Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Dalloway5906. I can always tell when it is going to be a good chapter when I see her perverted comments on the edit! The updates should be coming Sundays and Wednesdays.

Chapter 5

BPOV

I took the vile shoes off with one hand as I held the towel to my head with the other. I had finally gotten the blood to stop and was still sitting on the couch when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called.

"Hello Isabella, I was hoping I could take a look at the nasty bump you have there." Carlisle said as he came in the room with his black medical bag. I was going to have to stash these visions of him away for future reference. Never know when a girl needs some Dr. Sexy for a rainy day.

"I am a little accident prone. I have no idea how I survived to nineteen." I said quietly. "Do you know where Edward went? Did he send you to come help me?"

"I think Edward went out to get some air. Just hold still and I will have you stitched up in a minute."

I figured I would use this alone time to try and interrogate the good doctor.

"So Edward was telling me all about your lifestyle. How is it working for you?" Smooth Bella, he is just going to come out and tell you their big dark secret.

Carlisle snickered under his breath, "Well Isabella, it is working out just fine for me. What all did Edward tell you? Maybe I can answer some of your questions."

"Well, he did not really tell me much. I was hoping you could tell me why he has such a hard time around me. Is it all women that make him act like a pompous ass, or is it just me?"

This time the laugh from Carlisle was much louder. "No, I am pretty sure you are affecting him a little differently than most women. He is usually a very open and friendly person. I think he is dealing with an attraction that is totally new to him. It just might take him a little longer to warm up to you."

Attraction huh, that sounds promising. Edward might not be as sexy as the good doctor here, but I would not kick him out of my bed. These thoughts, while entertaining, were not getting me any closer to answering my questions. I tried to see if the direct approach would work.

"Carlisle, I know you all are not human and I think you might have some issue with blood. So please just tell me what is going on. I have an open mind and I promise nothing you will say will shock me." Yeah, I was acting way more confident then I really was. But what was the worst he could say?

"Ok Isabella, I will be perfectly honest with you. You were right to think that we have a problem with blood. The reason Edward fled from the room so quickly is that... we are vampires."

And cue the fainting.

More darkness, what was this the third time I had fainted today. That has to be a record even for me. I could head Edward's frustrated voice as I worked my way back towards consciousness.

"Why would you tell her? I was trying to make her comfortable before I dropped that bomb on her. Did you at least let her know we only feed on animals or did she blackout before you could?"

"No Edward, she passed out before I could tell her about our alternate lifestyle. She assured me that she would take everything with an open mind." Carlisle sighed. I really felt bad for him, I did tell him that.

"Boys, she can hear you," Alice chirped. I was really starting to wonder how she knew these things. I was hoping I could play dead a little longer and get some more information on the sly.

"Isabella, are you all right. Will you wake up and talk to us?" Edward asked. Gone was his usual tone of disinterest, maybe my constant dramatics were wearing him down.

I slowly opened my eyes to the same scene I had experienced only hours earlier. Three sets of gold eyes looked down at me, and I was trying not to feel like an hors d'oeuvre. I tried to sit up, and Edward was instantly there to help me. I tried not to, but flinched away from his hands. I immediately felt bad when I looked up into his pain stricken face. I knew he had wanted to tell me about what they were in his own time, and Carlisle had jumped the gun.

"It's ok Edward," I tried to reassure him. "I think I just need some more time to adjust."

His distress seemed to ease, and I was grateful when they all backed up to give me some breathing room. I needed some answers pronto.

"So, you only feed on animals, I heard that correctly?"

Alice decided to take that one. "Yes, we call ourselves vegetarians, our little joke."

Yeah, really funny. "There are others out there, like you, that are not vegetarians?"

"Yes, unfortunately most of our kind do not follow the same practice that we do," this time from Carlisle.

"So do you eat or drink anything, like normal humans?"

Edward decided to answer that question. "No Isabella, the only thing we feed on is blood."

I started back in on the questions before I lost my nerve. " Is that why those assholes at the auction were so strong?"

Three heads nodded. "And why all their eyes were red. When a vampire feeds on human blood, their eyes are red. As much as we can figure, ours are golden because of the diluted nature of animal blood," explained Carlisle.

Ok, major overload. I know there are more questions that I should have been asking, but my brain was still trying to comprehend what I had just listened to.

"Alright guys, I think I need some time to digest this information. Is there anyway I can get some fresh air?"

"Sure, I'll take you down and show you the garden." Alice smiled. I was still having a hard time picturing this little pixie take down an animal. Maybe she went after bunnies or something cute and little.

I could see that Edward was hesitant to let me out of his sight. "Don't worry Edward, I am not going to go anywhere. I don't even have any idea where we are. Besides, there are a couple of other fairy tales I want to discuss."

That seemed to appease him, and Alice led me out the door and down some stairs. We walked through a spacious living room and a kitchen I would die for. I wanted to stop and see what kind of woodland creature they kept in the fridge, but Alice pulled me out the back door and onto a large stone patio. We walked over to a hammock hanging between two large trees. Alice sat down first, without even making the hammock move. I decided to stand, knowing my coordination would not allow me to sit down without falling on my ass. There had already been enough bloodshed today.

"Alice, do you mind if I just walk around on my own for a few minutes? I promise I won't go far." I asked.

Alice's eyes glazed over for a second, "Sure Isabella, everything looks fine. Just stay on the path."

With a wave of thanks, I headed off the patio and towards the woods. Stay on the path, what is this The Wizard of Oz? I made my way down the path, trying to process how these nice, kind people could actually be blood sucking monsters? A flash of movement to my left caught my attention, and I turned towards it. I was suddenly forced to the ground from behind, unable to break my fall with my broken wrist. There was someone snarling into my ear as they rested their weight on my back. Did someone mistake me for a deer, what was going on? I thought they said they only partook of animals.

I tried to control my breathing, and ignore the throbbing pain in my wrist and shoulder. I needed to explain who I was and what I was doing here. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, I felt the weight being pulled off my back and more snarling from beside me. I looked over to see Edward in an aggressive stance, looking menacingly at whoever was behind me.

"Jasper, what are you doing?" Edward snapped at whoever was still making wild dog noises.

I was still petrified to move, so I just continued to lie on my belly, cradling my cast covered wrist to my chest. Maybe someday someone will realize that I am lying here.

"Sorry Edward, the wind changed and blew her sent to where he was hunting. There was no way I could have seen this in time." Alice piped in. What did she mean, how could she have seen what? And how did she get here so fast?

The growling from behind me quieted and I could hear Alice making cooing noises. Edward stood from his crouch and finally looked down at me. He moved to my side in an instant, so fast I did not even see him move.

"Are you all right?" He questioned. He looked so worried.

"Yeah, I am fine. Don't think I broke anything else. What is going on?"

Edward looked over my shoulder and motioned for me to do the same.

"This is my brother Jasper. Alice is his wife."

Screw The Wizard of Oz, I must be in Wonderland!