Chapter Twenty-Two: It's All Fun and Games…
"Take me out to the ball game, take me out the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, I don't care if I never get back."
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth)
Angela
Friday, September 16, 2005
"It's midnight and we still haven't gotten anywhere!" Emmett yelled in an uncharacteristic show of frustration and aggression. His entire body was tense, coiled and quivering slightly with fury. He was ready to blow up and I wasn't sure anyone should be around when he did.
"There is too much on the table to solve in an evening. The vision…" Carlisle started, hoping to calm Emmett down a little.
"Which you two aren't sharing." Bella said pointedly.
Alice lowered her head, replying in almost a whisper. "For a reason, I don't know what will happen if you know all the details." Bella then glanced towards Edward who shrugged.
"This is Alice's ball game, I'm just an observer." Edward's reaction made Emmett puff up and cross his arms.
"That's a childish evasion." Emmett said with no humor in his voice.
"Emmett!" Esme scolded.
"Just call 'em like I see 'em." Emmett said, shaking his head in frustration.
"Just because you're hurting doesn't give you the right to be like this." Esme admonished his attitude which had been negative all evening.
"Hurting, what if Carlisle told you suddenly that your entire relationship was a lie? Tell me you would feel all hunky dory and ready to accept a stranger who might have been the reason all this happened in the first place?" He started to shout, realizing at the last minute that he was going too far and his shoulders slumped.
"Emmett, I don't think Mason did anything to Rose, and I'm so sorry about how things went between the two of you. But, this anger isn't good. I trust you implicitly, but I'm a little afraid of you right now." I said feeling a bit out of place, but Emmett immediately flinched, and opened his mouth a few times before responding.
"God Angel, I'm sorry. I'm just…" Emmett sighed heavily and shook his head a few times. "Bella, I don't blame you. I don't blame Rose. Hell I don't even blame Mason. I just don't know what to do. She was everything to me, now who am I without her?"
"You're our Emmett." Esme said easily, pulling him into a motherly hug.
"Thanks mom." It was such a small moment, but it unnerved me. Looking around at these people, my closest friends and possible future family. They would be my companions far beyond any imaginable timeframe. With them at my side, I would watch the world change as humanity reached out to the stars or fell into oblivion. All I had to do was say the word, and I could be immortal. Eternally beautiful, youthful and powerful. How could I say no, and how could I say yes? I felt like I was being torn apart, and Bella's hand gripped in mine brought that conflict home. Her icy skin burning me with the truth of her new reality.
"It seems to me that Rose started this life with unbelievable trauma. Then she found you and needed to love you. I could easily see how she never had a chance to explore herself, especially with how much she has hated this life." Carlisle said after a few seconds of silence.
"That makes rational sense, and follows what Rosalie tried to explain. I'm just not sure what to think. Rose kind of betrayed me…" Emmett started, clearly starting to work back up into some kind of fit of anger.
"Enough, we need to stop talking about her behind her back." Bella interrupted. "She also doesn't need an armchair analysis of her issues. What she needs is our love and support. Emmett, I'm very sorry about keeping things from you, it was an attempt to spare you pain. We... Rose needs time to figure things out."
"I know, I know. I wasn't even that angry at first. I've felt this coming for a long time. I just keep thinking of how much is going to change. How much she has taken away." Emmett said clearly trying to understand his own feelings.
"Or how much it hurts?" I said what he was avoiding.
"Yeah. I feel like she tore open my chest and started digging out my insides." Emmett made a few graphic gestures around his chest, mimicking someone opening him up and pulling out his heart.
"Nice description brother." Edward said with a smirk.
"Like you don't feel the same right now." Emmett shot back, then shook his head immediately. "Sorry, that wasn't fair."
"I made a very stupid choice, you did nothing wrong. Rose did nothing wrong, although I feel like a shit for not seeing it sooner. I always thought she was shallow, I should have known she was hiding her true self." Edward furrowed his brow, looking ashamed. Bella clenched my hand just a bit too tightly and I made a small noise. She instantly let go and looked over with concern.
"Sorry, I'm not used to my strength yet." She looked very upset that she might have hurt me, so I just shook my head and put the same hand she squeezed on her shoulder, despite having almost no feeling in my fingers. Then she turned toward the door, along with the rest of the family. A few seconds later I heard Mason shouting, his voice was full of worry and fear. Emmett had the door open before I could process what was going on as Mason appeared at the doorway with Rosalie in his arms. She looked radiant, almost ethereal even though she was unconscious.
Emmett didn't hesitate or wait for the rest of the family. In one smooth motion he exploded at Mason, propelling himself forward so fast I almost couldn't track his movement. He followed up with a punch delivered squarely to the right side of Mason's jaw. In the split second afterward, I could see Emmett right himself because he had over committed to his punch. Yet even though his body was contorted from the movement, he managed to catch Rosalie in one outstretched arm as Mason let go of her.
"I suppose I deserved that." Mason held his jaw briefly as if it were broken, and then returned his hands to his side.
"What happened to her?" Carlisle stepped forward demanding an answer, as Emmett held his ex-wife awkwardly. Bella moved over and took her from his arms, and he only hesitated to release her for a second.
"We spoke. She made the case to unlock her gift, which I helped to guide her through the process. After she had control, she turned her power on me, pushing through my defenses to divine the absolute truth from me. I believe she pushed herself too hard, too fast. I can say with confidence that she will reawaken soon. She simply overloaded her mind and overextended the limits of her new power. It just causes the system to shut down, like a human going into shock." He seemed confident, but in his eyes, I could see something buried like he was omitting something important. I felt confused, for some reason I didn't want to consider that he was lying to us.
"Are you sure she's gonna wake up?" Bella asked with a note of desperation.
"Yes, of that I am certain. However, you should be prepared for…" Mason started, but Rose gasped, drawing everyone's attention.
"That was a trip." Rose opened her eyes, and immediately noticed who was holding her, her expression softened before she must've realized where she was and pushed herself out of Bella's grasp and stepped away from her, not quite meeting her eyes. Bella frowned, but didn't speak, as she dropped her arms to her sides. Then Rose began to survey the room, and everyone had to hold in gasps of shock, as her now bright crimson irises, which seemed to glow slightly in the low light of the dim room, locked with each member of the family.
"Stop looking at me like that, I'm fine!" She snapped at the living statues staring at her. Everyone broke their gaze except for Esme, who just stared at her daughter in a way that only a mother could. Moving over almost without making a sound and wrapping Rose in a tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're here." Esme said in a low voice, just loud enough for me to hear. Rose held onto her adoptive mother tightly for a protracted minute, and we stood in silence until Rosalie cleared her throat.
"I'm okay mom." Rose pulled away from Esme, but she switched to an arm around Esme's waist. She clearly wanted the contact.
"What happened?" Carlisle asked gently.
"Nothing." Rose said defensively. "Mason here just helped me work through something personal." She was obviously trying to conceal what she had asked him to do.
"There is no point in lying to us Rose, Mason already spilled the beans." Edward said with a distasteful expression on his face. Rose shot a dirty look towards Mason, and then sighed dramatically.
"Fine, yes I asked him to bring out my power, and apparently, he was truthful about what it was. Then I asked him if he was trustworthy, using my new gift to make sure he couldn't lie. I'm satisfied that he won't betray us, and he can now be trusted completely." She frowned a little and looked over at Emmett, meeting his eyes and then away, before separating from Esme and moving over to me and Bella who had moved to my side.
"As much as I respect her for shielding me from one unpleasant truth, there is something I need to confess." Everyone turned on Mason with varying expressions. "I am ashamed to admit that I don't know what the consequences will be for my manipulation of Edward's, and now Rosalie's gifts. The truth is these extraordinary talents are somewhat fragile and unpredictable things. From my previous interactions with the gifted, your power could grow in intensity, stay the same, or fizzle forever." Edward just nodded in acknowledgement.
"Personally, I don't really care if I get my powers back. They have been a burden I never asked for." Edward added solemnly.
"I'm not sure about what you've done, but you have shown that you care about the well-being of my family, and for that I forgive your transgressions, as long as Edward and Rosalie can forgive you as well." Carlisle spoke clearly and with a great deal of compassion towards Mason, who seemed to be struggling with how to take the responses.
"I don't think it matters, he has been trying to understand how to function in a family, and there has to be adjustment time. I can't see that what he's done is wrong, he was only trying to help." I felt my face turn red in embarrassment, I still wasn't sure of my place in this family and I didn't want to overstep my boundaries.
Bella nodded in agreement and responded to my comment. "Very true, I still feel like an outsider too. I have so much to learn that I feel overwhelmed by it all, and I have all of you for support. Mason on the other hand is truly an outsider, and I can't fault him for trying to find his own way." The room fell silent, everyone seeming to consider her words. Then Alice chimed in, her high soprano breaking the short silence causing everyone to jump slightly.
"We need to break this tension and have some fun. I think with the impending thunderstorm we should go play baseball. It's been forever since the last time, and we have two new players to replace the one we lost." Alice's random interjection stunned the room out of its hostility and in a couple of seconds everyone was smiling again, even Mason. I shot him a sheepish grin and felt my heart race a little as his eyes met mine. Then something occurred to me that didn't make sense.
"I don't understand, why do we have to wait until there is a thunderstorm before you guys can play baseball?" I felt confusion written all over my face. Edward smirked at me, and then he winked so quickly that I wasn't sure if it was real.
"You'll see." Edward chuckled a little bit, and then continued. "You're right Alice, I think it would be a great idea." Alice nodded emphatically, and I noticed Carlisle shaking his head in amusement.
"I'll give you this Mason. You have kept our lives interesting. Bella, do you think you would like to play?" Carlisle looked earnestly at his new daughter, and she smiled at him timidly.
"I'll try, I've gotten a little bit more coordinated, but I make no promises." I could see her facial muscles twitch in that very familiar way that meant she would have blushed if she were still human.
"I'm still not happy with you Mason, but I'll take it out on you by whooping your ass in the game. So, I'm definitely not on Mason's team." Emmett had finally calmed down, his anger had just vanished, and in its place was an anticipation that bordered on bravado. He half turned to move towards Rosalie, but stilled his feet and mid motion.
"What's the plan?" I asked a little unsure of what was going on.
"We get ready when Alice says it's time. Would you mind refereeing Angela?" Carlisle's pleasant expression calmed my nerves as I nodded with enthusiasm. I knew the game, but I had never been in charge of calling plays or trying to keep anyone from cheating, let alone dealing with supernatural players.
"Not at all, I can't wait." I grinned at Carlisle and glanced at Mason who was staring at me with an intense expression. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching me more than I realized.
"Umpire, you mean Umpire, not referee." Esme looked at me for a moment then smirked at her husband.
"Oops, I'm a little distracted right now, sorry about that. But you're still willing to go?" Carlisle asked with a small frown. They wanted me there, so I couldn't refuse.
"Of course, how could I say no?" I agreed, and everyone then sprang into motion except Mason, who seemed a little out of place. I went and stood next to him; Bella joined us a few seconds later. I looked at both and began to chuckle. "I guess we're the odd ones out?" I asked, and Bella beamed at me, taking my hand and squeezing it very gently before giving me a look that told me she wanted to talk to me in private. It only lasted a second, but I nodded mouthing the words, 'call me'.
"I'm not even sure if I should play." Bella seemed amused by the whole endeavor and a little nervous too.
Rose stopped where she was and turned to Bella, "You need to play." Giving her a warm smile, before heading off towards the garage. Bella stared after her in a way that spoke volumes. Something had happened between them, I was sure of it, leaving Bella unsure and questioning her place.
"Rose is right, it's a simple game, I think you'll have fun out there." Mason tried to reassure Bella and she gave him a soft smile in appreciation, "if anyone doesn't deserve to be out there it is me. I think you should have fun with your family. It will help you bond." He then glanced at me briefly to gauge my reaction.
"I'm a part of this family. I don't need to confirm that. Honestly it is more important that they get a feel for you Mason. Playing a game will give them an idea on how you act on a team, it will probably make them a little more comfortable around you. I also know it is the only way you'll get Emmett's respect again." Bella smiled and let go of my hand and made her way over to Carlisle who was now laughing slightly at the situation.
It was settled a few minutes later and then I was driven home by Esme, who said she would pick me up when it was time. I felt drained, emotionally and physically. My mom, dad and brothers were probably asleep so I tiptoed to my room to crash.
When I got to my room I found mom sitting on the desk chair, her legs and arms crossed. She looked very upset. "How dare you make us worry like that!" She kept her voice low but from her tone I could tell she was basically screaming at me.
"I lost track of time." I tried, but she shook her head at me.
"Unacceptable, you've missed most of this week at school and we're done. Starting tomorrow you will return to school and start preparing for your future. That means SAT prep, college applications and getting the best grades." She stood as if there were nothing more to say. I thought about arguing, but it was pointless. Even if I survived the year, I had no interest in college anymore.
"Tell me you understand?" She demanded.
"Yes." I answered truthfully, I would go through the motions, for her and Dad as I prepared to say goodbye to them forever. She nodded once and closed the door quietly. I immediately fell into my bed and was about to go to sleep when my phone rang.
"Bella?" I whispered.
"Yeah, can you talk?" She asked.
"Can you?" I replied wondering if she had gone somewhere private.
"Yes, I took a walk. I wanted to talk to you about what happened." Bella sounded hesitant, but resigned to talk.
"Between you and Rose?" I guessed.
"Yeah, and it's a lot. She is struggling with her own identity, and as we were talking about it, we basically decided to start seeing each other romantically. But then she said she needed some time to think about everything, and then went and got herself some powers. Now I don't know what to think." Bella sounded frustrated.
"How long has this been going on?" I had a pretty good idea but I wanted her to confirm, things had gotten weird between them after the Alaska trip.
"I kind of hit on her that trip to LA, when I was very tipsy. We kissed for the first time on the trip down from Alaska. Then we left things alone, until today. Wait, someone's coming." She paused, waiting for a few seconds before continuing. "It's Rose, I have to go."
"Talk to you soon." I said with some weight on 'soon' so she would understand I wanted details after whatever they were going to discuss.
Bella
Friday, September 16, 2005
"Hey." I said feeling more than a little self-conscious.
"So, um, Mason helped me work out more than just my powers. I was able to figure a few other things out too. Mainly how I feel about you." Rose gave me a long unflinching look and I felt my stomach in my throat.
"How do you feel about me?" I said, almost repeating her words because I was terrified of what she was about to say.
"It's been building slowly over the last year, and I couldn't define it or really think about it for so long. Then it clicked together as this new thing from inside me emerged. It feels so strange, like I had been living life with a blindfold on. I know we just started this thing between us and I just don't want to put too much on you. Because I know how overwhelming this life can be at first. I also need you to know that this isn't a rebound, because honestly the way I feel is very clear and very real."
"I think it's been since the trip to Alaska." I responded realizing she was about to declare her feelings for me, it made me feel a bit giddy. I hadn't realized how deeply I had fallen until faced with the reality that it was actually happening. I was in love with the woman in front of me, with all the complications and baggage that came with it, including the fact that this was very likely the person I would be spending eternity with.
Rose smiled playfully, "I win, my feelings started when you showed up in my garage for a lesson that first time. I just couldn't understand it." The smile faded somewhat as she peered into my eyes, searching for something, possibly how I felt about her as she bit her lower lip in anticipation.
"I love you Rosalie, and it's terrifying." Despite my new body, I could almost feel the old sensation of my heart in my throat, my body was shaking and I felt so vulnerable and naked in that moment that the world seemed to be closing in on me. She rushed forward, placing her hands on my upper arms smiling so widely and happily that I instantly felt better, grounded.
"I know what you mean, this is terrifying. There are so many things standing between us and forever, but I want to fight because, Bella, I love you too." I couldn't quite understand the words, because my mind was racing with their meaning. We had said the thing, this was real, this was permanent. We were together, and from what I knew about vampires that wasn't going to ever change unless something tore us apart. "I can't believe it, we love each other. So what now?" She asked, and I could tell she felt the same kind of overwhelming blissful joy I was feeling.
"A hundred things, but first may I kiss you?" I asked with some urgency, starting to feel a hunger for her I had dismissed months ago when we stole that kiss.
"Absolut..." She started and I threw myself at her, smashing my lips to hers and pressing myself into her. It was a strange feeling, but we fit and I felt my mind calm in her embrace as she wrapped her arms around around my back, her hands reaching up and playing with my hair. We kissed for a while, happy to be close to one another. Eventually, and very reluctantly, I pulled away and we stared at each other for several minutes without talking.
"We should tell the family." I said, knowing that we couldn't truly start anything until they all accepted us.
"Alright. I know mom will be happy for us, but I'm not expecting Edward or Emmett to be thrilled about this. Alice will be overjoyed and will likely throw us some kind of party and I have no idea how Carlisle will react." As she broke down how the family might react I realized that while they were important, Rosalie was now the center of my world, and her love and acceptance was all I would need.
"This isn't about them, it is about us. Maybe this is too soon, but what exactly are we?" I asked, struggling for an exact definition when girlfriend felt inadequate.
"The vampire term is mates, but we can define how we present ourselves the world however you wish. Girlfriends, lovers, spouses. I'm not divorced so marriage is..." She started and I shook my head to interrupt her.
"I'm still eighteen, lets hold off on marriage talk for a while at least." I gave her a reassuring smile that it wasn't a rejection, just a hesitation for that kind of label. Marriage had been a sore spot for me, because my human parents had failed so spectacularly and split my life in two.
"Marriage can wait, I'm in no hurry, but we are more than just dating." She said trying to confirm I felt the same, and I quickly nodded.
"Exactly, and it isn't that I wouldn't want to marry you eventually. It's just... the label bothers me, especially at my age. It usually means you're knocked up, although that doesn't apply with us for a number of reasons." I frowned and let through my own sadness over my human life. I had purposefully pushed the idea of children out of my head since I was told I could never carry a baby to term.
"I should probably tell you that I love children, and would love nothing more than to be a parent. But I know that's not in the cards for me." She said with clear sorrow on her brow, which just made me hug her tightly.
"You never know, maybe Carlisle will have a breakthrough in a hundred years. We could also run into someone that we could love as a child." I said against her shoulder, happy to be held and trying to give her some hope for the future.
"You don't mean turning an actual child, because that is a serious no-no for our kind." She had pulled away enough for us to face each other, but clearly didn't want to let go fully.
"God no, that would be vile. I mean some one young like us, when we're ready to share our lives with someone." I clarified, although the idea of adopting a child popped into my head. But that would be dangerous and probably completely amoral given our nature as predators.
"Adopt like Carlisle, and you would be okay with that?" She asked, and I suddenly felt a bit stupid for thinking of the much harder and more dangerous option.
I smiled at her, and then pressed my face into her chest again, "not this minute, but yes, eventually. I never really thought about kids until I couldn't have them anymore."
"I hadn't even realized you already went through that struggle, I'm so sorry about my involvement in the secret, I never wanted to lie to you." She said, playing with a lock of my hair, twirling it between her fingers. It felt so causal and intimate, and I wanted to bask in the closeness, but I sighed and separated once again.
I shook my head a couple of times before starting, "I know if you had the option you would've told me, so don't worry about that please." She nodded, a bright smile telling me she believed me. "I've even almost forgiven Edward at this point, although it is kind of hard to look at him. But my point is that I would never be a hinderance to your happiness, if adopting is something you want to do, I would be totally on board."
"You know it would be possible to adopt and raise a human child, but it would be condemning them to our life when they came of age." I almost laughed, but given how serious her expression I held it in.
"Get off my brain stem." I joked, and she let out a small chuckle, as the concept opened up for me. While the human system was flawed and there were thousands of children in need of a home and a life, I wondered if maybe looking for a sick child with the capacity to grow to be a teenager at least. "Maybe if their human life was doomed, like mine."
"We should stop, we could spiral down this rabbit hole to the point where we take off and steal someone today and that would be a mistake. Let us be us, and maybe pick up this conversation much later down the road, but thank you for being so understanding." She closed the gap between us again, and I found my self holding her head in my lap, as we folded ourselves down to the forest floor. "You know, I thought I would feel guilty committing so someone so much younger, but after speaking with Mason about his feelings for Angela, our age difference feels kind of insignificant."
"I thought my age didn't matter?" I said absently, examining the lines of her face and wondering how much of her was the same as she was when she was human.
"It doesn't, not really. Age for us is a bit different, my personality hasn't changed much since I was turned at eighteen myself. In many ways we'll always be the same age, at least developmentally speaking. I have matured in behavior somewhat, but I do not think of myself as a ninety year old." She said wistfully, her eyes lightly closed as if lost in a day dream.
"Good to know. Alright, so Mason. Please tell me he isn't going to make a play for Angela." I hadn't wanted to break the moment, but I had to know what he said. She sighed and opened her eyes before she sat up facing me, with our knees touching.
She pulled my hands forward and began to play with the lines on my inner palms as she answered. "He's far to formal and polite to seduce her, he only wants the best for her. I know it is true because I forced it out of him. He is in love with her, and I'm not sure there is anything we can do to stop her from falling in love with him."
"How did we both fall in love with immortals. God, I'm happy for her, but I'm worried, he just feels too good to be true." I flipped our hands so that I could trace the lines of her palms, a first examination of each other. It made me anxious for the next step, but wondered how long it would be before she was ready for intimacy.
"He did mention that he has a violent past and I think he's worried what she'll think of him when she finds out about it." She furrowed her brow, clearly lost in thought. It was enough that I decided to push off the idea of sex for the time being.
"I guess we'll see. I think we should go out together, on like an official date. I know the couple thing isn't going to change, we care too much, but we really should start interacting with each other romantically." I suggested, hoping some romance might answer my question.
"Tonight, lets do something tonight." She said enthusiastically.
"It's a date, but lets wait until Angela can be there to tell the family officially." I said hoping she would agree, I couldn't just announce my new relationship to my family without my sister there. God, she was always going to be my sister, it gave me such a feeling of joy to think I would never have to lose her. Then I almost wanted to hit myself for the thought, how could I wish for her to give up her humanity, it was an utterly selfish though.
"Alright, how about at the start of the game tomorrow." Her suggestion sounded perfect, it was a light hearted outing and everyone would be there.
"I can't believe were going to play baseball." I chuckled, thinking about how much my father would've loved to play, and I got hit again with that now familiar pain of guilt as thoughts of my father flooded my mind.
"It is way more fun than you realize." She teased, and it brought me back to the moment.
"It better be." I said with a bit more of an edge of sarcasm than was warranted.
Angela
Friday, September 16, 2005
Car crashes and monsters lurking in the shadows trying to devour me populated my dreams. I woke up just as the sun was rising to the sound of a thunderclap. I quickly fell back asleep and woke up again to my alarm. I hit snooze and a few seconds later my cell-phone started ringing.
"Damn it." I hesitated to pick it up, a part of me wishing I could reject them, reject her. Bella was important, but was she important enough to risk my life? I closed my eyes, tempted to just fall back asleep.
Two rings, three rings, four… I grunted and picked up the phone.
"We'll be there by noon." Alice said with enthusiasm.
"I have to go to school." I said with a voice so rough that I was pretty sure I sounded like death.
"You're a senior, skip the afternoon." Her voice sounded almost normal, for her, and I was happy she had regained her energy. I just wasn't sure I was up to an afternoon baseball game with a group of vampires.
"I'm not sure I'm gonna go." I admitted, and suddenly felt a bit bad about tapping out.
"It won't be the same without you." She said brightly.
I shut my eyes and hit mute, taking a few deep breaths as something deep inside started to tremble. I couldn't explain it, but a part of me was terrified to go. I just wasn't sure why. Then it hit me, and reluctantly I unmuted my end. "Alice, I go and it means I'm choosing your life." I said as naturally as I could, I didn't want her to hear how much just saying those words was a struggle.
"I don't think so. I think it means you want to spend some time with people you love, doing something insanely goofy." She was clearly speaking through a big smile, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll be ready." I said ending the call. I brought the phone to my chest and sighed, it was too much, but I was committed. I felt tears threatening to come, but I shook my head refusing to give into the urge to break down. I would get through the game with a smile on my face, and I would be as good a friend as I could be.
Morning classes were normal, except for the glares from the other students. I barely interacted with most of them, but Lauren in particular was shooting daggers at me when I sat alone at lunch, ready to slip off campus when I was done eating. I made it to the end of the block without the truant officer stopping me, and a loud honk alerted me to their arrival.
I turned and found that everyone was piled into two cars, if you can call Emmett's behemoth 4x4 a car. I got in next to Bella, and then we headed deep into the national forest. When the roads ended, we got out and began to walk the rest of the way. The ground was rough, and I wasn't much of a hiker, so we were moving slowly. The sky was darkening with thunderclouds, and the sun was now completely concealed behind the cloud cover. At the rate we were walking, I doubted we would get to our destination before nightfall. I walked with Bella and Rosalie who were staying close to each other but not quite touching, like two magnets that were being held apart by some unseen force. Mason had lingered near the back of the group, but after a few minutes he came up next to me and leaned down to whisper to me.
"I think they are a little too polite, but if you would allow me, I imagine this trip could be a lot quicker." I looked into his bizarrely perfect mismatched eyes for a long second before nodding my head. I felt my heart almost pause as he smiled in acknowledgement, and then he lifted me onto his back, and I instantly knew I was safe. The contact felt very intimate, and it reminded me of the car crash and our journey back to the Cullens, or more accurately I kept turning over that wonderful conversation in my head again and again.
This journey was different. I wasn't petrified with worry over Alice, and we weren't headed to meet my friend who had been turned into a vampire. This was a family outing, and I was acutely aware that I was a part of the family, even though I wasn't one of them. The wind was fierce as it buffeted my face, my hair which I had the presence of mind to tuck back into a tight ponytail, somehow came loose and started flapping wildly in the breeze. I wanted to fix it, but I couldn't let go of Mason for fear of falling. I also didn't want to stop, and the minor discomfort I felt as we started the run melted away with the exhilaration of it. I felt like I was flying on the back of a beast of such power that it could transport me to a magical realm of wonders.
It wasn't long before I was almost shouting with excitement, Mason quickly slowed down to see what was wrong, but I just patted his solid chest to urge him to keep going. At that moment I couldn't help but notice his body again, and the perfection of it. The lines of his jaw and neck, the soft fabric of his button up shirt that pressed against the cords of muscle in his arms, chest and stomach. I had my chin resting on his right shoulder and would sneak glimpses of his bare chest through the neckline of his shirt. I felt myself sigh in contentment at this Greek god of a man and wondered idly if he had seen the Trojan War or witnessed the assassination of Julius Caesar.
I knew he had hinted at his age, but I started to wonder how long he had been around? How much could he share about history that none of us could ever know. I felt a burning need to ask him these simple questions, but realized it was silly. But I wasn't sure if his interest in me was real or fleeting. I couldn't understand how this powerful creature wanted anything to do with me. I suddenly felt insignificant being so close to him and wanted to leap from his back to get some distance from him. Nothing I could ever offer would be good enough for him. I wasn't special or especially intelligent, and I couldn't block minds like Bella. But as the melancholy of the thought started to solidify, we breached the tree line and almost immediately stopped.
Our destination turned out to be a vast and practically untouched field that overlooked a small valley vista dotted with trees and ending at the edge of the Olympic mountain range. I sat in the soft grass and waited as they quickly set up the bases. I marveled at the distance between each goal. Home base felt like a football field away from first. The supply bags were unpacked, and a cornucopia of bats, balls, and gloves were deposited on a rack set up near home base. Everyone grabbed the gear they wanted and then the teams split off into their respective positions.
Then Rose cleared her throat and looked over at Bella who moved over and took her hand, interlacing their fingers together.
"We have an announcement to make." Bella said with confidence, although I could see in her eyes that she was anything but.
"Bella and I have talked and come together as mates. We never had the intention of hurting anyone, and we hope that everyone can accept us." Rose said with a touch of breathless anticipation in her voice, and they looked over at each other with a look that instantly conveyed the depth of their feeling for one another. I just smiled widely, insanely happy for both of them.
"Do you love her?" Emmett asked, his voice a bit raw.
"Yes." Rosalie replied, meeting his eyes and nodding sharply and confidently.
"What about you Bella, do you love Rose" Carlisle asked, his own reaction guarded.
"More than anything." Bella raised their joined hands and kissed the back of Rosalie's hand.
"Good, congratulations." Emmett said flexing his jaw a few times, "lets play ball!"
Bella gave me a look, and I flashed her a happy grin, knowing we would talk more later. Everyone awkwardly separated out into teams, which were split evenly. Carlisle, Rosalie, Mason, and Bella versus Edward, Esme, Emmett, and Alice. Bella stood by me and after a few seconds nudged me softly. I looked up at her and she smiled brightly.
"I guess your talk went well." I said jokingly.
"You could say that, you'll root for my team?" I nodded absently as I looked towards Mason who smiled mysteriously. Unfortunately Emmett noticed my betrayal.
"Et tu, Angela?" Emmett said with a toothy grin.
"Sorry Em." I said sheepishly.
"I call it unfair bias." Emmett said, shaking his head at me.
"Overruled." Carlisle said ending the back and forth, everyone laughed, and then Emmett's team took the field first after a coin toss. Emmett handled the bases and infield, Esme was the catcher, Edward was outfield, and Alice was pitching. After they got situated everyone's attention turned to Alice expectantly.
A few minutes passed, until Alice finally nodded and in her clear sweet voice said, "It's time!"
The game was fast, and I immediately understood the need for thunder, every time they hit the ball it created a sound like a thunder crack. I tried to track their movements, but they were too fast. On a couple of plays I could swear they were cheating, but I simply wasn't sure.
Bella was up to bat last in her team's rotation, and she looked nervous. Her admittedly creepy red eyes focused intently on Alice as she pitched a fast ball. Bella swung, and with a crack loud enough that my ears started to ring, hit the ball so deep into the forest that not even Edward tried to run for it. Bella giggled and rounded the bases for the first home run of the day.
"Newborn strength, no fair." Alice pouted, but after a quick laugh, the game continued. The innings flew by, but only a handful of runs were racked up on each side, with Bella getting in two before the outfield started to anticipate her. In less than an hour the game had progressed to the bottom of the ninth inning, and the score was tied.
Then Carlisle hit a spectacular fly ball that rocketed towards the mountains. He rounded the bases and waited patiently for Edward who had taken off after it like the Road Runner. After several minutes he returned with a giant crooked smile on his face. Carlisle was out, leaving the game tied. Overtime was like an exercise in futility as each team managed to shut out the other. This went back and forth for close to an hour, until finally Emmett got lucky and hit a ball so hard that it disintegrated on contact.
Everyone laughed but it basically ended the game. We were about to stop and clean up when Alice went rigid, her eyes blank. Carlisle rushed in and caught her before she fell. Everyone stood in expectation, and a bit of fear. She was motionless for several seconds, until suddenly her eyes flew open and this intense expression of pain crossed her face. She searched the field for a second regaining her bearings, until she found my face. Then she stared into my eyes before speaking. It was obvious the vision was difficult for her.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see them coming." Alice looked mortified and pointed south towards a large cicada tree and the edge of an impressive section of the forest. She closed her eyes for a second and then ran over to my side in a flash. Soon she was joined by the rest of the family who gathered around me. They all stood sentinel by me except Mason who took a position a few paces forward, closer to the forest edge where the strangers would emerge. Yet he was slightly off to one side, leaving our view unobstructed.
"I know I am repeating myself but I'm so sorry Angela. They were traveling through the surrounding areas looking for a friend and were about to leave for good. But our game drew their attention. They didn't even know about us until they heard our game." Alice seemed positively mournful and her tone made Mason scowl. He stared at me for a moment and then closed his eyes briefly letting out a soft sigh as he reopened them. He met my eyes, and our contact seemed to linger for a while before he turned and set a deadly gaze back towards the area where these strangers were going to emerge from the forest.
Esme placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and whispered that they would protect me. Then we watched and waited, until finally two figures appeared from the south. One was an oddly average looking male vampire with long blonde hair tied in a simple ponytail. The other was a beautiful woman with a mane of bright red hair and cat-like mannerisms. Even from here I could tell that their eyes were not like the Cullen's, they were a deep burgundy. I sighed as I realized that meant that they were the terrible type of vampires, the kind that fed off the blood of humans.
Author's Note:
So why am I going with this plot point? Well there are two main reasons, one I thought the baseball game in the original was such a fun silly scene. It honestly made the characters come alive for a moment. Secondly, it introduced the main villains in that story (no matter how random and last minute their inclusion). Here James and Victoria serve a somewhat similar purpose, but obviously the players and situation are different.
Secondly, you may ask why Alice didn't see them before? That one is a little harder to answer, it is plot related, but simply put she choose a path. A future where certain events happen, which means this moment is a nexus point. They always come across James and Victoria.
In this version, because it is significantly after the events of Twilight James and Victoria have already lost Laurent from their coven. They were looking for him because he was last seen in the area.
Next Chapter: ... Until Someone Gets Hurt - Mason
Thank you for reading!