Title: Secret Identities
Author: Nadia Mack
Rated: T
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.
Author's Notes: Music, you're fantastic. Thanks for pointing out my minor mistakes. I don't have a beta reader so most of my updates are uploaded shortly after a second read through after the initial completion. I don't catch everything so I appreciate you looking out for me. And yes, I did notice the irony. Edward does come off as a walking contradiction to be honest. lol
"A heart is a fragile thing. That's why we protect them so vigorously, give them away so rarely, and why it means so much when we do. Some hearts are more fragile than others. Purer somehow. Like crystal in a world of glass, even the way it shatters is beautiful." – Everwood, Season Two
Chapter 3
"Dude, I can't believe you actually went public with the girl." Emmett exclaimed both in awe and with extreme enthusiasm, likely a result in a change of atmosphere to their tedious days in the Cullen home.
Other than Alice, who formed an instantaneous friend with Bella as soon as Edward formally introduced them, the rest of his siblings were reticent about having a human know so much about them.
"Don't be a fool, Emmett. Edward's putting us all in danger if something goes wrong," Rosalie spouted angrily, proving his point.
Earlier this week, as promised, Edward picked Bella up for school. The moment he pulled into the school lot, all eyes were on them. To his own surprise, he found himself happy to have Bella beside him, teasing her at the obvious discomfort she held over being the center of attention.
"Everyone's looking at us," she whispered to his ear.
Edward scanned the crowd. "Not that guy – no wait, he just looked." Having broken the rules already, he made the final gesture that settled any gossip that may come out of this in school. "Since I'm going to hell anyway," he draped one arm over Bella, holding her close. "I might as well do it thoroughly."
That particular day had been interesting. At various points when he wasn't around her, his acute hearing picked up conversations from various students talking and thinking less about schoolwork and more about him and Bella Swan. One particular conversation caught his interest.
It was Jessica Stanley cornering Bella during gym.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My, God," the girl squealed and Edward cringed, feeling bad for Bella. "Oh my God!" she added again for good measure, and he grew concerned that her I.Q. had suddenly dropped further than it was deemed possible.
"Seriously, Jess. I heard you the first three times."
He chuckled at Bella's response.
"You need to tell me the 411 on you and freakin Edward Cullen. Are you two… like… totally dating?"
"Well—" but Jessica didn't even give Bella the chance to answer, which bothered him tremendously.
"How long have you been keeping this on the D.L.?"
"It wasn't like that."
"Oh come on!" Jessica shot back in apparent disbelief. "What about you conveniently disappearing that day we went to Port Angeles? Don't tell me that wasn't a secret rendezvous you planned all along."
"It was more like a hit and run," Bella replied dryly.
"Huh?"
"I mean it was completely accidental."
"I don't believe it," Jessica huffed skeptically. "The most gorgeous and unavailable guy in school has been eying you since your very first day. Don't think none of us haven't noticed."
"Really?" Bella said, feigning ignorance.
Edward was impressed. Bella sure knew how to dodge questions by giving the most minimal answers and letting Jessica carry the obvious one-sided interrogation with no less than apparent ease. It was moments like these he wished he could hear her mind just to know what she was really thinking.
"So have you two kissed yet?"
Bella's voice grew uncomfortable at this particular question. "I don't think that's…"
"Oh, please tell me. From a scale of 1 to 10, the best being 10." Through Jessica's thoughts, Edward could see the blush on Bella's face and he smiled at his own fantasy of kissing Bella.
He was turning into a complete utter teenage fool.
The novelty that he was dating Bella didn't lessen as the rest of the week ended. People continued to talk as he and Bella learned more about one another. Their likes. Their dislikes.
Before Bella, any conversations he had with humans were mediocre at best or bored disinterest at worst. This time, he enjoyed getting to know someone, especially her.
Edward learned that they shared the same interest in books, ranging from a variety of authors on different subjects. And to his additional surprise, her assorted and tastes in music similar to his own thrilled him.
All those torturous months of watching her discreetly or from afar could not compare to actually being with her in person. The sparkle and intelligence in her eyes when they talked (or argued, especially about European literature) about certain subjects filled his lifeless existence with unprecedented joy. And when she talked about her loving, erratic, hair-brained mother with undisguised warmth and love, it only compounded the strength of his feelings for this remarkable girl.
"Edward, are you even paying attention?" Rosalie snapped at him.
Just like that, his other reality set in. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Of course!" Rosalie snorted. "Doesn't take a mind reader to know your thinking about her."
"Rose, it's his decision," Emmett refereed but it only earned him a glare from his wife. His brother slowly backed away, surrendering. "I'm gonna go and do something productive." Emmett gave his wife a quick kiss and threw him an apologetic glance.
"I'm inviting her over this afternoon. As a favor for me, Rosalie, please don't make a scene."
Rosalie stared at him blankly before answering. "You sure as hell better be right about her."
Naturally, his family went against his wishes and prepared Bella Italian food. Rosalie threw a little fit but calmed considerably when Jasper and Alice arrived. He introduced her to his mother, Esme, who was glowing, her thoughts filled with nothing but happiness that her son had found someone, even if that someone was a human.
After that day, they were almost inseparable, especially after he revealed his nightly visits. Edward half-expected her to be angry but she seemed amused, especially now that she knew he didn't sleep.
It was also that night that they first kissed, and it was electric.
Dangerous.
The absolute best and most torturous kiss he'd ever had with, well, anyone. He remembered it all too well.
"I've been wanting to try something," Edward said softly. He felt more than a bit nervous. "You have to stay really still."
"Okay." Bella nodded, intrigued and equally just as nervous as he was.
Edward leaned forward very slowly, and when thought she was going to move, he reminded her again. "Don't move."
She stayed silent until his lips finally made contact with hers. It was chaste at first and the jolt of electricity the first time they ever touched replayed itself. He pressed his lips against hers even further, testing the limits of his control as she broke rule and moved against him, her hands snaking its way up my torso and along his neck.
They were kissing now, more fervently that his mind went into an intoxicated haze of desire. He pulled her closer and the force of their lips grew heated and he almost lost the power to fight for control.
Before Edward knew he, he pushed her back on the bed, their lips staying in contact until finally it registered how far they have gotten.
He shot himself backwards, landing against the wall on the otherside of the room.
"I'm sorry," she apologized suddenly. Her hair disheveled but otherwise completely unharmed.
"I can never lose control with you," he said catching the breath he didn't need.
"I wish I could say the same."
That night had been another turning point in their relationship that secured her place in his heart. Edward Cullen wasn't just in love with Isabella Swan; she became his life from that moment on.
It was only natural that after a month of dating, Edward invited Bella to join his family on a special outing.
To her continued surprise, the outing turned out to be a game of baseball.
Likely being the first human to witness a baseball game played by vampires, Bella couldn't help but acknowledge how utterly fun it was to watch. Throughout the game, she was enthralled how uniquely special this family really were.
The whole Cullen clan was into game, from taking bat, to sliding on toward the base and right down to the outfits. Which, to be frank, had to be classically antique.
Alice had to be responsible for that.
If Edward watching her sleep was anywhere near fascinating as it was watching vampires play ball, it was no wonder why he does it so often. Granted, watching her sleep is probably less exciting but damn…
BOOM!
"Now that one has to be a home run." Bella squinted her eyes to spot the ball Rosalie slammed flew away so fast it was fruitless to even try to find it.
It was then that the atmosphere had changed dramatically. The Nomadic vampires responsible for the two deaths near Forks appeared out of nowhere, and Bella was inadvertently caught in the middle when the vampire James, a dangerous tracker, caught her scent. The Cullen's immediately sprang to her protection but it was too late.
Before Bella knew it, she was forced to leave her father without a word as Edward, Rosalie and Emmett made plans to lead James off track. Bella ended up with Alice and Jasper as they drove her out of town.
Leaving without Edward only made the separation harder.
The drive across the Pacific Coast Highway was quick but wrought with tension. All Bella could think about was Charlie's safety and the way she carelessly left him without so much as a note. On top of that, she worried for Edward and his family. They were putting their own lives at risk to help her and it didn't seem right to put all the weight on their shoulders.
Making a decision, Bella pulled out her cell and activated the text feature and contacted the closest person she knew in the west coast area that could protect Charlie if the James or Victoria decided to use him as bait against her. She couldn't take any chances, not when so many people's lives she cared about were at stake.
Pogue. Go to Forks. Look after my dad. I'll explain soon. - B
They stopped at a Hotel in Phoenix, a city she hadn't seen since she was nine years old. Bella and her mother had stayed in the area for six months before moving back to Massachusetts.
In their luxurious room, Alice suddenly stilled. "He knows he's been led astray," she described her vision out loud. Edward had explained that Alice could see the future, but because it wasn't always set, they were subjective because people can always change their minds.
Jasper took her hand. "What else do you see, Alice?"
"A room full of mirrors… with an archway…"
Alice's description pulled a memory from Bella's past. "You mean a ballet studio?"
"Yeah." Alice and Jasper looked up at her in surprise. "You know it?"
"My mom enrolled me into one when we stayed here briefly, but that was years ago. I remember that there was definitely an archway with a hall of mirrors."
"Is it nearby?" Jasper asked.
"I think so."
Jasper and Alice began changing plans when Bella's cell rang. On the screen, it showed her mother's name.
"Mom?"
"Isabella Swan. That's a pretty name," said a taunting voice on the other line. Bella's spine shivered.
"Who is this? Where's my mother?"
"Oh, she's right here. Alive for now. I'm fairly lucky, aren't I? I was just hanging around in that small pathetic town waiting for your sweet old pa to come home, and then a taxi pulled over, and guess who stepped out for a surprise visit?"
There was only one-way Renee's name popped on her cell, and if James had her phone, he was telling the truth and that meant… Oh no.
"I swear, if you hurt her—"
James cut her off mercilessly with his verbal games. "Shhhhh… don't attract attention sweetheart, remember I have dear mommy with me and I know you don't want anything to happen to her. It's a shame really, her scent isn't as strong as yours but if you don't play by my rules, I'm going to drain her dry. Would you like that, Isabella?"
Bella gulped. "What do you want?"
"Meet me at your old ballet studio. Alone. I'll know if you bring anyone, and if you do, I'll skip dinner and just snap mommy's neck right off." The phone went dead and Bella's mind swerved at impossible directions.
Minutes later, by some miracle, she managed to evade Jasper and Alice at the hotel kiosk as she got into a taxi. Never had she wanted her powers back more than she did at this moment.
As the taxi pulled over at her old Ballet studio, it occurred to Bella that she never gave much thought into dying. But dying in the place of someone she loved seemed like a way to go. She couldn't even regret the decisions she was about to make, knowing that it was also what led her to Edward.
The front door to the studio was unlocked when she opened the door. It was dark inside; the only light came from the light of the lampposts outside.
Bella heard a sound. A thumping sound like someone was trying to kick something off. She followed it to the end of the room. She stood in front of a large closet door where she heard muffled sounds and immediately, she knew what it was.
She opened it, and the eyes of her mother stared back at her in fear.
"Mom!" Bella rushed immediately to her side and pulled the tape that covered her mouth off her in one painful sweep. "Mom, are you okay?"
"Bella, get out of here!" Renee spoke frantically.
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You don't know what he is."
"I know exactly what he is, mom. I'm getting you out of here!"
"Oh, isn't this nice," a dangerously low voice said from behind. Bella spun around and put herself between her mother and the vampire intent on killing her for his own perverse amusement.
"She isn't a part of this, let her go."
"There's a rule, you see. In our small privileged world." He stepped closer to her, his cold deadly fingers encircling her neck. "Keep the secret," he whispered. "You see, apparently your mommy dearest here caught on quick, and you, my dear Isabella, are just too good of a prey to kill too quickly."
"Leave my daughter alone!" Renee threw herself at James but he was fast, and he knocked her out without even trying.
"MOM!" Bella screamed, watching horribly as her mother slumped unconsciously on the floor beyond her reach. "You son of a bitch!" She took her pepper spray and emptied it out on him and ran towards her mother.
James hissed and leaped across the room, cutting her off. He took her by the collar and threw her towards a pillar. Bella bled from the head wound but remained conscious as James continued to taunt her about her precious Edward. "Very nice. Very visually dynamic. I chose my stage well, I regret not having a camera with me. The look on Edward's face as you suffered in my hands would have been icing on the cake. It's too bad he didn't have the strength to change you though." He smelled the tantalizing blood on her hand. "Instead he kept you this fragile little human, it's cruel really."
James took hold of her ankle and squeezed, breaking it and Bella screamed in agony. "When Edward finds your lifeless body instead, he'll avenge you, and that's going to make for an exciting game for me."
"No," she rasped painfully.
"I'm really going to enjoy this." James grasped Bella's blood soaked arm and bit into the pulse point of her wrist and again, Bella screamed.
Edward appeared suddenly and pushed James off as the impact threw James clear across the room. He took Bella into his arms immediately as she vaguely heard him say, "I'm sorry" before leaping into the air. But James got to him before they reached safety and pulled them down.
Bella rolled on the ground, shattering a mirror, a large piece embedded itself in her thigh. Weakly, she pulled it out but the burning sensation on her wrist began to magnify in its painful intensity. She barely registered the fight that occurred around her when Alice appeared in her line of sight.
"Oh my God, Bella." Alice shook from the scent of Bella's blood and she called for Carlisle.
"My… my mom…" Bella could barely utter the words. "Edward."
Carlisle was suddenly by their side. "Alice, go see that her mother's all right. Edward, I need you!"
"Mrs. Dwyer," Alice said and Renee opened her eyes. Instead of fear, her focus immediately turned to that of her daughter lying prone on the ground.
"Bella, no!" Ignoring Alice, Renee crawled on all fours, avoiding the searing pain in her head until she reached her child. "Get away from her!"
"No, we're here to help her," Alice said, holding her back.
"My name is Carlisle Cullen, I'm a doctor," he said. "Bella's lost a lot of blood."
Bella convulsed in pain. "My hand is burning!"
"Oh no," Renee held her child's face. "Look at me, baby." Bella tried to focus on her mother but the pain was becoming too much.
Edward knelt down beside them and stared helplessly at the woman he loves. "It's the venom."
Renee's eyes snapped towards his fallen features.
"Get it out of her!"
Carlisle and Edward stared at her in shock. Before either could process what they just heard, he turned to his son. "It's possible but you have to make a choice to prevent the change from happening."
Edward shook his head. "No, no…"
"It's going to happen Edward, I've seen it," Alice said. Renee spun to stare at the young looking girl.
"It doesn't have to be that way."
"She's still hemorrhaging," Carlisle said. "Alice, I need your belt to make a tourniquet."
"There has to be another option, Carlisle." Bella yelled for Edward to make it stop. "Carlisle!"
"There isn't one!" Renee interrupted angrily. Edward looked into the eyes of the woman that gave Bella life and was torn. "She'll only have minutes left, if you can get it out of her, do it now. She doesn't have much time."
"You don't understand, I might not be able to stop"
"Then here's what you don't understand, if she becomes one of you now, she'll die in a few months time anyway."
Carlisle now looked at her confused. "What?"
"Please!" Renee pleaded, tears filling her eyes. "If you care at all about her, do it! This is my child. Please!"
Edward took Bella's wrist and spoke to her softly. "I'm gonna make it go away Bella. I'll do everything I can to make you safe again." Then his mouth touched her wounded flesh.
Later that night, while Bella remained unconscious in a private recovery room in St. Mary's Hospital, Carlisle approached Renee and offered her a cup of coffee. Edward sat on one side of the bed, refusing to leave Bella's side while Renee sat silently on the other.
"You're daughter's going to be fine," Carlisle spoke to her.
"The venom's completely gone?"
Curiosity littered Carlisle's eyes. "Yes, but I'm afraid the scar can't be removed." Renee sighed in relief. "I think there's a lot we need to talk about."
Renee nodded, too exhausted to keep pretenses. "Is there another room we could use for privacy?"
"Yes, of course. If you don't mind, some of my children will be with me."
"No, I don't mind." Renee stood up, still hesitant to leave her daughter behind.
"Edward will watch over her."
"He'll need to hear this too."
"He will," Carlisle assured. He eyed his son whose attention never wavered from Bella's sleeping form.
Carlisle led Renee just a few rooms down the hall into a conference room. She walked in and saw the two tall men that killed the man that tried to kill her and Bella and the small pixie-like girl standing in wait. Once Carlisle closed the door, they waited patiently for one of them to start.
"You're all different from the one that kidnapped me and brutalized my daughter," Renee observed, her pragmatic approach of the situation was eerily similar to the way Bella accepted the Cullen's otherworldly nature. "I've noticed your eyes are gold instead of red, is there a significance?"
"For a while I almost believed you already knew those answers," Carlisle stated matter-of-factly. "The creature you came across feeds off humans, my family's diet comes from the blood of animals."
"I see." Renee left it at that.
"You said Bella would die in a few months even if she was changed into one of us," Alice's soft musical voice added. "What did you mean by that?"
"I'm guessing you're the seer."
Alice reluctantly nodded.
"How much do you know about Bella?"
Alice began to spout a laundry list of facts and quirks about Bella that made Renee smile.
"Yes, that does describe my daughter. But what do you know about her family history?"
"Edward mentioned that she came from an old colonial family back East."
"Yes, well, it goes a lot farther than that." Renee crossed her arms and stared aimlessly out the window. "What I'm about to reveal doesn't leave this room, do you understand that?"
"Knowing what you already know about us, Mrs. Dwyer, I speak for everyone when I say that whatever you reveal will be in total confidence. Bella is in no danger from us and neither are you."
Renee took a deep breath. "Bella is special." A weak smile appeared on her lips. "She's the first of our kind to inherit the gift."
"What kind of gift?" Emmett spoke for the first time.
Renee continued to stare out into the window. "The gift of magic." There was a notable gasp in the room and only Carlisle was able to keep his composure. "There were six families who escaped to America when the witch hunt began in Europe. Five survived. During the era of the Salem Trials, the families that carried what we call 'The Power' swore a covenant of silence to protect ourselves from persecution. It kept us safe for the past three hundred years."
"What made Bella different?" Carlisle asked with genuine curiosity.
Renee pinched the bridge of her nose before turning to face the doctor. "The Power is inherited only by the first born male in each family. Bella is the first female born with the gift. There's no precedence or explanation as to how it happened and what caused the deviation."
"But we've never seen her use magic," Alice said, looking entirely confused. Jasper reached out to hold her hand in support. "I mean, ever. We would've noticed."
"Yes, well, there is an explanation for that. There was an incident prior to moving to Forks that forced the Families to bind her powers from being used. I thought it was a foolish decision but Bella didn't care, she rarely really used it herself unless it was absolutely necessary. To my daughter, it was no big loss." She stopped to take another deep breath before continuing. "All the men with the gift get a taste of their power when they reach thirteen. It's like a test. We never imagined that Bella would inherit it but she did, and it scared the shit load of us, please excuse the offensive language."
Emmett shrugged. "None taken."
Carlisle spoke. "So you were surprised when Bella started doing magic when she became a teenager?"
"No." Renee shook her head. "It's far more complex than that. The first time she displayed any magical abilities, she was only five."
"Whoa. That young?" Emmett said, shocked.
"I was living with Charlie in Forks thinking I was free to live our lives because we had a daughter instead of a son, but the moment my precious little girl willed an object towards her, I knew any semblance of a normal human life for Bella was gone. So I took her away and brought her to the one place I knew she had a chance of fitting in."
"But she's human?"
"Yes, completely. But please understand, she's also magical. It's in her. A part of her. It can be subdued but it can't be taken away. Her development as she grew was unpredictable to us. We don't even know if her ascension occurs the same way as the males do."
"What's an ascension?" Jasper piped in.
"Once they turn eighteen and at the exact time of their birth, the ones with the gift ascends. It's when their powers reach full maturity. The reason why I feared for Bella's life when the venom was inside her was because she likely wouldn't survive the ascension if she were a vampire."
Carlisle was beyond astonished. "How do you know this?"
"Because it's happened before," Renee replied emotionally. "There are consequences to their gifts. The magic is incredibly seductive. There was an ancient record once of a gifted boy who sought immortality by becoming a vampire, but this happened before he ascended. Once the change was complete, by the time he reached eighteen, his ascension ripped his body apart and burned him from the inside out."
The room became silent at this newfound knowledge. Several quiet minutes passed before Alice broke it with a coming vision.
"Bella's waking up."
To be continued…
It won't be long till the boy's arrive. You'll find that one will already be waiting back in Forks. There's a reason why I had Pogue in UCLA back in the Prologue.