A/N: Hey guys. I am sooo sorry I took this long putting up a new chapter. The truth is I've been coming up with blanks when I tried to write this chapter and I'm not really confident about this one. I may need a beta to help me with future chapters, so if anyone is interested please let me know. I hope I did good enough with this chapter and I promise I am not going to abandon this or any of my stories ever.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
Chapter 11: Intruder
The next morning came and the Swan family, minus Mia and E.J went to their respective school and college. They made sure to keep in touch with their two missing members (with Bella regularly checking in with her kids at school for update on the kids missing). Once E.J woke up, he and Mia reported that they would go out hunting before coming back.
The time came when another day of school ended and the Swan kids and Des came back to the mansion. Suddenly, the six kids stiffened when entering the house. None of them said a word.
Des noticed this sudden tension and frowned. "Guys, what's wrong?" She asked. She had no idea what was going on but could tell that it was serious.
"Stay by my side, Desiree." A.J said holding his girlfriend close. Lilly, Mason, Allie and Nessie zoomed around the house as if looking for something while Des and A.J stayed where they were.
"Anthony…" Des said worriedly.
"It's okay, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." A.J reassured, holding her hands.
Then the four hybrids came back. "It's all over the place. Our rooms, the living room, the kitchen, even the attic!" Lillian reported.
"What is? Can someone please tell me what's going on here?" Des pleaded, getting more and more worried.
"There was someone in our house." Mason explained.
"A full vampire, definitely, judging from the scent." Allie added.
"And it's everywhere, like whoever it was, was looking for something. But the question is what because nothing is missing." Renesmee said.
"Whatever they were looking for, we need to tell mom." Lillian said, immediately bringing out her phone.
When Bella was informed, she didn't waste a single second going running back to her house. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the mysterious scent that filled her familys' house.
"We need to call the Cullens. This person may be someone they know. I'm hoping that's the case." Bella said, taking out her phone.
"How do you have their number?" Lillian asked.
"I don't, I'm going to contact Carlisle from the hospital." Her mother explained. "And try to be civil with them, we need to find out what's going on here."
After a phone call to Carlisle, the Swan family soon found themselves opening their doors to all seven members of the Cullen family again. Although no one in the Swan family was happy about this, they knew it was necessary to figure out who invaded their home so no one said anything about it. Like Bella, the Cullen family immediately notice the scent as soon as they walked in.
"Please tell me it's someone you know." Bella begged Carlisle and Esme.
"I'm sorry Bella. This is a new scent for us as well." Carlisle informed her.
"Maybe it was just a vampire passing by who was curious about your scent?" Alice suggested.
"After all, the hybrids do have scents that make them different from full vampires."
"If they were curious, why would they break into our house, check every room and then leave without wanting to talk to us?" A.J argued, putting an arm around Des.
"Well, whoever it was didn't want to be followed." Emmett said as he and Jasper walked inside the house.
"We followed the trail to the cliffs up north. It ended in the ocean." Jasper explained.
"Well that's just great." Mason commented with sarcasm. "A vampire just found out that he can get in and out of our house any time he wants. What next? Eerie messages on the floor? This feels like the setup of a horror movie."
"Well, there is one thing we know about our visitor." Allie said as she and Lilly joined the group. "We know what they came for."
That got everyone's attention as they waited to hear more.
"Remembered the app Lilly and I, being fashion oriented divas we are, had AJ make for us that helps us keep track of every article of clothing owned by people living in this household." Allie started explaining while holding up her iPad. "The same one that lets us mix and match and virtually alter the clothes just to see how they look."
The Swan coven and Des nodded while the Cullen coven couldn't help but compare the two girls to Rosalie and Alice.
"Well we have just went through everyone's closet and what we found was that each of us is missing a shirt." Lilly informed them. Allie showed them them the iPad which had pictures of nine different shirts. "These are the ones that are missing."
"And you're sure you can't find those clothes anywhere around the house. Maybe you've misplaced it?" Carlisle inferred.
"All of us?" Lilly questioned raising her eyebrows. "If it was only Masen then yes, that would be possible but not for the rest of us, especially not for me and Allie."
"My shirt is also missing." Des pointed out. "I remember that was one of the clothes I packed to keep at your place for sleepovers. But this doesn't make sense though, what would a vampire want with nine different shirts?"
The four hybrids were also wondering the same thing but the Cullens, Bella and Mia wore grim expressions as they realized the answer.
"My best guess is, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this, that it's not the shirts that interests the vampire but the scents on each shirt." Carlisle explained. "After all is the best way for a vampire to track down anyone they want to find."
The kids grew silent as they took in the information.
"Do you guys have any enemies?" Carlisle continued. "Someone who you might have crossed in the past who would want revenge?"
"No, I can't imagine there would be someone after us." Bella answered, the worried tone clear in her voice.
Edward noticed this and wanted badly to comfort Bella and tell her that everything would be fine, that they would find out who the culprit was and that he would keep her and the kids safe. He reminded himself to focus on the task in hand. "It could be a nomad they've never met before just looking for a thrill."
"Why would a nomad do all this just for a thrill?" Anthony asked.
"There are nomads who get bored at living for an eternity." Carlisle explained. "Not every full vampire is like us. They don't want to settle in a coven and try to live a normal life, sometimes they will go to extremes just for a thrill."
"Well if this guy wants a thrill, have him fight me." Mason said punching his fist into his palm.
"Do you think it might have something to do with what E.J and Mia found last night?" Anthony asked.
That got the Cullens attention.
"Come to think of it, where are they?" Emmett said, looking around for said people.
"There have been reports on missing people in what claims to be animal attacks." Bella explained. "But we suspect something else is going on, so E.J and Mia went to investigate. Speaking of, where are they?" She directed the last question to her kids.
"They're on their way back as we speak." Lillian answered.
"So what did they find?" Jasper asked.
"The people were missing, all turned to vampires." Allison said. "And the guards from the Volturi were there as well."
"The Volturi?" Carlisle questioned.
"They could be the ones behind this." Edward inferred.
"I don't think it's them. I've been keeping track of Aros' decision from time to time, I would've seen something." Alice said.
"But didn't you say your visions have been blurry recently." Jasper pointed out.
"That's true, but mostly with visions concerning us." His mate replied.
"Hmm, Mia's been having the same problems with your power as well." Masen said thoughtfully.
Alice looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"Mias' gift is to absorb other vampires gift and use them at will." Renesmee explained.
"That's fascinating. What about you guys? Do you have any gifts?" Carlisle asked the hybrids, remembering all the questions he had about them.
Lillian scoffed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She said inspecting her nails. It was clear she was reaching the limit of her tolerance towards the Cullens. The other hybrids were a bit reluctant to answer as well, even Renesmee. Carlisle looked hurt as he remembered that this family didn't really favoured his, but didn't say anything.
Bella saw the exchanged and just decided to answer the question herself. "E.J can shapeshift into any animal, Lillian can manipulate peoples' minds, Masen has telekinesis, Renesmee can create image illusions, Allison can create sound illusions and Anthony has control over the elements. And all six of them inherited my gift, which is a mental shield, and have a joint gift where they can mentally communicate only with one another, we call it a mind-link."
"That's impressive." Carlisle commented, giving an appreciative look to Bella, while her kids looked at her in disbelief.
"We have bigger problems to focus on here." Bella said to her kids.
"What are you guys doing here?" A new voice suddenly demanded.
Everyone looked at the door and found that E.J and Mia were back and the former was less than please.
"Seriously? We leave for one day and you guys are having a reunion here." E.J continued.
"Hold on, E.J." Renesmee said, walking up to her eldest brother. She then went silent and the non-hybrids, minus Mia, could only guess that she was explaining.
E.J stayed silent as he listened to the explanation and took a few deep calming breaths before moving to sit on the arm of the sofa. "Maybe the Volturi are the ones behind all of this." He finally spoke up, deciding to try an act civil towards the Cullens as well, temporarily of course.
"They wouldn't be sneaking around your house." Carlisle pointed out. "If they wanted answers, they would directly confront you and the situation in Seattle is getting too much attention. Aro would never risk that."
"Well whoever it is will definitely be coming back." Emmett said. "We need to keep a look out."
"Great! Now that, that's decided now would be a good time to call this meeting to an end. Been nice having you guys around, Cullens." Lillian said in a fake-sweet voice.
"Wait, hold on-" Alice tried to say.
"Unless you have some helpful information on our intruder, then we're done here." E.J interjected. No one in his family offered any objections, not even Renesmee.
"I-I just need to talk with Bella." Edward said.
"Seriously, you want to talk now?" Masen said in disbelief.
"So not happening." Lillian said.
"Fine you want to talk let's talk." Bella said to the surprise of her kids. "Take a walk with me. The rest of you can leave." The last sentence was directed to the other Cullens. The two full vampires then disappeared.
"You guys know your way out." Masen said, before he and the other Swans disappeared from the living room with Des walking out with A.J.
No other choice, the Cullens left to their house.
Bella led Edward into the forest where she hoped would be far enough so that her children wouldn't hear.
"Bella-" Edward started to explain, before Bella cut him off.
"No, you already had your chance to talk now it's my turn." She said. Edward then became silent and let her continue.
"Forty-five years Edward. I spent forty-five years thinking that our relationship meant nothing to you. Do you know how much I struggled to not to let depression take over me? Of course you didn't. Because you thought that I was just a fragile silly human who would forget our relationship over time. Well guess what Edward? Even as a human I could remember every second of our break-up in the forest. How you said that I wasn't good for you and I didn't belong in your world. How you just ran off, leaving me there no matter how much I called out for you. You're saying you've been living in regret for the decision you made? I've been living in pain because of that decision! I loved you Edward. You were my first and only love and I loved you with everything I had. But apparently that wasn't enough for you since you decided that you should be the one in charge of controlling what I should have! Seriously, forty-five years later, we only met up because we both happened to end up in the same town and you finally decide to come and tell me that you lied this whole time and left to protect me? How do you think i would respond to that? Did you actually think I would let go of the pain you put me through all this time and run back to your arms? Well, sorry to disappoint Edward, but that's not happening. I can't trust you and I can guarantee you that my kids can't trust you either. From now on, I want our interactions to be kept at a complete minimum."
Without giving Edward a chance to speak up, Bella turn and ran back to her house. Edward wanted to call out to her, but he was frozen as he watched her disappear from view.