The next morning, Emmett made sure Bella was still asleep before he went downstairs.
Once Rosalie managed to get Bella in the house, his sister spent the rest of the night reciting Latin poetry before falling asleep. Emmett took off Bella's shoes while Rosalie placed her under the covers. Rosalie hovered by the bed for a moment, hesitation written on her face, and she eventually told him that she needed to hunt and left for Port Angeles. Rosalie rarely hunted by herself, but when she did, it was her way of telling him she needed time alone. Emmett understood that it went beyond Bella, so he sat down in the chair near the window.
That was six hours ago. And while Rosalie hadn't returned, Emmett knew that she would.
But there something weighed on his mind, and Emmett knew he would have to apologize to Esme for his actions. Not necessarily about Carlisle, but Alice, Jasper, and Esme didn't deserve his anger or fear. He'd always been slow to reveal anything about his personal life. Even when he was at the castle with the Volturi, Emmett spoke only when spoken to and answered basic questions with basic responses. Aro saw what Emmett wanted him to see, but Emmett knew the older vampire was curious.
Too curious.
But he never said anything nor tried to pry the answers from Emmett. It was a small miracle. Still, Carlisle's comments held some truth. Emmett learned a lot being with the Cullens, and those types of experiences were invaluable. Which was why he needed to speak to Charlie. He hadn't realized he'd stopped at the bottom of the stairs until Charlie cleared his throat from the kitchen table.
"You good?" he asked.
"Do you have time to talk?"
"I'm the Chief. I can be as late as I want to," Charlie joked. "Come and sit down."
Emmett gave him a genuine smile before he sat across from him.
"May I say something?"
Emmett nodded, a little relieved he didn't have to go first, and Charlie wrapped his hands around his coffee mug.
"I didn't take Bella in for any ulterior motive. When she landed in my backyard, she was in this weird dress and staring at the sky with tears in her eyes. There was smoke coming off her skin, and I admit I pulled my gun on her. Why wouldn't I? But then Bella looked at me, and I saw it. I saw the fear, pain, and grief written on her face. She was so lost, and I knew that if I ever had a daughter in a situation like that, I would hope someone would show her kindness and hospitality. But that's not my point. My point is that I've always known that one day, Bella would leave. I accepted that she would inevitably find her family and go back to where she came from. But I want you to know that Bella means the world to me. So, I'll help in any way that I can to get you guys back to your family. I wanted you to know that I've grown to love your sister as if she were my daughter. I'll miss her, but her happiness comes first."
Charlie refused to look at Emmett afterward and sipped his coffee. Emmett took a second to gather his response. He settled on the truth.
"I was angry when I saw you at the party," Emmett said.
"Because I look like your father?"
"Yes. When he died, a part of me died with him, and I had to get used to a life where he wasn't in it." Emmett traced one of the scratch marks on the table. "So, when I saw you acting as Bella's father, I got angry. Not necessarily at you, but at life in general. But then I saw you two interacting with one another. I saw how you knew what to say, what to do, and how to do it. Bella has always been an enigma and a challenge. She's hard to navigate at times, but you did it as if you'd been doing it your whole life. My anger turned to regret because how could I be mad at the man who saved my sister from being in this new and unknown world alone? So I came down here to thank you for stepping in and keeping her safe. Bella is my heart, and to know that she is alive because of you means more to me than you think."
Emmett held out his hand.
"If you need me, regardless of where I am, I will be there. I am forever in your debt," he said.
Charlie grabbed Emmett's hand and shook it.
"Thank you. Your father would be proud of you. I know I would if I were him."
Emmett's vision blurred from tears that would never fall, and Charlie stood up.
"I should be back by seven," he said. "Tell Bella if things change or something happens to call."
"Yes, sir."
Charlie gave him a salute before he put his mug in the sink and walked out of the door. Emmett remained in the kitchen for a second, listening to the cruiser until he couldn't anymore, and he looked over his shoulder when the back door opened. Rosalie poked her head into the house. Emmett noticed that she was wearing a completely different outfit, and he frowned.
"Can you come outside for a second?"
Emmett got up and went outside to find Jasper by the trees. Rosalie hovered behind Emmett with half her body turned toward the upstairs window. Emmett stopped a few feet away from Jasper, wary.
"You here to yell at me?"
"No," Jasper said. "Alice took me for a hunt before the sun rose this morning. She told me I needed to be in Port Angeles by a certain time in the alleyway between the coffee shop and the records store. She then handed me one of Rosalie's old dresses and sent me on my way. I went to where she told me to go and realized why she'd been so secretive." Jasper shoved his hands into his pockets. "Alice and I have always known that you two feed off humans. She saw it long before you decided to do it. And we've been keeping your feeding habits a secret as long as I've been hiding the truth about your relationship. After last night, some of us felt as if things went wrong before we could talk it out. So that's why we're here. Just to talk."
Esme and Alice exited the trees behind him, and Emmett glanced at Rosalie, whose expression told him she would follow his decision.
Bella groaned when Emmett gently woke her. She didn't have a hangover, but she regretted the wine she drank. He tucked hair behind her ear and left his hand on her cheek long enough for her to know he was feeling uncertain and wary.
"What did you do?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep.
"The Cullens are downstairs. Well, most of them at least."
"For what reasons?"
"They want to talk and get things straight, and I said I needed to check with you first."
"Do you want to tell them the truth?"
"This group, yes. I do."
"Why?" she asked curiously.
Emmett thought about the people downstairs, about what Charlie said earlier, and he said, "Bella, I have been here since 1935, and I have been with the Cullens since 1937. Since then, they have let me exist with them, and they have treated me like I was family. Carlisle and Esme, while they have not been perfect, have done more for me than I appreciated in the past. The truth is, I was afraid to let them in more than I already had. I had no chance to make peace with what happened back home before I was thrust into another life. I was suddenly an immortal creature who was so far away from home with no knowledge of what happened after I was gone. I was angry, scared, and lost. But I have been keeping this secret for a little over seventy years, and it is not fair of me to keep it any longer. Especially now that you are here."
Bella sat up against her headboard and closed her eyes, resting her head back against the wood.
"I owe you a huge apology."
"You have not done anything."
"That's my point." Bella opened her eyes and made a gesture toward the door. "Seeing you last night opened old wounds that I never let heal, and I know it's no excuse, but there was so much happening last night. It felt like I'd been backed into a corner, and I reacted poorly. So I shut down on you, and that wasn't fair. Not after everything we've been through. And while I'm curious about how you became a vampire, it never occurred to me that you could've been here for a lot longer than I have. It wasn't fair to make things difficult for you just because I'm scared. I'm so scared, Em. I've done a great job of pretending like I'm okay over the last five years, but it's been hell. And now that I know you've been here for nearly seventy years, I - fuck. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Emmett leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
"Hey, we will find them. We will make things right," Emmett said.
"But what if they're gone? What if we're the only ones left?"
"Then we adjust," he sighed. "But we owe it to them to try. And it does not hurt to expand our group a little. We need as much help as we can get, and you do not know the connections they might have."
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Yes, fine. I trust you."
Emmett smiled, and Bella sniffed and reached over to her nightstand. She removed her ring from a small box and slipped it on her finger. Emmett reached under his shirt and took his ring off the chain, sliding it on his thumb. He held out his hand, and Bella held out hers. They grabbed hold, and the rings started glowing a soft gold.
"In faith and loyalty, our blood runs true," Bella said.
"And in honor and love, our bond will never falter," Emmett finished.
When they finished, Bella kissed Emmett's ring, and he kissed hers. The glowing stopped, and Bella rested her head on Emmett's chest.
"I do need to shower and change clothes before we do anything."
"Yeah, you do smell a little."
"Hey!"
"Vampire senses, remember?" he teased.
"Get out!"
Emmett went downstairs and paused when Esme got off the couch. She had his bracelet in her hand, and she seemed to take a deep breath before she walked up to him.
"You have always been a mystery," she said. "I knew from the moment we met that there was something different about you. I assumed it was because you were quiet, but that wasn't always the case, was it?"
Emmett shook his head no, and Esme nodded to herself. She held out the bracelet to him.
"This is not me asking you to come back to the coven," she said. "This is me saying that no matter what you tell us, I will always care about you. Carlisle can be stubborn. A man from his time is made up of more pride than understanding, but I have grown to love you over the years. Emmett, you've made me laugh more than most of my children, and that's a heavy feat. I've been proud of you every time you've come home with a new degree or a new hobby. Yes, I want you to have the bracelet because I'm selfish and never want you to stop being my son. But whatever happens in the future, you and Rosalie will always have a place to return to. Always. I -
Emmett hugged Esme, cutting off her rambling, and she hugged him back just as fiercely. He released her and took the bracelet, putting it back on his wrist. Esme let out a sigh of relief, and Emmett laughed.
"Were you afraid I would turn you down?" he asked.
"Alice couldn't see your response," Esme admitted. "So I was walking in blind."
Emmett grinned and threw his arm over her shoulder. He directed her back to the living room, where Rosalie flipped through an online catalog with Alice on Rosalie's phone. Jasper had one of Charlie's sports magazines in hand, and Emmett released Esme. She squeezed his arm before going over to Rosalie. Emmett noticed the necklace hidden under Rosalie's dress, and he smiled when she caught him staring. The door opened upstairs, and everyone heard Bella coming down the stairs. Emmett snuck over to the side and crouched low. When Bella hit the last step, he jumped out.
"Boo!"
"Motherfucker –
Bella lost her footing and fell forward. Her hands shot out, and she stopped centimeters before hitting the floor. Orange wisps of magic floated around her to keep her upright, and she glared up at Emmett.
"That wasn't funny when we were younger, and it isn't funny now!"
"I disagree."
Bella waved her hands, and she floated back into an upright position. She turned to the Cullens, and they were each staring at her in shock.
"Oh, right. I have magic," she said. "Well, I have unnatural abilities. There's still a gray area on whether it's magic or not. It depends on whom you ask."
"She is also my sister," Emmett said.
"He's adopted."
Emmett flicked her on the ear, and she stuck out her tongue. Alice practically vibrated off of the couch in her excitement.
"May I ask how that's possible?" Esme said.
"I guess that's the best segue into everything," Bella murmured.
Emmett tugged Bella over to the couch and put her next to Rosalie. He sat on the opposite side and leaned forward onto his knees.
"My birth name is Emmett McCarty, but my story is a little different. When I was four, my home caught fire. One moment, I am in the front yard playing with sticks, and the next, my Dad is running past me into the house. The fire burned and burned and burned until there was nothing left. I was still on the ground, crying, and that is when the Queen found me. I-
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you say the Queen?" Alice asked. "Like of England?"
"Oh, no. No, uh, Bella and I aren't from here."
"And by here, my brother means we aren't from this realm," Bella added.
Rosalie was the only one who didn't look confused.
"I think we might need a bit more information," Alice said.
"The short of the story is I jumped into a portal to save our other sister. Something went wrong, and we were separated. I landed in Tennessee at the worst possible moment and got attacked by a bear. The rest you know."
Not even Alice had a response to that, and Bella snorted.
"I think you broke them," she said.
"Can we start over, please?" Esme asked.
"Yeah, like who is this Queen you're referring to?" Alice asked.
"Um."
"Yeah, Emmett, who's this Queen?" Rosalie teased.
"Do you remember the story of Snow White?" Emmett asked. "Specifically, the Evil Queen?"
"I was wondering why you would say that to me," Alice said, holding up her phone. "It says here that the Evil Queen, formerly known as Regina Mills, was a lowly peasant girl before she found herself married to King Leopold of the White Kingdom. King Leopold had a daughter, Snow White, known for her beauty and innocence. Something that Regina envied. When Snow turned eighteen, Regina hired the huntsman to cut out Snow White's heart. The huntsman was captivated by Snow White's beauty and allowed her to escape. He brought a pig's heart to the Queen instead. Snow-
"Nope, stop," Emmett said. "That is a bunch of bullshit."
"Heavy on the shit part," Bella added. "First, our mother was not jealous of Snow White. That spoiled brat was a nuisance and an emotionally manipulative fucker who wore pastel dresses everywhere and spoke with this high-pitched, nasally voice."
"Sounds like you had a high opinion of her," Rosalie said.
"I know we had a moment last night, but your sarcasm is not appreciated."
"We did not have a moment," Rosalie argued.
"You almost kissed me!"
"Hold on, what?" Emmett said. "When was this?"
"When they were alone in the kitchen," Alice said. "Edward moved before I could stop him."
"Hold on, we were going to kiss?" Rosalie asked.
"And what do you mean you saw it happen?" Bella added.
Esme cleared her throat and got everyone's attention.
"Can we table that conversation until we get a handle on the one we started? For example, I would like to know how Emmett and Bella are saying they grew up with a Disney Princess and a popular Disney villain. You're saying the Evil Queen was your mother?"
"We don't like it when people call her that," Bella said. "But yes."
"And in our world, the characters you think are fake were real to us. Disney does not even exist where we are from. Neither does indoor plumbing, cars, guns, and other things that you guys are used to. We were in what you called the Middle Ages. There were kings, queens, pirates, and magic. Everything that you see as a fairytale was the reality for us and coming here was more than an adjustment. It was like taking a lion to the top of a mountain and pushing it from the cliff, telling it that it needed to fly if it wanted to survive."
"Not to mention that vampires don't exist where we're from, but our cousin Red is a werewolf. So the idea of it isn't too far off, but they weren't a thing."
"Red? As in Red Riding Hood?" Alice asked.
"Yep. Fun fact, Red is not her real name. Her name is Ruby, and she comes from a long line of werewolves. So, technically, she is the wolf in that story."
Alice looked at Jasper, who frowned and nodded.
"They're telling the truth," he said. "There is no deception in them at all."
"Emmett doesn't lie," Rosalie said dryly. "He may not tell you everything, but he doesn't lie."
"I don't talk enough to lie," Bella added.
"So, you have another sister?" Alice asked. "Or are you the one Emmett tried to save?"
Bella shifted and folded her arms.
"No, we have a younger sister named Kieran. She was thrown into a separate portal first."
"And you don't know where she is?"
"No," Bella said flatly.
Getting the hint to change the subject, Esme jumped in and asked, "When did you get here?"
"Five years ago," Bella said. "I landed in Charlie's backyard, he put a gun to my head, and I explained everything. Charlie didn't believe me until I gave him proof. Then he sent me to his friend in London. I ended up spending the last three years over there, and I – well. I lived a life."
"Is that what Charlie meant last night about you and girls who wanted to eat you?" Rosalie asked.
"Okay, in my defense, Andrea Rojas is a-
"Pimp," Alice deadpanned. "She's a pimp."
"Escort Services Expert," Bella corrected. "And how do you even know that?"
"I used to be one of her girls," Alice said, shrugging. "Jasper and I had a thing."
"A thing?"
"Yes, a thing."
Esme looked like she wished she was anywhere else, and Rosalie stared at the side of Bella's head with an unreadable expression. Bella pretended not to notice.
"This is a lot to take in," Alice said.
"Yeah, I know. When I created the Multiverse Theory, I had no idea-
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rosalie said. "What do you mean when you created the Multiverse Theory?"
"I mean, I created it? I'm the literal evidence for the existence of multiple universes that operate on a similar or identical time frame, and I theorized it with a tenured physicist who got it copyrighted."
Alice, Esme, and Jasper decided to let the conversation unfold without interrupting. Emmett looked between Rosalie and Bella in amusement.
"You created the Multiverse Theory," Rosalie repeated.
"Multirealm Theory sounded odd," Bella said.
"What the actual fuck?"
"Okay, I'm not sure why you're upset with me," Bella said slowly.
"I've been researching various theories to try and get Emmett back to your realm. I have a degree in physics, astronomy, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, and even chemistry! Yet you show up, walk up to some tenured professor, and copyright a theory I've been working to construct for decades!"
Bella hesitated, and she said, "Would it help if I told you the professor was a friend of Charlie's? It wasn't intentional, but I spent the last couple of years with him. His name's Harrison Wells, and I-
"Oh my god!" Rosalie exclaimed.
"What did I do now?" Bella whined.
Emmett finally caught on, and he snorted.
"Bella, did you write a paper with this Harrison Wells guy?" he asked.
"He wrote the material, but I was a consultant. Why?"
Rosalie sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, and Jasper shook his head.
"What was the most recent paper?" Emmett asked.
"It was about the possibility of an interdimensional transportation device."
"That's why she's upset. She found it a few days ago," Emmett explained.
Bella frowned at Rosalie. "How? It was purposely posted on a website meant for people to speculate on obscure scientific hypotheses and theories. Nothing was supposed to come from it."
Rosalie shifted and said, "As the site's creator, I must approve all papers and proposals. Someone found it and sent it to my email."
Bella blinked.
"You created ?" she asked.
"I was bored," Rosalie argued. "And I wanted to help Emmett get home. I thought if I started a dialogue and created a place for other like-minded individuals- why are you looking at me like that?"
"How is it possible for you to get even hotter?"
"You might be a little biased."
"Maybe, but that doesn't make it any less true."
"Before you have another moment, have you figured out how to make the device?" Emmett asked.
"Harrison kicked me out of the lab because I freed one of his monkeys, so I haven't been able to get my hands on the technology. I told him the monkey was a mother who wanted to get back to her children."
Emmett turned to Alice before she could ask and said, "Bella can talk to animals."
Alice made an 'oh' face and put her hand down.
"I do think the device is going to help us find Kieran, though," Bella said. "Once I make it."
"How? We don't know where she is."
"Our powers are connected, remember? Once I build the device, I can track Kieran by her magic and use mine as the power source!"
"Bella, when you say shit like that, I get scared."
"Why? I haven't done anything destructive since I burned down that chapel."
"I can't tell if she's kidding or not," Alice whispered to Jasper.
"She is not," Emmett said.
That night, Rosalie slipped away from the house while the others got to know Charlie better. She ran as fast as she could, pushing herself until she skidded to a stop. Before her, there was nothing but an expanse of trees. She didn't even need oxygen, but she felt like she could breathe.
And then she felt someone staring at her and turned around. Bella materialized from the trees and stopped a few feet away. She shoved her hands into her pockets and tilted her head as she stared at Rosalie. Bella then asked the one question Rosalie wasn't sure she was ready to answer.
"What's a mate?"