of person I'd expected for the cordial Carlisle. Her scent could be described as the heaviness of cream; it paired perfectly with Carlisle's vanilla. My intuitions also told me that she wasn't much of a fighter; despite this, however, something about her heart shaped face, compassionate yet fierce eyes, announced that she was immensely solicitous of her coven. I didn't fail to notice that she was holding Alice's hand—was she comforting her?

Edward was of a slight build, comparable to Demetri, to a lesser extent—he was still shorter and smaller in size. Curiously enough, he had a perplexing hair color—it was copperish, almost bronze, but not exactly; he also had a puzzling smell: honey lilac. He stared at me in an intense, frustrated kind of way, making me feel uneasy. It was the same kind of look that Jane would have when she tried her gift on me—did he have a mental one as well?

Emmett gave off the impression of a photocopied Felix. Tall and burly, his stony facial expression was complemented by his extremely dark chocolate brown hair—almost black. One difference was his scent; it was similar to the tang of pine needles. His strong demeanor somewhat lessened when he cracked a wide, easygoing grin—again, adding to the duplicate Felix persona perfectly. Hell, he even winked at me with those golden eyes, to which I reciprocated with a roll of my own red ones.

Rosalie was… unquestionably the most gorgeous female I'd ever met—her attractiveness was a worthy rival to that of Heidi's, but I would argue that Heidi was still much prettier—she would kill me if she ever found out I didn't stand up for her. In addition to the silky blonde hair that fell halfway down her body, her scent was fairly delicate: the crispness of apple. She also held herself with a faint air of… arrogance? Contempt? Perhaps a combination of the two? Her features were careful, her eyes following my every move with scrutiny.

Everything about Alice screamed human. Her steady and irresistible heartbeat, fragile and frail body; the overall easily breakable attitude she had. I tilted my head infinitesimally, examining her further. In spite of this, she really was quite beautiful for a human—dark brown eyes set in a ivory hued face, flowing jet black hair, small cheeks and nose both pink, flush with blood; essentially, her features dainty with a elfin frame to match. But what was a human doing with this coven of vampires?

"I thought you said you hunted animals," I stated, confused, turning my head toward Carlisle.

"We do," he clarified beside me.

I frowned slightly to myself. "Then why do you have a human amongst yourselves? I'm assuming she knows you're vampires by the way she's being protected," I noted.

"She does," Carlisle cautiously affirmed.

Pursing my lips, I decided to ask him another question—one that would determine if he and his coven would be punished or not for breaking the law. "Do you plan on changing her?" I queried. Obviously, if they did, I guess there was no need for action—and really, I did not wish to destroy a friend of Aro. It felt immoral, wrong; Aro had brought me into his powerful world, and it didn't seem right to repay him by killing one of his old friends, despite them violating the rules.

But, before Carlisle could reply, another person spoke. "Why does it matter to you?" the bronze haired vampire—Edward—interjected, and I immediately took to a disliking of this boy. His tone was… not exactly accusatory, but something along those lines. Although everyone in this coven appeared to be very protective of Alice, it didn't sit well with me, regardless.

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. "Because it's my duty as the Volturi to ensure vampires are obeying the law. And, seeing as to how you're keeping one as a pet, kind of violates it," I shot back, my voice surprisingly flat—probably from anger. The Cullens froze into absolute stillness from shock, except for Alice, who trembled in fear—I could smell the sudden spread of adrenaline in her blood.

"Wait," Carlisle interrupted, gazing at me apprehensively. "How do we verify that you are, indeed, who you claim to be?" he asked, dubious.

To answer his question, I calmly swung my backpack from my shoulders to the front of my body, unzipping it once I had a firm grasp on the strap, and retrieved my coal black cloak from its depths. Since it was created with the material designated for the Royal family—a comfortable blend of thick cotton and wool, weaved into smooth velvet—if Carlisle truly had resided in Volterra, he would immediately recognize that the fabric I held in my hands was also the same as Aro's and the rest of the leaders.

His light ocher eyes widened when the cloak came into view, dispelling any doubt that was present within. "May I?" he requested softly, extending his open hand toward me. I only nodded, and dropped my cloak into his palm. He absentmindedly, like petting a cat or dog, stroked the onyx colored material, running it through his long fingers. "This particular color is reserved for the leaders and their wives," he whispered aloud after a moment. "Then that means…" he trailed off.

"That I'm a part of the Volturi leader's family," I finished, chuckling a bit dryly. "Yes, I'm aware." It was entertaining to see them so taken aback—I had to remind myself that my recent addition has never happened before, ever since the creation of the Volturi coven.

"The family?" Carlisle repeated, incredulous. "Not the Guard?"

I shook my head. "Frankly, it's a long story. And we've been sidetracked from the current issue at hand. Your human: either you change or kill her, those are your only options. I will withhold any punishment for failing to follow the law as long as you fulfill those terms. And I do not offer second chances," I warned coldly.

Carlisle bowed his head in compliance. "I only ask for more time, so Alice may graduate from school and avoid arousing suspicion if she were to disappear now," he politely pleaded.

I pursed my lips, pondering this for a moment. "This is reasonable," I finally agreed. I then let out a weary sigh. "I'm sorry, Carlisle, for imposing such a difficult ultimatum onto you and your family, especially since I just met you."

He sighed, too. "It's quite alright. We were deliberating on the date rather than the decision, honestly—I suppose it's settled then. Now, if you don't mind me asking, how did you join the family?" He tried to sound as polite as he could manage, as if it were merely a trivial question, but fascination leaked into his voice.

"You might want to sit down—it's a boring story," I cautioned.

"A boring story about someone joining the most powerful coven in existence?" Emmett scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Please." He seemed completely unaffected by the recent turn of events, and I found myself actually taking a liking to him—he was as carefree and humorous as Felix, both traits I enjoyed.

"Why don't we have a seat," Carlisle suggested, gesturing to the chalky white sectional couch placed in front of a large flat screen television set. Instead, I opted for the lone, matching armchair while the rest of the family gravitated to the L-shaped couch nearby, settling down on the cushions once they reached it. Rosalie, Alice and Esme opted to lean against the back while Edward, Carlisle and Emmett sat.

"What would you like to know?" I inquired.

"So many things," Emmett piped up, leaning forward with anticipation, his golden eyes eager. "When did you first meet the Volturi?"

"When I was six years old—and still human."

"What?" he spluttered, dumbfounded. "How? Why?"

"I was Aro's last human descendant, and recently orphaned. So, he decided to bring me back to Volterra to raise me," I explained.

"Oh dear," Esme chimed in, looking sorrowful and worried. "You lost your parents?"

I nodded in acknowledgement. "I don't remember the incident that clearly—it was around twelve years ago, and all I can recall was that they died in a car accident," I murmured.

"I'm sorry." She sounded sympathetic, for which I was grateful.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It was a long time ago, anyway—but thank you." I had newfound admiration for Esme—despite my rude and imposing presence, she still showed genuine interest in events with my own life. Moreover, her reaction strengthened my intuition that Esme was not a fighter; rather, she felt more like a caretaker, a mother, in a sense.

"What happened next?" Emmett enthused, his eyes animated once more.

"Emmett!" Esme firmly chided. "Show Bella some respect—she just revealed her parents passed away."

"I'm sorry, Bella," he whimpered, immediately going into a heartbroken pout, sniffling his nose. This feigned action earned him a reproachful glare from both Esme and Rosalie—as well as a hit to the back of his head. Rosalie's slap was much more forceful; a sharp smack, compared to Esme's gentle touch—Emmett rubbed his head painfully as a result.

I simply laughed—both at his misfortunes, as well as the antics of this coven—before continuing. "Aro discovered that I had the manifestations of a strong gift before I was even changed."

"How?" Emmett cut me off—again.

"He shook my hand, and was confused as to why he couldn't hear me."

"What's your gift?" he asked impatiently—well, perhaps that was the wrong word. Eagerly, more like. Edward suddenly lifted his head up, curious—he was anticipating my answer.

I paused for a second. "A mental shield." I decided against telling them my physical shield—it wasn't necessary to let them know all the details, for my own safety. "I'm able to stop all mental gifts and their effects. Others, too, if they are under the dome that I project," I said casually. Honestly, I felt flattered when all the Cullens gawked at me—an assortment of surprise, amazement and even fear in their honey-gold eyes.

"That's why I couldn't hear you," Edward muttered to himself. I arched an eyebrow at him in response, waiting for an explanation. "I can 'hear' other people's thoughts," he clarified, much to my shock, putting emphasis on the hear. "I wasn't paying attention at first—I happened to catch Carlisle's thoughts when he arrived, and when I saw that he was bringing a visitor, I strained to read yours, but I couldn't."

I glanced at him inquisitively. "How does it work? Are you able to read every thought that a person has had, like Aro?" The only difference was that Aro had to physically touch someone in order to obtain the full scope of thoughts, whereas Edward made it sound like he was able to listen from a distance.

He shook his head. "Not every thought, just the ones I focus on. It's kind of like being inside a large room with everyone talking—a mindless droning on of indecipherable voices. Once I hone in on a person, their current thoughts flow as if they were speaking aloud," he described.

"Edward, stop annoying her with your stupid similes," Emmett grumbled. "Please continue, Bella," he urged, ignoring the dirty look he received from Edward.

I couldn't stop a grin from forming—Emmett was just so funny. "Although I didn't understand it yet as a result of my young age, because I was human, a date was set to which I would be changed—my eighteenth birthday. I quickly befriended the numerous members of the Guard when I first arrived," I revealed with a smile. "Jane, Felix, Demetri and Heidi are close friends of mine. They helped me with everything while I grew up. They taught me academics, accompanied me to various vacations; basically anything I needed, they would fulfill to the best of their abilities. I spent the majority of my human life within Volterra until I turned eighteen, where Aro and I thought it would be appropriate that he be the one to change me. So he did, and here we are, a few weeks since," I finished.

Alice appeared to be uncomfortable for some reason—her heart rate increased infinitesimally, and she began fidgeting her hands on the pale leather of the couch—then, I realized why. The Cullens—besides Carlisle, who was relaxed in the sea of tension around him—were nervous with the new fact that I was a young vampire. Of course they were—newborns were wild, unruly, difficult to control; in particular, their thirst. And the Cullens had attributed those preconceived characteristics upon me.

"You're a newborn?" Edward accused, peering at me warily. Again, his tone irritated me—it was as if he already thought I was some crazed vampire, just because I was a newborn.

I returned his stare. "Yes. I'm approaching the two month mark," I replied icily back. Wordlessly, Alice departed; she left the room, going through the front door. A muted creak alerted me to her location—she sat down on the porch steps outside.

A/N: If you hadn't noticed, Jasper is missing! Don't worry, he'll be introduced later—I have a few ideas regarding his "main entrance". Also, you may be wondering why Alice is human. Well, before I even initially started writing this fiction, I've always wanted it to be a Bella and Alice love story—so, I've decided to make Alice human to make it interesting. I'll be honest—I'm not sure how they will fall for each other. But that's all part of the suspense, I suppose.