Chapter Ten
It took him a moment, I think, before he believed I wasn't gonna really bother him. I couldn't blame him. Some kid walking right up to me would freak me out too, but I had to admit. That's why I did it.
"Hi." I greeted, and he smiled a little.
"Hi." He replied, "Can I help you?"
"No." I answered, "Just curious." He laughed a little, but frowned in confusion.
He was really interesting to me. Almost like I couldn't wait for him to say something, just so I could do my best to confuse him even more. I could definitely see why my dad didn't want me knowing about them until I had to.
"Um.. Do you live around here?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"Nope." I muttered, sliding my hands in my pockets.
"Then where are your parents?"
"I don't have any." I replied simply, and he frowned even more. Giving another look up and down the street. As if looking for some form of proof that I was full of shit.
"You've got to have parents."
"Well, I did at some point." I rolled my eyes, "Otherwise I wouldn't be standing here." He laughed at that one. At least he seemed to get my sense of humor.
"Where'd you come from?"
"Across the street right over there." I gestured over toward my hiding spot, "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He replied.
"Why do you do that?" I pointed at his cigarette. He looked to it as well, laughing a little to himself.
"Because I'm really stupid." He chuckled, "Don't you ever start this."
"No problem there." I muttered, eyeing it with a small frown. His laughter faded slowly, and we stood there in silence for a moment. I gave a glance around. Knowing he was probably still a little confused, and that confusion made him nervous, I stayed right where I was. As much as humans were fun to play with, I didn't really want to bother this one too much. I was just having a bit of fun.
Leandra hadn't been kidding when she mentioned that there were strong genes in my family. Meaning, there were many of the same features I had that Josh had, despite us being cousins.
I wasn't sure what I was waiting for. Maybe for him to see passed the darkness that surrounded my features to see a resemblence, but I knew humans probably had issues seeing in such darkness. The closest streetlight was quite a distance behind me, and there was no light to really see me by.
I wondered if he was still nervous, but given the way his heartbeat had slowed to a more normal pace, I figured he wasn't.
After about a minute of standing in silence, he spoke up again.
"Look." He said, and I looked to him, "I don't know where you came from, or what you're doing wandering around this time of night, but you really shouldn't just walk right up to strangers like this."
"Why not?" I asked innocently, "Am I bothering you?" I knew full well why not, but I wanted to mess with his head a little more. Doing my best to hide my smile. Seeming to him genuinely curious.
"I- Uh. No, you're not bothering me, but.. Well.." He seemed at a loss of what to say, "Well, I mean.. It's not safe. Usually."
"Why not?" I asked again.
"Uh.." He gave a little shrug, "Well, it's just not, okay?"
"Why isn't it safe?"
"Ask your parents, kid."
"I don't have any." I replied simply, "So how can I ask them?"
"Cute." He muttered, "I wouldn't ever bother you, but I just want you to be careful, okay?"
"Okay." I shrugged also. I felt a little bad for mixing him up so much, but I had to keep going, "Your name's Josh, right?"
"How'd you know?" He asked, surprised again.
"Lucky guess." I smiled, and he finally seemed to get creeped out. He gave yet another glance around, but didn't say much for about a minute or so. Until he suddenly seemed to understand.
"Hold on." He muttered, turning for the door. Pulling open the screen door, and pushing open the front door, he called into the house, "Mom? Can you come out here for a second?" He must have assumed I knew her.
I obediently waited, biting my lip as I listened to two others approaching the front door from inside the house. I blinked, surprised a little as the porch light was turned on, not expecting it. Seconds later, an older woman stood in the doorway, slowly stepping outside. A girl following her out.
The woman's hair was a darker brown, but peppered very slightly with gray, pulled back into a long braid. Had it not been lightened by the gray, it would have matched my hair color. I recognized the blue of her eyes as my own. I took it that this woman was Heather, my dad's sister.
"Is this her?" Josh asked her, and her eyes found me. I offered a small, nervous smile as she slowly descended the first porch step.
"She certainly looks like him." She answered quietly.
"What's your name?" Josh asked me.
"Again with names." I sighed, puffing a strand of hair from my face, "My name's Avery Alexis, but I go by my middle name. Alex."
"It is her." Heather confirmed with a smile, "Did your dad send you here?"
"Yeah." I eventually admitted with a quiet sigh. I hated thinking about him. It bothered me to consider him already gone, but I had no choice. I wasn't going to let myself stay hooked on him when I had my own life ahead of me to consider. I was just here to see anyway.
"So I'm assuming you know who I am?" I nodded at her question, "Is he near by?"
"I know everyone." I replied simply, and she widened her smile, "And no. He's.. He's not coming. I came here on my own."
"Come inside, honey." She offered, and though I did hesitate, I knew I'd eventually wander inside out of pure curiosity anyway. That seemed to be a pattern of mine. Might as well give in now.
I nodded a little, and started forward. I stood beside the girl on the porch for a moment. She studied me, I studied her. We were about the same age physically, but I was a little taller than her. Same colored hair, but her eyes were a paler colored blue than mine were. Boring.
She turned first, walking inside ahead of me. Josh followed me, and Heather followed him. They seemed excited suddenly, and as confused as that made me, I couldn't help thinking it was because I was here.
"Hunter." Josh called up the stairs, "Get down here, butt head."
I was ushered into the living area, to find the girl sitting next to an older man in a chair, looking to me almost expectantly.
"Well, this must be her." The older man was someone I hadn't expected, so I was a little confused as he stood up with a smile. Who the hell was this? I knew Heather, and Josh. I recognized Hunter's name, but nobody had mentioned this guy. He offered his giant hand, "Name's Mike."
I assumed by his age that he was Heather's husband. Josh and Zack's father. But who the fuck was the girl?
"Alex." I mumbled, placing my hand in his. I knew if I had to, I could drop kick him out the fucking window, but I didn't want to have to do that. He seemed perfectly nice so far.
"I'm Heather." She was obviously just trying to be polite, and officially introduce herself. I appreciated it. It made me feel less awkward.
I nodded a little, "That's Josh, Hunter's taking forever to come downstairs, but where's Zack?"
"Hunter always takes forever to come downstairs." The girl rolled her eyes, just the same way I'd done only minutes before.
"Zack's at work until ten." Josh answered, "He'll be here, though."
"Oh," Heather laughed a little, "Please. Sit." I laughed a little at how mixed up she seemed to be and slowly sat in the open spot on the couch. Heather spoke up again, "Alex, this is Lizzie. My baby." I looked to the girl, who seemed to be the only one who didn't trust or like me right away.
"Hi." She greeted quietly, which I returned.
"Fast friends already." Mike chuckled. A series of thumping noises from up the stairs told me Hunter was on his way. Hunter, being related to me through my dad, was closer related to me than any one else. Even if he probably didn't remember it.
I heard him jump off the stairs, giving a quick, "Hi" as he passed the living room doorway, headed for the kitchen. Curious, I immediately jumped up and followed him. He was older than I expected him to be. Or rather, more mature. Given the time frame Leandra had mentioned, he was about four when she had to leave him, but ten years had passed since then, which made him about fourteen, but he definitely looked older.
"Hunter, get back here." Heather wasn't pleased, given the sound of her voice. He was digging in the fridge by the time I found him, Heather right behind me. She huffed, "Hunter."
He poked his head up, holding a brownie in his mouth. He looked to her first, before his eyes found me.
"Remember earlier, when I mentioned someone might be coming by to visit?" Heather prompted, which got him moving again. He replaced the plate of brownies into the fridge, and closed the door. Heather continued, "This is her."
"Cool." He muttered as he took the brownie from his mouth.
"Pay attention, butt-head." Josh muttered from behind Heather, "This is Alex. Jack's daughter."
"Jack?" That got his attention, "My dad Jack?" Hearing more than one word from him, I could definitely hear how alike he sounded to my dad.
"That'd be the one."
"You remember him?" I asked, confused.
"Not really." He replied, "But I've been told about him."
"Can I have one of those?" I asked, and he glanced down at his brownie.
"Oh," He laughed, "Sure." He even had dad's laugh. It was amazing.
To my surprise, everyone else joined us in the kitchen. Lizzie sat nearest her dad at the table, Josh stood beside his mom. Hunter took the open seat beside me, while I picked off pieces of a brownie.
"You look a lot like him." I had to point out to Hunter once everyone was settled, "A lot."
He laughed again, "I've been told. You look like me, so I'm assuming you look like him too."
"He says I'm a lot like him in more than just looks." I admitted, looking down.
"Did he raise you?" Hunter asked, and I nodded a little, "That'd be why."
"Where is he now, sweetie?" Heather asked from across the kitchen. I hesitated, "He mentioned he was in some trouble?"
"Big trouble." I mumbled, "But it's his own stupid fault."
"Trouble that could follow you here?" Mike asked, obviously being cautious.
"No." I answered confidently, "Nah, don't worry about that. I'm not the one in trouble. I've been told that over and over."
"So he sent you here?" Josh asked, and I sighed.
"He suggested this place." I clarified, "He said it was up to me what I did, but I knew he'd want me here."
"Mom?" I looked back, a new voice calling from the front door.
"In here, honey." She called back with a small smile.
I heard him sigh, "Whatever this was really couldn't have waited until tomorrow? Work was insane." The metallic sound of metal hitting the table near the door echoed a little, telling me he'd tossed his keys down. That must have been Zack.
"Just get in here." Josh called back, "Come meet her."
"Who?" I could hear the frown in his voice as he headed toward us, "I swear, Josh, if this is another blind date-"
"Not even close." Josh laughed in return, grinning at me. I had to laugh a little. He arrived in the doorway, looking around the room until he found the only new face here. He seemed surprised, looking to Heather.
This was Zack, clearly. Younger than Josh, but not by much. Subtle differences, like longer hair and a little smaller of a nose separated the two. Anyone looking would have to look close to notice any big differences. There was a bigger difference in the pictures Leandra showed me. Not anymore.
I stood up, "I'm Alex."
"Zack." He replied, taking my offered hand, "Sorry, but who are you?"
"I guess I'm your cousin." I answered, and he looked to Heather again.
"Jack's daughter." She explained quietly.
"Yeah." He muttered, probably understanding now, "I knew you looked familiar." I laughed a little, sitting back down.
"You all look so different from the pictures." I admitted.
"Pictures?" Hunter asked, sliding the plate of brownies closer to himself. I nodded a little.
"I've seen pictures of you guys." I explained, "From apparently a long time ago."
"I didn't know Jack had pictures of us." Zack chuckled, shedding his jacket, "It's been so long since we've seen him."
"Not him." I hesitated as I realized that we needed to change the subject, "Uh.."
"Who then?" Zack asked, confused. I had a feeling I'd just stepped in it.
"Well.." Mike spoke up, "I guess our family just keeps getting bigger, doesn't it? Still no grandkids yet, though." I appreciated the way he seemed to know that I needed the subject changed by my silence.
"I'm working on it, dad." Josh chuckled, "One step at a time, thanks for the pressure."
"Lay off of him." Heather laughed, scolding Mike, "He's only twenty-six. Still a baby." She patted his cheek and he laughed again, shaking his head.
"Is this a normal thing?" I asked, looking to Hunter.
"Unfortunately." He grumbled back, and I laughed, "I hope she doesn't do that to me when I'm older."
"I do that to you now, boy." She'd caught that, "You're never too old to be babied by mom." He looked to me with 'Help Me' written all over his face, and I stifled my laugh into my brownie.
How was I already so comfortable around these people? These people, these humans I'd only just met? Maybe it was subconsciously keeping in mind that I was related to them.
Heather sighed, looking to me again, "Jack told me not to get my hopes up, but I honestly hoped you come. You're welcome to stay."
That reminded me.
"He.." I paused, "Did he show up here? You saw him?" He had to be a lot different from what she remembered of him.
"No." She replied, "I only spoke to him over the phone. I'll tell you, it was such a surprise. Hearing from him after so long."
"What.. All did he say?" I had to ask. I needed to know.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"About me?" I clarified, "Did he mention anything specific about me?"
She looked down, "He did mention a few things." Given her change in tone, she was nervous now. I was assuming he told her the truth, until she spoke again, "He mentioned that he was in some trouble, and needed a place to send you. He was very adamant about that, too. Stressing how important it was for you to be safe."
"Oh." I mumbled.
"And I told him. I said that you'd always be welcome here, because you're family." She continued, "I told him off for running out on Hunter, but he never did give me a reason why. He asked about the kids, and how they were, so I updated him." I nodded a little.
She paused for a moment, "Is there something specific we need to know?"
"Uhm.." Besides the fact that I'm half-vampire, and was raised to feed on humans? "Maybe one little thing, but that can wait."
She sighed, "My brother can be such an air-head. No offense to you, sweetheart, but I sincerely hope he's done making babies, and he's learned that parenting just isn't his forte."
"He's well aware of that." I admitted, looking down, "He just mentioned that, actually."
"In case he hasn't noticed, I'm getting up there in age, and I don't want to be eighty before the last kid leaves the house." She continued, "I can't keep taking them in."
"I can't blame you." I said, "Kids are a pain."
She laughed, "It's not that. I love children. I'm just getting worn out."
"Well, don't worry." I replied, "You don't have to take me in. I do pretty well on my own."
"Is this normal?" She frowned, "I mean, does he leave you alone often?"
"No, not really." I answered honestly, "Actually, not ever until last week."
"Honey, you're more than welcome to stay here." She repeated her earlier words, "For as long as you need to."
"That's nice of you, but I don't want to bother." I replied, "I just came for a look, I guess."
"At least stay the night." Josh offered, "I really hate to think about you out there all on your own."
"You really shouldn't underestimate me." I laughed a little.
"It's no bother." Heather told me, "I promise." I stayed quiet, honestly considering it, until taking a breath, Heather pushed away from the counter.
"Would you like me to show you the guest room?" She asked, and I hesitated again. Everyone seemed so hopeful, and it reminded me a lot of Leandra and her family, but it was a whole lot harder to tell these ones no.
"Sure." I finally muttered, standing up as well, "Why not?"
"That's the spirit." Mike chuckled.
She only then seemed to realize, "He sent you all this way with no clothes or anything?"
"I'm fine." I laughed a little, "My clothes stay pretty clean."
"Shopping tomorrow?" Lizzie perked up, more alive than I'd seen her all night, "We can take her shopping tomorrow. Come on, momma. Please?"
"We'll see." Heather replied, "For now, though, it's about time for bed, so pass out your kisses. Go on up, and I'll be in to tuck you in in a minute." She whined, but stood up.
She went to Josh first, hugging his side as he kissed her head. Zack was next, giving her a light kiss on her cheek, and with a quiet, "Goodnight, daddy." She kissed Mike's cheek, and left the kitchen. I frowned.
"She forgot Hunter." I muttered.
"That's usual." Josh laughed, "I guess they're too close in age to really be that close." Hunter himself stood up with a laugh as well.
"I'm going to bed." He announced, "Gotta finish the backyard tomorrow."
"Thank you for remembering." Mike told him gratefully. Despite his obvious embarrassment, Mike hugged Hunter on his way by, "Goodnight, son."
It was strange, seeing these exchanges. I'd never seen anything like this before, and I was instantly fascinated. I knew of the concept of family, as I'd been learning all about it lately, but this was different. In a way, it was closer than what I'd witnessed of Carlisle's coven. They were a close-knit coven. This was family.
I was led up the stairs, and we came to Lizzie's room, the first door on the right in the hall.
"I'll be right back. I'll just be a minute." She told me, and I nodded. Letting her know I was willing to wait.
Lizzie finished stacking books on her desk in the corner as Heather stepped in. What brief look around I got, her room was pretty big. Pastel pink walls, white wood furniture, and pictures on the walls. Typical little girl's room.
I watched, confused by the term 'tuck in', and I wanted to see it. Lizzie crawled up onto her bed, Heather holding the blanket up for her. Bringing it over her as she settled into place. Leaning down, she kissed her cheek before tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Goodnight, mom." Lizzie told her quietly, "I love you."
"Sweet dreams, baby." She kissed her forehead now, patting the blanket over her stomach gently, "I love you more."
Lizzie laughed a little before turning over. Heather reached over, turning off the bedside lamp, and turning for the door.
Was that what having a mother was like? Seeing the exchanges and emotions for myself, between a mother and her daughter, it was much stronger than what Leandra had described. She met me back out in the hall, giving me a small smile, and we continued on.
She paused outside Hunter's room next, poking her head in his partially open door.
"Goodnight, Mister." She told him, and he laughed.
"Night, mom." He replied, "Love you."
"Love you more." I was beginning to notice a pattern, "Clean this room tomorrow." A grumbled response was all I heard and she laughed a little.
She led me to the room just beside Hunter's and opened the door for me. It was a rather plain room, but I wasn't complaining. I actually was pretty tired at that point.
"I'll be right back with something for you to wear, okay?" I frowned.
"It's okay." I told her before she could leave, "I'm fine with this."
"That can't be comfortable." She murmured, "Do you do that a lot? Sleep in your clothes?"
"All the time." Was that not normal? "I never knew when we'd have to go somewhere. Just easier."
She sighed, shook her head and led me into the room.
"The bathroom is right across the hall, and our room is just to the left of that, in case you need anything later." I nodded a little as I sat on the side of the bed. She hesitated in the doorway, watching me. I slowly let my fingers trail over the smooth comforter. It was soft, puffy.
"Honey, can I ask you something?" She asked, and I looked up.
"Sure." I shrugged a little.
"It's about your dad." She informed me, and I sighed.
"I think I already know what you want to ask, but no." I mumbled, "He wasn't that bad to me. You're not the first person to wonder, and I know how bad he was to Leandra, but it wasn't like that for me."
She slowly stepped in and sat beside me, "How do you know about Leandra?"
"He told me about her." I replied instantly. Even knowing I'd messed up, I was still sometimes good at covering my ass. Lying so easily, nobody would ever doubt it. Partial truths and white lies. I was beginning to see just how much of my dad's personality I truly had.
She nodded a little, looking down.
"I can't believe he'd admit to it like that." She murmured. She sighed, "Well, Leandra was someone.. Very dear to me."
"Really?" I asked, looking up at her.
"It wasn't just her." She replied, "It was everything she stood for. I admired that girl so much. She was so strong, just for continuing on. Her will to keep going was something I've never seen before. Especially after enduring all she did. I still think about her all the time."
I made a mental note to tell her about that.
"She died." She continued, "About ten years ago now, but it still feels like yesterday. What I'm getting at is this. Your dad.. He didn't make her life easy, and knowing he's had his own daughter for.. What? Eleven years now? Twelve?" Try five. "I just know how he can be. I'm only concerned for you."
"You don't have to be." I told her, "He'd never hurt me like that."
"Okay." She sighed, "I'm always here to talk if you need to." I nodded a little, appreciating that. She hesitated, "Can I ask you one more thing?"
"Sure." I didn't mind her questions.
"You mentioned before you'd seen photos." She murmured, "But not from Jack." I looked down. It might just be easier to tell the truth.
However, if I told her the truth, she'd never believe me. She'd spent her entire life probably none the wiser when it came to our kind, but nobody had thought to fill her in. Well, I decided to try to change that.
"You'll never believe me." I muttered, and she looked to me.
"Try me." She urged quietly.
"Leandra showed me." I admitted, and she sat in silence for a moment. I couldn't read her expression, but guessed it was something between surprise and nervous curiosity. I gave her a moment, letting her get her mind around it.
"That's not possible." She eventually shook her head.
"It's not possible to you, because you don't know everything there is to know, but if I were to try to explain it, I know it'd just confuse you." I told her, "You'd never believe my explanation, because it'll go against everything you know, but it was her. Leandra showed me."
"She-"
"She didn't die." I insisted, "She's just as alive as you are. Well, sort of."
"I attended her funeral."
"Did you ever see a body?" I asked, and she fell silent again, "You went to her funeral, but she didn't."
"But.." She was so lost, "Then how? Why?"
"It's a long story." I murmured, "But I can try to explain it if you can keep an open mind, and not automatically assume I'm crazy. I can even prove what explanation I can give."
"I'll try." She murmured, giving a nod.
"Well.." I sighed, "Ten years ago-"
"Mom?" Josh showed up in the doorway, "Is everything okay up here?" Wow. I didn't even hear him coming.
"Come on in, honey." She told him, "And close the door. I think you should hear this too." He did as she asked, frowning in confusion. I hesitated, until she spoke to him again, "Alex is going to explain something, but please save your questions until she's done."
"Sure." He replied, keeping his frown, "What are we talking about?"
"Leandra." I answered, and instantly got his full attention.
"How do you-"
"Ah, ah." I corrected, pointing at him, "Questions."
He fell quiet, looking at me with almost desperate blue eyes. I couldn't blame him. If Leandra meant half as much to him as he did to her, I was doing her a favor.
"Here goes nothing." I took a breath, "Ten years ago, she never died. She came real close, it's true, but.. Carlisle saved her." I hesitated for a few seconds, before I continued, "He turned her."
"Turned her?" Josh completely forgot about saving his questions, "Into what?"
"A vampire." I replied simply, and I got stared at in return, "Now, remember what I said about not assuming I'm crazy.."
"That's a little hard to do." Josh admitted with a quiet scoff.
"Good thing I can prove it." I countered, "But I'll finish explaining about Leandra first. When she nearly died, Carlisle didn't want to let her go. So he bit her, starting the transformation, but because she was a newborn, or newly turned vampire, she couldn't be around humans anymore. For your own safety and for your own closure, they told you she didn't make it."
"You're telling me.." Josh slowly stepped forward, "Leandra is still alive out there somewhere?" I nodded, "That's not possible. Vampires aren't real."
"I find that offensive." I muttered, narrowing my eyes a little.
"What?" He chuckled, "You're one?"
"Half." I replied, "I'm half vampire."
"Okay." He shook his head, turning for the door. I sighed, letting him get halfway there before darting forward and meeting him there, blocking his advance by leaning back against the door. Heather's soft yelp of surprise sounded just as he stopped mid-step, nearly falling over. Startled into stumbling a step back.
"H-How.. Did you..?"
"We're fast." I explained, "And very strong. Now, can I continue?" Silently, he nodded, "Thank you."
"You said.." Heather muttered, "She couldn't be around humans anymore?"
"Not for good." I replied, "Just until she learned how to control her instinct to feed on them. She was a danger to you, so she had no choice but to tell you she died. In an attempt to allow you all to live a normal life. Normal, of course, meaning without knowing about us."
"Then I want to see her." Josh stated, crossing his arms.
"There are a few things you should know before you make that decision." I said, "She's still fourteen. She never aged once she was done being turned."
"Never?" Heather asked.
"Not a minute older." I replied, "Vampires don't age. They don't change. They're frozen at the age and where they were when they were bitten." Josh nodded a little, understanding, "And she's good at control now, but I'm not too sure how pissed she's going to be at me for telling you."
"How can someone be half vampire?" Josh asked, confused.
"I was born." I replied, "Not turned. There's a huge difference."
"Which half are you?" I could finally see why he was so intently interested.
I sighed, "Remember what I said about vampires not changing? They can't physically get pregnant. My mother had to be human to get pregnant with me."
Silence as Josh looked to Heather, surprised.
"Yes." I finally answered, "My dad is, or was, a vampire. He was turned about thirteen years ago. That's why he had to leave Hunter, and that's why you haven't heard from him in so long. He couldn't risk you all that way, because you mean so much to him."
"That can't be possible." Heather was back to denying it.
"I know it's hard to believe, but.." I sighed, "He was lonely, I guess, so he found a human female and together, they made me. My birth was a rather.. Devastating affair, and needless to say, she didn't make it, but I've been with him my entire life."
"You said vampires don't age." Josh pointed out, "Yet you were born?"
"Human-vampire hybrids, like me, do age. We have to grow up, and mature before we stop aging. Except it happens much faster than a human ages. I've been alive just over five years." I paused, "I look more human than vampire, but that's probably just to help me blend in better. Full vampires have red or crimson eyes, but because of my human half, I have blue."
"Red eyes?" Heather asked.
"Red eyes mean they feed on human blood." I smiled a little sheepishly as she paled a little, "But don't worry. You're all safe."
"This is so hard to believe." He admitted, shaking his head.
"Do I have to lift you over my head before you'll believe me?" He snorted at that question. Obviously doubting.
"I weigh almost one-eighty." All in height and muscle, clearly, "There's no way someone like you can-"
I cut him off by doing just that. Crossing to his side, and lifting him up easily, and despite my size, I managed to support him without hurting him. One hand around each of his calves, I lifted him. It took him a moment to start freaking out, and it took me a bit to keep hold on him before he could fall over. He had to brace himself against the wall, but I held him up.
"Goodness." Heather, seeing the proof for herself, looked like she couldn't breathe, "Hunter?"
"He's all human." I replied, "He was made before my dad was turned. Besides. You'd have known something was up when he gained another year older in four months."
She allowed that with a small nod, still staring at Josh above my head.
"Put me down?" Josh sounded seconds from passing out, so I laughed a little, and let him down.
"I can't believe this." Heather murmured, and I sighed, reaching for Josh again. He yelped and jumped back, "No. I mean, I believe you, but it's so hard to believe Leandra would do that."
"It wasn't her fault." I replied, "She hates what she had to do, but it was for your own good. She cared about you all too much to risk anyone."
"Carlisle?" She seemed in shock, "Esme?"
"All of them." I laughed a little, "Yes. Leandra used to be the only human in a coven of vampires."
"Don't they eat humans?"
"Not Carlisle." I shook my head, "They base their lives around not harming humans. Hence, their gold eyes instead of red."
"That explains a few things." Josh nodded a little.
I took a breath, "That secret was going to bug me."
"I'm.. Glad you told us, honey." Heather murmured.
"Hey." I smiled a little, "Maybe this could work out, you know? Leandra doesn't have to hide anymore. She can see you guys again, and she can stop feeling so bad about it."
"I really wouldn't mention any of this to Zack." Josh shook his head, "He took it really, really hard when she died."
I frowned, "Wouldn't it just help him to know she's better than okay?"
"Not really." He replied, "It'd just mean he grieved for so long over nothing."
"Good point." I sighed.
"We'll keep this between us, okay?" Heather offered, standing, "Nobody else needs to know."
"I have so many questions." Josh admitted, and I laughed a little.
"I'll answer whatever you want me to answer tomorrow." I replied, "I'm pretty tired. It's been a long, long day."
To my surprise, however, before anything more could be said, Heather's cell phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out, frowning at the number.
"Hello?" She answered, confused. She waited, and I instantly recognized the voice on the other end.
"Carlisle." I sighed, turning away. Of course they'd know I just let everything slip.
"Alex?" She offered the phone to me.
"No." I snapped, "I'm not the happiest with them right now." Heather paused. Carlisle was insisting.
"No." I snapped again, "I don't care, Carlisle. Don't you think they needed to know?"
"You know the dangers." He replied.
"It was even more dangerous not to tell them." I grumbled.
"Even so." He wasn't happy.
"How are you hearing what he's saying?" Josh asked, confused.
"And they're not gonna tell anyone." I continued, "So what's it matter? Now they know."
"Alex, I'm sorry about your father, but that's no excuse to purposefully put them in harms way like this."
"That's not what I'm doing." I gasped, "Ask Leandra."
"I don't need to." He replied, "In an attempt to get back at us, you're putting them in danger."
"No I'm not." I muttered, "They needed to know, Carlisle, if I'm going to be spending any time here. Don't you think?"
He sighed, "Come back to Denali. I'd like to sort this out."
"No." I replied, "I'm good right where I'm at."
Heather sat silently, sheepishly holding the phone for me. It was a little funny to see me arguing with a phone across the room from it.
"Alex, please."
"I told you, Carlisle." I barked, "I'm not going back there until I calm down. Do you even care what my dad meant to me? Or are you just hiding behind the anger and revenge plot?"
"Of course we care."
"It sure as fuck doesn't seem that way to me." I had to struggle to keep my voice down, "Nobody gave one shit about my opinion."
"That isn't true." He countered, "Not in the slightest. We've had you in mind all night."
"Right." I growled, "That's believable."
I flinched a little as the phone was quickly changed hands on Carlisle's side, and instantly recognized the voice coming through next on the other end.
"Avery Alexis, goddammit!" My dad was pissed, "You stupid, selfish little bitch! What the fuck did you do that for? Get your ass here now, so I can fucking kick it from here back to Seattle!"
Stunned, I stood there for a second.
"You're okay?" I asked.
"Get here now!" I flinched a little again at his finishing shout. Josh had heard that too, given his expression.
"Wow." Josh murmured.
"Don't you take that tone with her, Jack." Heather actually spoke up, "I for one appreciate her honesty. Unlike you, who felt the need to lie to me for over ten years!"
"I lied for your own fucking good." Dad snapped back at her, but his tone softened, "You.. Deserved better."
She quieted her tone as well, "You mean that?"
"Yes." He replied sharply, "Until that little fucker there decided to just undo all of that in fifteen fucking minutes."
"Yeah, so what?" I muttered.
"You coming back, or are they going to have to go get your ass?" Dad growled.
"If they come get me, send Leandra too." I replied easily, "I'm sure-"
"Are you crazy?" Leandra was pissed too, and I knew Josh had heard the tone of her voice from the muted voice over the phone, as he looked to me as Heather did. She instantly moved, putting it on speaker phone for the room to hear. I couldn't blame her, but I wasn't done arguing.
"No one is hearing me." I growled, "I did it for their own safety! Just like you did."
"No, you just completely fucked everything up!" She sounded so mad, "You don't even know. Do you have any idea how hard it was not telling them all this myself? Do you have any idea what you just did?"
"Stop yelling at me." I replied, "Don't forget who all is to blame here. I wouldn't even be here if you weren't all vengeful animals."
"Alright." Heather spoke up once her shock had passed, putting a stop to our arguing, "This definitely needs to be sorted out. You say you're in Denali? I think if we get on a plane, we should be there-"
"It'd be much faster for us to go to you." Carlisle was back, "I cannot tell you sorry I am about all this, Heather."
"Different or not, I'd still love to see Leandra." Heather added, "More than you know." She stayed silent in the background now, probably not sure what to say to her.
"I need to sleep first." I muttered.
"We all should sleep first." Heather sighed.
"We'll be there tomorrow evening." Carlisle informed her, "I'll let you know where we decide to meet up, as I'm sure you'd like to keep this a secret."
"Of course." She replied, "I look forward to it."
"Alex, not another word." He warned me, and I blinked in surprise, "About anything to anyone. Am I clear on that?"
"Word." I snapped defiantly.
"If you say anything else," Dad was back, "You are in for a world of pain!"
"Anything else." My defiant tone stayed the same, and I grinned a little at his growl, and even Josh smirked, "How many times have I told you, dad? You don't fucking scare me. Threats are useless."
"I'll see you tomorrow." Heather told them before he could reply, and with parting words, she hung up.
"Apparently, it's a secret." I told them, laughing a little as I sat down beside Heather, "Oops."
"I think I'll be going now." Josh muttered, "I've got a lot of thinking to do."
"Okay, baby." Heather sighed, standing up, "Drive safe."
"I'll be driving extra safe." He replied, hugging her and returning her cheek kiss, "Probably extra slow, too. I need to sort through this before Gracie figures out something is wrong."
"Good." I said, "Because I can't turn you if I had to." He frowned, looking to me, "I'm non-venomous, so don't die between here and your house."
"Good to know." That just seemed to overwhelm him even more, "I'll do my best." I laughed, watching after him. This was fun. I watched him leave the room, closing the door behind him.
"Do I want to know how you found that out?" Heather asked me, and I grinned a little.
"You probably don't want to know that." I replied. We sat in silence now for a minute or two, until I spoke up again, "Who's Gracie?"
"His fiance." Heather replied quietly, "They're getting married in two months."
I nodded a little. She seemed kind of numb at this point. She probably had a lot on her mind.
"Are you okay?" I had to ask, "You're not gonna pass out or anything, are you?" I'd really feel bad if I made her sick or something. She looked to me, forcing a smile.
"I'm fine." She assured me, patting my hand rested on my knee, "Just.. It's a whole lot to take in."
"Sorry for dumping all this on you."
"No, honey." She shook her head, "I'm glad you told me. I am, but.. It's so hard to believe the entire time I knew them, I never had a clue."
"They're good at hiding it." I shrugged a little. I looked down as her hand tightened around mine, holding it lightly. I laughed a little, allowing the gesture, "And the way you stood up to my dad? That was awesome."
She laughed a little as well, "Different or not, he's still my brother." She sighed, and stood up, "Get some rest, sweetie. How about this? Tomorrow, we'll go shopping, and get you some new clothes. That way, you don't have to be wearing these ones when we see Carlisle."
"I've never really been shopping before." I mused, "Most of the time, dad just steals clothes for me."
"Well, tomorrow you can pick out whatever you want." She assured me, "And we won't be stealing anything."
"Okay." I allowed, laughing a little and she smiled. That didn't sound so bad to me.
"Now, please." She sighed, "Can I get you a shirt to sleep in?"
"But then I won't smell like myself." I frowned.
She frowned also in confusion, "Smell like.." She trailed off, but shook her head, "I won't ask tonight." I laughed a little, "I'll bring you one. Just in case you change your mind. I'll be right back." I sighed, but didn't argue again as she turned and headed from the room.
I sat there in silence for a minute, just listening to the sounds in the house. Hunter flipping through pages in a magazine when he was supposed to be sleeping. Lizzie rolling over in her bed, and Heather rummaging through her closet. Zack and Mike downstairs, arguing about who could take the last brownie. A cat outside walking over the car sitting in the driveway, its claws scratching the paint slightly.
Heather returned, and I looked over at her as she sighed and placed a t-shirt and shorts on the end of the bed beside me.
"There you go." She sighed, "In case you change your mind, you have something to wear."
"Thanks." I just went with it. It obviously made her feel better to give me these, so why not? I didn't have to wear them.
"Is there anything, uh.. Specific you need?" She was obviously referring to my non-human half. I laughed a little, but kept the laughter to a minimum. I didn't want to make her feel bad for asking. It was actually nice of her to do so.
"No." I replied, "I'm good, but thanks for asking."
She smiled a little, "Get some sleep then, honey. Sweet dreams."
"Wait." I mumbled, standing up, and she paused, looking back at me, "Did you.. Did you really mean what you said about me staying? That it was okay to stay for as long as I wanted?"
"Of course." She replied easily. It really made me feel a lot better that she'd still agree, even now knowing what I was, without a second of hesitation. That she didn't seem to be afraid of me. It confused me a little, but I liked it.
She sighed, and sat back down beside where I stood, "Honey, listen." She took both my hands in hers, "You're family. I may not have the closest relationship with my brother anymore, but family means unconditional. You've already proven you're willing to work with us, so why can't we extend the same gesture?"
"It's just.." I muttered, looking down, "Well, I've never had a family before, and I want you to know that I'll take the blame for telling you. I really wasn't trying to get you or Josh into trouble. I just.. Well, I just wanna be able to keep you."
"Well.." She replied, "I can't promise you that I'll be around forever, but I do promise that I'll be around as long as I can for you, babydoll." I smiled a little, which she returned, "You're a little different. So what? It's our differences that define us. Tomorrow, we'll go over all the details with Carlisle, okay? Don't you worry, darling. We'll get this sorted out."
She had such an amazing way of putting me at ease. She made it seem so easy. Like it was only natural. My smile stayed, and I nodded a little as she squeezed my hands gently and stood back up.
"Get some rest, honey." I blinked in surprise as she kissed the top of my head. It wasn't a bad surprise, so I wasn't complaining, but I wasn't expecting the amount of comfort her action had given me. She turned for the door, smiling back at me as she paused in closing it.
"Good night." She told me.
"Good night." I replied, watching as she turned. Leaving the room. Closing the door behind her. I sighed and moved. Turning off the light, making my way across the room to the floor beneath the window. Settling down there.
I went over the day in my head. It had sure been a long one. So much had changed, just in a short several hours, and in a way, I couldn't wait to put everything that happened today behind me. It was unfair to ask me not to.
But I'd also gained something today, which made everything else somewhat tolerable. I might have let the secret slip, but that wasn't any of their business. Whether I wanted to be or not, I was now in this for the long haul, but I had to admit. I wanted to be.
I wanted Heather, and I wanted Josh. I wanted family. Maybe I was more like my dad in that aspect. The way I saw what I wanted and took it, no matter the consequences, but I didn't want to hurt them like he wanted to hurt Leandra. I just wanted a home, someplace to call my own. With family, people that completely understood me.
Maybe the fact that they were human appealed to my human side, the part of me I'd always hated. Who knew? All I cared about was Heather's promise.
I didn't want to let my dad go, and they were forcing me to, but they couldn't force me to let Heather go too. That wasn't their decision, no matter how much they thought it was. I'd just have to tell them that tomorrow.
I couldn't help thinking of my dad. He was okay, but I didn't dare count on that to last. All this had done was postpone it. I had to consider my own happiness and life in this situation, and they'd just have to deal with it.
A/N: Short note here this time.
I really hope this was an alright chapter.
I'm okay with how short this chapter is. I couldn't make it any longer.
To my BEAUTIFUL REVIEWERS! You're all amazing. Really. :) :) THANK YOU!
I know I was thinking ten would be the end, but I'm leaning more towards eleven now. I blame Alex, though.
Eleven may take a few days longer, depending on the situation here. Of course.
Until Eleven, my friends! :D