Forever Forgotten Chapter 12: Meeting the Cullens, a twilight fanfic

She was sleeping soundly as I cradled her. Her face was buried into my chest, her breathing tickling me. I heard Alice and Esme downstairs talking quietly amongst themselves. Even with my sensitive hearing, I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Seth..." Charlotte? She twisted in my arms then relaxed again. Her dad did say she talked in her sleep sometimes... "Seth," she sighed. I smiled to myself. After listening to her steady breathing for a few minutes longer, I decided to join Alice and Esme. I placed Charlotte gently on the bed and walked quietly to the door.

"Seth?" she called. This time I knew she wasn't talking in her sleep. I turned back. Her eyes were slightly open.

"It's okay. I'll be back in a little while. Go back to sleep," I replied.

She closed her eyes again and was instantly sleep. She looked so peaceful. This was probably the only peacefulness she'd get before the others came back. I sighed as I headed down the stairs.

Alice was curled up on the end of the sofa, her eyes closed. "So she fell asleep? She'll need it before the others come back," she said.

"Which is when?"

Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "About two. Maybe a little after."

I looked at the clock. It was almost ten. It would be a few hours until they returned. "I'm going out for a while."

Alice stayed silent.

I paused at the edge of the woods listening to Charlotte's breathing before I phased and ran into the forest.

Seth! Nice to hear you, buddy. Quil.

Seth. So how's it going? Have you told her yet? Embry.

No, not yet. We're waiting until the others get back. That way everything will be explained all at the same time.

Right.

So what have you guys been up to?

Patrolling, they said in unison.

Sam had given me a few days off because of Charlotte. I was grateful for it.

Lucky, thought Embry.

Humph. Sam never let me get off with Claire…

Aw, come on now guys. You know Sam will probably make me come back as soon as she knows everything. It'll only be about a day more.

Whatever.

Speaking of imprints, I have to go and check on Claire, Quil thought before he faded out.

You guys are so protective of them. Why can't you just let them live?

I laughed. You'll figure it out when you have your own imprint. You'll be just as protective of her as we are.

Yeah, I'll bet.

I let him wander around in his own thoughts and faced mine.

Soon the others would be back. I'd have to go wake up Charlotte. I wondered if she would understand any of this with her being halfway asleep. She'd have to understand something. She already knew I was a wolf... I shook that out of my head. I was getting sleepy. I lay down in a patch of grass and fell asleep quickly.

I woke a few hours later to the sound of something buzzing. It was my phone. I phased back to human form.

"Hello?"

"Seth! They're coming."

"Oh…Alice." I yawned. "Um, in about how long?"

"Three minutes tops."

"Okay. I'm coming." I hung up and ran back to the Cullen's house. I ran straight upstairs to wake Charlotte.

I nudged her shoulder. "Charlotte?"

She groaned. "Sleepy."

"Come on, you have to get up. The others are coming."

She opened an eye to look at me. "Can't it wait 'til morning?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

I shook my head. "Sorry. The sooner you know about this the better. And plus, I still have to take you home."

She yawned and rolled to get out of bed. "Ugh. I'm still wearing Alice's stuff."

"I'm sure she won't mind." I went to the door and gestured for her to follow.

She stretched out her arms. "Carry me?" I scooped her up and headed downstairs. I placed her on her feet. She wobbled before falling. I caught her before she hit the floor and held her up. "Sorry," she said. "I guess I'm still sleep."

I laughed. Alice appeared next to us.

"Where's Rosalie and Emmett?" I asked her.

She snickered. "They'll be here later. They're having their 'playtime'."

A light snore came from Charlotte. She had fallen asleep against my shoulder. I poked her gently. I could hear their light footsteps in the distance getting closer.

This was too early─or late or whatever it was─to be up and talking about anything. I rubbed my eyes. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep some more. However, they wouldn't let me.

I looked back and forth between Alice and Seth. No one else was here. I'm sure Carlisle and Esme were somewhere upstairs. I had no idea where Rosalie and Emmett had gone. Alice said they'd be here later. The room was silently and motionless for a while. The only sounds were breathing. A few moments passed. Alice and Seth's heads both snapped up to look out the window.

"They're coming," Alice sang.

Esme and Carlisle were suddenly standing beside us. Seth's arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me slightly closer.

"Oh, Seth. We're not going to harm her," Alice said.

He smiled gently at her. "I know." However, his arms tightened the, his chin resting on my head. I leaned against him as four people and a wolf ran out of the forest.

They emerged one by one. First, a tall, muscular male who ran straight to Alice, picked her up, and twirled her around. She squealed and kissed him. Second, was a couple. A tall, lanky boy with bronze hair and a young brown haired woman. They walked hand in hand. Last to come forth was a black wolf. On its back was a child who looked about seven or eight. She had the same bronze colored hair that the other male did and it was curly.

My first thought was to take her from the wolf. She looked so young and fragile. The wolf threw in the air while she giggled. I took a hesitate step forward, but Seth held me back.

"It's okay. She's not going to get hurt." I looked back at him puzzled. "Trust me." Sure enough, she was unharmed. I let out a sigh of relief. She was now on Jake's shoulders.

"The wolf...it's...it's gone."

Seth chuckled. "Jake's a wolf too."

I frowned. There was so much I was going to have to learn.

They stood a few feet I front of us. Every one of them was looking at me. I shifted from foot to foot uneasily.

"Um. Hi."

No one moved. Why do they keep looking at me? It's like I'm being examined under a microscope. The bronze-haired male laughed. What's so funny? Did I miss something? I looked around but nothing seemed to have changed. He continued to laugh. He's very weird. Why is he the only one laughing? I wonder if he has a disorder or something. He laughed harder.

The female that held his hand looked from him to me. "Uh...sorry to interrupt your laughing, Edward, but do you mind telling us what's funny?" Her voice was bell-like. So she wasn't human either...

He motioned to me. "Charlotte is."

How did he know my name?

He looked at me. "Sorry. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"I─uh─"

"Guys! You're scaring her!" Alice rushed to my side. "Maybe we need to take this one step at a time." I let out a sigh. At least someone was helping the tension calm down. Alice lead me to the couch and sat me down. She sat on my left and Seth on my right. His arms didn't move from around me. "So let's start from what she knows." She looked at me. "What exactly do you know?"

Now all the attention was drawn back to me. I hated having people stare at me. It made me self-conscious. "Uh, well I know Seth's a wolf...I think. And Jake's one too?" She nodded. "And you guys aren't human."

Seems like a normal sane person would have gone crazy and thought they were going nuts. Maybe something was wrong with me. After all, I hardly knew anything, and I felt somewhat safe around them all. Safe apart from the one that was staring at me. And the one that was laughing earlier. And Rosalie. I wondered if they were naturally like that normally.

The one named Edward laughed again.

What the hell is wrong with him? The other person that hugged Alice was still staring at me. He looked from me to Edward then to Seth, Alice, and back again.

"I'm sorry to ask," I whispered to Alice, "but what's wrong with him. Edward is it?"

"You don't have to whisper. We can all hear you."

Rosalie was coming inside from the sliding glass doors. Emmett followed her. How could she have heard me from way over here?

"We have superb hearing." It was Edward's turn to answer.

Superb hearing? Wait, that meant he heard me when I asked Alice what was wrong with him. Oops. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Don't worry. I don't take it personally."

"Take what personally?"

"That you thought I was a bit crazy for laughing. I wasn't laughing at you necessarily, just your thoughts."

"Oh okay. Wait, what do you mean you were laughing at my thoughts?"

"Edward can read minds." I looked to the girl that was standing beside him. "Oh sorry, I'm Bella." She stuck out her hand to me. I shook it.

"Read minds?"

She nodded.

Mind reader... I'd have to remember this one. Sorry, I just thought you were strange.

He smiled. So he could read minds. Hmmm.

"So you know that now. Who's next to volunteer? Let's get all the vampire stuff out of the way first," Alice said.

Where my ears deceiving me? Did she just say vampire stuff?

I saw Edward stiffen. "I believe she did," he said.

So that meant…they really weren't human…

"That is correct."

I looked at Edward.

Impossible, I thought.

"Seth's a wolf, and you think us," he gestured to the people that were surrounding him, "cannot not be vampires?"

"I─I didn't say that."

"It was implied to your thoughts."

That can't be true, can it? Vampires don't exist. But then again...Seth and Jacob were wolves, as Edward did point out. Maybe everything fairytale was real.

"I don't think I understand."

"Vampires," Rosalie said, "as in blood drinking people. Our kind kills fragile humans like you. How else do you expect us to get blood?"

"Rose! We are not like that." Esme exclaimed. She looked at me. "Sorry, just excuse her."

I was frozen in place. Vampires? I couldn't get this wrapped around my head.

Alice's cold fingers brushed my cheek. I flinched away from her.

"Seems like you'll need some time to get used to this," she whispered as she pulled her hand away.

A clock in the background softly struck three.

"We better go," Seth said getting to his feet and pulling me with him. "I don't want her father worried about her."

"I thought he knew everything." I looked at Bella.

"Everything about what?"

She looked sadly at me. "Maybe Seth ought to explain the rest." She smiled and left. She moved so fast I didn't notice she was gone until she wasn't there anymore.

"That's one of the things we have," Edward said. "Incredible speed." He disappeared next.

"I should take her home too." Jacob nodded to the girl who was cradled in his lap. He nodded at Seth. "You don't have to patrol tonight. I'll tell Sam."

"Thanks." Jacob left.

"That's one mutt out," Rosalie muttered. She looked at Seth. "Your turn."

"Rosalie! What has gotten into you? You're being completely rude." Esme looked furious. She actually scared me.

Rosalie flipped her hair. "Maybe it's the vampire in me." She gave me a frightening smile then grabbed Emmett's arm and headed upstairs. Their figures blurred as they passed.

The only people left were Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Seth, me, and the male that stood next to Alice with his arms draped over her shoulder. He smiled shyly at me. His pointed teeth made me cringe into Seth. A wave of calmness washed over me.

"Jasper." Alice tugged on his arm. He kissed her head softly. She sighed.

"I'll explain it to her," Seth said.

I looked at Alice. "Can we do this another time? I want to be kind of more aware and awake to understand most of this."

She nodded. "Come back anytime."

"Thanks."

Seth pulled me towards the door. "See you guys later."

"It was nice meeting all of you." As I turned to see their reactions, no one was there. "Where did they all go?"

"Sorry, Charlotte, but I think they have some other important things to do." I could have sworn I heard snickering from somewhere in the house. We headed back to my car and drove to my house.

We drove silently to my house. I could see that the living room lights were on. My dad was standing in the doorway.

"I don't know why he's still up."

Seth came around to my side and helped me out. I was very tired and halfway sleep. My dad stopped us. I spoke before he did.

"Just give me some time to get my thoughts collected. I'm so confused right now." I knew he knew about everything and wanted to know how things turned out. He nodded and let me pass. I was still holding onto Seth's hand and was jerked to a stop when he didn't move.

"I want to talk to Seth for a minute." I reluctantly released his hand and headed inside. They followed.

I walked up the stairs and paused at the top to listen. I hide myself between the rails so that I wouldn't be seen.

"So...," my father started.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault that we're here so late," Seth said hastily.

I heard my father laugh. "It's okay. I understand. Does she know everything now?"

"No, not yet. I'm planning to tell her but I don't know when. I tried bringing it up this morning, but she stopped me."

I heard my dad sigh. "Well I think you have plenty of time. School doesn't start for a few more weeks. Everything should be sorted out by then."

"Yeah I know. And she might just be sleeping all day tomorrow with being out all night. I'm guessing it was a long day, with Drake and finding out everything is not what it seems." Seth's voice trailed off.

"You'll have time I promise." I heard my dad walk away towards the kitchen. I could see Seth's shadow on the wall coming up the stairs. I quickly hurried to my room and in the bathroom door as he entered.

"You're not very good at sneaking around. I can hear just as good as the others."

I smiled sheepishly realizing that I had been caught.

"So I guess you know very well what's happening then."

"Yeah, kind of for the most part."

He nodded. "You'll find out everything. Goodnight. I'll see you when you're awake again." He closed the door as he left.

I climbed into bed without bothering to take off the clothes Alice had given me. I was too tried to care now. I feel asleep quickly and promised myself that I would wake up with enough time to talk with Seth.

A/N: I'm sorry for the delayed updates. This holiday was pretty stressful... But on the good side, updates should start picking up soon as I start school again tomorrow. Boredom results in editing and more creative writing ideas. :D

So anyways, I hope you guys had a great holiday! and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope you guys make it a good one! :P