Chapter 34
Life Stories

"Okay, Edward is a vampire." She started.

"Well, I know that now." He said.

"Okay, so Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett are all vampires."

"Okay, how did they each become a vampire though?"

"Umm…why don't we all take turns on telling stories?" She suggested.

Carlisle stepped forward to begin his tale.

"I was born in the 1640's to an Anglican pastor in London, England. My mother died in labor; therefore I was raised by my father. My father had believed in the existence of vampires, witches, and werewolves and led hunts.
I was put in charge of the hunts, at first, I was a failure. I found a coven of vampires living in the sewers and I led an attack on them. I chased after one in the sewer, but the vampire was too thirsty to continue and bit me.
I was terrified of what was happening to me, so I stayed hidden in a sack of potatoes. Three days later, I finished the transition. I was so disgusted by my existence that I tried to destroy myself in many ways. I failed every time.
After I tried to starve myself, I came across a wild animal and my thirst overpowered me. It was then I discovered that I could live off of animal blood, this was a new way for me to survive, a less…gruesome way.
I chose to return to my normal life eventually, and studied many areas. I chose to stick to medicine. I decided that I'd rather help people with my new abilities." He paused for a moment to allow Charlie to process.

Charlie gave him a look to show that he was ready for him to continue.

"The Spanish Influenza broke out in the early 1900s. I came across a dying teenager, Edward Masen." He gestured to Edward.

Edward stepped forward to tell about his beginning.

"I was born as Edward Anthony Masen Cullen on June 20, 1901. My mother's name was Elizabeth Masen and my father's name was Edward Masen. The year of 1918 was the year I lost my parents, I was seventeen. They died of the Spanish Influenza, I found myself at death's door.
I was receiving treatment in Chicago when Dr. Carlisle Cullen began to care for me. My mother had made a final wish that Carlisle do all within his power to prevent my death. Carlisle, being the determined doctor that he is, complied with her request the only way he knew how.
He transformed me into a vampire." Edward stopped, allowing Charlie to process.

Carlisle stepped forward again.

"So, that is when I stole Edward away to live with me, starting my family." He turned to Esme with kind eyes. She took the hint and stepped forward.

"I was born as Esme Anne Platt in 1895, in Columbus, Ohio. At the age of 16, I was treated by Dr. Cullen after I had broken my leg falling out of a tree.
My parents forced me to marry a man named Charles Evenson, but he abused me.
After I realized I was pregnant, I left him and gave birth to a son. He died due to a lung infection.
I attempted suicide by jumping from a cliff. I was presumed dead immediately, they didn't even take me to the emergency room; they placed me in the morgue.
Dr. Carlisle heard my heart beating and remembered me. Not wanting me to die, he changed me into a vampire, like himself.
We fell in love and soon after we married." She stopped, and Charlie processed.

Esme looked at Rosalie, signaling her to come forward. Rosalie let out a sigh and stepped forward.

"I was born as Rosalie Lillian Hale to a middle-class family in 1915. The great depression it when I was 18. My father had a stable job in a bank. My parents were social climbers.
I was extraordinarily beautiful; I was the ticket they needed to reach their social aspiration. I had two younger brothers, but I was my parents' favorite.
I though, dreamed of a lavish life, a life with a rich husband and children as beautiful as I was. My parents influenced my want of material things. I wanted a big house that someone else would clean, and a large lawn that I would play with my children on.
In Rochester, where I grew up, there was one family that had what my parents wanted. They were the Kings.
Royce King owned the bank that my father worked in, he had a song, Royce II. We began dating and the engagement went quickly too. Soon wedding plans were made. I couldn't help though, feeling like there was something missing from our relationship.
I soon became envious of my good friend Vera. She had a husband, who wasn't rich, but he loved her and he was there for her. She also had a small baby they would raise together. I was so envious of that baby, dark curly hair with dimples.
One night i went to Vera's, while I was walking home I realized how late it was and I wished I had thought to call my father to escort me. On the way, I noticed several drunken men. One of them was Royce.
He began showing me off to his friends. He ripped one of the pins from my hair and when I screamed out in pain, they seemed to enjoy it. They proceeded to beat and then rape me." She stopped talking, allowing Charlie to do his processing. He gave her a look and she continued.

"After, they left me dying in the street. Carlisle was the one who found me.
I had never liked Dr. Cullen or his wife and her brother Edward. At that time they pretended be brother and sister.
It bothered me that the family was so much more beautiful than I. Dr. Cullen, who turned out to be a vampire, saved me that night by turning me into a vampire.
The "vegetarian" family only drank the blood of animals." She used air quotes around vegetarian.

"Soon after I became a vampire, I went to Royce's palace for revenge. It was quite dramatic actually; I wore my wedding dress to the killing.
I was careful not to spill a drop of blood, and I pride myself on never having drunken human blood.
Which now brings me to two years later when I found Emmett." She finished, gesturing to Emmett.

Emmett stepped forward and smiled at his wife.

"Okay, so, I was born as Emmett McCarty in 1915 and was the youngest of three.
In 1935 I was being mauled by a bear on a hunting trip. Rosalie discovered me. She saved me because I reminded her of her best friend's little baby and didn't want me to die. She carried me to Carlisle and asked him to change me into a vampire. Since then, we have been in love and married." Emmett finished, he probably had one of the shorter stories.

Alice took her cue to step forward to tell her tale.

"I was born as Mary Alice Brandon in 1901, in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was kept at an asylum because I had premonitions.
I was changed by an old vampire who worked at the asylum in order to protect me from James, who was a tracker vampire that was hunting me.
I did some research and found my grave. I discovered that the date on my tombstone matched the date of my admission to the asylum.
Through my research, I additionally discovered that I had a younger sister named Cynthia, and that Cynthia's daughter, my niece, was still alive in Biloxi." She finished and looked toward Jasper.

Jasper stepped forward slowly.

"I was born as Jasper Whitlock in 1843 in Texas. In 1861 I joined the Confederate States Army to serve in the Civil War. I ascended through the ranks quickly.
When I was twenty years old, I came across two young ladies, one's name was Maria. She was the one who changed me into a vampire. Afterwards my responsibility was to train young vampires and then kill them when they were no longer useful.
After about a century of this, I grew weary of this lifestyle and joined an old friend, peter, and his mate Charlotte. I left the two eventually, not wanting to feed on humans because I could feel my prey's emotions as they died.
Alice, foreseeing that we would be together, met me in a half-empty diner in Philadelphia. Together we sought out the Cullen family.
During our companionship and travels, we soon fell in love and later married." He finished his story and went back to Alice.

Carlisle stepped forward again.

"Alice and Jasper came into our family and we took them in."

Charlie sat there, staring at us. His eyebrows were scrunched together; he was processing the massive information.

"Okay, I understand all of you now, but Bella, how did this happen to you? Does this have anything to do with your disappearances?" he asked quickly.

"Okay dad, let me start at the beginning of our relationship okay?"

He nodded and she continued.

"Okay, so remember when you met Edward and we went to play baseball?"

"Yeah."

"Okay well, there, we ran into three other vampires, non-vegetarian. They thirsted for my blood, so the tracker, James, came after me. When I ran away that night, Jasper and Alice took me to Arizona and I didn't fall down stairs.
James snapped my leg, and this scar on my wrist is where he bit me."

"So that's how you were changed."

"No, Edward sucked the venom out so that I would remain human. James was destroyed and his mate, Victoria, was after me. When Edward left me, he left to protect me. He thought that if he left me, Victoria would come to him.
I jumped off a cliff because I had heard it was fun, and Alice saw that, but she can't see anything when werewolves are involved. Jacob had saved me, which Alice didn't see so she thought I was dead. Edward found out and was on his way to the Volturi to have them kill him.
So when I disappeared, I was on my way to Italy to save Edward.
The Volturi said I knew too much and that I needed to be killed or changed. We promised them I would be changed soon.
Then, Victoria created a vampire army to come to kill us. The wolves and vampires teamed up and we beat them. Victoria is now dead.
Edward and I got married and went on our honeymoon. I got pregnant with a half vampire and half human child."

Charlie grimaced at the thought of my parents having a kid.

"Those days that you weren't allowed to see me because I was "sick" I was actually pregnant with your granddaughter. The Volturi found out and there aren't supposed to be immortal children, they came to kill her, but we made compromise with them. They check up on Renesmee once a year."

Charlie sat there with his eyes wide.

"That girl, Rosaline, she was changed by Renesmee the night that she slept over at your house. Now Rosaline is missing and we need to find her." She finished.

Charlie rubbed his face.

"I'm so confused." He said into his hands.

"I know, but at least you know about us, no more secrets." I whispered.

He looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

"So you're really my granddaughter?"

I nodded. He stood up and hugged me. He pushed me back and held my shoulders.

"My granddaughter, my beautiful, beautiful, granddaughter." He smiled.

I looked over at Alice; she had that look on her face again.

"What's she doing?" Charlie questioned.

"She's having a vision."

"What?"

"She can see the future."

Alice sat there for a few moments. When she finally came out she stood up.

"We have to get Charlie out of here immediately." She stated.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, the Volturi are going to find out soon and they won't be happy. We need to hide him, keep him safe."

"Okay, Alice, why don't you take Charlie somewhere safe. Do you have any suggestions?" Carlisle asked.

"We could take him to Florida, that way he'll be near Renee'."

"No, I don't want to be there." Charlie demanded

"Where can you stay then?"

"Why doesn't he stay with us?" my mother suggested.

"Okay, yeah, that'd work. Alice, go get some of his things." Carlisle replied.

Alice nodded and bolted out the door. She returned in a matter of minutes.

"Okay, Charlie, we'll show you to our guest room at home." My father stated. Charlie nodded and we left the house.

Now he knew, he knew everything. My mother threw Charlie on her back and sped into the woods. When we got home she set him down.

"So this is where my daughter is living?"

"Yep."

We went into the house. My mother went down the hall into the guest room.

"This is where you'll stay." She said. She set his suitcase down and left the room.

"Renesmee?" he called.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come in here for a moment?"

I walked in the room.

"Uh…thank you, for having them tell me. If I can help out with finding Rosaline, just…just let me know."

I smiled and left the room.