“Her talents have been constantly growing stronger and we all know that what she can do now will be absolutely nothing in comparison to what she will be able to do once she’s one of us.(...) Her migraines, in a sense, are akin to the Hoover dam having a very small leak.(...) The stronger the pressure from the water, the larger the fissure grows until finally…”        “The damn bursts,” Alice said sadly. “The power of her talents is like the water. The only thing holding it back right now is her humanity.”        If Alice's vision weren't so firm about the outcome of all this...  Anyway, it would be scary, this promise of power, if it wasn't for Angela's innate goodness.  Hmm, scratch that.  It's scary anyway.

  'When he had moved back to Forks with his family Billy had barely been six months old and Camille had been the first of the nurses to welcome him into the staff.(...) She had always been supportive of him, even when there were times that he was certain the hospital administrator had thought of throwing him out.(...) It had taken him a few months to win over the others, but Camille had always been a steadfast supporter and for that she had come to hold a special place in his heart.'        A special woman, I see.  And her boy gave her so many scares...  I hope he escapes.

  “I swear, if he pulls through this I’m gonna get him one of those giant bubbles people live in and he’s not getting out until he’s eighteen. Maybe not even then.”        *chuckles*        Well, looks like she isn't so down.        :-]

  “She wants to talk about that time. I guess she has questions about why I never told her that any of it upset me and that…I don’t know, I guess it makes me angry. Every time I think about calling her back and talking with her all I want to do is yell. Then I get mad that I’m mad and that just leads to me being a complete girl and crying because I’m mad.”        Heheheh!  Poor Bella. I understand; part of her is mad with Renee for not being the mother she should have been, but Bella doesn't really want to hurt her, so she stalls.  Reasonable.

  "Are we back to this? I’m not going to change my mind. I know what I want.”        “I know you do. I just wonder if you realize all that you’re giving up.”        “I’ve weighed my options; I know what my choices are, Edward. No choice is ever perfect, but I know what’s right for me and I’ve chosen that.”        No choice is ever perfect...  Some of the wisest words I ever heard.  In a sense, the basis of their story.        :-]

  '“Oh, Bella. My parents wanted me to remind you about the plane tickets they gave you for your birthday. They’re going to expire soon.”(...)        There was another reason he wanted to get Bella out of town for the weekend and it had to do with the vision Alice had this morning. It seemed that a certain redhead was back in Forks.'        Hmm, I wonder if Bella will be mad with him for hiding things from her this time.  She isn't being kept apart from the Pack, no misplaced infatuation with Jacob...  Let's see.

  'Reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear, he studied Angela’s sleeping face and smiled at the thoughts he could read from her dreams. Looking to his brother for confirmation, he smiled with relief at the thoughts he read. Angela’s migraine had finally broken and she was without pain, exhausted beyond measure, but pain free.        “When did her pain finally die down?”        “Around noon, I think,” Jasper said and frowned in curiosity. “I think about the same time I started playing actually.”        “Music is the key,” Alice said with a grin.(...)        “It ties her to the physical world. The music grounds her.”'        Holy raviolli!!  Finally, some good news!  Angela really needed a rest.  Looks like the Cullen house will become a private concert hall from now on.        ;)

  Good chapter, especially thanks to the discovery of Angela's magic pill.  Wolf, I'm curious.  Was agent Redding exposed as McGinnis accomplice?  And what about agent Caleigh?  She was an interesting character with an interesting gift.  Will she still have a role in this story?  And, speaking of McGinnis, was his body ever found?

I'm overwhelmed with anger, sorrow, frustration and helplessness...

I keep going back to what Lauren said at the coffee shop... You really have my nerves frazzled...  Excellent writing.  Truly excellent.  

I love this story so far!  I've really been sucked in!  Angela has always been so sweet, and I hate that she's going through so much pain, and that her parents are evil disguised as holy people. But really... for ALL the Cullens to be so taken with her... ::sigh::... can Emmett massage my neck and shoulders?  Please?

Hehe!  Great story.  Thank you!!!

Author's Response:

I'm glad you're loving it! Thank you for reading!

~Wolf

I am really enjoying the story. I like the humanness (for lack of a better word) that you have given to Aro, Marcus, and Felix. I have always thought there was so much more to them than what Stephenie gave us. 

As for it not being a Bella/Edward-centric story, I actually enjoy for that reason. We get to see how the family as a whole interacts not only with Angela and Bella but with each other as well. 

At the beginning of this chapter was it Carlisle singing "House at Pooh Corner"?

Author's Response:

I'm glad you're loving it! And yes, it was Carlilse singing that. It's one of my favorites and I couldn't resist putting it in there.

~Wolf

“You’ll be perfect for what I need,” he heard the shadow whisper to him.        “Who-what are you?”        “I am the one who has given you purpose,” she taunted and teased. “Tell me your name.”        “Riley,” he choked out. “Riley Biers.”        And here we go.  Poor Riley...  Nice recreation of the movie scene, by the way.

  'Aro seemed completely baffled and entirely fascinated by me. He can’t read my thoughts anymore than Edward can and I’m beginning to wonder if there really is something wrong with me. Edward doesn’t seem to think so, but he’s also the same person who asked me to marry him so I don’t think he can truly be deemed sane or logical for that matter.'        LOL!!  Typical Bella thinking.        X-} 

  'I miss Jacob. He hasn’t talked to me in weeks and doesn’t seem comfortable around me anymore.(...)  The last thing he said to me was that I was making a mistake, one he knew I would regret later on. It was weird, too, I swear…I think he was going to kiss me, but I turned away before he could.(...) I don’t want to lose him as a friend, but I’m afraid I already have.'        Hmm, I see Jacob is interested in her, like before.  But, since Edward didn't leave, not really, she isn't confused.  Good.  I'm curious to see how things will be with Jacob now.  Until the Breaking Dawn phase, I mean.        ;)

“I don’t know that I can,” she said after a long moment. “I just know that I was tired of feeling the pain and when I thought of trying to move it away I felt…I don’t know…disconnected?”        Interesting.  But something tells me it won't stop the damage, and that if it doesn't worsen it .        :-[       

  Good "family time" chapter.  I yearn to see how your Eclipse will go, with all the key changes you made.  For example, what will happen with Bree?  Will the Volturi interfere the same way they did before?  And no triangle this time...   The future is a big question mark.

Excellent cant wait for more I'm loving this story, keep up the good work !!

  “Can I ask you something? I seem to be the only one you don’t hide your pain around, why is that?”(...)         “You held my hand. When we were giving the presentation, I thought I was going to pass out and I remember you taking my hand."(...)        “That breathing technique you gave me has helped me manage the pain enough to function when the medicine won’t.”        Interesting, the way Rose helped her so much without realizing it.  And it was amusing to see Rose realize how Angela changed from just another human to one of the most important people in her universe.

  “Ok. Have fun. If Esme should ask?”        “We’re at a…a dance club.”        “Would you mind clarifying that?”        “Club Seven,” he told her and Rosalie’s eyes flew open wide before she began laughing.(...)        “So you know about…?”        “Topless weekends and free drinks for girls in bikinis? All too well. We can’t exactly go to the beach for obvious reasons, where do you think Alice models the bikinis she gets each season?”        LOL!!!  Poor Carlisle...        X-D

  “I know. I know how big that is for you. When did you first realize that you felt that way?”        “You mean my wanting to change her?(...) When Emmett brought her home. The day she collapsed in the woods with Bella, the day she cried blood. That was the day that I first felt the thought take hold.(...)        “That makes her more than just a sister to you, doesn’t it? That you’ve actually thought about changing her when you would deny it to anyone else…”(...)        “Sometimes when I look at her…sometimes I see…”        “A daughter.”        I admit I didn't see that coming.  I should, knowing Rose and seeing the way she is with Angela.        :-]

  ' When he called for her to return to Volterra she would live as a queen – as his queen – with all of the freedom and power she deserved. He would not confine her anymore, nor would he seek to hide the world from her. In his efforts to protect himself from being harmed were she to be attacked, he had instead hurt her.'        Good to know Aro learned from his mistakes.  By the way, their night at the sea was a magical thing.  Perfect to mark their new beginning.        :)

  “I’m not imagining this?”        “No, you’re not. She probably doesn’t even realize she’s doing it and thinks it only a dream. Call Rosalie and have her wake Angela up. That’s why the morphine isn’t working, Angela’s using her talent and it’s only making her migraine worse.”        I hope Eleazar training her really helps.  It doesn't feel like Angela can hold for another 9 months if things get worse than they are now.  Damn it, it doesn't even look like she can stand it as it is for long.        :(

  '“Edward. When the time comes, I want you to do it.”(...)        Though there were still moments that he saw himself, his kind, as soulless monsters, they were fewer and farther between. He knew that he had Angela to thank for his new perspective, but that hadn’t changed how he felt about Bella. He wanted her with him forever, but he was conflicted with his desire for her to remain unharmed.'        A hard habit to break, huh?

  “Marry me. Be with me, in this life and in the next,” he said as he looked into her startled gaze. “Marry me.”        She will freak out, won't she?  I see Renee made her number on Bella's head here, too.        X-]

  I'm curious to see how Angela will react when she learns about her talents.  Heh!  Still hard to believe she's completely clueless, given everything she did and experienced.  Only her innocence...

Author's Response:

I've been waiting to see your words again, my friend! Glad to see you're still reading Roses. There's a softer side to Rose that's hidden away beneath her desire for a human life and all the pain she endured directly before becoming and vampire and in her time before she met Emmett. So much unexplored territory to her personality that is simply glanced over...until Angela. :) There's certainly more to come and while Angela will grow weaker as her time nears, she will also grow stronger in many ways.

~Wolf

I know that these characters are out of canon to an extent, but I find it very very difficult to put aside the qualities that make each one true to his/her character. There's no way Edward would be all cuddly with anyone except Bella. I realize that Angela's "gift" may have changed him to some extent, but not this much.  I'm not criticizing...I'm really just trying to reach that place where this becomes believable.  Otherwise, I really like this story. Can't wait for Angela to stop sleeping and crying and begin living! Her story is so sad...

Author's Response:

Not to be ungrateful, but if you find that you cannot believe this story, then perhaps it isn't for you. This story is canon with tweaks. I do thank you for reading and reviewing.

~Wolf

An incredibly wonderful and powerful story.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much!

~Wolf

  'He rolled over top her, groaning softly with desire when she spread her legs so that he could lie between them. She returned his ministrations, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, one leg lifting to hook over his hip.(...) He was normally so very careful not to get himself or her too excited, but he needed the feel of her warmth, of her desire, more than he had before.'        Hmm, Edward is becoming bolder.  If it keeps going like that, I don't know if they will make it till the honeymoon.        :-P

  'He had been told about Angela before he had ever met her, of that he was absolutely certain. She had told him about Angela, and though her words had been spoken in earnest, he had never given the woman any thought until now. She had known about Angela, more than three hundred years before the girl had even been born, she had known.'        Looks like our Angela is a creature of prophecy now.  Oracle's gift put Alice's to shame.  An intriguing and sad story, her meeting with Marcus was.        :-|

  “Go on,” he nodded toward the door with a grin. “You smell a bit like wet dog,” he teased and laughed at the look of amused outrage on her face.        “You and Emmett,” Angela laughed as she shook her head. “I swear you’re twins.”        *chuckles*

  '“Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”        “Ok, thanks, Mom,” Angela said without realizing that she hadn’t spoken Esme’s name.'        Angela just made Esme's decade here.        ^_^

  '“Oh my god! Rain! Get your claws out of that.”        “Is everything alright?” Esme’s voice sounded from outside the door and Angela laughed.        “Yes. Rain jumped into the shower and now her claws are stuck in the sponge.”(...)        The moment that Jasper stopped moving, Rain pounced, attacking his boot and tugging at the laces. He stilled, his blond head turning down to look at the kitten firmly attached to his foot and they watched as Jasper shook his head. Continuing to walk through the house as though there wasn’t a kitten attached to his ankle high boot, Jasper made his way into the library only to be greeted by the bell-toned sound of Suplicia’s laughter.'        LOL!!  Crazy kitten...        X-}

  'As frightened as she was of the meeting with her parents, she was also angered by it. The knowledge she now held of the reasoning behind the actions her parents had taken throughout the years of her life caused a pain so deep that it turned into rage and she hated the feel of both.'        I guess she's reacting to the truth better than I thought.  A bit of rage can be a good thing in this case, as long as she can let it go afterwards.

  Tanya's chat with Angela was a good one, both her suggestions and her support.  I suppose the unholy meeting is next chapter.  I admit I'm morbidly curious to see what are their intentions, even if I know it can't be anything good.  I hope Angela surprises them.

Author's Response:

It is indeed and Angela will surprise you.Happy New YEAR!!!!

~Wolf

  “Hotchkiss…Hotchkiss is an academy…a boarding school in upstate New York. About two weeks before Bella’s birthday, before she met Ben, I brought him home after one of our dates.(...) He had pamphlets for the school and talked about sending her there. He kept saying that they could offer her the best education, get her into the best colleges, but all I could see was that it meant sending my baby away.”        Sunuva...!  What an idiot!  And poor Bella is hurting because her mother lost this?        >:(

  'She smiled at him, feeling as though she had found her home every time she looked into his eyes and slipped into the backseat of Carlisle’s Mercedes.(...) It felt almost selfish, her desire that Michael would be more than just a friend, and she looked down at her hands once more. There was something about him that called to her and she realized in that moment that whatever it was, she had always felt it, from the very first moment she had laid her eyes upon him in the library.'        Ah, I was missing something like this.  Evidence that she's as taken by Michael as he's by her.        ^_^

  “They’re not reacting,” Angela said with curiosity. “In every movie that I’ve seen, animals always react to…explorers.”        Jasper chuckled as he looked at her. “That’s a mixed answer. Are we dangerous? Yes, and while they know that on some level, horses and a few other animals react to the spirit of the person and not simply what they are. If you hold a kind and gentle spirit then they will respond to that.”        Neat!  I was wondering how were you going to manage the reaction of the horses to vampires.  Honestly, I thought you had forgotten.        :-P

  “The saddle feels weird.”(...)        “Sir. Do you mind if she were to ride bareback?”(...)        “You’re the first one to ask,” the grey haired man said with a chuckle as he stepped up to the horse in question. “Sunset hates saddles"        She felt Sunset's disconfort, didn't she?  *chuckles*  Angel Angela...

  “If you don’t mind my asking... How did she come to be with your family?”        “She was abused,” Monica said as she looked at Emmett. “I’ve been thinking about all of it and that’s the only explanation that makes sense. She was never willing to talk about her parents, she was far more mature than even a good deal of the students I taught in the university and she always seemed troubled by something.”        Smart girl.  In wonder if she will stick around for a while.

  I remember that, earlier in the story, someone was worried about how would Edward bond with his new sister.  I'm happy it happened and with the way it happened.  Nice move from Alice, by the way.        ^_^

  Talking about her parents, it reminded me of their impending talk.  I'm anxious about what will come out of this.  In a bad way.        :(

Author's Response:

Good morning and Merry Christmas, Costa!! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. There's more to come and I look forward to your thoughts.

~Wolf

I know. It's been a while.  Bad week.        ;)

  'I don’t care if you like it or not, Sam. This is what we do. He may be human, but he’s still a monster. Seth’s going and so am I.(...)        You’re a complete hypocrite if you think that all humans are good. What this guy has done is worse than what vampires do, at least those leeches kill to eat, he kills because he likes it.'         I can't say I was expecting this, Jacob and Seth joining the hunt.  I understand where Sam is coming from, but he should, at least, understand.  It was interesting to see Jared becoming less biased, though.        :-]

  'McGinnis’ scent was mixed with another’s. He could smell it, there was the barest hint of someone else in the scent, but there was a heavy fog of peppers and vinegar covering it up that it was hard to get a lock on.'        It looks like he got someone.  I wonder what happened with...  her?

  “I knew I heard you almost slip during our last conversation. I knew it! You almost said ‘human years’.”        “Well if I’d known you were a vampire, I wouldn’t have needed to be so careful.”        “So it’s my fault you had to be so tight lipped about the whole thing?”        “See? You even agree with me.”        Hahahah!  Good one!        X-)

  Bella's condition is heartwrenching.  Now would be a good time for Angela's gift to have effect on her.  She really needs a dose.  Again, those two are so alike they could be true sisters.  And Renee, as always, leaving the responsibility for another person to fulfill. *sigh*  I wonder if Bella would listen to her, though...  And what is "hotchkiss"        :-/

  'Aro turned away from the mangled corpse, sickened by the scent of the blood he wouldn’t dare touch and knew that the man lying dead at their hands had simply been born bad. He had developed a taste for blood early on and hadn’t stopped.'        Yeah, after the story Aro extracted from his mind, I suppose this is the only possible conclusion.  Now, someone must do something about Agent Redding.

  I was expecting McGinnis to realize what he was up against before the end.  To see his disappointment in seeing there are greater, and less filthy, predators than him in the world.  But Angela is free of him, so I'm glad.  And Seth's worry towards Suplicia was very endearing.  And completely amusing.        :-]

Author's Response:

I don't know if Angela's gift will ever have an effect on Bella as Bella is a very strong sheild. That's something my muse is forever undecided about.

~Wolf

Exactly, keep your eyes on the prize, Angela.  Next chapter is the meeting?  Here we go.