Disclaimer: Once again I don't own any of the characters from the series. Also I haven't been using a beta so all errors are mine. Aside from working on this particular story, I have plans on making a prequel of sorts. I'll give a little more info on said prequel in a later chapter. So stay tuned!

Chapter 5 – Enter the Cullens

Jasper Whitlock was a guy many others would envy. He was tall, handsome, and had a good career in his uncle's law firm. The only problem was that he was alone at New Moon nursing a glass of fine brandy at the bar on a Friday night. It was near closing time and Emmett was wiping down the counter as he worked Wednesday nights. As much as he liked hanging out with one of his best friends at a bar, there was something kind of pathetic about the whole thing. He decided to blame Maria Sandoval for it all.

Maria was a beautiful girl he met in his third year of college. He thought he was lucky having a beautiful girlfriend. Emmett and Edward Cullen, his other best friend, was completely convinced he had blinders on. They apparently recognized Maria as the social-climbing leech she is. Looking back on it, Jasper realized they were right. As far back as Jasper could remember, he always gathered people's respect and was able to persuade people to his views. He was very active in student government and other clubs in high school for this reason. Maria probably sensed this unexplainable quality within him when she agreed to go on that first date with him. It also didn't hurt he had impressive connections through his family.

Jasper dealt with nearly five years of jealousy, cheating, and greed in his relationship with Maria. Naturally all those negative things in the relationship came from Maria. Jasper was raised a gentleman and was naturally charming. It was hardly Jasper's fault that women flirted with him even when he mentioned he was seeing someone. Maria regularly accused him of encouraging women to "throw themselves" at him or "giving them a once over." In hindsight, Jasper saw the hypocrisy to her ridiculous accusations when Emmett and Edward had been hinting at rumors about Maria.

It took a lot of self-reflection and catching Maria passionately making out with a coworker at her company's Christmas party for Jasper to realize the truth of the situation. The best present this past Christmas was watching Maria tearfully begging Jasper not to break up with her. Any doubt or guilt he felt about breaking up with her melted like the snow. So now Jasper was sipping his brandy like a pitiful fool. His only consolations to the situation were the brandy's excellent quality and that his best friends were going to hang out with him tonight.

A tall man with a lean build and tousled, coppery locks entered the lounge and walked towards the bar. He took a seat on a stool beside Jasper. "Sorry, I'm late. I had a lot of papers to review before the semester ends in a few weeks," he said.

Jasper waved his hand dismissively. "Nah… you're missing nothing except me trying to drink myself to a stupor. Emmett's just helping the others close up shop." Jasper was appreciative that he was no longer sitting alone at least.

Edward frowned at his blond friend. "I don't get it. You were actually pretty excited the other day. What's happened?"

Jasper sighed and polished off his drink before explaining. "I got a call the other night from my mother."

Edward frowned. "Something wrong with your parents?"

Jasper sighed again. "She was reminding me about their thirtieth anniversary banquet is next month. They're expecting me to have a date, but since Maria…"

Emmett snorted as he emerged from the kitchen area of the restaurant. "And I keep telling him, he's being a total whiner... worrying about getting a date for a party! What are you, man? You back in high school or something?"

Jasper glared at Emmett while Edward tried hard not to laugh at Emmett's antics. "I kind of see why you'd be… down and all. Still doesn't explain why you seemed happy the other night."

Emmett smirked. "It probably had to do with him having a dinner with a table full of babes."

Jasper glared even more before yelling, "Shut the hell up!"

Edward arched an eyebrow. On the one hand, Emmett had a regular habit of over exaggerating to make fun of people. On the other, Jasper always had that unexplainable something that made people feel relaxed around him. This was particularly noticeable with women; though Edward ignored the attention he garnered himself. "What's the real story, Jasper?" Edward said ignoring Emmett.

Jasper rolled his eyes at Emmett before explaining what really happened. "Remember I told you about Mrs. Higginbottam?"

Edward nodded. He hadn't met Mrs. Higginbottam personally, but Jasper and Emmett mentioned her once in a while when they talked. Edward had been doing research work after finishing his undergraduate studies. He spent three years in California, and then another year in England before spending a year in Boston to finish up his Masters degree in Biochemistry. From the way his friends talked about her, he regretted not being in New York before she died. She sounded like she would have been a third grandmother if they had ever met.

"Well, I handled her final affairs and the paperwork involved. She left most of her assets to her only granddaughter, Isabella. She did set aside some money and shares of stock and bonds to Isabella's mother, who is her daughter. Isabella, or rather Bella, has become a friend of mine now. I brought her here for dinner the other night. We ran into Rosalie Hale having a drink at the bar here. But to add to the weirdness of the whole thing, it turned out Bella and Rosalie are cousins!"

Edward chuckled at that. "That is kind of a crazy coincidence. Then again, my parents always told me that things happen for a reason."

Emmett grinned at that. "Yeah! Your Mom and Dad are great like that though it makes life kind of boring… things being preplanned for you."

Jasper smiled a little. "Maybe, but then again it turned out another cousin of theirs was also at New Moon that night. So there I am sitting with Emmett on his break chatting with Bella, Rosalie, Alice, and Jessica."

Edward chuckled, "I'm sure being around lots of girls would make any guy pretty happy."

Emmett grinned widely. "Oh there was one girl in particular he had an eye on. She was tiny, spunky, and a brunette!"

Jasper looked like he was either about to punch Emmett or roll his eyes in exasperation.

Edward couldn't help, but smile at the thought of Jasper with a new girl. "What's she like… this tiny, spunky brunette of yours?"

Jasper sighed a little and gently ran the tip of his index finger on the rim of the glass he had been drinking from. "Alice really is something. She's very bubbly, optimistic, a bit of a dreamer…" He sighed again, but had a tiny smile. "It's just nice talking to her."

Emmett had a more sincere smile at that. "Why don't you ask her out? Movie? Dinner? She sounds like the right girl for you, man. Couldn't hurt to have a night out with her, you know?"

"I…" Jasper paused at that. He cleared his throat and looked at his two best friends who were smiling with encouragement. "I had thought about it. I mean we had lunch the other day since we work near each other. Haven't tried going out to dinner yet, though." Jasper looked more thoughtful after that.

Emmett smirked at Edward. "You know… that girl Bella is probably the one for you."

Edward arched an eyebrow. "Since when are you a matchmaker, Emmett?"

Emmett shrugged. "Bella seems like the kind of girl that suits you. She's smart, cute, and a brunette. Total opposite of that Tanya chick who used to chase after you."

Edward sighed. It had become a bit of a running joke that Tanya Lebedoff, the beautiful graduate student who was a TA during their freshman year in college, constantly chased after him until they graduated. He humored her by going on one date. While it wasn't a bad date, he regretted his moment of pity and weakness. She constantly tried to seduce him with double entendres most of the night. Not long afterwards, Edward had to gently, but firmly tell her that he wasn't interested in a relationship with her. She frowned, but ultimately accepted this. Tanya didn't stop flirting with him though.

Jasper smiled at that. "Funny, I thought the same thing when I met Bella."

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and the clicking of high heeled shoes. "Hello, boys," said a kind voice.

Edward smiled as two people approached the group. "Hi Mom… Dad," Edward said happily.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen was nearly as tall as Edward with pale, blond hair and blue eyes. He was rather tired as he had just gotten off another long shift at the hospital. Esme Cullen was dressed in a black wrap dress that accentuated her figure. She opened her arms for a hug.

"Hi, Doc! Mrs. C!" Emmett called with a cheeky grin.

Carlisle chuckled as he walked over to give Emmett and Jasper a fatherly clap on the back. "How are you boys doing?"

Jasper had a broad grin. "Doing well, sir," he said with his usual politeness.

"You still up for poker tomorrow night?" Emmett asked after receiving an affectionate kiss on the cheek from Esme.

Carlisle accepted a glass of wine that Edward poured from a bottle behind the counter. "Yes I will. I'm taking a three day weekend."

Esme gently ran her fingers through her husband's blond locks. "You really do need the rest dear. You haven't had time off since Christmas." She still sometimes worried about the hours he was working. At the same time, she admired his devotion to helping people.

Carlisle took her other hand and gently kissed it. "Of course, dear. I'll be doing clinic work this summer." Carlisle decided to finally to open a clinic and cut back on emergency room hours. A clinic would certainly be easier hours to deal with.

"I told Angela I'd come along and help her make dinner. Lord only knows I have plenty of experience cooking for a group of hungry men," Esme added amusedly.

Edward started junior high school when he met Emmett McCarty in his new school. They had rather opposite personalities at the time. Edward was friendly and polite, but didn't always talk to people in the gregarious, easy manner that Emmett did. They found some commonality in their expectations from their parents and a mutual love of fast cars. Edward was Carlisle and Esme's only child. Emmett was the oldest of five kids, all boys. Emmett always ended up eating at Edward's house when they had projects to do in school. Jasper was Edward's first roommate in college and they readily became friends. It wasn't long before Jasper became a regular at the Cullen family dinner table.

Emmett whooped. "Excellent! Nothing like cooking by Mrs. C!"

Everyone laughed at that. Esme added, "Angela told me one of her co-workers will come along too. So there'll at least three women cooking."

Edward smiled. "We'll all gladly help out, Mom."

Jasper nodded. "Of course we will. It's the least we can do after all the work you ladies are going to do."

The conversation continued a good half hour before Esme pointed out it was almost 1 AM and that everyone needed their sleep.

Edward Anthony Cullen was the pride and joy for Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Esme Platt Cullen. He also had a huge secret he kept from everyone, including his best friends. It really wasn't just his secret; it was also his parents' secret. It was surprisingly easy to keep from people. The only time things got awkward was when there were questions about Carlisle's family. They would simply state that Dr. Cullen was an orphan in England and he was adopted by his father's American friends from university. Thus far there weren't many people who questioned this nor did anyone doubt this. That is except for Tanya Lebedoff.

Edward agreed to meet Tanya for lunch at her friend's where she promised they would have privacy. Under any other circumstance, he'd refuse knowing what sort of privacy she'd want with him. She assured him it was to his benefit as well as his parents to hear her out. That was how he knew she meant business.

He arrived promptly at 12:30 at Midnight Sun, the cafe that her friends Eleazar and Carmen Solis were nice people the other time he visited the place. The fact that Eleazar was someone who was so well acquainted with his father that he "owed Carlisle a huge favor" convinced Edward of his trustworthiness. After all, Edward knew the sort of people that would owe Carlisle huge favors.

Edward wasn't surprised to see Tanya sitting at the bar nursing a glass in hand. She was practically a co-owner of the place the way she acted. "Am I late?" Edward asked politely as he took a seat by her.

Tanya smiled at him like a cat eyeing a dish of cream. "Edward darling, must you be formal? Aren't we dear friends?"

Edward looked at her seriously. "Don't think you can use your Vila powers on me. Even if my parents didn't already teach me about Vilas, you know perfectly well your pheromones don't work on me."

Tanya pouted at that. "Well I had to try, didn't I? It's rare coming across half-breeds like you."

Edward glared slightly at that. "Must you call me that? Besides, aren't Vila technically 'half-breeds' too?"

Tanya grinned at that. "I suppose, but you have to admit finding half-humans like you are rare. It's not often people like your father would mate with a human. To the best of my knowledge, the last one of your kind to be born before you was thirty-two years earlier. To my disappointment, it was a female too. Imagine the sort of baby born from a Vila mating with such a Halfling," she said with a teasing purr.

Edward rolled his eyes. He never explained the real reason why he never asked Tanya on a second date to anyone. He just told Jasper and Emmett that they only had mutual interest in science in common. Otherwise they were too different in personality and interests to get along. Edward couldn't tell them that Tanya was really a seductive Vila trying to find a potential mate. Unlike Tanya's past boyfriends, Edward was a rare male immune to a Vila's pheromones.

"Was there a point to this meeting other than your attempts to entrap me romantically?" Edward asked as he frowned at her.

Tanya huffed at that. "Oh fine! Be that way!" She downed the rest of her drink before putting her glass down with a thump. "There are some seriously bad rumors going around the community."

"You're going to tell me about rumors?" Edward asked incredulously. He wasn't the sort to listen to rumors of any sort.

Tanya sighed. "There are really serious rumors that aren't likely to be ordinary rumors, Edward. Quite frankly, I wouldn't share this except that you should watch your back."

Edward looked sharply at that. "What do you mean?"

Tanya looked at him more seriously than she ever had. "Edward, there has been increased stories of witch killings," she said.

Edward's eyes widened. "What?!" He stood up quickly and the stool he said on nearly fell over.

Tanya took a deep breath. "There are some very serious rumors going around that someone has been killing witches the past few months. I mean there's always a death or two, but someone has really been going at it against witches. Edward… who ever is doing this is after witches that have noticeably strong powers."

"So are you saying some sort of magical serial killer out there?" Edward furrowed his eyebrows.

Tanya considered what to say next very thoughtfully. "Simply put, Edward, that's precisely what it is. There used to be all sorts that did things like this. Lower level demons and even dark witches kill other magical beings to steal their powers to elevate themselves in the magical food chain."

"You said there used to be beings that did that kind of killing before. What stopped it?" Edward asked curiously.

"Carlisle and Esme have told you about the Andersons, right?" Tanya asked.

Edward paused at that. The name was very familiar, but it was a name he only heard of when he was much younger. "They mentioned there were some powerful witches named Anderson."

Tanya smiled at that. "Well they were three sisters of the Anderson line. I'm sure you're aware that it's not often that humans are born with true magical abilities."

"Of course I know that. I remember Mom telling me there weren't many witches with actual powers. Most just practice the old traditions and rituals." Edward did know that. It was part of his secret: Esme was a world class interior designer and a practitioner of old wiccan traditions. Many of the things Edward knew about the magical world came from his beloved mother.

Tanya seemed amused that there was actually a bit about the magical world that Edward didn't seem to know a lot about. "The Andersons are one of the few family lines that possess actual powers. The magical world is aware of this family for centuries! After all, it is rare for humans to possess abilities like they do. These three Anderson sisters are particularly powerful and feared in the magical world."

Edward was surprised at that. "Feared? They were that powerful?" Humans weren't remotely feared in the magical community. Only those who truly hated humans would bother with them. Most magical beings avoid humans as much as possible.

"They had even the Volturi on their guard!" she said with an amused laugh.

If Edward wasn't surprised before he was just about floored. "The Volturi?! That's just… but if they are that powerful, why aren't they part of the Volturi?"

Tanya looked thoughtful at that. "That's the question everyone wants to know. They're perfect recruitment material for the Volturi. That or potential threats to their own power."

"So then what happened?"

Tanya shrugged. "No one is completely sure how they managed it, but the sisters not only stayed out of the Volturi's clutches, but they had anything threatening humanity either dead or staying far away from the human world as much as possible for the past fifty-odd years. No one really knows how they got the Volturi to leave them alone, but there are theories and rumors of course."

"What is the most likely thing to you though? Have you ever met them?"

Tanya scowled slightly at that gentle jab at her age. Since she was a Vila, she was far older than her appearance would suggest. Edward joked about how he wasn't into dating "cougars" as one of his reasons for not being interested in her.

"No, I never met them though their reputations definitely preceded them. As for how they got the Volturi to leave them alone, there's only two likely reasons: they have something on the Volturi or they have friends that can trump the Volturi."

Edward couldn't help but stare at Tanya disbelievingly. "How would that be possible? What kind of knowledge or friends could three witches possibly have that would tip things in their favor like that?"

Tanya sighed again. "That's what no one really knows. The Anderson sisters never spoke about it. The Volturi most certainly wouldn't reveal what happened."

"Of course not," thought Edward amused at the scenario. Why would the most dominant collective of magical beings admit there could be any force out there that could compare to them much less pose a threat to their position in the magical world?

"Does Eleazar know about any of this back story?" Edward asked.

"No, he was no longer part of the Volturi's service when this happened you know. At any rate, if he did know, I highly doubt the Volturi would let him leave knowing that secret," Tanya pointed out.

That much was true. The Volturi did let members of their Guard leave occasionally, but those with too much insider knowledge were either forced to remain or disposed or rather than allow the great secrets of the Volturi get out amongst the general public. It was the many reasons why Edward was to avoid getting their attention as his parents frequently told him. HIs unique parentage alone made him an object of curiosity. He was as an individual precisely the sort of individual the Volturi would want as a "recruit" to the Guard.

"What happened to these Anderson sisters?"

Tanya frowned at that. "They're dead now, Edward. The last sister died just a few months ago."

"What?" Edward couldn't help, but feel disappointed at that.

"Well they have had their reputation for decades, you know. The Anderson sisters are dead. Though I've been told the Anderson blood line is very much alive. They had children and well probably grandchildren given their ages when they died. I am surprised the Volturi haven't tried to locate those descendents. If anything those witches should be the ones keeping an eye for this serial killed," Tanya said thoughtfully.

It seemed that when Edward didn't have college classes to teach, or family and friends to bond with, he had some witches to locate.

AN: I really do appreciate it if you guys would leave reviews. Alas, I miss the old days when I got feedback and stuff so I know people actually want to read my stories really. Any guesses on what will happen next?