Chapter 3

Catherine waited with baited, although unnecessary, breath as the Cullens soaked in her story. Jasper and Alex piped in a few times when she got to the part where they met. She told them about her "father" turning her when she was 17, how she had been forced to kill her love, and… how she killed Nathan with every ounce of newborn rage inside her. She wasn't proud of what she did, but she had made peace with the fact that it was done and her atonement was to run from Nicole for the rest of her immortal life.

Carlisle was the first to speak. He stood by one of the many walls of windows, his arm around Esme in a loose, comfortable way. He calmly asked, "How long have you been running from Nicole?"

"Since 1938. This year will make 68 years since I was turned by Nathan." Catherine didn't have to pause and do the math. She never forgot how long it had been since her choice was taken from her.

Esme frowned at the "young" vampire. She sounded so tired and weary. Looking at Jasper, Esme could tell it was taking all of his willpower to not clutch the younger vampire close and never let go. Esme looked at Catherine again and said, "You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. We will ask the pack if you can cross the border to gather your belongings."

"I don't want to intrude, I won't be here for long—"

"Catherine." Jasper's voice was firm and she turned to look him in the eyes from over her shoulder.

A sheepish smiled lit her face as she knew arguing with him was useless. Her doubt washed away as comfort and calm covered her. She frowned lightly at Jasper but didn't protest. She looked at Esme once more, ignoring the smirks on Alex's and Emmett's faces. "If you're sure it won't be a problem."

"Of course. Our home is open to you for as long as you need refuge." Carlisle smiled encouragingly.

"Thank you… really. It's been a long time since I stayed with others like us." Catherine rubbed her arm slightly.

"Since 1943, if I remember correctly." Alex commented dryly. Catherine winced.

Sensing the seriousness that had fallen the three old friends, Alice stepped out of Alex's embrace on the couch and grabbed Catherine's hand. "Well I, for one, am so excited you're here. I hope you're ready because I just know we're going to be friends."

Catherine couldn't help but return Alice's smile with a smaller one. She glanced at the other family members again. Edward hadn't said a word to her since he came back from dropping off Bella at her home, but he seemed on edge with her in the house. She wondered why, but she didn't have to wonder for long.

"You drink human blood." Edward stated bluntly.

Catherine furrowed her brows. "Yes, I'm a vampire… I wasn't aware that was an option. If that's a problem, I can hunt further away from you all to reduce suspicion…"

"What he means Catherine, is that we have chosen to live a different lifestyle. Something I jokingly refer to as vegetarianism. We all have committed to drinking only from animals." Carlisle explained with patience.

Catherine's eyes widened as she thought of his explanation. "But isn't that unsatisfying?" She couldn't imagine only drinking squirrel for the rest of her days.

Emmett laughed as if he were the mind reader. "Believe me, you get used to it. And it actually satisfies the need to hunt more than a human. The chase, the running, the kill…"

Emmett's words both comforted and disturbed Catherine. Thinking of the only one who ran from her was not a nice thought and brought back the memories of being human. Jasper put his hand on her back, sensing her discomfort.

"While we are living in Forks and have an agreement with the wolves, we do believe it is more morally forgiving to only drink from animals. If you were to bite a human on these lands, the treaty would be broken and we would all be required to run or be killed." Carlisle continued.

"I see… I do understand, I'm just… not sure I'll be able to do it. All I've known is human blood." Catherine's eyebrows furrowed.

"Jasper and Alex also came to us with only human blood in their system, but they have shown a lot of conviction and converted to our way of living. Have faith in yourself, dear." Esme smiled at the girl.

With a nervous nod, Catherine agreed to try it their way. Edward kept his eyes on her and she knew he was trying to see if she was being deceptive or honest. His eyes flickered to Jasper and nodded slightly. Catherine couldn't help but think how annoying it would be to see others having silent conversations, having been able to hear from miles away for so long. Edward smirked as he looked back at her. Now I just have to not screw up.Catherine thought.

"Jasper and I will help you on your first couple hunts. He'll be there for support and I'll be there in case I hear that you're having trouble and are tempted to go off the hunt." Edward spoke up finally. Catherine was filled with a sense of relief, relief she could tell wasn't just hers, but also Jasper's, knowing that his adopted brother supported the one he loved.

"Eddie is also the fastest, so he can catch ya if you get scared by a bunny." Emmet grinned. Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm.

Catherine smiled back at Edward. "I appreciate the help. I didn't have anyone there for me when I was first turned. It'll be nice to learn a new lifestyle with help this time."

~One Week Later~

Catherine didn't take to the animal diet very well. But after a few times, trying different animals each time, she finally felt like it was a manageable way of life. Having Jasper with her every time was reassuring and he would fill her with peace whenever she doubted herself. Not just with his power, but with his words of encouragement. Edward went with them the first time, Emmett another time. Rosalie came as well and proved to be a kindred spirit to Catherine. Rosalie had come to Catherine a few nights after Catherine arrived. She had explained her own backstory and how the choice was also taken from her—even if it had been a life and death decision, she still understood how it felt to have her entire future taken away from her and altered to something she didn't want. Catherine felt the bond between them grow closer after that and knew that she would forever have a friend in Rosalie.

Even though the animal diet appeared doable, Catherine still had some issues with her lifelong diet of human blood. The Cullens knew this and didn't appear angered by it, but Catherine felt she was letting them down. Which was a weird feeling in and of itself since she had gone so long without anyone to make proud or disappoint. Even when she was living with Jasper and Alex, they all shared the same diet and they lived a much more nomadic lifestyle, so it felt more like neighbors than a family.

Jasper… Catherine could tell he still had some issues with the animal diet. He had been around much longer than she and had survived on humans for decades longer than she had even been alive. But he was putting on a brave face for the family he found in the Cullens. And Catherine felt she could as well… with time.

Carlisle and Esme were also incredibly helpful. They had yet to go on hunts with her, but they had individually helped Catherine to feel at home with them. Carlisle had shared his experiences with her and told her how his time with the Voturi had helped him commit to his diet choice. His convictions and morals inspired Catherine to try even harder. Esme had taken an immediate liking to Catherine and treated her with the same love she treated all her adopted children. Catherine couldn't help but feel that Esme should have been the mother figure she always wanted. Her sweet and loving nature was exactly what Nicole could never give her.

Catherine finally saw this as a chance for a fresh start. Things could only get better…

Right?

Two weeks into her stay with the Cullens, they revealed the coming problem that was Victoria. They told her that Bella was under the impression that she was no longer a threat, but that was far from the truth. In fact, things got really interesting one day when Edward and Bella left to visit Bella's mother. The family and Catherine went out on a group hunt, when Alice saw that Victoria was approaching.

The family was on high alert and quickly picked up her scent. Blurring through the woods on their side of the river, the Cullens and Catherine chased after the flaming redhead. Catherine was side by side with Emmett. But when he took a risky leap over the gap, she stayed on her side as he was nearly mauled by a silver wolf. She stumbled only slightly in worry, but it was enough for Victoria to race ahead. The rest of the Cullens stopped and they all made eye contact with the wolves before looking to where Victoria was looking back at them. But there was now a second figure with her. Catherine looked in her direction for a minute, only to freeze mid-run.

The figure with Victoria was Nicole. And she was looking right at Catherine.

Before anyone could react, the Victoria and Nicole dashed out of sight. Jasper came up to Catherine's frozen form.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Nicole." She gasped. "My mother."

The rest of the Olympic coven came up at that point. Esme put a hand on Catherine's arm. "What was she doing with Victoria?"

Alice zoned out as she purposefully tried to see what was happening. "I can't see anything… I wish I could."

"It's obvious, though…" Catherine frowned. "She's finally found me. She's going to try to kill me for what I did to her mate."

"Question is, how did she and Victoria meet? What could Victoria have to gain from working with her?" Emmett asked.

"She has connections to a large coven in Eastern Europe. Last I knew, there were twelve of them. When I was young, she would visit them on occasion. I believe her creator is their leader. They are a powerful coven… with many gifted members. She would make a powerful ally."

"So things just got a whole lot more complicated…" Emmett muttered.

"It gets worse…" Alice whispered in a zoned-out state. "She's after Esme, as well."

Carlisle stepped closer to his wife and mate. "What did you see, Alice?"

"She knows who Esme is to Catherine."

"Stop being mysterious. What's going on?" Rosalie demanded.

Alice looked directly at Esme and then Catherine. "Esme is Catherine's biological mother."