Thank you for all of your fabulous reviews, messages, alerts, and faves. You're all giving me a case of the warm fuzzies and I'm liking it. Vicky will buy each of you a round of Tequila.
This story is AU/OOC.
All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.
Mature readers 18+ only please.
Vicky's POV
What in God's name is going on? First, Bella and Charlotte take off with Char looking like she was thrown into the embers of hell, then Rose and Sushmita bolt after them. After that, I unintentionally overhear a private conversation between Jasper and Mom. I didn't mean to overhear them, I just happened to have been sneaking a cigarette on the corner of the deck behind two tall potted plants while Riley wasn't looking. I had sprayed Mike's can of Scent Away on myself, just in case, so no one could detect my scent. As soon as Mom came outside, I stubbed my cigarette out. I really didn't need anyone to find out about my secret habit—especially her, she'd be worse than Riley.
Anyway, I was going to sneak down the deck and go back in through the front door, but, then, Jasper came outside. By then, I was literally hanging from the bottom portion of the deck. I couldn't jump down or Jasper would have heard with those oddly magnified senses of his so I remained clinging on to the outside portion of the deck. Geez! The trouble I go through to sneak a cigarette!
Esme and Jasper started talking about her situation with Carlisle. Apparently, he no longer wanted to be a father figure to us. I couldn't blame him, though. He's younger than I am for God's sake. I always felt as if Carlisle was just going through the motions of life without actually living it. He loved medicine, for example, but he didn't have that passion and spark for it like Riley did. When dealing with us kids, he always acted the way a father was expected to act, but again, I could tell that he really didn't give a fuck. There was a notable exception, though. Carlisle loved Bella and Rose unconditionally. I think it's because when Carlisle found Rose dying in the street after having been gang raped, his protective instincts came out. When he changed Esme, it was a little different—I think he changed her more out of obligation than anything. He remembered her from when he broke her leg when she was sixteen and couldn't picture her not being alive. On top of that, by all means, Carlisle had every right to rip me apart when I, accidentally, inflicted the master's bite upon Esme, but he was delighted. In hindsight, it actually worked out well to tone done Esme's mothering instincts and balance her out, but, still, Carlisle should have been furious with me.
With Bella, I think Carlisle has loved her from the get go. He's known her since she was human and they had always gotten along well. He shared Bella's passion for literature and her joy for life. When I first encountered the Cullens on the baseball field when I was still with James, I saw how protective of Bella and Rose Carlisle was way back then even. In fact, I thought that Carlisle was actually their father and they were his girls, but he looked too young to be their father. Then a thought occurred to me that he was actually their older brother. When Bella was dying after being beaten and almost raped, Carlisle looked just as heartbroken and feral as Jasper did. We all felt that way. He kept his head together and kept her stable enough to be changed, though. Thank God! I don't know what I'd do without Bella.
Bella was my sister and daughter all rolled into one. It was funny, Riley, Laurent, Irina and I were once talking and it dawned upon us that she was the catalyst for change in all of our lives. For the first time, we felt the need to care for someone more than we did for ourselves—Bella brought out our parental instincts. She was literally alone in the world, especially after Charlie was killed.
I felt the need to protect her then. I think that's why I had so much trouble letting her go. Now, I'm comfortable with where our relationship has settled. She still comes to me for advice and hugs, but I'm happy knowing that I had a hand in making her the mature, independent young lady she has become. Bella told me that she still feels as if Irina and I are more like her mother than Renee ever was. I was so happy to hear that because if anyone was my daughter, it was Bella. When I relayed the message to Irina, she had venom tears in her eyes, then, she composed herself and said that we really had to get Bella a hairbrush and some conditioner because half of the time her hair looks more like a rat's nest. That was so Irina, she hated showing any emotions, but she had a huge heart filled with love.
Esme started telling Jasper about her concerns with Rex and Bella's relationship. Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with it and, apparently, neither did Jasper. Those two have always gotten along great. They were bored one day this summer so they came to a knitting class with me. The two of them argued as if they were a couple of ten year old siblings stuck on a long road trip the entire time. This all happened because Rex told me that I should really consider wearing boy shorts or a thong because the panty line of my granny panties was showing through my trousers and it was grossing him out. Bella argued that I could wear whatever I wanted considering it was my body. Then, Rex started commenting on how my ass cheeks would stand out better in a thong since in his words, "they're spankable." Bella told him to knit one for me. The argument about my underwear continued, loudly, I might add—throughout the whole class until the knitting instructor finally told them to sit down, shut up, and knit. I had to roll my eyes when they both banned together and stuck their tongues out at her as soon as she turned her back on them. Of course, they were never welcomed back to a knitting class with me again. The next class they tried was a two hour workshop on changing a flat tire. Apparently, they did better at that one. I'm still waiting on that knitted thong.
Listening to Esme and Jasper talk, I became increasingly concerned when she said that she felt absolutely nothing for Carlisle anymore. She didn't even feel a slight pull—she simply didn't care. Jasper sounded concerned, too. Can a mating bond disappear? That thought, in itself, was scary as hell. We all felt the pull from being away from our mates. I could almost pinpoint the distance between Riley and myself just by the intensity of the pull. It was always stronger when he was in, say Manhattan, rather than at work in the hospital in Connecticut. I also knew when he was feeling distressed and that always kicked my instincts into high gear. Esme feeling nothing and not caring about Carlisle's well being was seriously distressing.
Esme went back into the house through the sliding glass door. I was scared out of my wits when Jasper peered over the railing and said, "Got one of those smokes for me, Lieutenant." He extended a hand and helped me back up.
"How did you know?"
"Come on, Vic, I may not have been able to detect your scent, but I could smell the cigarette and I could feel your presence. You know that I can track almost as well as Mike can. Now, what did you make of that conversation you just overheard?"
I offered him a cigarette before speaking, "I don't know. It's distressing. Can a mating pull disappear?"
Jasper was about to say something when Alice came out through the sliding glass door looking completely stressed out. She grabbed my cigarette, took a puff, then started coughing. Jasper and I stared at her with looks of both bewilderment and amusement.
"I'm sorry." Cough...cough...choke. "I just had a scary vision about Esme. She was at her wedding and it wasn't with Carlisle." Choke...cough...cough.
"What?" we both yelled out, simultaneously. I lit up another cigarette. Jasper took another one, too.
"Alice, tell me what you saw."
"All I saw was Esme saying her vows in a beautiful, floor length white gown with a train. We were bridesmaids, you were part of the groom's wedding party, too, Jasper. I'd never seen him before though and..."
"What the fuck was that vision, Alice?" Edward demanded as he walked out onto the deck. Now, he surprised the hell out of me when he took out his own pack of cigarettes and lit one up. "Don't tell Amanda or Esme."
"Fine, don't tell Riley or Esme."
"Deal!"
"Um, don't tell anyone I tried smoking," Alice said.
"You can tell whoever the fuck you want about me. I don't give a shit." That's Jasper for you.
"Even Esme?" we all snickered.
"Alright, except for Esme."
Alice went into a sudden vision, she was desperately rubbing at her temples with a wild expression in her eyes. "Bella dropped her shield, let's go!"
We ran after her through the West Virginia forest until we came upon Bella holding a sobbing Char with Rose and Sushmita quietly sitting by their sides. All four of them had glum expressions on their faces. We approached them quietly and sat down. Char looked up at all of us desperately.
"It's gone," she whispered. "The mating bond is gone."
"Whose?" I asked.
"Carlisle and Esme's"
"I didn't even know they were mates. I thought they were acquaintances. When Rose told me that Carlisle and Esme were mates, I searched their souls. I didn't see anything connecting them. Usually when souls are mated, I see a connection between the two people, but with them—nothing," Sushmita said.
"That would explain my vision," Alice confirmed. "I saw Esme getting married, but not to Carlisle."
The four women gasped. "I'm not surprised," Bella said. "Daddy told me that just the sight of Esme rankles his nerves. He realized that he had been convincing himself that her vision of a fulfilling family life is what he had been living. I guess about thirty years ago, when he wanted to quit practicing medicine for awhile and explore other options, Esme told him that he shouldn't quit because being a doctor is a respectable position and one that was fitting to a father of five children. She never even gave him a chance to explain that he wasn't quitting permanently, he just wanted to see what else was out there."
"It pisses me off!" Rose seethed. "It's always about her god damned fucking self. It's great that Esme is all about the family and being a mother, but she doesn't understand that part of living a fulfilling life includes achieving your own goals and doing something that you actually enjoy doing. Daddy, at least, gave us this. He allowed us to go to school and try out different things while putting his own dreams on the backburner. Look at how he let me become a certified mechanic or how he allowed Esme to become a stellar interior designer. And you, Alice, how many majors did you go through until you finally decided that the one in retail management was your favorite one? Edward, you're the king of degrees and in the end, you ended up using all of them and running a successful store. Now, tell me, in all of the years that you've known Carlisle, how many times has he taken a class or gone to college?"
"Never," Jasper sighed. "I just hate to see them on the outs. Char, explain what you saw with your bond."
"Nothing, just a black void."
"That's what I see," Sushmita agreed.
Bella was running her fingers through a seething Rose's hair so she would calm down. At times when Rose's temper would get the best of her, Bella was the only one that could keep her calm. Not even Emmett had that calming effect on Rose. Bella, herself, looked like she was on edge so I calmly moved behind her and let her lean in to me. Jasper was keeping Char at bay.
"Excuse me, Sushmita, I'm sorry for asking, but I'm trying to figure out how your gift works. It seems to be working in conjunction with Charlotte's," Edward observed, wisely.
"I can read people's souls and see a little into their future. I don't get visions like Alice does, though. I need assistance though, Jasper." Sushmita turned pointedly to him.
"How can I help you?"
"As you know, I've never been around so many people before. I'm rattled by how my gift is working and my soul has become like a jungle."
"Come over here, darlin'." Jasper prompted Sush to walk over to him. He placed her on his other knee and held her. I suspected he was doing something to both Sush and Char to keep their gifts from going haywire. "Alright, let's try to figure out how Char's and your gifts seem to be intertwining. Lieutenant? Any ideas?"
"Well, I guess the first question would be to ask you if you've noticed any changes in your gift since you've been with our family?" I asked Sushmita.
"Well, I never knew that I could do this, but now I can envision people's souls together and apart. They don't have to be mated. For example, I know that Jasper and your soul, Victoria, are intertwined."
"I've always seen a bond that's as close as a mating bond, but still a sibling bond, between you, Jasper, and Peter." Charlotte confirmed. "It's like the bond I see between Bella and Rose and Sushmita and Amrita. Another thing, I see a very close sibling bond between Bella, Rose, Sushmita, Amrita, and, well, me. Then, there's the bond between Bella and Rex, it's becoming as close as the one between Bella and Rose."
"I saw that bond the moment I met you, Charlotte." Sushmita hugged Char close to her.
"Char, what do you see between everyone else and Esme and Carlisle?" I asked.
"Well, I see a maternal bond with Esme and everyone, but the Denalis, Mike, Amanda, Rose, and Bella. With everyone and Carlisle, I see a brotherly bond except for with Rose and Bella. The paternal link between him and them has strengthened, especially with Bella."
"I wonder why that is?" Alice asked.
"It's because Bella and Rose love Carlisle unconditionally whereas with Esme, they both felt smothered," Edward replied. "I know you felt smothered for a fact, Rose, I could hear you cursing her out in your mind and with Bella, well, she told me how she felt about Esme during one of our talks."
"I saw that Carlisle, Bella, and Rose's souls are unusually linked together. I saw an even stronger link between Bella, Riley, and Peter."
"That's because they're connected by blood. Riley and Bella are siblings and Peter is their great-grandfather."
"Ahh, so that would explain Peter's protectiveness. I was observing him and he is unusually protective of Bella and Riley. More so than Carlisle is with Rose and Bella. In fact, Peter would protect Bella and Riley—even if it meant sacrificing himself."
I thought I heard Charlotte gasp and I think Jasper noticed, too, but by the time I looked up at her, she had a straight face. Maybe I was mistaken.
"What do we do now?" Alice asked. "Do I search for visions to get them back together? I don't feel right about doing that. You know what happened the last time I tried to manipulate a relationship."
Sushmita spoke, then, "You must not manipulate their relationship, ever. Let their souls progress the way they were meant to. I will do soul readings on everyone later, if I don't unburden myself, I feel as if I might explode."
"You do that, Sush. It's good to free your soul," Jasper stated. "Come on, I'm taking you and Charlotte hunting. I can feel both your bloodlusts and I have a feeling it has to do with both of your powers running on overdrive. You, too, Alice."
Edward went along with them, which left just me, Rose, and Bella. Rose reached into my pocket and grabbed my pack of cigarettes and lit one up. Bella, of course, didn't take one. Unlike Riley or Esme, though, Bella didn't look at us with a look of disgust. Rose and I both grew up during decades when cigarette smoking for women was en vogue. Neither of us were ever quite able to shake the habit. We both did it in secret from our mates, which didn't make sense in Rose's case because I've lit a couple up on the roof of Esme's house with Emmett, too.
"Did my ears deceive me or did Char gasp when Sush said that Peter would protect me and Riley even if it meant sacrificing himself?" Bella asked.
"I'm more than positive I heard her too," I confirmed. "What about you, Rose?"
"Okay, here's the thing, I work with Peter everyday and he's been acting weirder everyday. Just last week, I overheard him discussing his last will and testament over the phone with Jenks. He's also planning some sort of family vacation with you two, Jasper, Riley, and Char. He even asked me to hold down the fort at the shop so he could do this. He said he wanted to make it a yearly tradition while he was still able to."
"Now, I'm scared shitless. What the hell is going on?" Bella asked.
"I don't know, but you two need to keep this inside of you. I'll bring it out of the Captain one way or another—he's definitely hiding something and it's huge." I hugged both Rose and Bella. The three of us decided to go for a quick hunt.
Along the way, we nearly tripped over Rex and Tanya completely naked and fucking. "Guys! Can't you find a more secluded spot to fuck in rather than this open field?" Rose asked.
"Hey, you guys are the one's that ran into us. We're doing it here so we can watch the stars while we make love!" Tanya didn't even bat an eyelash as she continued bouncing up and down on Rex reverse cowgirl style while talking.
"Um, carry on," Bella chuckled as the three of us ran deeper into the woods.
"Well, that was fucked up. Shh!" I pulled Rose and Bella back and the three of us crouched behind a bush. Amar and Amrita were making love at the edge of the lake. I had never seen anything so beautiful before in my life. He was whispering something to her and they were locked in some kind of twisted yoga position. We watched as he brought her to a few silent orgasms using his fingers, then as they came together, once again, in a frenzied orgasm. Afterwards, the two silently held each other and swam in the lake looking as blissful as ever.
Rose, Bella, and I quietly backed away from our hiding spot so as not to disturb them. We didn't want to run back through the field so we ran perpendicular. Unfortunately, we came across Gianna giving Felix a blow. He was caressing her hair and purring something sexy in Italian. We slithered away and went around them.
We ran for at least a half an hour not wanting to run into anymore couples being intimate in the great outdoors with each other. We stopped abruptly when we saw two bears. "Go ahead, you guys take them," Bella urged. "You know that the taste doesn't matter to me. Ooh. I smell coyote. I'll meet you back here."
Bella took off after her kill while Rose and I went for the bears. Fifteen minutes later, we had buried our kills and were waiting for Bella. She came striding up to us with a big smile on her face.
"How much cash do you have on you?" she asked. Rose and I both reached into our pockets.
"I only have ninety-bucks," I said.
"I have forty," Rose stated, then narrowed her eyes at Bella. "How much do you have, sis?"
She reached into the pocket of her denim shorts and counted her change. "Eighty-three cents."
"Oh, good, at least you have something with you for once," I said, sarcastically. "Eighty-three cents should get you far."
"Honestly, Bella, you really should carry at least a twenty with you," Rose suggested.
"Yeah, yeah. I should at least carry cab fare. I got it. You guys are buying."
"Buying what?" I asked.
"Look down, beyond that ridge over there. Do you see the lights?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So, let's go for a drink," Bella suggested. "Between the three of us, we have...um...zero...um ten...eleven...twel..."
"Jeez! Bella! We have a hundred and thirty dollars and eighty-three cents!" She had to be the worst math student that I'd ever encountered in my entire life. Now that I'm a math teacher, I would definitely place her in a paced math class. She still counts with her fingers, for crying out loud.
"Well, sorry! I really hate math. It hurts my head to have to think about numbers."
"Alright, let's go hit that bar down there."
We got inside and the bartender sold us a bottle of cheap tequila. We got three shot glasses, sat and started chatting. Before I knew it, we were on our fourth bottle. I dazzled the bartender into selling us more bottles. I don't know about Rose and Bella, but I was as drunk as a skunk.
"Hey, Vic, isn't that our river guide?"
"Ooh! That is him, Rose! Do you think I can change him into a vampire just so I can look at him all day?"
"Eh, maybe not. I think Riley might have a problem if you did that."
"Please, Rose, pretty please. I just want to change him. Just a wee, little bit. Please?" I begged. "I promise it won't hurt, well, maybe it'll hurt him, but honest to goodness it won't hurt you. Look how tanned he is. He'll probably stay tanned after he's changed."
"Uh, Vicky, maybe you should slow down on the tequila," Bella suggested.
"No, no, no! I will not! This stuff tastes better than Patron. Oh! They're playing Led Zeppelin. I looove Led Zeppelin!" I squealed.
"Uh, Vicky!"
"Vicky!"
Riley's POV
"Hey, Jasper, have you seen Vicky?" I asked.
"Yeah, I saw her a couple of hours ago. She was with Rose and Bella. They were heading back here, I think."
"They're missing, too," Emmett piped in.
"What?"
"Normally, I wouldn't be worried, but we're in a completely different state. I think we should go look for them." I suggested.
"Okay, let's start where I left them." Jasper led us to where he last saw them. We scented them out until we got to a field that was pungent with the scent of Tanya, Rex, and sex. We, then, followed our mates scents to thick bushes by a lake. We could smell Amar, Amrita, and sex by the lake.
"You don't think they've become voyeurs, do you?" Emmett asked.
"Nah. They were probably avoiding them. We backtracked a little and ran into the scents of Gianna, Felix, and sex, then, our mates scents made a straight beeline to the east. We ran and ran until Bella's scent separated from Rose and Vicky's. We became a bit concerned, then. We noticed that their scents merged together again and it led straight to a bar called 'Bud's.'
The three of us sighed in relief and walked inside. The place was rockin' and everyone was hooting and hollering.
"Vicky! Vicky! Get the fuck off of the table. Rose, I think she's completely plastered."
"Play some Lynard Skynard!" Vicky ordered! "Please, Rose, let me change him into a vampire."
"Get your fucking ass off of the table!" Rose yelled.
"Hey, cutie, I'll play vampire with you. How about if we give each other hickies and pretend their vampire bites?" some drunk sicko suggested.
"We've got to get her out of here fast before she outs us," Emmett whispered.
The three of us approached the table. "Major, I found a bar full of potential newborns!" Vicky chirped happily.
"What the hell did you two do to her?" I questioned my baby sister and Rose.
"Um, we just had a couple of drinks." Bella said, innocently.
"Babe, there are five empty bottles of tequila here," Jasper told her.
"Yeah, I know. Rose and I had a couple of shots each and Vicky had the rest. This shit's awful."
"It is not! It's better than Patron and it's only twelve bucks a bottle," Vicky pouted.
"What brand is it?" Jasper asked.
"I don't know, it says, 'Mexican Tequila, Made in Altoona, Pennsylvania' on the label," Bella read.
"I thought Tequila had to be made in Mexico," I said, scratching my head.
"Here! Taste!" Vicky shoved the half drunk bottle of tequila to Jasper. He took a swig, gagged, and passed the bottle to me. Ew! I passed it to Emmett who made a disgusted looking face, then, the idiot passed it back to my already drunk wife who chugged the whole thing down.
"Vicky, honey, why don't you get off of the table and we can go home and make love," I suggested.
"No, I don't want to! I want to turn that table of hot, tanned guys into newborns first—especially our river guide. Then, we can make love while they change."
"What the fuck are we going to do with a bunch of newborns, Lieutenant?" Jasper asked.
"Turn them all into male strippers!" Vicky grinned.
We all slapped our foreheads. Vicky took the opportunity to announce that she was hot and ripped her shirt off. Oh, sweet Jesus, she isn't wearing a bra. The applause inside was thunderous. Jasper whispered something to Bella. Suddenly, Vicky collapsed straight into Jasper's arms. He must have knocked her out. We carried her outside, got back into the forest and started runnig. Jasper handed my wife off to me after a few minutes.
"What in hell were you two thinking?" I yelled at both Rose and Bella.
"Hey, we didn't know she was gonna be this out of control!" Bella argued.
I took my t-shirt off and threw it on my wife.
"Nice abs," Rose commented as Emmett growled.
"Gross! That's my brother, you know." Bella scrunched her nose.
"Yeah, well, he still has nice abs."
"Thanks, it's the football."
"Yeah, that and the two hours a day that you spend at the gym, you monkey," Bella teased, playfully. "So, what are we going to do about Vicky?"
"Easy," I stated as we approached the lake where we smelled Amar and Amrita last. "Jasper, you can wake her up now."
I tossed my wife inside the lake and I think she sunk to the bottom. A couple of minutes later, she swam back up. "Puh, puh, puh!" She spit up all of the water along with some of the tequila she ingested. "Why the fuck did you throw me inside?"
"I thought you might need to wake up," I stated.
"Bastard!" She got a feral look in her eyes and threw me into the water along with Rose and Bella.
"Hey! Why the fuck are we in here, too?"
"It was your fucking idea to go to the bar, Bella!" she screamed, then turned to Rose, "And you! You didn't stop her! How the hell did I get here, anyway?"
"Oh, I sort of knocked you out." Jasper smiled sheepishly.
"Fucker!" Splash! Straight into the water went the dynamic Major of the Southern Vampire Wars. We heard another huge splash as Emmett did a cannonball right into the lake.
"I just thought I'd save you the trouble," Emmett stated.
"Geez! Talk about a fucking temper!" Bella scowled.
Victoria chuckled, then jumped back into the water and the six of us splashed around a bit before making our way back to the log cabin.
"What happened to you kids? Bella! Rose! You're tracking water all over the cabin!" Esme chastised. I noticed she honed in on Bella and Rose only.
"Lay the hell off of them. The other four are just as soaked as those two—or, did you fail to notice that?" Carlisle yelled.
"You're always siding with them! What the hell is your problem, Carlisle?"
"I'm just pointing out facts, Esme! Don't you dare fucking single out Rose and Bella. You know something else? If you have a problem with me, then speak to me about it. Don't take it out on innocent bystanders!"
"Um, I'm going upstairs to shower," my sister said, glumly.
"Yeah, me too," Rose stated. The two of them ran upstairs and we heard two showers turn on almost immediately.
Frankly, I thought Esme was out of line for yelling at Rose and Bella. I was about to say something when a feral looking Irina got in her face. Not good, not good at all. Irina doesn't get pissed off without a good reason.
"Esme, if you ever raise your voice to Bella again, I'll make sure that you no longer have a voice to raise let alone whisper with. Bear in mind that Jasper and Bella are funding this vacation and, therefore, you are their guests. Oh, and just so you're aware—contrary to what you believe, Rose and Bella are not responsible for your current marital strife. Those issues were created by you and Uncle Carlisle not dealing with your shit decades ago! Don't you dare, take it out on Bella and Rose!"
Esme was stunned. Irina told her what we'd all been wanting to tell her these past few weeks. Ever since Carlisle moved into his own apartment, she's been bitching about Carlisle, Rose, and Bella. I suspect it's because the three of them didn't take her shit anymore. Even though Peter and Char lived away from the family—they visited frequently. Char still liked being mothered by Esme. Peter, on the other hand, liked to see me. Bella, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett rarely visited and when they were in Connecticut—they would go to the Denali home instead. Jasper and Emmett, on occasion, stopped in to see us, but Bella chose to meet us in Manhattan or she'd pop into visit us at work. Rose didn't visit us at all.
What Esme didn't understand was that Rose and Bella didn't need parents. Neither of them liked being smothered. Hell, I didn't like being smothered. The other thing about Bella that Esme didn't appreciate it was that she never really looked up to Esme as a mother figure. She tried her best, but her mother figures were, for the most part, Irina and Vicky. They were the ones that were there for her during her most formative years just like Laurent and I were. I think with Carlisle, she's had a bond with him from the beginning. Generally, he kept a level head and he didn't smother Bella, he let her grow on her own and Rose, too.
I remember when Rose and Bella ran off to Japan and India, Carlisle was a wreck. He tried his best to keep it together and guide them by leaving supportive messages for them on their cell phones. When Bella ran away from Jasper and we had no idea where the fuck she was—which, I might add was the worst time in my existence, he did the same only be email. Bella and Carlisle had a mutual respect for each other and Esme couldn't stand the fact that someone preferred him over her. It was immature, really.
"I didn't realize that you felt that way, Irina," Esme said.
"It's not just me, Aunt Esme. I respect you, I really do, and I agree with you that Uncle Carlisle cheated on you, but Rose and Bella didn't make him cheat. In fact, neither of them condone his infidelity either. Your issue with Rose and Bella is completely separate from your issue with your husband. Oh, and just to let you know—Rose and Bella have no issues with you, it's just you that has one with them. They've been honest with you from the get go, you just don't agree with how they feel. A good mother, Esme, lets her grown children make decisions on their own, regardless of whether or not she feels it's right or wrong."
"When have you ever been a mother, Irina?"
"She's my mother, Esme. She has been all this time, more than you've ever been and more than you ever will be." A freshly showered Bella came down the stairs and stood firmly by Irina's side. I noticed Laurent and Victoria beaming with pride. "You see, there's a difference between you and Irina. She listens and guides and allows me my fuck ups because they're my fuck ups—so do Vicky, Riley, Laurent, and Carlisle. You, on the other hand, dictate and try to instill your views upon me—especially when you don't like what I'm doing. You're not that way with everyone, just with me and Rose. I suspect that you don't appreciate the fact that we need our privacy and independence. Oh, and if you ever chew out Rose, Irina, or any other member of my immediate family again, I have no qualms about fucking you up—I don't give a shit if Jasper and Emmett think of you as their mother. I have no real ties with you and I'm just warning you that you'll have me to deal with next time.
Esme didn't say a word. Bella just handed her ass to her and it was long overdue as far as I was concerned. She turned and walked out of the door followed by Rose who had just come downstairs after her shower. Amanda went barreling out after them, but not before giving Esme a vicious scowl. She always freaks out when Bella leaves, but I knew that she was just going to go clear her mind and so was Rose.
I noticed Charlotte standing in the corner wide-eyed and in complete shock. Sushmita saw this and pulled her outside with her. I wonder what that was all about. Peter looked frantic with concern about his wife.
Those of us who were still wet went upstairs to take showers. When we came back downstairs, Esme was sobbing with Edward, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett comforting her. I approached her quietly, too.
Carlisle, it looked like, had disappeared somewhere with Amar, Sahil, and Laurent.
"I made a mess of things, I don't know what's wrong with me."
"You're confused, yes, but it's because you have a lot of instability in your life right now," I soothed. "I've been in relationships that were falling apart in the past and, believe me, it places a lot of stress on you. You really need to talk to Carlisle."
"I'm not ready to talk to him yet."
"I can understand that. You're not even ready to come to terms with yourself yet and neither is he. Once you deal with your own issues and he deals with his, you'll both be ready to tackle your relationship."
"I don't understand what's happening. I don't feel anything for him anymore. Another scary thing is how I've pushed Rose and Bella away. I didn't mean to say those things. They just came out."
"Esme, while I don't know too much about Rose, I do know about Bella. She's always been independent and mature. She grew up taking care of her human mother—not the other way around. From the time she was in elementary school, she handled the bills, cleaned the house, took care of the cooking, and even worked a part time job just to try to make up for what her mother went out and spent frivolously. She learned quickly how to take care of herself. Someone like that is going to get frustrated by coddling and that's what you tried to do—coddle her. In many ways, she's much more mature than most of us are because it's been grounded into her nature that the only way to accomplish anything is by keeping an open mind and doing it yourself. That's probably why she and Rex get along so well, too. He's a lot like that, too."
It was true. Rex had a similar upbringing to Bella. He had loving parents, but they were very poor and had eight children. He didn't have the financial stability growing up as the rest of us did. That's why he joined the Marines. He knew that the only way out of poverty was through education and if he joined the military, they would provide that for him. Bella knew this and respected him all the more for it. Both of them were intelligent, diligent, and open minded. They both needed an open mind because the only way out of their situations would be through creativity. Bella was a little different from Rex. Although Charlie sent child support, Renee would spend it. Bella didn't have to be poor, her irresponsible mother made her poor. Once Renee met Phil and had financial stability, she shipped my sister off to Charlie's so she could be free of her and live her life—leaving Bella on her own again.
People started trickling back into the house. Rose, Bella, and Amanda were the last ones to return. The three of them made their way to Charlotte and sat down next to her. Carlisle sat with them as did the Denalis and Vicky. There was a clear line dividing our family and I was stuck in the middle as were Jasper and Emmett. Rose and Bella won't easily forgive Esme this time, she had crossed the line. Bella was very protective of her family and Esme insulting Rose and Irina was something she didn't take too kindly to.
Sushmita's POV
Our American friends had troubled souls. Well, not so much everyone in the family—it was mainly caused by the family matriarch and patriarch. If they don't deal with their issues, it could mean ultimate destruction for the family when the second demon comes. I was extremely concerned by the new rift within the family. Esme had singlehandedly managed to make her marital problems everyone's problem. Other than the Denalis who, largely, were uninvolved in this; Bella and Rose were the only two that would stay away from this problem. Both of them were well aware that Esme had to get through her personal troubles on her own. Neither of them were willing to get involved and, most, importantly, both Bella and Rose have washed their hands of Esme. They no longer looked upon her as any sort of maternal figure. In fact, they only considered her a distant family member at this point.
This fact was just confirmed by Charlotte. I had noticed her distress and taken her outside where the two of us were able to finally talk alone and get to know each other. Charlotte said that after Bella finally spoke her mind to Esme—the final strings linking her and Rose with Esme changed to one of a distant family member or a more accurate description might be, the mother-in-law from hell. Jasper and Emmett's bonds were still very tight with both Esme and Carlisle. Rose and Bella's bond with Carlisle were the strongest. In fact, it was very possible that out of all of the Cullen family children—Rose and Bella were the only two supporting Carlisle and that was because they were the only two able to look beyond his infidelity and mid-life crisis and see the root cause of their marital destruction.
I was going to do a soul reading tonight, but decided against it. Just getting to know Charlotte was enough to release my soul temporarily. She seemed to work in sync with me and I liked her very much. I told her not to worry about her relationship with Rose because they would become very close shortly. I also saw Charlotte and Peter visiting us along with Bella, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett next summer.
Charlotte asked about her mate, Peter, next. I asked her how she saw her bond with him. "I see it strengthening on a daily basis. It's almost as strong as Bella and Jasper's, but not quite."
"Ah, but Charlotte—the level of nirvana that Bella and Jasper have reached is not easily achieved. Their individual souls are quite secure and they are at peace with themselves and their relationship. They have no secrets from each other. Can you say the same for yourself and Peter? I know for a fact that I can't say that about myself and Sahil."
"He's keeping something big from me and won't tell me what it is. A woman from our past is coming to wreak havoc on our lives. She wants Jasper and Peter, I susp..."
"You mean the second demon?"
"What second demon?"
"There were two demons in Jasper's path that would try to rip apart Bella and Jasper's bond. One already happened and actually succeeded in breaking them apart for a very long period of time, but that length of time apart was what Jasper and Bella needed to learn enough about themselves so that they could finally work on their relationship. The second demon will come in five to six years. She will not only come for Jasper, but for your Peter and Victoria, as well. This one will test all of your bonds. I know that Jasper and Bella will pull through—it is the souls of Peter and Victoria that I am most concerned with. You must trust your husband and love him unconditionally, but most of all you must have faith in yourself. You're more intelligent than you believe yourself to be. Another thing, Bella will stand by you through thick and thin, as will I."
"I know who the second demon is. She is the one that gave me, Victoria, Peter, and Jasper our scars. The woman is cruel and vicious and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her name is Maria."
"I will be there for you, Charlotte. You will be my sister for eternity."
Charlotte was a very affectionate girl and she hugged me tightly. I found out that she was seventeen, just like me. It was nice knowing someone so young. Amrita was a little older at twenty-one. She and I had always gotten along. When we found out that she had been betrothed to the, then, Prince Amar Desai, son of the great Maharaja Desai, she refused to marry him unless I could come along even though we were of a different caste. Amar's parents reluctantly agreed. Upon arrival, they tried to put me in the palace laundry room. Amrita refused to consummate her marriage unless I was made her chamber maid and companion like I had always been. Amar's parents actually sent us both packing back to Amrita's home. We were terrified to go home knowing that the punishment would be severe. Sahil was actually one of our escorts home.
When we got home and the guards, under Amrita's parents orders, violently tried to pull us apart, with whips in their hands, for punishment—Sahil actually defended us. He threw us back in the palki and ordered the other guards to take us back to the palace and only to the prince. Amar, who was a progressive thinker, refused to bow to his parent's wishes and, in the end, I was made Amrita's chamber maid. Sahil asked Amar for permission to court me. It turns out that he fell in love with me when he first escorted us to the palace. We were married within the month and we were excited to start a family. That's when the disappearances started happening in the village surrounding the village. Eventually, there were no villagers left and the servants started disappearing two at a time. Amrita was so terrified that she had me sleep with her in her chambers at night. The two of us were sleeping when we woke up to see the vampire. Amar and Sahil rushed into our room when we screamed. The yellow haired vampire grinned maliciously and sunk his teeth into our husbands, then dropped them. They started screaming immediately. Amrita and I were frozen in fright by then. He bit Amrita first, then me, then disappeared into the night. I clutched onto Amrita for safety and she unto me and we both succumbed to the burn. We woke up to our new lives still holding each other—our husbands sitting by our sides with their new crimson eyes.
When we ventured downstairs, we realized that the remaining palace servants and his parents and siblings had all been murdered. Amar took over as the Maharaja and we've lived quietly in our secluded palace since then. It took us over a hundred years, until 1720, to actually learn that we were vampires.
Charlotte and I started making our way back to the log cabin. "Hey, on Monday, do you want to take my class?"
"I would be honored, what is it called?"
"Well, last week I taught 'Lick Him Like An Ice Cream Cone' and 'Spank Me Senseless, Sailor.' On Monday, I'm teaching, 'Tie Him Up and Teach Him A Lesson.'"
"Why would I need to tie him up to teach him a lesson. He usually listens when I talk to him."
"It's not that kind of lesson. It's a fun lesson. Just come to class on Monday without him and I'll teach you. Bring Amrita, too."
"Charlotte, I'm so excited. Amrita and I have never been to school before. They didn't have school for women when we were growing up in the late 1500s. We learned how to read and write after our change. Is there a uniform that is required for your school?"
"No, you can wear whatever you feel is appropriate for school."
"Amrita and I will be there. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Anytime." Charlotte smiled and we walked hand in hand back to the log cabin.
Monday Afternoon...
"Are we dressed appropriately for school?" I asked.
"Yes, I saw a documentary on American private schools and most girls were dressed in plaid skirts, white blouses, and knee socks," Amar replied. "Now, make us proud girls."
"We will pick you up at seven pm when the class ends," my husband said. "Bella, Rose, Jasper, and Emmett will be with us."
"Hold your heads up high and remember to participate," Amar suggested. "Today, you bring honor to the Desai family."
Our husbands watched us walk down the block and turn into Char's school. Amar was filming us walk away while Sahil snapped photos. They both had looks of extreme pride on their faces.
7:00 P.M.
Wow! What a class! I didn't realize that school would be so much fun. Charlotte is an excellent teacher. I thought she would be distributing books in the class, but it turned out that she was such a good teacher that we didn't need any. She gave us ropes instead and she taught us how to tie various knots. She called it a life lesson. We got to practice on Char's teaching assistant Patrick. We got to tie him to a bed and also to a large wooden X shaped contraption on the wall. I think Char called it a St. Andrew's Cross. She taught us how to speak firmly to our husbands so we had their complete attention and punish them using floggers, riding crops, and our bare hands. She said that only after they brought us to our release should we allow them to have theirs. She also said that it was okay to leave them without their release if they've been extra bad.
We left the doors of the classroom and walked into the store where everyone was waiting. Amar and Sahil were transfixed on the products they were selling.
"How was your class?" Bella asked.
"Oh! It was wonderful, Bella. I learned how to be dominant in the bedroom and I learned various knots for tying up Amar with." Amrita was just as excited as I was. "We never knew that you learned this type of thing in school."
Bella scratched her head. "Yeah, you can learn all sorts of things in school, I guess. I tried being dominant with Jasper once, but it didn't really work for me. I just couldn't get into it and I kept wanting to laugh."
"Sahil, we must purchase a St. Andrew's Cross. They sell them here and I need a leather flogger and a riding crop, as well. Char said they were required for home study."
"This is where you buy the stripper poles, you might as well grab them now and we'll figure out how to ship them to India," Jasper suggested.
"What is this St. Andrew's Cross, Jasper? Do you have one in your home?"
"Uh, no, Bella would kick the living shit out of me if I got one of those. She only likes a little mild bondage, you know the occasional spanking and stuff."
"What about you, Emmett?"
"Nope, but Katie and Garrett have one. Aw, heck, they have everything. Their entire bedroom is a playroom. You should check out their sex swing."
"Sahil, if their teacher is saying that the items are required for further home study, I think we should purchase them because we don't want to stunt their education," Amar said, wisely.
For some reason, our American friends were staring at us with odd expressions on their faces. Amar purchased two of everything plus three stripper poles, Emmett bought one stripper pole, and Charlotte gave Sahil, Amar, and Emmett each a gift bag.
"What is this?" Sahil asked.
"It's called a 'Luscious Lips Stroker'. It's a masturbation sleeve for your penis that supposedly simulates fellatio. Mike says they work great," Char explained.
"How come I don't get one?" Jasper complained.
"Your bride is Maharani Sucks A Lot, mine is Mistress Sucks Not. I need all the help I can get," my husband answered.
"That was mean. I should punish you," I said.
"That's the spirit—you're such a good student. You get an 'A' for today. On Wednesday, I'm teaching 'Lick Him Like An Ice Cream Cone' again. It's my most popular class."
"She will be there," Sahil replied immediately. I noticed he was beaming in pride when Charlotte mentioned that I would receive an 'A'.
"Rose will too," Emmett stated.
Rose looked angry. "I will not g..."
"Oh, I'm so excited that you're coming with us," Amrita said, hugging Rose. "School is so much fun. Bella was correct when she said that education was important, especially for women."
"Well, um, sure—why not."
"Perfect! Let me sign you three up now. Bella doesn't need the class, I think if she had a choice she'd just suck on Jasper's cock all day long. Oh, by the way, I dig the school girl outfits, you should tie your blouse under your tits like this, though, and maybe put your hair in pigtails. The knee socks are a nice touch, they'd look better if you paired them with platforms." Charlotte tied my shirt and Amrita's so that our navels were showing. "That's better."
Charlotte is turning out to be such a terrific friend. She is so open and she teaches us so many things about the American lifestyle. She even invited us to a party on Friday at her house. I'm so excited to go and I really, really enjoy American schools. I wonder what Amar and Sahil would think about me and Amrita studying abroad?
Saturday Night...
Peter's POV
We were hosting a party at my house for our new friends from India. Char got along fabulously with the women which, in turn, brought her closer to Rose. It was important to me that Charlotte be able to develop lifelong friendships so she wouldn't be lonely in the future. I knew that Jasper and Bella would always be with her and now, Rose and Emmett, too. Vicky and Riley, of course, were a given.
"Bella, Riley—I hired a photographer to take a family photo of the three of us. I thought it would be nice to have a portrait of just the Piper family bloodline."
"Pete, we have tons of photos of just the three of us," Bella protested. She hated having her picture taken. I can't understand why, my great-grandbaby is absolutely gorgeous, it's in the genes.
"Please, do it for me."
"I think it'll be cool, too. Let's do it. Can I have a copy too?" Riley said.
"Yeah, of course you can. I'm having one made for each of us." Actually I was having one made for each one of my homes. Big, huge poster sized ones.
My Bella was beautiful—she was the spitting image of my daughter Helen. She and Riley both had the same doe eyes. I have photos of my grandson Charlie and he had those same eyes. I asked Riley if he had brown eyes as a human and he confirmed that he did. We were able to obtain many photos of him from his university since he was a big football star there. He also had some photo albums containing pictures of him as a kid.
I couldn't seem to settle down at all today, tonight was big, but I didn't know why. I asked Alice if she saw anything and she said just bits and pieces, but nothing really concrete. "Do you have a weird feeling, Peter?"
"Yeah, I do," I confirmed.
The doorbell rang and I went to answer it. It was Eleazar and Carmen here for a short visit from Argentina. We all ran to give them hugs. When Bella hugged them, I noticed the scowl on Esme's face. That woman is going to have to get over her shit with Bella really quick because I'm getting tired of her bullshit—she has nothing to do with her troubles. She needs to get it through her fucking skull that Bella and Riley are my family and she can't do shit to change that—ever. Bella always got along well with Carmen and Eleazar, she respected both of them highly. She introduced her friends to them and we all settled into partying by the pool.
I'll tell you one thing, those Indian women sure are hot! God damn—they look beautiful in bikinis. They had waist long straight black hair and because they were naturally darker skinned, they looked like they were sporting tans. I took a picture of the two of them with Char in their bikinis and told them I wanted it for my mantel over the fireplace. They didn't suspect a thing. Garrett and Mike figured out what I was doing and soon most of the guys were snapping shots of the two of them with their mates. I asked Jasper why he wasn't taking pictures of the two women worthy of gracing the cover of Playboy or, better yet, a lesbo shot on the cover of Hustler. Jasper whispered that he had a picture of the two of them plus Bella and Rose swimming naked in Amar's bathing chambers and he gave a copy to Em, Amar, and Sahil. It was their little secret.
"Do me a favor. Photoshop Bella out and uh, send me a copy to my YodaLovesTatas email." I didn't feel like seeing my great granddaughter naked, but the other three—hell, yeah!
"Alright, but don't tell their mates I gave you a copy, okay?" Jasper whispered.
"My lips are sealed."
"Jasper, Peter. I need to talk to you both in private," Eleazar approached us.
"Uh, sure, we can go into Jasper and Bella's bedroom. It's completely soundproofed in there," I suggested.
"How come our bedroom is soundproofed?"
"Because I don't need to hear you getting off with Bella, that's why."
Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Ironically, that makes total sense."
We gathered into the room and closed the door. Eleazar started talking. "What the fuck is going on between Carlisle and Esme? I heard from Irina that they were separated, but they aren't even talking now. Carlisle has changed both his looks and his attitude and Esme has suddenly become completely uptight—not to mention the fact that she seems to be blaming Rose and Bella for everything. I nearly took her head off a few minutes ago."
"I'm glad you asked Uncle Eli," Jasper said. "Char revealed a frightening truth about them. She said that Carlisle and Esme's bond has disappeared. She sees nothing between them, only a black void. Sushmita, who you just met, reads souls and can see a little into the future; she saw absolutely no connection between them."
"I'll look into their gifts. I've already noticed several gifts have intensified in strength and gained new characteristics. You've gained more control over yours, Jasper, and I suspect that you can project further and for longer periods of time. Bella has complete control over her shield now."
"I know you're in there, can I come in?" It was Alice. We opened the door for her. She came inside and we shut the door. "It's about Bella and Esme. Bella's no longer shielding her. Edward can hear her clearly and I can get clear visions of her as long as it doesn't directly involve any of you. I think Esme has completely driven Bella away if she doesn't care enough to shield her."
"Okay, someone needs to give me an update on Bella, Rose, and Esme's situation because clearly something big has happened there." Eleazar looked to us for answers.
Alice spoke. "It's Esme's fault. She's not handling her and Carlisle's separation well and she can't stand the fact that Bella and Rose don't need her so she keeps snapping at them and taking things out on them. She also hates the fact that they prefer Carlisle over her, it's immature when you think about it. It's driving all of us nuts in Westport—all she does is bitch and complain about Bella and Rose. Bella and Rose took her sons away, Jasper and Emmett would still be living in her house if it weren't for Bella and Rose, Carlisle wouldn't have had a midlife crisis if Bella and Rose were more obedient, the list goes on and on—each reason being more farfetched than the other. On top of that, Bella and Irina both handed Esme her ass last weekend. In fact, Irina and Laurent have moved out of her house and into their own apartment above Laurent's fitness studio. I'm not kidding—this is all spiraling out of control. I'm not too worried about Bella or Rose, it's Riley I'm worried about. Each time Esme bitches about Bella, you can see his face contort in anger, I think he's going to blow up soon."
"What does Carlisle say about all of this?"
"He's pretty much removed from the situation. The last time Carlisle talked to her was during the middle of the week and they got into a shouting match over the phone about his infidelity. It ended with Esme screaming that he's probably fucking both Bella and Rose and he might as well admit it now. That actually pissed every single one of us off because we all know that there's not even a remote possibility of that ever, ever happening."
"Are you fucking with me, Alice?" Jasper asked with gritted teeth. "How the hell could she say that about Bella and Rose and even about Carlisle?"
Frankly, I was about to rip Esme's head off. This shit had to stop. I had never been so enraged in my life. I felt like...
"Jasper, stop projecting!" Eleazar, Alice, and I yelled out simultaneously. We looked out of the window and Carlisle and Esme were at odds with each other again and everyone else looked absolutely feral.
While Alice and I worked on calming Jasper down, Eleazar opened the window and yelled, "Isabella, shield!" Bella nodded and threw her shield up immediately. "Charlotte and Sushmita, may I see you upstairs?"
My wife and her friend nodded to Eleazar and were knocking on the door in a snap. I wonder what Eleazar needed to see them about. He closed the window and sat down on the floor where we all joined him.
Eleazar looked intently at Charlotte then closed his eyes in intense concentration. "Your power has intensified, little one. You can now see the types of bonds between people and their intensity as well. You can see who people are loyal to and to what degree. Let me ask you this, in the case of Riley, if push came to shove and he could only protect either Bella or Esme—who would he save?"
"Bella, unequivocally. She may be his sister by blood, but he is protective of her like a father."
"Okay, now—I want you to think about Esme. Go in order of her children—don't count any of mine, which ones would she sacrifice first?"
Charlotte was pensive. She nodded, then started listing off Esme's sacrificial lambs, " Amanda, Mike, Peter, Me, Alice, Edward, Emmett, Vicky, Jasper, then Riley."
"I noticed you didn't mention Bella or Rose."
"She no longer sees them as her children. Her bond to them has disappeared."
"What about Carlisle? What are his ties with everyone?"
"He is our brother. His bond to us is the same as his bond to you. To Bella and Rose, however, the familial ties are as strong as Peter's to Bella. He is, for all intents and purposes, their father. They look at him the same way."
"Now, it was mentioned that you see ties breaking. Explain."
"Well, it started after Peter and I got back together after separating. I noticed Bella and Jasper's bond loosening, they're mating bond never disappeared, though. When Amber showed up to wreak havoc, Bella's bond with Jasper was held together with a thin thread while Jasper's remained strong. I think if Jasper's bond weakened—the mating bond might have disappeared altogether. In Carlisle and Esme's case, they're bond was never very strong. It weakened gradually. Before moving to this area, when you suggested that they follow Carmen and your lead and live separately from the kids for a few years and Esme refused to listen, that's when Carlisle's bond started weakening considerably. After we moved to this area, Esme's bond started loosening with him when he quit his job and stood his ground that we were all grown adults and no longer needed parental guidance. When Esme and Carlisle separated, their threads started weakening at a faster pace until it ultimately disappeared."
"Interesting, Charlotte. I must say that I'm impressed. I hope you're aware that you are now more powerful than Marcus Volturi."
Char gasped. So did Alice, Jasper, and I. "H...h...how?"
"You, sweetheart, can see bonds strengthening and weakening while Marcus cannot. If your gift were combined with someone like Chelsea who can make and break bonds, you would be a power to be reckoned with. You have the added benefit of knowing that it's possible for a mating bond to break. This is something that even I had no knowledge of. You must take care and always stay under the radar of the Volturi—your gift will be one that is coveted and you will be under lifelong servitude to them were they ever to find out about your abilities."
"Excuse me. Who are the Volturi?" Sushmita asked.
"I'm sorry, darlin', I didn't realize that you had no idea who they were. You've been so secluded from our world that you've probably never been taught." Jasper turned to Eleazar then. "Sushmita, Sahil, Amar, and Amrita were turned in 1608 by a rogue vampire who just left them to change after killing off all of the villagers, staff, and family in Amar's maharajadom. They ran into a nomadic couple in 1720 who finally explained that they were vampires to them and they remained in seclusion, for the most part, until Amar spotted Bella and Rose hunting on his grounds eight years ago."
"Fascinating. My dear, I think it best if we explain who the Volturi are to the four of you together. We'll do so later this evening. For now, though, I'd like to analyze your gift, if I may."
"Please do, I'm very curious about it myself. I can read people's souls—past and present, and read a little into their futures."
Eleazar focused his concentration on Sushmita. "Use your gift on me, young one. What do you see in my soul."
"You are very wise. In your past, you have witnessed everything from violence to treachery to deceit to ultimate happiness. You spent years in servitude, yet when you were released you found tranquility in your life. Your mate is your life—she gives you internal peace just as you do for her. You are respected by many and a father figure to those who know you. In five to six years, a demon from Jasper, Peter, and Victoria's past will try to tear your soul apart, however, like Jasper—your soul is secure and you will not waver. The salvation of this family rests on Bella conquering the demon—her soul must be kept free and clear. I have confidence that it'll stay clean, though."
We all stared at her stock still. I wanted to keep this shit from Jasper, but he didn't seem surprised at all. It's almost as if he knew about it. Jasper grabbed Sushmita and placed her on his lap to comfort her. He ran his fingers through her hair and allowed her to lean into him. I knew he looked upon the vampires from India as family, I just never realized how close they all were. A thought popped into my brain and it told me that Char and I would become a part of their family as well. Well, that's kind of nice.
"My dear, you are more powerful than you realize. Yes, you can read people's souls, but you can also read clearly into the futures of those you know as it relates to their souls. I think that you weren't able to recognize that part of your gift because you lived in seclusion for so long—it was dormant, so to speak. Your gift works very well in conjunction with the powers of those in this room with you—especially with Charlotte's bond reading." Eleazar paused. "Now tell me, how do you feel about me training you to use your gift. Being around this many people, I believe you are quite overwhelmed by it at this point because you are carrying everyone's souls within yourself. If I trained you, you would feel a lot less anxiety than you're feeling now. You'll need everyone's assistance, including Jasper's empathy for calm and peace, as well as Bella's shield to help you separate souls. You'll also need Charlotte, Alice, and Peter for confirmation of what you read and see."
"I would like that, but I would have to consult with my mate."
"I'll speak to him. I believe this is critical to your well being. I'm going to assume that the four of you haven't been trained to fight in the vampire way, have you?"
"I didn't know there was a way and, in any case, Amrita and I were changed four hundred years ago when women were trained for one thing and one thing alone—marriage. We'd never met women as strong and as independent as Bella and Rose."
"I understand, I lived through that time myself. It was the same way everywhere for women, my dear. You were raised to be docile, obedient, and subservient—not to fight. I'll speak to your mate about how vital it is for your well-being that you be trained."
I could see Eleazar's point. Sushmita needed to be trained and fast. Her soul was already overburdened and her gift was working at full tilt. My gift, which was also going into high gear decided to work again. I decided to share my new knowledge with everyone. "Charlotte, Jasper, and I can train them to physically fight next summer when we visit them in India. We still have time. Sush needs to learn to control her gift immediately, though. If not, she'll return home with her gift still in overdrive."
"I agree, Peter, and you will train alongside her. You must learn to get a handle on your gift, as well. It's time you learned because between you and Sushmita—my body has been vibrating with the knowledge that your gifts are in operation. It can become quite uncomfortable, you know."
Well, heck, I didn't know he knew when our gifts were working. Damn. Now I feel bad. "Does your body vibrate whenever someone uses their power?"
"Yes it does, I get a tingling feeling, but when multiple powers are at work at once or when a power is working at full capacity, it actually starts to feel like needles pricking at my body. Speaking of needles, I saw that Carlisle pierced his ear. How did he do it and why?"
"Titanium needle and as for why, you'll have to ask him," Jasper stated.
We walked downstairs to join the party. Things were in full swing again. We all approached Amar and Sahil immediately regarding allowing Sushmita to stay and train. Surprisingly, they agreed without reservation. "I will allow Sushmita to stay because it is for her well being. If Amar agrees, I would prefer it if Amrita is permitted to stay with her."
"I would ask the same of you, my brother, if the situation were reversed. Of course, Amrita can stay. If we were able to, Sahil and I would stay, but we are approaching harvest time so we must return next week."
Esme, who was eavesdropping decided to pipe in, then. "They can stay at my house. I would love to welcome two new daughters into my family."
"I'm sorry, I would feel much safer if they were in Jasper's care."
"Why? We have more men and women in my home that would be able to look after your mates. On top of that a daughter needs a mother's love."
"Madam, I believe you're overstepping your boundaries. I do not, nor will I ever, look upon you as my mother. Sushmita and I will be staying with Jasper and Bella. We are comfortable with them, they are our brother and sister, our mates trust them both implicitly. Now, I would appreciate if you would mind your own business and let us organize the details of our stay in private." Amrita was angry and decided to make her opinion known—she sounded like the Maharani that she truly was at that moment.
"Bella is incapable of taking care of anyone, she's but a child herself."
"Esme, she may be young in vampire years, but she's certainly not a child. She's proven herself to be much more mature than you are." Esme was shocked at Eleazar's not so subtle jab at her.
"Eli, you too. You're just like Carlisle! Always siding with Bella! She's taking every one of my children away from me! First Jasper, then Rose and Emmett, and now Carlisle is gone!"
Oh shit! This was it, this is the big thing that was coming. My feral great-grandson started screaming at Esme. "Where the fuck do you get off blaming Bella for everything? You're the one that's causing this family to split apart by not taking responsibility for your part in the destruction of your marriage. Get it through your thick skull woman—my sister is not responsible for you and Carlisle's lack of communication! You know something! You're all flipping nuts! All of you! I have a bigger fucking caseload working with my family than I did when I was working as a psychologist. You're all god damned tapped! My own family has more mental disorders than any I know. What the fuck? Is it a requirement to change only fucked up people or is it only our family because I noticed that the Desai's and the Denali's are fine. The Piper's are fine, too. You Cullens are all fucked in the head. I need to invent some kind of vampire grade anti-depressant slash anti-psychosis drug because this family is way too fucked up!" Riley lost his shit. Alice was right, he was a ticking time bomb. He downed two bottles of Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. "I'm leaving! Don't fucking follow me. Vicky, handle Esme—make sure she doesn't say one more thing about Bella or I swear to God I'll come back and rip her head off. I'll be back in time for work on Monday. Bells! You're coming with me! I don't want you near that woman at all!" Bella threw some shorts and a tank top on over her bikini and rushed to her brother's side. Rose threw her purse to her while Jasper mouthed for her to call him. She nodded and took after Riley with a wink.
"Riley! Riley! I'm sorry!" Esme called after him, but he and Bella were already gone. "Why? Why does Bella always take my children away from me!"
"Esme! Get it through your motherfucking head, Riley and Bella are my family. My blood ran through their veins when they were human, not yours! They're my family and there ain't jack shit you can do to change that. My DNA is a part of their DNA. I protect what's mine and if you say or do one more thing to hurt either one of my grandkids, I have no problem turning you into ash!" I'd had it with this crazy woman.
"Let's have a chat Esme—in private," Victoria said, in a sickly sweet voice. She was going to use the master's bite to control Esme so that she no longer said anything about Bella again.
"Um, you may as well include Rose in the mix while you're at it, Lieutenant," I whispered. Vicky winked that she understood.
"Well, now that the psychotic woman is gone, I trust you understand that I prefer that Sushmita and Amrita are never in her presence," Sahil said to Jasper.
"Trust me, I understand. I'll be keeping Bella away from her as well. We'll talk about the girls' extended stay later at home. You have my word that I'll guard them with my life and I'll see them home safely to you."
Amar and Sahil acknowledged Jasper with a nod before going back to enjoy the party. I settled into a lounge chair with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Charlotte cuddled into my lap with her head on my chest.
"They'll be okay, Peter. If anyone can keep Riley from going nuts, it'll be Bella."
I put my arms around Charlotte and kissed the top of her head-thankful that I had at least her to keep me from going insane with worry these next two days.
I'm thinking Vicky needs to stay away from the tequila or can it even be called that if it's made in Altoona? Amrita and Sushmita got to experience school with Charlotte as their teacher, fun! Riley finally flipped his lid-who could blame him with his full caseload just living with his nutty family. Lots and lots of revelations this chapter, let me know what you think. I promise to reply.