Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them.
Edward POV (what?!)
I was blasted with the images in Jasper's and Peter's memories and I honestly don't know how they lived through all that. I looked at Peter when I saw that facing his mate's punishments brought back memories of his father's beatings and I wondered if he ever told Jasper that. How did he get past that to forgive the man he loved most in the world? As if he heard my thoughts his memories abruptly shifted to what followed those punishments in the semi-privacy of their tent. The silent ministrations, whispered apologies, and heartfelt emotions passed between the two. He looked me straight in the eye and thought, Don't judge what you will NEVER understand. We survived, which is more than any other person in that army can say. I knew he only did what he had to do and I forgave him before he did it. He knows that.
I nodded at him before looking back at Jasper. His head was tucked back in Peter's neck again and he was fighting back tears. Rosalie was wrapped in Emmett's arms as flashbacks of her own pain washed through her. Esme was aching to go over and comfort the soldiers but she knew she wouldn't be welcome yet. Carlisle was thinking about punishments he had witnessed during his time with the Volturi. He had never shared those thoughts with me before. A stray picture slipped through of him and Aro- what the hell was that? I looked at him but he avoided my eyes. Not sure I want to know what that was about.
And then there was Alice. She was pouting, still angry about being reprimanded and now irritated that someone else was the new center of attention. I could hear her thinking about opening her mouth again so I jumped in and said, "Alice, if you say what you are thinking I'm not sure Carlisle will continue to let you live here. You might want to go for a run and let yourself calm down a bit."
"You don't tell me what to do Edward. You're supposed to be on my side anyway. They shouldn't be here! They-" she cut off as Rosalie shot over to her and clapped her hand over her mouth.
"Ok, that's it. Emmett, Rose- take her back to Chicago. Start packing up the house and she can ride in the truck back here. Alice, you need to take this time to think about what you want to do. If you stay with this family you will learn some respect. I know you never met your sire but when I agreed to let you join us I expected you to treat me with the respect I deserve as coven leader." I had never seen Carlisle this harsh before. I wondered if he was trying to prove himself to the Major or if he was just that fed up with Alice.
Honestly, everyone was tired of Alice. For the past three months I was the only one who would even live with her. She showed up at our house in Forks, causing no small amount of problems with the local wolf pack, and invited herself into our family because she "saw" that she was supposed to be with us. When it came time to move, the mated couples each decided they needed to vacation alone for a few months so I ended up in my childhood home in Chicago alone with Alice. When it was just the two of us it wasn't so bad. We each had gifts that made us different so we found common ground in that. We also had similar taste in the finer things of life. I let her dress me as a gentleman and she listened to me play the piano for hours on end. Behind all that I had always known Alice to be selfish, I just had no idea how far she would take it.
Jasper POV
After we watched the three of them turn back the way they had come and take off running into the forest, Esme clapped her hands together and faced us with a huge smile. "Now, how about that tour? Edward can show us around I'm sure, and we can tell you a little more about our family if you would like." I felt Peter relax a little more as she talked and I had a feeling my best chance of staying here was if I could get Edward and Esme to win Peter over. I'm still not sure if I could convince my mate to settle down even then.
Realizing that everyone was looking to me for an answer I nodded and turned to follow Edward into the house. I was so preoccupied I didn't realize I had turned my back on Carlisle and Esme until Peter pulled hard on my arm to turn me back around and let them go first. I truly didn't think they were a threat to us but I was surprised how fast I had let my guard down.
"So, since you shared with us some of your history, would you like to some of ours?" Carlisle asked us. After we nodded for him to continue he began his story. "I was born in London in the 1640's. My father was an Anglican pastor and as his son I led raids for vampires. As luck would have it, I found one, was bitten, and left to change alone. I knew exactly what I was and I hated myself for it; I did not want to be a killer. I starved myself for months, living in isolation as far from humans as I could get. Eventually I came across a herd of deer and was overtaken by thirst and began to feed. I realized I could survive on animal blood and therefore ease my conscience a little, even if my soul was still condemned." At this Peter caught my eye and I knew exactly what he was thinking, see- crazy religious cult. I told you so.
"Anyway, once I had my diet set I began to travel around Europe studying anything I could my hands on. Art, literature, and eventually medicine. I spent a few decades with the Volturi where they tried to convince me to change my diet and join them but eventually I had to move on, although Aro and I did remain friends. After I moved to America I was quite lonely. I met several vampires but none of them understood my aversion to human blood and we didn't spend much time together. I eventually decided to make a companion for myself, one I could offer the choice of diet to from the beginning and see how they would take to it.
"I found Edward in Chicago in 1918, he was dying from the Spanish influenza and both his parents had already died from the same disease. I knew he was alone and his mother had begged me to do anything in my power to save him. I bit him and he became the first member of my family. I had a little trouble with him as a newborn, learning to control both his gift and his bloodlust was quite a feat." Carlisle paused here and gave Edward a soft smile.
I had to ask, I knew Pete was dying to but I just had to do it. "So, I assume by Edward's reaction to mine and Pete's relationship that you did not use the normal method of blood and sex to get him under control? I'm fairly sure the Volturi would have taught you all about that right?" Pete had a huge grin on his face on my calling out the patriarch on what he was apparently trying so hard to hide. Edward and Esme were frozen in shock, I knew my questions would cause Carlisle's mental hold on his memories to slip so I was sure Edward was getting quite the show.
Edward finally broke loose enough to try to speak, "You... you... with Aro? And GARRETT? And the DENALIS? OH MY GOD! Is THAT why you changed me?! No, don't answer that. I don't want to know. First my human father beats the crap out me for not being "man enough" and playing my sissy music, then my vampire father actually turned me to be used for sex! Oh dear, I need to get out of here. I'm going for a hunt. Don't follow me." With that he turned and ran out of the house faster than I'd ever seen a vampire run, he might even be faster than me! Poor kid, I didn't mean to give him a complex.
I turned and saw Peter had a pensive look on his face and his emotions were in turmoil. He turned to Carlisle and quietly said, "Did he say his father beat him? I thought he was a rich kid?"
"Yes, I saw the marks myself when he was sick. He hit him where his clothes would cover it. His back was covered in bruises and old scars, I'm just glad he lost them when he changed. Even the rich among us don't make the best decisions. He was disappointed in Edward, though for the life of me I could not see why. He was a straight-A student, ran track for his school team, and was composing music on the piano as soon as he could sit at the keyboard. To me he has always been perfect. I did change him for a true companion but he was so young and pure and he shied away from even the most innocent touches that I couldn't bear to treat him as anything but a son. After I found my mate in Esme I was glad I never pursued him, it would have made life much more difficult if I had."
"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't cause more problems for you. But I do think he's been sheltered too much. With all the thoughts he's exposed to he probably needs instruction on what is true in this world." I wasn't sorry I made him open up but I was sorry for the pain it caused.
Esme was looking at her mate with huge eyes and still reeling in disbelief. Carlisle glanced at her before continuing his story. "So, a few years after Edward I found Esme and changed her, then Rosalie, and then Rosalie found Emmett after he had been attacked by a bear. She was afraid to change him herself so she asked me to do it. Alice showed up on our doorstep a few years ago when we lived in Washington state and said she had a vision of living with us and following our lifestyle and basically invited herself to join the family. And that's how we all came to be a coven. Any questions? No? Ok, so this looks like the living room. What do you think dear, new drapes for the front window?"