The characters belong to Stephanie Meyers, their lives and locations contained herein belong to me. (diabolical laughing)

After Edward helped me find my shirt, I went into the kitchen in search of dinner while he and Jasper set up Triple Risk on the dining room table, whatever that is. Emmett was walking into the kitchen through the mud room with a huge cut of what looked like beef sizzling on a platter. Alice fluttered behind with a bowl of grilled zucchini and crispy looking potatoes.

"You guys made me dinner?" I asked, my lips curving up at their thoughtfulness.

"It wasn't hard, Emmett did all the work. I just told him when to flip and when to stop sprinkling the seasoning." she winked.

"It was like a science experiment! Using combustible material in order to incorporate heat and fire in a chemical reaction to create the correct texture and consistency for the human consumption of food. It's chemistry!" he bellowed and beat his chest.

I heard Carlisle's belly laugh and met Alice's chuckle with my own at the sound of him. The novelty of having a large family was something that I wouldn't take for granted anytime soon. With that thought, I asked Alice when we should expect Charlie.

"He's going to be making his travel plans tomorrow. He'll call me tomorrow night. While he's on the current path, he will arrive in Iowa around 11:30am the day after tomorrow. He's going to spend the whole day he arrives and part of the next morning investigating in Iowa, then he gets on a plane to JFK. He'll spend the night in a hotel and come here three and a half days from now. Barring any major life changes, of course."

"Okay."

"Hey Bella, is it true you have to let meat sit and rest for a while after you cook it?"

"What? Um, yeah, Emmett, or it turns dry and tough. Why?"

"Oh I don't know. Are you going to play Triple Risk?"

It wasn't the first time I wondered if Emmett had some type of attention deficit as a human. His odd, unconnected questions in quick succession pulled me completely from my train of thought. I smiled when I realized this might have been purposely done but asked instead, "What is Triple Risk?"

"A lot like regular Risk, but with Trivial Pursuit and Clue mixed in. All three games mashed together. Edward, Carlisle and I made it up to surprise Jasper while he and Alice were visiting Japan in the 80's. You can be on my team!"

"Bella will be an interesting teammate for you Emmett," Alice tapped her chin and turned in my direction, "did you ever play board games before?"

"Not really. No siblings, and not many friends to play with. We played games at Jacob's house with Rebecca and Rachel when we were kids in the summers sometimes, but it never lasted long. They used to argue."

"Well this will be fun, and it will be good practice with your gift. Throw caution to the wind, Bella!"

"Yes! Up top short stuff!" Emmett raised his hand for a high five and I had to jump to reach it.

Emmett and Alice left the room while I ate dinner, but Esme and Edward joined me, much like the night before.

"Em's excitement is infectious, this is going to be fun."

"His excitement is also distracting. Do you get to play too?" I asked.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me, knowing I figured out Emmett's goal, and then answered, "As long as I don't make commentary on world domination strategy. I can contribute to the Trivial Pursuit and Clue aspects of the game because it's random. And with the latest version of Trivial Pursuit coming out recently I have much to offer as a team player."

"Whose team are you on?"

"No idea," he winked.

"The losing team from the last game gets to be captains of their own teams for the next game, They pick their players. That's Jasper and Emmett. The last two not picked make up their own team. And of course, Alice is the MC." Esme chimed in while I ate.

The huge steak was more than I could eat in 2 or 3 sittings, but the leftovers would keep for a few days so I wasn't worried.

The game was a lot like when I watched them play baseball; razzing, cheating, and shameful yet hilarious behavior. Esme joined Emmett and I, Jasper and Edward were formidable, but Rose and Carlisle were ruthless, they couldn't be stopped. When all was said and done, Edward and Jasper lost.

While Edward helped Esme clean up Jasper approached me, "How did you turn off yer emotions like that during the game?"

"I don't know," I answered, "I just followed my gut, like Alice suggested."

"Hmm. I could get a sense of yer excitement during the game, you clearly enjoyed yerself, but I couldn't get a handle on your feelings of anticipation, nervousness, smug feelings, nothin'. Like you had a filter. The only way I knew your feelings were deeper, was th' sound of yer heart rate pickin' up. Can I ask, what were you thinkin' during the game? Something beyond th' undercurrent of harmony?"

Jasper pegged my feelings perfectly. I did enjoy myself. And I did feel like I was fitting in with my family in those moments. By this time Carlisle and Edward were paying attention. "I felt like I had to hide our strategy from you and Edward. Like, confuse it, so you wouldn't find out."

"That's interesting," Carlisle cut in with a smile, "have you ever noticed her blocking her emotions before, Jasper?"

"I don't know, I've kept my distance until recently, but now tha'cha mention it," he cocked his head to the side and addressed me then, " I've noticed a few times when yer outward behavior didn't match up with the tenor of your emotions. Try thinkin' of somethin' now that influences a change a your feelins, and try to block me."

"Hmm, okay," I thought for a moment, about the way Edward raced through the trees; the excitement of flying with him. Just as Jasper was about to place a hand on my shoulder, Edward growled and backed me into a corner, crouching in front of me. He was growling murderously. Everyone was shocked, the family all shouting.

"Edward! He wasn't going to hurt her," Carlisle tried to reason with him, but that's when I noticed Alice's blank face.

"There's someone outside," he hissed, crouching low; backing me into the cage of his protection. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. I blinked and a loose semicircle of vampires surrounded me. Carlisle looked to Alice, who shrugged and shook her head.

Carlisle walked to the front door, slightly obscured by the cabinet built into the half wall, which separated the dining hall turned game room. After he opened it and walked out, my family seemed to relax slightly, save Edward. Esme cautiously walked to Carlisle's side and I heard her greet the person who knocked, but she didn't step outside. "What's going on, Edward?" I whispered. His arm was still curled around me as he stood with his back to me, a protective gesture that was meant to keep me obscured from the stranger as much as possible.

He stood a bit straighter before answering, "Carlisle knows him," he said quietly, "he won't enter this house unless we can be assured of your safety." His arm tightened slightly, pulling me closer to his back. I held onto his sides to keep balance and noted that his muscles were still coiled to spring if need be.

"Her scent is all around the house, he's gotta know there's a human here." Emmett supplied.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Rosalie retorted.

Jasper turned around then, looking into my eyes, gesturing to himself, Alice, and Edward, and then put a finger to his lips. I nodded once in response, assuming they meant to keep the advantage of their abilities to themselves for the time being. A few moments later, Esme led the way for Carlisle and a man with red eyes to enter. He wore clothes that were typical of a traveler, or a backpacker. His wavy, light brown hair was pulled back away from his face.

"Well if anyone was to maintain company with a human it would be you, Carlisle," the man clapped him on the back and stopped short before continuing, "and your coven as well, apparently. All animal drinkers then?"

"That's right," he answered, with his hands in his pockets, looking at his family with pride. "Everyone, this is Garrett. We met in the late 1700s, shortly after he was turned.

"Seventeen years after my maker left me, 19 after I awakened to this life."

"A revolutionary?" asked Jasper.

"Silas believed I would be an 'advantage to the cause', and I agreed to do my part." Garrett nodded.

"Where do you stand in the War of Secession?"

"Don't start, Jasper." Commanded Alice with humor in her eyes, a few chuckles were heard around the room. I had the feeling she wasn't just chastising him, but steering the conversation to its best outcome.

Esme placed her arm around Alice and squeezed her while Carlisle introduced Edward's brothers and sisters, before gesturing to us. "This is Edward and his mate, Bella." At this, Garrett's eyebrows raised and looked in my direction.

"I would appreciate it if you would maintain your distance." Edward stated flatly, regaining his attention. He sounded venomous. It was a tone I wasn't used to hearing from him.

"I wouldn't dream of insulting my friend by stealing from his Coven. I was merely intrigued by a familiar scent, and came to make my presence known. As you know, the presence of an unknown Vampire can cause a stir, I wouldn't want to find a requirement in defending myself to an established Coven." he stated, gesturing to the ceiling and walls."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Garrett." Esme supported, "shall we go to the great room, so we can become more acquainted?"

Edward watched as his family preceded us into the great room. "Stay with me at all times," he whispered, "try not to make any movements that would stir the air around you. He's curious about Carlisle and our family. He's intrigued that we're mated, but not for sinister intent."

I nodded at this information as he took my hand and pulled me behind him, sitting in the furthest possible seat from Garrett. I happened to be sandwiched between him and Emmett, who was grinning maliciously, then winked at me after I sat. It was a clear warning.

Garrett explained that he had been ranging in the area for 4 days when he came upon Carlisle's scent in town, in an area where it hadn't been previously. After that, it had been a matter of crisscrossing the area until he came upon it again. They explained together that it had been more than 100 years since they'd seen each other. "I'd been fighting with small Continental militias to give them an advantage over the redcoats. Carlisle had been following behind to tend their injured. He and I met on a battlefield as I was sampling the dying." Garrett explained, "It was quite a surprise to see one of my kind with yellow eyes. That he was treating wounded soldiers was unprecedented. He aided in ensuring the blue coats survived, and I saw that a few extra members of the king's arms were incapacitated. We traveled adjacent for several months after we became acquainted. We parted ways in friendship toward the end of the Revolution. We saw each other A few more times during the 1800s, but the last time I saw your leader was in 1889. I was hovering around the Mason-Dixon the last time we met."

"Yes, I was making my way back up north. Back then you could move from place to place and not concern yourself with being identified as easily. 30 years after that, I created my son Edward, and a few years later, I saved my wife. Then Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Alice joined us a little over a decade later."

"Forgive me for being presumptuous, but you seem to regard your coven members as a family, am I correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Interesting. And how long has Bella been with you?"

"A relatively short while. Would you like to explain, Bella?"

"We met about a year ago, when I moved to the area where the Cullens had been settled."

"You've been a member of Carlisle's Coven for a year, and you're still human?" he asked, looking shocked.

Alice giggled and looked at me, knowing my response, "Not exactly," I said, looking Edward in the eye, "Edward was resistant to fraternizing with a human, despite all advice to the contrary."

Edward was still tense and tight-lipped around the newcomer, but went on to explain a shortened, fundamental version of our initial courtship and separation. Garrett was polite in regards to Edward's near hostile tone of voice, and not sad to hear of the expiration of James and Victoria. He said that he believed them to be arrogant and needlessly flaunted their superiority to both humans and immortals. After we glossed over our reunion, leaving out my clairsentient ability and the possibility of Edward's demise, he wondered again why I was still human.

"Bella had a very human reaction to our separation, and we're focusing on building her strength back before we complete her transformation." Edward explained.

"Understandable. It is not uncommon for our kind to invest some time in our progeny before we initiate the change, and I've heard of efforts wasted if the heart is weak." He looked thoughtful for a few moments before he asked, "Are all of your members your progeny, my friend?"

We spent the rest of the evening explaining how we all came to come together. After Alice explained how she and Jasper joined, it was deemed safe to inform Garret of our extra abilities, which brought on a new set of questions. It was past 1 in the morning before Edward and I left the rest of the family downstairs, bidding them goodnight.

"Do you not like Garett?" I asked after we entered our room.

"It's not that. It's difficult not to feel wary of any vampire who might come into your vicinity. Particularly ones who think you smell delicious. It was the first thought I heard from his mind as he approached the house."

I rolled my eyes, "Everyone thinks I smell delicious, Edward."

"Yes, but the family has all but stopped thinking of you as a food source. You're more like a scented candle." He cracked a smile for the first time since Garett arrived.

"Wow. Glad I'm such a novelty. At least I'm not the one trying to chew on the wax." I glared back at him and watched the smile drop from his face. He glared back at me in a challenging way, but didn't say anything else on the subject.

I took a few liberties as far as background for the characters. Its not the first time I'll be doing this. So wait, was Garett the one in the woods with Bella and Edward?