Chapter 1- Introductions

One. Two. Three.

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Four.

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Five.

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Stop stalling. You have got to face him. He will find out sooner or later, anyhow! Better to confess before it becomes any worse.

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"Hey."

My steps were light as a feather, the smile on my face so fake, not even a fool would be fooled. He would know. I was so, so obvious.

"Yes?" he frowned. "What have you done now? Please tell me we don't have to relocate?"

"We have to relocate." I grinned like an idiot.

"Really?" he sighed, chiding me. "Who did you eat? The mayor?"

"Close." I proudly answered. "His only daughter."

"Ellie." He growled out. "This is the fifth time we are relocating in this decade because you lost control over yourself and ate the wrong human! Fifth!"

Even I know how to count, genius!

"She was just so tempting." I waved my hands in defense. "You know my control sucks."

"It is a miracle that the Volturi hasn't tracked us down yet." He wisely commented.

I shrugged at that. "Humans die all the time for mysterious reasons. No one will suspect us."

"Yet, we have to get out of here. You know the rules. We cannot have any unneeded attention on us."

I sighed. I hated this part.

Sure, she had been a rather good meal, but why did I have to uproot my life for that!

Fine. I was being selfish.

But I was a vampire. I couldn't really feel guilty for killing someone who was meant to be my next meal. And truly, my control sucked. I just couldn't resist. If someone smelt delicious, and I was hungry, that person was a goner.

I tried to hunt as regularly as possible. If I was filled to the brim, I wouldn't be as tempted. Yet, accidents did happen once in a while.

I had Carson for that, though.

He was the sunlight in my life. He was my father, my brother, my best friend, my husband- at times, my companion- he was the reason I was alive today.

I had known him for the past two centuries now. I had been a crazed newborn with no knowledge of her surroundings and an irresistible hunger. I would have destroyed villages, coming in the eye of the Volturi, had it not been for Carson pulling me out at the correct moment. He was a newborn too, surprisingly having much better control over himself than me. Neither of us knew our sire. We were both changed at the young age of twenty, probably a few days apart. We had taken it as our destiny, roaming this world as a family. I loved him. More than I had loved anyone in this world. But he wasn't my mate. At times, I wished that the sparks would magically appear. It would be so easy and perfect! But they never did. Sure, we did portray the part of a married couple once in a while, and we had been intimate previously, but the sparks just weren't there!

"Ellie!" The annoyance in his tone brought me back to reality. I would have been blushing- had I been human. "Now what?"

I shrugged. Wasn't the answer obvious? We would have to pack our bags and start again.

I wasn't overly materialistic, but I loved this house. It was quaint but cute. I would miss it.

"Any preference on where you want to go?"

"Let's go back to the States?" I offered. Our last relocation had got us to this hardly there on the map town in England, playing the part of cousins having run away from home and demanding parents'. It was amusing to avoid answering the questions! I derived a great laugh of it. Carson though, not as much.

"Okay." He offered his agreement. "And what part do we play? A couple? Brother and sister?"

"Nah. Not a couple. We played the part of a couple on our last outing before we moved here. How about 'father and daughter'?"

He sighed, an exasperated groan leaving his lips. "I don't want to look like an old man!"

I giggled. "I am planning to give you a thick moustache this time around."

He rolled his eyes in response. "Fine. Work your magic."

Magic.

That's what it was.

My gift. My miracle. My power.

It had been strange- and a bit shocking- to first find out that I could change appearances. Not just of mine but of everyone around me too. I could make them look old, young, a teenager- and even of the opposite sex. Carson had indeed played the part of a woman back in the fifties. There had been a tricky situation and that was what had saved our heads! Sure, he had moaned and bitched about it for years to come!

I shut my eyes, letting my imagination take over. How did I want Carson to look?

Tall. Probably six feet. Well built. Handsome. Curly brown thick hair. Chocolate brown eyes. A thick dependable moustache.

When I opened my eyes next, his appearance had changed, resembling the image in my head with perfection. I could never be surprised at how accurately my gift worked!

I smiled wide, pushing him forward to admire my work in the mirror.

He grunted, looking away from himself and meeting my eyes. "I look old. What's the back story, though?"

I hummed in thought. "Divorced father- teenaged daughter. I can go to school!"

Oh. How I loved playing pranks on the unsuspecting humans; I had to get my kicks from somewhere!

"Ellie!" he scolded me. "We are not relocating again this soon. Keep your humor in check."

I rolled my eyes at him. Fine. Dad.

"What about you? How are you going to look?"

I frowned at that, once again shutting my eyes. I did want to look a bit like Carson. Maybe the eyes? But I wanted straight hair. I had once tried curly hair- it was a pain to manage! Hmm. I would keep the color though. I did not want to look overly beautiful- been there- done that. This time around, I wanted to look more 'normal'.

I smiled, my eyes meeting in the mirror. I was content with my appearance.

"Okay, now for your work."

Carson hummed, his hands up in the air as he willed the energy that surrounded us to co-operate with him. Carson was an illusion artist. He couldn't actually change stuff, but what he could do, no one else could. He could make you see a lake where there was sand. He could make you believe that you lived on Mars. He could also make a vampire look like a human. It was an illusion. Everyone who saw us thought us to be human. We couldn't actually eat or sleep, but whatever he could do was beyond commendable!

"Names?" he questioned.

"Bella." I smiled. I had recently read a book with the main character having the following name. I had secretly saved it for my next outing.

"Charlie. It suits the appearance." He shrugged, naming himself.

I smiled, the most important task of our relocation pending- choosing a destination.

X-X-X

It was hours later when Carson barged into my bedroom, halting my hands in mid- air as I packed my bag.

"Forks. Washington state. It rains year-round. Less sunny days and even lesser population. Perfect for us."

And hence it was decided.

Charlie and Bella Swan were to move to Forks.