AN: I'm blown away by the response to this story. Thank you for all your reviews, favs, likes and alerts. It means the world to me! Enjoy xoxo

Bella sat curled up on the sofa staring at the blank television screen as she tried to wrap her mind around what happened.

She'd yelled at her mother.

She'd never yelled at her mother.

Not once.

She'd yelled in her head. Screamed. Sometimes, she'd even imagine arguing with Renee and finally speaking her truth. When she was younger, she wrote all her emotions into her journal. Then, she ended up ripping the pages out and burning them in case her mother ever saw what she'd written.

She was always more afraid to hurt Renee's feelings than to worry about what she felt.

Why was that?

She shook her head.

She knew why.

Renee was hers to take care of.

Their lives had never been normal.

When Bella should've been the child being taken care of, she was the one taking care of her mother. She loved her mother more than she was loved by her mother.

She was the mother in their relationship.

Renee was the child.

It shouldn't have been that way, but it was. And Bella learned to deal with it and get on with her life. She'd never, not once, lost her temper with Renee and spoken to her so harshly.

So, why now?

Maybe there was no good reason.

Maybe—after hearing how she ruined Renee's life—she finally reached the end of her tether and she was done. She had no more to give.

"Pie, dear?" Nan asked, appearing at Bella's side, offering her a big piece of warm apple pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Bella took the plate, but she knew she wouldn't . . . couldn't . . . eat it. She'd barely got two bites of lasagna down before she felt her stomach churn and quickly ran to the bathroom.

Nan sat beside Bella on the sofa as Charlie, Damon, and Stefan joined them.

They could all hear Renee upstairs, slamming doors and stomping around. Bella shuddered to think what her bedroom would look like after Renee's tantrum.

"What did I say?" She asked softly, placing her apple pie on the coffee table in front of her.

"You don't remember?"

She frowned. "Bits. Most of it's a blur . . . just words leaving my mouth and a whole lot of anger and hurt . . ."

Charlie looked toward Nan. "Was that a you thing?" He asked. "Or a me thing? Losing her temper could be a me thing but then there was that . . . other thing . . ."

Nan frowned. "I'm more concerned it was a, uh," her eyes went to Bella's stomach, "that thing."

"How could it be?" Stefan asked. "It's a baby . . ."

Nan shook her head. "Whatever that is, it's not a baby."

"You've lost me. If it's not a baby, what is it?" Damon asked.

"Evil," Bella whispered, her eyes on her stomach.

"I'm not sure what it is," Nan answered Damon. "I've never felt anything like it."

"What does it feel like?" Charlie asked.

"Pure evil," Nan answered. "It's," she sighed, "I believe, soulless."

As the words resonated through the quiet room, Charlie and the two vampires paled, their eyes on Bella as she fidgeted under their scrutiny.

"And you think this thing is controlling my little girl?" Charlie growled.

"At the very least, it could be affecting her emotions," Nan suggested. "Bella doesn't lose her temper that way, especially not with Renee."

Charlie sighed. "We have to remember she's part of me, she carries the gene, and with that comes a volatile temper and aggression . . ." he sighed again. "But, you're right, as far as I know, she's never spoken to her mother that way. I'm sure I would've heard about it and been blamed for it if she had."

As Bella listened to them talking about her like she wasn't in the room, her emotions began to rise again. "Excuse me!" She snapped. "Do you think you could include Bella in this conversation? It's only my life and my body this is happening to!"

As she spoke, her hands began to glow purple again.

"I'm so sick of being treated like a mindless china doll!"

With her red, hot anger boiling over, the coffee table burst into flames and, not even a moment later, was blown to smithereens. Wood and glass flew across the room. Damon and Stefan moved quickly, taking cover behind the sofa. Charlie shot out of his chair and backed toward the exit. Nan was the only one who remained in her seat as calm as ever.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt.

Bella's heart was pounding in her chest. But there was a small part of her that felt . . . better. She felt like something buried deep inside of her had been released and she could breathe again. At least for a moment.

That moment passed when Renee ran into the room demanding to know what just happened.

With a wave of her hand, Nan extinguished the flames before they could spread or do any more damage to the house. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be much. Well, nothing that couldn't be fixed or covered with a nice, decorative rug.

"You know, Issy, if you don't like apple pie, all ya had to do was say," Damon smirked as he and Stefan retook their seats on the sofa.

Charlie stared at the place his coffee table had once been, speechless.

"Well?" Renee demanded, stomping her foot.

Nan had a wide, proud smile on her face. "Bella's powers have been awoken! She's becoming who she was always meant to be. A witch!"

For a moment, Renee was silent. And then, with a shake of her head, she began ranting again. "No. It's not happening. Isabella, go pack your stuff. You're coming home with me. When we're in Florida, you'll get an abortion and then I'll bind your powers."

Bella turned to look at her mother, shocked. "What?"

"You heard me. Get your stuff and get in the car. We're leaving. I will not allow you to involve yourself in the supernatural."

Bella stared at her mother. Her mind was spinning.

Did Renee know about the supernatural? She must do. There was no other explanation. She'd clearly said, "I will not allow you to involve yourself in the supernatural."

Her eyes shifted to Charlie. Then Nan, Damon, and Stefan. They all knew. None of them had been shocked when she blew up the coffee table.

"Isabella!" Renee shouted. "Now!"

Bella shook her head. "No."

Renee's eyes narrowed. "I didn't ask your opinion, young lady. You will get in the car and come home with me. You will forget this nonsense, get an abortion, bind your powers, and live a normal life."

Bella sighed. "Why is everyone always harping on at me to live a normal life? First Edward and Rosalie and Carlisle, and now my own mother! Can't you see, I'm not normal?"

She'd always known there was something different about her. She didn't fit into the world. Not the way she was supposed to. Not the way everyone else did.

Was this why?

"Isabella," Renee tried again, clenching her teeth, "get in the car, we're leaving."

"You're leaving, Renee. I'm not going anywhere."

"Fine," Renee hissed, "let's put it this way. You either leave with me now and do as I say, or—"

"Or what, Renee?" Bella asked. "You'll leave? Abandon your daughter like you abandoned your husband? You'll force me to get an abortion, forsake my heritage the way you did, and live whatever life you deem suitable for me? If those are my choices, then you can leave. But me? I won't abandon my father. I won't forsake my heritage. I won't ignore Nan. And I won't be leaving Forks until I'm good and ready!"

"Fine. Then I'm leaving," Renee declared. "Don't come crawling back to me when this world bites you in the ass like it did me."

"It was the wrist, actually," Bella deadpans, looking down at the bitemark on her wrist. "I'm pretty sure if I'd been bitten in the ass, I'd be a vampire by now. Edward wouldn't even kiss me properly; I doubt he'd suck venom outta my ass."

Across the room, Damon was trying not to laugh as Charlie's cheeks flushed bright red at his daughter's words.

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

Though nobody saw it, as her back was turned, there was a small, amused smile on Renee's face as she left the house. Maybe one day, she and her daughter would reconcile but it just wasn't possible right now. They were too different. Renee wanted freedom, adventure, and a normal life with the man she loved more than anything. Bella—her beautiful baby girl—just wanted to belong. And, sadly—at least for Renee—the world Bella belonged in was not the human world. She was born to be extraordinary. And, for now, Renee knew she couldn't be a part of that. But maybe one day.

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

Back in the house, Bella let out a sigh of relief as the front door closed. She listened as the cab Renee had called drove away and her mother left. She was gone. For good.

Bella knew she should probably feel something more than relief, but, right now, she didn't have the energy to think about something else. There were so many questions plaguing her mind.

"Well, then," Nan said softly, "where shall we start?"

Bella figured the thing she was carrying would be a good starting point. But honestly, she didn't want to think about it, let alone talk about it. So, instead, she asked the first question that came to mind.

"How did I blow up the coffee table? And why weren't any of you surprised?"

Nan placed a comforting hand on top of Bella's. "One thing at a time, my darling. Let's start with your mother. What do you remember about the argument at dinner?"

Bella frowned. "Not much. I know I told you I'm pregnant. Then I heard the word 'abortion' and . . ."

"You will not ruin your life like I did mine."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I mean, it's not like I want to keep it. It's a soulless, evil, killing machine! But . . . she thinks I ruined her life . . ."

"Oh, my love," Nan cooed, bringing Bella into her arms. "Pay no mind to what your mother says. She's an idiot."

She couldn't help it, through her tears, Bella softly giggled. She hadn't said it to be malicious or cruel. Nan wasn't any of those things. It was an offhand comment, stating what she believed to be the truth. Renee doesn't think before she speaks. She says things she doesn't mean, even if those things can be hurtful and cruel.

"After I heard what she said," Bella took a shaky breath, "I just remember feeling really angry, and then my vision went all hazy . . . and my fingers . . ."

". . . Were glowing purple . . . " Charlie frowned.

Bella looked over at him and then down at her hands. It had happened twice: at dinner and then again when she blew up the coffee table. She thought she'd imagined it.

"You saw that, too?"

Now that it was all over, it was hard to wrap her mind around. Her fingers were glowing. She blew up the coffee table . . . it was gone, so she definitely wasn't imagining that. But how had she done it?

Charlie nodded. "Pretty sure we all did, kiddo."

She let out a breath she was holding. They'd all seen the strange purple wispy stuff. She wasn't sure what it was, or how she'd done it, but at least she knew she wasn't going crazy.

No more than usual.

She looked at her Nan and then back to her dad. "What was it?"

"Uh," Charlie frowned. "I dunno. That's more your Nan's department than mine . . ."

Bella frowned and turned to look at Nan. "Nan?"

"I think it's time we had an honest conversation, don't you agree, Charlie?"

He cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I, uh, yeah, I guess now's a good time . . ."

"A good time for what?" Bella asked, looking at everyone in the room.

"Let's start with the pregnancy, shall we?" Nan suggested. "How far along are you?"

"Uh," Bella frowned, "well, that's a little complicated . . ."

Nan nodded. "Because Edward wasn't human?"

"Yes, that bu—" her eyes widened. "W-wait . . . what makes you say that?"

Damon smirked. "Regular humans don't suck venom out of their girlfriend's ass."

She felt her cheeks warm at his word. She hadn't meant to say that, it just came out.

Nan smiled gently and took one of Bella's hands in hers. "Nobody in this house is human, sweetheart. And the, umm," she looked down at Bella's stomach, "fetus—yes, let's go with fetus—you're carrying is not human either."

Bella stared at her grandmother in shock. "How do you know that?" She asked. "And what do you mean, nobody in this house is human? Dad's human." She looked over at him. "Right?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, baby. I'm not."

Stunned, Bella looked back at Nan, who smiled gently. "I'm a witch." She said with a comforting smile. "Damon and Stefan are vampires. And your father—"

Charlie cleared his throat and straightened up. "I'm a werewolf, Bells."

She wasn't sure what came over her, but Bella laughed. Her head fell back and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Sure. Sure. Nan's a witch. They're vampires. And Dad's a werewolf. It all makes perfect sense. What's Renee? A fairy?"

"No dear. She was a witch," Nan explained. "When she was nineteen, she turned her back on her heritage and removed her magic. Now she's mortal."

Bella looked back at her Nan. "You're shitting me, right?"

"I shit you not," Damon smirked. She watched in complete awe as his face suddenly changed. The sclera of his eyes turned blood-red, dark veins appeared under his eyes as the blood pumped forcefully through them, and his canine and premolar teeth extended into razor-sharp fangs.

Stefan shifted in his seat and she looked over at him to see his face had changed, too. Though his fangs were different; only his canines were extended.

At the same time, Charlie caught her attention and she looked at him to see his eyes glowing a bright golden-amber color.

And, not to be left out, Nan twitched her fingers, levitating the sofa where Damon and Stefan were sitting.

"Holy shit," Bella breathed. "I—I uh," she looked back at Damon and Stefan as their faces returned to a more human form. It was fascinating to see. A little scary. But fascinating, nonetheless. "I don't know what they are, but they're not vampires."

"What do you think a vampire looks like, sweet pea?"

"Well, firstly, they don't have fangs. Very sharp teeth, yes. But no fangs. They're," she frowned, "perfect. Extraordinarily beautiful. Almost angelic or even God-like. Those who feed on human blood have red eyes. But there's another sort who feed on animal blood, they have golden eyes. Their skin is like marble and indestructible. They're ice-cold to the touch, immune to pretty much everything, and extremely strong. They're also exceptionally pale with chalky alabaster skin. They don't eat, sleep, or need to breathe anymore. They can't cry or produce fluids like a human. Umm." She frowned, wondering what else she could tell them. "Oh, they also sparkle in the sunlight."

"What you're describing is a cold one, Bella," Stefan told her, his voice patient and kind. "They're a, uh, different breed of vampire—"

"Don't lie to the girl," Damon rolled his eyes. "Cold ones are a perversion of vampires. They might've come first, but nobody knows how they came into existence. Whereas true vampires like us were magically revived after we were killed as humans."

Bella stared at Damon in shock. "So . . . you died?" She frowned. There was something about that thought that made her heart hurt.

Damon nodded. "Stef and I were shot by our father. We died. But because we had vampire blood in our system at the time, we came back and transitioned into vampires. I'll tell ya the whole story sometime."

"I look forward to hearing that," she smiled. It seemed like quite the tale. "So, uh, you guys are, what, more like traditional vampires? Like where the legends of vampires come from?"

"Sort of," Damon nodded.

"Though, not all the legends and Hollywood stereotypes are true," Stefan added.

"So," she frowned, "Crucifixes?"

"Decorative."

"Holy water?"

"Drinkable."

Bella thought and then smiled. "Mirrors? Like on Buffy?"

Stefan smiled. "Myth."

"What about stakes?"

He nodded. "A wooden stake through the heart will kill us."

"Or beheading," Damon added. "Fire. Sunlight. Ripping out our hearts."

"And werewolf venom," Charlie grinned, getting Bella's attention.

"How long have you been a werewolf?"

"Fifteen years."

Slowly, she nodded. "And, are you a werewolf like Professor Lupin from Harry Potter? Or Oz from Buffy? Or more like Monroe from Grimm a, umm, oh, Blutbad? Oh, or more like Alcide from True Blood?"

Damon smirked.

"I've got no idea who any of those are, Bells," Charlie admitted. "I'm a wolf. We're similar to natural wolves, though werewolves have glowing yellow or orange eyes and wicked fangs. We're bigger, and much more feral and predatory than natural wolves. We're also supernaturally strong, and extremely fast, and our senses are much sharper than a regular wolf. But that's only in wolf form. As a human, I'm pretty much mortal with a few exceptions. If I get angry or my emotions are heightened I can access my wolf without the moon but only for a short period. In human form, our senses are also shaper than a human."

Bella nodded, taking it all in. "Can you turn into a wolf whenever you want?"

"No. Only during the night of the full moon."

"Is Uncle Mason a wolf, too?"

"Yes. But he's only recently turned."

"What about Kat, is she a wolf?"

"No. She's a vampire."

Bella nodded.

She'd enjoyed meeting Mason and his girlfriend the last time they'd come to visit Charlie. Katherine was a little distant at first, but Bella quickly won her over with a batch of macaroons. After that, they'd bonded over books—Katherine had a love of the classics, like Bella—and movies. She even met Edward, though she took an instant dislike toward him and Alice. She even encouraged Bella to break up with him. Maybe she should've listened. Before they left, she and Katherine exchanged numbers and they'd been texting on and off ever since.

She hadn't told Kat about the breakup yet. She'd probably gloat that she was right and Edward was no good.

"How do you become a wolf?" Bella asked her father.

Charlie sighed. "How about we talk about all of this after you tell us about the cold ones?"

Bella sighed, too. It was the conversation she'd been dreading. Though, at least they knew about the supernatural. That would make explaining things easier.

"They called themselves vampires," she told him. "I just figured, that's what they were," she shrugged. "They said they were the only ones . . . that traditional style vampires were just a Hollywood stereotype."

"They who?"

"The Cullens," she answered. "Well, actually, I got all my information from Edward. Carlisle might know differently; I'm not sure. Edward seemed to think nothing else supernatural existed except their sort of vampire."

"And he's the, uh, father of your . . . of the, um," Stefan looked down at her stomach, "the uh—"

"Fetus," Nan supplied.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah."

Bella shrugged. "He must be."

"What do you mean 'he must be'?" Charlie asked. "You aren't sure who the father is?"

"Well," she frowned and then sighed. "I—I have no memory of having sex with Edward . . ."

The room suddenly became tense as a low, very animalistic growl, reverberated through Charlie's chest. "What do you mean, you don't remember having sex with him?"

"Exactly that. I have no memory of ever having sex with Edward . . . or anyone else for that matter. But, I mean, it must've been him," Bella frowned. "I just . . . don't remember it for some reason . . ."

"This is ridiculous!" Charlie growled. "How can you not remember? You don't just for—" He turned his narrowed eyes on Damon and Stefan. "Do cold ones have some form of compulsion like you guys?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't know much about them. I've only met one and that was in the twenties. As far as I know, the two species don't mix well, especially with their horrid scent . . ."

"Their scent?"

"Mm." Stefan nodded. "Cold ones smell extremely sweet to us. It's, uh, overpowering . . ."

"So, you don't know what power and strengths they possess?" Charlie worried.

"Not really . . ."

"Compulsion seems like the logical explanation, though," Damon frowned.

"What's compulsion?"

"It's like mind control."

"Oh, Edward calls it dazzling. He does it all the time. But it doesn't make you forget. It just makes you more compliant. At least that's what he told me."

"He could've been lying . . ." Charlie hissed.

Bella nodded. "Could have."

"Why don't you start from the very beginning, dear? Tell us everything." Nan suggested.

Bella took a deep breath and did exactly what Nan said; she started from the moment she arrived in Forks and told them everything. Her first day of school. Seeing the Cullen kids in the cafeteria. Biology and Edward's reaction to her and then him disappearing for a few weeks. His return. The emotional whiplash she went through with Edward's ever-changing moods. And then all the times Edward had saved her, like when Tyler almost squished her with his van and the almost gang rape in Port Angeles.

With every new piece of information he heard, Charlie's control slipped a little more. His growls were getting louder.

Bella continued, getting it all out. Telling them about the first time she met the Cullen family in their home. How awkward it was. Then she moved on to the baseball game where James, Victoria, and Laurent showed up. Then the chase with James. And the ballet studio. James biting her and Edward sucking out the venom.

"What happened to the redhead?" Damon asked, interrupting.

Bella shrugged. "Edward said she wouldn't be a problem and if she was, she'd go after him and his coven."

"You don't believe that?" Charlie asked Damon.

"From what Bella's explained, it sounds like James and Victoria were mated," Stefan said. "There is one thing we have in common with cold ones. When we mate, it's for eternity. Whoever that person is, they become our entire world. And if our mate is lost, our minds become singularly focused on one thing; revenge."

Charlie nodded. "And you think she'd come after Bella?"

Damon shrugged. "Depends."

"On?"

"How unhinged she is. If it were me, I'd start with a little recon. Gather some information. And then I'd go after the weakest member of the coven. In this case, Bella. She was the catalyst for James' death. And now that she's alone, because the Cullens have left, getting to her should be easy. Easier and safer than going up against a coven of seven on my own. If I wanted to take out Bella and the whole coven . . ."

"What?"

Damon frowned. "One against seven," he shrugged. "She'd be slaughtered before she could do any damage."

Bella rolled her eyes. "She might not be. The Cullens, at least Carlisle, would probably try talking her to death first. He's a pacifist. He doesn't believe in violence or killing."

"So," Stefan frowned, "none of them can fight?"

"Jasper can. I saw him in the ballet studio. He's the one who killed James. With Emmett's help. They'd probably be okay. The rest though, I don't know what their skills are. Edward would never talk about that kind of stuff."

"So, should we be expecting an attack?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe," Damon shrugged. "I don't know."

"It won't hurt to be cautious," Nan said. "I'll ensure the house is protected and, for now, Bella does not go anywhere alone."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Bella sighed.

"Why, dear?"

"Because," she sighed, "however I became pregnant . . ." she sighed again, "It wasn't until the night of my birthday."

"Your birthday?"

Bella nodded.

"Your birthday was nineteen days ago!"

Again, Bella nodded.

"Why do you think it happened then?"

"Because that's the night my memories go fuzzy," she explained. "I've been trying to figure out when it happened and that's the only night where my memories are muddled and hazy."

"Still, as I said, your birthday was nineteen days ago!" Charlie growled.

Again, Bella nodded. "Whatever is growing inside of me isn't a normal baby, Dad. It's part cold one. And, evil!"

Stefan nodded his head. "From the little I know about cold one's they have horrendous control over their bloodlust. Even if they can control themselves, it takes an enormous willpower and strength to abstain."

"So, what you're saying is, Bella, is carrying a bloodthirsty killing machine . . ."

Stefan nodded. "It's very possible, yes."

"Oh, this is fantastic," Damon sighed. "And here I thought finding out about werewolves would be the highlight of our day!"

AN: There we have it! A lot happened in this chapter. They all know Bella is pregnant. Bella learned more about the supernatural world. Charlie's a werewolf. Nan is a witch! Bella's magic has manifested. Renee's gone. Bella and Charlie know Katherine and she and Bella are friends. I wonder how that's going to work when Bella and Klaus meet. I can't wait to find out!

Next chapter we'll catch up with Klaus and see how Kol's doing now that he's out of his coffin. xoxo