Chapter 14: Time passes

A/N: This chapter is a personal favorite. I hope you like it.

BPOV

It was the morning after my third birthday and I woke early to Cottontail nibbling on my ear. It tickled, and I pushed her off me gently. According to the clock on my wall, it was seven am. I was supposed to get up at eight and my parents never bothered me before then. Thanks to Cottontail, I always woke up early and I was glad. The time I was supposed to be sleeping was the only time I was left alone.

I leaned carefully against my bed head and reached for the catch that would open the secret compartment hidden within. Next, I withdrew my special sketch book. I had many sketch books, but this was the one which Mamma and Padre must never find. While the others were filled with drawings of the sky, of trees and birds, of butterflies and other things I would never see, this one was dedicated solely to the most precious image in my memory. Edward Cullen.

I might have only been three years old, but I looked and felt eleven. And, like any normal eleven year old, I was completely head over heels in love with my very first crush.

My head warned me against it. I knew that my infatuation would almost certainly be fleeting. I knew that Edward was now 50 years old and could have absolutely no interest in a plain, boring, freakish little kid like me. I knew all this, but I couldn't stop my heart contracting every time I thought of his return. I couldn't resist attempting to capture his face on paper every time I got the chance, even if I never got it right.

I hurried quickly to my desk and picked up my pencils before returning to my bed. I always drew here, my right hand holding the pencil and my left stroking Cottontail. I would continue till 7:55, it took me exactly four minutes to put everything away. But today it went wrong. At 7:58 there was a knock on my door and I only just got the sketch book away before, at 7:59, the door opened to admit my padre.

"Good morning Isabella" he greeted me

"Good morning Padre"

"Busy?" he asked, eyes lingering on my bed head, the pencils, and my lack of sketchbook..

"No" I replied, innocently enough, but I was undone by my blush. He smirked.

"Well, its time to get up for another beautiful morning sleepy head" He smiled wider and his eyes darted back to the bedhead before he glided back out the door. I remained, stunned and staring.

He couldn't know.

Could he?

On the other side of the world; EPOV

Vampires are naturally solitary creatures. Our diet of animal blood makes it easier for us to form family bonds, but ten vampires in one place is still a lot to bear. Especially when the vast majority consist of perfect couples. Even more so when the remaining three insist on trying to seduce you.

At least Kate and Irina were less persistent than another certain someone.

I groaned as a heavy weight crashed into my back, sending me tumbling face first into the snow. The weight made no effort to prevent her limbs from getting twisted up with mine. I struggled to disentangle myself and keep my composure. I refused to be less than a gentleman.

"Tanya? Do you really think this is the time? We're hiding out from a group of hostile strangers intent on kidnapping for goodness sake!"

"No time like the present Edward," she returned cheerfully "You don't want to die a virgin do you?" In the trees, just out of site, Emmet let out a loud laugh. I assumed the following thump was Rosalie smacking him over the head.

"The thought doesn't evoke quite the same horror that you seem to think it should."

"Ah Edward, so young, so naïve. You'll understand one day." She patted my shoulder gently before me a coy grin. "Of course, if you'd like to understand a little sooner, you know where to find me" She winked quickly, then sprinted back to the house where her sisters were waiting.

I followed after Rose and Emmett. Much as the company was annoying, it wasn't safe to be alone.

As if echoing my sentiments, Jasper's voice flew across the snow, calling us home. We returned to find Alice staring off into space, eyes set on the future. Her lips moved as she murmured unconsciously, "Too unclear...can't see...somethings getting in the way...."

I blocked out her physical voice, concentrating instead on her thoughts...

Neutral POV

In another part of the continent; two women stood uncomfortably together, each bending over the table on which was spread a map. Their task would require meticulous planning if it were to succeed and they had spent far too long as enemies for either to fully trust the other. It didn't help that what they were currently planning was the reverse of what they were used to. It was a strange task indeed; Maximum disruption, at minimal risk. They didn't have long to plan. Their alliance could crumble at any moment and that was the greatest risk of all.

Further north; Illie was tracking. Despite his youth (he was only a decade old), he was most trusted of all by his masters and sent in the lead of this important mission. He avoided covens, preferring to follow lone nomads and mated pairs. His followers were less disciplined than he, and small groupings were safer.

The most southern point; was occupied by the cruelest of them all, though even he paled in comparison to their masters. He'd taken over a fortress and paced its corridors now. He stopped, briefly, at a cell in the dungeon where a woman cried out in complete agony. He smiled, it wouldn't be long now, and turned away with good humor to continue observing his domain.

Back in Denali, EPOV

I pondered the visions in silence as the family looked on, searching Alice's thoughts to see if they made more sense to her. No luck. Four strange vampires. Two females bent over a table, one male tracker and another male who disgracefully watched a woman writhing in agony with a smile on his face. This last vision was the most fuzziest. What could it mean? Surely the woman in the last was being changed, but why the bars? What did any of the visions mean?

Brooding over it would do no good. No more information would come to light from running over it again. I sat down at the piano and began to play, leaving Alice to explain what she saw to the others. However there was one more vision left to come and I watched, fascinated, as a small white rabbit nibbled a hole in a carrot. A half second later, the vision was gone.

A/N: In case you're wondering, the ten vampires consist of the Cullens and the three Succubi. I have something else in mind for Carmen and Eleazer, and (to my knowledge) we never were told when they joined Tanya's coven.