Bella

I was wide awake at three am. It was impossible to go back to sleep. Today I was meeting a family of vampires.

I lay awake staring at the ceiling for two hours. Then at five I heard Charlie getting ready for his fishing trip. As soon as he was out the door I got up and turned on my light. What does a person talk about with vampires? I wondered. I felt so completely out of my league here. The only consolation was that Evie had promised to answer all of my questions today. So I took out a notebook and started writing them all down. I was sure to forget many of them when confronted by so many unknown people- vampires or not, I always have a hard time making conversation with people I don't know.

When I had finished jotting down as many questions as I could think of, I decided to take a long shower. The hot water helped to ease much of the tension in my muscles and clear my head. I then dryed my hair and took my time straightening it with a flat iron. I wanted to try to look nice and make a good impression. I had no idea how they would receive me.

I made myself a large cup of coffee but couldn't manage any breakfast. My stomach was twisting up in knots. I sat at the kitchen table savoring the hot drink and staring out the window at the driveway. A few rays of sunlight were breaking through the dense trees, and I wondered how Evie was going to manage picking me up. I shouldn't have worried.

At seven am sharp her jet black Corvette appeared in the driveway. In the daylight it was apparent that the windows were deeply tinted, making them almost as dark as the car itself. I bounded out the front door to meet her, almost forgetting to lock it behind me.

She was wearing a black turtle-neck sweater, black leather gloves, a scarf around her head and giant sunglasses. I would have cracked a joke if I didn't know how necessary it was that she keep her skin out of the sunlight.

"Good morning," she greeted me as usual. Her voice was muffled by the scarf, and I couldn't help myself this time.

"Oh, are we robbing a bank today? You should have told me, I would have changed." I couldn't be sure under the sunglasses, but I was betting she was rolling her eyes.

We sped through the empty streets at breakneck speed, probably trying to get me back for the wisecrack, but to me it was thrilling. Soon we were leaving the town limits, the houses becoming further apart. I was about to ask just where she lived when we took a hairpin turn onto a dirt road that I hadn't even seen from the highway. It wound through the forest, more a trail than an actual road, and then opened to a huge meadow. In the center was the most beautiful house I'd ever seen in my life.

It rose three stories tall, a white and glass marvel of modern architecture. It looked out of place amidst the ancient redwood trees surrounding it, keeping it shaded at all hours of the day I imagined. My mouth was hanging open as we approached, and I was certain Evie was chuckling under her scarf. We drove up through a tree-lined driveway and into one of the eight single-car garage doors. Only when the garage door closed behind us did Evie remove her scarf and glasses.

The garage was gigantic, even with all eight vehicles inside. The wall facing all of the cars was covered with tools, and a workbench was stationed at the far side. I thought I caught a glimpse of blonde hair as I craned my head, taking in all of the top-of-the line vehicles contained in this room. Sure enough, as I watched a shiny red convertible in the very last space start rising up on a mechanical platform, Rosalie appeared from underneath it.

"Hello Evie," she said coolly, walking over to greet us.

"Rose," Evie answered back, "this is Bella."

"Hi." My voice came out barely audible as I took in the voluptuous beauty standing in front of me. She smirked, clearly accustomed to reactions like mine.

"Such a pleasure to meet you," she purred. "I would shake your hand, but well…" She held her palms out and they were covered in grease.

There was an uneasy silence, and I caught Evie glaring at her sister, presumably about something Rosalie was thinking. I could not fathom what it could be, so I just waited quietly. Finally Evie led me through a door on our left and into the house.

The great room was impressive to say the least. The ceiling rose high above us, and a curved marble staircase led up to the second floor balcony. Above that, the third floor balcony. But what amazed me the most was the far wall beyond the living room: it was solid glass from floor to ceiling.

Evie must have anticipated my reaction. She was watching me, her crooked smile lighting her face. "Not what you expected?" She asked me.

"Well," I answered, "I'm sure you keep your coffins in the basement of course."

Evie laughed, and I heard an echoing laugh from somewhere above us sounding like the tinkling of bells. Alice had appeared on the third floor balcony, Jasper beside her.

"Hi Bella!" She called down exuberantly, and before I could answer she had raced down the two flights of stairs and pulled me into a sudden embrace. I tensed; I had not expected this at all. Her skin was icy cold, and her dark brown eyes, almost black, sparkled with intelligence and mirth. "Oh my, you do smell good." She pulled away from me suddenly. "I hadn't noticed before." Her eyes had now taken on a darker glint and I stepped closer to Evie. Alice reminded me of a sprite, with her short dark hair sticking up in all directions and the way each of her movements was like dancing. I remembered that sprites could be mischievous, and had to wonder if some of the stories were in fact about Alice herself. I tried to remember to add that one to my list.

"Easy, Alice." Evie warned her sister. She nodded and was back up on the third floor with Jasper in the blink of an eye.

"See you in a little while, Bella!" She said as they turned away.

"What was that?" I asked Evie, a little breathless.

"That," she told me, "was Alice. She...takes some getting used to."

"And Jasper?"

"He's keeping his distance. He hasn't been a- vegetarian- for very long." She grinned, obviously still enjoying my analogy. "It's still very difficult for him to maintain control. I didn't want to take any chances."

We walked through the great room to a cozy sitting room where Carlisle sat with a very pretty woman whose hair fell like dark spun gold around her shoulders. This must be Evie's mother Esme. They stood and beckoned us in. I suddenly felt nervous for an entirely different reason. What if they didn't like me? I knew without having to ask that if these two did not approve of me, I would not be in Evie's life for much longer.

Then Esme smiled a warm and welcoming smile, and I relaxed immediately. Her face shone with love and affection, and she suddenly reminded me of my own mother. The constant ache I'd felt since leaving her became more acute for a moment, then it receded into the background again.

"Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella." Evie introduced me.

"You are very welcome here, Bella." Esme grasped my hand in hers, and this time I anticipated the cold of her skin.

"Good to see you again, Bella." Carlisle said, shaking my hand as well.

"You too, Doctor Cullen." I was still intimidated by his bearing and his penetrating ice-blue eyes.

But he smiled genuinely, and I felt more at ease. "Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle," I echoed. "You have a beautiful home here, thank you for having me."

My formal tone surprised me, but seemed to fit the atmosphere. My eyes roved the room, taking in the opulent luxury all around me. The carpet was white and plush, the walls a softer white and hung with remarkable artwork. Then as I turned around I noticed the exquisite grand piano on a raised platform in the back of the room.

I felt wistful looking at it. My mom and I had always said that if we won the lottery the first thing we would buy would be a grand piano. Neither of us were very good, but we had loved butchering jazz duets together on our apartment-sized upright. The most we had mastered was chopsticks, but I remembered vividly how much we had laughed together as we practiced, fumbling along the keys and getting our hands tangled together.

Esme noticed my longing gaze. "Do you play?" She asked me softly.

"Not well," I mumbled, "and it's been years."

"You're welcome to try it." She led me over to the bench and lifted the fallboard, exposing the gleaming ivory keys. I couldn't resist.

I sat down, feeling embarrassed, and ran through a few warm-up scales. I was amazed at how easily it was coming back to me. I became completely absorbed in playing, and when I felt warmed up enough I began the beginning notes of my favorite song Moonlight Sonata. The deep somber tones transported me back to my childhood. Unfortunately, as usual, when I got to the more complex combinations my fingers started hitting the wrong keys more and more frequently and I got frustrated. I had never been able to complete this complicated song even once through, though I had tried many times.

I looked up to see I had an audience. Evie was staring at me, an unfathomable expression on her face, and Esme was staring at her with a meaningful look that I could not decipher. Carlisle was sitting back in his chair looking mildly amused. I remembered to be embarrassed again and put my hands down in my lap.

"Don't give up," Evie told me, "Let me help you." She walked over and sat down on the bench beside me, gesturing for me to start from the beginning again. I played the bass lines, which were steady and repetitive, then Evie joined in on the treble. Together, we completed the song all the way through. It had never sounded so beautiful to me, and as we finished my eyes were getting misty. Esme and Carlisle applauded us.

"Thank you," I told Evie, overcome with emotion. "I've always wanted to be able to play that song. I wish-" my voice caught, "I wish my mom was here."

The room got very quiet, and I realized Esme and Carlisle had left silently.

"My mother," Evie began, her voice full of emotion as well, "my biological mother, was also a pianist. She taught me Moonlight Sonata when I was young. I always aspired to play like her. She could play from memory, or sit before sheet music she had never seen before and play it to perfection. Of course, I can do that now thanks to my exceptional memory and reflexes," she grinned, lightening the mood. "But it is not the same."

"What were you like as a human?" I blurted before considering if the question might be rude.

"Have we arrived at the question and answer portion of the day?" She asked, still grinning.

"You knew this was coming," I reminded her, and she nodded. I pulled my notebook out of my pocket and flipped it open, and she snorted.

"Here we go," she said. "Perhaps we should find somewhere more comfortable to sit?"

I agreed, and she closed the piano as we walked away. We were back in the great room at the base of the stairs when she spoke again.

"While we're here, I might as well show you the rest of the house."

I knew she was stalling, but I was also dying to see more of this phenomenal place. I felt content knowing we had the entire day before us to talk. We climbed the polished white staircase to the second floor. We crossed the landing and entered a long hallway, where I stopped with a gasp. At the end of the hall hung a massive wooden cross.

I glanced sideways at Evie. "A crucifix?" I asked.

She smiled crookedly. "It is a bit ironic, isn't it? And no, they don't hurt us. Though in the past, the people who carried them did."

"You were hunted by the church?"

She nodded gravely. "This particular cross was hand-carved by Carlisle's father in the early sixteen-thirties." She watched for my reaction.

I tried to keep my face smooth as I did the mental calculations. "So that would make Carlisle three hundred and..."

"Sixty-two." She finished for me.

"Wow." That was an understatement. I could not even begin to wrap my mind around that many years.

"Carlisle was raised to be a witch-hunter." Evie continued. "He was the only son of an intolerant Anglican minister. The real monsters easily evaded their hunts, and they burned many innocent people at the stake in their place. But he soon surpassed his father in their quest to uncover evil." Her tone was now sinister. "Carlisle discovered a coven of true vampires living in the London underground. He went on his own, anxious to prove himself worthy of his father's holy war. He waited at the exit where he had seen the vampires disappear at dawn. Sure enough, come nightfall the vampires emerged, hungry and vicious. He didn't stand a chance."

"How did he survive?" I gasped, horrified.

"He believes the head vampire wanted to send a message to the minister, for if his own son had become one of them then no one was safe. They left Carlisle in the street to endure the painful transition alone."

"It's painful? Becoming like you?"

"Oh yes. It's the worst pain you could ever imagine." She turned back to look up at the giant crucifix. "He keeps this with him as a reminder of who he was as a human and who he never wants to be again. Since that day he has never taken a human life. He believes his fate is retribution for his sins, and he spends his eternity atoning for them."

I was stunned into silence. I could not imagine anyone bearing the weight of such guilt for so many lifetimes.

Evie noticed the pained expression on my face. She reached out slowly, cautiously, watching my face for the slightest reaction, and took my hand in hers. I sucked in my breath when I felt her touch. I had expected the cold, of course, after shaking hands with her parents. What I didn't expect was the heat that surged up from my fingertips up into my heart, which was now beating wildly.

"Come on," she said, pulling me forward through the doorway beneath the cross. "I want to show you something."

Evie

I listened to Bella's heart careening around inside her chest as I took her by the hand. I was testing a new theory. Funny that Rosalie would be the one to put me on the correct path to discovering Bella's secret.

We entered Carlisle's study, and Bella's mouth opened wide as she took in the floor to ceiling bookshelves. I smiled, happy that I had anticipated her reaction correctly. I gave her time to examine the titles. She looked at them reverently, often pointing to one and exclaiming, but never touching them, as if she thought they would break.

Finally she had made a full circuit around the room and came back to where I stood. I stepped to the side so that she could examine the wall behind me. Instead of books, this wall was covered in oil paintings from the floor, around the doorframe and to the ceiling. Again I let her peruse them, waiting for the inevitable avalanche of questions.

"Is that...Carlisle?" She asked finally, pointing to the most prominent and colorful painting.

"Yes it is," I told her, my lips twitching at the corners as I tried not to smile at her incredulity. "This was Italy, late eighteenth century. This is where Carlisle met the Volturi."

"The who?" Bella asked as we settled into two of the giant stuffed leather armchairs in Carlisle's office.

"The Volturi are a triumvirate of ancient vampires. They imagine themselves to be our rulers. In fact, they are the closest thing we have to law enforcement. If any of our laws are broken, they always know, and they always punish offenders with death. This is Aro," I pointed to the black-haired vampire in the center of the painting, "Marcus," I indicated the vampire next to Aro, also black-haired, "and Caius." The last was so blond his hair was white.

"And do they know about me?" Her voice was shaky.

"Perhaps." I answered, but now I wondered. It was a mystery how the Volturi obtained their information. Carlisle and I had always suspected it was a special gift, like my mind-reading. Did that mean that Bella would be immune to them as well? "But somehow I doubt it." I told her, and she seemed to relax. "The Volturi had offered Carlisle a place with them. It is the highest honor in our world, according to them. But he refused. They had never accepted his alternative feeding habits, and conversely it was increasingly difficult for him to look away when they fed on humans. So they parted ways. But the Volturi do not take kindly to being slighted. Since then they have been keen for a reason to punish him. Of course, he never makes a mistake."

"What is Carlisle's special gift?" She asked.

"Tenacity. He can achieve anything he sets his mind to with unfailing focus. That is how he was able to resist feeding on humans when he was first turned. He was repulsed by what he had become, and he refused to succumb to the bloodlust. To this day his record remains clean. It's...impressive to say the least. When we first turn, that is the most difficult time. This hunger takes over everything. Only with practice, and not to mention eons of time, can we attempt to control our nature. He spent the better part of two centuries learning to control himself enough to work in a hospital. Part of his self prescribed penance, you see. Now he is all but immune to the scent of human blood,and he is able to do the work he loves without agony. He finds a great deal of peace there, at the hospital." I stopped to give her a chance to ask one of the burning questions that swam behind her eyes. Instead, to my surprise, she waited for me to continue, looking expectant. At that point I made a decision.

"But he still craved companionship." I told her. "After the disappointment with the Volturi in Italy, he swam across the channel back to London. He longed to find someone who shared his unique outlook on being a vampire, that it didn't mean we had to be murderers. But most of the other vampires he met, aside from the Volturi, were nomadic beasts with no sense of culture or civility. He became desolate, convinced he was doomed to walk the earth alone. Then finally he realized, if he could not find a companion, perhaps he could create one. That was when he found me." I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath and watched her inch forward in her chair. I knew this was something she had been waiting for. I sat back, determined to draw this out.

"Carlisle went to Ireland to help the hospitals battling the Typhus epidemic. He worked tirelessly, relieving doctor after doctor as they each succumbed to the disease. We of course are immune to human diseases." She raised her eyebrows at this. "He found me after my parents had lost their fight with the sickness. I was still holding on, but just barely. He knew that I was alone, and I was dying. He chose me, and since that day he has been my teacher, my mentor, and my father."

She was silent for a long while before she spoke quietly. "Does a person have to be dying, to become like you?" She asked.

"No, that is just Carlisle's way. He would never do that to someone who had another choice."

"How does it happen?"

"A single bite. That is all it takes for our venom to enter the bloodstream. But it almost never happens by accident."

"What do you mean?"

"The moment we taste human blood, we are...overcome. It is nearly impossible to stop once the feeding begins. We only return to ourselves after the victim is dead. Carlisle, with his ability, was able to turn me. Most vampires try and fail hundreds of times before they are able to create another. Otherwise, the world might be overrun by now." I tried to smile through the seriousness of what I was saying. Bella looked visibly shaken and I studied her with concern.

"What?" She asked me, uncomfortable with my scrutiny.

"I'm waiting for you to realize you've made a terrible mistake and run away screaming."

She shook her head. "That's not going to happen." She sounded sure of herself.

"Well, then." I told her, standing up and extending my hand to her. "Let the tour continue."

She placed her hand in mine, and my cold skin warmed at her touch. She was like the sun on a winter day, thawing everything she touched. I kept her hand as we walked back toward the staircase, and felt elation wash through me with each second that passed that she didn't pull her hand away in repulsion. We climbed the stairs once again and emerged on the third floor.

"Have you always lived with Carlisle since you were turned?" She always asked the questions I was most loathe to answer.

"No," I began, unsure of how much to divulge. So far the truth had been met with understanding, but how far did her empathy extend? "At the beginning, he helped me learn how to live off of animals. It was very difficult and I made many mistakes. But strangely, once I had mastered the bloodlust I became resentful that he had forced his beliefs on me. He let me go off on my own, knowing that I needed to make the choice for myself.

"I used my ability to choose my victims judiciously. I had convinced myself that if I only preyed upon criminals- murderers and rapists especially- then I was justified. If it saved the life of their victim, then it was right that I took their life instead. A life for a life." I looked at her face, terrified of what I would see there. I was shocked to find her looking at me with an expression of awe. I led her down the hall to the last door on the right.

"But after only a few decades, the taking of so many lives was taking its toll on me. No matter how vile they were, what gave me the right to end their life? I had been playing God for too long. I went crawling back to Carlisle and begged him to help me stop. And he did. He welcomed me with open arms. In my absence he had created Esme, and I rejoined our new family. Since then I have been fighting against my true nature, one day at a time." Bella smiled at my analogy, and I couldn't help but grin back at her. Once again she had accepted me, the whole truth about me, with unfailing compassion. She truly was incredible. "Here we are." I opened the door to my room and led her inside.