Edward studied Melody's furious expression for a minute and read her thoughts, fighting a smile that threatened at the corners of his lips.
"What VAN?" Melody repeated glaring from me to Edward.
"Alice will explain," he said after a minute, gesturing to the pixie-like vampire. "Right now, I would like to get Bella out of the woods and to a more easily defensible area."
Gently, but still so swiftly it knocked the air out of my lungs, Edward swung me onto his back and took off through the woods.
"You could have warned me they were coming." He called over his shoulder when he had put some distance between us and the others. "I nearly took your friends' heads off."
"Sorry," I whispered sheepishly. Then I turned defensive. "But think of how you would have reacted if I HAD told you earlier that I had lived NEXT-DOOR with vampires, before you heard their thoughts or saw their golden eyes for yourself."
Edward considered that for a minute before nodding. "I wouldn't have listened long enough for you to explain the entire story." He smiled, "Or allowed you to come tonight."
"ALLOWED me?" I scoffed.
Edward said nothing as he slowed, his house coming into view.
"Alice will bring the others here," he informed me, helping me off his back. "Let's wait inside."
Edward took my hand and led me up the porch steps and into the house. He sat on the white couch and pulled me down unto his lap. With his arms wrapped around my waist, I could almost physically FEEL the tension he was radiating.
"Edward...?" I twisted in his arms to frown at him, but he just smiled at kissed my lips briefly.
"It's nothing, love. I'm just being unneccesarily anxious," he promised.
"Hmm," I replied suspiciously, leaning back into his chest.
The room was suddenly filled with the vampires from the forest. The Cullens had all taken up positions around the room - Alice and Jasper sitting leisurely on the staircase, Esme mildly rearranging flowers in a vase, Carlisle standing next to the blank TV, Rosalie lounging in an armchair with Emmett spread out on the floor by her feet - while the Goldeneyes stood just inside the door.
They looked just as I remembered them. Melody, small and petite, her golden hair flowing down past her waist, had her full, crimson lips pushed together in a pout, unhappy to hear about my close encounters with death, obviously. Her parents, Marie and Steven, stood next to her, smiling warmly at me. Lysander and Andrian, the identical twins in the group, stood on her other side, and Harriet and Taylon, looking like fashion models as per usual, both stood behind their little sister.
"I explained everything to them," Alice said simply.
Everyone was silent for a minute and the Goldeneyes' eyes never left Edward and me.
Finally, Edward sighed and got to his feet, not releasing me. "My name is Edward Cullen; thank you for coming. I was not aware there was another group of non-human feeding vampires in existence."
"Nor were we," Steven said warily, study Edward with intensity. "We have never before encountered a family with the same views as ours... Thank you for taking care of Bella after she moved here."
"No," Edward countered, allowing a smile to brighten his face at last, "for keeping her alive long enough to meet me."
His eyes flickered to Melody briefly before he rolled them. "I am not going to attack you if you wish to hug her."
Squealing, Melody flashed across the room to throw her arms around me and the tension in the room evaporated. Edward finally released me, to allow the newcomer to properly greet me, but didn't move far from my side.
"Bella!" Melody squealed, hugging me tightly.
"Hi, Melody," I smiled, returning the hug. "How have you been?"
"Fantastic," she replied as she stepped back to study me. "Sorry, for abducting you in the forest. When we saw other vampires fighting, we just assumed that they were trying to decide who got to feed off you," she explained and I saw Edward making a face. "Come say hi to Mom and Dad."
She pulled me away from Edward - who reluctantly stayed behind - and over to her family.
"Hey, Bella," Lysander and Adrian spoke in sync.
"Bella, it's been too long," Harriet pouted than frowned. "What happened to your hair?"
I had reached one hand up to feel my hair before she smiled, "Got you." I rolled my eyes at her and Harriet pulled my into a hug.
"How you been, Bells?" Taylon asked, picking me up in a bear hug.
"Great," I replied before I was handed off to their parents.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Goldeneye," I smiled shyly at them.
"Now, Bella," Steven scolded, "you know the rule."
"I'm only allowed to call you 'mister' behind your back," I grinned, relieved that the years hadn't changed anything between us.
"Exactly," he approved.
I frowned slightly, scrutinizing their numbers, "Melody..."
Melody shook her blond curls, anticipating my question. "No, he's not coming."
Taylon scowled, "You think we would actually let him continue to LIVE after what he did?"
Marie grimaced, "Bella, I'd like to apologize again for what happened."
"No," I shook my head, "you couldn't have realized that he was so..."
"Idiotic?" Lysander supplied.
"Psychotic?" Adrian added.
"Sadistic." Melody scowled.
I nodded and she sighed. "We should've realized it sooner though."
"What are you talking about?" Edward asked suspiciously.
Melody ignored him, "Did they ever heal all the way, Bella?"
I hesitated too long. "Yes, they're completely gone now."
Melody rolled her eyes, "I'll admit, you've gotten better, but you're still a terrible liar."
Before I could say or do anything, Melody spun me so that I was facing every one and she stood behind me. Without saying anything, she lifted the back of my shirt up and let out an angry hiss.
I saw Edward's face drain of all color and I knew what she was seeing, what he was seeing through her eyes. What I had kept hidden from everyone for several years, what I had been so careful to never let him see or feel. Melody was staring at the double snake-like, silvery scars that crossed all over the middle of my back - the one's her brother had given to me.