10th chapter
It was unusual quiet in the vampiric household of the Cullens. Once they managed to calm the confused and furious Jacob down to get him and Stefan inside, Carlisle explained the reason for the arrival of the Romanians to his coven. The many emotions stirring in the room, after he had broken the news to everyone, were almost overwhelming for the only empath in the room. Jasper had not only to endure the alluring smell of a human again, clearly feeling the hunger of the other vampires as well, but also the strong emotions from everyone around him, regarding their visitors. He shifted in his position in the far back of the room, trying to send calming waves out to the others, not just for them but also to ease his own mind. Alice was immediately at his side, sensing his discomfort, while she stroked reassuringly over his upper arm. Her understanding gaze, underlined with a soft smile, eased his inner turmoil a little; helping him relax in the process. Slowly, he felt how everyone began to relax as well.
Edward was used to hear so many thoughts in his head, though he was one of the more mistrusting people in the household. If not the most. He had a furrowed expression on his face, all while standing next to Bella, an arm carefully laid on her waist. In the corner of his eye, he saw the only person with a happy face in the room, which happened to be his daughter. Renesmee was smiling widely, sitting on Rosalie's lap, while playing with her aunt's hand.
The scowl on Rosalie's face was not to be overlooked, she was more than displeased to see the Romanians again. Her husband shared the same view, though he looked at the ancient vampires through calculating eyes. Emmett stood behind the couch, Rosalie and Renesmee were sitting on. His posture was straightened, almost challenging to show his protectiveness over his wife and his family equally.
The only pair with a somewhat open expression were Carlisle and Esme, though worry was clear to be seen in Esme's eyes. She worried easily over the people around, being the most caring person in their family. She knew what the woman would have to endure in the near future and she couldn't help but hope and pray that everything would turn out well once more. Her husband looked placatory between his coven and their visitors. Carlisle was aware he would help them, he swore to help anyone in need, especially humans, and Amanda was a human. He would do his utterly best to help her through those difficult times.
Jacob was the only one still fuming at the presence of the old vampires. The calming waves of Jasper didn't seem to reach him at all. Though, he didn't technically care about the human they dragged along, he knew by then, that she would be changed soon within his pack's territory. It was yet another break of the treaty that was established years ago. He was aware it would be the only possibility for her to somewhat survive the procedure, but he despised it nonetheless. On top of it all, their arrival was not planned at all. They violated their border and had to be hunted down until they either fled or were killed, but since they sought refuge at the Cullen's, with a human in tow, there was nothing Jacob and his pack could do about it.
Despite being the center of attention, the Romanians remained calm outwardly. They stood in perfect silence; their hands held firmly behind their back in a more than confident manner. Through their piercing red eyes, they watched the reactions of the so-called 'vegetarians'. So far, Carlisle informed them only about the necessity of their stay, no openly judging word fell from his lips or anyone from his coven. Even without the ability to read minds, they knew that most, if not all, of them already judged them. But they were mere children in the eyes of the ancient vampires. They wouldn't take insults or accusations from the likes of them; not even against their soon-to-be member. Stefan's eyes landed on Edward, with amusement he observed how the young vampire tried to read their minds. Both of them decided to think and even speak to each other in their mother tongue, as they knew, Edward couldn't understand them. It was amusing to witness for them the last time, they had stayed at their place. How he had shot them concentrated glances, almost burning holes in their heads at the attempt to know what they were thinking about, while the two of them had only made fun of him in their heads.
"I assume, you are aware of the consequences regarding the current situation," Carlisle started after minutes of silence, addressing the Romanians directly. His voice was calm as their eyes immediately fell on his frame. "We'll give her the same treatment Bella received," he continued, sending a warm smile at the youngest vampire in their midst. "There is no guaranty for her survival, but I'll do my best to help her until she is changed." Carlisle didn't even ask the men, if they wanted to change her. By the sound of his voice, he made it clear to everyone in the room, that no matter what they planned, he would make sure to change her, when the time came.
Vladimir could hardly suppress the low growl that erupted in his chest; he knew he was protective over what was his, but having her fragile form near others of his kind only worsened that condition. He would be the one to change her and no one, not even the infamous Carlisle Cullen could take that from him. "We are aware of what follows this rather unexpected happenstance." Vladimir's voice was restricted, calculated as his hands clenched behind his back. Through slightly narrowed eyes, he watched the people in front of him. "And we will handle it, when the time comes." His eyes fell on Carlisle; his stare was cold, telling him that he wouldn't tolerate any interference, when it came to turning his mate. And he understood, holding his stare, but nodded after a few seconds.
"Very well," Carlisle answered and turned to his family, trying to ease the rising tension. "I need to run the tests upstairs and make some preparations to get some stuff from the hospital." He smiled slightly and his coven knew, he meant to get blood bags for the hybrid. It was then, that the vampires caught low sounds from upstairs, their eyes immediately on the stairs.
Vladimir had a small smile on his face as he listened to the heartbeat of Amanda, who seemed to be up again. He turned his head to Stefan, before he looked back at Carlisle. "I guess the hunting restrictions from our last stay are still valid?" He couldn't hold back the amused tone in his voice. As he heard the shocked breathing of the shapeshifter, an almost evil grin spread on his lips.
Before Jacob could answer, Carlisle spoke up. "Yes. I advise you to keep your hunts outside of this area and out of any suspicion," he said in a stern voice. That matter was important to him. Once he saw the nod from Vladimir, even though the way he behaved showed clearly the sarcastic character in it, he turned to Bella. Carlisle knew, Vladimir would oblige, he wanted something from them and he wouldn't risk any of it through reckless actions. "Bella, would you like to talk to her. I assume she has lots of questions and who'd be better to answer them."
At the sound of her name, Bella's head turned to Carlisle once more. Confused about his request, she looked over at her daughter. She understood perfectly why he would ask that of her, even though she really didn't want to have anything to do with 'Dracula I and II' and their acquaintances. But it felt truly wrong, if she would let that poor woman in ignorance, when she could give her first-hand information on the matter.
Amanda moved up and down in the room. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sleep. Her surroundings bothered her deeply; she was, once more, in a different country, in a completely unfamiliar house with strangers and to top it all, she was pregnant that time. It was in that moment, that she wished for her parents, for her mother to be with her. She was the only one, she knew, who could talk to her about her current situation, who had experience in becoming a mother. Amanda knew that her mother's and her own pregnancy were completely different, but nevertheless she wished for her; to be held and comforted. All of a sudden, she missed them deeply, almost hating herself for running off without even telling him. She had no idea, how all of that would end, even if she somehow survived the childbirth. She would be probably turned in the process and since no human was allowed to know of vampires, she wouldn't be allowed to meet them ever again. A low sob escaped her mouth as the weight of the whole situation seemed to crash down on her. So far, she hadn't had thought about what would happen. Slowly but surely the severity of being mated to a vampire began to swallow her mind. A slightly shivering sigh escaped her lips and she finally decided to sit down on one of the chairs, close to the bookshelf. Her mind raced, not sure what to expect from those strangers, even though the one she met seemed friendly.
A faint knock disrupted her running thoughts and she made her way over to the door. With quivering hands, she reached for the handle to reveal whoever wanted to talk to her. When she saw a beautiful young woman with the same warm amber eyes, she forced a smile on her lips. "Hi," Amanda said in a low voice, her hand still firmly on the handle. She sensed some hesitation from the other woman, but she wouldn't question that.
"Hi, my name is Bella, may I come in?" Bella looked inquiringly at the human in front of her. She looked older than her, probably somewhere in her late twenties. She reminded herself, that she should act more human around her, like she did with her dad, and relaxed her stance. She mirrored the smile of the other woman and waited for her response. In her head, she still tried to understand, how she could get involved with the Romanians and ending up pregnant instead of dead.
"It's your house, you can do as you please," Amanda said a little louder than before, still not sure, why she would visit her. Amanda stepped aside, letting the other woman in and closed the door after. She followed the vampire, who took a seat in one of the chairs and mirrored her actions. It was silent for a few seconds, both not sure how to start that conversation, until Amanda looked up to meet her gaze. "The child, is that your daughter?" She asked carefully, but she assumed it by what she witnessed at the front door.
Bella answered with a genuine smile. "Yes, her name is Renesmee. She's a little miracle." Her eyes glanced through the room, her thoughts occupied by her sweet child, until she forced her attention back on the other woman, who shifted nervously in her chair at the topic.
"How long did it take until," Amanda started but interrupted herself while exhaling deeply. She gulped hard at the thought and tried to start again. Her fingers clawed in the jeans on her thigh and she began to chew at the inside of her mouth out of a nervous habit. "How long have you been pregnant?" She finally managed to ask the question that was burning in her skull. At the quick rate, the fetus, the child inside of her grew, she was afraid of how short-lived her pregnancy and probably the rest of her own life would be.
Bella blinked a few times, the memories of her own pregnancy were still clear in her head, despite it being from her human past. She let out an unneeded long breath, before she looked over at the frightened human, sending her a sympathetic smile. "According to Carlisle's journal, it must have been around a month, but I only found out after almost 2 weeks," she said. She folded her hands in her lap, thinking how she could ease her fear, but nothing came to her mind.
Another shivering sigh left Amanda's throat at those words and she began to calculate in her head, though there wasn't much to go through. "So, I have barely two weeks left?" Her question came out with a stutter. Her eyes widened as realization hit her and she started to blink uncontrollably. Her breathing intensified and she pressed her legs together in an almost painful way. That was until she felt a sudden movement inside of her again. She gasped in surprise and looked down at her belly, her hand already caressing the slight bulb through the fabric. A fearful expression could be seen on her face and her jaw clenched immediately.
The young vampire observed Amanda's behavior with sympathy. She was the only one, who could understand what the woman was going through that situation. At that moment, she didn't bother who the father was, but that the life of another woman was on the line to bring another hybrid to this world. Bella waited a little until Amanda's heartbeat calmed down a bit, before she decided to get a bit more information out of her. "When did you discover it? I mean, where you already overdue or?" She asked not completing her question, as she didn't really know how to.
Before Amanda could answer, the women heard footsteps nearing the room, but instead of a knock, they heard a small voice calling out. "Mom, are you in there?" A smile formed on Bella's face at the sound of her daughter and she looked at the other woman, who nodded in response. Amanda might not be comfortable around strangers, but she wouldn't want them to change their ways and routines. It was her problem, she had to get through it; it was her, who came into their house, not vice versa. She had to adapt and if that meant, she had to retreat in silent isolation, it had to be that way.
"Yes, I'm here, honey," Bella called out softly and a split second later, the door opened, revealing the doll-like child that eagerly ran up to her mother and jumped on her lap. She didn't close the door behind her, but not even two seconds later, a man with a half-hearted smile followed after.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold her back any longer," he excused his intrusion and turned to the only human in the room. He eyed her with suspicion. On one hand, he didn't expect the woman who fell for 'Dracula I' to be so shy, fearful even, but on the other hand, it was probably the perfect fit, as she wouldn't ever dare to question him. He knew, he was playing with assumptions but he had no intention to get to know any of them. The faster they would leave his territory, the better. In an attempt to ease the tension and to remain friendly, he offered her his hand. "Hi, my name is Jacob," he said and an honest smile appeared on his lips.
Amanda concentrated on her breathing, when the man suddenly burst into the room. She didn't know why he looked at her as if she insulted him or did anything bad at all, but she didn't know him either. She carefully took his hand and introduced herself, but as soon as she felt his rather hot skin, she couldn't help but frown. She opened her mouth, but not a word came out of it. Despite her best attempts, the question was clearly visible on her face.
Renesmee let out a low chuckle and reached with her small hand over to touch Amanda's. The woman almost jumped at the sudden touch, but the images that suddenly appeared in her mind, kept her in a state of awe and confusion. Renesmee showed her several scenes, she witnessed. She showed how Jacob turned in front of her, revealing his secret to satisfy her need to understand; she showed her images of her family life and at the end, even how she met Vladimir and Stefan. Once Amanda came back to reality, she looked at the giggling child in confusion. "What? How did you?" She couldn't form a proper sentence, her eyes switched between the three other people in the room. "How did she do that?" She finally managed to ask and looked at Bella.
The vampire had a small smile on her lips. "It's a gift, some of us inherit a gift with the change, some even show signs before that. She can show you her memories when she touches you," Bella explained in a proud voice and put a light kiss on her daughter's hair.
Amanda could only nod, trying to process the news, while Jacob sat down on the large bed across from the women. It was silent for a few minutes, everyone was after their own thoughts, only Bella tried to keep her daughter occupied. The silence was disturbed at another more painful movement in Amanda's belly, who couldn't hold the stiffened agonized moan at the sensation. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, until she felt all eyes on her. "I'm sorry," she said lowly and tried to get into a more comfortable position. "Regarding your question," she continued and looked at Bella. "I discovered it three days ago. I should have gotten my period last week and well, here we are," Amanda finished. She tried to block out the man, that sent her cold stares once in a while. She hoped that Vladimir or even Stefan would be with her soon. She desperately needed people she knew around her.
Bella nodded at her words, it was true, she had around two more weeks. With her sensitive ears, she caught a vehicle driving away and she assumed, Carlisle left for the hospital to get some blood bags. Suddenly Renesmee jumped off of her lap, pulling at her hand to get her mother to follow her. Bella laughed lightly and turned her attention to the other woman. "Do you want to join us downstairs?" Her voice was friendly, it wasn't Amanda's fault, that she was in that situation. Bella could judge the Romanians as much as she wanted, but for the moment, she took no part in their past actions.
"How many more are there?" Amanda asked with worry in her voice. She was uncomfortable around the three people in this very room, yet she had to meet some more. She would get downstairs, but she wanted to prepare herself for that. Slowly, she stood up, her hand on the bookshelf next to her for support.
"Oh, that would be my husband, Edward, besides there will be Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Esme, she's Carlisle's wife. You already met him," she explained and watched how Amanda's face lost color at all those names. "Don't worry, they will give you all the space you need," she reassured the almost trembling human and stood up as well.
The four people slowly descended the stairs, Jacob walked next to Renesmee grinning widely, closely followed by Bella who smiled as she noticed her husband at the piano once more. Once Amanda came to the bottom of the stairs, she gulped hard at all the unknown faces that looked at her. In the corner of her eyes, she saw a woman getting closer to her. She had a warm smile on her lips. "Don't worry dear, I know you need your safe space. No one of them will bother you, I made sure of that. My name is Esme, and we will take good care of you," she said but left Amanda before she could answer. And truth be told, she was very grateful for that. Not necessarily for her speech, as she didn't want anyone to change because of her, but for giving her space and not forcing herself onto her. A small appreciative smile formed on her lips and she let her eyes roam through the large open room.
Amanda felt highly uncomfortable, but she didn't want to get back in the room upstairs just yet. It seemed inappropriate and rude to her, so she decided to take a seat on a sofa to her left, at the opposite side of the room. She noticed a few magazines on the small table in front of her and to occupy her mind, she took one. Amanda didn't mind the topic, it was something about American wildlife, but she just wanted to escape her surroundings for the time being. When she was halfway through the magazine, she heard the front door being opened. Not too long after, she saw Carlisle entering the room with a backpack and two well-known figures walking behind him. A relieved sigh left Amanda's lips and immediately a smile spread on her face as she saw the two familiar men. It didn't take a second thought for the Romanians to decide where to go. Once they saw Amanda sitting in a silent corner, all on her own, they immediately joined her. Identical smirks were on their faces as they noticed the several glances from the other vampires.