AN: Here is chapter 5 in this chapter we get to see Carlisle again yay! Thank you all for the reviews and alerts!
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to SM I own nothing
Chapter 5
When I got home that night after the beach I kept going over Jacob's story in my head. Where the Cullens vampires? Jacob had told me that he didn't believe the stories that it was just a bunch of superstitions. As soon as I got home I went straight upstairs telling Charlie that I had a lot of homework to do and put on my headphones. That night my dream was different I was in the woods, but Jacob was there pulling at my hand frantically.
"Jacob? What's wrong?" I asked I could see the fear in his face.
"Run Bella! You have to run!" Jacob whispered terror in his voice.
"Why?" I asked pulling against Jacob's hand as he suddenly let go and then Jacob fell to the floor twitching.
"Jacob!" I yelled, but then he was gone and in his place was a giant red-brown wolf. The wolf was facing away from me growling with the hair on his back bristling. Then Edward and Carlisle stepped out from the woods their skin was glowing faintly with dangerous black eyes and sharp teeth. Carlisle held out one hand beckoning me to come and as I took a step toward him Edward said is a purr "Trust us." I took another step and the wolf launched himself at Carlisle going straight for his neck.
"No!" I yelled sitting straight up in bed. I looked around distorted breathing heavily. I looked at the clock, it was five thirty in the morning I tried laying back down but of course sleep wouldn't come to me. My subconscious had brought up the images I had been trying to avoid. I got up trying to keep myself as busy as I could to put off the inevitable. My shower didn't take as long as I wanted even when blow dried it. As I walked back out to my room I saw through the window that the cruiser was gone Charlie had gone fishing. I dressed slowly in my most comfy clothes and I couldn't put it off any longer and finally turned on my computer. I went to my favorite search engine and typed in one word: Vampires.
After looking through all of the TV show, movies, and role-playing games I finally found something that looked promising. Vampires A to Z. I clicked on it and as it loaded it was just a white screen with black text. There were two quotes on the front screen.
Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghost and demons there is no figure so terrible no figure so dreaded and abhorred yet dight with such fearful fascination as the vampire. Who himself is neither ghost nor demon, but yet partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both- Rev. Montague Summers.
If there is in this world a well-attested account it is that of the vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well known people, of surgeons, of priest, magistrates the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that who is there who believes in vampires?- Rousseau
The rest of the site was in alphabetical order listing all the different myths of vampires. The first one I clicked on was the Danag a Filipino vampire supposedly responsible for planting taro on the island. It went on to say that the Danag worked with humans for many years, but it ended when a woman cut her finger and the Danag sucked her wound enjoying the taste that he drained her of blood. I read through the rest looking for anything that sounded familiar. Most of the vampire myths centered around beautiful women as demons and children as victims they also seemed like constructs created to explain away the high mortality rate for young children and to give men an excuse for infidelity. There weren't much that sounded like any of the movies I had seen. And only a few like the Hebrew Estrie and the Polish Upier who were even preoccupied with drinking blood.
Only three really caught my attention the Romanian Varacolaci a powerful undead being who could appear as a beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovak Nelepasi, a creature so strong and fast it could massacre an entire village in a single hour after midnight, and one other the Stregoni benefici. About the last one there was only one sentence. Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire said to be on the side of goodness and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires. It was a relief that one entry among hundreds that claimed the existence of good vampires. Overall though there was little that went with Jacob's story or my own observations. I carefully read and compared it with each myth. Speed, strength, beauty, pale skin, eyes that shift color, and the Jacob's criteria. Blood-drinkers, enemy of the werewolf, cold-skinned, and immortal. There were very few myths that matched even one factor.
And the another problem one that came from the movies I had seen and was backed up by today's reading vampires couldn't go out during the day the sun burn them. They slept in coffins all day and came out only at night. Aggravated I snapped off computer. Through my aggravation I felt embarrassment. It was stupid, I was sitting in my room researching vampires. What was wrong with me? I placed the blame on Forks. I had to get out of the house, but there was nowhere I wanted to go. But I put on my boots and coat and walked out the door. It was overcast but not raining and ignoring my truck I walked out into the forest behind the house. I followed the narrow trail that led deeper into the forest. I followed the trail as long as my anger at myself fueled me. When I finally stopped I sat on the root of a tree to think.
I focused on the two most pressing questions that I had to answer. First I had to answer if it was possible that what Jacob had said about the Cullens could be true. My mind immediately said no! It was silly and morbid to entertain those thoughts. But then again there was no rational explanation for how I was alive at this moment. There were also the things I had observed. The incredible speed, strength, the eye color shifting, the inhuman beauty, the pale frigid skin. Then there were the small things like how they never seemed to eat, the grace when they moved, and the way he speaks with phrases that fit with a turn of the century novel than a twenty-first-century classroom. Edward had skipped the day we did blood typing and hadn't said no to the beach trip until he heard where we were going. He seemed to know what everyone was thinking…except me. He had also told me that he was a villain and dangerous.
Could the Cullens be vampires?
They were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification. Whether it be Jacob's cold ones or my own superhero theory, Edward and his family were not human. They were something more. So maybe would have to be my answer…for now. Then the most important question. What was I gonna do if it was true? If Edward's family were vampire then what should I do? I could tell anyone they would think I was crazy.
There were only two options. One I could take Edward's advice and stay away from him. Avoid him at all cost. As soon as I considered that agony gripped my body and my mind rejected the pain and quickly skipped to the next option. I could do nothing different. After all if he were dangerous he'd done nothing to hurt me in fact he saved me. And since he saved me he how bad could he really be? There was one thing I was sure of the dark Edward and Carlisle in my dream was only a reaction of Jacob's story. Even so when the werewolf had lunged at Carlisle my cry of no wasn't fear for the werewolf it was fear that Carlisle would be harmed. I feared for them.
I knew then I couldn't do anything I was in too deep. Because e when I thought about them I wanted no more than to be with them. As I got back to the house I started on my paper that was due Wednesday and I was more serene that I had felt in several days. Filled with relief now that my decision was made. That night I slept dreamlessly and when I woke up I saw the yellow light of a sunny day. I ran to my window seeing a cloudless sky. I opened my window and found out it was relativity warm and hardly windy. I ate breakfast cheerily as Charlie called out a goodbye as he left. I walked out the door and was on my way to school. When lunch came around I got nervous thinking would Edward be waiting for me to sit with him again? But when we got to the cafeteria Edward wasn't there and neither were his siblings. I sat down at tried to pay attention to what my friends were saying. I was holding on to my last shred of hope when I walked into Biology and when I saw his empty seat I felt disappointment wash over me. When I got home Jessica called and asked if I wanted to go with her and Angela to Port Angeles to pick out dresses. I really didn't want to but I needed to get out of the house so I told her yeah but I would have to check with Charlie first.
Charlie was ok with it as long as I was home early because it was a school night. I called Jessica and told her I could go. When I woke up the next day it was still sunny and when I got to school I searched for Edward's Volvo but when I couldn't find it disappointment washed over me again. As the day went by Jessica kept jabbering on about shopping and I started to get really excited and as we drove out of the town limits after school I let the Cullens drift out my mind.
We made it to Port Angeles by four and it had been a while since I had a girl's night so the estrogen rush was invigorating. Jessica jabbered on about the dance and the boys we hung out with the whole way there. Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, but Jessica and Angela knew the area well and Jessica drove straight to one of the biggest department stores. Both of the girls found a few dresses they liked and went to try them on while I sat in a chair waiting for them to model them for me. Jessica was torn between a strapless black dress and an electric blue one. I suggested she go with the blue to play up her eyes. Angela chose a pale pink dress that brought out the honey colored tints in her hair. Then we went over to the shoes and accessories. While Jessica went to the jewelry I remembered about the Cullens not being at school so I asked Angela who was still looking at shoes.
"Um…Angela?" I said timidly
"Yeah?" She answered while looking at a pair of pink heels.
"Um…is it uh normal for the Cullens to be out of school a lot?" I was trying to make my voice sound nonchalant and failing miserably.
"Yes when the weather is good they go backpacking, even Dr. Cullen. They're all real outdoorsy" she told me quietly. She didn't ask one question let alone the hundred Jessica would have fired off . I was beginning to really like Angela. I let the subject drop as Jessica came over to show us the jewelry she had found to make her dress. We had planned to go eat at an Italian restaurant, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as expected. Jessica and Angela were going to take their things back to the car then walk to the bay. I really wanted to look for a bookstore and I told them I would meet them at the restaurant. They both offered to come with me but I told them to have fun I can get pretty preoccupied I could get when I was around books. They walk off to the car and I walked off in the direction Jessica pointed out.
The bookstore was easy to find but it wasn't one I was looking for. It was a book store with books on spiritual healing and I didn't need that. There had to be a normal bookstore around here somewhere. I walked down several streets filling up with traffic and I hoped I was heading toward downtown. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going I was to busy thinking about him and what Angela had said. I stomped along toward some glass-fronted shops that looked promising. But when I got to them they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. It was still to early to go met Jessica and Angela and I needed to get a hand on my depressing mood before I saw them anyway. I took a deep breath as I continued around the corner.
I started to realize that I was going the wrong way. The buildings here were all warehouses. I decided to turn at the next corner and try my luck on a different street and try to make my way to the board walk. Then I saw a group of four men dressed too casual to be heading home from work, but they were to grimy to be tourist. As they came closer I saw that they weren't to much older than I was. They were joking loudly and laughing among themselves. I scooted to the far side of the sidewalk giving them room as I kept my eyes down.
"Hey there!" One called as they walked past and he had to be talking to me since there was no one else around. I glanced up and saw that two of the men had turned to follow me while the other two had stopped.
"Hello" I mumbled and kept walking quickening my pace. I could hear the laughing behind me.
"Hey wait!" one said but I kept my head down a turned the corner and I let out a breath of relief. I found myself on a sidewalk leading past the backs of some more warehouse. It was getting dark and the clouds were rolling in, the air was getting chilly and the road was empty. I quickly looked behind me and saw that the two men that had spoken to me earlier were walking twenty feet behind me. I turned and kept walking as a chill that had nothing to do with weather ran through me. I hardly had any money with me just a twenty and I thought about "accidentally" dropping my purse and walking away, but then a voice in my head said they might be something worse than thieves. I listened to their quite footsteps and it didn't sound like they were speeding up so I took a deep breath. You don't know that they are following you I told myself.
I reached the corner but it was only a blind drive to the back of another building. I hurriedly corrected myself and dashed across the drive back to the sidewalk. I concentrated on the footsteps deciding whether or not to run. They sounded father back and they could probably outrun me anyway. I risked a glance back and I saw that they were about forty feet back now just staring at me. It seemed to take forever to get to the next corner with the men falling father behind me with every step. I saw two cars heading in the same direction I was headed for. I let out a sigh of relief there would be more people once I got off of this street. I got around the corner and stopped dead in my tracks.
The street was lined on both sides with blank door less windowless walls. I saw streetlamps and more pedestrians but they were too far away . And lounging against one of the buildings were the other two men form the group. It was then I realized I wasn't being followed I was being herded. I paused then turned and darted to the other side of the street. The footsteps were louder now.
"There you are" the booming voice came from the men ahead of me making me jump.
"Yeah," a voice from behind me said "we just took a little detour." The distance between me and the two lounging was being closed quickly and I had a good loud scream and I drew a breath prepared to use it. But my throat was so dry I wasn't sure how much volume I could manage. I gripped my purse in my hand ready to use it as a weapon. One of the men shrugged off the wall as I came to a stop and walked into the street.
"Stay away from me," I warned in voice that was supposed to be fearless.
"Don't be like that sugar" he called and laughter broke out behind me. I widened my stance trying to remember what little self defense I knew. The same voice in my head spoke up telling me I didn't have a chance against them. Shut up! I commanded the voice before fear could incapacitate me. I tried to swallow so I could build up a scream.
Headlights flew around the corner the car almost hit one of the men forcing him on to the sidewalk. I dove onto the road this car was going to have to stop or hit me. But the sliver car fishtailed and stopped right beside me. The passenger door was flung open and I was yanked into the car. I was instantly pulled into a hard cold chest. I should have been terrified but I was filled with a sense of safety. I looked out and saw Edward Cullen standing outside with his teeth bared at the four men. I looked up to see who's lap I had been pulled into a saw the gorgeous face of Dr. Carlisle Cullen.
"Are you ok?" Carlisle asked me his beautiful soothing voice instantly calming me.
I just nodded and studied his flawless face as he turned to stare out the windshield at Edward. Edward suddenly turned and got into the car tires squealing as he spun the car around and took off. Edward was breathing hard and he was murmuring under his breath so low I couldn't hear and he kept looking at Carlisle. Suddenly he turned to me "Bella are you alright?"
"Yes" I said "I'm fine are you ok?"
"No" he said laughing coldly
"Edward" Carlisle's voice said in my ear "you must try to calm down." Edward just gritted his teeth and nodded. We sat in silence for a few minutes then I looked at the clock and saw that it was past six-thirty. "Jessica and Angela will be worried" I whispered "I was supposed to meet them." Edward turned going toward town and he pulled up in front of a restaurant where Jessica and Angela where waiting looking anxious. As I got out I head Edward get out with me.
"What are you doing?" I asked Edward as I turned to look at him.
"Carlisle and I are going to take you to dinner." He said as I saw Carlisle smoothly get out of the car. I ran over to Jessica and Angela to stop them before they ran off
"Jess Angela!" I yelled running up to him.
"Bella where have you been? " Jessica asked.
"Sorry" I said "I got lost and then I ran into Edward and his father."
"Do you mind if we join you?" Edward asked motioning to himself and Carlisle. His voice was still cold and his hands were still shaking slightly.
"Um sure" Jessica said breathlessly
"Actually Bella" Angela said "we already ate while we were waiting…sorry."
"Its ok" I said "I'm not hungry anyway."
"I would feel better if you ate something" Edward said his voice filled with authority.
"If you don't mind" Carlisle said stepping forward "I will drive Bella home that way you two won't have to wait while she eats."
"Uh no problem I guess" Jessica said looking at me seeing if that's what I wanted. I winked at her letting her know that I wanted to be with them.
"Okay." Angela was quicker than Jessica. "See you tomorrow Bella…..Edward. Bye Dr. Cullen." She grabbed Jessica's arm a literally had to drag her away. As Jessica drove away she turned and wave her face filled with eager curiosity.
I looked between Carlisle and Edward and I saw what I hadn't noticed until now. Edward's eyes were coal black, but Carlisle's were the color of liquid honey.
"Carlisle" Edward said suddenly. I noticed that his hands were starting to shake harder.
"Go Edward" Carlisle said. And with that Edward went back to the car and took off. I looked at Carlisle and he held out his hand "shall we?" he said.
"I'm really not that hungry" I said.
"Bella" Carlisle said "I'm waiting for you to go into shock and I will feel better once you have some food and sugar in you. Please…for me" He finished with a smile.
His smile affected me just like Edward's did. It left me breathless and unable to deny him anything. So I took his hand(trying to ignore the electricity that ran through my body at his touch) and let him lead me in the restaurant. As we walked up to the hostess she welcomed us with enthusiasm that was meant for Carlisle considering she never took her eyes off of him. She lead us toward the back when Carlisle asked for a more private table. She asked him for his approval he smiled at her and she walked away looking dazed.
"You and Edward shouldn't do that " I said
"Do what?" Carlisle asked me still smiling.
"Dazzle people with your smile," I answered.
"Do Edward and I dazzle you?" He asked
"Frequently admitted "speaking of Edward where did he go."
"Edward had to run a few errands he will be back by the time we finish." he said as the server came up focusing completely on Carlisle. Once I got her attention I ordered a coke and the mushroom ravioli. After she left Carlisle pointed to my coke and said "drink."
I sipped my coke and the icy from the coke made me shiver. Carlisle noticed me shiver and immediately slipped out of his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. Then I realized I never looked at what he was wearing as I was to preoccupied with his face. He was wearing a black long sleeved sweater and the jacket he handed me was also black.
"Thanks" I told him as I slipped my arms into his coat. Just then my food arrived and Carlisle just stared at me until I started eating.
"You know I'm not gonna go into shock." I said. Carlisle laughed at this and I decided that his laugh was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard,
"Ah Bella" he said "you amaze me. You should be going into shock any normal person would. You don't even look shaken."
"Well" I said "I feel very safe with you." I said truthfully.
He frowned at me and murmured "this is going to be so much more complicated." He looked at me and said "So Edward tells me that you have some theories about what we are?"
I ducked my head embarrassed and nodded my head. "Do you have new ones?" he asked.
"Mm-hm but I will tell you in the car if you answer some questions now." I said
"Ok well its only fair please ask your questions" he said with a slight smile.
"Why are you guys in Port Angeles?"
"I can't answer that question that's one for Edward." Carlisle said.
"I'm sorry what one can I answer?" Edward said as he appeared next to the table his eyes were now the same color of liquid honey that Carlisle's were.
"Bella here was wondering why were we in Port Angeles." Carlisle said
"Nope" Edward said "next question."
"But-" I started
"I'm not answering that question." He said defiantly.
"Fine" I said "then lets say hypothetically someone can read minds with a few exceptions."
"Only one exception" Edward corrected me. "Hypothetically."
"Ok just one" I said. "How does that work? What are the limitations? How would…that someone…find someone else at the right time?"
"Hypothetically?"
"Sure"
"Well if….that someone…"
"Let's call him Joe" I said
Edward smiled at this "Joe then. If Joe had been paying attention the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite exact." He rolled his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small."
"We were speaking in a hypothetical case" I reminded him.
"Yes we were" he said "shall we call you Jane?"
"How did you know?" I asked leaning toward him.
He seemed to be wavering. Then his eyes locked with mine and I guessed he was making the decision whether or not to tell me the truth.
"You can trust me you know" I murmured.
"Amazing isn't she" Carlisle broke in "I think we have to trust you Bella you see you're much more observant than we gave you credit for."
"I followed you to Port Angles tonight well we did" he said as Carlisle cleared his throat. "I have never tried to keep one specific person alive before.
"Did you ever think my number was up with that van? I asked
"That wasn't the first time." he said "your number was up the first time I met you."
"Yet here I sit" I said "because of you."
"Its harder than it should be" he said "keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily once I've heard their mind before. I was keeping tabs on Jessica not carefully so I didn't notice when you took off on your own. When I realized you weren't there anymore I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell you hadn't gone in so I started driving in circles listening. And then he closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fist. :then I heard what they were thinking I saw your face in his mind. It was very …hard, you can't imagine. If it weren't for Carlisle I would have killed them I'm sure of it. He finally looked at me again and said "are you ready?"
"Yeah" I answered.
Carlisle called the waitress over and paid as we went out to the car. Edward opened the passenger door for me while Carlisle got into the back seat. "Now" he said as we buckled up "its your turn.
"Just one more question please" I begged.
"Ok just one" He agreed.
"How does the mind reading thing work? Can you read anybodies mind anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family….." I trailed off glancing back at Carlisle who was watching us with a small smile.
"That's more than one" he said. "No its just me and I have to be fairly close but the more familiar the person's mind is the farther I can hear but never more than a few miles. The voices of the minds are like a buzzing until I focus on just one then what they are thinking is clear."
"Why is it you think you can't hear me?" I asked
"I don't know" he said " the only guess I have is maybe your mind doesn't work the same way. Like a radio your transmitting AM and I'm only getting FM."
"My mind doesn't work right" I said slightly angry. "I'm a freak."
Carlisle and Edward both laughed at this "I hear voices in my head and your worried that you're the freak" Edward said. "Its just a theory and speaking of theories."
I told him about the stories that Jacob told me and I was afraid he would be angry but he wasn't. not until I told him I didn't care if he was a vampire or not.
"So am I wrong?" I challenged
He didn't answer
"I'm right" I gasped
"Does it matter?" He asked
"Not really" I said "but I am curious.
"About what?"
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen"
"And how long have you been seventeen?"
His lips twitched "A while."
"Okay don't laugh but how come you can out in the sun? I asked. "Shouldn't you burn up.
"Myth" he said.
"Sleeping in coffins?"
"Myth" he said I can't sleep at all."
The rest of the way we spoke about their diet of animal blood. And why they hunt animals. And I explained my theory about the eyes how they turned dark when they were thirsty. During this time I would sneak looks at Carlisle he would be sitting there listening intently and when ever he caught me looking he would just give me a smile that made me warm all over. Then before I knew it we were in front if my house and I made Edward promise he would be in school tomorrow. Then I turned in my seat gave Carlisle his coat with a shy smile thanked him and he gave me a brilliant smile back and I felt another wave of warmth wash over me. I was so consumed by that feeling I didn't notice the glare that Edward sent his way,
I opened the door and I had barley said hello to Charlie when the phone rang and it was Jessica wanting to know everything that had happened I told her that I couldn't talk with Charlie in the next room and she said she understood but we would defiantly talk tomorrow during school. I told Charlie that a day of shopping had tired me out and I was going to bed. I slowly walked up stairs and went through the motions of getting ready for bed. I took a shower letting the water relax my muscles. After I got out I got dressed in my Pjs and crawled under my covers.
As I lay there thinking about the nights events I realized three things. One the Cullens were vampires. Two there was a part of them and I don't know how dominate that part is that thirst for my blood. And three I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Edward….and with his father Carlisle.
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