Shifting Moon Ch 23

When Edythe arrived that night, she told me about Bella separating from Angela and Jessica to go to a bookstore and her getting lost when trying to regroup with them. My stomach sank when she told me that Bella had come across a group of drunks that were wandering the area and how they had started to corner her. She didn't hide anything from me, telling me about the group and their past deeds.

Luckily, Edward was near enough to intervene. That was when I learned that Edythe's brother had a bit of a stalker side to him. My mind went back to the night I smelled something in Bella's room. {Looks like I needed to have some words with him and set some ground rules.} I mentioned this to Edythe, and she asked me to go easy on him and explained that his true reason for being in her room was to desensitize himself from her scent, not to get his rocks off as a voyeur.

I didn't know if I fully believed her on that point, me being a guy and all, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until we talked. The fact that Bella was Edward's singer and all that meant, had me ready to move her back to Phoenix at first, but I knew it was far too late to try and avoid it. I tried to dampen my big brother feelings and partially succeeded, for now.

"So, what does it mean that she knows about Vampires now? I remember Carlisle saying being a human and knowing of the supernatural was dangerous."

Edythe sighed, "For now, we are in a bit of a grey area. We can claim that she will be turned, but at a later date, to prevent there being issues with us living here. That will work on everyone but Aro of the Volturi. He has an ability like Edward and me, but much stronger. He can read every thought you have ever had with a touch."

"Wow, that's got to be a jarring experience. It's our memories that make us who we are. I wonder if he changes a little every time he does that?

Edythe shook her head, "From what we have heard, he started with his ability just like us, but as he aged, he got stronger, which is how our abilities usually work. If he were old enough, his own personality would remain supreme. Unless he tried it on someone much older than himself, I would imagine. But as I was saying, if he touched Edward and saw how against he would be in turning Bella, then it would take a lot of convincing to make him believe she would, in the end, become a Vampire."

We talked a little bit more about inconsequential things, but eventually I fell asleep in her arms. The dream started in a spot I hadn't seen in a long time. I was excitedly getting dressed because today, we were going to the mall. When I went downstairs to eat breakfast, my least favorite person was sitting at the table. Johnny, mom's boyfriend. He always looked at me with an expression of ridicule when we were alone. The many times I had heard him tell my mom all about the things they could do and the places they could go if it weren't for me.

When she found out that I had heard them one time, she went ballistic on Johnny. It took him weeks to worm his way back into the house with all kinds of promises to change and be better. But his idea of being better to me was to tell me how I could be better, eat less, exercise more, and find friends that I could stay with. I secretly, in my heart, hated her a little bit for letting him come back.

The drive to the mall was filled with my mother questioning me on why I wanted to go today so badly, but I refused to tell her. It was my secret, and I really didn't want to say. But when we got to the mall and parked, I had a feeling of dread and tried to run away from the entrance. No matter what I did though, the automatic doors kept getting closer, and they would slide open and closed like the mouth of some hungry beast waiting for us to enter and be eaten. In my dream, I begged my mom to let us leave, but it was like she was hearing the opposite of what I was saying, smiling and holding my hand as we entered the mouth-like doors.

I was pulled from my dream by someone gently shaking me and whispering words I didn't understand, but the tone was loving and worried. I opened my eyes and saw Edythe was there, holding my head to her chest and rocking back and forth, trying to soothe me. I clung to her with all my strength, and to my childish shame, I started crying in short broken sobs, unable to stop.

I was just making it worse. What kind of girl wants a nightmare-riddled crybaby for her boyfriend? Even with all the muscle I had now, I was still the little fat crybaby inside, begging for his mommy to get up off the ground and comfort him. To make matters worse, apparently, I had made enough noise that Bella heard and opened the door. I couldn't see her, but I bet she was surprised to see Edythe there holding me as I cried like a child.

Edythe spoke over my sobs, "I got him tonight, Bella. But you are welcome to stay until it passes."

I felt her come closer, "No, if you are here, he will be okay." She then kissed my head and whispered, "I love you, Thomas." Then returned to her room.

It felt like hours before I was able to pull myself together and stop crying. But now I was emotionally drained and scared that I had just ruined my relationship with Edythe. I was trying to think of a way to tell her I would understand if she wanted to leave me.

Edythe was still holding me when she spoke, "You know, even with your mind shielded in your natural form, I can still hear your thoughts if they are loud enough. This doesn't make me think any less of you. It does hurt me to see you hurt so badly, but I know it isn't because you are weak, it's because what you went through was so horrible. Losing my parents to a sickness took me 30 years to get over, and to this day, I still hate hospitals. Maybe that's why I never took an interest in medicine like Edward."

Hearing this, combined with my emotional exhaustion, I started talking. "It was my idea to go to the mall that day. My mom was very hardworking, and she always felt guilty that she didn't spend enough time with me. So, she made a personal ritual for herself. My birthday would be the only time she would completely block the rest of the world out. No matter what, she would take a week off work for my birthday. She always told me that for that whole week, she worked for me and no one else. No emails, no phone calls, not even any side projects, just her family."

"She made an exception when she fell in love with a man named Johnny, she wanted him to join us and be together as a family. He was nice enough at first, but as time went by, it seemed like I became a bother to him. Competition for my mother's attention. He would ridicule me about my weight, about my clothes, that I liked playing video games, anything he could. When mom found out, she blew up about it and made him leave, even though I could see that it made her unhappy to not have him around anymore."

I swallowed and continued, "He found me one day walking home from school, and told me that I was the reason she was unhappy now, that if I asked her to let him come back it would be all better again, so I told her that it would be okay even though I still hated him. My plan that year was to make her so happy that she wouldn't be sad if Johnny left again. I saved up 500 dollars, including my birthday money, and begged her to take me to the mall. I planned to ditch them and go to a Jewelry store to buy a heart-shaped locket with our birthstones combined as the front and a picture of me and her etched inside."

"I had called for it to be made, but I needed to go there in person to give them the picture and pay for it. I left them in a clothes store looking at ties for Johnny and made it to the Jewelry store and almost got back before they noticed. I met them outside the clothes store when they came out looking for me. I told them I got bored and just came out here to people-watch. The store was on the second level of the mall, and the Jewelry store I went to was on the third. We decided to leave not long after that, and just got off the escalator to the first floor when we heard the popping sound. Right after that, people started to scream and run. Johnny was ex-military and said it sounded like gunfire."

"We were huddled around one of the small shops in the middle of the aisle when we made a run for it. Johnny was pulling me, and I couldn't keep up because I really was very overweight for my age. When he saw people start to pass us, he kicked my leg out from under me, causing me to make everyone near me fall to the ground or slow down. I was hurt pretty badly by the crowd. I had a broken leg, a broken arm, and 3 broken ribs. One had almost punctured my lung. I don't know how, but my mom managed to find me shortly after that, and was trying to help me hide when she was shot three times by one of the shooters. He was about to kill me when he was killed by a responding police officer. I later found out that it was the police officer's 3rd day on the job."

"I had been in the hospital for almost a week before my statement was taken, and I told them that Johnny tripped me. Unfortunate for me, Johnny had happened to have his picture taken as he carried an old lady out of the mall on his back. The papers had dubbed him a hero for taking the time to help a stranger. And just my word that he tripped me wasn't enough to charge him with anything. I asked them to look at the cameras, but they said it would look bad if he were a hero and rewarded by the police, and then later found to be responsible for my injuries. The detective told me to keep it to myself for the sake of everyone."

(Edythe POV)

I snuggled further into Thomas's embrace as he cuddled me, finally giving in to his exhaustion and falling back asleep. As I listened to him tell me about his past, I wished I could still cry. It felt wrong to sit there and listen to such a heartbreaking story with a stony face that was unable to show the emotions I felt inside.

I reached out with my mind and looked for Edward in Bella's room. Once I entered his mind, he realized it and reached for mine so we could talk. We did this rather often when we were newborn Vampires, but less so in recent years.

{"You heard, I assume."} I asked him.

{"I did, it was a tragic tale, one I doubt he has told anyone in its entirety. Maybe not even Bella. He would be too afraid of losing her. As stupid as that sounds to me, he... well, they both are still emotionally young. Though Bella is much more mature than Thomas from what I have seen."}

{"You say that, yet they are more mature than we are in the emotions that we have buried for over 80 years. We can't stand on the moral high ground just because we can hear most everyone else's thoughts and have been able to for so long. Hearing the emotion through others and feeling the emotion ourselves is very different, I have come to understand. Besides, they are both nothing like what we normally hear. I have talked to Bella a good bit, and she surprises me constantly. I bet it's no different with you."}

I heard the sigh from the other room. {"Yes, she never reacts the way she should. I have come to the conclusion that however she will react to something, it will be the opposite of what I expect. I am going to ask her to join me in my meadow this weekend, while you are at the dance. I think she needs to see me in the sun. To see me at my least human moment, as you call it."}

{"I bet she handles it as well as Thomas did when I showed him. I will warn you though, I have never been as afraid of rejection as I was at that moment. It felt like I would shatter if he rejected me."}

Edward collected his thoughts, {"I am glad you found a good man sis, though it's not fair he is the one I want's brother. I can't threaten him if he hurts you. Do all the protective brother things I should be doing."}

I chuckled wickedly, {"Just be thankful that goes both ways, when he put together that you have been in her room most every night, he went a little red in the eyes for a moment. I was prepared to watch him bust in there looking for you."}

{"If he knew the true danger I am to her, he would be after my life. I would be, if the situation were reversed."}

{"Have some faith in yourself brother, Bella does, and so do I. But still, plan on him having a talk with you tomorrow. His experiences make him more focused on his emotions when it comes to family. He will not hold back on you just because you are my brother, well I bet he will, but not much."}

{"What a fine mess we both have become, you and I."}

I felt him starting to leave my mind, so I shared a quick {"Love you."} with him and then I withdrew from his mind. My mind wandered as I reveled in the feeling of warmth Thomas was giving me while in his embrace. A girl could get used to this. One thing I did decide on that night, though. I would be going to Denver one day soon, alone. There were things that needed to be set right.

(Morning, Thomas POV)

Waking up with Edythe in my arms was a wonderful experience for me, but it had to be so boring for her. Locked in someone's embrace, unable to move or adjust from the little pains being to still would cause. When I brought this up, Edythe assured me she could remain in any position with no discomfort for any amount of time needed. She just used the time to go through her thoughts and just enjoy the closeness we shared.

I was partially convinced, but there will always be a little voice in my head that thinks she is just being considerate of me over herself. So, I would just make sure to do the same when I have the opportunity.

That morning, I woke up, did my bathroom stuff, and then joined Edythe in the kitchen. Greeting her with a good morning kiss (Now that I brushed my teeth) and eating he 3 eggs she made for me. It felt a little weird to me this morning to touch Edythe, I guess her core temp rose to nearly match mine since I was holding her so close last night, so there wasn't such a contrast as I had become used to.

As I ate, I pondered the lightness I felt in myself. It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Was it the emotional release from last night affecting me? The relief that Edythe had seen me in such a pathetic state and stayed with me? Or the fact that I had finally told someone it was my fault we went to the mall that day. I don't know why I always held that back, but I couldn't admit to my aunt that I was the reason her sister died. My growing knowledge and logic said one thing, but my emotions said another. Logically, the gunmen killed her. Emotionally, I was the reason she was there to be killed.

Once I was done eating, I cleaned the plate and the pan, as Edythe grabbed my backpack, and we held hands as we went outside. She kissed me again with the intent of leaving for home, but as Jasper wasn't there waiting for us, I reached for her and deepened the kiss to more than just a goodbye peck. She pressed her body against mine, and we lost ourselves in the kiss. Eventually, a short cough broke us out of the little world we had created between each other during the kiss.

As we separated, she gave me another little peck kiss and left for home with a "Bye Jasper, you guys have fun. See you at the station."

Jasper just waved at her and gave me an amused look. "You do realize, you have several 'Big Brother' speeches coming your way, right?"

I smiled back, "As a 'Big Brother' myself, I would be disappointed if they weren't coming. I have one to give today, myself."

Jasper laughed, "Well, mine will be simple. Don't do anything permanent with her, until you're married. There, done. Now let's go exercise, I feel a mighty urge to throw you around the forest for a while today."

I rolled my eyes but ran next to him as we took our usual path. After running a short distance, I had to ask the question that was burning in my brain, "Jasper, can you explain the Vampire body to me a bit? When I first kissed Edythe, I worried a bit about the Venom affecting me. Vampires only consume blood, but something must keep your body's… lubricated, I guess is the word. I feel saliva when Edythe and I kiss, but… will it lubricate the whole body? I'm asking now to know what to prepare for, after we marry, if she will have me at some point in the future."

He kept his eyes straight ahead as he answered, "I am not much for the medical side of our physiology, but I can see why asking either of the men who are medically inclined would be an intimidating thing."

{You bet your ass, I want to ask a girl's father and brother if she will get wet enough for sex one day, about as much as I want to die.}

When we got to the edge of the forest, Jasper started walking and continued the subject. "In Denali, Alaska, there is a Coven that, like us, survives off animal blood. Three of their members, Tanya, Kate, and Irina, are known to have…relations with human males. So, any physical intimacy should be no problem between you and Edythe…After marriage. As for the Venom we produce, it only gets produced in the act of feeding, extreme hunger, or biting someone, from what I understand. Venom is the reason for my scars, it is the only thing our bodies can't fully recover from without decades of time."

"So, your scars will eventually fade away, right?"

"Yes, if I live long enough. Now, we are here, so let's start with the training."

The next hour and a half was an exercise in flight on my part. Jasper seemed intent on showing me the many ways a vampire can throw me through the woods. The only reason I spent more time on the ground than in the air during the training was that, in the end, it was taking me longer and longer to get up. Other than that, I was in the air.

One thing I did notice in all my time on the ground was that I had an audience today. It was a small red fox with a squarish face and a short muzzle. It must be so small because of coming out of winter hibernation. Its eyes were squinted and more intelligent than I would expect, but I just chalked that down to me imposing my own thoughts on the little thing.

First class that morning was nothing special. However, Alice did inform me that I had to go to her house for the final fit of my suit for the dance. She and Rosalie had collaborated on everyone's outfits, and there was no way I was crossing those two at the same time.

I walked Alice to her class alone, as Jasper didn't come to pick her up today for some reason. During our walk, we noticed that the main topic of conversation today was that Edward and Bella had arrived at school together in Edward's car. It was a bigger story than when Edythe and I showed up together, I couldn't wait to tease Bella in class.

The rest of the day was what I had come to think of as normal for me now. I focused on Edythe more than the teacher in math. Lunch was spent together with her family, minus Edward, because he was with Bella again. Edythe informed me that they were doing the 20 questions game, I just chuckled about that. After the lunch bell rang, I gave Edythe a quick kiss and headed for gym class. Then came my last class of the day and my first opportunity to speak with Edward.

I spent a lot of time working on my stance about his practice of being in her room without her knowing. It bothered me, but from what Edythe told me, it did serve an important purpose. Had I found out about this when Edward was ignoring Bella during the day, I would have told him to keep his presence as absent at night as he did during the day, without her permission. She shouldn't have to suffer his absence in perceived solitude while he watched her at her most vulnerable. But it seemed they were moving forward with their relationship, so I needed to be calmer about it.

Deep breath, large exhale. {Calm... Bella likes him, and he is Edythe's brother.} Emmett and Edward walked in together moments later, and the whispers started. My increased hearing caught Bella's name in several conversations, so I was sure Edward heard even better. {Duh, he can't shut off the mind reading. Bet he hears more than he wishes.}

After class started and enough time passed that everyone was focusing on the teacher, I spoke at a volume I was sure Edward could hear, but no one else nearby could, except maybe Emmett.

"I need to understand your reason for being in her room without her knowing at night. I was able to smell your scent on the rocking chair in her room, facing her bed."

I saw his lips move just a bit a few times until I was able to pick up what he was saying, "Nod if you can hear me at this level."

I waited for him to get a bit clearer and then nodded. After that, I could see his face take on a thoughtful look, and then he would begin to open his mouth, only to close it as if he was hesitant to speak.

Finally, he spoke, "I want to assure you that I have never used any of my abilities to purposefully catch a young woman in a compromising position. Especially never Bella."

I nodded for him to continue, giving him the benefit of the doubt. {Let's face it, if he wanted to see Bella naked, he only had to watch through any girl's eyes during Gym class in the change room.} I told myself.

He continued after my nod. "I heard Edythe tell you about Bella being my singer, but I truly doubt you can understand just what that means. Maybe on some level you can understand intellectually, but no one understands who hasn't found their own singer." As if he realized he was making a case for me to object to their being together, Edward stopped talking for a moment and changed the topic a bit.

"My purpose of being in her room is to drown myself in her scent, so I can gain a level of immunity. I do agree that it is an infringement of her privacy, but I also assure you that I would never take liberties with her."

I turned to look at him with a bit of disbelief in my eyes. "We are guys, Edward. I don't care how old you are. Sex is never far from our minds." {Hmm, should I have really said that to my girlfriend's brother?} The snicker from Emmett told me he was listening in on the conversation as well.

Edward thought a moment, "I am not saying Bella is not desirable, but the draw to her blood is much stronger than my biological urge to mate. With the temptation of her blood being absent, I will admit that my thoughts can be occasionally erotic. But as it stands right now, when I am in her presence, keeping my urge for her blood at bay drives any thought such as that out of my mind."

He then turned to look at me, "I would expect you to keep such actions at bay as well. My sister is a good girl and was raised to marry before acting on such...inclinations. To our upbringing, your actions with my sister already border on the disrespectful, or more aptly described, scandalous. She tends more towards the openness of this generation, but deep down, she will still expect you to take responsibility for any actions you take."

I got a bit defensive there, after all, he made it sound like I could possibly force myself on Edythe. But I did have to remind myself that their mindset was rooted in the early 1900s. Still, I had to point out, "Edythe has the strength to make her thoughts on the subject known. However, the situation with Bella is more reliant on your control, not hers at the moment."

I took a moment to wonder if our extravagant wording was a result of conversing in Spanish or the subject we were discussing. Because I really didn't talk so... sanctimonious normally. Formal... yes, that's the way we seem to be talking. Before we could say more, the end-of-day school bell released us for the day.

Edward quickly spoke as I gathered my stuff, "Give me until this weekend, I will tell Bella and only enter her room with her permission from that point forward."

I simply nodded at Edward, signaling the end of our conversation for now. Then I gathered up my stuff and walked out of the class and to my locker, where Edythe was waiting for me. I smiled at her, "Hello gorgeous, mind giving me a lift to your house? Alice says it's time for my final fitting."

"That won't be a problem. I am proud of the way you handled the conversation with my brother."

I laughed, "You hear it all from his mind or something?"

She giggled, "Nope, he can sense when I'm in his mind. I was listening along with Emmett. He had trouble controlling his laughter. The formal way you two spoke to each other gave him fits the whole time."

I smiled at her, "Yeah, it pushed my Spanish vocabulary a good bit. So many words that have different inflections to them."

We started to walk towards the parking lot, so I took her hand. "I will give it to him, though. The poor guy has it rough, from what you have told me. Finding his singer, falling for her, and unburying emotions he hasn't felt in decades, if ever. Then comes along a guy trying to steal his sister from him at the same time. Then said guy grills him over his actions with his sister, who is the singer... Like I said, rough."

Edythe squeezed my hand, "Like you have it any easier. But thank you for looking at things from his point of view."

In the parking lot, I saw a group of boys grouped around a red BMW M3, drooling between excitedly talking about the vehicle and taking pictures. Parked next to it was Jasper's bike, with Alice climbing up behind Jasper at this moment. Once she was settled, Jasper didn't bother walking the bike back because of the crowd. Instead, he pulled forward onto the sidewalk and maneuvered around until he had a straight shot at the road and gassed it.

I chuckled as we made our way to Edythe's Roadrunner, "Your family could have its own car show here in town. Why such extravagant vehicles when you are working so hard at blending in?"

"It's a vice. We can move so fast on our own that having to sit in a slow-moving vehicle is a form of torture for us. So, we all tend to splurge on our mechanical transportation."

All I could do was shake my head because I completely understood. Being able to travel at the speed I could in my tiger form makes every extra moment in a vehicle seem boring in contrast. Even walking in my normal form was irritating at times. Then I thought about Bella's truck and laughed again, "Yet another reason to feel bad for your brother. Bella loves her slow old truck."