own nothing but the story line and any characters you don't know :) I AM LOOKING FOR A BETA PLEASE! I'm new at this and don't really know how to go about getting one so please let me know if you know the mean time... I apologize for any errors ahead of time, while I like to write, grammar and I just don't mix. Still trying to get comfortable writing so I welcome all suggestions, and idea's. I will not tolerate mean and tasty comments. You can help me grow as a write without being cruel.
Summary: All Human. Hidden amongst us are people with magical like qualities. For there own protection most choose to stay hidden, some blending with society while others stay away, pretending not to exist. Bella has not really existed for the last sixteen years, after a disastrous first attempt at being in public she meets the Cullen's can they help protect her before the Volturi find her and try to kidnap her and the other gifted Cullen children?
Renee and Bella worked side by side, Bella working on the pot roast while Renee chopped vegetables.
"I think we've been going about things the wrong way Bella," Renee started not looking up from the potatoes she was cutting.
"Going about what the wrong way?" She asked looking up from the onion soup mix she had been mixing up.
"You're powers, maybe restricting the use of them to just your room isn't a good idea." Renee sighed as she stopped cutting and took a good look at the shocked face her daughter was making.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't want you to abuse your talent, and start relying on it, I still believe that's what caused my mother to be exposed. But maybe if you used them more often, you would could gain a better control over not using them at the wrong time."
Bella thought she had a good handle on how to use her powers, but she didn't say that to her mother. She had stopped accidentally using her powers a long time ago. The problem yesterday had stemmed from her anxiety and fear of being out in public where any stranger could be watching them. She felt comfortable at the book store, so engrossed with the marvelous array of books she hadn't even thought twice about someone watching her. But when they had left, she was again, out of her element and had let her nerves consume her. She never felt nervous at the house, well at least until yesterday, it was her sanctuary she was comfortable, and when she was comfortable, it was easy to not slip up.
"So, it's ok to use my gift more?" She asked, wanting to make sure she understood what her mother was getting at.
"I don't want you to go crazy, but yes." Renee answered starting on the carrots now. "But, only inside the house. It would be just our luck for you to be down by the lake and someone spots you from across with a log floating in the air!"
Bella just nodded as she added the soup to the pot roast in the crock pot. Then walking over to the counter and grabbing an onion. With a small smile on her face she stared at her mother as she extended her had to the knife drawer. She pulled her hand back slightly as if she was opening an imaginary drawer, causing it to open. A knife raised out of the drawer and danced in the air as it floated towards her. Renee had her head down and looked up just in time to see the knife flying passed her.
"OH! My god Isabella! You could give me some warning first!" She exclaimed as she placed a hand over her heart.
Bella laughed lightly as she blushed "Sorry mom," she said, her smile never faltering.
They continued to work on dinner and were cleaning up the kitchen by the time Charlie pulled up in their beat of pick up truck.
"Well, I guess he isn't dead yet," her mother murmured to herself as she looked out the window. "Bella can you go up to your room for a bit, I want to talk to your father."
She was about to protest, she wanted to know what happened at the diner, this effected her too, not just her mother. But being the dutiful, good daughter she was, she headed up the stairs. As the day had progressed, Bella was starting to feel better about yesterday. She still wasn't comfortable about the Cullen's knowing where she lived, or the fact that one of them had entered her home by a window. But the more she thought about it, the more she admitted to herself, she didn't think they were a threat. She didn't dare share that opinion with her mother, she was smart enough to know that Renee would not appreciate her thoughts and just call her a fool, before ranting about how her own mother had been a fool too.
"Hello!"
"Ahh!" Bella screamed as she spun around towards her bay window.
"Bella? Are you alright?" He mother called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Tell her you just saw a spider," The new intruder whispered.
"Uh..uh I'm fine mom, spider's all…startled me for a second." She called down, never taking her eyes off of black haired pixie like girl sitting in her favorite spot.
"Thanks, my mom and dad would have a fit, if I got caught in here! They told us to leave you alone for now, but I just couldn't help it! I just know we are going to be the best of friends! You have an awful lot of books! Where's all your make up? And clothes, I just found a few things in that tiny closet. Oh! did your parents have to give you another room for your clothes? That would be so lucky of you, I tried to convince my parents I needed a second room but they said Jasper and I couldn't share so I was S.O.L. I still keep some of my clothes in his room though. He doesn't care and I really needed the room!" This girl rambled.
Bella's head was spinning, her heart was pounding out of her chest and she was sure at this moment she looked completely dimwitted as she tried to figure out how it was humanly possible to talk as fast at this girl. She held up her hand and interrupted the chattering small person that was continuing to on about something, she hadn't really been following since the make up question.
"Who are you?" She knew she was one of the Cullen's, she remembered her from yesterday, but she wanted to know was which one this one was and why was she in her room.
"I'm Alice silly!"
"Alice, right, and your Emmett's sister?"
"Yes, and before you ask, I saw the way to your house and just couldn't help myself, especially when I saw you weren't going to scream and start yelling for your parents. You know you're parents room is surprisingly easy to get into. You guys might want to fix that."
"Wait!" Bella stopped her before she had a chance to launch in another ramble. "What do you mean you saw?"
Alice smiled widely, "I can see the future. I saw you at the store, that's how we all knew to get there. I also saw Edward walking the path from our house here, and climbing in through the window, which is how I knew to come here, and I just couldn't wait for him to do it, so I did it myself. I also saw…Oh well, never mind, I'll let you figure that one out on your own." she giggled.
" I need to sit down." Bella said, making her way to her bed. She tucked some hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. "So what is this? Are all of you going to sneak into my room one by one, day by day, scaring the crap out of me, while you all act like this is normal?"
"Well, when you put it like that, you make us sound bad!" Alice said throwing her hands in the air before crossing them over her chest and tilting her head a bit. " And no, I don't think Rosalie will come here, climbing up a tree, and sliding through windows really isn't her thing. She a bit too high maintenance."
Bella had to raise her eyebrows at Alice, this girl had barely been here five minutes and it was clear, compared to Bella, Alice could be high maintenance. She cringed at what this Rosalie would be like. If this Rosalie was anything like Alice she thought it was probably a blessing she didn't sneak over, Bella wasn't too sure how many more surprises like this she could take.
Alice stood and starting walking around Bella's room, inspected everything in sight, pulling books off the shelf and putting them back, pulling a shirt or skirt out of the closet, turning it back and forth before raising an eyebrow at Bella, shaking her head and hanging it up again, muttering something under her breath.
"Um, who is Jasper?" Bella asked, realizing Alice mentioned something about him in her earlier rant, and trying to make conversation.
Alice smiled widely at the thought of her beau, "He's technically my brother, but we are all adopted, so I prefer to think of him as my soul mate, makes it less incestuous that way, you know?" Alice said before picking out another shirt and wrinkling her nose at it.
Bella wasn't used to people touching her things and she certainly didn't like Alice's disapproving looks.
"Will you stop touching my things already!" She snapped.
"Oh relax, I was just looking, are you usually so tightly wound up?"
"No! No I'm not! I am usually quite content, and happy. But I don't fully appreciate strange people breaking into my home, coming into my room, harassing me and judging all of my clothes!" she said raising her voice in frustration, the curtains in her room were starting to sway and she took several deep breaths to calm herself before the rods went flying off of the hooks.
Alice tsked at Bella as she looked at the girl who seemed to be hanging on to her sanity by a thread. "You need to calm down before your parents come up here to see who you're talking too."
"Well that wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't broken in now would it?" Bella countered.
"I'm sorry," Alice said, giving Bella her best puppy dog look, the look that caused her parents to by her a shiny yellow sports car. "I know sometimes I can come across as a bit eccentric but, I was just really excited about meeting you and being friends." she continued her lip starting to quiver.
Bella felt slightly bad, she didn't want upset the poor girl who had barged into her life, maybe it was her loneliness but the pixie might actually be a good friend for her. That is, if her parents would actually let her have friends.
With a sigh she looked at the small girl standing in front of her and started to pace.
"I don't really see how we can be friends Alice, like I told your brother, I'm not allowed to associate with your family. Or anyone else." she said, muttering the last part. "And I really don't think you guys continuing to sneak into my house is a good idea, you do realize my dad is the chief of police, and owns about a dozen hunting rifles right?"
"Oh Bella, that's all going to change soon!" Alice exclaimed waving off her argument. "I saw it, your dad and Carlisle are going to be friends. And eventually Renee and Esme too. Then you will be free and clear to be friends with all of us!"
Bella instincts were telling her to listen to Alice, but she was having an inner battle because everything she had ever been taught was screaming at her to not listen, this was another one of Volutri's mind tricks. She didn't have time to ponder it because she heard a the squeak of the third step on the staircase, someone was coming up the stairs.
"Get in the closet," She hissed to Alice as the pixie dashed inside the small doorway. Bella was closing the door right as her mother walked in, an angered look on her face, followed by her father. Bella felt her face drain of color, sure she had been caught and trying to find an explanation for the intruder she was hiding.
"Bella, we need to talk," Her mother said shooting daggers at her husband standing next to her. "You're father apparently likes to sleep with one eye open and has made a deal with the devil."
"Renee, stop that." Charlie warned. "I think they are good people, They want to be safe, just like us."
"Yes well, why on earth would they tell you any different. Come on Charlie, what villain ever comes right out and says 'Hey, I want to kidnap your daughter and use her for my evil biddings' They've already seen what she can do, I'm sure they are plotting right now how they can use her power!"
Bella blushed feeling embarrassed that one of the Cullen's was here listening to the whole exchange.
"Can you two just stop it!" She exclaimed, hoping neither of them would say anything else derogatory about the new family. "I'm assuming you came up here for a reason not to argue in from of your daughter. You know, parenting books advise against that." She said.
"Don't be a smart alec, Bella." Her mother scolded.
"Well now, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black!" Scoffed Charlie.
"Urgh! Can you guys get to the point. What happened at the diner Dad?"
"Carlisle and I had a nice chat…Why are you standing by the closet Bell? Take a seat." Charlie said looking at his daughter in question. "Anyway, all there kids are adopted, I'm not sure exactly how they ended up with all magical children, neither one of them have powers." Charlie paused, turning to his wife and gave her a pointed look as she huffed, but bit her tongue from making any unwanted comments. "He said his wife, Esme, had family with powers, so I'm assuming she had something to do with that. I didn't want to pry too much, I'm meeting with him again on Wednesday."
"What do you mean 'had family'?" Bella asked.
"He just said, Esme had family with talents and she watched them get torn apart and both of them have seen the destruction the Volturi can make." Charlie turned towards Renee, "Now I realize when it comes to the Volturi your mother has the most knowledge, but I am a police officer, part of my job is to read people and I just don't think they are a threat. Dr. Cullen has agreed to meet with us, on neutral territory, he doesn't have to know where we live if that makes you two more comfortable and we don't have to go to their home."
"Don't you think it's a little suspicious they want to meet with us? They don't even know us, why do you think they are pushing this?" Renee argued.
"Because Renee, they want friends, and they want to help Bella, they know what it's like to be wanted and searched for, they want to stay in this town, and set down some roots,"
"Still, what does that have to do with us, Bella and I have been just fine staying here and keeping out of everybody's way. If the Volturi come, it would be looking for them not us. But if we start associating with them, mark my words Charles Swan, our family, our lives will be in jeopardy. Is it really worth it?" Renee said, wagging her finger in Charlie's face.
Charlie stood, towering over Renee's seat.
"Those kids are Bella's age, and from the sound of it, most of them have been through hell trying to escape the Volturi and you're going to see there, accuse them of being the enemy? Are you telling me you'd be willing to turn you're head and hear about some other kids, in my town being taken and do nothing?"
"If it kept our family safe." She responded folding her arms across her chest.
Charlie sighed, he knew Renee would need time to process anything and calm down before she really listened to his reasoning.
"You know, Carlisle said their daughter Rosalie is a fire starter. She was hunted down before they adopted her, and they took her in anyway, even with a house full of kids. For the last year, that have made sure she was safe, they didn't turn their backs when the going got tough." Charlie paused for a moment looking between his daughter and wife before continuing. "You once told me this is all hereditary. So what makes you think just because we hide in our safe little house, closed off from everyone, we aren't still on their radar. They may not have seen you that night, but they know you exist. Maybe they didn't come looking because they knew you weren't gifted. But you're the one fooling yourself if you don't think they will find us eventually. Think about it Renee, think about all of it. They could help Bella get more control, we can share information that we both know about the enemy and he said that two of his kids have been able to help the family avoid the Volturi because one can read minds and the other sees the future. Wouldn't it be nice to have them on our side, helping us. Hell, warning us if anything was coming this way. I know you're scared, but sometimes you have to take a chance."
Bella was pretty sure that was the most she had ever heard her father say at one time. She had to admit that what he said made sense, but she kept quiet as she watched her father walk out of the room. She looked at her mother and saw she had a stray tear running down her cheek. She went to her mothers side and gave her a tight hug.
"He's right mom, but we don't have to decide anything yet, just think about what he said, let him talk to Dr. Cullen on in a few days and we can find out more. Maybe you could think of some questions for Charlie to ask even." Bella tried to reason.
"I do know all gifted people aren't bad honey. But I just can't bring myself to put you in that kind of danger. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you." Renee said, hugging her precious daughter, tears falling from her face.
"Well, I should probably go check on dinner." Renee said as she untangled herself from her daughters embrace and wiped her eyes.
When her mom left her room, closing the door behind her, Bella flopped onto her bed exhaling loudly.
"Wow! I thought they would never leave!" Alice exclaimed, startling Bella, who had jumped straight up in the air.
"Jesus Alice! I'm sorry I forgot you were here."
Alice huffed "I'm not sure if I should be offended or not! No matter come look at the outfits I put together while I was in there!" she squealed.
Bella rolled her eyes but got up and walked to her closet.
"I'm sorry about what you heard, my mom is really nice, she just doesn't trust easily." Bella offered, trying to make amends for any of harsh words her mother had spoken.
"I understand Bella, no worries."
"So, Rosalie is a fire starter?" Bella asked, curious about the Cullen's and all that her dad talked about.
"Yep! When she first came to stay with us she had a small problem with not using her powers to get what she wanted, she's a bit spoiled and would resort to throwing balls of fire everywhere just to get something, but she's calmed down some now." Alice offered.
Bella didn't voice it but she wasn't quite so sure she wanted to get to know that particular Cullen.
"Who is the one my dad was talking about? The mind reader?"
"Oh, that's Edward." Alice said before pulling out a knee length bohemian style purple skirt and a dark brown long sleeve shirt, "Isn't this cute together? I had a hard time putting together some outfits but I did what I could. We should really go shopping sometime, you are in desperate need of new clothes!"
"Alice focus! We were talking about your family." Bella said, not caring about the clothes, it isn't as if anyone would ever see her, why should she care about what clothes she wore. "How does it work? Does he have to look someone in the eyes or something, touch them?"
"What?" Alice asked, confused as to what Bella was asking.
"The mind reading Alice! How does he read peoples thoughts?"
"Oh, he doesn't have to do any of that, its like the radio, it's just there." she said simply
Bella was going to ask her more but noticed Alice had frozen in place and was staring off into space.
"Alice?"
"Huh? Or sorry Bella, I get like that sometimes, listen, I need to go, unless we want to explain to both of our parents why I am in your room. Can you help me get outside?"
"Uh sure," Bella said thinking about the best way to sneak her out would be. She walked over the bench seat under the bay window. She lifted the top up and pulled out the chain type ladder her father and put in every room of the house. It was part of their safety plan in the event of a fire and had long been forgotten about. She walked over to her side window and pushed up, then removed the screen before hooking the ladder to the sill.
"Wow, that's handy, maybe next time I'll just throw some pebbles at your window instead of climbing up the tree," Alice said with a smile as she started to climb out the window. "See you soon Bella!"
Bella muttered a quick good bye, watching Alice climb to the safety of the ground. When Alice waved up to her, Bella started to pull the ladder back up, smiling and shaking her head as she reflected about today's events. She had gone from feeling scared and confused this morning, to feeling like she was just going through the motions of her day, nervous about her dad's meeting, and anxious for his information, back to scared when Alice showed up and now she was curious about this crazy family, and strangely happy to have gotten to spend some time with the crazy hyper pixie that flew into her room.
"I'm home!" Carlisle called as stepped into the foyer.
Esme came out drying her hands on a dish towel smiling at her husband. She came over and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before stepping back.
"How did the meeting go?"
"Well, I think. Charlie doesn't seem as hesitant to get to know us as his wife, Renee, is. We agreed to meet next Wednesday for lunch. If all goes well perhaps we will get the families together, on neutral ground of course. He seemed open to the idea of us helping Bella with her talent" Carlisle offered as he and his wife sat down in the living room.
"Where are the kids?" Carlisle asked
"Emmett is in the game room with Jasper, Rose is in her room I believe, Edward said he was going to go for a walk and Alice decided to join him."
"You told them to stay on the property right?" Carlisle asked, leaning back on the sofa draping an arm across the back.
"Yes, I thought it would be best anyway if Edward was away from the house but I didn't want them going to far. I've had quite a hard time keeping my mind blocked and he doesn't need to go alerting the presses to what we need to discuss." Esme answered
"I see, was Alice in Jasper room this time, or the other way around? And do I want to know what they were doing?"
"Actually neither, and I'm not sure I want to know what was going on." Esme said looking at Carlisle. "It wasn't Alice and Jasper." She clarified. "I found Rose asleep in Emmett's bed."
Carlisle's mouth opened as he looked at his wife in shock. He thought back to the recent interactions between the pair. They hadn't seemed to be acting any different, They had always been close, but both parents chalked it up to Emmett role in saving Rose and getting her to come out of her shocked and depressed state in the following months.
"Please tell me they were fully clothed." was all he could manage to say.
"Yes, or you would have been woken up last night with this information." Esme replied.
"Do you think this is a romantic relationship, or one of comfort?" Carlisle asked, hoping Esme would say the latter.
She frowned, contemplating her answered. "I'm not really sure, I can't seem to recall any exchange between the two that would lead me to believe they are romantically or sexually involved in, but today I noticed when that girl, Ashley, was flirting with Emmett, Rose looked ready to attack."
"Should we sit down and talk with them?"
Esme sighed and shook her head, "I'm not sure they would be honest with us, if they have been sneaking around and god forbid having sex. They aren't going to want to have restrictions like Alice and Jasper. I can honestly see both of them lying about it."
"Yes, but on the other hand, do we want to wait until we catch them in a compromising position?" Carlisle asked. Both of them thinking about the first time they had discovered Jasper and Alice had taken there friendship a step further, in the shower of all places.
"What if we just watched them more closely the next few days and add them to the bed checks. Then we can confront them." Esme suggested.
"I suppose that could work. But if either of us notice anything questionable, I say we have a discussion that night. I really don't want to be a grandfather this young."
She agreed, of course, Emmett had just turned eighteen and Rose would be in a few short months but they were still too young and they definitely didn't want a baby entering this world until they could settle down in an area for more than a few months.
"So, have to started your plans for redecorating yet my dear? Carlisle asked as he pulled his wife into his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Mhmm she replied, "I like the kitchen, except for the walls. But none of the appliances are energy efficient so I placed an order for some new ones, along with a new washer and dryer. I was thinking about calling about some solar panels as well. Just so you know Rose is doing some shopping of her own too." She added. Alice was the resident shopaholic, it seemed like she shopped everyday, but when Rose shopped, she truly shopped and made a big splash in the bank account. Esme and Carlisle were just thankful she didn't go a new store everyday like Alice.
"Ugh! Did you at least give her a limit?" He asked.
"No, but I did tell her to just add her items to the cart and that I would order later tonight. After I had a chance to see if there was anything I wanted."
"Smart woman." Carlisle said as he leaned down and kissed his wife.
Edward walked around half the perimeter of the Cullen's proper enjoying the silence in his mind and occasionally skipping some rocks into the lake he had discovered at the edge of their property. His adoptive parents had always tried to be considerate of his powers, and had always tried to buy a large amount of land removed from others. But this last year had been chaotic, and large empty spaces had not been possible. Thanks to Emmett and himself, the Volturi knew of the Cullen's, but his adopted parents had always done well keeping them hidden, as well as you could given the circumstances.
When Rose had come along though, it had sparked a new interest in his family and they had been force to change their normal places of living for the hustle and bustle of city life. Esme and Carlisle's hope had been that if they were in a more populated area it would be harder for them to be found. There plan had worked, they threw the Volturi off their trail several times, but while he had learned to control his outbursts, and hold his tongue, no longer accidentally spilling information that would normal reside in peoples brains, Rose hadn't quite yet mastered the art of control and would frequently set fire to places or things. Not exactly conducive to hiding out. You can't forget about Emmett either, once at a school in San Diego he became quite enraged at a group of boys that were giving Rose and Alice a hard time. He literally lifted two of them off the ground by their necks. It wouldn't have been so bad had he not decided to throw them across the track field. Even though that would have been hard to explain, it made matters worse that one of their teachers was a member of the Volturi and had promptly tried to befriend them.
Jasper had his theories as to why Volturi always ended up where they were. He thought that perhaps peoples magical links were somehow connected. That their "kind" could sense others like them and it drew them towards each other. But no body knew for sure. That would perhaps explain why they ended up here, so close to another family. The more Edward pondered the notion the more he wondered if his brother was onto something. The family had started to turn moving into some what of a game this past year. They took turns in deciding where to move next, one person would throw a dart blindfolded at a map of the United States and pick a town or city close to where the dart landed. This last turn had been his, the dart landed in Seattle, but Carlisle hand told him he would have to pick a small town. Without even bothering to look he stuck his finger out, waved it around a little, and let it land, right between Port Angles and Forks. Was it, perhaps, a pull that made his finger land here of all places?
Edward shook his head, trying to clear his mind, he was crazy to believe that. It was all just dumb luck. He started walking away from the lake, making his way home when he realized he was closer to Bella's house than his own. Part of him wanted to go to her house while the other wanted to stay far away from her. He didn't have time to battle with himself however, because his sisters thoughts started to invade his mind. He started to curse Alice as soon as he realized it wasn't a vision he was seeing, but through Alice's eyes he was now looking at Bella, really looking at her. He closed his eyes and took in her beautiful, mahogany, hair, her cute button nose, and a small, barely there gorgeous smile. That was until he realized Alice had gone against the family's wishes, snuck into the Swan household and now Bella was starting to question Alice about him and his curse. With a frown and a grumble he was back on the defensive. How the hell did she learn what he could do, he thought. He hoped Alice wouldn't have been so stupid as to reveal his secret without discussing it with him first. Edward made a quick decision in that moment, one he knew would get his little sister out of the house quickly. He decided to go over to the Swan residence, bang on the front door and tell Mr. and Mrs. Swan exactly what his little sister was up to, he thought with an evil smirk only big, annoying brothers can wear.
Go ahead, click review~ I'll a speak peek with you :)