Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Disclaimer & Info
Solstice is a Twilight fan-fiction story. I wrote it as an addition to the original Twilight Saga because when I finished the books, I really wanted more!
Chapters 1-15: After chapter 4, click OLDER POSTS at the bottom to read more.
Please leave comments/reviews if you enjoy my story. I love feedback and feel free to share it with friends!
You can follow me on facebook at www.facebook.com/twilightsolstice?ref=tn_tnmn
Disclaimer:
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapters 1-15: After chapter 4, click OLDER POSTS at the bottom to read more.
Please leave comments/reviews if you enjoy my story. I love feedback and feel free to share it with friends!
You can follow me on facebook at www.facebook.com/twilightsolstice?ref=tn_tnmn
Disclaimer:
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 1 - Prelude to a Vampire
Volterra, Italy - 1955
Tara Spaulding sat on the bed of her hotel room, overlooking the clock tower in the square of Piazza dei Priori. She gazed out the window at the giant fountain in the center of the square. The water droplets glistened in the sunlight as they shot up into the sky and then fell back down into the pool below it. "Beautiful. Like diamonds", she thought.
It was her 16th birthday. The trip to Italy was gift from her parents, one she desired since she was a little girl. At the age of three, her parents discovered she had a talent for art when she took interest the Renaissance artists, remembering all their names and paintings almost as quickly as she learned the alphabet. Early on, her parents knew she was gifted,possessing the ability to draw anything from memory having the ability to capture every detail in her mind, even after seeing it only once and she normally spent countless hours of her days drawing or painting.
Tara's father was Huntley Spaulding, the owner of a large fiber company in New England. He was good man whose assets were never of greater value to him than that of his own values and love for his family. Her mother Anna also had a love for the arts and was excited to be able to tour some of the most famous and inspiring works in history with her daughter.
As Tara sat in her room, waiting for her parents to take her to breakfast before heading into the city; she took out her set of oil pencils and sketched the fountain in the square. Her hand whisked over the paper as she drew incessantly. Before she could finish the drawing, her parents both entered greeting her with smiles and traditionally singing Happy Birthday to her. Her mother slowly walked in carrying a cake with both hands, trying not to let the candles go out. Her father carried a tiny wrapped present in one hand and an envelope in the other as he approached.
Tara excitedly set her sketches aside so she could see what surprises they had for her. After she blew out the candles on the Dutch chocolate cake, (her favorite) her father handed held out the tiny gift box. The paper fell to the ground as she quickly tore it off and then anxiously opened the lid. Inside was tiny gold locket. The front of it had three letters engraved on top, T.E.S for her initials; Tara Elizabeth Spaulding. When she opened the locket, it contained a photograph of her parents that was taken only a few months ago. With her mother's help, she put it around her neck.
The final and biggest gift however was the one in the envelope. He handed it to her and she peeked inside pulling out three tickets. They were for a private tour of an art exhibit, exclusively for distinguished tourists only as her father explained. In reality though, it meant he bribed several in people in order to find her the perfect present. Tara and her mother were extremely excited about seeing this exhibit as Huntley told them they’d being seeing some oldest and most famous collections in history.
After breakfast, they spent the morning touring the Pinacoteca, an art gallery in Palazzo Minucci-Solaini that was founded in 1905 and consists mostly of works by Tuscan artists from 14th to 17th centuries. Then by sunset, they headed to the Roman Theatre where they were scheduled to meet with their tour guide at approximately six o'clock in the evening. As they arrived, they spotted their docent standing out front, eagerly waiting for them. The macabre looking man truly stood out among the crowd of people in his hooded, black cloak and dark spectacles. "Are you Mr. Spaulding?" he said in a voice that sent a chill down Tara's spine.
"Yes, I am, and this is my wife Anna, and my daughter Tara," Huntley replied.
The man held out his chalky white hand. "Greetings, I'm Demetri." Huntley shook it.
"A bit chilly tonight is it?" he asked, noticing the man's hands were like ice.
"Indeed," he replied as he grinned from behind his hooded cloak. The unusual pair of spectacles he wore completely covered his eyes. Tara thought it odd that he wore them, since the sun had already set behind the horizon.
"It's a pleasure to be your escort for the evening. Is this your first trip to Volterra?" he pried.
"Yes it is," Huntley said. "It's also my daughter's sixteenth birthday today. I was hoping to find a special event for her this trip and your tour sounded absolutely amazing. I was wanted to make this a very special experience for her."
Demetri inhaled deeply as though he were savoring a delicious aroma then looked right at Tara when he spoke. "Ah, sixteen….such a momentous year. Happy birthday young one," he hissed, flashing his teeth at her. She only stared at the man in silence. Her heart beat sped up as he grinned and then twirled around on his heals signaling for them to follow.
The street lights came on as the night began to fall on the city. Demetri guided them through the dark, unfamiliar streets of Volterra taking them on a long walk that veered off the cobblestone walkways and into labyrinth of narrow alleyways that were no longer lit up. Anna put her arm around her daughter's shoulder as they walked, trying not to lose sight of their tour guide. Tara clung to her mother's side starting to feel nervous about where he was taking them. Just before reaching their destination, Demetri turned to face them and smiled. "I assure you, this will be a night you'll never forget." He then signaled them to follow him through a giant wrought iron gate at the entrance of a very antiquated looking palace. Huntley and Anna returned a pleasing smile to the man but Tara didn't smile back. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but she felt something unsettling about him.
When they entered the aged building, Tara observed every detail. The brightly lit foyer was covered in wood paneling and the floors were carpeted with a lush green tapestry. She gazed at several spot-lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside that hung on the walls. Tara quickly noticed there was not a window in the place - not anywhere.
As they followed Demetri down a long corridor, he finally removed the hood of his cloak, exposing his thick black, wavy hair that stopped at his shoulders. He left the dark spectacles on his face oddly enough, even though they were indoors.
A low chatter of many voices could be heard in the distance. It came from more tourists. All of them headed in the same direction, piling into a large, round room at the end which looked as aged as the rest of the place but masked with many pieces of modern decor and art. Several glossy tables arranged about the room held crystal vases on top of them, containing vibrantly colored bouquets of fresh flowers. Some of the guests sat comfortably on the dark leather couches that were arranged in a cozy grouping around a large Asian rug that was centered in the room. They all seemed to be waiting for something.
Demetri stopped to speak again. "Ah, here we are. Now, if you will all just wait right here a few moments for the main event, I promise it won't be long." He waved his hand at several pieces on the wall. "Please feel free to look about and enjoy our small collection here in the waiting room until we begin the main event."
As he left, the heavy double doors they came through closed shut with an echoing sound and the people in the room continued to mingle, chattering amongst themselves and looking about the room. Anna pointed at some of the paintings on the walls and tugged at Tara's arm to come look at them with her but she wasn't the least bit interested in them. An unusual odor in the room turned her stomach as she breathed and a sick feeling sank in her gut. She no longer wanted to stay. "Mom, I think we should leave. I don't like this place, it's really creepy," she said tugging on her mother's sleeve.
"But why? I think it's absolutely beautiful sweetie. Don't you? It's very majestic."
"No, I don't like it. Something doesn't seem right. Can we just go back to the hotel?"
Anna whispered so Huntley couldn't hear. "Honey your father paid a great deal of money for this. It's your birthday present, don't ruin it for him. It's all a bit mysterious but I think its all part of the show. It’ll be fine, sweetie you'll see."
She rubbed her daughter’s arm trying to sooth her but Tara didn't feel quite so secure as her mother. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she scanned the room. There was a mural painted on the vaulted ceiling above their heads and a balcony that circled the room with several doors on the upper level, all closed. She also spotted two more doors on the opposite wall of the room, tightly secured as well.
Several moments passed while they waited when suddenly she noticed the creaking sound of hinges as they turned with a door. Then seconds later, she heard another. She glanced at the large entry door they came in. It appeared to be secured still. She turned to look at the other two at the back of the room but they were also shut tight. Before she even had time to look up and check the balcony, she heard the screams coming from every direction. Panic set in the room. People pushed and shoved each other, running everywhere.
At first, she didn't know why. She wondered if the building had caught fire, though it seemed impossible, considering the entire place was crafted in stone. When she scanned the room to look for the source of the mayhem, she caught a glimpse of the creature just before it attacked. It crawled out from a hole in the floor that had been strategically hidden under the giant rug. The figure appeared to be human at first; its ghostly white complexion reminded her of their tour guide but something else about it became very apparent to her - its eyes. They like nothing she'd ever seen before. They were completely demonic. The irises were a deep crimson around the edges, darkening until they were black around the pupil and they were completely focused on her mother. The creature crashed through one of the leather couches as it targeted her, easily smashing through it like it were made only of toothpicks. The creature snarled, exposing a row of razor sharp teeth just before it reached her mother and sank them into her throat.
"Momma!" Tara shrieked in horror.
"Anna! No!" her father yelled as watched the creature take her down. Before Huntley could get to his wife, another one leaped from the balcony and landed on a man in front of them as he ran towards the exit. The creature bit the man's arm but it didn't eat the flesh. It only appeared to be draining his blood. When Tara screamed again she caught the creature’s attention and it eyes panned up from its meal. Blood dripped from its mouth.
Unable to move, she stood paralyzed by fear as it growled at her. Without even thinking Huntley grabbed Tara by the arm, pulling her as he headed for the entry way in which they came through. He wanted to get his daughter out of the room before the creatures could kill her too. Not knowing if Anna was still alive or not, he would go back for her once he knew his daughter was safe, but he knew he had to get her out of the room first.
Huntley could not find any handles or knobs on the towering doors. He tried squeezing his fingers between them to pull them apart, but they didn't budge. The lock on other side had been bolted shut.
Fewer screams echoed though the room now as the creatures spread about, feeding on the tourists. While Huntley still searched for a way out, Tara spotted one of them feeding on a young boy. It looked up and fixed its scarlet eyes on Tara. Unsatisfied by its small meal, it tossed the child to the side and lunged for her. The creature ripped the sleeve from her shirt and bit into her shoulder. Tara screamed as the pain seared though her arm. She felt as though someone shoved a hot poker in her shoulder.
"Tara!" Huntley yelled as he thrust his body at the creature. To no avail, he struggled to pull it off her. His actions only angered the creature as he disturbed its prey. Suddenly, the creature let go of Tara and lunged at Huntley. Her father struggled as the blood drinker latched onto him.
Tara screamed in horror as she lay on the ground, twitching and watching her father being ravaged. "Hide Tara!" her father breathed his last words before it plunged its teeth into the base of his neck, "Hide!" he gurgled and then exhaled his last breath.
She wanted to run for the doors at the other end of the room but she could barely move. The pain crippled her as it began to spread through her entire body. She crawled under the large mahogany table next to her and curled into the fetal position. She lay there helpless under the shoving her fist in her mouth to muffle her screams as the fiery venom traveled through her veins.
Tara watched in terror as the creatures took down every last person in the room. They ignored her however. It was as if they couldn't see her or didn't notice she was there. Finally, her vision faded into blackness. The only thing echoing in her head her head over and over were her father's last words to her.
“Hide Tara, Hide!”
Tara Spaulding sat on the bed of her hotel room, overlooking the clock tower in the square of Piazza dei Priori. She gazed out the window at the giant fountain in the center of the square. The water droplets glistened in the sunlight as they shot up into the sky and then fell back down into the pool below it. "Beautiful. Like diamonds", she thought.
It was her 16th birthday. The trip to Italy was gift from her parents, one she desired since she was a little girl. At the age of three, her parents discovered she had a talent for art when she took interest the Renaissance artists, remembering all their names and paintings almost as quickly as she learned the alphabet. Early on, her parents knew she was gifted,possessing the ability to draw anything from memory having the ability to capture every detail in her mind, even after seeing it only once and she normally spent countless hours of her days drawing or painting.
Tara's father was Huntley Spaulding, the owner of a large fiber company in New England. He was good man whose assets were never of greater value to him than that of his own values and love for his family. Her mother Anna also had a love for the arts and was excited to be able to tour some of the most famous and inspiring works in history with her daughter.
As Tara sat in her room, waiting for her parents to take her to breakfast before heading into the city; she took out her set of oil pencils and sketched the fountain in the square. Her hand whisked over the paper as she drew incessantly. Before she could finish the drawing, her parents both entered greeting her with smiles and traditionally singing Happy Birthday to her. Her mother slowly walked in carrying a cake with both hands, trying not to let the candles go out. Her father carried a tiny wrapped present in one hand and an envelope in the other as he approached.
Tara excitedly set her sketches aside so she could see what surprises they had for her. After she blew out the candles on the Dutch chocolate cake, (her favorite) her father handed held out the tiny gift box. The paper fell to the ground as she quickly tore it off and then anxiously opened the lid. Inside was tiny gold locket. The front of it had three letters engraved on top, T.E.S for her initials; Tara Elizabeth Spaulding. When she opened the locket, it contained a photograph of her parents that was taken only a few months ago. With her mother's help, she put it around her neck.
The final and biggest gift however was the one in the envelope. He handed it to her and she peeked inside pulling out three tickets. They were for a private tour of an art exhibit, exclusively for distinguished tourists only as her father explained. In reality though, it meant he bribed several in people in order to find her the perfect present. Tara and her mother were extremely excited about seeing this exhibit as Huntley told them they’d being seeing some oldest and most famous collections in history.
After breakfast, they spent the morning touring the Pinacoteca, an art gallery in Palazzo Minucci-Solaini that was founded in 1905 and consists mostly of works by Tuscan artists from 14th to 17th centuries. Then by sunset, they headed to the Roman Theatre where they were scheduled to meet with their tour guide at approximately six o'clock in the evening. As they arrived, they spotted their docent standing out front, eagerly waiting for them. The macabre looking man truly stood out among the crowd of people in his hooded, black cloak and dark spectacles. "Are you Mr. Spaulding?" he said in a voice that sent a chill down Tara's spine.
"Yes, I am, and this is my wife Anna, and my daughter Tara," Huntley replied.
The man held out his chalky white hand. "Greetings, I'm Demetri." Huntley shook it.
"A bit chilly tonight is it?" he asked, noticing the man's hands were like ice.
"Indeed," he replied as he grinned from behind his hooded cloak. The unusual pair of spectacles he wore completely covered his eyes. Tara thought it odd that he wore them, since the sun had already set behind the horizon.
"It's a pleasure to be your escort for the evening. Is this your first trip to Volterra?" he pried.
"Yes it is," Huntley said. "It's also my daughter's sixteenth birthday today. I was hoping to find a special event for her this trip and your tour sounded absolutely amazing. I was wanted to make this a very special experience for her."
Demetri inhaled deeply as though he were savoring a delicious aroma then looked right at Tara when he spoke. "Ah, sixteen….such a momentous year. Happy birthday young one," he hissed, flashing his teeth at her. She only stared at the man in silence. Her heart beat sped up as he grinned and then twirled around on his heals signaling for them to follow.
The street lights came on as the night began to fall on the city. Demetri guided them through the dark, unfamiliar streets of Volterra taking them on a long walk that veered off the cobblestone walkways and into labyrinth of narrow alleyways that were no longer lit up. Anna put her arm around her daughter's shoulder as they walked, trying not to lose sight of their tour guide. Tara clung to her mother's side starting to feel nervous about where he was taking them. Just before reaching their destination, Demetri turned to face them and smiled. "I assure you, this will be a night you'll never forget." He then signaled them to follow him through a giant wrought iron gate at the entrance of a very antiquated looking palace. Huntley and Anna returned a pleasing smile to the man but Tara didn't smile back. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but she felt something unsettling about him.
When they entered the aged building, Tara observed every detail. The brightly lit foyer was covered in wood paneling and the floors were carpeted with a lush green tapestry. She gazed at several spot-lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside that hung on the walls. Tara quickly noticed there was not a window in the place - not anywhere.
As they followed Demetri down a long corridor, he finally removed the hood of his cloak, exposing his thick black, wavy hair that stopped at his shoulders. He left the dark spectacles on his face oddly enough, even though they were indoors.
A low chatter of many voices could be heard in the distance. It came from more tourists. All of them headed in the same direction, piling into a large, round room at the end which looked as aged as the rest of the place but masked with many pieces of modern decor and art. Several glossy tables arranged about the room held crystal vases on top of them, containing vibrantly colored bouquets of fresh flowers. Some of the guests sat comfortably on the dark leather couches that were arranged in a cozy grouping around a large Asian rug that was centered in the room. They all seemed to be waiting for something.
Demetri stopped to speak again. "Ah, here we are. Now, if you will all just wait right here a few moments for the main event, I promise it won't be long." He waved his hand at several pieces on the wall. "Please feel free to look about and enjoy our small collection here in the waiting room until we begin the main event."
As he left, the heavy double doors they came through closed shut with an echoing sound and the people in the room continued to mingle, chattering amongst themselves and looking about the room. Anna pointed at some of the paintings on the walls and tugged at Tara's arm to come look at them with her but she wasn't the least bit interested in them. An unusual odor in the room turned her stomach as she breathed and a sick feeling sank in her gut. She no longer wanted to stay. "Mom, I think we should leave. I don't like this place, it's really creepy," she said tugging on her mother's sleeve.
"But why? I think it's absolutely beautiful sweetie. Don't you? It's very majestic."
"No, I don't like it. Something doesn't seem right. Can we just go back to the hotel?"
Anna whispered so Huntley couldn't hear. "Honey your father paid a great deal of money for this. It's your birthday present, don't ruin it for him. It's all a bit mysterious but I think its all part of the show. It’ll be fine, sweetie you'll see."
She rubbed her daughter’s arm trying to sooth her but Tara didn't feel quite so secure as her mother. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she scanned the room. There was a mural painted on the vaulted ceiling above their heads and a balcony that circled the room with several doors on the upper level, all closed. She also spotted two more doors on the opposite wall of the room, tightly secured as well.
Several moments passed while they waited when suddenly she noticed the creaking sound of hinges as they turned with a door. Then seconds later, she heard another. She glanced at the large entry door they came in. It appeared to be secured still. She turned to look at the other two at the back of the room but they were also shut tight. Before she even had time to look up and check the balcony, she heard the screams coming from every direction. Panic set in the room. People pushed and shoved each other, running everywhere.
At first, she didn't know why. She wondered if the building had caught fire, though it seemed impossible, considering the entire place was crafted in stone. When she scanned the room to look for the source of the mayhem, she caught a glimpse of the creature just before it attacked. It crawled out from a hole in the floor that had been strategically hidden under the giant rug. The figure appeared to be human at first; its ghostly white complexion reminded her of their tour guide but something else about it became very apparent to her - its eyes. They like nothing she'd ever seen before. They were completely demonic. The irises were a deep crimson around the edges, darkening until they were black around the pupil and they were completely focused on her mother. The creature crashed through one of the leather couches as it targeted her, easily smashing through it like it were made only of toothpicks. The creature snarled, exposing a row of razor sharp teeth just before it reached her mother and sank them into her throat.
"Momma!" Tara shrieked in horror.
"Anna! No!" her father yelled as watched the creature take her down. Before Huntley could get to his wife, another one leaped from the balcony and landed on a man in front of them as he ran towards the exit. The creature bit the man's arm but it didn't eat the flesh. It only appeared to be draining his blood. When Tara screamed again she caught the creature’s attention and it eyes panned up from its meal. Blood dripped from its mouth.
Unable to move, she stood paralyzed by fear as it growled at her. Without even thinking Huntley grabbed Tara by the arm, pulling her as he headed for the entry way in which they came through. He wanted to get his daughter out of the room before the creatures could kill her too. Not knowing if Anna was still alive or not, he would go back for her once he knew his daughter was safe, but he knew he had to get her out of the room first.
Huntley could not find any handles or knobs on the towering doors. He tried squeezing his fingers between them to pull them apart, but they didn't budge. The lock on other side had been bolted shut.
Fewer screams echoed though the room now as the creatures spread about, feeding on the tourists. While Huntley still searched for a way out, Tara spotted one of them feeding on a young boy. It looked up and fixed its scarlet eyes on Tara. Unsatisfied by its small meal, it tossed the child to the side and lunged for her. The creature ripped the sleeve from her shirt and bit into her shoulder. Tara screamed as the pain seared though her arm. She felt as though someone shoved a hot poker in her shoulder.
"Tara!" Huntley yelled as he thrust his body at the creature. To no avail, he struggled to pull it off her. His actions only angered the creature as he disturbed its prey. Suddenly, the creature let go of Tara and lunged at Huntley. Her father struggled as the blood drinker latched onto him.
Tara screamed in horror as she lay on the ground, twitching and watching her father being ravaged. "Hide Tara!" her father breathed his last words before it plunged its teeth into the base of his neck, "Hide!" he gurgled and then exhaled his last breath.
She wanted to run for the doors at the other end of the room but she could barely move. The pain crippled her as it began to spread through her entire body. She crawled under the large mahogany table next to her and curled into the fetal position. She lay there helpless under the shoving her fist in her mouth to muffle her screams as the fiery venom traveled through her veins.
Tara watched in terror as the creatures took down every last person in the room. They ignored her however. It was as if they couldn't see her or didn't notice she was there. Finally, her vision faded into blackness. The only thing echoing in her head her head over and over were her father's last words to her.
“Hide Tara, Hide!”
Chapter 2 - Fifty-Four Years Later
Present Day: Dartmouth College Campus, New Hampshire
Alice had predicted partly cloudy skies with bouts of sunshine for their trip but for the time being the sky was completely filled with thick gray clouds. Edward and Bella exited the admissions office at McNutt Hall and headed towards the auditorium for a group information session followed by the campus tour at Dartmouth College. It was Bella’s first big trip outside of Forks since her transformation.
Her original plans to attend Dartmouth had been abruptly put on hold the day she discovered she became pregnant with her daughter Renesmee just a little over three years ago while on her honeymoon. Bella had planned to quietly disappear with Edward and start college in the fall after they married. She wanted to spend a little more time as a human with him and enjoy certain aspects of having flesh and blood. She worried that intimacy with Edward would not be the same once she made the transformation into a vampire. Her choices came to a screeching halt though once Renesmee came into her life and she never looked back. It was though she couldn't even remember what life was even like without her. Edward and her daughter were her priority and nothing else mattered. Since Renesmee's development was exceptionally fast, Bella didn't want to miss a moment of her precious life. She spent as much time as she could with her daughter during the day, reserving her nights for her husband.
Renesmee's advancements were astonishing with her first year being the quickest and then progressively slowing down over the last two years. Now her growth only happened in spurts with her last one recently happening over night. Since growing into a young teen (Carlisle estimated she was at the age of 14 or 15 year old) she started becoming much more independent. Bella managed to stop hovering over her so much and Edward finally talked her into finally considering college again. She long sacrificed her own desires to care for her daughter over the last three years, but now that little Renesmee was growing and spending more and more time with Jacob, she felt comfortable with the idea of returning to school again.
Edward and the family helped Bella prepare for this day as best they could also by working on her tolerance to be near so many humans. It was one thing to be around her family and close friends that she cared deeply for, it was another thing to be in a room full of complete strangers that smelled like a blood buffet to her. When her eyes finally shifted from the deep burgundy to a softer golden tone, it allowed her to go out in public. Alice always kept a close eye on Bella's future and didn't foresee any problems but the extra hunting trips always helped.
Their orientation was scheduled to be held in the Spaulding Auditorium. Edward studied the history of the college before they arrived, knowing the auditorium had been named after a prominently wealthy philanthropist and business man that donated a great deal of money to the school. He also knew the man mysteriously disappeared while on a vacation with his family in Italy many years ago.
As they strolled down the corridor Edward squeezed Bella's hand tightly sensing her discomfort. The overwhelming scent of human blood burned Bella's throat as she walked past the rooms filled with students. She felt secure with him at her side, knowing there would be no way she could do this without him. His presence gave her comfort and strength, though she couldn't help but think that a little mood control from Jasper could probably do her wonders right now. Bella knew her first year at a college would be a challenge.
Several newcomers mixed with students in the hall, all hurried to class rooms. Others stood in groups talking amongst themselves. As Bella walked past them, she felt the stares coming from every direction and whispers coming from some of the girls strolling by. A few made comments about her but most of them were noticing Edward. She didn't need to be able to read minds to know they admired him. She choked back several hisses trying to contain her emotions. Jealousy flooded over her when she detected a group of girls ogling at her husband. As the two of them walked by, Bella clearly heard their hearts beats speeding up. She suddenly felt Edward’s arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She wasn't quite sure if he was worried she might bite someone or perhaps that he had another motive for his action. Just then, his face changed and his mouth hardened into a straight line as he tuned in to the minds of a few boys that walked by gawking at Bella. He tried very hard to ignore them.
After leaving the admissions office, they decided to travel on foot across campus, taking advantage of the comfortable cloudy weather that New England offered them for the day. After crossing through the Bedford Courtyard, they entered the large concert hall where Edward stopped just to the right of the entrance pulling Bella tight up against his body. She felt his breath on her ear and neck as he spoke. "So…how are you doing?" he asked.
"Great. As long as I'm with you of course," she tried to sound confident. "How about you, what's with the uh…face?"
"Oh… nothing I can't handle," he sighed. "You know, I remember high school boys being aberrant but I'm realizing how much worse they will be here," he said while scowling at a few more boys in passing. Their thoughts really stood out from the rest. From the corner of her eye, Bella caught one of them staring at her intently. Edward disliked his thoughts the most and he let out a low hiss. The boy walked faster, bolting into the room and sinking into his seat.
Bella wrapped her arms tighter around Edward's waist and stood up on her toes to meet his lips. She reached for his face and concentrated, staring into his golden eyes, opening her loving thoughts to him. His eyes softened. Once she had him melting in her arms she thought about the boy that passed them. She envisioned herself chasing him down the hall as he ran, screaming in terror. "Bella!" he gasped, trying to hide a smile.
"What?" she giggled. "It's just a thought."
As they entered the giant auditorium, Bella counted nine-hundred seats within seconds. The students piled in, finding seats for themselves and Edward searched for a section no one had claimed yet. He chose two seats on the far end, trying to give them a little privacy. He eyed a news paper laying on one of the seats and picked it up, looking at it as he sat down and immediate spotted the heading of the story on front page.
Mysterious disappearance of blood units still baffles police in Local County.
Edward stuck the paper in Bella's book bag just before taking his seat. He listened to the other students while they settled in. Bella continued to eye the room. A podium stood at the front of the room and dozens of multi-color panels covered the ceiling with a multitude of recessed house lights that reminded her of a starlit sky. She counted exactly five hundred and sixty four heart beats in the room. It amazed her how Edward could simply zone out all the voices that ran through his head all day. She imagined it would be extremely distracting while trying to concentrate on a lecture. Edward excelled at it though, having years of practice. Most of it bored him anyway. He had little desire to listen in on the adolescent minds that filled the room and after spending four years in the same high school in Forks, he knew every mind by heart. It all had become very mundane as he described it. It wasn't until Bella had come to Forks that he found any interest to listen in on the minds of all her close friends in attempt to appease his curiosity.
Edward started getting a feel for his new surroundings as he tuned in to the voices. Most of the students were nervous and a little lost in the confusion. Several were far from home and alone for the first time in their lives. The rest sounded like the normal buzz he was used tuning out. Though the voices in the room began to settle as the Dean entered to make his welcoming speech, the noisy thoughts buzzing in Edward's head remained just as loud for him. For Bella, man’s footsteps echoed loudly through the silence. He gave the microphone a quick blow to see if it was on and then began rambling on about the school's background and admissions. She listened intently, trying not to become distracted by delicious aroma that filled the room. It was as though her food called out to her. She immediately shook her head trying to re-focus on the speaker’s voice.
Edward became instantly bored with the Dean's speech, already knowing what he would say even before he begun. When he moved onto the subject of financial aid procedures, Edward faded out for a completely, focusing his attention on something much more interesting to him, his wife. He put his hand over hers, using his intuition to sense what she was feeling. He didn't need to read her mind to know her throat ached from the smells in the room. She smiled at him and held his hand tightly.
Nearly thirty minutes passed. Every now and then, Bella would gaze over at Edward. He continued to stare at her distracting beauty, soaking in every perfect feature. He slid an arm around her shoulder and played with a strand of her hair, twirling it through his fingers. She never grew tired of the intense devotion and attention her always gave her.
As the speaker droned on during his speech, Edward's continued to ignore him. After all, he was there mainly for Bella's benefit; yet through all the chatter in his head, something came through very clear to him - something odd that caught his attention. His body stiffened and he sat up straight. His hand no longer played with Bella's hair and his concentration suddenly became diverted. Bella noticed his peculiar behavior and it made her nervous to watch him scanning the room with a disturbed look on his face. "What's wrong?" she whispered in a completely inaudible tone that only he could hear.
But then Edward did something she didn't expect. He pulled out a pen and wrote on one of the handouts they were given. Not sure. Something's off.
She thought it odd that he didn't speak since humans can't hear them or even see their lips moving. Edward's eyes panned across the room as though he was searching for something… or someone. He shook his head and went back to observing the lecture.
“Maybe it's nothing”, Bella hoped silently in her head.
As the manifold of voices still rambled through his head, something unusual caught his attention again. He sat stern faced for a while and then turned and gave Bella an uneasy look. Then he wrote on the note paper again.
I don't think we're alone.
Bella's eyes narrowed, looking at him even more confused.
Then he wrote again, one single word.
VAMPIRE
Her eyes widened. “What? Who?” She allowed Edward to hear her when she touched his leg and unshielded her mind. She also understood now why he didn't use verbal communication knowing, that a vampire within close range would be able to hear them.
Unsure, but it's a female. He wrote again.
“Jane!” Bella thought instantly and her mind started racing. “The Volturi is here? What could they want now?”She wondered.
Edward wrote another response.
I don't think it's the Volturi. He glanced at Bella to see her expression and she shrugged at him with a worried looked on her face. Edward listened intently for a few more seconds and then put his pen to the paper again.
She's alone.
They patiently waited for the lecture to end. Once it did, they jumped up moving as quickly as they could towards the exit. Edward and Bella stood out in the center of the corridor. He sifted through dozens of voices in passing, listening intently to try and track down the suspect.
"This way," Edward said as he reached for Bella's hand and walked with her down the corridor.
They ended up in an outdoor Courtyard near the main entrance to the museum. Bella spotted the rude boy from earlier, staring at her again along with a couple of his friends. This time Edward wasn't as interested in his glaring peer. "She's out here and she's noticed us," he said. "She's still wondering why we're following."
"Who is she? Is she feeding here?" she wondered.
"I don't think so. She's not thinking about hunting humans at all."
"Well, what is she thinking about then?" Bella wondered.
Edward gave a brief smile. "Actually, right now… she's looking at you." He scanned the area to see if anyone was appeared to be staring at Bella. "...and thinks you're beautiful. Can't argue with that." He winked.
Just then, Bella spotted a young girl standing in the court yard not fifteen feet from them. Her long black hair covered a portion of her face, hiding her flawless pale complexion. The shiny, gold locket that hung around her neck completely stood out against her drab and colorless apparel. Bella clearly saw the initials T.E.S, engraved in the front of it. She blended in well with the other students except for the fact that she appeared almost too young to be a student there. The moment Bella spotted her glaring red eyes however, she knew right away it was her.
"She's about to leave," Edward said.
The girl began moving again. Since the sun began to peek out of the clouds they knew to be careful as they followed her. Edward continued to inform Bella as he listened to the vampire's thoughts. "She just took off into the parking lot," he said.
"I know! I see her," Bella replied.
"You do? Where?" Edward asked as he continued searching.
"Right there!" Bella pointed but Edward saw nothing - nothing but humans, so he thought. She wondered what was wrong with Edward's eyes that he couldn't see the glaring red eyes that stared back at them. Suddenly the vampire was on the move again. "Oh no! She's headed right for that break of sunlight. What's she doing? Is she crazy? She’ll give herself away?"
The girl ran through the parking lot, heading straight at a moving vehicle. She leaped on the hood, startling the driver who instantly slammed on his brakes. Then she stopped abruptly to look back at her followers. The ray of light beamed off her skin in every direction.
"Shoot! Too late! Everyone will notice her now. What should we do? Want me to tackle her? Or I could cause a distraction," Bella suggested.
Edward continued to read the girl's thoughts. "Not necessary. I don't think anyone's going to notice her. They can't see her… just like I can't see her."
"Um, you don't see the shiny girl in the parking lot?" Bella wondered how he could possibly miss her.
"No, and I think I've figured it out. She's able to control my thoughts. She can manipulate them to make me see what she wants about her and she doesn't want to be seen. As usual though, it's not working on you and she's frustrated." Edward understood that feeling all too well. Before he could continue, the girl disappeared running into the nearby forest.
"She's leaving. Do you think we let just her go?" Bella said.
Edward nodded looking out at the forest though he still saw nothing. "Yes, I think it would be best for now. She'll be back. Come on… we're missing the tour." He put his arm around Bella and turned to head back but she continued to stare out towards the far end of the campus where the girl had run off to. The vampire's shimmering figure stood just inside the perimeter of the trees gaping back at her.
****************************************************************************
Edward always knew that buying a property near Dartmouth would be a good investment and he'd purchased one just before they married in the event that they needed to move one day. The purchase came in handy now and he was praising himself for buying the place. They were able to avoid the hassle of a hotel and got to enjoy the comforts of a home and a bed…though there was only one thing they need that commodity for and they made very good use of it that evening.
The following day when they returned to campus, they took a tour of the Hood Museum of Art, located just next to the auditorium. They spent over an hour viewing several of the museum's collections from many ancient cultures and regions of the world.
Suddenly Edward detected the presence of the girl. "She's back," he whispered calmly.
Bella looked around and saw the girl standing in the shadows trying to peek at them from a distance. She seemed more curious than threatening.
"Edward, she's so young, not much bigger than Renesmee." she said feeling sorry for the girl. "How could anyone…well, any vampire even consider doing that to a child?"
"It happens. It's rare though. Many times if one feeds on someone too small they wouldn't even survive," he stated with certainty.
Bella cringed at the thought of it. "That's just horrible."
"Yes, and it's difficult for young ones. As you know, the Volturi would normally step in because they are unable to control their urges. This one seems to be handling herself quite well though, I'm quite impressed. It seems as though she's been mentored at some point in her life. She's very curious about what we're doing here."
As Edward and Bella walked through the museum with their group, the girl followed watching them assiduously. Edward listened to her thoughts intently so he could find out more about her.
"So… none of these people here see her?" Bella asked as the casually walked side by side holding hands.
"No, it's like she's invisible to them."
"Hmmm, well should I…?" Bella thought to suggest she try and shield the girl's powers so Edward will see her.
Edward knew exactly what she was going to suggest. "No, don't. You may startle her if realizes she's no longer concealed. She's hiding for a reason and I'm trying to figure out why. It's okay though, I can hear her and I sort of have a picture of her from her mind. I don’t think she’s as young as you suspect."
"No?"
"No, she's a teenager, about sixteen.” He shook his head. “Her mind is so busy. It's hard to sift through her thoughts. She's unique though…quite rare. She actually has a conscience."
"What do you mean?" Bella
"She doesn't kill. Look…" he said as he dug into her back pack and pulled out the newspaper he found in the conference hall the other day. "She's stealing blood to survive, so she doesn't have to hunt." The paper was folded back to expose the story.
"Okay, but how do you know this is her?" Bella asked as she tapped her finger on the paper.
Edward just gave her a funny look.
"Oh… right," she said. It was obvious he was picking her brain and she felt silly for asking. "So then, is she all alone here?"
"Yes, it appears that way. I think she's been alone a long time."
"How sad," Bella said looking at the girl, feeling sorry for her.
"Yes, she is. She seems to be hiding for a reason though. I haven't quite figured out what it is yet."
She turned back to Edward. "Maybe if we talk to her..." she started to suggest.
"I'm not so sure if we should approach her yet. Not till I'm sure it's safe."
The group of people that were with them finally moved on, leaving Bella and Edward standing in the tiny room alone. When Bella looked back at the corner the girl stood in, she was no longer there. "Hey, where'd she….?" Before she could turn Edward spotted the girl as she came into his view.
"Bella!" Edward snapped, reaching out to protect his wife.
As Bella whipped around, she came face to face with the vampire as she stood only inches from her face. She then leaped back, completely startled by the girl's stealthy maneuver. Edward put his arms protectively around his wife. "You see her now?" she said.
"Clearly," he hissed staring as well. He shoved Bella behind him and stood between them.
The girls red eyes narrowed as she peered at their faces. "Why are you here?" she demanded to know.
Bella curiously peeked around Edward. "We're here to see the museum, and the college, that's all," she replied.
"But why? What are you looking for?" the girl asked.
"We're not looking for anything. We're considering attending," Bella stated plainly.
The girl seemed confused. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what Bella meant. The thought of vampires actually attending a college with other humans intrigued her. She assumed she was the only one of her kind that even attempted to be civilized and though she lived among humans, she never socialized with them. They never even knew she existed there. Edward decided it might be best to introduce them and explain some things to her. "Excuse me," he politely interrupted. "My name is Edward Cullen and this is my wife, Bella.” He gestured to his wife. Bella waved and smiled. “We aren't following you, we're simply taking a tour of the campus and we're only here for the orientation and to view the area, nothing more. I apologize if we alarmed you."
The girl curiously stared at their golden eyes. She'd never seen vampires without red eyes before. "It's our diet that makes our eyes this way," Edward said.
The girl’s expression changed from curious to stunned. "What? How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Uh, sorry. It’s a gift… I read minds. It's just a habit for me to figure people out. I didn't mean to intrude."
She knew a mind reader once, but Edward's gift was unique, requiring no physical contact. She didn't like the intrusion but was too curious about them to care. “Fair enough….so…what kind of diet are you on exactly?" she asked quickly moving onto the next subject. Her head, filled with questions.
"Animals. We're um…vegetarians...so to speak." Edward winked.
She blinked, staring in awe. "Animals? That’s…. all?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"Correct," Edward replied smugly.
"Ew," she grimaced at the thought of it.
Edward and Bella both looked at each other and chuckled. The girl seemed even less harmless now as she displayed very normal behaviors like of a teenager. Edward could see she meant no harm as long as they were of no threat to her.
The thought of animal hunting surprised her though. It made her realize they were not killers and that they were peaceful vampires such as herself. She admired that. Never before had she encountered other vampires that didn't hunt for human blood. One other thing bothered her however. "So how is it you can see me?" She asked Bella, "No one ever sees me, when I don't want them to."
She shrugged. "It’s just what I do. I seem to have immunity to other vampire's abilities. Edward can't even read my mind, unless I allow him to."
"Really?" She blinked absorbing it for a moment. "That’s pretty slick.” she smirked. “I can’t say I've ever seen a gift like that one before. You would surely come in handy in a fight," she added. Having a shield would be a great defense, she thought. Then she paused momentarily and decided to introduce herself. "Well, I'm Tara and you're kinda crowding my home."
"Home? You mean you live here…at the college?" Bella seemed surprised by the idea of it.
"Well, I stay here, yes. Everything I need is here…pretty much."
It all made perfect sense to Edward. She had plenty to occupy the mind at a college. Food was not far off the campus grounds and sleeping wasn't an issue. She could just roam the campus indefinitely. The more Edward thought about it, the more he thought of it as great idea for a vampire. She seemed very intelligent for her age, realizing she must spend hours reading and taking advantage of her resources there. He continued to scan her busy thoughts for as much background as he could, hoping he could provoke some answers if maybe he asked the right questions. "So you're alone here?" he asked.
"Yes." she replied in a tinier voice than before.
Edward caught a glimpse of her family's demise when she ran the memory through her mind. "Ah, there it is…. Uh! Horrible!" he thought.
Tara changed the subject. She didn't like thinking about that part of her life. "You two are not from here are you?" she asked. It was all too obvious to her.
"No we're from a small town in Washington called Forks." Edward didn't think she'd have heard of it but she knew exactly where it was. It surprised him until he realized she had nothing better to do with her time than study. She was full of information.
"Mmm, yes. Well you won't get such generous weather here. You'd be indoors much more than you'd like I think," she said.
"Well, Dartmouth is just a consideration for us. We're planning on touring all of our options. We're not quite sure if we're ready to leave our family behind, but it's good to know what's out there for us, regardless. Also I wanted to expose Bella to the outside world more. Forks isn't exactly the most exciting place. She's stepping out from her new born phase and this is her first trip outside the state."
Edward suddenly realized that was a bit too much information for her. She knew what baby vampires were like and Bella didn't fit the description of one in the least. She also couldn't understand what he meant about having a family. Tara just quietly stood with her arms folded, staring at Edward with disbelief. "Um, I guess that was too much information for you all at once," he admitted.
"Family? Is that what you call your Coven?" It was such an unusual term for a vampire to use, Tara thought.
"Yes. And we do consider them family. There are nine of us total, though two have left for college themselves and only visit occasionally now." Edward was referring to Rosalie and Emmett who were both in Alaska attending college and enjoying some private time away.
"Nine in your coven? That's quite a large uh… family you have," Tara said.
"Yes well, we're all adopted, so-to-say. The eldest, Carlisle is the head of our family. He's like a father to me and his wife Esme is very much like our mother. She's quite the nurturer. Right now she is feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome, especially since we have moved to a little place of our own as well…it's not far from them though."
"Mother and father…?" This all sounded very odd to Tara. "And these pseudo parents of yours… they take in new vampires?"
"That's correct."
"Interesting. I suppose they're all like you then?" she asked.
Edward understood that she referred to their diet of animal blood. "Yes, all like us. We've vowed not to harm humans. We can't help what we are but we don't have hurt anyone. We choose not to," he said.
"Believe me when I say that I understand how difficult that must be for you all. I admire your will power."
"I do believe you, but what about this?" Edward asked, pulling the newspaper from Bella backpack and showed it to her.
Tara looked at the paper, reading the headlines and frowned. She hated to make the news. She knew she needed to be more careful knowing it could blow her cover. Edward was positive now that it was her stealing the blood. She shrugged. "Hmm, well at least no one gets hurt this way." She took the news paper and chucked it in the trash bin in the corner.
"Ah well, you forgot to read the part where they had to call for an emergency blood drive for several accident victims that needed a transfusion. You also draw attention to yourself when you go around stealing like that you know." Edward said, realizing how much he started to sound like Carlisle now.
Tara smirked. "Good observation. I'm not too worried at this point though. They will never find me, plus… there will always be donors," she said.
Edward rolled his eyes realizing she was stubborn like a teen too.
Bella took a liking to Tara. She wished they didn't have to leave her here, all alone in the museum. She grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it tightly.
Edward listened and then turned to her. "We'll see," he spoke softly.
Tara watched, as the two of them communicated. She realized they were having a private conversation and thought maybe she should depart. "Well I guess as long as I know you're not a threat, I should leave you be to finish your tour. I'm sorry if I intimidated you," she said to them deciding to leave.
Edward saw it all clearly now, as she exposed in her mind who she was hiding from. "I was wrong about you," he said. "You are Volturi."
Bella gasped. "What?"
Tara grimaced disliking the mind-reading gift again "Was," she said very frankly.
"Hmm, and you escaped. That's nearly unheard of but I see now how your gift assisted you with your extrication."
Tara looked at Edward fearfully realizing she was completely exposed, unable to hide her thoughts from him and unable to conceal herself from Bella.
Edward sensed her dismay. "Oh no, please…we will never expose you to them. We are trying to avoid the Volturi as well. We actually feared you might be one of them as well, sent to spy on us."
Tara relaxed. "I suppose we share something in common then, don't we?"
"Yes, we do," Edward replied.
Tara started feeling more comfortable with them now, feeling quite sure they wouldn't hurt her and she was very curious to get to know them better. She wondered more about the rest of the family too. She changed her mind about them leaving and instead made them an offer. She liked the company and it had been a long time since she'd been around other vampires. "Well if you would like, I could give you my own personal tour of the museum. I know this place way better than these clowns," she said, referring to the campus guides.
Edward gave her a sly smirk. "I'm quite sure you do. That would be superb. How about you lead the way?" he suggested.
Tara smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she had a reason to but it felt good. She showed them several exhibitions, explaining each one with thorough detail. She knew the museum as well as every other aspect of the campus like the back of her hand. She took them to one of her favorite rooms where they had a large collection of Native American art. She pointed to one of her favorite pieces. It was a ledger drawing of an Indian warrior and a large black wolf.
She spent the next few hours getting to know them, asking Bella dozens of questions until Bella finally decided it was her turn. "So why did you decide to live here?" she asked the girl.
"This is where my mother wanted me to study once I graduated high school. I've been all over the place really but this was home for me originally. I wanted to come back. My mother and I both loved the arts….." she trailed off remembering more of her past.
Edward's cell phone rang while they talked. It was Carlisle replying to Edward's text to call him. He stepped away to take the call privately.
After several minutes, he finally regrouped with them and Bella stared at him curiously wondering who the call was from.
Edward looked right at Tara."That was Carlisle. He seems to know about you already."
Tara remembered them mentioning the one named Carlisle as the head of the family. "You told him about me? You told him I'm here?"
"No, I hadn't said anything. You see… one of our family members Alice, she sees the future and once you exposed yourself to us you became visible to her also. And now, well…."
She waited for him to continue, expecting the worst.
"Alice says you are coming home with us."
"I'm, what?" Tara sounded confused.
Bella smiled. It's what she hoped for. She couldn't didn’t want to go home leaving the young girl here all alone. She knew Carlisle and Esme could help her and they would be more than willing to take her in, especially now that Rosalie and Emmett are gone. It would help fill the void that was present in the home.
Tara’s eye brow popped up. "She says I'm returning to Washington with you?" she said perplexed.
"Yes." Edward replied.
"So... what if I refuse?" she crossed her arms.
"That's certainly your decision if you choose to do so. We would never force you. But the invitation is there."
Tara thought about it. It was an opportunity to have a home, something other than the empty void she'd been living for years.
"Consider this… I do feel we could protect you even more so in Forks. Alice can see if the Volturi are coming. She watches them at all times. You certainly wouldn't have to live in fear anymore." Edward added.
"Oh Tara, I hope you'll consider." Bella smiled at the girl.
It all sounded quite tempting to her now. "Well… when do you leave?" she asked.
He could see she was bending on the idea now. "We’ll be heading back in the morning. I can take care of the tickets immediately to assure we're all on the same flight…if you are interested of course."
"That wouldn't even be necessary." Tara knew she could simply hide herself.
"So is that a yes?" Bella asked with a little excitement in her tone.
"Um…" Tara thought about it, wanting to but worried she might be intruding.
"Whatever makes you comfortable, but the ticket is not a problem for us. And I assure you, you would not be imposing on our family in any way. Your stay can be as temporary or as permanent as you would like it to be. If you ever decide to leave we'll gladly fly you anywhere you like."
Tara couldn't speak. She only displayed and enormous smile and then leaped at him hugging him. If Edward hadn't seen her intentions before she acted, he would have been alarmed.
"We'll take that as a yes," Bella said
Alice had predicted partly cloudy skies with bouts of sunshine for their trip but for the time being the sky was completely filled with thick gray clouds. Edward and Bella exited the admissions office at McNutt Hall and headed towards the auditorium for a group information session followed by the campus tour at Dartmouth College. It was Bella’s first big trip outside of Forks since her transformation.
Her original plans to attend Dartmouth had been abruptly put on hold the day she discovered she became pregnant with her daughter Renesmee just a little over three years ago while on her honeymoon. Bella had planned to quietly disappear with Edward and start college in the fall after they married. She wanted to spend a little more time as a human with him and enjoy certain aspects of having flesh and blood. She worried that intimacy with Edward would not be the same once she made the transformation into a vampire. Her choices came to a screeching halt though once Renesmee came into her life and she never looked back. It was though she couldn't even remember what life was even like without her. Edward and her daughter were her priority and nothing else mattered. Since Renesmee's development was exceptionally fast, Bella didn't want to miss a moment of her precious life. She spent as much time as she could with her daughter during the day, reserving her nights for her husband.
Renesmee's advancements were astonishing with her first year being the quickest and then progressively slowing down over the last two years. Now her growth only happened in spurts with her last one recently happening over night. Since growing into a young teen (Carlisle estimated she was at the age of 14 or 15 year old) she started becoming much more independent. Bella managed to stop hovering over her so much and Edward finally talked her into finally considering college again. She long sacrificed her own desires to care for her daughter over the last three years, but now that little Renesmee was growing and spending more and more time with Jacob, she felt comfortable with the idea of returning to school again.
Edward and the family helped Bella prepare for this day as best they could also by working on her tolerance to be near so many humans. It was one thing to be around her family and close friends that she cared deeply for, it was another thing to be in a room full of complete strangers that smelled like a blood buffet to her. When her eyes finally shifted from the deep burgundy to a softer golden tone, it allowed her to go out in public. Alice always kept a close eye on Bella's future and didn't foresee any problems but the extra hunting trips always helped.
Their orientation was scheduled to be held in the Spaulding Auditorium. Edward studied the history of the college before they arrived, knowing the auditorium had been named after a prominently wealthy philanthropist and business man that donated a great deal of money to the school. He also knew the man mysteriously disappeared while on a vacation with his family in Italy many years ago.
As they strolled down the corridor Edward squeezed Bella's hand tightly sensing her discomfort. The overwhelming scent of human blood burned Bella's throat as she walked past the rooms filled with students. She felt secure with him at her side, knowing there would be no way she could do this without him. His presence gave her comfort and strength, though she couldn't help but think that a little mood control from Jasper could probably do her wonders right now. Bella knew her first year at a college would be a challenge.
Several newcomers mixed with students in the hall, all hurried to class rooms. Others stood in groups talking amongst themselves. As Bella walked past them, she felt the stares coming from every direction and whispers coming from some of the girls strolling by. A few made comments about her but most of them were noticing Edward. She didn't need to be able to read minds to know they admired him. She choked back several hisses trying to contain her emotions. Jealousy flooded over her when she detected a group of girls ogling at her husband. As the two of them walked by, Bella clearly heard their hearts beats speeding up. She suddenly felt Edward’s arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She wasn't quite sure if he was worried she might bite someone or perhaps that he had another motive for his action. Just then, his face changed and his mouth hardened into a straight line as he tuned in to the minds of a few boys that walked by gawking at Bella. He tried very hard to ignore them.
After leaving the admissions office, they decided to travel on foot across campus, taking advantage of the comfortable cloudy weather that New England offered them for the day. After crossing through the Bedford Courtyard, they entered the large concert hall where Edward stopped just to the right of the entrance pulling Bella tight up against his body. She felt his breath on her ear and neck as he spoke. "So…how are you doing?" he asked.
"Great. As long as I'm with you of course," she tried to sound confident. "How about you, what's with the uh…face?"
"Oh… nothing I can't handle," he sighed. "You know, I remember high school boys being aberrant but I'm realizing how much worse they will be here," he said while scowling at a few more boys in passing. Their thoughts really stood out from the rest. From the corner of her eye, Bella caught one of them staring at her intently. Edward disliked his thoughts the most and he let out a low hiss. The boy walked faster, bolting into the room and sinking into his seat.
Bella wrapped her arms tighter around Edward's waist and stood up on her toes to meet his lips. She reached for his face and concentrated, staring into his golden eyes, opening her loving thoughts to him. His eyes softened. Once she had him melting in her arms she thought about the boy that passed them. She envisioned herself chasing him down the hall as he ran, screaming in terror. "Bella!" he gasped, trying to hide a smile.
"What?" she giggled. "It's just a thought."
As they entered the giant auditorium, Bella counted nine-hundred seats within seconds. The students piled in, finding seats for themselves and Edward searched for a section no one had claimed yet. He chose two seats on the far end, trying to give them a little privacy. He eyed a news paper laying on one of the seats and picked it up, looking at it as he sat down and immediate spotted the heading of the story on front page.
Mysterious disappearance of blood units still baffles police in Local County.
Edward stuck the paper in Bella's book bag just before taking his seat. He listened to the other students while they settled in. Bella continued to eye the room. A podium stood at the front of the room and dozens of multi-color panels covered the ceiling with a multitude of recessed house lights that reminded her of a starlit sky. She counted exactly five hundred and sixty four heart beats in the room. It amazed her how Edward could simply zone out all the voices that ran through his head all day. She imagined it would be extremely distracting while trying to concentrate on a lecture. Edward excelled at it though, having years of practice. Most of it bored him anyway. He had little desire to listen in on the adolescent minds that filled the room and after spending four years in the same high school in Forks, he knew every mind by heart. It all had become very mundane as he described it. It wasn't until Bella had come to Forks that he found any interest to listen in on the minds of all her close friends in attempt to appease his curiosity.
Edward started getting a feel for his new surroundings as he tuned in to the voices. Most of the students were nervous and a little lost in the confusion. Several were far from home and alone for the first time in their lives. The rest sounded like the normal buzz he was used tuning out. Though the voices in the room began to settle as the Dean entered to make his welcoming speech, the noisy thoughts buzzing in Edward's head remained just as loud for him. For Bella, man’s footsteps echoed loudly through the silence. He gave the microphone a quick blow to see if it was on and then began rambling on about the school's background and admissions. She listened intently, trying not to become distracted by delicious aroma that filled the room. It was as though her food called out to her. She immediately shook her head trying to re-focus on the speaker’s voice.
Edward became instantly bored with the Dean's speech, already knowing what he would say even before he begun. When he moved onto the subject of financial aid procedures, Edward faded out for a completely, focusing his attention on something much more interesting to him, his wife. He put his hand over hers, using his intuition to sense what she was feeling. He didn't need to read her mind to know her throat ached from the smells in the room. She smiled at him and held his hand tightly.
Nearly thirty minutes passed. Every now and then, Bella would gaze over at Edward. He continued to stare at her distracting beauty, soaking in every perfect feature. He slid an arm around her shoulder and played with a strand of her hair, twirling it through his fingers. She never grew tired of the intense devotion and attention her always gave her.
As the speaker droned on during his speech, Edward's continued to ignore him. After all, he was there mainly for Bella's benefit; yet through all the chatter in his head, something came through very clear to him - something odd that caught his attention. His body stiffened and he sat up straight. His hand no longer played with Bella's hair and his concentration suddenly became diverted. Bella noticed his peculiar behavior and it made her nervous to watch him scanning the room with a disturbed look on his face. "What's wrong?" she whispered in a completely inaudible tone that only he could hear.
But then Edward did something she didn't expect. He pulled out a pen and wrote on one of the handouts they were given. Not sure. Something's off.
She thought it odd that he didn't speak since humans can't hear them or even see their lips moving. Edward's eyes panned across the room as though he was searching for something… or someone. He shook his head and went back to observing the lecture.
“Maybe it's nothing”, Bella hoped silently in her head.
As the manifold of voices still rambled through his head, something unusual caught his attention again. He sat stern faced for a while and then turned and gave Bella an uneasy look. Then he wrote on the note paper again.
I don't think we're alone.
Bella's eyes narrowed, looking at him even more confused.
Then he wrote again, one single word.
VAMPIRE
Her eyes widened. “What? Who?” She allowed Edward to hear her when she touched his leg and unshielded her mind. She also understood now why he didn't use verbal communication knowing, that a vampire within close range would be able to hear them.
Unsure, but it's a female. He wrote again.
“Jane!” Bella thought instantly and her mind started racing. “The Volturi is here? What could they want now?”She wondered.
Edward wrote another response.
I don't think it's the Volturi. He glanced at Bella to see her expression and she shrugged at him with a worried looked on her face. Edward listened intently for a few more seconds and then put his pen to the paper again.
She's alone.
They patiently waited for the lecture to end. Once it did, they jumped up moving as quickly as they could towards the exit. Edward and Bella stood out in the center of the corridor. He sifted through dozens of voices in passing, listening intently to try and track down the suspect.
"This way," Edward said as he reached for Bella's hand and walked with her down the corridor.
They ended up in an outdoor Courtyard near the main entrance to the museum. Bella spotted the rude boy from earlier, staring at her again along with a couple of his friends. This time Edward wasn't as interested in his glaring peer. "She's out here and she's noticed us," he said. "She's still wondering why we're following."
"Who is she? Is she feeding here?" she wondered.
"I don't think so. She's not thinking about hunting humans at all."
"Well, what is she thinking about then?" Bella wondered.
Edward gave a brief smile. "Actually, right now… she's looking at you." He scanned the area to see if anyone was appeared to be staring at Bella. "...and thinks you're beautiful. Can't argue with that." He winked.
Just then, Bella spotted a young girl standing in the court yard not fifteen feet from them. Her long black hair covered a portion of her face, hiding her flawless pale complexion. The shiny, gold locket that hung around her neck completely stood out against her drab and colorless apparel. Bella clearly saw the initials T.E.S, engraved in the front of it. She blended in well with the other students except for the fact that she appeared almost too young to be a student there. The moment Bella spotted her glaring red eyes however, she knew right away it was her.
"She's about to leave," Edward said.
The girl began moving again. Since the sun began to peek out of the clouds they knew to be careful as they followed her. Edward continued to inform Bella as he listened to the vampire's thoughts. "She just took off into the parking lot," he said.
"I know! I see her," Bella replied.
"You do? Where?" Edward asked as he continued searching.
"Right there!" Bella pointed but Edward saw nothing - nothing but humans, so he thought. She wondered what was wrong with Edward's eyes that he couldn't see the glaring red eyes that stared back at them. Suddenly the vampire was on the move again. "Oh no! She's headed right for that break of sunlight. What's she doing? Is she crazy? She’ll give herself away?"
The girl ran through the parking lot, heading straight at a moving vehicle. She leaped on the hood, startling the driver who instantly slammed on his brakes. Then she stopped abruptly to look back at her followers. The ray of light beamed off her skin in every direction.
"Shoot! Too late! Everyone will notice her now. What should we do? Want me to tackle her? Or I could cause a distraction," Bella suggested.
Edward continued to read the girl's thoughts. "Not necessary. I don't think anyone's going to notice her. They can't see her… just like I can't see her."
"Um, you don't see the shiny girl in the parking lot?" Bella wondered how he could possibly miss her.
"No, and I think I've figured it out. She's able to control my thoughts. She can manipulate them to make me see what she wants about her and she doesn't want to be seen. As usual though, it's not working on you and she's frustrated." Edward understood that feeling all too well. Before he could continue, the girl disappeared running into the nearby forest.
"She's leaving. Do you think we let just her go?" Bella said.
Edward nodded looking out at the forest though he still saw nothing. "Yes, I think it would be best for now. She'll be back. Come on… we're missing the tour." He put his arm around Bella and turned to head back but she continued to stare out towards the far end of the campus where the girl had run off to. The vampire's shimmering figure stood just inside the perimeter of the trees gaping back at her.
****************************************************************************
Edward always knew that buying a property near Dartmouth would be a good investment and he'd purchased one just before they married in the event that they needed to move one day. The purchase came in handy now and he was praising himself for buying the place. They were able to avoid the hassle of a hotel and got to enjoy the comforts of a home and a bed…though there was only one thing they need that commodity for and they made very good use of it that evening.
The following day when they returned to campus, they took a tour of the Hood Museum of Art, located just next to the auditorium. They spent over an hour viewing several of the museum's collections from many ancient cultures and regions of the world.
Suddenly Edward detected the presence of the girl. "She's back," he whispered calmly.
Bella looked around and saw the girl standing in the shadows trying to peek at them from a distance. She seemed more curious than threatening.
"Edward, she's so young, not much bigger than Renesmee." she said feeling sorry for the girl. "How could anyone…well, any vampire even consider doing that to a child?"
"It happens. It's rare though. Many times if one feeds on someone too small they wouldn't even survive," he stated with certainty.
Bella cringed at the thought of it. "That's just horrible."
"Yes, and it's difficult for young ones. As you know, the Volturi would normally step in because they are unable to control their urges. This one seems to be handling herself quite well though, I'm quite impressed. It seems as though she's been mentored at some point in her life. She's very curious about what we're doing here."
As Edward and Bella walked through the museum with their group, the girl followed watching them assiduously. Edward listened to her thoughts intently so he could find out more about her.
"So… none of these people here see her?" Bella asked as the casually walked side by side holding hands.
"No, it's like she's invisible to them."
"Hmmm, well should I…?" Bella thought to suggest she try and shield the girl's powers so Edward will see her.
Edward knew exactly what she was going to suggest. "No, don't. You may startle her if realizes she's no longer concealed. She's hiding for a reason and I'm trying to figure out why. It's okay though, I can hear her and I sort of have a picture of her from her mind. I don’t think she’s as young as you suspect."
"No?"
"No, she's a teenager, about sixteen.” He shook his head. “Her mind is so busy. It's hard to sift through her thoughts. She's unique though…quite rare. She actually has a conscience."
"What do you mean?" Bella
"She doesn't kill. Look…" he said as he dug into her back pack and pulled out the newspaper he found in the conference hall the other day. "She's stealing blood to survive, so she doesn't have to hunt." The paper was folded back to expose the story.
"Okay, but how do you know this is her?" Bella asked as she tapped her finger on the paper.
Edward just gave her a funny look.
"Oh… right," she said. It was obvious he was picking her brain and she felt silly for asking. "So then, is she all alone here?"
"Yes, it appears that way. I think she's been alone a long time."
"How sad," Bella said looking at the girl, feeling sorry for her.
"Yes, she is. She seems to be hiding for a reason though. I haven't quite figured out what it is yet."
She turned back to Edward. "Maybe if we talk to her..." she started to suggest.
"I'm not so sure if we should approach her yet. Not till I'm sure it's safe."
The group of people that were with them finally moved on, leaving Bella and Edward standing in the tiny room alone. When Bella looked back at the corner the girl stood in, she was no longer there. "Hey, where'd she….?" Before she could turn Edward spotted the girl as she came into his view.
"Bella!" Edward snapped, reaching out to protect his wife.
As Bella whipped around, she came face to face with the vampire as she stood only inches from her face. She then leaped back, completely startled by the girl's stealthy maneuver. Edward put his arms protectively around his wife. "You see her now?" she said.
"Clearly," he hissed staring as well. He shoved Bella behind him and stood between them.
The girls red eyes narrowed as she peered at their faces. "Why are you here?" she demanded to know.
Bella curiously peeked around Edward. "We're here to see the museum, and the college, that's all," she replied.
"But why? What are you looking for?" the girl asked.
"We're not looking for anything. We're considering attending," Bella stated plainly.
The girl seemed confused. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what Bella meant. The thought of vampires actually attending a college with other humans intrigued her. She assumed she was the only one of her kind that even attempted to be civilized and though she lived among humans, she never socialized with them. They never even knew she existed there. Edward decided it might be best to introduce them and explain some things to her. "Excuse me," he politely interrupted. "My name is Edward Cullen and this is my wife, Bella.” He gestured to his wife. Bella waved and smiled. “We aren't following you, we're simply taking a tour of the campus and we're only here for the orientation and to view the area, nothing more. I apologize if we alarmed you."
The girl curiously stared at their golden eyes. She'd never seen vampires without red eyes before. "It's our diet that makes our eyes this way," Edward said.
The girl’s expression changed from curious to stunned. "What? How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Uh, sorry. It’s a gift… I read minds. It's just a habit for me to figure people out. I didn't mean to intrude."
She knew a mind reader once, but Edward's gift was unique, requiring no physical contact. She didn't like the intrusion but was too curious about them to care. “Fair enough….so…what kind of diet are you on exactly?" she asked quickly moving onto the next subject. Her head, filled with questions.
"Animals. We're um…vegetarians...so to speak." Edward winked.
She blinked, staring in awe. "Animals? That’s…. all?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"Correct," Edward replied smugly.
"Ew," she grimaced at the thought of it.
Edward and Bella both looked at each other and chuckled. The girl seemed even less harmless now as she displayed very normal behaviors like of a teenager. Edward could see she meant no harm as long as they were of no threat to her.
The thought of animal hunting surprised her though. It made her realize they were not killers and that they were peaceful vampires such as herself. She admired that. Never before had she encountered other vampires that didn't hunt for human blood. One other thing bothered her however. "So how is it you can see me?" She asked Bella, "No one ever sees me, when I don't want them to."
She shrugged. "It’s just what I do. I seem to have immunity to other vampire's abilities. Edward can't even read my mind, unless I allow him to."
"Really?" She blinked absorbing it for a moment. "That’s pretty slick.” she smirked. “I can’t say I've ever seen a gift like that one before. You would surely come in handy in a fight," she added. Having a shield would be a great defense, she thought. Then she paused momentarily and decided to introduce herself. "Well, I'm Tara and you're kinda crowding my home."
"Home? You mean you live here…at the college?" Bella seemed surprised by the idea of it.
"Well, I stay here, yes. Everything I need is here…pretty much."
It all made perfect sense to Edward. She had plenty to occupy the mind at a college. Food was not far off the campus grounds and sleeping wasn't an issue. She could just roam the campus indefinitely. The more Edward thought about it, the more he thought of it as great idea for a vampire. She seemed very intelligent for her age, realizing she must spend hours reading and taking advantage of her resources there. He continued to scan her busy thoughts for as much background as he could, hoping he could provoke some answers if maybe he asked the right questions. "So you're alone here?" he asked.
"Yes." she replied in a tinier voice than before.
Edward caught a glimpse of her family's demise when she ran the memory through her mind. "Ah, there it is…. Uh! Horrible!" he thought.
Tara changed the subject. She didn't like thinking about that part of her life. "You two are not from here are you?" she asked. It was all too obvious to her.
"No we're from a small town in Washington called Forks." Edward didn't think she'd have heard of it but she knew exactly where it was. It surprised him until he realized she had nothing better to do with her time than study. She was full of information.
"Mmm, yes. Well you won't get such generous weather here. You'd be indoors much more than you'd like I think," she said.
"Well, Dartmouth is just a consideration for us. We're planning on touring all of our options. We're not quite sure if we're ready to leave our family behind, but it's good to know what's out there for us, regardless. Also I wanted to expose Bella to the outside world more. Forks isn't exactly the most exciting place. She's stepping out from her new born phase and this is her first trip outside the state."
Edward suddenly realized that was a bit too much information for her. She knew what baby vampires were like and Bella didn't fit the description of one in the least. She also couldn't understand what he meant about having a family. Tara just quietly stood with her arms folded, staring at Edward with disbelief. "Um, I guess that was too much information for you all at once," he admitted.
"Family? Is that what you call your Coven?" It was such an unusual term for a vampire to use, Tara thought.
"Yes. And we do consider them family. There are nine of us total, though two have left for college themselves and only visit occasionally now." Edward was referring to Rosalie and Emmett who were both in Alaska attending college and enjoying some private time away.
"Nine in your coven? That's quite a large uh… family you have," Tara said.
"Yes well, we're all adopted, so-to-say. The eldest, Carlisle is the head of our family. He's like a father to me and his wife Esme is very much like our mother. She's quite the nurturer. Right now she is feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome, especially since we have moved to a little place of our own as well…it's not far from them though."
"Mother and father…?" This all sounded very odd to Tara. "And these pseudo parents of yours… they take in new vampires?"
"That's correct."
"Interesting. I suppose they're all like you then?" she asked.
Edward understood that she referred to their diet of animal blood. "Yes, all like us. We've vowed not to harm humans. We can't help what we are but we don't have hurt anyone. We choose not to," he said.
"Believe me when I say that I understand how difficult that must be for you all. I admire your will power."
"I do believe you, but what about this?" Edward asked, pulling the newspaper from Bella backpack and showed it to her.
Tara looked at the paper, reading the headlines and frowned. She hated to make the news. She knew she needed to be more careful knowing it could blow her cover. Edward was positive now that it was her stealing the blood. She shrugged. "Hmm, well at least no one gets hurt this way." She took the news paper and chucked it in the trash bin in the corner.
"Ah well, you forgot to read the part where they had to call for an emergency blood drive for several accident victims that needed a transfusion. You also draw attention to yourself when you go around stealing like that you know." Edward said, realizing how much he started to sound like Carlisle now.
Tara smirked. "Good observation. I'm not too worried at this point though. They will never find me, plus… there will always be donors," she said.
Edward rolled his eyes realizing she was stubborn like a teen too.
Bella took a liking to Tara. She wished they didn't have to leave her here, all alone in the museum. She grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it tightly.
Edward listened and then turned to her. "We'll see," he spoke softly.
Tara watched, as the two of them communicated. She realized they were having a private conversation and thought maybe she should depart. "Well I guess as long as I know you're not a threat, I should leave you be to finish your tour. I'm sorry if I intimidated you," she said to them deciding to leave.
Edward saw it all clearly now, as she exposed in her mind who she was hiding from. "I was wrong about you," he said. "You are Volturi."
Bella gasped. "What?"
Tara grimaced disliking the mind-reading gift again "Was," she said very frankly.
"Hmm, and you escaped. That's nearly unheard of but I see now how your gift assisted you with your extrication."
Tara looked at Edward fearfully realizing she was completely exposed, unable to hide her thoughts from him and unable to conceal herself from Bella.
Edward sensed her dismay. "Oh no, please…we will never expose you to them. We are trying to avoid the Volturi as well. We actually feared you might be one of them as well, sent to spy on us."
Tara relaxed. "I suppose we share something in common then, don't we?"
"Yes, we do," Edward replied.
Tara started feeling more comfortable with them now, feeling quite sure they wouldn't hurt her and she was very curious to get to know them better. She wondered more about the rest of the family too. She changed her mind about them leaving and instead made them an offer. She liked the company and it had been a long time since she'd been around other vampires. "Well if you would like, I could give you my own personal tour of the museum. I know this place way better than these clowns," she said, referring to the campus guides.
Edward gave her a sly smirk. "I'm quite sure you do. That would be superb. How about you lead the way?" he suggested.
Tara smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she had a reason to but it felt good. She showed them several exhibitions, explaining each one with thorough detail. She knew the museum as well as every other aspect of the campus like the back of her hand. She took them to one of her favorite rooms where they had a large collection of Native American art. She pointed to one of her favorite pieces. It was a ledger drawing of an Indian warrior and a large black wolf.
She spent the next few hours getting to know them, asking Bella dozens of questions until Bella finally decided it was her turn. "So why did you decide to live here?" she asked the girl.
"This is where my mother wanted me to study once I graduated high school. I've been all over the place really but this was home for me originally. I wanted to come back. My mother and I both loved the arts….." she trailed off remembering more of her past.
Edward's cell phone rang while they talked. It was Carlisle replying to Edward's text to call him. He stepped away to take the call privately.
After several minutes, he finally regrouped with them and Bella stared at him curiously wondering who the call was from.
Edward looked right at Tara."That was Carlisle. He seems to know about you already."
Tara remembered them mentioning the one named Carlisle as the head of the family. "You told him about me? You told him I'm here?"
"No, I hadn't said anything. You see… one of our family members Alice, she sees the future and once you exposed yourself to us you became visible to her also. And now, well…."
She waited for him to continue, expecting the worst.
"Alice says you are coming home with us."
"I'm, what?" Tara sounded confused.
Bella smiled. It's what she hoped for. She couldn't didn’t want to go home leaving the young girl here all alone. She knew Carlisle and Esme could help her and they would be more than willing to take her in, especially now that Rosalie and Emmett are gone. It would help fill the void that was present in the home.
Tara’s eye brow popped up. "She says I'm returning to Washington with you?" she said perplexed.
"Yes." Edward replied.
"So... what if I refuse?" she crossed her arms.
"That's certainly your decision if you choose to do so. We would never force you. But the invitation is there."
Tara thought about it. It was an opportunity to have a home, something other than the empty void she'd been living for years.
"Consider this… I do feel we could protect you even more so in Forks. Alice can see if the Volturi are coming. She watches them at all times. You certainly wouldn't have to live in fear anymore." Edward added.
"Oh Tara, I hope you'll consider." Bella smiled at the girl.
It all sounded quite tempting to her now. "Well… when do you leave?" she asked.
He could see she was bending on the idea now. "We’ll be heading back in the morning. I can take care of the tickets immediately to assure we're all on the same flight…if you are interested of course."
"That wouldn't even be necessary." Tara knew she could simply hide herself.
"So is that a yes?" Bella asked with a little excitement in her tone.
"Um…" Tara thought about it, wanting to but worried she might be intruding.
"Whatever makes you comfortable, but the ticket is not a problem for us. And I assure you, you would not be imposing on our family in any way. Your stay can be as temporary or as permanent as you would like it to be. If you ever decide to leave we'll gladly fly you anywhere you like."
Tara couldn't speak. She only displayed and enormous smile and then leaped at him hugging him. If Edward hadn't seen her intentions before she acted, he would have been alarmed.
"We'll take that as a yes," Bella said
Chapter 3 - Forks
Bella saved many of her stories for the long flight. She filled Tara in on the Cullen family and their history, carefully avoiding certain details of events that she felt should be protected for the time being.
She didn't mention their involvement with the wolves, nor did she tell her about their past dealings with the Volturi. She also held back on telling Tara about Renesmee. Bella wasn't quite sure how she might react to the news of their half-human, half-vampire daughter. She felt that chapter of their lives might be best kept for a later time.
Tara took great interest in the account of Bella and Edward's love for one another. She became completely absorbed in all the details as Bella described her move to Forks, meeting Edward and the rest of the Cullens. She told her about all the times when Edward saved her life, from Tyler's speeding van to her near attack in Port Angeles and she even told her about their encounter with James, explaining how she nearly died when he bit her. Bella gave no more stories past that point and allowed her to absorb it all, leaving the rest for another time. Tara automatically assumed it was James that turned Bella, never questioning otherwise.
"That's absolutely incredible. I mean, your story would really make a great book…fictional of course," Tara said to them.
"Of course," Bella winked.
Heavy rain and dense clouds greeted them when they arrived in Forks. Alice showed up at the airport to pick them up. She came alone knowing there would be three of them arriving and needed the extra seat space. As the trio came into view she cheerfully pranced over to meet them at baggage claim giving Bella the first and biggest hug. "I totally missed you guys!" her voice sung.
Bella rolled her eyes at her. "Really Alice… it's only been a few days."
"I know but I've been thinking about what it would be like if you actually lived there… you know… all the way across the country….far, far away….at college." She put on her best pouty face not liking the idea of them leaving Forks to attend college. It was hard enough having Rosalie and Emmett gone, she didn't want to lose them too so when Edward and Bella began touring some of the more distant colleges she started laying the guilt on quite heavily.
Tara peeked out from behind Edward and Bella and once Alice’s eyes quickly spotted the girl, her frown lifted. She was excited to finally meet the girl she’d seen in her visions. "Hello Tara, I'm Alice!" She gave the girl an overly friendly hug. The second she stepped back and took a good look at Tara's frumpy attire, the fashion Nazi began to ramble on in her mind about the girl's appearance. "Ugh! Geeze Edward, you sure can pick em! I see her and Bella even have the same fashion secrets. Well, looks like I have more work to do…Hmmm, bet she's a size four…Oooh, that lacy pink dress I just bought would be darling on her!"
Edward just groaned. Bella stifled a chuckle as her instincts told her that Alice was already plotting something. She clearly had that look in her eye that said "a make-over is coming".
Tara remembered Alice from Bella's stories. "So…I hear you can see the future. You see anything good in store for me here?"
“Oh I already see a new wardrobe in your future,” Alice rambled on in her head.
"Uh, Alice?" Edward nudged her.
"Oh…um, hmm well, I already know you are gonna love it here in Forks with us," she said sweetly. "…but other than that, your future seems very cloudy now for some reason. That's so odd." Alice looked a little frustrated by her inability to see Tara's future.
"Really? Well, I suppose that just means I'm not very exciting," She shrugged. Tara thought perhaps her life was too boring for Alice to read. After all this time, nothing extraordinary has ever happened to her, so why should moving to a town like Forks make any difference, she assumed.
As requested, Alice drove Edward's car for the ride. Edward and Bella packed very light, sharing only one suitcase between them and Tara only brought a small backpack, containing a few sketch books and her iPod. It was all she owned.
Knowing Edward would insist on driving home, Alice strategically placed several brochures for the University of Seattle and a few other local colleges on both front seats. Bella grabbed hers off the seat first, gazing at it with a smirk on her face.
Once Edward opened his door, he also noticed one on his seat. He grinned then shoved them in the center console. "Nice one Alice," he said.
"Oh, well I'm not worried anymore. You guys are staying here. I'm positive of it now," Alice said smugly after confirming their future.
When Edward pulled into the driveway at the Cullen home, he leaped out and zipped around to open the doors for each of the girls. Tara stepped out of the car and nervously scanned her surroundings, absorbing in all the new sights and smells. She detected an unfamiliar scent in the air and thought perhaps it could be an animal nearby. Bella and Edward mentioned something about mountain lions but she thought it smelled more like a coyote. When Edward scanned her thoughts he suddenly realized they would need to fill her in on a few things right away. He then led her home to meet the rest of family that eagerly waited for them. Esme and Carlisle stood in the great room as they entered both smiling. Esme instantly greeted her with a warm hug. The idea of having a new addition to the family thrilled her. "Hello Tara, I'm Esme and this is my husband Carlisle."
Carlisle nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Forks. Please… make yourself at home."
"Thanks. I really appreciate your hospitality I've heard so much about you on the trip here."
Just then, another vampire strolled towards them, stopping alongside Alice. "You must be Jasper," Tara said, remembering from Bella’s stories.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he nodded. He was just glad they didn't bring a human home.
"So, how about a tour?" Esme offered. "I can show you all the rooms. We have a couple extra you can use if you just need some privacy."
"That sounds great." She smiled."You're both so kind. I can see why Edward and Bella speak so highly of you both."
Edward knew she felt pretty good about coming with them now. He could see that was taking to Esme right away. Her warm smile and benevolent demeanor made her very likable.
As Esme walked Tara through the entire house, showing her every room, they stopped at Edward's old room. The walls had been repainted a soft crème color with lavender trim and a floral border wrapping around the perimeter of the ceiling. A Rembrandt painting hung alone on one wall, while two botanical ones hung on the adjacent wall, accenting the color scheme. A new Bose system replaced Edward's old one. Several stacks of CDs sat on a shelf next to it, neatly arranged in perfect alphabetical order. The neighboring shelves contained piles of books, all neatly alphabetized as well. A dresser stood in the corner, with a purple lamp on top of it. Behind the closet door was a variety girls' clothing. Last but not least, Tara noticed the frilly canopy twin bed, centered in the room and neatly made with giant lacy pillows propped half way down the lavender bed spread.
“Very girly,” she thought. Tara didn't bother to ask why it was there since three of the other rooms also had beds as well. She assumed they belonged to the couples, but didn't bother to inquire about it knowing vampires needed privacy at times.
As she strolled through the house with the family, she kept looking at their eyes. It fascinated her. "So you're all on this animal diet I see."
"Yes, that's correct," Carlisle answered. "We've all vowed not to kill humans."
"I've never heard of such a way of life. But… you're a physician, so why don't you just consume human blood like I do? You have access to it so easily."
"It's much harder to control urges when you live among humans. We've weaned ourselves off human blood to decrease the risk of accidents. I believe it's more tempting to fall off the wagon, so-to-speak, if you're consuming it every day."
She shrugged. "I don't find it so hard. Every city has a hospital and as long as I have a food source, I'm fine," she spoke quite sure of herself.
"And if you're not..?" he pondered.
"Well, ah…” Her eyes panned down. “I have resorted to an animal or two in the past. Guess you gotta do what you gotta do, ya know?" she admitted.
Carlisle admired her willpower to abstain from humans completely on her own. "It's not so bad really. It also gives you the sport of the hunt. Animal prey is a bit more challenging, not much, but they are faster and have better senses then humans, so the hunt is much more thrilling for us."
She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, except they kinda taste like crap."
Jasper snickered at her comment, making the others giggle as well. He liked the new girl already.
"Yes well, you get used to it," Carlisle replied with a chuckle. "Trust me, the game here is pretty good and a carnivore's blood is a lot closer to human blood."
"Oh…” She sounded a little disappointed. “So I guess that means you won't be hooking me up while I'm here then?" After she found out he was a physician, she hoped she would no longer need to steal her food any longer. But as it looked now he wasn't about to help her in the way she had thought.
He patted her shoulder. "We'll have to work on you, I see."
They finally finished the tour out in the garage where Alice took the opportunity to proudly show off her shiny yellow Porsche. Tara's favorite item however, was the black motorcycle next to it. It happened to be the same one that Edward purchased to go riding with Bella. He never used it even once. Jasper assumed ownership of it when Edward abandoned the idea of riding with Bella. Tara looked over at Edward with a childish grin hoping she could take the bike for a ride some time. The face she made, reminded Edward of one Renesmee would make when she wanted something.
"So, what do you think?" Bella asked, hoping Tara started to feel more comfortable. She remembered her first visit to the Cullen home and how much she really wanted to feel accepted by them, hoping they had achieved that with Tara as well.
"Your home is beautiful. I just love how open and spacious it is." Tara noted. "There's just one thing I can't seem to figure out though."
"Uh-oh". Edward thought as he scanned Tara's head again.
"What is it Tara?" Esme hoped there was nothing wrong.
"Well, please don't be offended but, what is that peculiar… odor?"Tara stressed the last word trying not to be rude, but she really didn't refer to it as a good smell.
“Damn!” Edward thought, as he picked up on the voices that came from the forest. He knew exactly what odor she referred to now.
Bella touched her hand to her face as she started realize what she meant also. "Oh yeah… that."
Jacob got news of the new vampire in town and wanted to scope things out. Even though she was a guest of the Cullens, the treaty didn't apply to her and he needed to see for himself if she could be trusted in Forks. He and Renesmee were together and headed straight for the open garage door. Renesmee squealed and laughed as she held on to the scruff of Jacob's neck while riding on his back.
Tara's eyes widened with fear as she watched the enormous reddish-brown wolf barreling in her direction. She only heard about the stories of werewolves but never actually saw one, nor was she sure they even existed - until now. She hissed, leaping in the air like a cat and hurling her body backwards and landing on Alice's Porsche. Her feet made crushing dent in the hood.
"No! Not my car!" Alice screamed as she jumped right in front of Jacob, stopping him in his tracks. "You stupid dog! Look what you did! Why did you have to show up looking like that?" she fumed.
"Oops"! Renesmee thought as she slid off his back with an enormously guilty look on her face. "Sorry Alice," she apologized, since it was all her idea. Jacob just barked a wolfly laugh.
Edward stifled back a laugh himself. He couldn't help but be tickled by his daughter, even when she misbehaved a little. She wanted to run over and give her parents a hug but Edward shook his head at her as soon as she thought about it, letting her know to hold off until it was safe.
Just then, everyone noticed - Tara had disappeared.
“What the… where'd she go?” Jacob thought.
Edward knew she only cloaked as a defensive tactic.
Two more wolves, Leah and Seth strolled in together, overhearing the commotion.
Bella, the only one who could still see Tara, tried to convince her to come down from Alice's car as she stood there frozen in a crouched position, barring her teeth. Seth and Leah both looked at her like she lost her mind. Though they couldn't speak, they communicated telepathically.
“So umm, why is Bella talking to Alice's car?” Leah wondered.
“Whoa! Did Bella do that to her Porsche! Man, Alice looks pissed too!” Seth thought.
“Hey where's the new blood-sucker at?” Leah asked.
“She was just here! She must've run off.” Jacob answered.
“Oh great, now we'll have to track her,” Leah complained.
"She hasn't left. She's on the car, that's who Bella's speaking to." Edward explained after reading their thoughts. They all looked at him as though he were crazy now too.
"Tara, could you please stop doing that. They won't hurt you but they do need to see you," Edward said.
"No! What are you all mad!" she thought to Edward.
"It's okay Tara, you can come down. They're friends of ours. They didn't come to hurt you. They just wanted to meet you," Bella said, trying to convince her.
"Friends? With werewolves? But why? They kill our kind!" Tara remembered the stories she heard about werewolves many years ago. She thought they were only legends though.
Jacob started to step towards the car to get a closer look and she backed up further up onto the roof of the Porsche. Flicks of yellow paint fluttered to the ground.
"That's it dog! You owe me a paint job!" Alice growled at Jacob, pointing out the dents and scratches on her car.
"They aren't real werewolves, they are shape-shifters. They are protectors here in this area and they only came to make sure you aren't here to hunt humans. We are totally at peace with this Pack. They won't hurt you. I promise," Edward explained.
Bella held her hand out to Tara, still trying to coax her down. She worried more about the physical harm Alice might do to Jacob if she stayed up there any longer. Everyone needed to refocus their eyes for a minute as Tara came into view again, stunning everyone.
“Wow, and I thought the others were freaky!” Jacob thought.
She finally leaped off but remained close to Bella. Esme came over and put her arm around her.
Everyone just stared for a moment to wait and see what the girl would do next. Tara just glared at Jacob, watching his every move until her attention was distracted by the girl he was with. She noticed the young teen's remarkable beauty but also something else, something unusual - her skin. It was less pale than the others and her scent seemed all wrong - more human, but not entirely. When Tara heard the sound of a pounding heart beat she counted. To her surprise however, there were a total of four!
Jacob took notice to Tara's darting stare. He tensed up, nudging Renesmee to get behind him. Tara wondered if she was human but when she turned to Bella to ask, she suddenly noticed the resemblance in both their features. She did a double take just before turning to Edward and noticing the same thing and gasped in disbelief.
"What…what IS she?" Tara asked.
Edward decided to explain, since he knew every thought in her mind. "Tara, I know you have a lot of questions. I think it would be best if we took this inside so we may fill you in on some details." He thought it might be easier if the wolves phased and met Tara in human form instead to put her at ease. Jasper worried about the current state she was in and felt the need to help. He hovered near the girl until she calmed down so they could move inside.
Poor Alice stood in the garage for a few minutes staring at the enormous dents and gashes on the hood of her favorite gift from Edward. She let out a huge sigh before she shut off the light and joined the others.
Upon entering the house, they all convened in the living room and Tara huddled very close to Esme. Alice quickly took her place next to Jasper and Edward and Bella stood together with Renesmee guarded behind them. Edward signaled for her to keep her distance until he was ready for her.
Within a few moments, three more people entered the room from the front door. The two tall males, wore only a pair of cut off jeans. Their feet were bare. The third, a female, wore an old t-shirt with cut-offs as well.
“Humans?” Tara thought. Their beating hearts gave them away. Her eyes widened as they walked in her direction. She could only wonder what the Cullen's could be up to. Their affiliation with wolves and humans was completely aberrant to what she was used to. Now she started to feel she got more than she bargained for by coming to Forks. Finally Tara wondered if the humans were the wolves. As she looked at Edward for confirmation, he nodded then began introductions. He first introduced Jacob as head of the pack who only nodded with an unfriendly glare. Leah also gave her a cold stare when Edward said her name but when he introduced Seth, he just stared at her like a deer in the headlights. Edward picked up on something strange but just ignored it and continued to talk. He went into an apology for not explaining things to her before their arrival and began to fill her in on the history of the Pack, why they exist and how they came to a truce with them. As Tara listened, she kept looking over at Renesmee who moved from Edward's side over to Jacob and clung to his arm. She could smell the half-human blood that ran through her veins.
Edward listened to all the questions rambling through her head. "Tara, I have a much better way that this could all be explained to you but I need to introduce you to someone first," he said. Then he turned toward Renesmee and stretched his arm out to signal for her to come over.
Jacob tensed up, grabbing her hand before she got too close to Tara but Renesmee turned and touched his face. The fiercely worried look in his eyes faded and he instantly relaxed. Then Renesmee turned to face Tara again as Edward spoke. "I would like to introduce you to our daughter… Renesmee," he said with his hands on her shoulders.
Her sweet, warm smile didn't reduce the tension Tara felt however. Her mouth dropped when she noted Edward's precise words, our daughter. She looked at the three of them again.
"Your...daughter?" she gasped.
“But…the resemblance is remarkable. She's adopted too?” She thought, knowing Edward would hear.
"No, she is not adopted Tara. She is our biological child," Edward said very seriously.
"How is that even possible?" Tara questioned as she listened to the thumping heart beat right in front of her.
"I could explain it to you myself however I would like to allow her to do it, if you will permit it. She has a much better and well….unique way of telling stories and can fill you in on every detail."
Tara stared blankly at the girl who started to approach her. Renesmee smiled at Tara. She looked harmless enough she thought. "Um…okay," she replied. "Renesmee…that's quite a name."
"You can call me Ness or Nessie, if you like. Everyone else does." Tara just nodded at her.
Bella cleared her throat to get her attention. She still hated the nick names. Renesmee chuckled. "Sorry mom."
She stopped right in front of Tara and extended her hand to her and spoke in an angelic voice. "I'll need to touch you for this. It won't hurt though, I promise." Her chocolate brown eyes looked right into Tara's. Something about Renesmee's eyes instantly softened a person. Tara nodded giving her approval. Then, Renesmee stepped in and placed her hand on Tara's cheek. She jumped a little as the images began flowing through her mind.
Renesmee showed her every event, starting with her birth, all the way up to the last week just before Edward and Bella left. Tara gasped when Renesmee showed her a vision of the Volturi. After several minutes, Renesmee finally released her. "That was just… incredible," she said, astounded by the visions. It all seemed very unreal for the moment. The images Renesmee implanted in Tara's head seemed very much like dream, but for the Cullens, it was reality
"I know this is a lot for you to absorb Tara. I'm sorry we didn't fill you in sooner than this, but we felt you might not even believe it without proof and Esme worried you'd be afraid to come with us had we mentioned any wolves to you," Edward said.
"Yes, that might have made me think twice," she admitted then she turned to face Jacob. "I saw the Volturi in her vision. You actually stood up to them? I have to admit, you’ve got some balls to do that.”
Several chuckles came from around the room.
"Yeah well, there was no way in hell we’d let those blood suckers her from us." He said trying not to smile.
His courage stunned her. She knew no one stands up to the Volturi, unless they have a death wish. "Well I can tell you …Aro never forgets anyone whose talents he admires and I assure you, he will be back to check on your daughter in the future," she warned knowing Aro all too well.
Carlisle spoke up. “Alice is our eyes when it comes to that and she will let us know if and when return."
"That's good then," she said. “You have quite a good defense here. I bet Aro just hates that.” She smirked.
"One thing we've discovered is their tracker has difficulty seeing us when we are around the Pack. I have this problem too. It's very hard for me to see Renesmee's future because she is with Jacob so often. The pack seems to cloud my visions. We think the same goes for their tracker as well," Alice explained.
"Since the wolves cloud their sights on us, you can sort-of say we have the upper hand," Carlisle hoped the information would relieve worries.
The mention of Alice made Tara think about what she had done to Alice's shiny new Porsche in the garage. "Oh your car…I’m so very sorry...” she started to apologize.
Her remorse echoed in Edward's head. "No worries. I'll take care of that immediately. It's was entirely my fault for not explaining the situation to her first," he said.
"Really?" Alice perked up. "Cuz I was thinking about changing the color anyway. Maybe a hot red!" she said, in an excited tone.
Edward rolled his eyes. “How convenient”, he said.
Jacob had patiently waited his turn to speak and finally stepped in and began to discuss the matter they came for. "Okay so, now that you know all about us, we need to know about you."
"Well, what do you need to know?" Tara folded her arms, trying to look unthreatened by his presence.
"I wanna make sure you're not gonna be a problem for us here in Forks. Edward and Bella filled me in on some of the details and they seem to trust you but we are the Protectors here so I just need to establish that you're eating habits don't cause a problem. We don't want anyone getting hurt." He glared at her red eyes.
"You have no need to worry about me. I'm sure they explained to you I spent most of my time blending in with humans on a daily basis. The Cullen's have been very kind to me and I have no intentions of giving them any trouble, if that's all you're concerned about."
"Yeah well, we'll be watching you."
Bella snickered remembering how embarrassed Jacob was the time when Billy had paid him to say the exact same words to her at the Prom.
"Be my guest," Tara said sharply, glaring at Jacob. She had the feeling he was going to be trouble for her.
Jacob exchanged glances with Seth who was looking very uncomfortable suddenly. He avoided making eye contact with the girl the entire time and kept looking off in space like he was on another planet.
Edward had been so busy listening in on Tara's thoughts he did give much attention to the others. Jacob and Leah displayed heavy distrust in the girl. Seth however, kept running very unusual things through his head. When he started thinking about the Blade movie he'd just watched, Edward finally just rolled his eyes and just tuned him out.
Renesmee didn't like Jacob intimidating their new guest so she stepped in. "Hey Jake, be nice to our guest. My parents trust her and so do I. I have the feeling we're gonna be really good friends," she smiled.
"That's because I already said you would!" Alice bragged.
Renesmee rolled her eyes. "I have my own room upstairs. Feel free to make it your own if you ever need your own space," she told Tara. Renesmee slept at the Cullen home more often than she stayed with Edward and Bella since she'd grown older. She knew they enjoyed their privacy and their little cottage felt too small for the three of them.
Then she leaned in and whispered in Tara's ear. "Aunt Alice decorated my room so try not to mind the décor."
"Uh, I can hear you," Alice snapped from across the room with a frown on her face. Renesmee giggled making Tara smile, finally.
"How long do you think you'll be staying?" Renesmee hoped it was going to be a while. It excited her to have a new friend closer to her age.
"I don't know really, I guess as long as you guys want me to."
"Or as long as you can stay out of trouble," Jacob added.
Tara decided she really didn't like this one.
Renesmee wanted to get to know Tara and make her feel more comfortable. Her charismatic demeanor captivated anyone that surrounded her.
When Esme appeared from the kitchen with some food, setting a large tray of sandwiches on one of the tables in the living room, Jacob finally started to relax enough to leave Renesmee's side momentarily to grab one. He couldn't resist anything Esme made. He had to admit he really admired her talented culinary skills for someone who didn't even eat food.
So much attention had been put on Tara, that no one noticed that they were short one person until Esme made mention of it. "Where's Seth?" she asked, expecting him to be fighting Jacob over the food she brought out, and worried that he might not have liked what she made.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Um, I'm not sure. Maybe he just went out for some air. I don't think he's been feeling so well."
"Oh well… I hope he's alright, I've never seen him pass up food before."
"It's nothing personal, I'm sure. Don't worry about him. I'm sure once he's feeling better he'll be back over here more than you want him to."
Esme chuckled. Leah wasn't hungry but came over to ask Jacob about Seth too. She was so busy watching the new girl she didn't even see him leave. She looked over at the front door noticing it was ajar. Then she headed outside to look for him and stared out at dense forest. It began raining heavily and she detected no sight or smell of Seth.
Worried about her little brother, Leah leaped off the porch and ran into the forest to search for him.
Chapter 4 - First Hunt
It was Twilight.
Edward and Bella took Tara to their cottage for a very short tour, showing her their humble, nine hundred square foot cottage in a very short time since it was so small. Tara had a good laugh when Bella showed her the enormous closet in which Alice had filled with enough apparel to clothe a small army of fashion models. As she walked through the house, she understood why Renesmee stayed with Esme and Carlisle most of the time since they had so much more room, not to mention it gave the couple so much more privacy.
At the end of the tour, Bella took some time to show Tara a few photo albums she and Esme put together with all the pictures they took of Renesmee, capturing her rapid growth that happened sometimes within a few days or weeks of each other. It amazed Tara to see the pictures of her speedy progression. Renesmee's ability to develop quicker than a normal child bothered Bella the most. She had always worried about leaving her alone to sleep some nights because she knew her little girl might wake up even older the next day. Her life passed by too quickly and Bella knew that before long, Renesmee would physically be older than her. She cherished every moment she had with her daughter. It was also difficult to have to share her with Jacob but she knew it pained them both to be away from each other for long periods of time. She knew the inevitable coming though; Renesmee would soon mature into a young woman and her relationship with Jacob would become more than just friendship.
Once they finished the tour and Bella finished reminiscing Tara decided it was time to return to the Cullen home. Edward and Bella's body language gave off an obvious implication that they were ready for some quiet time together after their long trip. Despite their offers, Tara insisted she would not need an escort. She knew she could easily find the way back. Edward was comfortable with it once he confirmed it in her mind. As she ran through the forest, she sensed something strange and unfamiliar to her; like a magnet attracting her. She paused for a moment to look through the trees, trying to solve the mystery but then thought nothing of it and continued on till she reached the home.
As Tara comfortably settled in and everyone returned to their usual routines around the house, she quietly curled up with a book she found in Renesmee's collection and sat herself by a window in the bedroom. It started raining again and the droplets tapped against the glass like a drum.
Renesmee couldn't resist getting to know her new friend. She buoyantly plopped down next to Tara and grabbed her sketchbook that she left out and skimmed through her artwork. "These are beautiful," she complimented her.
"Thanks." She smiled. Renesmee had been the first person to ever admire her work before. As she flipped through the pages she rambled on about some of her favorite artists, discovering they shared many common interests. Tara decided to set her book aside talk with her for a while. It had been so long since she had any real discourse with anyone she delighted in opportunity to have a real conversation. Before she knew it, a few hour passed by while they discussed art and music and many of the books they both liked. Tara told Renesmee about her many travels around the world before she returned to her home land where she ended up at the college. She explained how living there wasn't much different from attending private school as a young girl. She didn't have many friends growing up since she was so different from the others and not quite accepted. Being alone and invisible seemed the norm for her, even since before she was turned.
Renesmee took to Tara quickly. She loved having someone to talk to outside her family. She could only dream of going to school hoping one day that she'd have the chance so she could be more like other people. She realized now that she and Tara had something in common now; they were both hiding from the world around them. "I would love to attend a college like Dartmouth when I'm old enough but I don't think Jake would go. I'm not sure if he'd ever want to leave here," Renesmee told her.
Tara recalled something she saw in Renesmee's visions that made her curious."I don't quite understand something about you two…what's imprinting? Are you like his mate or something?" Tara asked.
"Yes…that's pretty much what it is. We'll inherently always be together and we'll always love each other. It's almost painful to be separated at times."
"But he's…a wolf. That doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Jacob's a wonderful mate…as loyal as they come. I love him with all my heart. The physical differences mean nothing to me. It's what's inside that matters."
Tara's eye brows popped up in disbelief. It all seems so strange and foreign to her. "And your family accepts this?"
"Yes, they've learned to accept it. It can't be undone. We're bound together for life. Some of them still have the prejudices about it but for the most part…everyone's family," She explained.
"But… you're so much younger than he is, so how does that work?"
"I'm aging quickly. Carlisle thinks I'm about fourteen or fifteen years of age physically but I go through changes so rapidly he thinks I could surpass Jacob within a few more years. For obvious reasons Jacob and I have no physical relationship. Plus my father promised to rip his limbs off if he even thought about it before I matured enough to marry him."
Tara chuckled at the thought of it. "So how long do you think it will take before you're the same age?"
"Who knows, could be a few months or a few years. My aging has slowed down some though. It only happens in spurts now."
"And what about Jacob, is he aging too?"
"No, but he can control it. His phasing keeps him from aging. So as long as he's the wolf he doesn't age. He's been waiting for me to catch up." She winked. "Some of the others stopped phasing once they formed a truce with the family though. That way they can age with their imprint as well. Though… since you came to town, the wolves have no choice. They all started phasing again."
Tara scrunched her eyebrows together. "I don't understand. Why?"
"Theoretically, they only need to transform when vampires are around. It's like a protection mode. Since the alliance between the Cullens and the Quileutes however there wasn't much need for them to change anymore, so they seldom did and controlled their phasing in order for their bodies go back to their natural state. Once you arrived, that all changed again."
"Oh... I guess I messed things up for you then," she said feeling guilty.
"Nah, don't worry. Once they feel they can trust you, things will go back the way they were."
"I hope you're right. I don't wish to be a problem for anyone."
"You're no problem. I'm so glad you're here. It's nice to be around someone closer to my age….well you know what mean."
"Thanks Ness, I appreciate your family for inviting me. I've never been a part anything like this. I hope I don't do anything that will break your trust in me though."
"Yeah well I'm sure you know that my dad's been in your head. He keeps an eye on those sorts of things. I don't think he would have brought you here if he thought you were dangerous."
"I'll have to do my best not to disappoint anyone then," Tara said smiling. She watched curiously as Renesmee let out a big yawn. "Oh do you need sleep? I can head down stairs if I'm disturbing your rest." She signaled for the door.
"Not at all, stay as long as you like." Renesmee smiled.
"Hmm, I envy you….you truly have the best of both worlds it seems."
“I suppose. Sometimes I wish I didn't need sleep. I think of all the things I could accomplish without it, and I always hate missing out on so much with my family."
"I see you're point. But at least it makes you more compatible with your Jacob. He must really appreciate that you have many human qualities."
"Yes, I think he does." Renesmee smiled thinking about him. The girls stayed up for a little longer chatting until eventually Renesmee could no longer keep her eyes open. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes.
Once she drifted off, Tara curiously watched her eyelids flutter as she fell into a deep dream state. She couldn't remember what it was like to dream any more. Tara wondered if she would be able to see Renesmee's dreams while she slept and curiously reached over and touched her hand. Suddenly she saw vivid images of her family, randomly changing from one to the next like a movie be played in her head. She saw Edward playing on the grand piano downstairs while Bella sat with him. Next she saw Jacob on the beach with friends, then vision switched to him running through the forest on a hunt with her. Tara felt a little embarrassed when she saw Jacob give Renesmee her first kiss. She was pretty sure that part was only dream. She figured she must be looking forward to that moment. Tara worried about invading her privacy, and let go. Then she made herself comfortable in the corner with her book again over by the window. The rain finally let up and she could see into the forest. The bright moon crept out from the clouds and illuminated the sky. Its light bounced off the glistening leaves in the trees. She even heard more activity in the forest through the silence now as she listened. Something peculiar caught her attention though. It was like a magnetic force tugging on her. She desired to search for its source and considered hunting, thinking it just might be what she needed as the new smells seemed to be luring her in. She remembered Edward saying the hunting grounds in Forks are much better for vampires of their kind and that they were filled with a different variety of game.
Tara thought about the times she tried animal blood when she needed to feed. It was the only thing that kept her from hunting the humans at times, but she never preferred it. She found their taste rather bland compared to human blood. She knew she had to keep herself properly fed so she wouldn't give in to hunting humans however. Her horrible memory of the deaths of hundreds of human victims in her mind helped deterred her from wanting to kill ever again.
She leaped out of the upper window and sprang into the forest, eager to explore the new hunting ground. Tara was used to seeing many deer and moose in New England and an ample amount of coyotes as well. They reminded her too much of dogs however. She detested the taste of domesticated animals. She preferred to feed on a cow over a cat or a dog any day but none were really quite pleasing to her. It was something she would need to get used to.
“Mountain lion,” she thought. That's what Bella and Edward mentioned. They're carnivorous and more satisfying, they explained. That's what she decided to hunt.
After covering several miles of land she became unsure of what direction to take so she followed a stream. Something kept luring her in a certain direction, so she followed her instincts. She hesitated when she passed several large deer and some elk, contemplating simply snatching one of them and then calling it a night. She deeply inhaled the scent of their blood.
“Mmm, they're much bigger than white tail that's for sure.” she thought but then changed her mind. “Nah, probably tastes just like Bambi too. Stick to mountain lions.” she reminded herself.
Setting out on her mission, Tara ventured further west, smelling the air and absorbing her new surroundings. So many new and different aromas teased her palette as she allowed herself to drift with the smells and listened for movement. A crunching sound came from the bustle of hooves that echoed through the forest but it was muffled by the sudden sound of rain as the droplets began hitting the canopy of leaves above. The moist beads of fluid began to fall through the trees onto on her face. “Drat! It's starting to rain again.”
She knew she needed to move quickly now before all her prospective game took refuge. Knowing cats hate water she worried she might have to turn back and pick off one of the elk before it was too late.
Just before giving up, the wind changed and a new scent hit her nose. It was a rich scent, sharper and more appealing. She detected the sound of the muted padding of large feet that came from above. She looked up at a spruce, about ten feet in front of her and spotted the tawny hide of an enormous feline. The animal sat perched on branch above, sporadically twitching its tail as it was preparing to leap down. “Mmm, hell-o,” she thought while staring at the giant cat. “You're a big kitty, aren't you….” She started feeling playful now. It had been many years since she hunted anything living.
Suddenly the rain picked up and she knew she would lose her meal if she didn't act quickly so she crouched down slightly and prepared to leap at the animal. Though she could easily sneak up on her target undetected, she enjoyed the hunt and the smell of fear that emitted from her prey. So with a light bound she sailed through the air and landed just a few feet from the tree with the cat still in her sights. Her thoughts were so completely focused on her prey she barely noticed the other smell that started to wrinkled her nose. It was a familiar scent…a gamy scent.
Though she stopped moving momentarily, the cat quickly stood and arched its back, hissing at something that seemed to threaten it. Then a deep low growl came from feline. Something seemed odd though. Its eyes didn't meet hers. It was looking at something else; something behind her. She heard another growl but this time it was much deeper, fiercer like a grizzly. She quickly spun around looking into the deep black pit of the forest seeing creature that frightened the cat. A huge black shape eased out of trees like a silent shadow. It's long muzzle revealed a line of dagger-like teeth as it snarled at her. Tara's eye widened as the fear shot though her like a bolt of lightning.
“What? No! I thought they were friends?” She shouted in her mind. When the enormous silvery wolf started to lunge, Tara leaped in the air and the he clipped her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The huge animal turned again to attack and she immediately cloaked herself, confusing it just before it came at her. Just then, she heard another snarl and a large sandy-colored wolf barreled into the other one in mid-air knocking him into the trees. Tara watched in hiding as they fought, snapping and tearing at each other. Their angry growls echoed through the trees like thunder. The lighter one had the other upper hand, pinning the other one to the ground.
Without waiting another second she took off running as fast as she could back to the Cullen house, not looking back even once. She quickly tracked her way back through the forest, and when she reached the Cullen's home she leaped back up through the same upper window she jumped out of. Then she blasted though Renesmee's door and hurdled herself over the stair rail jumping straight down to the first floor.
As she dashed through the living room past Jasper and Alice who were both engaged in a quiet board game, he sensed an emotion of fear in her. She ran through the house till she found Esme in her sewing room and rushed into her arms. Esme held her like a mother cradling a frighten child who had just woke up from a nightmare. "What is it? What's wrong Tara?" Esme asked in a soothing voice while she stroked her head.
Tara squeezed her arms around Esme tightly, keeping her eyes closed. "I thought they were friends!"
"Who Tara?"
"The wolves!" she squeaked. “Why did I even come here?”she thought.
The others curiously ran into the room to see what the commotion was about, including Renesmee who woke up once Tara came barreling through her room. She rushed to Tara's side and put her hand on her shoulder when she saw how scared she looked.
"What happened?" she asked, worried for her friend, but Tara didn't speak.
Carlisle texted Edward a message knowing something was extremely wrong and he and Bella rushed over within seconds. As soon as they entered, Edward saw the whole thing from Tara's mind. "You went hunting?" he groaned.
"I'm sorry. I thought it was allowed." She frowned feeling horribly guilty. She had no idea what she did wrong however.
Edward rubbed his temples realizing he forgot to mention the rules to her. He turned to the others to explain what happened. "She crossed the border onto Quileute territory. Paul spotted her and attacked He didn't know who she was. I don't think he would have tried to harm her had he known better."
Carlisle sighed. "Well… we should be expecting them soon. Let's hope they'll be forgiving."
"They're already here," Edward said as heard Sam and Jacob's thoughts. Edward opened the door to faced Jacob, Sam, Paul and Seth as they approached the house, all in human form. What was left of the scratches and cuts on Paul and Seth's bodies already started to heal.
Edward let the four men in. Jacob and Sam lead and Paul and Seth followed behind. Seth's eyes caught a glimpse of Tara huddled in Esme's arms. He wondered if she was okay but quickly diverted his eyes away before anyone noticed.
Jacob spoke up first. "So, you're new vampire crossed our borders. She was caught hunting on our land."
"I apologize. It's entirely my fault for not explaining the boundary lines to her. I had no idea she would get the urge to hunt animals tonight. She clearly displayed a dislike for them earlier so I thought we'd have to break her in first. Bella and I intended on taking her ourselves to show her."
"Well, it looks like she had plans of her own," Jacob replied.
"I assure you, Jake. She meant no harm to anyone. Look at her. She's more frightened of you than you are of her."
Jacob glanced over at Tara still huddled in Esme's arms. He grinned with satisfaction.
Edward was in Paul's head's trying to get another view on what happened. Seth's mind however, was cluttered with thoughts of meaningless ramblings. Edward identified this tactic right away. It was one his sister's used on him frequently to keep him out. He immediately suspected him of hiding something.
"Yeah well you know the rules Eddy. She's not allowed on our territory." Jacob reminded him. Edward rolled his eyes and let out a low grumble when he called him that.
"We don't know that the girl won't hurt anyone. She can't be trusted. Look at her eyes." Sam added.
"She's more like us than you give her credit for. She survived on human blood but only from hospital. She won't kill. You'll just have to trust my instincts on this one. I would not bring her here if I thought she was a threat." Edward informed them.
"Sam…" Renesmee interrupted.
He looked down at her. "Yes Renesmee?"
"May I show you something?"
He nodded and then she touched his face and concentrated, sharing a series of memories from earlier.
"You see, I trust her and so does my family. You know that none of us pose a threat to any of you so why are you holding onto these treaty rules? Besides, you already give me free rein on your land. I don't see why you shouldn't extend the same privileges to the rest of my family."
"Ness, you know why you're allowed at La Push, it's an entirely different matter," Jacob said.
"Yes, you're half human," Sam added.
"And I'm half vampire too," Renesmee pointed out. "I also hunt and feed just as my family does and if you remember, I preferred human blood over animal blood for the longest time. Don't think those cravings will ever go away. I've just learned to control them, just as Tara has. I think it's time to change this treaty. Are we not Allies?"
"We are… but the girl…she's not one of you." Sam questioned her status.
"Yes…she is one of us. You either accept us all, or none. I don't wish to be divided in my own family."
Tara suddenly turned when she heard Renesmee defending her. She stood and approached Edward and Carlisle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had rules… or boundaries," she said to Sam
Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder. "I know. We should have told you. I wasn't worried about you harming anyone though. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt." She nodded.
Then Carlisle turned to Seth. "Thank you for preventing a possible tragedy. I know Paul was only doing his duty. I'm glad you stopped him though, allowing us to explain," he continued.
Seth's eyes panned up to Carlisle's. "Um, no problem," he shrugged. Tara stared at the boy’s face. He looked preoccupied with something else at the moment and looked away. His actions confused her. He saved her for some odd reason but he didn't seem to want anything to do with her.
Jacob folded his arms. "Guess we can just treat this as a misunderstanding for now…but as I said before, we'll be watching you."
Tara had just about enough of Jacob's attitude. "Well gosh Jacob… thanks so much for the warm welcome," she said with sarcasm.
Suddenly Seth let out snicker and grinned but he quickly caught himself. When he lifted his eyes and realized Tara was staring right at him his mouth flattened to a straight line again. Then he glanced over at Jacob and got a disapproving stare from him.
Renesmee broke his concentration when she kissed his cheek. "Thank you Jake." He touched her face and smiled.
"So you'll rescind the treaty and allow my family on the land?" she batted her big brown eyes at him.
Jacob looked at Sam for his thoughts on the matter.
"After all we've been through together I don't see why we should continue with the old law. I'm not so sure all our boys…or Leah, would feel comfortable with the idea of you hunting near their families however," he said.
"Thank you Sam. I wouldn't want to worry anyone. We'll gladly refrain from hunting there still but we appreciate you extending us an invitation. None of us will abuse it," Carlisle said.
Jacob nodded. "Sounds good." Then shook Carlisle hand as he held it out to him.
"And you promise you'll be nice?" Renesmee added.
"Ok, don't push it." He held up a finger.
"Tsk! Jake!" she said as she grabbed at it playfully.
"Aw, don't ask too much of him Ness, he has an image to maintain," Bella teased.
Edward let out a chuckle.
Jacob just shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. They all seemed to loosen up a bit now that more serious matters were settled. Seth was the only one who still remained quiet and withdrawn though
Before they all left, Renesmee gave each of them a giant hug saving Jacob for last but when she hugged Seth he seemed ridged. Renesmee looked at his face and smiled hoping she could break his unusually repressed mood. Seth smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He loved her like she was a little sister and she cared for him just as much. Renesmee remembered Seth since the womb when he spent hours next to Bella keeping her warm. Though Renesmee loves all the wolves of the pack, she held a special place in her heart for Seth.
Once the four of them were finally gone, Renesmee gave Tara a hug too. It startled her when she wrapped her arms around Tara and at first, she stood motionless unsure of how to react but then when Renesmee told her she was glad she was that she didn't get hurt, Tara warmed up and put her arm around her too.
"You defended me. Thank you Ness."
"Of course, I defended all of my family." She released her and smiled.
"Family?" Tara realized she'd just been included in the equation. "But you hardly know me and I almost destroyed your loyalties with the pack."
"You're my friend and you did nothing wrong. You didn't know about the treaty or the border lines. Besides, it was time for this to be put to an end. No one has ever put it to the test until now because no one besides me has ever wanted to go there. There wasn't a reason to contest it, until now."
"I'm glad they didn't give you a hard time because of me. I hope I'm not more trouble than I'm worth."
Carlisle patted her shoulder. "Nonsense, Tara. It's always precarious introducing a new family member into the home. There are always adjustments to be made."
"I can stay? You would accept me?"
"Of course. You're welcome to stay here. We'd love to have you if that's what you wish," he said.
Tara looked at all of them and smiled and they smiled back. Esme gave her one of her motherly hugs.
Carlisle decided he should take care of Tara's feeding needs quickly and then plan for a hunting trip later for the family. As he headed for his supplies Edward followed to discuss some things he discovered about Tara.
"The girl seems to have held onto a lot of memories that most of us would have forgotten. Jazz also thinks she's quite emotional. It's unusual," Edward said.
"Yes, it's possible since she was turned at such a young age. I mean, a sixteen year old girl, probably going through hormonal changes in her life and then the emotional trauma she went though when her family was murdered right in front of her….it makes sense. Anything's possible it seems. Her gift is truly amazing. I'm surprised the Volturi let her leave," Carlisle said.
"I don't think they did." Tara guarded that memory very well from him.
"We'll don't worry, about the girls tonight. I have it all taken care of. You and Bella can head back home," Carlisle said.
Once they tucked in Renesmee and said their goodbyes, Carlisle brought two units of blood to Tara. "I thought perhaps you would need this tonight."
Tara took one of the bags and flopped it back and forth, examining it. "Did you stop at the hospital for me?" she grinned.
"Not quite. I've learned to stock animal blood for emergencies."
"Uh…oh. Well…what… kind?" she stared at the bag with s grimace.
"Mostly farm animals. They're easily accessible online. Sorry, I know it's nothing exciting but it should make you feel better."
"Mmmm." She forced a smile. “Yummy.”
Carlisle chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to hunt soon. We need to be sure we stay clear from humans when we hunt as well. It happens to be hunting season right now so they will be in certain areas this time of year. It's best to avoid the temptation."
"Of course."
Carlisle patted her shoulder and smiled. Then he started to turn to leave.
"Hey, um…thanks Carlisle. Thank you for everything you and your family have done for me. I've never had a real family since….." Tara couldn't finish her sentence and just trailed off.
"I know. That's why we're here for you."
THE NEXT DAY....
Jacob began making the repairs on Alice's Porsche. Edward had brought it over to have him buff out all the scratches and dents and then change the entire color to a new fiery-red as promised.
Jacob and Seth worked together as co-owners of their own auto body shop, located in the middle of the small town of Forks. After Jacob graduated from high school, he started a small business for himself fixing up cars out of Billy's garage. By word-of-mouth, he'd built himself a large list of clientele doing small jobs such as oil changes and tune-ups and an occasional body repair. He used the income to work on his degree in automotive technology at community college in Port Angeles. Seth, who also majored in shop in high school, took an interest in Jacob's business and began helping him part time after school and on weekends. After Seth's eighteenth birthday, Jacob proposed to him the idea to open a shop of their own. Seth used some of the college money his father left him as a down payment on the property and they became equal partners in their business. He used the rest of his money for schooling as it was intended.
That morning, Seth walked through the door of the garage, arriving late to start his day at work. He shoved something in his pocket and grabbed the dirty, gray jumpsuit off the hook on the wall. A large oil stain from a job they did the day before covered his name patch. Seth took a whiff of the suit before he put it on determining it definitely smelled ready for the washing machine.
"Bout time! I'm almost done buffing the scratches out," Jacob snorted.
"Sorry….I slept in a little." Seth yawned while leaning against Jacob's tool bench.
"A little? It's noon buddy. Try sleeping at night."
"I slept… some," he said while rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
"So, did you calm Leah down after she found out?" Jacob asked.
"No, she's still freaked out. She wants me to stay away from her."
"And, I take it you're not going to listen to her advice."
"Of course not. How can I? I've been going out of my mind. Leah will just have to deal with it. She's just being overprotective of me."
"Yeah well I have my own concerns for you, ya know."
"Why?" Seth pulled the shiny object back out of his pocket and held it in his hand, looking at it.
"I may be the only one that can really understand what you are going through, but I think this is really dangerous for you. This could all go very badly."
"I just need some time. Maybe if I get to know her… if we become friends first, she'll accept this…I hope."
"You better hope."
"Jake…I don't know what else to do. How the heck do I tell a vampire I imprinted on her?"
Jacob shrugged. "You got me man….Ness was different. It was like she knew when she was born."
"Do you think she senses anything?" Seth wondered.
"Dunno…guess you'll find out though. Shouldn't you be a little worried she might rip your face off when you try and explain it to her?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a choice. I can barely sleep. It's all I think about. I need to try."
"It's your life." He shrugged.
"Thanks for the support," he said sarcastically.
"Heh! I'm all ya got right now. Better suck up!"
Seth chuckled. Then he had a more serious thought. "You think there's something wrong with me Jake? I mean...how could this happen?"
"I'm not sure but if I can imprint on Ness, anything's possible I suppose. I think Billy's theory was right; we imprint to make us stronger. I don't think it has anything to do with breeding; it's just about finding your soul mate. Guess we're all destined for that one special person."
"What about Leah? She still hasn't been imprinted on."
He shrugged again. "Guess she just hasn't met the right guy then." Jacob had another curious thought. "So how do you plan on working out all the …you know…details?" He was referring to having an intimate relationship with her.
Seth shook his head. "I'm just gonna take one thing at a time. Guess we'll figure it out…if it even comes to that."
"Well what about you and Ness? Don't you have the same concerns about that?"
"Ness? I could never be afraid of her. Even though she's strong as an ox, she's as gentle as a mouse."
Jacob knew in his heart that Renesmee could never hurt him. "And besides that, Ness isn't even venomous."
Jacob recalled when Renesmee always like to bite him when she was an infant. The Cullens thought it was the funniest thing when she did.
"Well, just make sure you don't ever make her mad then. That girl has quite a temper on her!" Seth warned.
"Yeah, I'll never forget the time she chased you down and busted your arm when you stuck those fake vampire teeth in her mouth while she was sleeping. Man that was a great prank though. Hey, you still got those pictures?" Jacob laughed.
Seth chuckled. "Heck yeah, I even made printed copies!" They both laughed as they high-fived each other.
"So what about the mind-reader - you think he's figured it out?" Jacob wondered.
"I don't think so. Hopefully I have him convinced I'm really into stupid vampire shows. I just watched Vampire Diaries the other day so I kept running the episodes through my mind over and over – just really stupid stuff. I'm pretty sure he just totally tuned me out."
"Heh! Yeah, good way to keep him out of your head!" Jake wiped his hands on his jumpsuit and grabbed the hood. "Ok, well let's start getting these dents out," he added.
"So where's Ness today?" Seth asked.
"She's hunting with Bella and Tara. Girl-time I guess…I wasn't invited. Neither was Eddy. He mentioned it when he dropped off the car."
"Hmm, well in that case I think I'll take a trip over tomorrow since we're closed or do you plan on working on the Porsche again?"
"Nope, I promised Ness I'd spend the day with her, maybe some cliff diving if it's nice like they're predicting. I'll let you know so you can meet us."
"Cool. Thanks."
"So have Charlie and Sue set a date yet?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.
"I think so. Mom's been all secretive lately…I have the feeling they're going to make an announcement soon."
"That's cool, I'm really happy for her, Billy is too. Charlie's a great guy."
"Yeah, he is. He's been good to her. I'm glad to see her so happy."
After Bella left home to marry Edward, Sue began taking care of Charlie, cooking him meals, and helping him around the house. It didn't take long for the two to hit it off and eventually start dating. Seth knew it also wouldn't be long before the couple became serious, especially when she started spending the evenings with him. Seth became very fond of Charlie. Though Charlie loved Bella with all his heart, he had a strong fondness for Seth. He'd regretted never trying for a son when he was married to Renee. Deep down he always wanted to have a boy he could take to baseball games, go fishing and hunting, all of which Bella was much too uncoordinated to handle. He accepted Seth like he was his own and they bonded quickly. Seth never once felt any animosity towards Charlie or Sue even though their relationship took off so quickly after his father's passing. He was just happy to see his mother smiling again.
"I just don't know how I'm gonna break the news to mom yet," Seth continued.
"Yeah well I don't think she's the one you need to worry about just yet."
Seth gave him a grim look. "I know."
Edward and Bella took Tara to their cottage for a very short tour, showing her their humble, nine hundred square foot cottage in a very short time since it was so small. Tara had a good laugh when Bella showed her the enormous closet in which Alice had filled with enough apparel to clothe a small army of fashion models. As she walked through the house, she understood why Renesmee stayed with Esme and Carlisle most of the time since they had so much more room, not to mention it gave the couple so much more privacy.
At the end of the tour, Bella took some time to show Tara a few photo albums she and Esme put together with all the pictures they took of Renesmee, capturing her rapid growth that happened sometimes within a few days or weeks of each other. It amazed Tara to see the pictures of her speedy progression. Renesmee's ability to develop quicker than a normal child bothered Bella the most. She had always worried about leaving her alone to sleep some nights because she knew her little girl might wake up even older the next day. Her life passed by too quickly and Bella knew that before long, Renesmee would physically be older than her. She cherished every moment she had with her daughter. It was also difficult to have to share her with Jacob but she knew it pained them both to be away from each other for long periods of time. She knew the inevitable coming though; Renesmee would soon mature into a young woman and her relationship with Jacob would become more than just friendship.
Once they finished the tour and Bella finished reminiscing Tara decided it was time to return to the Cullen home. Edward and Bella's body language gave off an obvious implication that they were ready for some quiet time together after their long trip. Despite their offers, Tara insisted she would not need an escort. She knew she could easily find the way back. Edward was comfortable with it once he confirmed it in her mind. As she ran through the forest, she sensed something strange and unfamiliar to her; like a magnet attracting her. She paused for a moment to look through the trees, trying to solve the mystery but then thought nothing of it and continued on till she reached the home.
As Tara comfortably settled in and everyone returned to their usual routines around the house, she quietly curled up with a book she found in Renesmee's collection and sat herself by a window in the bedroom. It started raining again and the droplets tapped against the glass like a drum.
Renesmee couldn't resist getting to know her new friend. She buoyantly plopped down next to Tara and grabbed her sketchbook that she left out and skimmed through her artwork. "These are beautiful," she complimented her.
"Thanks." She smiled. Renesmee had been the first person to ever admire her work before. As she flipped through the pages she rambled on about some of her favorite artists, discovering they shared many common interests. Tara decided to set her book aside talk with her for a while. It had been so long since she had any real discourse with anyone she delighted in opportunity to have a real conversation. Before she knew it, a few hour passed by while they discussed art and music and many of the books they both liked. Tara told Renesmee about her many travels around the world before she returned to her home land where she ended up at the college. She explained how living there wasn't much different from attending private school as a young girl. She didn't have many friends growing up since she was so different from the others and not quite accepted. Being alone and invisible seemed the norm for her, even since before she was turned.
Renesmee took to Tara quickly. She loved having someone to talk to outside her family. She could only dream of going to school hoping one day that she'd have the chance so she could be more like other people. She realized now that she and Tara had something in common now; they were both hiding from the world around them. "I would love to attend a college like Dartmouth when I'm old enough but I don't think Jake would go. I'm not sure if he'd ever want to leave here," Renesmee told her.
Tara recalled something she saw in Renesmee's visions that made her curious."I don't quite understand something about you two…what's imprinting? Are you like his mate or something?" Tara asked.
"Yes…that's pretty much what it is. We'll inherently always be together and we'll always love each other. It's almost painful to be separated at times."
"But he's…a wolf. That doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Jacob's a wonderful mate…as loyal as they come. I love him with all my heart. The physical differences mean nothing to me. It's what's inside that matters."
Tara's eye brows popped up in disbelief. It all seems so strange and foreign to her. "And your family accepts this?"
"Yes, they've learned to accept it. It can't be undone. We're bound together for life. Some of them still have the prejudices about it but for the most part…everyone's family," She explained.
"But… you're so much younger than he is, so how does that work?"
"I'm aging quickly. Carlisle thinks I'm about fourteen or fifteen years of age physically but I go through changes so rapidly he thinks I could surpass Jacob within a few more years. For obvious reasons Jacob and I have no physical relationship. Plus my father promised to rip his limbs off if he even thought about it before I matured enough to marry him."
Tara chuckled at the thought of it. "So how long do you think it will take before you're the same age?"
"Who knows, could be a few months or a few years. My aging has slowed down some though. It only happens in spurts now."
"And what about Jacob, is he aging too?"
"No, but he can control it. His phasing keeps him from aging. So as long as he's the wolf he doesn't age. He's been waiting for me to catch up." She winked. "Some of the others stopped phasing once they formed a truce with the family though. That way they can age with their imprint as well. Though… since you came to town, the wolves have no choice. They all started phasing again."
Tara scrunched her eyebrows together. "I don't understand. Why?"
"Theoretically, they only need to transform when vampires are around. It's like a protection mode. Since the alliance between the Cullens and the Quileutes however there wasn't much need for them to change anymore, so they seldom did and controlled their phasing in order for their bodies go back to their natural state. Once you arrived, that all changed again."
"Oh... I guess I messed things up for you then," she said feeling guilty.
"Nah, don't worry. Once they feel they can trust you, things will go back the way they were."
"I hope you're right. I don't wish to be a problem for anyone."
"You're no problem. I'm so glad you're here. It's nice to be around someone closer to my age….well you know what mean."
"Thanks Ness, I appreciate your family for inviting me. I've never been a part anything like this. I hope I don't do anything that will break your trust in me though."
"Yeah well I'm sure you know that my dad's been in your head. He keeps an eye on those sorts of things. I don't think he would have brought you here if he thought you were dangerous."
"I'll have to do my best not to disappoint anyone then," Tara said smiling. She watched curiously as Renesmee let out a big yawn. "Oh do you need sleep? I can head down stairs if I'm disturbing your rest." She signaled for the door.
"Not at all, stay as long as you like." Renesmee smiled.
"Hmm, I envy you….you truly have the best of both worlds it seems."
“I suppose. Sometimes I wish I didn't need sleep. I think of all the things I could accomplish without it, and I always hate missing out on so much with my family."
"I see you're point. But at least it makes you more compatible with your Jacob. He must really appreciate that you have many human qualities."
"Yes, I think he does." Renesmee smiled thinking about him. The girls stayed up for a little longer chatting until eventually Renesmee could no longer keep her eyes open. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes.
Once she drifted off, Tara curiously watched her eyelids flutter as she fell into a deep dream state. She couldn't remember what it was like to dream any more. Tara wondered if she would be able to see Renesmee's dreams while she slept and curiously reached over and touched her hand. Suddenly she saw vivid images of her family, randomly changing from one to the next like a movie be played in her head. She saw Edward playing on the grand piano downstairs while Bella sat with him. Next she saw Jacob on the beach with friends, then vision switched to him running through the forest on a hunt with her. Tara felt a little embarrassed when she saw Jacob give Renesmee her first kiss. She was pretty sure that part was only dream. She figured she must be looking forward to that moment. Tara worried about invading her privacy, and let go. Then she made herself comfortable in the corner with her book again over by the window. The rain finally let up and she could see into the forest. The bright moon crept out from the clouds and illuminated the sky. Its light bounced off the glistening leaves in the trees. She even heard more activity in the forest through the silence now as she listened. Something peculiar caught her attention though. It was like a magnetic force tugging on her. She desired to search for its source and considered hunting, thinking it just might be what she needed as the new smells seemed to be luring her in. She remembered Edward saying the hunting grounds in Forks are much better for vampires of their kind and that they were filled with a different variety of game.
Tara thought about the times she tried animal blood when she needed to feed. It was the only thing that kept her from hunting the humans at times, but she never preferred it. She found their taste rather bland compared to human blood. She knew she had to keep herself properly fed so she wouldn't give in to hunting humans however. Her horrible memory of the deaths of hundreds of human victims in her mind helped deterred her from wanting to kill ever again.
She leaped out of the upper window and sprang into the forest, eager to explore the new hunting ground. Tara was used to seeing many deer and moose in New England and an ample amount of coyotes as well. They reminded her too much of dogs however. She detested the taste of domesticated animals. She preferred to feed on a cow over a cat or a dog any day but none were really quite pleasing to her. It was something she would need to get used to.
“Mountain lion,” she thought. That's what Bella and Edward mentioned. They're carnivorous and more satisfying, they explained. That's what she decided to hunt.
After covering several miles of land she became unsure of what direction to take so she followed a stream. Something kept luring her in a certain direction, so she followed her instincts. She hesitated when she passed several large deer and some elk, contemplating simply snatching one of them and then calling it a night. She deeply inhaled the scent of their blood.
“Mmm, they're much bigger than white tail that's for sure.” she thought but then changed her mind. “Nah, probably tastes just like Bambi too. Stick to mountain lions.” she reminded herself.
Setting out on her mission, Tara ventured further west, smelling the air and absorbing her new surroundings. So many new and different aromas teased her palette as she allowed herself to drift with the smells and listened for movement. A crunching sound came from the bustle of hooves that echoed through the forest but it was muffled by the sudden sound of rain as the droplets began hitting the canopy of leaves above. The moist beads of fluid began to fall through the trees onto on her face. “Drat! It's starting to rain again.”
She knew she needed to move quickly now before all her prospective game took refuge. Knowing cats hate water she worried she might have to turn back and pick off one of the elk before it was too late.
Just before giving up, the wind changed and a new scent hit her nose. It was a rich scent, sharper and more appealing. She detected the sound of the muted padding of large feet that came from above. She looked up at a spruce, about ten feet in front of her and spotted the tawny hide of an enormous feline. The animal sat perched on branch above, sporadically twitching its tail as it was preparing to leap down. “Mmm, hell-o,” she thought while staring at the giant cat. “You're a big kitty, aren't you….” She started feeling playful now. It had been many years since she hunted anything living.
Suddenly the rain picked up and she knew she would lose her meal if she didn't act quickly so she crouched down slightly and prepared to leap at the animal. Though she could easily sneak up on her target undetected, she enjoyed the hunt and the smell of fear that emitted from her prey. So with a light bound she sailed through the air and landed just a few feet from the tree with the cat still in her sights. Her thoughts were so completely focused on her prey she barely noticed the other smell that started to wrinkled her nose. It was a familiar scent…a gamy scent.
Though she stopped moving momentarily, the cat quickly stood and arched its back, hissing at something that seemed to threaten it. Then a deep low growl came from feline. Something seemed odd though. Its eyes didn't meet hers. It was looking at something else; something behind her. She heard another growl but this time it was much deeper, fiercer like a grizzly. She quickly spun around looking into the deep black pit of the forest seeing creature that frightened the cat. A huge black shape eased out of trees like a silent shadow. It's long muzzle revealed a line of dagger-like teeth as it snarled at her. Tara's eye widened as the fear shot though her like a bolt of lightning.
“What? No! I thought they were friends?” She shouted in her mind. When the enormous silvery wolf started to lunge, Tara leaped in the air and the he clipped her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The huge animal turned again to attack and she immediately cloaked herself, confusing it just before it came at her. Just then, she heard another snarl and a large sandy-colored wolf barreled into the other one in mid-air knocking him into the trees. Tara watched in hiding as they fought, snapping and tearing at each other. Their angry growls echoed through the trees like thunder. The lighter one had the other upper hand, pinning the other one to the ground.
Without waiting another second she took off running as fast as she could back to the Cullen house, not looking back even once. She quickly tracked her way back through the forest, and when she reached the Cullen's home she leaped back up through the same upper window she jumped out of. Then she blasted though Renesmee's door and hurdled herself over the stair rail jumping straight down to the first floor.
As she dashed through the living room past Jasper and Alice who were both engaged in a quiet board game, he sensed an emotion of fear in her. She ran through the house till she found Esme in her sewing room and rushed into her arms. Esme held her like a mother cradling a frighten child who had just woke up from a nightmare. "What is it? What's wrong Tara?" Esme asked in a soothing voice while she stroked her head.
Tara squeezed her arms around Esme tightly, keeping her eyes closed. "I thought they were friends!"
"Who Tara?"
"The wolves!" she squeaked. “Why did I even come here?”she thought.
The others curiously ran into the room to see what the commotion was about, including Renesmee who woke up once Tara came barreling through her room. She rushed to Tara's side and put her hand on her shoulder when she saw how scared she looked.
"What happened?" she asked, worried for her friend, but Tara didn't speak.
Carlisle texted Edward a message knowing something was extremely wrong and he and Bella rushed over within seconds. As soon as they entered, Edward saw the whole thing from Tara's mind. "You went hunting?" he groaned.
"I'm sorry. I thought it was allowed." She frowned feeling horribly guilty. She had no idea what she did wrong however.
Edward rubbed his temples realizing he forgot to mention the rules to her. He turned to the others to explain what happened. "She crossed the border onto Quileute territory. Paul spotted her and attacked He didn't know who she was. I don't think he would have tried to harm her had he known better."
Carlisle sighed. "Well… we should be expecting them soon. Let's hope they'll be forgiving."
"They're already here," Edward said as heard Sam and Jacob's thoughts. Edward opened the door to faced Jacob, Sam, Paul and Seth as they approached the house, all in human form. What was left of the scratches and cuts on Paul and Seth's bodies already started to heal.
Edward let the four men in. Jacob and Sam lead and Paul and Seth followed behind. Seth's eyes caught a glimpse of Tara huddled in Esme's arms. He wondered if she was okay but quickly diverted his eyes away before anyone noticed.
Jacob spoke up first. "So, you're new vampire crossed our borders. She was caught hunting on our land."
"I apologize. It's entirely my fault for not explaining the boundary lines to her. I had no idea she would get the urge to hunt animals tonight. She clearly displayed a dislike for them earlier so I thought we'd have to break her in first. Bella and I intended on taking her ourselves to show her."
"Well, it looks like she had plans of her own," Jacob replied.
"I assure you, Jake. She meant no harm to anyone. Look at her. She's more frightened of you than you are of her."
Jacob glanced over at Tara still huddled in Esme's arms. He grinned with satisfaction.
Edward was in Paul's head's trying to get another view on what happened. Seth's mind however, was cluttered with thoughts of meaningless ramblings. Edward identified this tactic right away. It was one his sister's used on him frequently to keep him out. He immediately suspected him of hiding something.
"Yeah well you know the rules Eddy. She's not allowed on our territory." Jacob reminded him. Edward rolled his eyes and let out a low grumble when he called him that.
"We don't know that the girl won't hurt anyone. She can't be trusted. Look at her eyes." Sam added.
"She's more like us than you give her credit for. She survived on human blood but only from hospital. She won't kill. You'll just have to trust my instincts on this one. I would not bring her here if I thought she was a threat." Edward informed them.
"Sam…" Renesmee interrupted.
He looked down at her. "Yes Renesmee?"
"May I show you something?"
He nodded and then she touched his face and concentrated, sharing a series of memories from earlier.
"You see, I trust her and so does my family. You know that none of us pose a threat to any of you so why are you holding onto these treaty rules? Besides, you already give me free rein on your land. I don't see why you shouldn't extend the same privileges to the rest of my family."
"Ness, you know why you're allowed at La Push, it's an entirely different matter," Jacob said.
"Yes, you're half human," Sam added.
"And I'm half vampire too," Renesmee pointed out. "I also hunt and feed just as my family does and if you remember, I preferred human blood over animal blood for the longest time. Don't think those cravings will ever go away. I've just learned to control them, just as Tara has. I think it's time to change this treaty. Are we not Allies?"
"We are… but the girl…she's not one of you." Sam questioned her status.
"Yes…she is one of us. You either accept us all, or none. I don't wish to be divided in my own family."
Tara suddenly turned when she heard Renesmee defending her. She stood and approached Edward and Carlisle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had rules… or boundaries," she said to Sam
Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder. "I know. We should have told you. I wasn't worried about you harming anyone though. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt." She nodded.
Then Carlisle turned to Seth. "Thank you for preventing a possible tragedy. I know Paul was only doing his duty. I'm glad you stopped him though, allowing us to explain," he continued.
Seth's eyes panned up to Carlisle's. "Um, no problem," he shrugged. Tara stared at the boy’s face. He looked preoccupied with something else at the moment and looked away. His actions confused her. He saved her for some odd reason but he didn't seem to want anything to do with her.
Jacob folded his arms. "Guess we can just treat this as a misunderstanding for now…but as I said before, we'll be watching you."
Tara had just about enough of Jacob's attitude. "Well gosh Jacob… thanks so much for the warm welcome," she said with sarcasm.
Suddenly Seth let out snicker and grinned but he quickly caught himself. When he lifted his eyes and realized Tara was staring right at him his mouth flattened to a straight line again. Then he glanced over at Jacob and got a disapproving stare from him.
Renesmee broke his concentration when she kissed his cheek. "Thank you Jake." He touched her face and smiled.
"So you'll rescind the treaty and allow my family on the land?" she batted her big brown eyes at him.
Jacob looked at Sam for his thoughts on the matter.
"After all we've been through together I don't see why we should continue with the old law. I'm not so sure all our boys…or Leah, would feel comfortable with the idea of you hunting near their families however," he said.
"Thank you Sam. I wouldn't want to worry anyone. We'll gladly refrain from hunting there still but we appreciate you extending us an invitation. None of us will abuse it," Carlisle said.
Jacob nodded. "Sounds good." Then shook Carlisle hand as he held it out to him.
"And you promise you'll be nice?" Renesmee added.
"Ok, don't push it." He held up a finger.
"Tsk! Jake!" she said as she grabbed at it playfully.
"Aw, don't ask too much of him Ness, he has an image to maintain," Bella teased.
Edward let out a chuckle.
Jacob just shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. They all seemed to loosen up a bit now that more serious matters were settled. Seth was the only one who still remained quiet and withdrawn though
Before they all left, Renesmee gave each of them a giant hug saving Jacob for last but when she hugged Seth he seemed ridged. Renesmee looked at his face and smiled hoping she could break his unusually repressed mood. Seth smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He loved her like she was a little sister and she cared for him just as much. Renesmee remembered Seth since the womb when he spent hours next to Bella keeping her warm. Though Renesmee loves all the wolves of the pack, she held a special place in her heart for Seth.
Once the four of them were finally gone, Renesmee gave Tara a hug too. It startled her when she wrapped her arms around Tara and at first, she stood motionless unsure of how to react but then when Renesmee told her she was glad she was that she didn't get hurt, Tara warmed up and put her arm around her too.
"You defended me. Thank you Ness."
"Of course, I defended all of my family." She released her and smiled.
"Family?" Tara realized she'd just been included in the equation. "But you hardly know me and I almost destroyed your loyalties with the pack."
"You're my friend and you did nothing wrong. You didn't know about the treaty or the border lines. Besides, it was time for this to be put to an end. No one has ever put it to the test until now because no one besides me has ever wanted to go there. There wasn't a reason to contest it, until now."
"I'm glad they didn't give you a hard time because of me. I hope I'm not more trouble than I'm worth."
Carlisle patted her shoulder. "Nonsense, Tara. It's always precarious introducing a new family member into the home. There are always adjustments to be made."
"I can stay? You would accept me?"
"Of course. You're welcome to stay here. We'd love to have you if that's what you wish," he said.
Tara looked at all of them and smiled and they smiled back. Esme gave her one of her motherly hugs.
Carlisle decided he should take care of Tara's feeding needs quickly and then plan for a hunting trip later for the family. As he headed for his supplies Edward followed to discuss some things he discovered about Tara.
"The girl seems to have held onto a lot of memories that most of us would have forgotten. Jazz also thinks she's quite emotional. It's unusual," Edward said.
"Yes, it's possible since she was turned at such a young age. I mean, a sixteen year old girl, probably going through hormonal changes in her life and then the emotional trauma she went though when her family was murdered right in front of her….it makes sense. Anything's possible it seems. Her gift is truly amazing. I'm surprised the Volturi let her leave," Carlisle said.
"I don't think they did." Tara guarded that memory very well from him.
"We'll don't worry, about the girls tonight. I have it all taken care of. You and Bella can head back home," Carlisle said.
Once they tucked in Renesmee and said their goodbyes, Carlisle brought two units of blood to Tara. "I thought perhaps you would need this tonight."
Tara took one of the bags and flopped it back and forth, examining it. "Did you stop at the hospital for me?" she grinned.
"Not quite. I've learned to stock animal blood for emergencies."
"Uh…oh. Well…what… kind?" she stared at the bag with s grimace.
"Mostly farm animals. They're easily accessible online. Sorry, I know it's nothing exciting but it should make you feel better."
"Mmmm." She forced a smile. “Yummy.”
Carlisle chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to hunt soon. We need to be sure we stay clear from humans when we hunt as well. It happens to be hunting season right now so they will be in certain areas this time of year. It's best to avoid the temptation."
"Of course."
Carlisle patted her shoulder and smiled. Then he started to turn to leave.
"Hey, um…thanks Carlisle. Thank you for everything you and your family have done for me. I've never had a real family since….." Tara couldn't finish her sentence and just trailed off.
"I know. That's why we're here for you."
THE NEXT DAY....
Jacob began making the repairs on Alice's Porsche. Edward had brought it over to have him buff out all the scratches and dents and then change the entire color to a new fiery-red as promised.
Jacob and Seth worked together as co-owners of their own auto body shop, located in the middle of the small town of Forks. After Jacob graduated from high school, he started a small business for himself fixing up cars out of Billy's garage. By word-of-mouth, he'd built himself a large list of clientele doing small jobs such as oil changes and tune-ups and an occasional body repair. He used the income to work on his degree in automotive technology at community college in Port Angeles. Seth, who also majored in shop in high school, took an interest in Jacob's business and began helping him part time after school and on weekends. After Seth's eighteenth birthday, Jacob proposed to him the idea to open a shop of their own. Seth used some of the college money his father left him as a down payment on the property and they became equal partners in their business. He used the rest of his money for schooling as it was intended.
That morning, Seth walked through the door of the garage, arriving late to start his day at work. He shoved something in his pocket and grabbed the dirty, gray jumpsuit off the hook on the wall. A large oil stain from a job they did the day before covered his name patch. Seth took a whiff of the suit before he put it on determining it definitely smelled ready for the washing machine.
"Bout time! I'm almost done buffing the scratches out," Jacob snorted.
"Sorry….I slept in a little." Seth yawned while leaning against Jacob's tool bench.
"A little? It's noon buddy. Try sleeping at night."
"I slept… some," he said while rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
"So, did you calm Leah down after she found out?" Jacob asked.
"No, she's still freaked out. She wants me to stay away from her."
"And, I take it you're not going to listen to her advice."
"Of course not. How can I? I've been going out of my mind. Leah will just have to deal with it. She's just being overprotective of me."
"Yeah well I have my own concerns for you, ya know."
"Why?" Seth pulled the shiny object back out of his pocket and held it in his hand, looking at it.
"I may be the only one that can really understand what you are going through, but I think this is really dangerous for you. This could all go very badly."
"I just need some time. Maybe if I get to know her… if we become friends first, she'll accept this…I hope."
"You better hope."
"Jake…I don't know what else to do. How the heck do I tell a vampire I imprinted on her?"
Jacob shrugged. "You got me man….Ness was different. It was like she knew when she was born."
"Do you think she senses anything?" Seth wondered.
"Dunno…guess you'll find out though. Shouldn't you be a little worried she might rip your face off when you try and explain it to her?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a choice. I can barely sleep. It's all I think about. I need to try."
"It's your life." He shrugged.
"Thanks for the support," he said sarcastically.
"Heh! I'm all ya got right now. Better suck up!"
Seth chuckled. Then he had a more serious thought. "You think there's something wrong with me Jake? I mean...how could this happen?"
"I'm not sure but if I can imprint on Ness, anything's possible I suppose. I think Billy's theory was right; we imprint to make us stronger. I don't think it has anything to do with breeding; it's just about finding your soul mate. Guess we're all destined for that one special person."
"What about Leah? She still hasn't been imprinted on."
He shrugged again. "Guess she just hasn't met the right guy then." Jacob had another curious thought. "So how do you plan on working out all the …you know…details?" He was referring to having an intimate relationship with her.
Seth shook his head. "I'm just gonna take one thing at a time. Guess we'll figure it out…if it even comes to that."
"Well what about you and Ness? Don't you have the same concerns about that?"
"Ness? I could never be afraid of her. Even though she's strong as an ox, she's as gentle as a mouse."
Jacob knew in his heart that Renesmee could never hurt him. "And besides that, Ness isn't even venomous."
Jacob recalled when Renesmee always like to bite him when she was an infant. The Cullens thought it was the funniest thing when she did.
"Well, just make sure you don't ever make her mad then. That girl has quite a temper on her!" Seth warned.
"Yeah, I'll never forget the time she chased you down and busted your arm when you stuck those fake vampire teeth in her mouth while she was sleeping. Man that was a great prank though. Hey, you still got those pictures?" Jacob laughed.
Seth chuckled. "Heck yeah, I even made printed copies!" They both laughed as they high-fived each other.
"So what about the mind-reader - you think he's figured it out?" Jacob wondered.
"I don't think so. Hopefully I have him convinced I'm really into stupid vampire shows. I just watched Vampire Diaries the other day so I kept running the episodes through my mind over and over – just really stupid stuff. I'm pretty sure he just totally tuned me out."
"Heh! Yeah, good way to keep him out of your head!" Jake wiped his hands on his jumpsuit and grabbed the hood. "Ok, well let's start getting these dents out," he added.
"So where's Ness today?" Seth asked.
"She's hunting with Bella and Tara. Girl-time I guess…I wasn't invited. Neither was Eddy. He mentioned it when he dropped off the car."
"Hmm, well in that case I think I'll take a trip over tomorrow since we're closed or do you plan on working on the Porsche again?"
"Nope, I promised Ness I'd spend the day with her, maybe some cliff diving if it's nice like they're predicting. I'll let you know so you can meet us."
"Cool. Thanks."
"So have Charlie and Sue set a date yet?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.
"I think so. Mom's been all secretive lately…I have the feeling they're going to make an announcement soon."
"That's cool, I'm really happy for her, Billy is too. Charlie's a great guy."
"Yeah, he is. He's been good to her. I'm glad to see her so happy."
After Bella left home to marry Edward, Sue began taking care of Charlie, cooking him meals, and helping him around the house. It didn't take long for the two to hit it off and eventually start dating. Seth knew it also wouldn't be long before the couple became serious, especially when she started spending the evenings with him. Seth became very fond of Charlie. Though Charlie loved Bella with all his heart, he had a strong fondness for Seth. He'd regretted never trying for a son when he was married to Renee. Deep down he always wanted to have a boy he could take to baseball games, go fishing and hunting, all of which Bella was much too uncoordinated to handle. He accepted Seth like he was his own and they bonded quickly. Seth never once felt any animosity towards Charlie or Sue even though their relationship took off so quickly after his father's passing. He was just happy to see his mother smiling again.
"I just don't know how I'm gonna break the news to mom yet," Seth continued.
"Yeah well I don't think she's the one you need to worry about just yet."
Seth gave him a grim look. "I know."
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