Carlisle and Esme Cullen, happy parents of seven adopted children. Well, to the outside world anyway. A vampire coven of nine was an aberration; it just wasn't done, but they all managed to live in peace together. This night wasn't much different from any other; the doctor and his wife sat on the couch and listened to their son Edward play the piano, the love of his existence by his side, giggling and pressing random keys in a flirtatious manner.
"Bridgette, love, you're making playing the song a little more difficult than it needs to be." He murmured in her ear lovingly. Bridgette sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling to herself.
Edward's sister Alice danced gracefully around the room to her brother's song, completely in her own world. His brother Emmett was trapped on the couch next to his parents by his Rosalie, who was perched on his lap with no intention of moving. Rosalie's brother Jasper sat on the white-carpeted floor with Sophia, who showed up with Bridgette on the Cullen's doorstep five years before. Just like Alice had promised, the one he was meant to be with had found him at last.
Suddenly, Alice stopped dancing and a look of confusion came over her face.
"Carlisle, are you expecting company?" she asked in her wind chime voice.
"No, why?" Carlisle responded, but his question was answered a second later with the doorbell. He rose, walking swiftly to the door. Opening it, he saw a man dressed in all black with dark gold eyes.
"Carlisle Cullen, I presume?" the man whom Carlisle recognized immediately as a vampire said. He nodded. "MY name is Peter. I have news for you that I know you and your family would want to hear. May I come in?" he asked. Carlisle walked back into the living room as an answer, Peter not far behind.
"Everyone, this is Peter. H e says he has some information he wishes to share with us, so would you please give him your full attention?" Carlisle told his family. Eight pairs of golden eyes focused on him then, but Peter stepped back in shock when he recognized two of them.
Bridgette and Sophia, the only two girls he had managed to change without killing, there in front of him. Internally thankful that they had escaped James' fate for them, he relaxed and began to speak. He told them exactly what he had told the La Push werewolves, and then waited for a reaction.
"He's bluffing." Emmett said, rolling his eyes. "An obvious trap."
"Emmett, please." Carlisle said, silencing him.
"He's not bluffing." Edward said. Bridgette tightened her grip on his waist.
"Why should we care what this James guy does to mutts? It doesn't concern us." Rosalie said.
"Theoretically, this new species that James will create can wipe out ours altogether." Peter said simply.
"See why we should care now, Rose?" Edward said. Rosalie said nothing.
"I suggest you consult the La Push werewolves as soon as you can, as I did." Peter said.
"That's a fantastic idea!" Rosalie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I might pass out from the stench." She sneered.
"Rosalie." Carlisle said pointedly. "We will." He added to Peter. With that, Peter took one last look around the room, pausing at Sophia and Bridgette, then showed himself to the door and was gone.
----
"Emmett's home." Alice said, spinning through the foyer. It had been just about an hour since Peter's visit to them, and after a long discussion, they decided to send Emmett with notes requesting a meeting with the La Push wolf families.
"Classic." Emmett muttered to himself over laughter, coming in through the front door.
"Did you leave the notes?" Carlisle asked him.
"Yep." Emmett grinned.
"Do you know if they got them?"
"Oh yeah, the Ateara's got it just as I was leaving." He said, grinning more widely. Edward chuckled.
"Now was that really necessary?" he asked his brother.
"No, but it was fun." Emmett laughed.
"What did you do?" Sophia groaned, leaning on Jasper exasperatedly.
"I got to the Black's house and no one was home, so I just slid the note under the door. I heard quiet talking coming from the Ateara place, though, so I ran to the front door, making one hell of a racket. Then I grabbed hold of the doorknob and shook the door like crazy. It trembled the whole house! But then I heard one girl scream bloody murder so I felt bad and stopped, put the envelope on the doormat and took off." Emmett said, still grinning. Carlisle gave him a pointed look, but smiled nonetheless.
"Do you think they'll come?" Bridgette asked. "I mean, they're werewolves. The chances of them wanting to talk to us are slim to none."
"If they're smart, they'll come." Carlisle said.
"They'll come." Alice assured them, and the pensive look on her face put everyone's doubts to rest. As Jasper assisted her in calming their emotions, the piano started back up and everything else was silent.
----
"Dallas, can you go upstairs and get some quilts and pillows? I don't think Dad will be home tonight." Quil asked his sister. She nodded and went upstairs. When she was gone, Quil sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do with her." He said.
"She should go home as soon as she can. Before tomorrow night, if possible." Jake said quietly.
"What, you don't like her, Jake?" Quil grinned, despite the circumstances.
"No, I do, and that's why I said it. She shouldn't be here if bloodsuckers are going to be. You know our fathers, Quil, and they're going to agree to work with the Cullens. I know they say they don't kill humans, but if they smell her blood…I just don't trust them." Jake said.
"Aw, c'mon Jake. She'll be fine. We'll take care of her…she only just got here. And what about that other leech? He didn't smell her." Embry said.
"What if that was the only one? I don't want to…we shouldn't take any chances." Jacob said.
"Dude…did you imprint on her?" Paul asked. The other four boys snapped their heads to look at him. Jacob laughed nervously.
"No, man! Trust me, if I had, you would've known about it a long time ago." He assured them all that he had no wolf bond to Dallas. "Part of me wishes I did, though." He added on a murmur.
"Dude, that's my sister!" Quil said, shoving Jake off the couch. Paul, Jared and Embry howled with laughter.
"She is pretty fine, man." Jared said.
"She's damn
fine! Jake, I'm jealous. She's definitely into you." Embry
said.
"Guys, c'mon! Stop that!" Quil said, burying his face
in his hands. "This is so not what I asked for." He
muttered.
"So…she leaves tomorrow, right?" Jake said, desperately changing the subject.
"I dunno, Jake. It's up to my dad if he thinks she should leave or not." Quil said.
"If who leaves?" Dallas said, coming down the stairs with her small arms filled with blankets and pillows. Jacob jumped up and bounded up the stairs, taking her load with little to no struggle. She raised her eyebrows at him but grabbed another smaller pile at her feet and followed him down the stairs. Jared, Paul and Embry snickered; Quil palmed his face and groaned.
"What?" Dallas asked, and rolled her eyes at the silence she got for a response. "Whatever…I'm going to bed. I guess I'll see you guys in the morning…" she said, and turned to go back up the stairs. But before she could climb to the third step, the lock on the door turned, making them all jump and Dallas let out another scream, and she fell down the stairs that she had managed to climb. It was only Old Quil, Billy Black and Sam, home much earlier than anticipated.
"Dad!" Dallas yelled. "Don't do that!" she said. Old Quil smiled wearily as Dallas scrambled to her feet and ran over to him. "I want to go home." She said, hugging him around the waist. "This is madness!"
"You told her?" Old Quil asked the boys over Dallas' shoulder, patting her back reassuringly.
"How could you tell?" Quil said dryly. Old Quil nodded.
"Can I go home?" Dallas pleaded.
"Yes, actually. I think it would be the best thing for your safety. I wish I had gotten to spend more time with you…I'm so sorry." He father said to her.
"Yeah…this is just too much for me. So when do I leave?" Dallas asked eagerly, but with a hint of remorse in her voice that she threw in for his sake.
"Tomorrow afternoon is when I'll drive you back to the airport, so pack your things, I guess." Her father said sadly.
'Thank God.' Jacob thought to himself, but couldn't help but feel sorry for the fact he couldn't get closer to her. He knew how a vampire attack could get, however, and knew it was for the best.
"Why don't you get some sleep so you can spend the morning with Quil and the guys." Her father suggested. Dallas nodded and turned back up the stairs, saying 'good night' over her shoulder. The others murmured their good nights as well and Dallas was gone to her room.
----
A/N- wow…sorry to leave it at that…please don't abandon me yet because things are just starting to get good! Next chapter explains a lot…and gets a lot more marshmallow-y. 3 3 3 you guys for reading!!
