The sound of a page turning in a book in combination with the dim light from a cloudy morning slowly bring me to consciousness. After a moment the memories from the previous day and, more pressing at the moment, the night come back to me. I blearily open my eyes and see that the bed is empty next to me. With a frown, I sit up quickly. Way too quickly, because I have to clutch my temple to steady myself from the dizzy spell it caused.
"You're cute first thing in the morning, you know that?" My favorite voice asks fondly from across the room.
"You're here." I say breathlessly, spotting Alice sitting in the desk chair with my copy of The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson in one hand and her other scratching Mindy behind the ears.
"I promised you I would be here when you woke up." She responds, tilting her head to the side and scrunching her eyebrows adorably in confusion.
"Sorry, I just thought maybe last night was a dream." I answer sheepishly, tucking some of my probably tangled and messy hair behind my ear.
"It wasn't, baby." She says, bringing back the memory of the last thing she said before I was overcome by sleep, making me melt into a fond smile. "You're adorable when you sleep too, by the way."
"Oh man, don't tell me I sleep-talked." I groan, putting my face in my hands and shaking my head.
"You did. I'm guessing this is a common occurrence?" Alice says around her tinkling laughter.
"Unfortunately, it is. What did I say?" I huff, looking back up at her and throwing my hands down in defeat.
"Do you really want to know?" Alice asks, biting her lip nervously now.
"I don't know. Was it that bad?" I ask hesitantly.
"Um, I don't think so. Far from it, actually. I'm just… Not sure if you'll feel the same way now that you're awake." Alice answers, slowly putting my bookmark back between the pages of the book.
"Tell me." I gently request, watching Alice's hands.
"You said you love me." Alice says after a pause, watching my face carefully for a reaction.
The breath I'd been holding leaves my lungs in a sharp exhale. At first, I'm scared because I've apparently admitted feelings that I wasn't sure I'd ever have in my life, let alone after only having been on two dates with someone. I'm scared that if Alice sees that my confession is true, even in wakefulness, she'll run for the hills. But then I remember what she said.
'She said it was far from a bad thing. Does she maybe feel the same way?'
Something in my gut tells me she does. So, with one more deep breath I finally speak.
"I hope you know it's true. I'm just sorry the first time you heard it from me was when I wasn't conscious." I whisper, this time watching her carefully for her reaction when I finish. "I love you, Alice."
"I love you too, Bella. So much." Alice says breathily.
In the blink of an eye, Alice is in front of me and has captured my lips in hers. I gasp, which Alice takes advantage of and slips her tongue in my mouth, taking me by surprise again in less than five seconds. I recover quickly though, wanting to savor this moment before it becomes too much for her. I tangle my fingers in her short hair and try to pull her closer, which she must feel me doing because she gives in slightly. I feel her body pressed to mine, and that in combination with the taste of her tongue along mine has me forgetting how to breathe.
"Bella? Bella!?" Alice says frantically, and it takes me a moment to realize I must have passed out for a moment because she's gently shaking me and I'm blinking my eyes open.
"Di-did I just pass out?" I ask groggily.
"Yeah, just for a few seconds. Are you okay? Should I get you some water? I'm gonna get you some water." Alice starts rambling, and it just makes me chuckle as I start to sit up.
"I'm fi-" I start to say, but Alice is already holding a glass of water out to me. "-ne. Thanks babe." I finish, taking a sip.
"What happened, love?" Alice asks, brows scrunched in concern as she strokes her hand through my hair.
"It's embarrassing." I mumble, but sigh in defeat at the raised brow Alice gives me. "I think I forgot to breathe."
"What am I going to do with you?" She chuckles quietly, pressing her lips to my forehead. "Come on, you should start getting ready. We have school today and it's breakfast time."
"Do we have to?" I whine, working on a plan to convince Alice to stay home with me.
"Yes, we do. You have a pop quiz in Calculus and English." Alice answers way too cheerily for the subject matter as she skips to the door and into the hallway.
"I thought you couldn't see my future?" I ask around a yawn, following Alice into the hallway, but toward the bathroom rather than the stairs.
"I can't, but I heard Mr. Varner and Mr. Mason talk about them on their lunch break last Thursday." Alice says with a smug grin.
"Ugh, fine. Since you're forcing me to attend school, you can at least make me breakfast while I shower and get dressed." I sigh dramatically, lowering my face to the floor and shaking my head.
"Deal. What does the human want?" Alice says, still far too lively for so early in the morning.
"Bacon, waffles, and hash browns." I answer immediately, having had the craving for a few days now.
"You got it!" Alice says, giving me a quick peck on the lips before disappearing in a flash.
Shaking my head with an affectionate smile, I head back into my room to grab an outfit for the day and take it to the bathroom where I shower and get ready. Once done, I head downstairs to where I can smell and hear bacon sizzling in a skillet. Stopping in the doorway, I grin amusedly at the sight of Alice dancing and twirling at the stove as she flips over the bacon and hashbrowns then pops out a waffle from the waffle iron and sets it on a plate.
"I fed the babies and let Mindy out. So, sit down and I'll bring your plate over in a minute." Alice says without turning around, but I can hear the smirk in her tone.
"I expected to walk in here with it done already. No vampiric way to speed up the cooking process?" I ask, taking the seat on the further side of the table so I can have an unobstructed view of the gorgeous vampire.
"Unfortunately not. Now I have someone to cook for though, I'll start looking into ways." Alice shoots over her shoulder with a wink. "Thankfully, my vampy speed got through everything else quickly, so you didn't have to wait long."
She says this as she appears right next to me, setting down a plate laden with three round waffles and another plate piled with hashbrowns and six strips of bacon. I look at it in amusement, wondering if I should make the joke that immediately popped into my head when thinking of how bloated I'd be if I ate everything in front of me. Alice sets down butter, syrup, and ketchup then opens the back door to let Mindy in while I'm still debating.
"Alice, I know you said human food tastes awful to you. If you fatten me up with bacon grease, potatoes, and waffles do you taste it through my blood? Is that what's going on here? Trying to put me into a food coma so I don't put up a fight?" I ask, somehow maintaining a straight face.
"Hardy har." She responds, narrowing her eyes at me in mock anger. "Come on, eat up. We need to leave soon so we have plenty of time if your truck finally kicks it."
"Hey, what did I say about dissing my truck?" I say indignantly around a mouthful of hashbrowns.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm sure Linda has many more years left in her." Alice responds with her hands up in surrender.
Smiling at the banter, I look down and finally notice Alice's outfit. "You left?" I ask, pouting slightly.
"Oh, just for a little bit when Charlie woke up. I figured I'd make myself scarce in case he decided to check in on you, so ran home to get dressed." Alice says, looking down at the jeans and blouse I'm looking at, then looks up at me with a confused look. "I promised I'd be there when you woke up, Bella. I don't break my promises."
"I'm sorry." I say quietly, debating if I should admit why it bothered me so much while I set down my utensils, completely full now after eating over half of the food Alice set in front of me.
'That would lead to a whole slew of questions I'm not ready to answer right now though.'
"It's okay, baby. Next time I'll bring a change of clothes so that I don't have to leave. Deal?" Alice offers with an understanding smile, and I could just kiss her for knowing just what I need.
Realizing there's nothing keeping me from doing just that, I beckon her to me with a crook of my finger. When she gets close, I grab a handful of her shirt and pull it toward me. Nothing happens at first, but Alice realizes what I'm doing and leans down. Our lips connect and we both let out content sighs.
"I love you." I whisper against her lips, feeling them turn up into a smile at my declaration.
"I love you too." She whispers back before pecking my lips again. "Now go get your stuff. I'll get the dishes."
Before I know it, I'm leaning forward in my chair with my lips puckered toward nothing and the table suddenly empty. With a huff and a quiet chuckle as I look at Alice's back while she puts the leftovers away, I rush upstairs to my room. I grab my bookbag, shove my books and homework into it, then head back downstairs. Alice is waiting for me by the front door with a smile while she absentmindedly pets Chip who is sitting on the credenza nearby.
"Alright, let's go." I say, reaching behind her and pulling open the door and I call out over my shoulder to the animals. "Be good, guys."
"So… What do you want to tell everyone at school?" Alice asks hesitantly a few moments later as I back down the driveway, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" I ask, scrunching my eyebrows in confusion and glancing at her briefly.
"Well, do you want them to know we're girlfriends now or keep that on the D.L.?" Alice asks, biting her lip in a rare display of nerves.
"Oh, so we're girlfriends now? I don't remember you asking." I say, trying to hold in my laughter and keep a serious face.
"We admitted we love each other and went on two dates. I figured it was obvious." Alice says with an eye roll, but the corners of her lips twitch so I know she understood I was kidding.
"I don't care who knows, babe. Except Charlie. I'm not ready for that yet. I want to ease him into it." I answer, laying my hand over Alice's that is on her thigh.
"Really?" Alice squeals happily, making me laugh.
"Really, really." I answer in my best impersonation of Shrek as I pull into my usual parking spot at school.
"So, does that mean you'll be okay meeting my family? Officially this time." Alice asks after she rushes around Linda at a human pace to open my door for me.
"A-are you sure?" I ask, suddenly trembling at the idea of meeting Alice's family.
"They won't hurt you; I promise." Alice says, obviously misinterpreting my fear.
"I'm not worried about that, babe. What if they don't like me? What if I make a fool of myself? What if I offend one of them unintentionally?" I start rambling before being cut off by a brief but pleasant press of cold lips against my own.
"They'll love you, baby. You won't make a fool of yourself and none of them are easily offended. I promise." Alice says quietly, lacing her fingers with mine and giving them a gentle squeeze, which successfully calms me down.
"Okay. When did you want me to meet them?" I ask, finally relaxing and letting her lead me towards the school.
"I was thinking we could go to my house after school. Carlisle is off work today, so everyone will be there." Alice answers, skipping slightly as we go up the stairs toward the main building.
"Sure. I would love to meet them." I say shakily after letting out a breath in hopes it will expel the new round of nerves I have at the short notice.
"I'll be with you the whole time, love. I promise it'll be fine." Alice says, pecking my cheek and giving me a reassuring smile.
"Everyone is staring." I say after a few moments, finally looking around and noticing the other kids around us are staring and whispering amongst themselves while looking directly at us.
'Not very subtle, guys.'
"They're trying to figure out how we became such 'close friends' all of a sudden. They obviously don't have much experience with same sex couples besides Patrick and Gavin." Alice says with an annoyed eyeroll.
"Hmm. Maybe we should clear things up for them?" I ask with a wave of boldness I don't usually feel, tugging Alice's hand to stop her.
"What did you have in mind?" Alice asks, getting a twinkle in her beautiful gold eyes.
I pull her to me by the waist, deciding not to answer with words. She drapes her arms over my shoulders, and I bend down to meet her lips in a sweet kiss. I barely remember that we are surrounded by other people, so lost in Alice and her addicting taste, touch, and smell. After what feels like only a second, but was probably a minute at least, she pulls back and gives me a dazzling smile.
"Do they still think we're just 'close friends'?" I ask after taking a second to take a few breaths that I missed while we kissed.
"Definitely not." Alice chuckles quietly, pecking my lips one last time. "Come on or you'll be late."
"Don't you mean 'we'?" I say jokingly, letting her pull me along until we get to my locker.
"Sure, sure." She says, waving her hand dismissively.
"So, I take it your dates went well?" Jessica asks with a smirk, snuggled into Mike's side at their lunch table.
She didn't get a chance to corner me during pre-calc since we had the pop quiz first thing, which obviously Alice was right about. Angela and I didn't get to talk much during history either since we had a short essay to write for our class assignment. So, it seems they're taking the opportunity to corner me now. Alice is sitting next to me, our thighs touching with how close we are and her hand on my thigh. She's taking small bites of her food, for appearances, but when no one is paying attention, she puts some in her1 purse.
"Very. At least, I think so?" I answer, raising a brow and looking at Alice for confirmation with a smirk.
"Oh, for sure. Definitely ranked at least a fifteen in my list of top twenty dates." Alice answers with a serious expression, talking around the spoon in her mouth.
"Hey!" I exclaim with an exaggerated gasp.
"Alright, alright. I'm kidding. It was amazing." Alice answers much more seriously, looking at me with soft eyes before kissing my cheek.
"You guys are so cute I think I might barf." Angela says with a smile, resting her chin on her fist.
"Mhmm. I can barely keep my chocy milk down." Ben agrees from next to her, taking a sip from said milk.
"Whatever. Enough about us. How was the dance?" I ask with an eye roll, but still smiling at how accepting everyone at our table is being.
That question does the trick though. Everyone starts going off, talking over each other in their excitement to relive the night. I can barely keep up between the couples talking, including Eric and Kate who are apparently forgiven for ditching their original dates. Giving up after twenty seconds of incoherent babbling, I scoot closer to Alice who leans her head on my shoulder with a sigh. We reach at the same time for each other's hands, which makes us both smile, and just bask in each other while the others continue exhausting themselves.
"You excited for this afternoon?" Alice asks quietly, not wanting to draw attention to us again.
"I guess. I can't really feel anything other than nerves, to be honest." I answer even quieter, which earns me a gentle squeeze to my hand.
"I promise, you have nothing to worry about. Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett are excited to meet you."
"I've already met Carlisle and Emmett." I say with a chuckle.
"I mean in a more… Honest capacity."
"Yeah, I get what you mean. However, you only listed half of your family. What about Rosalie, Edward, and Jasper?" I ask, not having missed her wince at my mentioning those names.
"I know. Well, you already know the deal with Edward." She says, which I just nod at. "Jasper, he's been acting weird lately. I'm not sure why, but I think it has to do with Edward's sour mood. Rosalie is just Rosalie. She's never been much of a social person. But don't worry, I promise you're safe with us."
"I'm not worried about my safety, Alice. I told you that already. I just want to leave a good impression on your family. I know how important they are to you. And you're important to me." I answer, kissing the top of her head.
"Ugh, get a room." Eric says, making everyone stop the excited babbling that'd been going on while they had their private conversation to laugh at them.
"Shut up." I say, feeling my cheeks redden even as I throw a tater tot at him.
"Thanks!" He exclaims, popping the tot into his mouth with a smile.
"Disgusting." Jessica says with a fake gag while looking at him.
Alice just looks up at me and winks before stealing a quick kiss.
Edward didn't say a word during Physics. Not that I'm complaining, of course. It was just weird and made me a bit uncomfortable, especially since he was scowling and clenching his fist the entire time. I'm tempted to talk to Mr. Banner and ask to switch seats. Contemplating it throughout the class period I decided that if he keeps it up all week, I'll ask on Friday.
As soon as the bell rings to signal the end of the period, Edward is up like a shot and out of class. Alice ends up escorting me to Drama, which will apparently be a new routine for us, where I spent more time watching her than working on the play. PE was much less eventful. We still played badminton, but I got to be scorekeeper. Alice, of course, kicked ass. Even with Jessica on her team. Since I didn't have to participate, I didn't need to shower afterwards. Obviously, neither did Alice since she doesn't sweat.
So, now we are in my truck and heading to her house, after stopping by mine to let Mindy out. Her house. For me to meet her family. Her family of literal decades. To say I'm nervous would be a huge understatement. Alice is driving, so she doesn't have to give me directions constantly. Not that she would need to. We've just been on highway 101 for the last few minutes. It's a good thing she has super strength and patience, because I certainly have a death grip on her hand that would hurt a human and my bouncing knee is even annoying me.
"Almost there, love. Are you sure you are still okay to do this?" Alice asks, breaking the silence.
"Not really, but I don't think I ever will be. Better to get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid, right?" I answer, laughing nervously (it may or may not sound a little more maniacal than not).
"I'd tell you there's no need to be nervous, but we've already established that doesn't work. Just know, I'm here. Everything will be fine." She lifts our joined hands and kisses my knuckles as she turns off suddenly onto a hidden dirt road. "Almost there."
I don't respond. Can't respond. Instead, I watch as we continue on down the widened dirt road. I look out the window to see Pacific silver fir, hemlock, and some western redcedar trees blur by us.
'I guess now would be a good time to practice my introductions.'
So, for the next three minutes that's what I do. Going over variations of greetings, each one more cringe worthy than the last. I'm distracted from my spiraling thoughts though when the trees break to reveal a large clearing. To the leftmost side is a three-story house. The picture of a white picket fence house with its clean white walls and rectangular shape. There are no cars in the yard, which isn't surprising since there appears to be a four-car garage attached to the house. My truck must look so out of place as Alice parks it in the driveway in front of the porch.
"Like it?" Alice asks as she opens my door for me.
"It's beautiful." I answer with a breathy exhale as I look around more.
There are large flowerbeds lining the porch on either side of the stairs. Different shades of reds, yellows, and blues behind a short wall of stones. I can hear the babbling of a river that must be nearby but hidden behind the trees. Alice laces her fingers through mine and starts rubbing soothing circles with her thumb across the top of my hand. I give her a small smile as she leads me up the stairs.
"Ready?" She asks, kissing the back of my hand.
"As I'll ever be." I respond, kissing her cheek before she opens the door and leads me inside.
I'm surprised at first by how open it is. There are only the outside walls and surrounding a coat closet to our right. The wall ahead of us at the back of the house is all glass and gives a view of the river I heard earlier along with more flowers. A beautiful winding staircase is a dozen feet ahead of us and standing at the bottom of it are Dr. Cullen and a woman I assume is his wife.
Dr. Cullen is just as handsome as I remember from our brief encounter at the hospital a few weeks ago. His blonde hair is a little more unruly rather than the slicked back professional look at the hospital. He's wearing a pair of light khakis and a white-collar shirt underneath a pale blue sweater, with the flaps of the collar resting over the sweater at his neck.
Mrs. Cullen is wearing a sleeveless yellow sundress with red flowers. Her brown hair is loose and wavy, reaching just past her shoulders. She's just as pale and breathtakingly beautiful as the others. However, where they have more sharp and angular features, hers are soft and rounded. She's smiling at me nervously, which is surprising, but puts me at ease all the same with how motherly she seems.
'It's no wonder she and Dr. Cullen are the parental figures of their family.'
"Carlisle, Esme. This is Bella." Alice breaks the silence, saying my name proudly, making me smile at her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Bella. In a much more pleasant setting." Dr. Cullen says, taking slow and measured steps toward me with his hand out.
"You too, Dr. Cullen." I say, taking his hand without hesitation in hopes to show I'm not afraid of what they are.
"Please, call me Carlisle." He says, looking much more relaxed now when I take his hand without flinching at the cold.
"It's lovely to finally meet you, Bella. I'm Esme." His wife greets me, coming forward and taking my hand in a soft (if you can even call it that when her hand is like marble) grip.
"Nice to meet you. You have a beautiful home." I respond, feeling at ease and my earlier fears suddenly seeming foolish.
"Where are the others?" Alice asks, interrupting Esme before she can respond.
"Edward and Jasper-" Carlisle starts to answer, but then suddenly Edward is there, standing right in front of me.
I can see Esme and Carlisle glaring into his back briefly, obviously disapproving of his blatant attempt at frightening me. However, I've long gotten used to super speed thanks to Alice, so I just stand there and blink up at him while trying to hold in my scowl. Edward looks at me for a moment before Alice breaks the awkward silence.
"Edward, knock it off." She tells him, stepping closer to me and putting her hand on the small of my back.
"It's fine, Alice. See, she isn't fazed at all." He responds after a beat, the muscle in his jaw twitching due to how tightly he's clenching it.
"Nevertheless, let's not push her." Carlisle says, placing his hand on Edward's shoulder and squeezing gently.
Then the atmosphere shifts. What was once charged with tension is now rapidly easing and I can feel as well as see as we all relax. Looking up, I see Jasper coming down the stairs slowly with a strained smile. Once he makes it to the bottom, he stays next to and slightly behind Esme and Carlisle.
"Hello, Bella." Jasper greets, making no move to come closer.
"Hello, Jasper. Was… that you?" I ask, waving my hand around in hopes he knows what I am referring to.
"Indeed. I felt things were getting a little… tense." He answers, the corners of his mouth twitching when Alice gives him a thankful smile.
"Do you play?" Esme asks me a few moments later when she notices my gaze drift to the piano on a platform to her left.
"Not even close." I answer with a laugh, stepping closer to the instrument hesitantly. "My mom does. Not well, but she's so relaxed when she plays. Is it yours?"
"Oh, goodness no. Edward is the musician in our family." Esme answers with a laugh as she indicates her head to where he stands next to Alice, both watching me, Alice with a fond gaze and Edward with a guarded one.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I ask quietly, forgetting momentarily that they can hear me with how normal they're acting, until Alice snorts out a laugh from behind me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Esme asks with a smirk, showing she doesn't mean it accusingly.
"Yes, do tell." Edward demands from my side, standing much closer than I really feel comfortable, especially with his slightly more aggressive tone.
"Just that it seems like a very you hobby to take up. Classic and refined, you know?" I answer as Alice steps protectively next to me.
"Perhaps you should play for her." Esme says, understandably trying to lighten the mood.
Rather than replying he stares at us for a brief moment before taking a seat on the bench. His fingers start moving over the keys, playing a melody I've never heard before. It's not surprising how talented he is, but he seems to relax while playing, the same way my mother does. I wrap my arm around Alice's waist and rub my thumb along her hip, while she leans her head on my shoulder.
"They like you. I told you they would." Alice whispers into my ear as Edward transitions into a softer song.
"Mmm. And where are Rosalie and Emmett?" I challenge.
"Rosalie will come around. Once she pulls her head out of her ass and gets to know you." Alice answers with a smirk.
"What's her deal? She seemed nice in the bathroom that one time, but otherwise she's just cold toward me. What did I do to her?" I ask, following Alice as she leads me away from where Edward continues to play and toward the kitchen.
"She doesn't have a problem with you, per se. She struggles the most with what we are. Honestly, she's sort of jealous of you, in a way." She tells me, sitting me down at the island while she starts rummaging through the refrigerator.
"Jealous of me? Why?" I ask incredulously, not even thinking of asking what she's doing pulling out food when she doesn't eat.
"Because you're human. She wishes she was." She says in a sad, quiet tone.
"Oh…" Personally, I don't know why anyone would want to be a normal, boring human over a badass vampire. However, I don't know Rosalie's story, so I can't judge. "What about Emmett?"
"He's trying to talk sense into Rosalie right now, that's why he isn't here. He thinks I'm insane for letting you in on the secret, but that's nothing new to me. As for you personally, he has no problem with you. I actually think you two will get along really well." Alice answers as she finishes putting together a salad.
"He does seem fun. What about Jasper? I mean, he seemed nice, but he wouldn't come near me." I ask, smiling when Alice pushes the bowl toward me along with an assortment of dressings.
"Well, I told you Jasper has always had issues being around humans. He's the newest to our… diet. So, it's harder for him to be around people. He was just being cautious, supposedly for my benefit even though I trust him." Alice answers, smirking triumphantly when I choose the Raspberry Balsamic Vinegarette from OMG! that she must have seen me eyeing when we were at Pikes Place.
"Didn't you say you and Jasper met up before you joined the Cullen's though?" I ask, confused how he would be the newest compared to her.
"Well, part of my vision of the Cullen's when I woke up like this was of our unique eating habits. After my initial lapse, I started feeding from animals and have never strayed since. Jasper is the second oldest of us all and had many, many years of feeding from humans. It's a hard habit to break, but he's been doing remarkably well." Alice tells me, which just causes me to have more questions.
Rather than ask though, I finish off my meal. It's obvious that they only have human food here for me, but I'm grateful for it. I haven't eaten anything since lunch and being so nervous earlier worked up an appetite. When I finish eating, Alice gathers up my dishes in a blur and cleans them off before I can even stand up. She winds her arm through mine and leads me toward the stairs.
"So, ready to see the rest of the house?" She asks me with a smile.
"Definitely."
"So, we have Jasper's room. Carlisle's study. Edward's room…"
She points to the door at the top of the stairs on the left to indicate Jasper's bedroom, then the door to the right for Carlisle's study. We walk a few feet while I look at the paintings on the light grey walls between the dark mahogany doors. There are a few abstract paintings with dark colors; reds, oranges, blacks, and yellows. Others are impressionists with brighter colors; blues, greens, and purples.
She trails off after pointing out Edward's bedroom when she notices what my gaze fixated on. Ahead of us at the end of the hallway is a large wooden cross. It looks heavy and old, not to mention so out of place not only with the residents but the style around her.
"It's ironic, right? Well, if you're like some people and believe us vampires don't have souls." Alice says while playfully nudging my side with her elbow.
"I'm glad to say I'm not one of those people. Why do you guys have it though?" I ask, walking up to it and running my finger along the smooth wood. "It's beautifully made but seems incredibly old."
"You're not wrong. It was made around the sixteen thirties or so. We have it for nostalgia on Carlisle's part. It belonged to his father." Alice answers, running her hand over the part at the bottom that flares out slightly.
"I'm guessing you don't mean he was a collector?" I say, remembering when Alice said she woke up.
"Nope. He carved it himself. Sometime when he was in his teens, before Carlisle was born."
"Holy shit. Carlisle is like 370 years old?" I ask, turning to face Alice with my jaw dropped.
"376 actually. We just celebrated his birthday a couple weeks before you got here." Alice answers amusedly.
"I have so many questions." I tell her breathlessly. "Can you tell me about his past and how he was… turned? I know it isn't your story to tell, so it's okay if you can't or don't feel comfortable."
"No, it's fine. He's open about his past. Well, as long as you're aware of what we are." She says, leaning against the wall behind her to get comfortable. "Carlisle was born in London, the only son to an Anglican pastor who was not a fan of the Roman Catholics. Typical during that time since it was during the British Civil war and there was always animosity between Protestants and Catholics. It was also during the civil war that witch hunting was the most intense. Of course, that also included hunting werewolves and vampires."
"Of course. The 16th and 17th centuries seem to have been a popular time to murder innocent women." I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes at how ignorant and easily manipulated people were… are.
"Yup. So, being the good Christian he was, Grandpa Cullen led many hunts over the years. When he started to get too old, he put his obedient son to the task instead. However, Carlisle was a bit of a disappointment. Back in those days, the actual supernatural beings that were supposed to be hunted hid in caves, underground, or in remote parts of the forest. Instead, thousands of innocent people were killed just because they did something that made them different.
"Carlisle though, he wasn't quick to be judge, jury, and executioner to anyone who presented what they considered to be evil back then. He did his due diligence in finding the real threats. He eventually found a small coven of vampires living in the sewers by the River Thames near Salisbury Court. They would come out at night to hunt, so the members of his father's church gathered their pitchforks and torches to march with him."
"Classic choices." I chime in, unable to help myself.
"Of course." Alice says with a smile, indulging me. "They waited outside the entrance where Carlisle had seen them. Eventually one came out. He scented the mob and called out to the others before taking off to lead them away. Papa Cullen was in good shape, so was ahead of the others in the chase. The vampire must have been hungry and weak, because he ended up stopping suddenly to turn and pounce. Since Pops was in the lead, he was the first to be attacked. However, the vampire moved on to two others before draining Carlisle."
As she speaks, I can feel myself getting lightheaded. I can picture Carlisle, rosy cheeked rather than the pale I've come to know, crouched and peering around the wall of a staircase leading to the river. It's dark out, the only light coming from lanterns along the pier he is on. He's looking toward a gated opening between where he is and the next staircase. Suddenly, a man emerges wearing tattered and dirty black clothing and no shoes. He starts sniffing into the air before snapping his gaze and locking eyes with Carlisle.
He starts yelling into the tunnel in a language she doesn't recognize before running up the stairs behind him. Carlisle gives chase, and it's like I'm floating along behind him as I observe the scene. They make it up a narrow alley and onto Fleet Street, according to a sign nearby on the side of a building, with the echo of a few other sets of footsteps following behind them, breaking the otherwise silent pursuit. As soon as they make it onto the wide street, the vampire stops and pounces on Carlisle within the blink of an eye.
Then the silence is filled with cries from the pastor's son, then another man that failed to pry the vampire from him and paid dearly for it, and lastly by another older man that screams as the vampire carries him away. A dozen men with pitchforks and torches continue the chase. Somehow, I can get myself to focus briefly to engage with Alice.
"The others just left him there?" I ask when Alice pauses to take a shuddering breath, before the visions take back over as I hear her voice like an echo in my mind.
"Not quite. They were after the vampire, but Carlisle knew they'd come back to take care of the bodies. He knew how his father's mind worked, so knew they would come back to burn his body along with the other man that the vampire left behind. So, he was able to drag himself into an alley, the alley next to the entrance to the Cheshire Cheese funnily enough, and covered himself in rotten foods and garbage. He stayed there, somehow stifling his cries, for three days while he turned. It's a painful process, from what I'm told, so it was a miracle he was able to remain quiet enough to not be discovered."
"Woah." I expel on the breath I was holding.
I could see Carlisle, bloody with his clothes now in shreds, dragging himself into a dark alley covered in filth. I can smell the rotting foods and thrown out excrement, which almost makes me gag. Carlisle gets himself into the farthest corner from the entrance to the alley before finally stopping to take a breath. Then, he scoops and drags armfuls of apple cores, potatoes, tomatoes, and many other tossed out foods that are molding and rotting on top of himself. Then it's like everything flashes forward and I watch as the sun and moon pass across the sky within seconds and the muffled whimpering coming from the pile of garbage in front of me.
"Are you okay?" Alice asks, standing up and laying a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." I say, shaking my head to bring myself back.
"You sure? You seemed to space out a bit there." I just nod in response. "Well, I'm guessing you have more questions. Come on, I'll show you the Cullen history."
She leads me back down the hallway and to the door she said was Carlisle's study, which she knocks on quietly. Someone must have responded because she opens the door and motions me to go in ahead of her. Looking around, it looks like what I would expect a professor's office to look like. Dark wood desk, shelves lining the walls to either side of his desk, and the wall behind him being made of glass. Carlisle is sitting behind the desk when we walk in, a thick leatherbound book in hand that he closes upon seeing us.
"What can I do for you?" Carlisle asks pleasantly as he sets his book down on the desk and stands.
"Bella was curious about your history." Alice answers, gently pulling me further into the room.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for us to disturb you." I say nervously, earning a reassuring squeeze to my hand by Alice.
"Not at all. Where are you going to start?" Carlisle says with an easy smile, directing his question to Alice.
"The Waggoner." Alice answers with a grin as she grasps my elbow and spins us around to face the wall the door is set in that we just stepped through.
This wall doesn't house bookshelves, rather it is full of framed paintings and photographs. Before I can attempt to glean a pattern to the setup of the collection, Alice steers me to the far left-hand side so we face a square oil painting in a plain dark wooden frame. It doesn't stand out the way the other pieces do, with those being brighter and bigger. Instead, this one is done in varying sepia tones depicting a miniature city of steeply slanted roofs and spires atop some scattered towers. A wide river fills the foreground with a bridge that appears to be covered with structures that look like tiny cathedrals.
"You're looking at London in the 1650s." Alice says excitedly, gesturing dramatically to the painting.
"The London of my youth." Carlisle adds with a laugh, winking when I turn to look at him.
"Could you tell the story, Pops?" Alice asks with a bright twinkle in her eye, and I can't even be bothered to try to hide the adoring smile I know I'm aiming her way.
"I would, but I was called in to the hospital. Dr. Snow is taking a sick day." Carlisle says, making Alice pout. "Oh don't give me that. You know the stories just as well as I do."
Alice's pout melts away at the praise, and even more so when Carlisle kisses her on the forehead. With a wink my way, the doctor leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Now that we're alone, my urge to be closer to Alice is too overwhelming to ignore. I let go of her hand, which earns me a curious frown, before it's replaced by a bright smile when I step behind her and wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder.
"Now, I believe you were tasked with telling me some stories?" I say, kissing Alice's cheek.
"Well, after Carlisle's transformation finished and he realized what he'd become, he rebelled against it. He tried to destroy himself, but it's not easy to do for us." Alice says, sadness coloring her tone, sounding so out of place with the bubbly vampire.
I'm tempted to ask why, but it only takes a moment of thought to answer it myself. During that time, all supernatural creatures were viewed as evil. Having grown up with a pastor for a father, I'm not surprised that Dr. Cullen would hate himself after becoming one of the very creatures he was tasked with destroying. That, however, leads me to other questions.
"What did he do?" I ask quietly, not wanting to upset Alice if it is a sore subject.
"He threw himself from the highest towers he could find when no one was around. Then he tried cliffs and drowning himself when that didn't work. Finally, he resorted to starvation. It's amazing that he was able to resist the instinct to feed. It's hardest in the first year after the transformation." Alice answers easily, rubbing her hand along my forearm soothingly.
"Is that possible? To die from starvation?" I ask with a frown.
"No. It's almost impossible to kill us. Not feeding will weaken us, but we'd never die from it." Alice says quietly, then continues before I can ask my next question. "So, he tried to starve himself, becoming so weak that he could feel his willpower weakening. For months he stuck to the forests and as far from human civilization as he could, hating himself for what he'd become. One day, a herd of deer passed where he was hiding. He'd been so wild with thirst, he attacked on instinct. His strength returned and he realized there was an alternative to being the monster he feared.
"He ate venison in his former, human life. What would be the difference between that and him feeding from deer in his new life? With this knowledge, he developed his own philosophy. He came to accept what he'd become and realized he could turn things around and not be the demon he thought he was. So, he made the most of his time. He'd always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now that he had unlimited time, he studied at night and planned during the day. He swam to France and traveled throughout Europe. He studied music, science, and medicine. That's when he found his calling; saving human lives."
The entire time Alice speaks, I see flashes of Carlisle. At first wandering around amongst trees with his clothes torn and dirty, then his mouth over the neck of a deer as blood spills to the dirty ground, followed by him looking cleaner and surrounded by books with a candle in front of him as he pours over them, and finally with the blonde bending over and looking at a bedridden man who is coughing up blood.
"Carlisle says it took him two centuries to master his self-control, but I think he's just trying to make Jasper feel better about his struggles." Alice whispers, most likely to spare Jasper's feelings herself. "I don't doubt he had to fight for it, but Papa Cullen is all but immune to human blood now. He finds so much peace at the hospital, saving lives, using the gifts we are given with this life to better those of humans."
Alice reaches up and runs her fingers through my loose hair for a few moments, scratching at the back of my neck. She seems to be lost in thought for a moment, before raising her other hand and pointing to a huge painting to the right of the first. It's easily three times the size of the first, more colorful, and has people in it rather than just a cityscape.
"Carlisle was studying in Italy when he discovered other vampires there. They were more civilized and educated than those that haunted the London sewers." Alice says quietly and without her usual bubbly tone.
She points to the figures in the painting wearing the more ornate and colorful robes, standing on a marble pillared balcony made of clouds overlooking the chaos on the ground below them. There are four of them, however one is standing a bit further back. With a shocked, quiet laugh I realize the one standing further back is Carlisle, standing out from the others by wearing a waistcoat and breeches rather than a set of robes.
"Francesco Solimena was inspired by Carlisle's friends. He depicted them as gods more often than not." Alice says with a bitter laugh. "Aro, Marcus, and Caius." She says, pointing first to the man with black hair, then an older looking man with brown hair, and finally a younger looking man with blonde, almost white hair.
"What happened to them?" I ask, molding my hand over Alice's and guiding our pointer fingers to hover over the figures.
"They're still there." She shrugs, jostling my head with the motion. "They've been there for a couple millennia now. Carlisle only stayed with them for a decade or so. He admired their civility and refinement, but they persisted in trying to cure him from his 'aversion to our natural food source' as they called it. They tried to turn him toward humans, he tried to turn them toward animals. Obviously, that didn't work. Carlisle eventually decided to try the New World, with a dream of finding others like himself.
"He didn't find anyone for a long time. He began practicing medicine, but he avoided familiarity with people since he couldn't have the type of companionship he craved. That's how he spent the next two centuries. Then, in 1918 the Influenza Epidemic hit. Carlisle was in Chicago at the time, working nights in a hospital. He'd been contemplating an idea in his mind for a century or so and had almost decided to act. Since he couldn't find a companion amongst our kind, he'd create one." Alice says, trailing off as she moves on to a photograph next to the large painting and a few rows down.
It's a black and white photograph of Carlisle leaning on a railing with Model Ts, Packards, and other classic cars parked behind him as he looks out over a river. He has a melancholy look about him that makes my heart ache for what he must have been feeling at the time. There are a few blurs behind him, people walking by without a care for what the man pensively looking out on the water must be feeling. I'm brought out of my thoughts when Alice continues speaking.
"He wasn't sure how his own transformation happened, so he was hesitant to try it himself. He also didn't want to steal anyone's life the way his had been. That's how he found Edward. He was left in a ward with others that were dying. Carlisle had treated his parents, but they didn't make it. He knew Edward was alone, so he finally decided to put his plan into motion." Alice says with a sigh before turning her face to me and giving me a smile as she gently removes my arms from around her to lead me out of the room and up a flight of stairs.
"So, that's how he found Edward. What about the others?" I ask, twining my fingers with hers as she leads me down another hallway once we come to the top of the stairs.
"I think I'll let them tell you their own stories. I only told you Edwards because I know you'd rather not talk to him if you can help it." Alice says with a nervous chuckle as we stop in front of the door in the middle of the hallway and to the left. "So, uh. This is my room."