I don't own the characters, but everything else is mine! Thank you all for being patient, if you got your review reply, I apologize for you getting it so close to the update mark but it was just written today. I had a day to myself so most of this chapter was written only today.
** I want everyone to know, I will be out of town this weekend. Because of that, I have decided, instead of trying to pack, get my kids packed finalize schedule, write a decent chapter and have it posted before Friday, I am just going to make you all wait two weeks before I update again. No, I'm not joking, yes I am sorry. But the bright side is, I will hopefully be a week ahead and you wont have to wait as long for previews, and you also, (with an insane amount of luck) wont have to keep dealing with me running behind on updating.
I'm looking for someone to pre read the chapters for me, to give me their honest opinion before I actually publish a new chapter. Not like a beta, but if you do correct something it would be lovely of you to tell me. If anyone is interested in that, please just message me or tell me in your review!
Hope you all enjoy!
Renee had tears running down her face, as Esme's words processed. "But, I….I…I did everything right!" She exclaimed with a shaky voice. "I kept her safe, she never had any contact with those people. With any people!" She said as she stood and started to pace. " I did everything my mother didn't do! YOU!" Renee yelled, pointing a finger at Charlie, "I told you we should have said Bella died of SIDS! That was the flaw, I know it, they would have stopped watching me if we had just said that!"
The Cullen's and Bella looked everywhere but at Renee and Charlie, fidgeting uncomfortably as the listened to her rant.
"No just wait a damn minute Renee! They would have had to know where you were, that you were married and there was a possibility of kids to even be tracking you, this all started long before Bella was even conceived. Don't you dare try to pin this on me not wanting to say such an awful thing about our daughter! They would have kept on watching anyway just incase you had another child, you know that!" Charlie shot back. " No use in blaming and fighting anyway, they know about her, and from the sounds of it, these people don't stop tell they get what they want. So, what the hell do we have to do to keep our family safe?" Charlie finished, turning his head to the left to look at Carlisle and Esme.
"Alice?" Carlisle said. "Have you seen anything regarding the Volturi?"
Alice shook her head solemnly "No."
"Renee, did you live in this area with your mother?" Esme asked.
"No, we lived in Phoenix, after she passed, I moved as far away as I could."
"Who was this friend your mother had."
Renee sneered in disgust as she spat his name out. "Felix."
Esme nodded her head, "That's Demetri's brother, which explains why he's been trailing Bella. Tell me, Renee, have you had any odd dreams, before or after your move to Washington? During your pregnancy or after Bella was born?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, of course I've had nightmares, but nothing out of the realm of normal…..Oh God!" Renee exclaimed, "Felix is a Chameleon! What if he's been to the house!" She screeched.
"A chameleon?" Bella and her father questioned.
"Basically he can disappear, become invisible." Jasper explained.
Edward shook his head. "Cloak or no cloak, I still would have been able to hear him. At least when I've been around he hasn't been there."
Renee narrowed her eyes, "And you've been around what three? Maybe four times?"
"Renee…" Charlie said, "The boy is trying to help." He shot Edward a warning look trying to get the boy to understand he shouldn't say anything more to upset his wife.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so upset! Here I thought I had done everything right!" Renee reasoned, throwing her hands up in the air as she slumped back onto the couch her elbows leaning forward on her knees while her face became buried in her hands.
Esme sat down next to her and rubbed smoothing circles on Renee's back.
"You did what you thought was best, that's all a mother can do. We'll figure out what to do. Together."
Renee looked to her new friend with a grateful smile. Charlie clapped his hands together and rubbed them, "Okay…so what do we do now?"
"We need to figure out, what they know about Bella and if they know that we all know each other. But I have to say, the fact that they waited this long and then suddenly became more aggressive leads me to believe they already know that." Carlisle said.
"What doesn't make any sense, is how Demetri could get into Bella's head, and Ed here can't?" Jasper asked.
"I think we need to call Uncle Eleazar." Alice said. "We are missing a key part to Bella and her talents."
Edward debated for a bit if he should say anything about possibly hearing Bella's voice while she was sleeping. His selfish side said if he told, that would end any chance of late night meetings, but he knew it could be key information to keeping his girl safe.
"Wait, what do you mean talents?" Renee questioned.
"Well, she obviously can move things with her mind, with some more practice, she probably wouldn't even need to use her hands to do it actually. But, that power isn't what is keeping Edward from hearing her thoughts. That plus the odd force field thing that happened to Emmett and Jasper when they snuck up on her…."
"Wait. What force field thing? I already told you, I didn't do anything!" Bella interrupted.
Alice rolled her eyes and sighed exasperated, "Think about it Bella! Edward can't read your mind, Emmett scared you and when he got slightly close, he bounced off of thin air like he had just ran into something, and then later when Jasper and I were coming to get you and Edward the same thing happened to him. It makes sense, you have like a force field thingy around you!"
"Alice, don't be ridiculous. You know very well, people don't have more than one talent. It's unheard of!" Rose scoffed. "Besides, Demetri and Endora were able to get into little Bella's brain, and Edward still can't so that theory just doesn't work."
"That's not true," Edward said quietly. "I think I heard her, last night."
Esme's head whipped quickly to her son, the same time Renee's looked up and stared at him with shock.
"What exactly do you mean Edward?" Carlisle asked, curiously.
Edward let out a loud breath and pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned on his knees. Bella was silently shaking her head, completely unnoticed by Edward, though as he began to explain.
"Bella and I have been meeting, down by the lake on the weekends," He started, earning a groan from Bella who covered her face with her hands. "Normally we just hang out, but last night we fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, and realized how late it was, I tried waking up Bella, I swear I heard her thoughts, they were all jumbled, hard to understand, it was only for a second or two. Then she woke up and everything was silent again, I thought I was just hearing what I wanted to hear, cause not hearing her thoughts is always driving me crazy."
"Let me get this straight….You snuck out of the house?" Esme said, her anger showing brightly in her eyes.
"Yes ma'am"
"How? The alarm's have been set every night!" Esme looked at each of her kids before settling on Alice. "Never mind, I'm sure I already know the answer to that. We will be discussing this later young man! Right now you can explain to me why on earth you two thought it would be a good idea to hang out in the woods all night without anyone knowing!"
"I needed to get away from all of you!" Edward exclaimed at the same time Bella chimed in.
"I just wanted someone to talk to!"
Renee looked forlorn at her daughters comment, Charlie and Carlisle looked sympathetic and understanding, while Esme held strong.
"Be that as it may, Edward, you know the dangers, I've let you go off before, since you can hear if someone is coming, but had I known you two were sneaking off together, doing god knows what and falling asleep so you were both left vulnerable, I would have never condoned it! Bella, honey, I know you're lonely, but that doesn't make sneak out ok. What if one of your parents had woken up! Could you even begin to imagine the sheer terror either would feel?"
Both children look chagrin as they stared at the floor. Bella shook her head.
"I'm sorry." she whispered softly.
"I'm sorry too." Edward said.
"Good, Edward, we will be discussing your punishment later, young man! Now that we have that out of the way, As far as Bella having some other talent, Rose, I don't think its that ridiculous, I've been thinking the same thing, I'm thinking Bella has a shield of some sort, we will have to call Eleazar to be sure." Esme said, looking around her as all the Cullen's nodded their heads.
"Jasper, called Eleazar, ask him if he can get away for a few days.
Alice, Rosalie, please go into the kitchen and grab the lunches in the ours and the Swan's picnic baskets and bring out the lemonade. Edward and Emmett, you two can set the table." Esme ordered.
Emmett, who had, by this point been sitting in an arm chair off in the corner, uncharacteristically quiet, slowly got up and trudged into the dining room, followed by Edward. The girls and Jasper started to scatter and soon, all that was left in the living room was Carlisle, Bella and her parents listening to Esme explain her theory on Bella's powers.
"Emmett…" Edward started sympathetically, having heard his brothers thoughts.
"Save it Ed, I'm not in the mood." Emmett grunted taking out a stack of plates from the china cabinet.
"We all knew there was a possibility she was still with them. No matter how much you and Esme hoped, if she is still with them she's the enemy"
"I don't care about her or him." Emmett said slowly, trying to convince himself more than his brother.
"Clearly you do." Edward replied with annoyance.
Emmett set a plate down hard, breaking it in two. "She left me on a door step, why should I care." He tried to reason.
"I don't know, you tell me. You're awfully angry for someone who should care about trash"
"What if I'm a pawn, what if she planted me here for a reason."
"Definitely a possibility, though a stupid one."
"Why didn't she want me?" Emmett asked, the insecure boy coming out
"You don't know that she didn't." Edward tried to reason. He felt bad for his brother and did not want to voice his true opinion that his parents were selfish self centered vial creatures.
Emmett scoffed and shook his head, "You don't leave your kids if you love them, want them."
"Maybe she thought it was best, maybe somewhere in her little black heart she realized she was wrong, bringing you into their world."
"Maybe my parents are evil spawns of Satan and no matter what I'm doomed to be just like them!"
"Emmett Cullen!" Rosalie gasped, having entered the dining room a second ago. "Don't you dare think for one second you are anything like those two!"
Emmett leaning on the table, gripped the tablecloth and tried to keep his threatening tears at bay, he didn't cry, he was always the happy one. With clenched teeth, he closed his eyes and swallowed, willing his body and mind to calm down, to close off the ugly emotions running through him.
"You have one of the kindest hearts out there, there isn't a malicious bone in your body. You are nothing like those people. We all are thankful that, that bitch dropped you off to Esme. Can you even imagine what those people would have turned your good soul into?" Rose continued.
Emmett understood everything Rose and Edward had been saying, but it didn't stop the internal battle in his mind, it didn't stop the feeling of being trapped between a rock and a stone.
" Even if they are evil. How am I suppose to fight my mother and father? " Emmett's biggest thought accidentally came out, he hadn't meant to think it, but you just can't always control it.
Emmett's thought's stopped Edward from setting the silverware out.
"Esme and Carlisle are your parents Em! Those two, they are nothing, they are the enemy!"
" You think I don't know that? You think I can't see that even after hearing about them trying to trick Bella! But damn it Edward, I came from them, its not so easy to think of them as the enemy." Emmett said quietly.
"The hell it isn't! People like them are greedy, selfish cold hearted bastards that lie, cheat, sill and kill! They killed Rose's parents, killed Bella's grandmother, hell probably killed Esme's parents. They fucking killed my parents!" Edward shot back his voice growing. "They are not your mother and father Emmett! Those people, sitting in the living room, who have been there every damn step of the way! They are your parents, it doesn't matter who gave birth to you, what your DNA tells you! They love you, they will be by your side and god damn it, they have protected you when your sperm donor and incubator wouldn't!" Edward said as he slammed the last fork down and stormed out of the room.
"He's right you know." Rose said, softly resting a hand on Emmett's shoulder.
"Yeah, I know," Emmett grunted, shaking his head. "Doesn't make it any easier though." he finished, before shaking off her hand a closing himself off to the basement.
Esme, Carlisle and the Swans passed Emmett as they entered the dining room.
"Rose? Is everything ok?"
Rose shook her head slightly giving her adopted mother a sympathetic look. "Emmett's pretty torn up about his mom being involved…actually about both of his parents being involved."
"I expected that, we've all been hoping she wasn't associating with them anymore." Esme said sadly. "Maybe I should go talk to him."
Carlisle placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, "Give him sometime to sort his head, we can talk to him after lunch."
"Actually, seeing as how it's after four, it's more like dinner, but a sucky dinner at that!" Alice said too cheerfully as she brought in the sandwich's intended for everyone's picnic.
"Eleazar said he will be here by mid morning, Mom." Jasper said walking into the room.
" Oh good." Esme replied, a hit of a smile on her face as she sat down and turned towards Renee and Charlie. "we have plenty of guest rooms, I would feel so much better, if you could stay over, at least until we talk to our Uncle."
"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose," Charlie started.
To everyone's surprise, at the same time, Renee answered, "That would be wonderful! Thank you!"
"Oh! Bella, this is going to be so much fun! I've never had a real sleep over before! Edward always complained when I would try to set one up!" Alice said, bouncing in her seat, clapping her hands. "We're going to do your nails, makeup and I can finally get my hands on your hair! Oh and you have to try a couple dresses that I have. They're too big for me, I didn't try them on before I got them, but they were just too cute, I couldn't stand to take them back!"
"Jesus Alice! Calm down, you're scaring the poor girl." Rose admonished. "Just ignore her and smile Bella, it works every time." she said, giving Bella an oddly friendly smile.
Charlie cleared his throat and looked around the table, "I don't know about this, you folks have been awfully kind, but…"
"No buts Charlie," Carlisle said raising a hand and cutting his friend off. "I would feel much better knowing that everyone is safe. This house is fully equipped to do ensure that.
Charlie nodded his head as he muttered "it's not the damn Volturi I'm currently worried about." as he sunk his teeth into his sandwich.
After dinner was over Alice and Rose dragged Bella off to Alice's overly bright and busy room, while all the parents decided to stay in the dinning room and play a game of cards to get to know each other better. Jasper decided to go hunt for Edward. While Emmett decided to stay tucked away in the basement, missing dinner, they all knew that the big mammoth couldn't stay away from food for long eventually he would surface, but Edward had stormed out and no one had heard a peep out of him, at least when he is normally brooding, they could here him banging out angry melodies on the piano or guitar.
"Edward!" Jasper yelled after realizing his bedroom door was locked. "Let me in!" He banged on the door when he didn't receive an answer. "I'm not gonna give up until you let me in! I'm going to stand right here and annoy the fuck outta you!"
"Okay, so here is what we have to do!" Alice said giddily as she walked into her bedroom, followed by Bella and Rose. "First, Rose I need to you go get the sleeping bags from the garage, three of them." Alice said as she opened her closet doors, "I'm going to get some outfits put together and Bella, you look through my nail polish over there and pick out a color!"
"Whoa! Wait a second pixie! Why the hell do we need sleeping bags?" Rosalie asked.
"To sleep on the floor. Duh!" Alice replied rolling her eyes.
"You have a bed, I have a bed, there is a bedroom down the hall for Bella, unless she wants to join Edward, that is…"
"But that would totally defeat the purpose of a sleepover!"
"I don't see what is remotely fun about sleeping on the floor when there is a perfectly good bed in the same room."
"Rose, if your going to be a party pooper, than you can go sulk in your room while Bella and I have all the fun!"
"Guys!" Bella finally interrupted after bouncing her head back and forth between the arguing sisters. " Why don't Alice and I sleep on the floor and Rose can take your bed. That why everyone gets what they want?"
"Fine!" they huffed.
"I'll just go get those TWO sleeping bags, then." Rose said smugly as she walked out of the room.
Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Where was Edward at dinner?"
"Hmm?" Alice said looking up. "Oh, he got into a fight with Emmett, I'm sure he's sulking in his room. Jasper went up to go check on him."
Bella bit her lip nervously. "Would you mind if ….never mind."
"You want to go up and check on him?"
Bella nodded her head.
"Sure, but if your not back in half an hour, I'm coming up there to get you!"
Bella laughed and nodded her head. "Sure thing Alice."
"His room is right up the stairs, all the way at the right end of the hallway."
"Thanks." Bella said with a smile as she exited the room.
She was shocked to see Jasper up there pounding on the door, swearing at his brother to open up.
"What's going on Jasper?"
"Maybe you can talk some sense into him. He wont open the fuck up and between his and Emmett's feelings I don't know whether to start bawling or start breaking shit.
"Edward?" Bella knocked, "Will you let me in." When Bella got no response she sighed.
"I'll take care of it Jasper, Our parents are occupied with a few bottles of wine and some cards, I'm sure you could probably go see Alice for a bit without getting caught."
Jasper let out a big smile, "Thanks Bella." He said before heading towards the stairs.
Bella turned back to the door and knocked again, "Edward, if you don't open the door, I'm going to open it myself!"
She waited, counting to ten before sighing and flinging her arm to the side making the door fly open and off the hinges.
"Sorry I broke your door, but you left me…." Bella stopped as she saw Edward kneeling on the floor of his closet, his back to her as his shoulders silently shook. "no choice…..Edward, are you alright?" Bella asked as she knelt down next to him.
Bella said nothing as she looked at him with concern as he looked down a blank expression on his face while tears rolled down his cheek. Finally after several minutes, he finally spoke.
"My Uncle Tony could read people's aura's, he's my biological mom's brother. That's how my parents knew about the Volturi." Edwards said, not looking at Bella but of a box full of old photos. "He was the one that figured out I had a talent. He was also one of the Volturi members. My mom didn't realize how horrible they were at first. We would be around Tony's "co workers" all the time at barbeques and such. I was five or six when Tony took me on an outing, I thought it was so cool that I got to ride in his '67 Catalina. He took me to a bank and pointed to the huge safe behind the counter, one of the employees was opening it. He told me it was a game. He asked me what the man was thinking. I told him the numbers. Afterwards he took me to McDonalds. The next day I remember sitting at the breakfast table and my mom had the news on the little TV that sat in the corner of the counter, I told my mom about how Tony and I had been at the bank, and how we played a game there, I told her everything about that trip. Even though her expression is burned in my mind, I didn't understand at the time, why she looked mortified. I didn't know I had done anything wrong. Well, not until I was much older and my parents had already died. But that was pretty much last time I saw my uncle, or heard him, until right before my mom and dad got in the car that day. I heard him before he even came down the street. He was thinking about how he needed to convince Esme to give me to him, "at least for just this job" My mom had already told me that I was never to go with him or talk to him again. So naturally I ran to her and told her what I had heard. We left everything at the house, jumped in the car before I had even finished telling her he was on the way. As my dad was pulling out of the driveway, Tony pulled up to the front of the house. I can still hear my mom's panicked voice telling my dad to drive quicker."
Bella couldn't help the tears that spilled over as she rubbed soft circles on Edwards back while she rested her head on his shoulder.
"They gave up their lives to save me. Carlisle and Esme made sure, though I'm not sure how, that Tony never got custody of me. Tony is suppose to be my uncle, my family, but I can't think of him as anything other than the enemy. One day, we will meet again, and I'll kill him, without a moments hesitation." Edward said with gritted teeth and conviction. " I just can't for the life of me understand, how Emmett could contemplate anything else!"
Bella thought for a moment or two before she began to speak, "You got to know your parents, you knew they were good people, you had first hand knowledge that your uncle was not a good apple. It's easy to see in that scenario who the good and the bad guys are. But Emmett, he doesn't have that, I think deep down he knows the truth. He just isn't ready to admit that. His whole life, he has had everyone tell him how Demetri manipulated his mother, how she was the victim. He's been able to hold out hope that she was trapped. It's natural for him to want to believe that the people who gave him life, aren't really terrible. He just found out today that his dream of Dora being on the run and one day she'll come back for him, isn't going to happen. Give him some time to process it all." Bella said leaning upwards and placing a gentle kiss on Edward's temple.
"I suppose I owe him an apology…"
"You do."
Edward turned and looked at Bella, lifting his hand to cup her cheek he gave her a chaste kiss. "You broke my door."
"You wouldn't answer."
"I'm sorry, I can quite stubborn and moody sometimes." He apologized give her another kiss, this one slightly longer.
"So can I." Bella replied kissing him back
"This is going to be torture, sleeping here, with you in the same house, but not being able to be near you." Edward replied, their lips never parting.
"Maybe I can sneak up here….if you haven't joined your brothers in the basement yet." Bella teased kissing Edward this time, her mouthing opening just enough for her tongue to escape touching his lips.
"You're dad owns a gun, I'm not sure that would be wise." Edward replied, breaking away from Bella's lips moving to her neck and places light, kisses just below her ear.
Bella moaned as her hand gripped harder onto his shoulder and her torso arched towards him. "There at my house though." She breathed.
" He can still shoot me tomorrow or the day after that."
"He wouldn't have a reason to if you use your damn power and pay attention."
"I can't help it." Edward reasoned, smiling into her neck as his kisses turned more heated with each panted breath. "You are quite the distraction." he replied, nipping at her with his teeth, earning himself a squeal and giggle from Bella.
"Edward! Mom is going to be coming up the stairs, you better not be with Bella still!" Alice hollered in a sing song voice, causing him to groan.
"Of course she is." Edward muttered, a look of annoyance crossing over his face.
"What's the matter?"
"My mom's on her way up. Or she will be very soon, they are finishing up their card game first, you better get down to Alice. I guess, I should probably go apologize to Emmett too."
"What are you going to do about your door?"
"Well, if I apologize well enough, maybe superman will help me fix it." Edward said with a smile. "He doesn't usually stay mad at anyone for too long." Edward stood and reached a hand out to help Bella up.
"Edward." Bella said as they walked out of the room. "What's your Uncle coming here for?"
" Cause he has the most knowledge about the Volturi than anyone else we know. He's also gonna get a reading on what your powers are"
"Oh….how?"
"I'm not sure how he does it exactly, but he's a copy cat, he can sense what people's powers are because he can tap into them, but only if your close range and he has to have touched you before."
"Oh."
"Aunt Carmen, his wife, she grew up in Volterra, escaped after her parents were killed for failing a mission. She died two years ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Edward smiled. "Thank you, but it's alright, she had been sick for awhile, so at least she isn't suffering anymore. But I sure do miss her double chocolate peanut butter fudge brownies." He joked, earning a playful swat from Bella as she giggled. "Well, enjoy your slumber party princess." He said, kissing Bella's knuckles as they stopped by Alice's door.
"Hey, another first for me huh?"
Edward's smile grew wider, "What I'd tell ya? Stick with us, and you'll have a whole lot of first."
"Well it's about time!" Alice said swing the door open and grabbing Bella's arm. "Go to the basement and talk to Emmett, Jasper is already on his way down. And yes, he will fix your door if you don't muck up your apology. Come on Bella! We have things to do and you are way over half an hour!" With that Alice dragged Bella inside and slammed her door, leaving Edward alone in the hallway.
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