Carlisle and Esme left for their final week in Juneau before our move to Forks. I did not want to follow our usual trend and go back to high school with so many humans. I did not tolerate boredom well. But like I had been told before, the younger we start out in a place the longer we could stay.
On the day of our departure I loaded up the widgeon with some clothes and things that reminded me of pleasant times. I was going to fly and everyone else was going to drive their favorite car.
It took me a few days to reach Forks but I was the first to get there. I flew over the house and it looked untouched. I did a wide arc around the mountains and over the water. The sun came out and glittered on my skin. Something on the ground glittered too. Then I saw her. Her flaming hair and feline posture brought my human memories to the surface. I remembered her torturing me in the forest. My last human memories were of her. Victoria was alive.
I landed the plane in the nearest lake ran toward where I had seen her. I knew she had a head start if she had seen me. But there was a chance she hadn't. I ran until I smelled the wolves. Then I remembered my promise to the pack. I stopped as I heard the padding of giant paws coming at me from the east. I was potentially in trouble all alone against a pack of vampire hating wolf men.
A large russet wolf was at the head of a V shaped formation emerging from the trees. I recognized that wolf. It was Jacob Black. Jacob barked and the wolves were silent.
"Hello Jacob." I decided confidence was my best option.
"I came to talk."
Jacob faded into the woods and came out a few seconds later wearing black shorts in his human form.
"Bella. What the hell are you doing here?"
"I am with the Cullens now. We are moving back to Forks."
"You promised never to come back here Bella."
"I cannot leave my family. I have never killed a human in ninety years. I pose no threat to you."
"I'll talk to the council about it."
"Thank you."
"Sure, sure."
"You have an unwelcome visitor, other than me." I clarified. "Victoria is back. I just saw her."
"We know. She comes back every ten years. I can only assume she is still looking for you."
I hissed and the memories of her torture were in front of my eyes.
"We'll get her this time."
"She's mine!" I growled.
"Stick to your side of the line Bells." I saw the pain in his eyes when he looked at me. Edward was right he had loved me.
"I thought you killed her when she attacked me. What is she doing alive Jacob?" I was speaking like I used to when I was irritated with him. "And why the hell didn't you tell Edward I was alive?!" I yelled. "You could have saved me fifty years of a lonely, nomadic, existence!"
"I'm sorry about that."
"Sorry! That's all you've got! Sorry!."
"Cool it Bella jeeze."
"Why is she still alive?"
"We chased her off of you but she took off into the ocean and we didn't see her for another ten years."
"Nice work Jacob, Damnit! What are you good for?" The wolves all growled and snapped.
"Hey I saved your life remember!"
"Sorry." I had my hands on my hips glaring up at him.
"Are you alright Bells? Are you happy?"
"I am now. I was miserable my first fifty years." I said pointedly. "And you? Are you happy?" He shook his head.
"No."
"I'm
sorry Jake."
"Don't worry about it. We have to go. We need to patrol for Victoria."
"Goodbye."
"Bye Bella."
I watched them fade into the forest and ran back to my plane. My senses were on red alert, waiting for Victoria to come for me. I wasn't afraid. I was strong this time. She would die if I got close enough. An evil smile played across my lips as I took off from the mountain lake and touched down on the meadow by the house. I set about making tie downs for my plane and thought about Jacob and what I'd seen.
I heard a car coming up the lane fast. It was Edward. He saw the dark expression on my face and concern filled his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Victoria is alive. I saw her on the mountain. Jacob says that she comes back every ten years looking for me." Edward growled.
"I won't let her get near you."
"No Edward. I'm going to be the one to kill her. I owe her that."
"It's too dangerous. She might kill you."
"I can take care of myself Edward. I managed to stay alive for fifty years without your help, remember."
"I can't bear it if you die again. Please be careful for me."
"I'll be careful but I'm going to kill her."
We went inside and everything was as I remembered it. Edward started tuning the piano and I stood looking out the back wall of windows still as a statue. I was picturing how I was going to kill her. Edward guessed as much.
"Don't think about it love. Please." I was silent as I remembered my final human moments.
Victoria had broken my bones one at a time. I remembered screaming and her throwing me against a tree. I had hit my head and become unconscious until she bit me. After the bite I was all too aware of everything. I was especially aware of the pain. I had screamed as the fire tore through me. She had watched me writhe in agony. I remembered her sadistic smile as she bent over me to kill me.
Then the wolves had come and run her off. Jacob had stayed behind and become human. I remembered his voice full of horror as he saw me.
"Bella! No!." I had lay still trying not to scream.
"She bit her Jake!" It was another voice.
"Oh Shit! Don't do this to me! Bella please come back!"
All I remembered after that was pain, the fire and Jacob crying. When my heart had finally stopped I opened my eyes and saw Jacob sitting near me in his wolf form. He was protecting me from his pack.
I sprang up into a crouch ready to defend myself and Jake had looked at me with tears rolling into his fur. He turned human long enough to tell me that I was never to return to Forks. He had hugged my new marble body and run off after his pack into the forest.
"Bella? Hello?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"You were growling at me."
"Oh, sorry Edward."
"What were you thinking about?"
"My last human memories."
"Oh."
I had never described the grizzly details of my last moments. I was trying to spare him the guilt I knew it would cause. There was nothing he could do about it now.
"You never told me what happened to you."
"It's not important now."
"Alright."
I put my arms around Edward and put my head against his shoulder. Not only was I strong now, Edward was strong beside me. Victoria was going to die soon. That thought made me smile.
I heard another car coming up the lane too quickly for a human. It was Alice and Jasper. Alice looked worried.
"Alice what happened?" Anything that worried Alice worried me.
"Nothing yet."
"What then?" Edward made a face as he read her thoughts.
"We won't let it happen." He said fiercely.
"Damnit! Somebody tell me what is going on!" I was at a much higher volume than was completely necessary.
"She saw you in a basement full of newborn vampires."
"What is so terrifying about that? I'm not a fragile human anymore. Or have you not noticed?"
"I just can't imagine you fighting love."
"You forget, dearest, that I am dangerous. I can make them stand still while I build the fire and then make them walk on into it."
"You are dangerous love. I always forget."
"Victoria is not dead. I saw her in the mountains today." Alice hissed a the news.
"Cool and collected Alice. I'll kill her soon enough."
"I wish you wouldn't try love."
"Evil vampires are not the only ones interested in revenge Edward." I snapped. "I owe her an unpleasant death." I smiled grimly.
"Let's not think about it now." Edward tried to soothe me.
"I need some fresh air." I left the house alone and for once was glad of it.
I ran toward Forks through the trees. I found Charlie's little house and heard a family inside, a man, a woman, and a baby. That was how my life had started as well. I hoped for the baby's sake that it's parents would stay together and that the world of myths and monsters would never catch up to them.
Next I ran to the cemetery. I found Charlie's grave and knelt down in front of it. I sat there for a very long time. I remembered how happy he had been when I had come to Forks. I remembered cooking him dinner and the way he never hovered. It was tragic that he had outlived his only child.
"I love you Dad." I hoped he heard me.
"He loved you very much." Edward came and stood beside me.
"He had serious thoughts about shooting me when I showed up to your funeral. I don't blame him. What I did was inexcusable." Edward was sad.
As much as I wanted to tell him that he was blameless, I couldn't. He professed eternal love for me and made me love him. Then he had left me alone to deal with the aftermath. I still felt a twinge of anger and sadness when I thought about the fifty-one years after he left me.
I had roamed all over the world all alone. Of course I had run into other vampires, and not all of them friendly. I had learned to fight in Mexico during the second outbreak of the coven wars of the south. I had joined a coven of two men, a tall red haired brute name Nathan, and a smaller yet more beautiful Darius.
I had stuck to my vegetarian lifestyle and Darius even tried to hunt with me for a while. I knew he wanted me for his mate, but I was just with them for some excitement in my boring life. I didn't really care if I was killed either. I was fearless. I learned everything Nathan and Darius had to teach me. After the excitement faded I had commanded them both to forget me and moved on. The Volturie had come not long after my departure.
Edward kissed my neck and I was brought back to the much more enjoyable present. We stood and, after a last glance at my Father's grave, we ran home. Everyone had arrived by the time we returned. The news station was on in the background and it caught my attention.
"Three people were found murdered today in an alley by a city garbage employee. This is a total of five casualties in a string of homicides in this part of Seattle. And when we come back; what is up with Lindsey Lohan? This is channel six news Seattle."
I turned on one of the computers against the wall and searched the Seattle news sites for more information. My stomach sunk with each article I read.
"Edward."
"Yes love."
"We have a problem."
"What?"
"Someone is creating newborns in Seattle."
"What? How do you know?"
"The news, weren't you listening?"
"Apparently not."
"Three people were found in an alley this morning in Seattle. There have been five murders so far in the same fashion. The unlikely disappearances, always at night, the badly disposed of corpses, the lack of evidence all point to uncontrolled newborns."
"We'll ask Jasper about it."
"I was in the second outbreak of the southern wars Edward. This is newborn behavior. Obviously and inexperienced vampire is creating them.
"Bella, please don't go looking for a fight." He looked at me. "There is so much I don't know about you."
"Yes there is Edward." He was hurt.
"I'll never know if you refuse to tell me."
"I don't like to dell on the past."
"What happened? You used to tell me everything Bella. Now you withhold things from me. If you can't trust your husband then who can you trust?"
"Those you love are capable of doing the most damage." He knew what I meant.
I meant that I had loved him exceedingly and trusted him implicitly and then he had left. He had done more damage than I thought possible. Could he blame me for waiting in fear of the day he told me that he didn't want me again. I was aware that his greatest regret was that he had left me. Especially after he thought I was dead. I knew he was never going to forgive himself. Yet still I waited in fear.
"You are right." Edward sighed.
"I know." I took his hand to show him that I loved him anyway.
He kissed my forehead and smiled a weak smile.
School started the next day but I didn't go. I knew that I put every child there in danger with Victoria hunting me. So I spent my days learning languages and flying my plane. I dearly wanted to investigate my theory about the newborns in Seattle, but I knew Edward would have a fit. Still I was sure that some amateur was creating newborns and releasing them onto the streets of Seattle. There were more deaths growing more and more frequent.
Finally after two weeks I took the Volvo and floored it all the way to Seattle with the headlights off. Edward and Alice were off hunting. I knew what part of town the murders were happening in and I went there. I parked in front of a bar and struck out from there. I was wearing nondescript jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt with black converse sneakers.
I passed three drunken men and one of them stopped in front of me.
"Hey there baby. Why don't you come party with us?" He grabbed my cold hand. "Wow you're freezing sweet cheeks."
"You need someone to teach you your manners young man."
"I'm older than you sugar."
"Doubtful."
"How old are you?"
"eighteen going on 109."
"What?"
I had had enough. I was on a mission with who knew how many more minutes to spare before Edward came looking. I grabbed his hand with more force than any girl could possess and he stopped talking for a second.
"You hate alcohol, you are respectful toward women, and you bathe regularly." My voice was silky smooth and oily.
The man let go of me and backed away shaking is head.
"I'm sorry miss. I'll watch where I'm going next time."
"That's quite alright." I smirked.
Edward didn't even know that my talent could extend to changing people and their behavior forever. He wouldn't approve. It felt good to use my mental muscles. I had been keeping my talent under wraps for so long around my family. I felt powerful.
I walked at a brisk human pace for a few blocks. I came across a vampire scent and followed it. The scent led me to an industrial building that was slowly crumbling with age. I followed the scent toward the basement doors.
I started to realize where I was going. I was headed straight into Alice's vision. But I didn't want to stop. I deliberated for a few seconds until I heard something on the other side of the door. I jumped and climbed the crumbling brick wall.
The door opened and two vampires came out. They were dressed in the same tattered clothes that they had been changed in by the looks of it. They were beautiful of course but it looked like they had lived on the streets. Someone was changing homeless people into vampires, people that no one would miss.
I followed them on the rooftops silently. They were walking too fast and the humans were bound to notice. Their eyes were bright red. They were obviously inexperienced since they never picked up my scent in the street. They were hunting.
I saw an old man in the distance and swore under my breath. He was going to be dinner. I ran on the rooftops and jumped down the side of a building into an alley. I watched the old man pass and heard the two vampires running. I stepped between them and the old man. I didn't know if this trick would work but I had to try. I held out my hands and whispered
"Stop!" The two vampires froze in their tracks.
"Walk into that building." They walked.
The building was a vacant, totally condemned.
"Stop!"
Their eyes were huge with fear but they were under my power. I had to kill them. They had seen me. I ripped them apart and set the building on fire. I did feel a little remorse for the loss which was unsettling. I had killed many times during my nomadic years. Being with the Cullens had me going soft.
