A/N: And here's the promised change in POV. I'm not sure how long I'll keep this one going (the POV, that is), so enjoy it while it lasts!
One Year Later…
I ran with my sister and brother through the damp forests west of our home on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. I relished the feel of my muscles stretching to accommodate my stride. The trees around us glistened with individual drops of rain, even under the perpetually cloudy sky, a lovely sight I never grew tired of. If I had to be holed up in a corner of the United States, at least my family had found a ridiculously beautiful place this time, unlike the stark white of Alaska. It was almost enough to make me forget my isolation, from my family and from the world at large.
I used my contemplation of the scenery in part to distract myself from the thoughts of my brother and sister. Alice and Jasper were able to block me from their thoughts if they wanted, but the thrill of the hunt often made them forgetful as they honed in on their prey. I hated the occasional intimate memory I would catch as their bloodlust rose.
Thankfully this day they were unusually focused, and I was able to unequivocally enjoy our time together. The deer were plentiful, if boring, and soon our hunt was done. We began to head back home when the wind shifted. The scent of a single vampire flooded over us, one relatively close. We all froze, Alice and Jasper looking to me. If we could smell the newcomer, I should be able to hear their thoughts and determine if they were hostile or not. I knew none of us had ever encountered that scent before, so anything was possible.
To my surprise, although I focused I could only hear Alice and Jasper, their thoughts racing. Alice went over every vampire we knew, while Jasper evaluated the trees surrounding us, identifying which areas afforded a tactical advantage. Not even the thoughts of a stray hiker or camper pinged on my radar. Yet the scent of that unknown vampire grew stronger, indicating that he or she was approaching rather than running from us. Unfortunately, that wasn't an indication of their intentions. We were almost due west of Seattle, and a vampire looking to claim that city as a hunting ground might see us as a threat. Jasper and I braced ourselves in front of Alice, who didn't seem particularly worried. I tried to determine the source of the twinkle in her eye, but she began to block me by repeatedly going over the latest Christian Louboutin shoe line. I didn't have time to question her because suddenly we weren't alone.
A female vampire stood frozen in front of us, her posture wary but unafraid. One part of my mind registered that she was short, only a few inches taller than tiny Alice, dark hair shimmering with red and gold strands woven throughout. She wore dark jeans and a black leather jacket, both less ragged than I expected for a nomad. However, it was her face, the most lovely I had ever seen, and her eyes that captivated me. I expected the normal bright red, if she'd fed recently, or burgundy. My breath caught at the brilliant gold staring back at me when our eyes met.
Vampires who feed on animals were rare. I knew of only my own family of seven and our Alaskan "cousins", who numbered five. As far as I knew they hadn't gained any members recently. And yet here was a gold-eyed vampire I had never met before.
She seemed as surprised as I was, as surprised as Jasper—but not Alice—was. I threw a brief glare back at my sister, who pushed forward from behind us. Alice held out her hand to the newcomer, who gave it a confused glance before recognition lit those lovely honey-colored eyes. She brought her own hand up, and the two women exchanged a brief handshake.
"Hello. I'm Alice." My sister's voice was cheerful, which I wanted to take as a good sign.
"Bella." Her voice turned the syllables into pure music.
"This is my mate, Jasper, and my brother, Edward," Alice continued, pointing to each of us in turn.
Bella shifted her eyes slightly at the introductions and then turned back to Alice. "Are you—do you feed from animals, too?"
Alice's smile grew. "We call it being vegetarians, an inside joke." The girl laughed along with Alice. "Our whole family feeds from animals instead of humans."
Bella's perfectly arched eyebrows rose. "Family?"
I knew what confused her and stepped forward, suddenly eager to contribute. "Yes, we call the other vampires we live with our family instead of our coven. The animal diet allows for closer ties than you may be used to."
Bella looked towards me once more. "I see," was all she said. She hesitated as if unsure how to continue. "I—I was told that feeding from animals was unusual. How did you come up with the idea?" She tried to sound casual, but I detected a strange intensity behind her question. I mentally cursed my inability to read her thoughts, probably not for the last time.
"We'd be happy to tell you our story, and to hear yours. Would you like to come to our home and meet the rest of our family?" Alice offered, her mind still veiled behind the season's latest fashions.
Bella bit her lip, an endearingly human gesture. It was rare for one of us to keep little twitches like that. The intrigue I felt was almost enough to overcome my frustration at her mind's silence.
"Where's home?"
"We have a house, a permanent residence, near a small town nearby called Forks." Before I could get out more than that, her eyes widened almost comically.
"I—I'm sorry. I can't!" she cried and was off like a shot, headed towards Seattle.
"Bella! Wait!" Alice cried, shooting me an accusatory glare. Did you have to mention where we lived? Her thoughts accused me of acting rashly, although I had no idea why I should have avoided naming the little nowhere town we called "home" for the moment.
I took that as the prod it was intended to be and ran after Bella, Alice and Jasper following but far behind. Thankfully I was faster than this new vampire, just as I was faster than everyone else I'd ever encountered. In less than a minute I was running beside the dark-haired beauty.
"Please, Bella, I didn't mean to startle you. Won't you stop and talk with us?"
She slowed and then stopped. Her eyes were wild with fear when she turned to look at me. "I can't go there! I won't!"
"Why can't you go to Forks, Bella?" Alice had caught up with us, and she placed a tentative hand on Bella's arm.
Bella twitched but didn't shake her off. "I can't take that kind of risk. I would be too close and—no, I can't!"
She wasn't making any sense. Jasper's confused thoughts confirmed that she was terrified, although he had no idea what had frightened her so much. Alice was reciting the times tables in her head, a simple but effective block for me. I desperately wanted to calm Bella down, which should have surprised me. "Please come with us. We won't let anyone hurt you."
I reached out to take her hand, but Alice's thoughts stopped me. Don't, Edward. She'll run again. Alice allowed me past her block enough to see the brief vision she'd had of Bella fleeing us once more.
"I'm not afraid for myself," Bella spat at me, eyes blazing brighter than the sun. "I won't let them hurt him just because they think I've told."
Dread washed over me, a feeling I didn't want to examine too closely. Who was this "he" she was trying to protect? As far as I knew there were no other vampires nearby.
"I can tell you if your decision to come to our home will endanger anyone," Alice tried to reassure her. "I can see visions of the future when someone makes a decision, especially if it will affect my family."
Bella looked startled and then thoughtful as she considered Alice's offer, her eyes softening. I wished I could know what she was thinking. Why did this fascinating creature possess the ability to keep her thoughts from me when no one else I had ever encountered, human or vampire, could?
"All right. I'll come with you." She looked expectantly at Alice. The relieved smile my sister shot her caused the tension in her shoulders to visibly release.
"Why don't you follow us?" Alice suggested, her hand dropping back to her side.
Bella nodded slightly. "Okay."
Alice and Jasper took off, leaving me to run with Bella. I wasn't going to complain. For the first time in a very long time, it felt as if the perpetual cloud of misery I existed under had lifted, and I was eager to expand that feeling by exploring the story of the woman running beside me.
We arrived home in record time. As we neared, I could hear the thoughts of my father and mother, Carlisle and Esme, as well as those of my other brother and other sister, Emmett and Rosalie. They noticed the scent of an unfamiliar vampire as we drew closer, and all four were waiting in the living room as I led Bella inside.
Her eyes grew large when she saw the sleek but expensive furnishings, the fresh flowers, artwork, all the trappings of a real home. From memories of the other nomads we'd encountered, I thought I could read her mind second-hand. I was sure she was amazed, maybe confused that we kept so much property. I never expected the words that flew out of her mouth as if they had a life of their own.
"This is so much better than Volterra!"
We all froze and stared at her in consternation. Perhaps it shouldn't have surprised us. Most vampires take their time to pay their respects to the Volturi if they are passing through Italy. However, the way she said it sounded as if she had a more than passing acquaintance with the city occupied by the de facto vampire rulers.
Bella noticed our scrutiny and dipped her head. I thought she would be blushing if blood still ran through her veins. It was yet another quality unique to her.
"Hello. I'm Carlisle Cullen. Are you familiar with Volterra?" my father asked, holding out a hand to her. His thoughts confirmed that he didn't recognize her, although her reaction as she automatically took his hand held a disturbing amount of adoration.
"Carlisle Cullen! I've been searching for you for the past year!"
Esme, my mother, reached over and took Bella's hand when Carlisle dropped it. "I'm Esme, Carlisle's mate," she introduced herself pointedly, and we all had to try and hide our grins at the unusual display of possessiveness.
Bella didn't bother hiding her reaction at all, and it wasn't one of disappointment. If anything, she seemed to light up from within. "It's so good to meet you! In fact, I'm so happy to meet all of you!" Her excited gaze swept the room, taking us all in. As our confusion registered with her she muttered, "But maybe I should tell you my story, as Alice suggested, before I put my foot even further in my mouth!"
Esme, still holding Bella's hand, pulled her forward and towards one of the couches. "Why don't you sit here, dear, and tell us all about yourself."
Bella didn't even seem to question the idea of sitting, something not at all necessary for our kind to be comfortable. The oddities she presented just kept piling up, since the normal nomad would have been at the very least amused by our "eccentricity". Yet Bella sat down as if she was used to it, completely at ease in the situation.
She acts like one of us, Alice thought, glancing at me. She waited for Jasper to sit in a nearby chair before draping herself gracefully across his lap. I saw Bella glance at them, astonishment warring with amusement in her eyes.
We quickly settled around the room. Esme sat with Bella, still holding her hand, and Carlisle took the seat on her other side. I decided to take the chair across from Jasper, closest to Bella, while Emmett and Rosalie leaned against the wall opposite from our parents. From their thoughts, the rest of my family had noticed Bella's odd reactions as well.
"I suppose I should introduce myself first, since I know most of your names but only some of you know even part of mine." She looked first at Esme, then Carlisle. "I'm Bella Swan."
Given our proximity to Forks, she must have known that we would be familiar with its Chief of Police, Charlie Swan, and the tragic circumstances of his only daughter's disappearance two years ago. The thoughts of my family echoed my own stunned response. Could it be true? I had only snatches of memories I'd caught from Chief Swan's mind to go off of, but I thought it could be the same girl. My family looked towards me, all except Alice, silently asking if her thoughts confirmed her claim. I could only shrug, which left us all in the same state of confusion.
Bella continued, looking only at her fingers twisted with Esme's. "I was attacked one evening in Jacksonville, Florida, by a vampire named James. He was the type who liked to…play with his food. That and a habit of not choosing his victims carefully or disposing of them properly brought him to the attention of the Volturi, although he didn't know it until that night. James had just begun to snack from me when four Volturi guards showed up." She rubbed her wrist absently, and I could see the marks of a vampire's teeth when the motion drew up her jacket sleeve slightly.
"James dropped me while he tried to fight them, but it was useless. They tore him apart and burned him, and then they turned their attention to me." She paused again and looked up, this time straight at Carlisle. "You must remember a vampire named Jane. She attempted to use her 'gift' on me, as a prelude to killing me, just because she could."
We all winced. While only Carlisle had ever met Jane, we had all heard about her ability—and her sadistic tendency to overuse it. The thought of her using her ability to cause pain on a fragile human Bella enraged me. Carlisle was the one who picked up on her phrasing, though.
"You say Jane attempted to use her ability on you, Bella?"
She smiled, a tight sad quirk of her lips. "Yes. The reason they decided to let my transformation continue and bring me to Aro was that Jane and her brother, Alec, couldn't affect me. They thought Aro would be interested, and they were right."
The room was so silent that we could hear the dust motes in the air brushing against each other. Bella had survived Jane and Alec—as a human. Suddenly my inability to read her mind began to make sense. I wondered if it would have been the same if she had visited her father as a human, and so did Carlisle, who immediately deduced my issue with her and shot me a sympathetic glance.
"After my transformation was complete, I stayed with the Volturi for my newborn year. They told me that I was something called a shield, and it was Aro's hope that with extensive training I would be able to extend my ability to cover others. I trained day and night to that end for months before my mentor, a shield named Renata, convinced him I wouldn't be as useful as he hoped."
Carlisle grimaced, and I understood from his thoughts that Aro wasn't usually very forgiving of those who disappointed him. Once again, Bella seemed to be an exception, and I couldn't help but wonder why until she broke her momentary pause to continue.
"Renata had noticed how…uncomfortable I was with a vampire's basic needs, and she worked to convince Aro that someday I still might prove useful but for now I should be allowed to decide, like all other vampires are able to, whether to join the Volturi or leave and be on my own. When I chose to go, Renata pulled me aside and told me about you, Carlisle. She hadn't dared before because none of the Volturi are allowed to try your diet even if they want to."
Carlisle leaned forward eagerly. "So you began to feed from animals on your own after feeding from humans your entire newborn year? Wasn't that difficult for you?" I wanted to smile at my father's eagerness to explore this new facet of vampire psychology, but I was too busy being bombarded by the thoughts of the others, ranging from amazement to doubt to suspicion to excitement.
Bella glanced down at her lap again, her free hand tightly clenched into a fist. "I—Renata told me from the beginning that I was more in control of myself than any newborn she'd ever seen. After my first feeding, I tried to resist when a human was brought to me. After I was allowed to associate with other vampires and my meals were no longer brought to me individually, I always chose to feed from the sick or weak, someone who would die anyway. I asked Heidi, our procurer, to find at least one per trip. I didn't want to kill anyone!" She looked up and glared at us. "My parents didn't raise me to be a murderer!"
Carlisle's eyebrows rose while the rest of us avoided eye contact with each other, having had similar thoughts before but apparently less control than a newborn. It was demoralizing for most of us, with only Carlisle truly able to sympathize. He, too, had been able to avoid human blood as a newborn vampire, but although he taught most of the rest of us from our creation forward, each of us had our issues sticking to the animal diet.
"How much do you remember about your parents?" Carlisle was thinking about how little we usually retained from our human memories.
Bella's nose crinkled as she thought. "Not as much as I'd like. They were all I could think about during my transformation, but it was because I was so worried about them. I was afraid these crazy people would hurt them, and that didn't go away when I realized what I had become. I remember who they are, what they look like—except that part is fuzzy—and that they always needed me to take care of them because they're hopeless at taking care of themselves."
"Is that why you came here?" Emmett burst out. I wanted to roll my eyes at my brother's excitement for something different happening in our lives, but I didn't want Bella to think the gesture was meant for her. Besides, I wanted to know her answer.
Bella shook her head, doubt clouding her eyes. "No, I don't dare go near them. I'm so afraid Aro has someone watching me to see if I'll slip up and contact them. I think he's just waiting for an excuse to get rid of them and bring me back."
"No one's following you, at least not closely," I assured her.
Bella turned to me, confused. "How do you know that?"
I felt both reluctant to tell her and yet as if I'd be lying if I didn't.
"I can hear the thoughts of others. It's my ability." At her slightly panicked look, I added, "I can hear everyone except you. I suppose your shield is keeping me out."
"Really? You can't hear Bella? This is great! Bella, we have so many plans to make!"
The look she gave him made me want to laugh, usually a rare occurrence.
"Uh, thanks—"
"Emmett." He beamed at her.
"Yeah. So, I don't think I'll be staying very long, Emmett. I don't want to put Char—my dad in any danger from the Volturi."
Rosalie snorted. When all heads turned to her, she huffed. "Then why did you come here in the first place if you were just going to bring the Volturi down on us all?"
This time I did roll my eyes. Typical Rosalie. All she was thinking about was how Bella's presence affected her. Never mind that she and Emmett were due to leave on an extended "honeymoon" once again, this time for Africa. Of course that didn't matter to her. That or—yes, she thought this might delay the trip.
"Rosalie Hale Cullen! We do not speak to guests like that!" Esme frowned. Her thoughts revealed that she was appalled at Rosalie's outburst although not entirely surprised.
"It's okay, Esme. I understand." Bella looked across the room at my blond sister. "I've been looking for Carlisle for the last year, since I left the Volturi. I was hoping he could teach me, I guess. I just didn't know anyone else feeding from animals. It's lonely."
"I can understand that," Carlisle gently told her, reached around to lay his hand on top of the one Esme still held.
Bella gave him a sad smile. "I encountered several of your friends in Ireland and then in the eastern U.S. They pointed me in this direction. I was actually headed further north, but I needed to hunt. I remembered how my dad would talk about the wilderness on the Olympic Peninsula and figured I wouldn't do too much damage if I took down an animal or two here. I figured there would be fewer endangered species than in Yellowstone. I try to avoid those."
"As do we. It makes for little variation in diet, sometimes," Carlisle said, sharing a smile with the rest of us at this common complaint.
"We get the occasional carnivore, though. My favorite is bears!" Emmett enthusiastically told her.
"My first animal meal was a brown bear in Italy. They're pretty good." Then her smile fell. "But you have your family here, Carlisle, and I don't want to intrude on that. Plus, I don't want to put you or my dad in any more danger. I should leave."
I couldn't let her go. I didn't know why, but I just couldn't. It was unconceivable, although I didn't know how to say that and not sound insane. I made a quick decision and turned to Alice. When I saw the results in her visions, I changed my decision slightly. She smiled delightedly.
"Why doesn't Edward take Bella up to visit our cousins in Alaska? He was planning to leave for college anyway," Alice suggested brightly. When Bella opened her mouth as if she was going to ask a question, Alice explained, "We all go to school for a few years everywhere we live. It lets us participate in the community and live in one place longer. Carlisle finds a job at a local hospital or teaching college, and Esme is always his wife. Eventually we 'kids' go off to college, and not long after Carlisle finds a job somewhere else. We're towards the end of the cycle now. Edward and I just finished our senior year at Forks High School."
A strange look passed over Bella's face, and then she smiled back at Alice. "So if Edward leaves a little early you can make up a good excuse. Still, I don't want to inconvenience anyone. It would be nice to get to know others, but…"
I met her eyes and smiled. "I would be delighted to take you to visit our cousins. They're also vegetarians, and we've known each other for decades. We consider them extended family, of a sort."
Her eyes softened. "Family. I do like that word."
I just barely stopped myself from saying that she could join ours. That was Carlisle's place, or Esme's. And who's to say that she would want to, anyway?
Thankfully, our family has a very caring and perceptive mother figure. "Please consider joining our family, Bella. We know exactly what you mean about this life being lonely without companionship. It's why we stay together," Esme said after exchanging a look and a smile with Carlisle.
Bella's eyes dropped. "That's very nice of you, Esme, but I don't really know you, and you don't know me. How can you know that I would be a good fit?"
Alice stood up and knelt in front of Bella, placing a hand on her free one. "I can see it, Bella. You would fit in seamlessly," my sister told her softly.
I reveled in the flashes Alice let slip through her block. Bella and I ran through a forest, smiling at each other. I held Bella as we watched the sun set. I was beginning to understand, and the part of me that had despaired for so long grew a bit weaker.
Bella met Alice's scrutiny and smiled. "Really?"
"I'm sure! I could use another little sister, maybe one who doesn't know my every move!" Emmett teased.
"Plus if you join us, the guys won't outnumber the girls for the first time in decades!" Alice added with a little grin.
"Wait a minute! What about the Volturi? What if they want her back?" Rosalie's quiet question floored me, and Bella seemed to deflate before my eyes, head down and shoulders drooping.
Carlisle's next words seemed to give Bella hope again. "Rosalie, I consider Aro to be my friend. I left Volterra on good terms, and it sounds like Bella did as well. As long as we avoid areas where her parents are while they live, I see no issues including her in our family."
"We should still vote on it," Jasper, ever the voice of reason, piped up. "Not that I wouldn't welcome another sister, but we've always voted on the important things." He was right, although I hated to admit it. Still, I could tell what way each of my family members would vote, so the actual performance was little more than that to me.
"All right, then. All in favor of allowing Bella Swan to join our family?" Carlisle asked, looking around at each of us.
A chorus of "ayes" sounded out, Rosalie's last and least enthusiastic. I tried not to let my relief show. After all, Bella hadn't accepted yet, and I had no idea if she would. It was unsettling.
Bella looked us each in the eye. My gaze held hers two seconds longer than the others, two seconds that I savored. "This is all happening very fast," she told Esme, whose kind eyes she met last.
"That kind of happens sometimes in this family. Remind me to tell you how Alice and Jasper joined us," I told her, giving her a big smile when her eyes flickered back in my direction.
She laughed. "Oh, all right. Although I still think it would be a good idea for me to get out of this area as soon as possible!" She seemed astonished at her own acceptance.
Everyone was smiling, Rosalie having left as soon as it became clear that Bella would eventually accept our offer. Alice gave Bella's hand a pat and grinned. I choked back a laugh when I heard what she was about to say.
"Before you leave, I would love it if you would let me help you buy a new wardrobe appropriate for Alaskan weather. The humans will expect it."
"You mean you want me to go shopping? But—" Bella looked down at the outfit she was wearing. "Doesn't this look warm enough?"
We all shook our heads, Alice the most vigorous. "No, I promise, you'll need to layer up whenever you're around the humans. It's winter there already. We'll go to Seattle. There shouldn't be a chance of you being recognized there. It will be fun!"
"Well, I should probably go back out and get the bag I left in the forest when I began my hunt, before I even think about doing any shopping," Bella hedged. I could tell she wanted to find a reason to decline, and I could see from the set of her shoulders that she was giving in.
"Why don't I go with you?" I offered, "There's something you should know about some of the local humans here, anyway, if you're going to be wandering around."
"Sure." Bella turned and smiled at me.
I could hear the speculative thoughts of my family as we left, but I did my best not to acknowledge them. Alice and Esme tied in their delight, while my brothers shot good-natured jokes my way. Carlisle's mind echoed with a quiet contentment.
Well, what did you think of Bella's meeting with the Cullens? Did you enjoy seeing it through Edward's POV? Please let me know!