"I love how peaceful they look." Esme spoke, watching Edward and Halley.
"It is nice to see." Carlisle smiled, agreeing with Esme.
"It's different." Rosalie muttered.
"Halley is a blessing." Jasper gave his opinion, playing Chess with Emmett.
"Indeed, she is." Carlisle agreed with Jasper.
"She's different, but she's my favorite newbie." Emmett insisted with a smile.
"I love all our new members." Esme cheerfully insisted.
"Yes, we make a great family, and Halley makes a great addition just like Edward did. Just like Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper did." Carlisle insisted.
"We have a great leader." Alice cheerfully insisted.
"Yes, we do—one of the best." Edward spoke in a haze, waking up.
"Good morning." Esme, Carlisle, and Alice cheerfully greeted Edward.
"Want to play a round of Chess? I kind of miss playing with you." Jasper requested.
"Depends on when I can get up and moving." Edward replied as Halley clung to him.
"Of course." Jasper replied with a smile.
"Anything happen while we were asleep?" Edward asked, rolling onto his back.
"Not a single peep from either of you." Alice answered Edward.
"Alice said something was going on. Do you want to talk about it?" Carlisle questioned.
"Yeah, give me a few minutes." Edward replied, doing his best to carefully pull away from Halley without waking her.
Twenty Minutes Later:
"Wow. That is a lot." Alice and Jasper spoke, stunned.
"We'll definitely have to keep an eye on her." Carlisle sighed.
"Mmm… Mmm… Mmm…" Halley started moaning—in pain.
"Halley?" Edward immediately rushed over to Halley.
"What's wrong?" Alice and Esme asked, concerned.
"Halley?" Edward questioned, concerned.
"It hurts…" Halley moaned in pain.
"What hurts?" Edward asked, concerned.
"Blood. She needs more blood. We only gave her enough to start the healing process." Carlisle quickly realized something.
"Ok, come on. We're going to get you help." Edward got hold of Halley and started pulling her out of the bed.
"Help?" Halley was out of her mind.
"Please stay calm; we're going to help you." Carlisle instructed, seeing Halley's fear and stress rising.
"Oh, Hunny; everything is going to be ok. Just relax a little." Esme gently spoke to, rubbing Halley's forehead.
"No…" Halley moaned, seeing the blood.
"We know you don't like it, but you need to drink the blood; it's going to help you feel better." Edward assured Halley.
"Here. It's a chocolate shake." Carlisle mixed the blood with vanilla ice cream and plenty of chocolate syrup.
"Please, Halley; this will help you feel better." Carlisle pleaded with Halley when she continued to refuse to drink the blood shake.
"Ok… I've had enough." Edward sighed, adjusting Halley to lean against the couch. He then snatched the shake from Carlisle.
"Halley, you need to drink this shake. And if you don't drink it on your own, I will force it down your throat—and you know I will."
"Now, are you going to drink on your own—or do you need help?" Edward firmly ordered Halley.
Halley eventually took the cup and drank the shake.
"How are you feeling?" Alice asked after a few minutes.
"Better." Halley softly answered.
"See what happens when you take your medicine?" Edward asked, watching Halley.
"You don't have to be so mean about it." Halley pouted.
"I do when you're being too damn stubborn for your own good." Edward retorted, annoyed.
"Sorry." Halley mumbled, knowing he was right.
"Did the shake taste ok?" Carlisle asked, changing the subject.
"Yes—like a chocolate shake mixed with bananas." Halley answered.
"Taste this." Edward insisted, holding a spoon with a little bit of blood—kind of like a spoon of cough syrup.
"Why?" Halley questioned.
"Just taste it." Edward replied.
"Fine." Halley replied, taking the spoon.
"What does that taste like?" Bubby asked, walking over.
"Cherry cough syrup." Halley answered, making a face.
"That's interesting." Carlisle spoke.
"Is something wrong?" Halley asked, confused.
"No. All vampire taste something specific when they drink blood, but it's typically only one taste."
"I don't know if you've figured it out or not, but you're not like other vampires; you are very different. But don't you worry about that; being different is a good thing because you don't want to be just like everyone else. But you are also a major mystery. And for a lot of our kind (vampires), you're too much of an anomaly—and that scares them."
"Do you understand what I'm telling you?" Carlisle spoke to Halley.
"Why are people afraid of me? Because I'm different?" Halley questioned, confused.
"Halley, unlike most vampires (Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, and myself included), you have special abilities. Edward, Alice, and Jasper also have a special ability of their own: Edward can read minds, Alice sees the future, and Jasper is able to keep people calm. But for them and others with abilities, they only have one ability. Even Bubby has the ability to talk when no other cat alive—or undead—is able to speak."
"But Halley, you have multiple abilities. As far as I know, you're the only one who has multiple abilities like you do."
Carlisle started explaining, watching Halley to ensure he wasn't upsetting her. The last thing they needed was for her to become so stressed that something negative happened.
"Is there something wrong with me?" Halley softly questioned, watching Carlisle.
"No. Like I said before, you're just different. You're you. You're exactly who you need to be. But with your abilities, you're probably considered one of the strongest of our kind—and that scares others because those who don't know you don't know what you're capable of. Actually, we don't know what you're capable off—and honestly, I don't think neither do you."
"People who don't know you don't know your demeanor—meaning they don't know if you're a good person, or an evil person."
"We know you're a good person, but you're a special anomaly with more power in your small body than you know what to do with. With our guidance (or whoever's guidance you take), you will do just fine."
"Now, what we need to figure out is just who you are—and we need you to remain calm. I think we all understand that you're scared—just as scared as those who are afraid of you. But we're all here for you; you are not alone."
"I mean you're with others who are like you now—those who aren't fuzzy four-legged creatures. You're with Edward again. You are with people who are trying to understand and help you."
"Do you understand what I am telling you?"
Carlisle answered Halley before going on to explain again.
"I think so." Halley replied, looking down while playing with her fingers.
"Is something wrong?" Carlisle questioned when Edward chuckled a little.
"Go ahead and ask them. Neither of them will be mad at you." Edward insisted, watching a very nervous Halley.
"If I live with you—can I…? Can I call you Mom and Dad?" Halley nervously requested, refusing to look up.
"If that's what you want, that's fine by me." Carlisle replied with a gentle smile.
"Oh, of course, you can!"
"Excuse me, out of my way!"
Esme couldn't contain her excitement as she pushed past Carlisle and Edward to pull Halley into a tight hug.
Ten Minutes Later:
Edward's P.O.V.:
"Now that Esme has let Halley go, are we in Pennsylvania yet?" Rosalie impatiently questioned.
"We're not even close to Pennsylvania; we just made it to North Dakota. We should be to Pennsylvania by tomorrow night." Carlisle patiently answered Rosalie, walking to the driver's seat.
"Ooh." Something caught Halley's attention.
"On the way home, maybe. Right now, we really don't have to stop and sightsee; we have things to figure out first." I calmly yet firmly told Halley.
"Ok." Halley pouted, sitting down.
"Look through your games and books. I think there's a store coming up; we can stop so you can get something to do." Carlisle insisted, not taking no for an answer.
"Yay!" Halley cheered, getting up to look through her game/book drawer.
"Just because she wants to call you "Mom" doesn't mean you have to spoil her. Not to mention, Alice…" I spoke in a whisper to Esme, knowing full well this was her idea. Alice was thinking of all the outfits she could get for Halley.
"Don't worry, Edward; we're just stopping at a Walmart—and maybe a bookstore." Carlisle insisted.
"And she does need something do to keep her entertained. And I'm sure the cats can use something to do." Esme spoke with that kind smile of hers.
I don't know why I bother.
"Fine." I grumbled, walking away.
I could hear them laughing as he pulled into the Walmart parking lot.
"I've never been to a Walmart before." Halley spoke, looking out a window at the supercenter.
"Do you know what a Walmart is?" Emmett curiously asked Halley.
"It's a very big store with all sorts of things. I've heard lots of people talk about it before." Halley answered Emmett with a smile.
"Can you pick up some of that wet food stuff?" Bubby requested for him, Buttons, and the kittens.
"Sure." Carlisle replied, finding a spot to park.
"You never said where all this money Halley had was." Rosalie remembered something Bubby said the other day.
"Oh, didn't I?" Bubby asked, stunned.
I couldn't help but laugh a little when Buttons smacked him over the head with her paw.
"Come on, Halley; let's get your money."
"You didn't have to hit me that hard."
Bubby instructed before complaining, leading Halley to the back.
"Well, she certainly has strength." Rosalie spoke after Halley lifted the master bed in the back.
Once the mattress was up, Halley pulled up some thin wood plank, and Bubby jumped into the darkness.
After a few minutes, he was back out, dragging three massive burlap sacks (one at a time) by his mouth.
"You can put the bed down now." Bubby told Halley.
"Those are all filled with money?" Rosalie asked, shocked.
"Hold on; I'm not done yet. Halley, open your game and book drawer, please." Bubby instructed.
Once the drawer was open, Bubby went in and didn't come out for a good minute.
"You could help, you know?" Bubby told Buttons, annoyed as he brought out two medium burlap sacks.
"Mrow." Buttons made a condescending-sounding noise, causing Bubby to fall over.
"I am not that fat. You get the last bags." Bubby argued before curling up next to Halley.
I wanted to ask Bubby when he became so sensitive, but I held my tongue; he looked pretty defeated.
Buttons jumped on top of the cupboards and quickly knocked five burlap bags down:
One large.
Two medium.
Two small.
"That's all money?" Rosalie asked, still shocked.
"Yes. Don't ask how much it is; I don't know how to count. Halley tried, but she kept loosing count—especially when she started becoming weaker." Bubby answered Rosalie.
"Is this all of Halley's money?" Carlisle asked Bubby.
"Mrow. Mrow. Mrow. Mrow. Mrow." Buttons started saying something.
"Buttons doesn't think so. That's all the money here, but she says she remembers Mr. Niko saying something about putting some in a safe place. So, you'd have to ask him because that's all Buttons remembers." Bubby explained for Buttons.
"Ok. Well, let's get going." Carlisle instructed, leading the way.
Right now, Halley's money was the least of our concerns.
"Oh, wow. It's so big." Halley marveled, looking around.
"Stay close, so you don't get lost." I calmly told Halley, getting a cart.
Somehow, I think this may have been a mistake.
"Ooh, what are these?" Halley asked, looking at the onesies.
"Those are onesies for adults." Carlisle answered Halley, knowing where her mind was going to go.
Onesies are for babies.
"Alice do not go overboard. Let Halley get what she likes and wants. Besides, didn't you already get a bunch of new outfits?" Rosalie firmly told Alice, shocking me—and she saw.
"If Alice is in charge, we'll never get out of here." She sent her thoughts to me.
Ok, that makes more sense.
Still, she's coming around faster than I thought she would.
Rosalie can deny it all she wants; I can tell Halley's growing on her.
"We're going to see what there is for gardening and then head to the grocery section." Esme informed us, looking at Emmett.
"What?" Emmett asked, confused.
"You ate more than half the food we bought yesterday." Rosalie mumbled.
"Ok." Alice, Jasper, and I replied, watching Halley; she was enthralled by the onesies.
"Did you get her any pajamas?" Esme asked Alice before she and Carlisle walked away.
"It doesn't take much to get her attention, does it?" Rosalie asked as Halley and Alice looked at the onesies and pajamas.
"Which one?" I asked, watching Halley and Alice.
"Good point." Rosalie replied with that blank look in her eyes.
Twelve Minutes Later:
"Can we move on now?" Emmett asked, bored out of his mind.
"Oh, but I didn't get to look for new games or books." Halley replied, trying not to sound upset.
"He just means he doesn't want to look at clothes anymore." I explained, watching Halley.
"Oh. Ok." Halley replied with an excited smile.
Yep. That still hasn't changed.
"Come on; let's go exploring." Alice declared, grabbing Halley's hand.
"Ok." Halley cheerfully replied, letting Alice drag her along.
"She's very excitable. However, I don't think she'll be able to match Alice's energy." Jasper noted, watching Halley and Alice.
"Nobody can match Alice's energy." Rosalie insisted as we followed Alice and Halley.
"This is true. Although Emmett comes close."
"And yes, Halley is very excitable—especially when she's experiencing something new." I replied to Rosalie and then Jasper.
"What kinds of games do you think she'll pick?" Jasper inquired, watching Alice and Halley.
"Who knows? Probably simple games for her to comprehend. Honestly, I can see her being more excited when it comes to books." I replied, keeping an eye on Halley and Alice.
"I didn't picture her for reading much." Rosalie replied, stunned.
She wasn't being a bitch about it; she was genuinely shocked.
I can't say I can blame her with Halley's mentality; she is slower and prefers to have fun more than anything.
"Halley loves to read. She's not the fastest reader; it takes her time. But she loves to read."
"Unfortunately, she doesn't have very high self-esteem; she's never usually proud of herself. But you know why that is."
"But anyway, when reading seemed to come naturally to her, Halley was so excited and proud of herself—especially since her parents actually celebrated that achievement."
"But for classes like math, science, and history; she struggled."
"She can count and add and subtract decently well, and she can do smaller multiplication equations. But anything beyond those, she struggles immensely."
"She struggles in most science studies—which I guess she didn't have a whole lot of yet. But I do know she loved astronomy. If you ask her any questions about space, not requiring numbers, she could tell you—especially when it came to the moon and stars."
"And then, there's history. I think she'd be really good in history if she could retain the information. Because she could read history books no problem. But remembering much is an entirely different story."
I explained, remembering the beatings that man would give Halley for doing poorly in her classes.
"What about the books she reads? Does she remember any of them?" Jasper asked.
"Uhh… I'm honestly not sure. I suppose it really depends. I know after she reads a book, she could probably remember the premise for a few months. Details may vary."
"I don't remember the name, but she had this book that she read God only knows how many times. She could tell you everything about it. Hell. She could almost recite the book line for line, word for word."
"So, if she reads something enough times, she'll remember. But I also know there are books she's read and then read again later down the road, and it would be like she was reading it for the first time again."
I answered Jasper, thinking a little.
"Why not have her read history books a few times?" Emmett inquired.
"I'm not sure she would want to. If she doesn't like something, she won't read it again for a long time again."
"I mean, I suppose I could force her to read history books multiple times in a row—or close together. But I don't want to trigger awful memories of her parents forcing her to read things she didn't like multiple times."
"I get it; in school, you sometimes have to read something you don't like. But that's usually once or twice."
"But I'm not going to get into that right now because it'll just get me pissed off."
I answered Emmett, clenching my fists to keep calm.
"Come on, you slowpokes!" Alice yelled at us.
"What did you find now?" I asked, walking over with the others.
"Puzzles." Alice cheerfully answered as Halley looked at jigsaw puzzles.
"Can I get some?" Halley asked, looking at five different puzzles:
Kittens.
Puppies.
Rainbow.
Space.
Pokémon.
"Yeah, I don't care. That's kind of why we're here—to get you stuff to do." I replied, watching her eyes light up as she picked the puzzles she wanted—except for the space and rainbow ones; she couldn't reach them.
"Ok. Hold on, Shorty." I instructed, getting the two puzzles.
Oh, look. Stereotypical vampire puzzles.
You know the ones where the vampires are pale and wearing red and black capes?
"Ready to move on?" I asked, hoping to keep her from seeing the vampire puzzles.
"Yes." Halley cheerfully replied.
"The games are just a few aisles down. Come on." Alice insisted, dragging Halley away again.
"You can buy canvases? I thought only painters got those." Halley spoke, seeing the art aisle.
"They're not as fancy or sophisticated as what famous artists use, but there is a lot of art products that can be bought." I explained, watching Halley.
"Come on, let's look." Alice insisted, leading the way.
"Do you like to paint?" Emmett asked Halley.
"Yes. Edward used to let me use his paints because I only had stuff to draw with. But that was ok; I like to draw too." Halley answered Emmett with a smile.
"Why don't you pick up some art supplies." Jasper insisted.
"Oh, but we're here to get games and books. I already got pajamas and puzzles." Halley replied, unsure.
"Don't worry about it. And the point of coming here was to get you stuff to do. And if you don't do anything in the RV, you'll have stuff to do when we get home." Jasper calmly insisted.
"Go ahead, Halley." I told Halley, agreeing with Jasper.
Halley didn't reply as she started picking sketchbooks, canvases, pencils, colored pencils, graphite pencils, markers, crayons, gel pens, sharpies, paints, and whatever else she could find.
After all that, we headed to the games aisle.
I was right: easy games.
Clue
Sorry
Jenga
Trouble
Scrabble
Operation
Aggravation
Battleship
Her picking Clue and Battleship was a shocker, but at least they make her have to think.
Once we finished in the games section, we moved on to books. However, she didn't find very many books; she found more coloring books for adults. They aren't swearing or dirty in any way; they were just too complicated for smaller children.
The only two books she found were Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and a big book about cats.
"Ooh."
I knew she would notice the blankets and pillows if we managed to pass them.
"While I'm thinking about it, I have something to get while we're here. This won't take me long; stay with Alice and Rosalie. Pick yourself some new blankets and pillows. I'll be back." I told Halley after something caught my attention.
I would have told her to stay with everyone, but I knew Emmett and Jasper would follow me.
"Ok." Halley replied, unsure.
"Please stay in this area." I told Alice and Rosalie.
"Yeah, yeah." Rosalie replied, watching Halley.
"You're no fun." Alice playfully pouted.
I didn't reply and walked away.
"What do you have to get? I thought we were here to get Halley stuff to do and food." Emmett questioned, following me.
"I saw something Halley would like a little bit ago; I just haven't been able to figure out how to get away from her for a few minutes. This was the perfect opportunity." I replied.
"Why is that?" Emmett and Jasper asked, confused.
"That aisle is her heaven; she loves fuzzy or soft blankets and pillows. Actually, I think she loves blankets in general. But I told her to pick some new blankets and pillows; it will take her a bit to pick the ones she really wants." I explained.
"Ah." Emmett replied, understanding.
"She likes simpler things." Jasper replied.
"Very much so." I replied.
"So, finding what you want to get her should be simple." Emmett insisted.
"You would think so. But when you have multiple options to choose from, it becomes harder." I replied, looking at several large stuffed animals.
"Well, seeing how much she cherishes that rose pendant you gave her a long time ago, I think she'd love whatever you picked her." Jasper insisted.
"Yeah, I know." I replied, looking at large stuffed bears, rabbits, and frogs.
"You could get her one of each." Emmett suggested.
"I don't really think she needs one of each—especially since they're thirty-five dollars a stuffed animal." I replied.
I understand they're bigger stuffed animals and will cost a little more. But still… Thirty-five dollars?
"Which one would she like the most?" Jasper inquired.
"I don't think it would matter—as long as they're not bright pink." I replied.
"Really? I pegged her as a girl would like pink more than any other color." Emmett replied, stunned.
"I'm not gonna lie; I thought the same thing." Jasper agreed with Emmett.
"No. She likes lighter or softer pinks, but that shade of pink would give her a headache."
"Don't ask me; I don't know why."
"But her favorite colors are blues and purple."
I explained, trying to figure out what stuffed animal to get her.
"What if we each get her one?" Jasper inquired.
That caught me off guard.
"Ignoring coloring, we could each get her one and she could have a bear, rabbit, and frog. That way, she'll have something from all of us because you know damn well Esme and Carlisle will get her something."
"Alice already got her clothes, and I'm sure Rosalie will get her something at some point."
"As harsh as Rosalie was that first night, she is coming around; she's starting to come around and love Halley as our new sister."
"I don't know what it is, but there is something about Halley that draws others in."
Jasper explained and insisted.
"Yeah, I suppose." I replied, picking a rainbow rabbit.
"You know who else would probably like one of these?" I asked as Emmett picked red, green, and black frog.
"Who?" Emmett and Jasper asked as Jasper picked a white and purple bear.
"Alice—and possibly Rosalie." I answered them.
"There is no way in hell Rosalie would want a giant stuffed animal." Emmett retorted, shocked I would suggest he get Rosalie a stuffed animal.
"She may if you're the one giving her one." I replied, knowing Rosalie well enough to know that she would love or cherish anything Emmett gave her.
Jasper didn't reply as he picked a brown and red bear for Alice.
It took a few minutes, but Emmett picked a blonde and light pink bear for Rosalie.
Five Minutes Later:
"Do you think they're still in the same place?" Emmett asked as we made it back to the girls.
"I would think so. I know how Alice can be with listening to me, but I believe because of Halley, she will stay put. And if not, Rosalie will make sure they stay in the area." I calmly replied as we neared the blankets and pillows.
"Hey, did you see those girls?" A guy questioned.
"Which girls?" A different guy asked.
"The ones in that aisle with all the blankets, pillows, and a few stuffed animals." The first guy insisted.
"Oh, you mean the sexy blonde, hyper pixie, and ditzy jailbait." A third guy replied, referring to Rosalie, Alice, and Halley.
"Only you would come up with those terms." The second guy replied.
"Not the sexy blonde; that's been around for years." The third guy defensively replied.
"Enough. We don't want others to hear us." The first guy hushed the other two.
"What about the girls?" The second guy questioned, sounding annoyed.
"We should go hit them up—maybe take them out for food and drinks." The first guy answered the second guy.
"And then, we can take them back to our place and have a good time." The third guy excitedly insisted.
"I don't think they'd be interested." The second guy insisted.
"What makes you think that?" The other two asked, annoyed.
"Well, I don't know about the other two, but I'm pretty damn sure the blonde is already in a relationship. There were two other guys with them earlier as well. So, I doubt they'd be interested." The second guy explained before repeating what he said before.
"Well, there aren't any guys with them now. I'm sure we can convince those girls to come with us. And if the blonde completely refuses, the two smaller ones should be easy to take; I doubt they'll put up much of a fight." The first guy insisted.
"Where are you going?" The other two guys demanded.
"Away. I will not be part of this. I'm telling you those girls either already have boyfriends or are here with their brothers."
"You know, one of these days you're going to go after the wrong girls. Or if any girl is lucky, you'll end up getting caught and put in jail. Your dad can only help you so much."
The second guy snapped at the other two before walking away.
"Screw you! Wrong girl, my ass." The first guy angrily retorted before mumbling.
"Well, shall we go see little sisters?" The second guy asked the first guy, ignoring the one who left.
"Yeah, let's go. And don't worry. My dad's a lawyer and and my uncle is a cop; they can get us out of anything."
"It's been awhile since I've had a virgin—especially a young one." The first guy replied.
"How can you be so sure they're virgins?" The second guy asked, following his friend.
"Sure, there's no way the blonde is a virgin; she's probably had sex enough times to be a pro."
"The pixie girl is iffy."
"But the stupid one is most certainly a virgin. There's no way she's having sex. Not unless she's freaky and is fucking her brother, uncle, dad, or all of the above."
"No, she's a virgin, and she's mine." The first guy answered his friend.
"Why do you get the virgin? Why can't I have her?" The second guy complained.
"Do you remember what happened the last time you had a virgin? You damn near killed her because you couldn't get her to stop screaming—and not in the good way. If it hadn't been for me, you would have killed her."
"Try to remember, we don't kill. We fuck and then, if the girls aren't willing, we make sure they're not recognizable and threatening them not to say a thing." The first guy reminded the second guy.
"We have to go." I firmly told Jasper and Emmett, hearing some guys talking.
"Agreed." Jasper and Emmett agreed.
Yes, we know Rosalie and Alice could take care of themselves, but I think Halley would freeze up.
And if Rosalie and Alice did get involved, it would draw too much attention—enough to bring the Volturi.
With how those guys are talking, if Rosalie hears them, she will kill them.
I will not give them a reason to take Halley or her cats.
"Come on, girls." Rosalie firmly told Halley and Alice.
"Right." Alice agreed.
Halley remained silent. But seeing her face, I could tell she also heard those guys.
"Good luck." The second guy told us as we passed him.
"Hey girls." The first guy smoothly greeted Rosalie, Alice, and Halley.
"How you, doin'?" The second guy asked, doing that thing with his head and lips.
"Piss off." Rosalie replied, doing her best not to punch them in the face.
"Excuse me?" The guys asked, shocked. They weren't expecting someone who looked like Rosalie to speak like that.
Oh, wait until they hear the next words come out of her mouth.
"Halley, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper are right there. Go." Rosalie ordered, sending Halley our way.
"Hey, wait!" The first guy demanded.
"Just go, Halley." Rosalie and Alice insisted.
"Are you ok?" I asked Halley when she made it over.
"Uh-huh." Halley shakily replied.
"What was that all about? We were just trying to talk to you three." The first guy demanded, glaring at Rosalie and Alice.
"Maybe they just didn't want to share; these two just wanted us for themselves." The second guy spoke, watching Rosalie and Alice.
"Ew." Rosalie and Alice replied, shocking the guys.
"Ew?" The two asked, too stunned to say anything else.
"You heard us. And you were doing more than just talking; you were planning. You're not as quiet as you think."
"Ladies, you better watch out or avoid these two; they don't like it if you say no. And they do not take no for an answer if you get what I mean." Alice loudly announced, getting the attention of other shoppers.
"Even if we didn't already have men in our lives, we wouldn't want someone with tiny, infected dicks." Roselie's icy words hit them hard.
"Excuse us." Rosalie and Alice pushed their way past with the cart.
"Come on. Did you find the blankets and pillows you wanted?" I asked Halley after insisting.
"I found a few." Halley softly replied, clinging to me.
She may not have her memories, but she does remember some details.
"Where to next?" Emmett and Jasper inquired.
"Rosalie wanted to quickly look at the makeup." Halley softly answered Emmett and Jasper.
"Quick?" I could hear Jasper and Emmett thinking to themselves.
"Well, let's go." I insisted, letting Rosalie and Alice lead the way.
"Thank you, Rosie. Thank you, Alice." Halley softly thanked Rosalie and Alice.
"It's no problem." Rosalie replied, keeping her eyes ahead of her.
"I'm not sure I like that nickname." Rosalie continued to think to herself.
"Oh, of course. You're our new sister; we love you. Besides, we would never stand for what those creeps wanted—not for anyone." Alice cheerfully insisted, hugging Halley.
Fifteen Minutes Later:
"Here you all are."
"We've been looking for you."
Carlisle and Esme spoke, walking over to us.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, watching Halley help Rosalie and Alice pick out makeup.
"Nope. We just never expected you all to be in the makeup." Carlisle replied, watching the girls.
"I didn't think Halley liked makeup." Esme whispered.
"She doesn't. Rosalie wanted to check out the makeup. Rosalie and Alice were trying to figure out what they wanted to get; Halley spoke up to give her opinion and has been roped into it all." I explained.
"For someone who doesn't wear makeup, she knows what works for us." Rosalie spoke, walking over with Halley and Alice.
"There was an incident earlier." Jasper calmly spoke.
"Yes, we know; we heard. Come on." Carlisle replied as we headed to the cash registers.
"Rose showed great restraint." Emmett proudly insisted.
"Yes, we know. There were several people talking about it. It wasn't that hard to figure out when we heard the descriptions of the girls." Carlisle replied.
"And we are so proud of her—of all of you." Esme proudly insisted.
"Let's just get checked out." I demanded after hearing those two guys again.
Ten Minutes Later:
"Now we continue onto Pennsylvania, right?" Rosalie asked as we entered the RV.
"We have one more stop on the way." Carlisle answered Rosalie as Halley put her games, puzzles, coloring books, and other art supplies in that drawer.
"What's left?" Emmett asked, confused.
"The bookstore is just down the road. We saw that Halley didn't find very many books." Esme replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry." Halley guiltily apologized.
"Oh, no, Dear. You have nothing to apologize for. They just didn't have a lot of options for books today." Esme calmly insisted.
"Besides, the bookstore shouldn't take too terribly long." Carlisle insisted as Halley put her new blankets, pillows, and stuffed Cheshire cat on the bed
"Edward, can we talk?" Carlisle called me up front.
I didn't reply as I walked up, watching Carlisle and Esme.
"Did those guys touch the girls in any way?" Esme asked, concerned.
"No. Emmett, Jasper, and I heard them talking as we made our way back to the girls. And it's clear the girls heard as well. But Rosalie managed to stay calm and once they walked over, she sent Halley over to me." I explained.
"If we run into them again, you must stay away from them. At least the one guy was part of that cult. The second guy is a possibility. But unlike the rest of the cult, these ones remain in the area." Carlisle explained.
"How do you know that?" I asked, looking back at Halley for a second.
"They have a certain tattoo representing the cult. The one in charge had that tattoo on the back of his neck. I couldn't tell if the other guy had a tattoo as well." Carlisle calmly explained.
"Because we don't know anything about Brandon Bartholomew, we don't know whether he was telling the truth or not about that promise you made for Halley. So, regardless, you can't go after these people." Esme worriedly told me.
"Fine. Please tell me you have someone watching them." I replied.
"Yes, we have Oliver, Lucy, and their clan keeping an eye out. They said that they had heard about them, but didn't know if it was true or not because there was never any proof. But now, they are watching. They will also be keeping an eye on their families as well, seeing as the guy's father is a judge and his uncle is a cop." Carlisle answered me.
"Fine." I grumbled.
"*Sigh…* I'm sorry. And thank you." I apologized and thanked them before walking to Halley.
"Is everything ok?" Halley softly asked me, concerned.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Or it will be." I replied, sitting at the small table.
"Thank you." Bubby excitedly thanked Halley as she opened mini cans of wet food and placed them on paper plates.
"You're welcome." Halley replied with a small smile.
"Before we get to the bookstore, Emmett, Jasper, and I have something for you." I told Halley, standing up.
"Oh, but you already got me all this." Halley replied as I walked to the back.
"Yes, but these are gifts that you don't know about. These are more presents than anything." I replied, handing Emmett and Jasper what they picked for her.
"Here you are." Emmett handed Halley the frog he picked out.
"Thank you, Emmett." Halley thanked Emmett by hugging him before happily taking the frog.
"You're welcome."
"And this is for you, Love."
Emmett replied, hugging Halley before handing Rosalie the bear and a few fake roses he picked up for her.
"I don't know what to say. Thank you." Rosalie thanked Emmett, taking the bear and roses in shock.
"You're welcome." Emmett replied, hugging Rosalie.
"These are from me." Jasper told Halley and Alice, handing them the bears he picked for them.
"Thank you, Jasper." Halley thanked Jasper, hugging him.
"Thank you, Jasper! I love it!" Alice didn't let Halley pull away from Jasper before hugging them.
They would have been on the ground if Jasper didn't have impeccable balance.
"Now, it's Edward's turn." Alice pulled Halley to me.
"Thanks, Alice." I sighed, watching Alice.
Alice just smiled at me with a little giggle.
"Here. Obviously this is from me." I awkwardly handed her the rabbit I got her.
"Thank you, Edward." Halley thanked me, hugging me in tears.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.
"Nothing. It's just this is the first surprise gift you've gotten me in a long time. And that's with everything else you already gave me."
"All the stuff from the store."
"But more importantly a new home with Bubby, Buttons, S'mores, Snickers, and Sammy."
Halley emotionally answered me.
"Aww!" Alice immediately hugged Halley from behind, pushing her into me even more.
Normal P.O.V.:
Several Hours Later:
10:18 PM:
"Halley truly is a blessing." Esme told Carlisle with a smile, taking her spot beside him after covering Edward and Halley with a blanket.
"She most certainly is."
"I know it's more for Halley's sake, but how quickly Edward apologized to us after we explained what we found out. Before Halley, he would have gone on a tangent. And with what we know, I couldn't very well blame him." Carlisle agreed with Esme before giving his opinion.
"This is true." Esme calmly agreed with Carlisle.
"What's on your mind?" Carlisle inquired.
"I don't know. I feel so bad for her; I can't even begin to imagine everything she's been through. And I don't know why or what, but I feel like we're going to learn something worse than we already have." Esme answered Carlisle.
"Yeah, I know. I don't remember much about that previous girl, but I do remember she didn't have a good life before becoming a vampire. And with how she seemed and sounded, it seemed like she didn't have a very good life as a vampire either." Carlisle replied.
"I know she's a mystery and anomaly, but I don't see her as such. I only see a scared, confused young girl. I don't care about her powers or any of that; I'm just glad she's safe with us." Esme emotionally told Carlisle.
"I know. And I do agree with you. But because she is such a mystery, I can't help but need to know more about her."
"As for her being an anomaly. Unfortunately, there's nothing that will ever change that. However, that doesn't mean we have to treat her as such. All we can do is learn what we can, help, and love her how she should be—how her parents should have loved her."
"And it is such a relief we have Edward. Who knows if we would have been able to convince her to stay with us without him? Honestly, I'm not sure how I'd feel about her being with the Volturi."
"Of course, I know there would be nothing we could do if that's what she would have chosen. But I don't know. Just by talking to him, I can tell Aro and Marcus would care for Halley. But for them to have that extra power…"
Carlisle calmly told Esme, running his hand through his hair. He then admitted.
"I know what you mean. But as long as she would have been happy and taken care of, I'd be happy. However, I am so thrilled she's with us." Esme replied with a smile.
"Do you care about Halley's abilities?" Jasper asked, popping up behind Carlisle and Esme.
"As a source of power, no. But as a learning opportunity, yes. We know she's different, but she could be just like the rest of us, and we'd still love her." Carlisle answered Jasper.
"Out of everything we want for her, that's what we want most for her. The one thing she needs most of is the love of family." Esme insisted.
"And the love of Edward." Emmett spoke, walking by with some chips.
"Yes. And she has his love; she will always have his love, just as he will have hers. Despite her mental state, she does love Edward. I just don't think she knows how to put it into words. She doesn't understand how to let those emotions out. But I can see the love she has for him." Carlisle insisted.
"How do you know that?" Emmett asked, interested.
"It's how I feel about Esme. It's what I see with you and Rosalie. And I see it with Alice and Jasper."
"Did I see something when Edward was with Bella? Yes, but it was small. It was nothing like what I see with Halley; it's a lot stronger."
"In my honest opinion, if Halley would have shown up while Edward was still with Bella, I believe he would break up with Bella after so long. He can't stay away from Halley; he has loved her for as long as he can remember. That goes back to when they were living humans with beating hearts."
Carlisle thoroughly answered Emmett, giving him and everyone else his opinion.
"Thank God for that." Rosalie muttered, walking over.
"I'd rather deal with the confused ditz over the moronic ditz. Even if she doesn't understand it, Halley didn't ask for this life like Bella had been. That's probably one of the stupidest things I've ever seen from a human." Rosalie continued, taking some chips from Emmett.
"Aww! You do love Halley!" Alice excitedly declared, hugging Rosalie.
"Not one word to Edward." Rosalie warned Alice.
"Why do you bother? Edward will be able to hear it in your mind. Besides, I'm pretty sure he already knows you've softened to Halley." Jasper told Rosalie.
"Shut up." Rosalie grumbled, walking back to the back.
Thump.
"Halley's floating again." Emmett spoke after they heard Halley bump the bottom of the top bunk…