Esme handed Marianne a glass of warm tea who took a sip of it carefully. Esme watched as her son's mate brought the cup to her lips, her hands shaking the entire time.
Esme felt protective of the girl. Just like everyone else in the room. When Aspen and Sierra told Carlisle and herself of their problem, she couldn't help but feel obligated to help them out. They were family now after all.
Esme also noticed the changes in the children once Marianne came into their lives. Talking to Marianne and Bella gave them a chance at gaining more social skills. Her adoptive children were so used to just talking to each other that they never really talked to anyone else outside the family. They did really see the need to. Becoming friends with a human can end in two ways: One, the person finds out and takes it the bad way. And two, they-
-actually, there really isn't a second option.
She watched as Sierra smiled softly at her daughter. The scene made her heart well up and wish that she could have child of her own with Carlisle. Don't get her wrong, she loves the family she has now. But she wishes she could have a biological child with Carlisle.
"Can you tell us what she said, flower?" Sierra's voice coaxed Marianne.
Marianne sat the cup down on its small plate. She looked hesitant, but Jasper held his hands in hers, making Marianne smile at him. Esme and Carlisle shared a small smile, happy for their son.
"She said, "Bringing others into this was a bad idea. Now I can use them too." Marianne said quietly.
Emmett looked confused. "Why does that mean?"
Aspen looked over at him. "Laura wants to use Marianne as a weapon to take over the vampire world and the human world. She can hypnotize you all into being her perfect, obedient puppets."
"No way in hell am I going to be some lady's puppet." He said harshly.
"Language." Esme cut in.
Darren nodded. "I could sense her power. She's not as strong as all of us combined, but she can certainly do some damage."
"How do we even know if she's in our mind?" Edward asked.
Marianne answered, "You kinda feel dizzy. I felt dizzy earlier a couple times, but I just thought it was nerves. I'm so stupid."
Jasper quickly shook his head. "You're not stupid."
She smiled at him in reply and laid her head on his shoulder. Esme felt the need to squeal and clap her hands like a... what do the kids call it these days? Like a fan girl?
But she knew now wasn't the time and that Jasper would not appreciate it.
"So what are we going to do?" Bella asked.
"Not you." Edward said. "You're human. She could get to you easily. Just us."
"The laughing everyone heard was in our heads." Aspen said, gaining everyone's attention.
"What do you mean? I thought she was here in Forks?" Emmett asked.
Aspen shook her head. "That's what she wants us to think. Even as a vampire it will take a few days to get here from Texas. She must've found out about all of you when she was getting into my niece's head."
"So then what do we do?" Darren asked.
"We go in with our normal lives and act like nothing has happened. We want to make it seem as if Laura hasn't gotten to us." Sierra said calmly.
"So instead of finding this maniac," Emmett began, "You want us to pretend like nothing happened and go on with our lives?"
Sierra nodded. "Exactly."
Alice smiled. "Well then, there is going to be a storm coming in tomorrow evening. We usually play baseball, would you like to join us?"
Aspen smiled. "I haven't played baseball in quite some time."
Sierra laughed. "Forty years, give or take."
Marianne rolled her eyes at them, while everyone seemed to be in shock.
Marianne answered the question most of them were asking. "Elementals age until they take on a full day of pain, which is the body becoming immortal. Unlike usual Elementals, my mom and dad didn't meet when they were eighteen so my dad became immortal in 1989, making him stuck in the body of a 24-year-old man and my mother became immortal in 1982, making her stuck in the body of a 22-year-old."
"She should be 58, while my father should be 53." Marianne said. (I accidentally did the math with the year 2018, but I'm too lazy to do it again, so you will have to deal.)
Aspen nodded. "Yes. I'm physically 21 but I am actually 42 while my husband is also 21 but is actually 56."
"Is that a yes, then?" Alice asked.
Marianne nodded. "Yes."
"Yay!" Alice clapped her hands. "I'll send Jasper to pick you all up tomorrow!"
"Yes," Sierra said, looking at her watch. "We must be going."
Marianne rose an eyebrow. "It's only four."
Sierra gave her daughter a sly smile. "Time to go. Thank you for all your help. And I'm sorry about Laura."
Esme shook her head. "Don't worry. You are all family now. We protect our family."
Sierra gave them a grateful smile. "Jasper?"
Jasper nodded and helped his mate stand. They waved goodbye to everyone and Jasper led them outside.
The drive was quiet, none of them really knowing what to say. Jasper and Marianne obviously wanted to talk, but with her mother and aunt in the car, it would just be awkward. And Marianne didn't want them to eavesdrop anyway.
After her mother and her aunt got out of the car to enter the house, Marianne turned to Jasper, "I'm sorry, about today. I made a bad inpression."
Jasper took his hands in hers. "No you didn't. You were perfect. We can't blame you for what happened."
Marianne shrugged. "I still feel partially at fault. But thank you for trying to make me feel better."
"I wish I could've done better." Jasper said, slowly using his powers to make her feel better.
She gave him a mock glare. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."
Jasper looked at her innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
She rolled her eyes, giving him a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye darlin'."
X.X.X.X.X.X.
Marianne stumbled down the stairs, blinking blearily. She woke up to loud laughter after barely managing to get any sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw Laura.
Their conversation still echoed in her mind.
Marianne! You found your mate! How lovely! For me, not you. I might use him and his family for myself. The vampire stood ten feet across from her. Fog covered their legs, symbolizing how Laura had clouded over her mind.
Just say what you need to say, Laura. She spit out at the blond.
Laura clicked her tongue. Don't snap at me, Marianne. I seem to be stuck in California for the time being, so I sent some of my friends your way. You'll meet them soon. Very soon, actually.
Marianne felt a chill roll down her spine. How many?
Just two. But they're traveling with some of their own friends. Laura grinned. You will outnumber them, but trust me, the odds will be in their favor.
Marianne purposely didn't tell the Cullens or her family this because she didn't know if it was true or not. Laura has lied plenty of times before, so she had no reason to believe her.
Marianne walked into the kitchen, preparing a huge speech about her needing beauty sleep but stopped when she saw a young man with pale skin and white blond hair wearing very familiar leather gloves.
"Papa!" Marianne screamed as she jumped into her father's grasp.
"Hey Annie." Roger picked up his daughter and twirled her around happily. "I'm so happy you're alright. Your mother told me what happened yesterday."
Marianne looked behind her father to see her mother smiling at them. "Did she tell you anything else?"
Roger shook his head. "Not anything else that seemed important. Why? Is there something she didn't tell me?"
Marianne grabbed his arm. "Papa, you might want to sit down."
"Okay." Roger said uneasily as his daughter dragged him to the couch.
After he and Marianne sat down, Roger said, "Now what is it?"
Marianne began to bite her lip. "Wellllllllll, I found my mate-"
"That's fantastic, Annie! Now where is he so I can give him a talk, man to man." Roger cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"-and he's a vampire." Marianne finished blankly. "So I don't think you could beat him up. No offense."
"A... a vampire?" Roger asked in shock, turning to his wife to make sure she wasn't fooling around with him.
Sierra nodded. "He's a very nice young man. Well, I suppose he isn't that young, he is older than us. But that's besides the point. He has wonderful manners and I know he will treat Marianne with respect. I already gave him the talk, Roger."
Marianne looked at her mother so quickly she could've given herself whiplash. "Mom! What did you say?"
Sierra shrugged her shoulders mysteriously.
Roger turned back to his daughter, who was glaring slightly at his wife. "I'm happy for you, Annie. But I still want to meet him. And talk to him."
"Of course! Don't tell any baby stories though! Actually, don't tell him any stories that involve me!" Marianne told him. "And you're lucky, he will be here in an hour to take us to play baseball with his family."
"Well then, you might want to get ready." Roger said as he helped Marianne up, looking at her messy hair and PJs. "You have a lot of work to get done."
"Papa!" Marianne scolded, smacking him in the arm.
"Ow!" Roger chuckled. "Just go get ready, Annie."
Roger pulled Sierra into his cold embrace. "She's growing up so fast."
Sierra nodded. "Indeed she is."
It was quiet for a moment or two before Roger spoke up. "She gets that from you, ya know."
Sierra rose an eyebrow at him. "What?"
"The intelligence and the beauty..." Roger said as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, dear. She gets her confidence and playfulness from you though." Sierra smiled warmly.
"I wasn't done yet," Roger said, his eyes filled with mischief. "She also gets the awful bed head from you too."
It was Sierra's turn to smack her husband.
"Ow! I was joking!" Roger grumbled as he rubbed his sore shoulder. "She also gets the anger issues from you too..."
X.X.X.X.X.X.
Good afternoon readers!
Sorry that it took me two weeks to update. But hey, the baseball scene will be in the next chapter and Roger was finally introduced. *woot* *woot*
That was not an owl impression btw, it was a celebratory shout.
Anyway, I will update soon! Hope you understood the chapter.
Xoxo,
Rock0bye