Another day, another chapter. I write chapters in advance of when I post them, and I have to say that chapter ten is my favorite so far. Not much longer until you guys get to read that! I think a lot of you will enjoy it too. But, as I'm writing chapter twelve, I'm a little stuck...not saying I'm going to stop the fic, just letting you guys in on the process.

Thanks again for everything - favs, follows, reviews, everything. It really does mean a lot. I love hearing from you guys in reviews, so please don't be afraid to leave one or two. I try and answer all the questions I get. You could even leave something telling me I sucked and I'd probably still like it, haha.

Okay, enough from me. Enjoy!

chapter eight - same scars

In the five years since I'd turned, the club scene in the city had changed drastically. The cops cracked down more. Drugs weren't out in the open, they were done in closed bathroom stalls. Kids weren't welcome like they used to be. Everyone was strict with checking IDs, which they weren't at all strict about before I was turned. The costumes and outfits weren't nearly as interesting. People didn't have the creativity they did once, or so it seemed.

I still loved going out, despite how much had changed. I didn't do as much partying when I was out now, probably because the drinks and the drugs had no effect whatsoever on my new vampire system. I'd become more withdrawn, preferring to sit by the bar and observe others instead of being in the thick of things as I had when I was still human.

Part of why I still went out to the clubs was because it was one of the few places where I could blend in with humans. My red eyes were a dangerous giveaway in most public spaces, but in a nightclub they could easily be passed off as colored contacts, or not as easily noticed with all of the colored or dim lights. Another part of why I still went out was for memories' sake, to cling to something I loved as a human.

And lastly, it was an easy way to find a meal.

Clubs in the city were always packed. Shoulder to shoulder human traffic. There were always at least a dozen humans with blood that smelled amazing to me, and it was beyond easy to get one of them alone with my vampiric good looks and the influence of drugs or alcohol that was often present. I was used to finding an easy kill in the clubs. Something I wasn't use to finding was other vampires.

It would've been a dead lie for me to say that there were no other vampires in the city, because New York City was overflowing with vampires. They had their own underground community in the city, easily able to find refuge in the enormous groups of people. They tended to stick to that underground community and not go out and about and mingle much like I did. So naturally, I was a bit shocked to catch the scent of a vampire from my place at the bar.

This other vampire found me before I found him. I could tell that he was a vampire almost immediately - he was far too handsome to be human, and his eyes were as red as mine. He was on the taller side and well-built, with broad shoulders and strong looking hands. He had chestnut hair was styled to look messy in a fashionable sense. His features were sharp and attractive, his nose just slightly crooked in a sort of endearing way, with lips that made me tempted to kiss him.

Oh shit.

"I didn't expect to meet another one of my kind here," he said, flashing me a half smile as he slid into the bar stool beside me. He had an accent, something European. Similar to Elisabeth's Dutch accent, but not quite the same. "Especially one as beautiful as you."

I gave him a slight smile, stirring my cocktail a bit as I diverted my eyes from him. If I had the capability to blush, I would've been red as a tomato. I didn't say anything back to him though, because I was still skeptical of him. Good looking men didn't just approach me and tell me I was beautiful. Even though I was better looking as a vampire, I still wasn't the sort of person who was approached by beautiful strangers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he continued, despite my attempt to look disinterested. "My name is Bastien Schultze. It would be an honor to know yours."

I flicked my eyes towards him. He had extended a hand to shake.

"Lindsay," I said. "I don't shake hands."

He retracted his hand. He seemed amused rather than offended.

"Is there a reason?" he asked.

"There's a long story," I said.

"I have time," he replied. "An eternity, to be exact."

I chuckled at the lame humor. It was my style. It made me even more attracted to him that I'd been before. There was just something about Bastien that drew me to him, a magnetic sort of attraction that I'd never experienced before.

"I'd rather not get into it," I said. Changing the subject, I asked, "Where are you from? Based on the accent, I'm guessing it's not the Bronx."

"Germany," he informed me. "I was born in Mainz, but relocated to Berlin."

"And how long ago were you born?" I inquired. I was always intrigued to find out, as you could never tell how old a vampire truly was.

Bastien smirked. "Quite a long time ago. You?"

"I'm still young," I answered. "I was only turned six years ago."

"I could be your great, great, great grandfather or so," he said with a small smile.

"In vampire years, that hardly means a damn thing," I said.

"So it's not a turn off?" he inquired, brow raised.

I paused. "No."

"Good," he grinned. "Because I couldn't imagine walking away from you."

September blurred into October, though the leaves didn't change in Forks like they did in New York. I came to become more comfortable around the Cullens. Alice and I got along quite well. I couldn't imagine that anyone couldn't get along with her, given her constant optimism and infectious smile. Emmett and I had a good rapport and Edward and I had developed a sort of quiet camaraderie, being together during the school days and bonding through the piano lessons he'd started given me. Rosalie had warmed up to me a bit, despite having moments of jealousy every once and awhile. I grew more and more comfortable around Esme, who was so much like Elisabeth with her calming, motherly aura and warm smiles.

As much as I found the Cullens growing on me, they weren't my real family. I sensed they felt that family love towards each other, and as much as they might've liked me, I wasn't a part of that. Alice would have me believe that I was, or at least that I would be one day, but I wasn't buying it. Maybe I didn't want to be, because I missed my own family so badly. I called Samuel, Jesse and Anna nearly everyday, and did my best to have the same amount of contact with Elisabeth and Nevaeh, though it was harder with them, because of Nevaeh's school schedule and the time difference.

School still was boring as ever. I expected certain subjects to be hard, like they had been when I was alive and going to school. However, my brain had become enhanced along with the rest of my body after I'd been changed, and I found myself whizzing through my assignments with ease. If anything, it made things more boring, not being challenged.

Something that had changed was my driving. Before coming to Forks, I'd never driven a car. There wasn't a need to before. When I was human, I took a cab or was driven around by my parents' staff when I was even younger. After I was turned, I ran everywhere, finding it faster and easier. The Cullens were amused by my lack of driving skills, and quickly sought to change that. Alice gave me the keys to her Porsche for my first driving lesson, which I thought was a bad idea.

"You're going to be fine," Alice assured me. "Do you really think I'd let you drive my car if I saw you crashing it or something?"

"I guess not," I said. I was gripping the wheel so tightly I was afraid it was going to shatter. "I still don't wanna take the risk."

But Alice made me take the risk, and we only lapped around the Cullen's road three times before I gave up. Alice said she'd seen that coming - of course - and allowed me to exit the lesson with the promise I'd try again tomorrow.

"You up for a hunt, Linds?" Emmett inquired. He came into the garage just after Alice and I parked, trailed by Jasper.

"Sure," I agreed.

"Hop in," Emmett said, unlocking the Jeep.

"Ladies take shotgun," Jasper said, gesturing for me to get in the front.

"I'm hardly a lady," I deadpanned unconsciously.

Emmett laughed. Jasper merely looked amused. I wondered if he still was able to pick apart my emotions. If so, it explained why he kept a bit of a distance compared to the others. And I probably owed him some sort of apology.

"I disagree," Jasper replied with a sort of smile.

"Yeah, well, thanks," I said.

With that, I hopped in the front alongside Emmett, while Jasper slipped into the backseat. Alice waved us off, and we were on our way to one of the hunting spots a few miles off from the house.

"You know, I haven't asked," Emmett said, glancing at me from the corner of my eye. "I didn't want to offend you before, but I figured we're cool enough now for me to ask….what's with all the scars on your neck and arms? Those are a hell of a lot of vampire bites to have."

I lifted my fingers to my neck, tracing the myriad of scars Bastien had left there, like the ones on my arms. Usually if my hair was down and I had long sleeves on, they were pretty well covered. But I wore my hair up with t-shirts every once and awhile. Like today. So they were in plain view.

"Bastien," I said. "You know, the vampire you're protecting me from? He did it."

"Why?" Emmett asked. "Was he trying to decapitate you and chew your arms off?"

I stifled a chuckle, somehow. "No. It was his way of marking his territory….some of them, anyway. Some of the are from the fight he put up when I tried to leave."

"Damn," Emmett whistled. "Are you ever gonna tell us the whole story with this Bastien guy? Sounds like a badass story."

"That's one way to put it," I said.

"You're making her tense up," Jasper said from the back seat.

"It's okay," I said. "I don't talk about what I went through with Bastien a lot. It still gets to me."

"Well, are you gonna talk to us about it?" Emmett asked. "I'll figure out how to get it out of you sooner or later."

"I haven't even told my parents the whole story," I said. "But to give you the gist of things, Bastien wasn't who I thought he was. He made me think he loved me, but really I was just a pawn in his stupid game. He wanted me for my gift, to use as his secret weapon in the little vampire army he's creating. I realized what he was, and he fought tooth and nail - literally - to keep me from leaving."

Emmett didn't say anything. I could see he was thinking over the story I'd just told him. Surprisingly, it was Jasper who spoke up first.

"I can understand that," Jasper said. "I was created by a vampire who wanted to use me for her own agenda as well….I thought I was in love with her too, until I saw things clearly. And I met Alice."

"So you and Alice are….?" I asked. Unlike the endless display of romance between Emmett and Rosalie, I hadn't seen any indication of that between Alice and Jasper.

Both Emmett and Jasper chuckled at the suggestion.

"No," he clarified. "I love her, but not like that. Alice was the one who showed me there was another way, and that love doesn't involve manipulation. I'll always be grateful to her for that, but as far as romance goes, it isn't meant to be."

I nodded. I understood. I had an intense love for Jesse and Anna, but nothing close to being romantic.

"Everyone out," Emmett said, parking the Jeep on an overlook. "Time to get our hunt on."

I didn't need to be told twice. I leapt out of the car, trapezing through the Washington forest. I was thirsty, thirsty enough not to be disgusted by animal blood. It was growing on me, having not had anything else to drink for a month now. Of course I wished I could go back to humans, but I knew that wasn't an option right now.

It didn't take me long to catch the scent of a mountain lion. I'd prefer a bear, but the lion would do. I tackled the animal, throwing my arms around its muscular neck. It snarled, doing its damn best to squirm from my grip. As I've noticed, animals put up a much better fight than humans did, but it wasn't going to win. I got my hands positioned right and snapped the creature's neck. I tore some of the hair out of the skin, creating a cleaner place for me to sink my teeth in and drink.

I dropped the animal's corpse once it was emptied of all the blood. One perk of drinking from animals was that I didn't see into their lives. The gift I'd absorbed from Aro - the one that allowed me to see someone's entire life, every memory, thought and action - didn't work with animals. So feeding off of them was exponentially less emotionally impactful than feeding off of humans. I guess that was the tradeoff for the superior taste of human.

Once I was finished, I tracked down the sound of the others, coming upon Emmett first. He was taking down a grizzly, and laughing while he did so. He always picked bears. Edward had told me it was because he lost a fight to a bear as a human, which almost killed him. I guess he decided he wasn't going to lose a fight to a bear any other time for the rest of eternity.

"He has quite the fighting style, doesn't he?" Jasper chuckled, coming up to my right.

"Yeah," I nodded. "He's really got a grudge against grizzlies."

"To put it lightly," Jasper agreed.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. For the first time, I saw him with his sleeves rolled up a bit, probably to make hunting easier. He, like me, was covered in crescent-shaped vampire bite scars. But his were significantly worse than mine. I didn't know how I hadn't noticed before, but they covered a good portion of his face and neck too, though I couldn't say they really detracted from his good looks.

"You've got them too," I said, gesturing to them.

"Yes," he said, holding his arms out. They glimmered in the dim forest light, just like mine did. "My creator, Maria, had in me charge of training her army of newborns, based on my experience. They fought with their teeth, obviously. It's our natural instinct. I was bitten too many times to count."

"I meant the ones all over your face," I said. "I never noticed before."

"Really?" Jasper inquired, sounding surprised. "It's usually the first thing other vampires see when they look at me. Humans don't notice, but vampires do….they see them and think I'm a monster."

"Well, I'm sorry for not noticing, then," I said.

He smiled slightly. "It's actually nice that you didn't."

I peered down at my own scars, and thinking aloud said, "Mine don't look so bad now."

"I know how bad they hurt, though," Jasper said, staring at the ones on my neck. "Even one can bring you to your knees if it's a deep enough bite."

"Yeah," I agreed. "How….how many newborns did you have to fight off?"

"Too many to count," he said, his eyes growing distant.

"Why?" I asked. "What was the point of the newborn army?"

"You tell me your story, I'll tell you mine," Jasper replied playfully. He smiled. He had a nice smile. Then again, I had yet to meet a vampire who didn't.

"Fair enough," I grinned.

"You two look happy," Emmett grinned. He wiped the bear blood off his hands against his pants. I had a feeling Rosalie would be irked with that later. "Good eats?"

"Something like that," Jasper grinned.