Bree POV

I watched Riley's back as he took off. I knew he was lying. Diego couldn't have been here; there wasn't even a trace of his scent. I followed the scents of the others till I could see a clearing through the trees. I took account of all of the scents and I knew that the red-haired female, the one that created us, was also not here. The yellow-eyes were here and they appeared to have been waiting for us. Was this a trap? I stayed in the trees, skirting around, using them for cover.

I became aware of a steady thumping. Could it be heartbeats maybe? And what was that smell? It was awful. Then I saw them. Seven giant creatures sprang into the clearing. They looked like wolves, but they couldn't be, they were far too big. A large black one leapt at Raoul his teeth clamped down on his arm and bit it right off. How could it do that? We were indestructible, weren't we? What was going on?

I didn't care, I needed to get out of here and find Fred. I didn’t know what had happened to Diego, but I couldn't stay here. I began to run but stopped after a few minutes. I couldn't pick up Fred’s scent; the foul stench from the clearing seemed to be everywhere. I would have to go back the way I came and find my way back to Seattle. Maybe Diego had run off and was still there. Even if I couldn't find him, I would still have time to catch up with Fred.

The only way back I knew was through the clearing, but it was obvious I couldn't go back there now. I'd just have to wait until they were all gone. I moved further into the forest and crouched down at the base of a large tree, hoping the wait wouldn't be too long. I could hear the screech of vampires being torn apart and the growls of the wolves. Were the creatures destroying everyone, the yellow-eyes and the army? A fire had been lit; I could smell the distinct aroma of burning vampire. I decided to wait a bit longer before I made my move.

A series of howls pierced the air, and I cringed, covering my ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound. Then... nothing. The moment I made my decision to move, I heard a voice that struck fear into my core. It was the girl, the one with the dark cloak that had given the ultimatum to her. I couldn't stay here, they would find me and tell her I’d run away.

I ran further into the forest. I didn't know where I was headed but I needed to get as far away from the vampires with cloaks as possible. I'd not been running long, when I caught that awful scent again. I could hear footfalls and a heartbeat. Oh crap, one of the creatures was following me. Panic gripped me as I tried to pinpoint its position so I could figure out the best way to escape. Where was it? Was it circling me? The next second I stopped short, my feet making a divot in the dirt as I whirled round in time to see a large, sandy brown shape spring through the trees.

It was one of the creatures; its teeth were bared and it snarled, stalking towards me. My first instinct was to attack, but I'd seen what they could do, so I froze on the spot. Run, my mind shouted at me, but instinct stopped me from turning my back on it. I moved backwards until my back hit a tree. It was over, this creature would destroy me.

It continued to stalk forward. I sank down pulling my knees towards my chest, my hands coming up to cover my face and I couldn't stop the whimper that escaped my lips. I didn't move, knowing I would feel the beasts scorching breath moments before its teeth tore into my stone flesh.

Observing the creature through my fingers, I surmised it was definitely a wolf--a freaky, horse-sized monster of a wolf with razor sharp teeth, but still a wolf. It stopped about ten feet away, pacing from side to side, never taking its eyes off me. What was it waiting for? Maybe it wouldn't attack. I lowered my hands and pushed myself up. The wolf immediately lunged forward about a foot and snapped at me. I crouched back down and it retreated again, a low growl rumbling in its chest. I didn't cover my face this time; we just stared at each other. What now?

I don't know how long we stayed like that. As long as I didn't move, it didn't come any closer. I became aware of another heartbeat, then more footfalls. The stench intensified and I knew more were coming. Was that what it was waiting for? For the others to come and tear me to pieces?

A darker brown wolf bounded through the trees and stood next to the other one. It looked at me, but didn't come any closer. I thought about getting up again, but given the reaction that had provoked last time and the fact that there were now two of them, I stayed put. I really wanted to get away; not knowing how close the cloaked vampires were unnerved me. Then I wondered; had these creatures attacked them too? Were all they all gone?

The other wolf looked me over, huffed and sprang back into the trees. What now? Was it going to get the others? I was starting to get annoyed. I was going to die anyway; it couldn't hurt to vent a little.

“Is that it? Are you just going to keep me here till your buddies come to help you tear me to pieces?” I shouted at it. “Why wait? Does it have to be a group thing?” I was yelling at a wolf, pointless I know, but I was pissed.

It stared at me and shook its head from side to side. Did it mean no, it wasn't waiting for its buddies or it wasn't going to kill me? Now I was being ridiculous. It was an animal, of course it couldn't understand me, let alone answer me.

I picked up a twig and began tracing patterns on the ground. The wolf continued its pacing.

I registered the scent and the sense of panic caused me to jump to my feet. A snarl ripped from my guard and I cowered into the tree squeezing my eyes shut in terror. The scent was unmistakeable. Vampire. Two of them. Had the cloaked ones found me?

There was silence, then a voice. “Thank you, Seth.  We'll take it from here.” I opened my eyes slightly. At the tree line stood the darker brown wolf and two blonde, male vampires. Both of them had yellow eyes. One of them was covered in scars.

Seth POV

Jake, Jake. I couldn't stop myself from whimpering as I registered the pain passing through his body as the vamp crushed his ribs. Edward felt it too, but he was distracted by the imminent arrival of the Italian vamps. The short one had relayed a message to Edward via Sam; we didn't want these other vamps knowing about us.

“No, Seth, go straight home,” Edward instructed. He was not my alpha but his words were delivered with authority. I wanted to head for the clearing, check on Jake.

“Trust me.” His voice was sincere, so I turned towards the res.

I took off, hoping my judgement was right, that I could trust Edward. He seemed cool, but Sam was always reminding us what they really were. The high from killing that vamp had vanished when I saw what happened to Jake.

I was approaching the boundary line when it hit me. I was getting too familiar with the scent now. One of them was still here and heading for our land. It was running, so I circled around, hoping I could steer it back towards the clearing and the Cullens. Unfortunately it was closer than I thought and I decided to come straight at its back.

As I came through the trees, it stopped and turned to face me. I was expecting it to attack, so I snarled and approached it cautiously. It backed up to a tree then dropped down to the base and curled into a ball, facing me. That was unexpected. It was female and looked quite small, but I didn't want to get too close. I knew about these newborns, they could be vicious and uncontrolled.

My mind reached out to see if anyone was still phased. Jared came to me. Thank goodness it wasn't Paul.

Seth, where are you? Get your ass back here; Leah's having a …

I knew he had spotted the vamp in my head. Oh crap! Stay well back. I'm on my way.

I could see the forest blur past him as he ran. The vamp lowered her hands and stood up.

Keep it down, Jared screamed at me.

I leapt forward slightly, growled a warning and bared my teeth. It crouched back down but did not cover its face this time. I decided to pace, keep it unsure of my movements.

Now that her face was uncovered, I noticed how young she looked. She was short, probably not much taller than the fortune teller vamp. Her eyes were bright red, so she definitely wasn't a Cullen. Besides I'd got all of their scents memorised from Sam. It was her youth that surprised me; I doubted she was older than me.

I'm coming up behind you now, Jared warned me. I rolled my eyes. I'm not that dumb, I can tell where the pack is and I heard his footfalls 30 seconds ago.

He came to stand behind me. Shall we do it or herd her back towards the Cullens and let them take care of it? he asked. I'm not bothered either way.

We can't do it; she's not on our land and she is not attacking anyone. She was still confusing me. Her behaviour wasn't anything like what I’d been led to expect.

Oh yeah, well while you were on cell phone duty, the rest of her posse was putting up a pretty good fight.

I know that, I put up a pretty good fight myself you know, I paused; I couldn't believe I was going to say this. I think she was running away. I think she’s scared. Look how young she is.

Jared scoffed mentally. She is what she is. She has to be dealt with. Their leader is on the res now, sorting out Jake. Before I could ask he continued. Jake's good, he's healing already. Cursed up a storm when we carried him home though.

It was a relief to know that Jake was going to be ok. What was Leah thinking? She could have gotten herself killed, I thought.

Speaking of Leah, she's going to have a fit if we don't check in soon. She knows I'm meeting up with you, but she doesn't know about the vamp. If she phases, all hell's gonna break loose.

He had a point. Go back to the res and get their leader. We'll let him sort her out.

I'm not leaving you here alone with her; Leah will have my ass in a sling, Jared protested.

I was alone with her before you got here. I huffed. Don't forget, I already took out one of these single-handedly today.

Almost single-handed, he corrected. Fine I'll go, but don't let your guard down. He took a last look at her, then turned to make his way back to the res.

I resumed my pacing. Eventually she lifted her head. Would she attack now?

“Is that it? Are you just going to keep me here till your buddies come to help you tear me to pieces?” she shouted at me. “Why wait? Does it have to be a group thing?” She sounded annoyed.

The scared little girl was gone and the monster was returning.

I wanted her to calm down so I shook my head no. This seemed to do the trick. She picked up a twig and began tracing patterns on the ground. I resumed my pacing.

Behind you now. I've got the leader and the fight trainer with me. Why did he do that? He must know I can hear them I can certainly smell them.

They came through the tree line; their eyes fixed on the girl. The leader spoke, “Thank you, Seth.  We'll take it from here.

The girl had jumped up as she heard their approach and her body leaned forward. Her sudden movement startled me a little and I snarled at her instinctively.

The Cullens leader moved forward cautiously, holding up his hands, palms forward as he went. The fight trainer followed him. His posture was more threatening, almost leaning into a crouch.

“Hello,” the leader began. “My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my son, Jasper. We mean you no harm.” The girl’s eyes darted between them; her body leaned forward even more, until her posture was almost mirroring the fight trainer.

“Can you tell us your name?” the leader continued.

The girl hesitated; I guess she was going to make something up. The response was so low I almost didn't hear it.

“Bree. Bree Tanner.”

Bree POV

There was silence, then a voice.  “Thank you, Seth, we'll take it from here.”   I opened my eyes slightly.   At the tree line stood the darker brown wolf and two blond, male vampires.   Both of them had yellow eyes.   One of them was covered in scars.

Instinct made me lean forward.  I tried to stop myself going into a full crouch; I didn't want them to think I was about to attack.

Wait a minute; did he just talk to the wolf?  Was it his pet or something?

The one with straight hair moved forward slowly, holding up his hands palms forward as he came toward me.   The scarred one followed him.   Something about him reminded me of Fred.   Maybe it was just the hair.  His posture was more threatening, almost leaning into a crouch.  His scars were frightening enough; he didn't need to assume attack mode.


“Hello, my name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my son, Jasper,” The straight-haired male addressed me.  “We mean you no harm.”   I tried to take in his words, but my focus kept shifting to the crouched male and I found myself leaning forward even more.  I began to feel unnaturally calm, but my mind was still buzzing trying to figure out an escape route.

“Can you tell us your name?” he continued.

I wanted to make something up, but I remembered one of them could read minds.   I didn't want to annoy them by lying.  My mouth opened, but I could barely make any sound come out.

“Bree,” I replied.  “Bree Tanner.”

“Well, Bree, I need you to come with us.  We have a residence close by an‑”

“I don't want to go with you,” I responded before he could finish.  “I want to go to Vancouver.”  I didn't want to go with them or for them to know about Fred.  I tried to think about the other newborns; I wasn't sure how their mind reading worked.

“You can't stay here.  You are too close to the Quileute border; it is dangerous for you here.”  His hand gestured towards the trees.  “Come with us. I assure you, you will not be harmed.  We will talk, and then you will be free to go where you choose.”

I didn't understand.  Where is Quileute?  Where was this border and what made it so dangerous?  But this didn't concern me most.

“Are the others there?” I asked.

“The other members of my family are there.  I will introduce you to them.”  He smiled as he responded.  “None of them will harm you.”

“What about the vampires with cloaks?” I enquired further.

He exchanged a glance with the one he called Jasper before he addressed me again.

“The vampires with cloaks have gone.  Have you met them before?” he asked.  His voice remained the same, but something was off and what was that look for?

“No, but I saw them in Seattle before we came here.”   I wasn’t sure how much to say; I didn't know how well they knew them.   I didn't think the cloaks liked the yellow-eyes, but they obviously hadn't destroyed them.   Maybe if I went with them, I would find out what was really going on.
 
“I understand you have some concerns, but it really would be best if you came with us.”  Carlisle’s hand remained pointed at the tree line.  “I'm sure we both have questions about what happened here today.”

I nodded and moved towards them.   Something wasn’t quite right.  I should be more anxious than this.  I was about to follow two strange vampires into the forest and yet I felt quite calm. 

They came to meet me, and we headed into the forest with one of them on either side of me.   My attention turned back to the wolves as they came to stand behind us.   They were still about ten feet away, but I didn't want my back to them.   I looked over my shoulder and growled a warning.

“Don't worry about them.” Jasper spoke for the first time.   “They just want to make sure we are clear of the boundary line.”

“What boundary line?”  

“We will explain everything when we get back to the house,” he responded.  His tone was clipped, and he didn’t even look at me.  I guessed he didn't want me to ask any more questions.

We began to run; the wolves stayed with us, keeping their distance.   I glanced at them every few seconds; their presence bothered me, but strangely my anxiety level still wasn't what it should be.  Eventually their heartbeats faded, and when I glanced back, they were gone. 

We arrived at a river and stopped.  The one named Carlisle leapt across and waited for us.  Jasper indicated that I should do the same.   I leapt and he followed almost at the same time.  We continued our run, and ten seconds later a three storey, rectangular house loomed in front of us.   Were we going to hunt here?  Surely that would be too obvious.
That thought soon vanished as two more male vampires came to stand on the porch.   One was huge with short dark hair.  He leaned against one of the posts, muscled arms folded across his chest.   He was obviously not feeling threatened.   The other was shorter and leaner, similar in build to Jasper, but with a riot of red hair.  Not as red as my creator, more bronze I guess.   He was less relaxed and he stared at me intensely. 

Jasper placed his hand on my back and urged me forward.   I stiffened at his touch, but again I didn’t seem to feel as agitated as I should.   What was wrong with me?

There was no way I was going into that house with four male vampires.   I wasn’t stupid.  I’d been on the streets for months.   What were these yellow-eyes up to?  Were they running some kind of vampire sex slave trade?   Was that why they lived in a house like this?

A smile quirked at the edge of the bronze-haired male's mouth as he came down the steps followed by the larger one.  As they approached, I caught the scent from the red shirt.  It was on the smaller male.  Is she in the house?   What are they planning to do with her?  My mind was racing and the fire in my throat roared to life again. 

“She needs to hunt,” the shorter male stated as his eyes bore into me.

A few seconds later a small, dark haired form bounded in from our left, a large deer across her tiny shoulders.  This vampire was about my height, but she restrained the struggling beast with ease.  So what, are we going to have a barbecue now?  What is wrong with these yellow-eyes?

“Bree, I know this is not what you are used to, but you need to feed.  The blood will soothe the burn and help you focus,” Carlisle said.  I could barely register his words as the thumping of the deer’s heart seemed to grow louder, blocking out everything else.

When my senses returned, I was aware of the rough hair on my tongue.  I was drawing in blood, and the burn was easing, but the taste was wrong.   The more I drew in, the worse it got.   Soon I could take no more.  I stopped and spat out the blood that was still in my mouth, then wiped my tongue on my sleeve.   Looking down I realized I was seated on top of the deer, and I had almost drained it dry.  Eww, gross, why did I do that? 

I jumped up, instinctively leaning into a crouch, facing the four yellow-eyed males.   The female had gone.   Three of them were also in a half crouch but Carlisle was smiling, his hands facing me again.
 
“I hoped that helped.”  He smiled.

I straightened up and nodded.   It had helped, but I wouldn't be doing that again.  I needed to hunt properly.

“Let me introduce you.”  Carlisle gestured to the male with bronze hair.  “This is my son, Edward.”  He then gestured to the other male and added, “My other son, Emmett.”
  
Edward gave me a small nod, while Emmett gave me a wide smile.  Why was he calling them his sons?   They obviously weren’t his sons; I doubt if they were even related.   Riley had referred to us as his kids.  Was this Carlisle in charge of these other vampires, the same way Riley was with us?

Turning his head back in my direction, he gave me a reassuring smile and said, “Boys, this is Bree Tanner.”

“I think we should go inside now, perhaps you would like to clean up a little.”   He waved his hand in the direction of the house as he spoke and began to move forward.   I didn’t move; I had no intention of going in that house.   Then an awful thought occurred to me.   What if they would only let me hunt properly if I did what they said?   Would I starve?   Could I starve?   Would they leave it until the burning got so bad I’d do anything they wanted?

“Oh for goodness sake.”  All eyes were suddenly on Edward, following his outburst.   He stood there with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
 
“Edward?”  Carlisle’s voice held concern.  

 “She won’t go into the house because she thinks there is a possibility you are running a brothel and trading sex slaves,” he explained.

Carlisle turned and looked at me. He said nothing, but the horrified look on his face spoke volumes.

“That explains a lot.” Jasper’s voice held some amusement and possibly relief.

The booming laugh that exploded from Emmett made me jump. “That’s priceless.”  He managed to get out through his own amusement. 

It was at that point that I realized Edward had been reading my mind.   The others hadn’t commented on my thoughts up until now.  Was he the only one that could do this?   I glanced at him and he nodded then rolled his eyes.   What was that for?

“Emmett, don‑”   Before he had finished, Emmett had me over his shoulder and was bounding up the steps to the house.   I immediately began to struggle, pounding on his back and trying to twist in his grasp, but he was too strong.   I should be stronger than him.  The yellow-eyes were supposed to be old and weak.   Maybe he wasn’t that old.   I tried to bite his back, but as I prepared to sink my teeth into him, he flipped me onto my feet and held me facing away from him, his hands on my shoulders.

I was face to face with the small dark haired girl, a caramel haired woman with smile that reached her eyes, and the most stunning blonde female I had ever seen.  I was also assaulted by that scent again.   The human girl had obviously been in the house, but it wasn't just that.   It was coming from the short girl.   What was the deal with this lot and the human?

“Not very clever, Em, she could have attacked you, bitten you or ripped off your arm.”   Jasper was in front of me now.  He clearly didn't think much of Emmett’s solution to getting me into the house.

“Ha! seriously, dude, are you kidding me?  You really think this little girl could rip my arm off?”  Emmett laughed off Jasper’s concern.

Who was he calling a little girl?   Annoyed by his statement, I whirled around and let out a fierce growl.   His smile only grew wider.

“She's funny. Can we keep her?” he asked.

“We are a long way from making that kind of decision.  We can’t keep her just to amuse you, Emmett,” Carlisle replied.

They were talking about me like I was a stray dog.

“Jasper has a point,” Carlisle continued.  “You are not familiar with newborns; their size is not always an indication of their strength.  Their volatile nature can make them quite vicious if they feel threatened.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Don't mind me; just pretend I'm not here,” I muttered under my breath.  Of course they all heard me.

Carlisle turned to me and smiled apologetically.   “I'm so sorry, Bree, do forgive me.  I haven't introduced you to the rest of my family.”  Was he for real?  I'd just been carried into a house containing a coven of vampires, and he was gonna introduce me like I'd just popped round for afternoon tea.

The woman with the caramel hair moved forward and Carlisle took her hand.  “This is my wife, Esme.  Esme, this is Bree.”

Esme smiled warmly.  “So pleased to meet you, Bree.”  I smiled back but didn't say anything.

Carlisle then indicated the blonde woman.   “This is my daughter, Rosalie.   She is also Emmett's wife.”   Did he just say his son and daughter were married? 

“Hello, Bree.”  Her greeting was polite but cautious.  I gave her a small nod.
 
Carlisle finally gestured towards the last girl.   “This is my other daughter, Alice.  She and Jasper are also married.”   He may not be running a brothel, but this brother and sister married thing was gross.  No wonder the cloaked vampires didn't like them.

“Hello, Bree.  It's lovely to meet you.”  Alice skipped towards me and held out her hand.   The movement was unexpected and I instinctively hissed a warning, but Jasper had already caught her around the waist and was holding her to him.
 
“Aww, Jazz, I was just going to give her a proper welcome.”  She pouted.

“I think Bree has been manhandled enough for today,” he replied, looking pointedly at Emmett.

I wondered where they'd put the human girl.   I couldn't hear a heartbeat, so she definitely wasn't in the house.   Did they keep her with their wolves?   The house didn't smell, so they weren't house pets like her. 

“She is no concern of yours,” Edward suddenly snapped at me.  His eyes blazed with fury, but he didn’t move towards me.

Did he do that all the time?  “Do you have to do that?”  I snapped back at him.  “Can’t you stay out of my head?”

Rosalie moved around me to stand next to Emmett and reached up on tiptoe to give him a peck on the cheek.

“She's on my wavelength, definitely a keeper,” she purred, turning to give Edward a stunning smile.

Edward rolled his eyes, while Carlisle gave her an impatient look.

“As I said to Emmett, we are a long way from making any decisions.”  Carlisle then turned to me and suggested, “Perhaps you would like to go upstairs and get cleaned up.”

Oh so now we are getting to it.  No way was I going upstairs with him. 

Bree POV

No way was I going upstairs with him. I may have been greatly outnumbered, but I wasn’t going without a fight. I bared my teeth and let out a feral growl. Jasper placed himself right in front of me and emitted an equally menacing growl of his own.

“Cool it, Jazz. Jeez, overreact much?” Emmett muttered.

I sensed that I may have a possible ally in Emmett, so I scooted closer to him. He looked like he could take Jasper on, and at least he never growled at me. I was pretty sure he could sort out the mind reader too if need be. I glanced at Edward, and I thought I saw the beginning of a smile twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Carlisle seemed to understand the reason for my reluctance, and he gestured towards Esme, saying, “Esme will show you where everything is, and I’m sure Alice will find you some fresh clothes. The rest of the family will wait for you down here.”

Good, this could be my chance to get away. I could follow my scent back to the clearing and then find my way to Fred. What time was it now? He said he would wait for twenty-four hours, but I didn’t want to hang around here for too long.

As I followed Esme towards the curved staircase, I registered how light the whole room was. Everything was so white and clean, and I suddenly felt very grubby. I hadn't even considered taking a shower since the change. It didn't seem important when you’re in a dirty, run down house that will most likely be destroyed by the random violence that comes with young vampires. As I ascended the stairs with Alice behind me, I became aware of the human’s scent once again. She had been upstairs in this house. Why did she come here? What did they do with her?

At the top of the stairs, a long, wood-panelled hallway led to several rooms. Esme stopped at a door towards the end of the hallway. Alice suddenly bounded in front of me, causing me to back up against the opposite wall and hiss at her. She ignored my warning and indicated the open door in front of me. She practically skipped over the threshold and beckoned to me. I followed her cautiously, waiting for her next move.

“This is my room,” Alice trilled. Her arms spread out in a semi-circle in front of her as she spoke. “The bathroom is through there.” The ever moving arms gestured to the door on my left. “Help yourself to anything in there while I find you a change of clothes.”

I kept my eyes on her as I walked towards the bathroom.

“Oh, and just so you know,” she added. “Yes, there is a window, and we will hear if you open it. One of the guys will be outside before your feet even reach the ground.”

I stared at her with my mouth wide open. Edward hadn’t been entirely honest; he was not the only mind reader. That would make escape more difficult. I know Carlisle had said I could go after we talked, but I didn’t know how long that would take, and I wasn't sure how much of the twenty-four hours I had left. I resolved to make this a very quick shower.

The bathroom was huge  almost the same size as the bedroom. There was a long counter along the far side filled with shampoos, shower gel, bath foam and all sorts of paraphernalia. I read some of the labels, but I didn't know what half of them were for. I grabbed the nearest bottle of shower gel and turned on the spray. The warm water on my bare skin felt heavenly, and the gel smelled wonderful. The label said it was Jasmine. I didn’t know if Jasmine really smelt like that, but I liked it. I couldn’t remember the last time I had taken a shower and wished I could have enjoyed it longer.

I wrapped myself in a towel and peeked through the door into the bedroom. A small pile of clothes lay just outside the door, so I snatched them quickly and closed the door again. Alice had left some pink lacy boy shorts with a matching bra. I wasn't about to wear someone else’s underwear, but then I noticed the store tag was still on them. There was also a pair of jeans and a shirt. The jeans had a designer label. I'd never worn designer jeans in my life, but they did seem to fit well. The shirt was pale grey with red sleeves and a logo in red on the front. It was a little big, but it was clean.

When I returned to the bedroom, Alice was on the bed. She cocked her head to the side and said, “Well, we had better get a move on. It seems like you have a date.” With that, she jumped off the bed and led me back downstairs to the main room.

Jasper was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. His glare remained fixed on me as I walked down behind Alice. I skirted around him and threw him a glare of my own.

Carlisle got up from the smaller couch where he had been sitting with Esme and asked me to take a seat. I glanced around the room. Edward was standing next to Esme, and Emmett and Rosalie were seated at one end of the large couch. Rosalie was leaning casually on the arm, and Emmett had his arm draped around her shoulder.

I could sense Jasper watching me, shadowing my movements as I walked across the room, so I opted to sit next to Emmett. I wanted to move closer to him again, but I didn’t want to leave room for anyone to sit next to me. Before I connected with the seat, Alice nudged me over with her hip and planted herself next to the other arm of the chair, leaving me sandwiched between her and Emmett. The unexpected contact earned her another hiss from me. Jasper went to stand behind her, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. I edged closer to Emmett, still sure he could deal with the overbearing ass if necessary. Emmett placed his free arm on the back of the couch behind me, but didn't touch me. Edward looked at me with a crooked smirk on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him but held back from making any noise. Jasper was too close, and I was fed up with his constant growling.

Carlisle cleared his throat. He didn’t need to do that, so I guessed he just wanted my attention. “How old are you, Bree?”

“About three months. I’m not sure of the date,” I responded.

“No, dear, I meant how old were you before you were changed?”

“Eighteen,” I lied.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t make a verbal response. Emmett, on the other hand, didn’t hold back. “Yeah, right, kid.” His arm slipped around my shoulder, and he leaned towards me. The gesture didn't feel threatening, but I still had to fight the urge to attack. “There’s no point lying,” he whispered conspiratorially, nodding his head in Edward’s direction. Why was he bothering to whisper?

“Well why don’t you just pick the information out of my head? Then I can be on my way.” I snapped at Edward. It probably wasn't the best response, but at that moment, I really didn’t care.

“I can only know what you’re thinking at the time,” he answered calmly. If my snapping bothered him, he didn’t show it.

“Well I’ll just think about everything I know while I’m on my way. You can follow me, and then you’ll have all the answers.”

“I’m sure you have questions for us too,” Carlisle interjected. “We also need to make sure you have the necessary information and rules to keep you safe before you leave.”

How long would that take? How many rules were there? I didn’t have time for this; I just wanted to leave. A sense of frustration overwhelmed me, and I leapt up and started to head for the door. In my haste, I almost knocked Alice over the side of the couch, and the whole room became an explosion of movement. I couldn't focus on anything other than my desire to leave and the feeling that they were stopping me.

I became aware of hands gripping my upper arms and being held face down against the floor. I heard a familiar growl. Jasper. I’d had it with him. I pushed back and managed to get to an upright position. He obviously wasn’t as strong as Emmett. Wrestling my arms free, I turned to face him, and I felt an overwhelming urge to lunge at his throat. His scars were practically screaming a warning at me, but I was just too angry with him for that to stop me.

The split second it took for these thoughts to pass through my head was all it took for Emmett to place himself between Jasper and me. He held me against the wall with a hand on each shoulder. I couldn’t move him, but that didn’t stop me from baring my teeth and trying to bite a chunk out of him.

“Careful, Em.” A female voice advised. Was it Rosalie?

I was fuming, but I couldn’t seem to keep up the level of anger required to fight. I felt unnaturally weak, tired almost. I never felt tired; something must be wrong with me.

Emmett’s grip loosened a little. “Ease up, Jazz. You don’t want to put her in a coma.”

Was Jasper doing this  messing with my head and making me feel ill? Was he like Fred? What did these yellow-eyes really plan to do with me? They had invaded my head, made me feel ill, and fed me deer blood. I had to get away from these freaks; they were dangerous. That was possibly the one thing Riley hadn’t lied about. Well, that and their human pet.

Emmett's hold had relaxed enough that I was able to slide to the floor. I pulled my knees to my chest, and my hands came up to the side of my head. “What now?” I asked simply.

Esme came and knelt down in front of me.

“Don't get too close,” Jasper warned.

“Bree, dear, come and sit back down.” I looked into her light gold eyes; she seemed to be genuinely concerned. “I'm sure this is all very confusing for you. We will explain our way of life, and you can ask about anything you don't understand.”

I allowed her to lead me back to the seating area where Emmett and Rosalie were already seated on the couch, their positions reversed. I approached them, intending to sit next to Rosalie, but she scooted over, leaving a gap between them, and I sat there. Alice started towards the couch, but Jasper stopped her and pulled her into an embrace. He then turned her to face the room but did not release her.

“Before we get started,” Edward said. “Who is Fred?”

Damn.

“Oh, so that’s his name,” Alice piped up.

“He's a friend.” I kept my reply simple, as I didn't want to tell them too much about him. It was bad enough they knew about him at all.

“Why are you so anxious to get to him if he is just a friend?” Edward probed.

“He's a very good friend. I doubt I would still be here if it wasn't for him,” I explained. “We arranged to meet in Vancouver, but he said he would only wait twenty-four hours, and I don't want to miss him.”

“You could probably make it there in less than four hours. You have plenty of time,” Edward told me.

“I need to go back to Seattle first.”

“Who is in Seattle?” he asked suspiciously. I glanced at Edward, then sighed; there was no point lying.

“My friend Diego,” I confessed. I wasn't doing a good job of keeping anything from them.

“Is he the one you are thinking of now?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I'm sorry, Bree. Victoria destroyed him,” he informed me sympathetically. I must have already known this somewhere deep down. I wasn't surprised by the news; I was just sad to have it confirmed.

“Was that her name?” I asked. “The one with red hair,” I added for clarification.

“Yes.” There was a small hesitation before he continued. “Was Riley close to Diego? His demise seemed to trouble him. Your friend's destruction was on his mind before Victoria turned against him.”

So Victoria had turned against Riley. Had she destroyed him?

“They weren't close really, but Diego had survived the longest.” Diego was dead; it didn't matter what I said about him now. “He wasn't as stupid as most of them. Riley trusted him, let him do what he wanted mostly.”

There was silence for a while; I assumed no one knew what to say.

Esme broke the silence. “I'm so sorry about your friend, dear. We have asked you a lot of questions, and we have many more, but is there anything you would like to ask us?”

I had so many questions, but I didn't know where to start.

Bree POV


I had so many questions.  Where did I start?

I decided to go for the obvious.  “Why are your eyes yellow?  Will mine do that when I get older?”

“Our eyes are yellow because we feed from animals,” Carlisle answered.  “We choose not to hunt humans.” He added with a small smile.

“What!” I cried.  “You’re kidding.  Are you telling me you drink that awful deer blood all the time?”  My voice had gone up an octave.  Why would they do that?  Human blood, even the drug or alcohol-tainted kind, was a hundred times better than that.

“Well, the blood of carnivores is better, but we just needed something to help with your thirst quickly,” Carlisle explained.  I really didn't care if carnivore blood was better; I had no plans to try it.  Did they not kill humans because of the girl?  No one had mentioned her, and Edward wasn't too happy when he caught me thinking about her earlier.  I didn't want to annoy Edward, so I decided to stick with something that had already come up.

“Do you all have er... skills?” I asked.  Diego's word for the extra talents some vampires possessed seemed as good as any other I could come up with.  “I know Edward and Alice read minds, and Jasper can make you feel ill.  Fred can do‑” I stopped myself.  I hadn't meant to tell them that about Fred.

“It's okay.  I already got that much from your thoughts when you found out about Jasper,” Edward confessed.  “I know Riley gave you some information about our abilities.  We can explain them a bit more, and then perhaps you can tell us a little about Fred,” he compromised.

Would it matter if they knew about Fred?  It wasn't as if they would ever meet him.  After deciding it would probably be okay, I nodded in agreement.

Edward volunteered information about himself first.  “I can hear everyone's mind within a two to three-mile radius.  I can focus on one mind for clarity, or un-focus to give some privacy, but I can't switch it off.”

“Isn't it a bit noisy?” I asked.

“It was, at first,” he replied.  A slight smile appeared at the corner of this mouth.  “I've learned how to manage it over the years.”

“Do you find it noisy?”  I turned to ask Alice.

“Oh, I'm not a mind reader,” she replied.

“But you knew what I was thinking upstairs.”  I gave her a smug look, thinking I had caught her out.

“I can see the future.  Outcomes mainly, depending on what decisions are made.  I didn't know exactly what your plans were.  I just saw you jumping out of the window,” she replied, returning my look.  Could anyone really see the future?  Then I remembered the conversation I had overheard between Victoria and Riley.  Her apparent indecisiveness suddenly made sense.   

“Victoria knew, didn't she?”  I didn't wait for an answer.  “She told Riley she couldn't make any decisions, supposedly to protect us.  Did she know about all of your skills?  Did she know that Jasper could make you feel ill?”

“Jasper doesn't make you feel ill as such,” Alice answered.

“Not unless he's overdoing it,” Emmett butted in.

Alice simply stuck her tongue out at him and carried on.  “He is an empath.  He can sense the emotions of others, and he can also project them.  He was just projecting a calming influence over you to help you control yourself.”

“I think I'd be a lot calmer if he just stopped growling at me,” I retorted.  I glanced up at Jasper and was surprised to see he was actually smiling.

“What about Emmett and Rosalie?” I enquired next. 

“Well, I'm sure you have realized Emmett is very strong.  He's not much weaker than some newborns, but neither of them has any obvious gifts.”  Carlisle answered that question.

That figures; they would be the normal ones. 

“That depends on your definition of normal,” Edward snorted.  Did he always answer their thoughts?  How did they stand it? 

“My apologies, Bree.  I’ll only answer your verbal questions from now on.” Edward apologized.

“Thanks,” I responded trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.  “What about you and Esme?” I asked Carlisle.

“No, we don't have any gifts either.”

Three out of seven with skills seemed a lot to me.  Maybe Carlisle was better at selecting people to change than Victoria.  Now that they had told me about their eyes and their gifts, I couldn’t decide what to ask about next.  There were so many things I wanted to know, but it was hard to focus on one thing at a time.   My immediate surroundings brought one of the many thoughts to the forefront of my mind.

“If you don't hunt humans, how did you get this house?   Did you just kill the owners, but not drink from them?”   I didn't think it would be possible, but I had to ask.

Esme gasped; she looked horrified at the thought, but Carlisle merely patted her thigh before he answered me.  “No, we own this house.  Esme and I bought it about seventy years ago, but we have only been living here for about three years.”

“Seventy years!” I shrieked.  “Jeez, how old are you?”  It wasn't until the words came out of my mouth that I realized how rude they sounded.

Carlisle didn't seem to mind, as he chuckled a little.  “I am actually about three hundred and sixty years old.”

My mouth fell open.  Well, that was another thing Riley hadn't lied about.  They may not all be weak, but they certainly were old.  I stole a quick glance at Edward, but he remained true to his word, and didn’t comment on my thoughts.

“Many of our kind are considerably older than me.”  Carlisle informed me.  I guess it made sense.  I'd only known young vampires, apart from our creator, and I'd never considered how old she might actually be.

Alice suddenly let out a small gasp and Jasper's arms tightened around her.

“Where is she?” Edward asked.  He was already at the door.

“Just passed the Quileute border.  She won't try to drive again before you get there.” Alice called after him.

“What is it, dear?” Esme asked Alice.  Her voice and face showed her concern.

“Bella is in her truck; she's upset.  I think she's just been to see Jacob.”

“Oh my goodness,” cried Esme.  “You don't think something has happened to him, do you?” she asked Carlisle, grasping his hand.

“It's unlikely; he was fine when I left.  The healing process had already begun.”  He reassured her.  “I'll call Edward in a while to see if there is a problem.”

Who are Bella and Jacob?  Are there more of them?  Riley had said there were only seven.   I didn't know if I should ask.  They had said they would answer my questions, but they hadn't mentioned these two.  Maybe they didn't want me to know about them.   Alice had mentioned the Quileute border, and Carlisle did say it was dangerous there.  Were these two in danger?  Was that why Esme looked so worried?

“Sorry about that, Bree,” Carlisle apologized.   “Now we have answered some of your questions, perhaps you could answer some of ours.”

“Okay,” I agreed.  I really wanted to know what was going on with the other two, but I guessed he changed tack because he didn't want to tell me.
 
“Edward may not be here, but I will know if you are lying.  Your emotional reactions will give you away.”  Jasper’s smile had gone, and the familiar glare returned to accompany his words.

I huffed and rolled my eyes.   He really could be quite annoying, and I hoped he had picked up on that.

“I know you’re annoyed.”  He let me know how well he was reading my emotional state.  “I don't mean to be so overbearing, but we can't take chances.  You are still new to this life, and you could unintentionally harm a member of this family if you lost control,” he added, giving me a brief glimpse of his smile again.  He didn't look so scary when he smiled, and at least he seemed to have stopped growling.

“How old are you, Bree?” Carlisle asked.  His eyes held mine, and I could tell he expected an honest answer.

“Sixteen, I think.  I was close to my birthday, but I lost track of the days before I was changed.”

Rosalie began to stroke my hair.  It was odd, as her touch should have startled me, but it actually felt quite soothing.

“Did you live in Seattle?  Do you have any family that may be looking for you?”  Carlisle continued with his questions.

I dredged up the foggy human memories.  “I lived in Redmond, but I ran away.  I've been living on the streets in Seattle for a while.  I don't think my dad will be looking for me.  He was probably glad to see the back of me.”  The feeling was mutual.  I didn't miss him.  I was glad to be away from his fists.  The only thing I missed about home was the regular meals.

Rosalie's body tensed, and her hand stopped mid-stroke.  Emmett's arm reached behind me and patted her shoulder.  She relaxed and resumed her soft comforting strokes on my hair.

“I'm sorry to hear that, Bree.”  Carlisle sounded genuinely concerned.  “But your unfortunate circumstances will actually make any decisions about your future somewhat easier.”  

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I said nothing.  He didn't need to decide my future.  I just needed to get out of here and find Fred.

“Did all of the newborns created by Victoria come here today?  Are there any left in Seattle?”  His next questions weren't what I was expecting.  Why did he want to know if there were others?  The fight obviously had nothing to do with human blood.  They didn't even drink it.   Did they want to destroy any others?  Would they destroy me when I had answered their questions?  Carlisle had said they wouldn't harm me, but what if he was lying?  Riley lied, Victoria lied, would anyone tell the truth?   Maybe I shouldn't have told them my dad wouldn't be looking for me.

Panic exploded from within me, I couldn't control it.   I jumped up again, seeking an escape.  Emmett's arms clamped around my arms pinning them to my side, and my back was held firmly to his chest.  I could feel the wave of calm Jasper was bombarding me with, but the panic was fighting back.

“What caused that?”  Emmett's voice came from behind me.

“I don't know.  She just felt an overwhelming sense of panic.  She's still fighting me now,” Jasper's response came through his gritted teeth .  It was as though the effort it took to quell my fear was too much for him.

Rosalie approached me slowly.  “Careful, Rose, watch her teeth,” warned Emmett.

“Bree,” she called softly.  And then more sharply.  “Bree, look at me.”

I looked into her golden eyes and only saw concern.  “Bree, can you tell me what made you so afraid?”  The softer tone had returned to her voice.

Jasper had obviously given up trying to calm me and just gave me a heavy dose of lethargy.  It was actually an effort to keep my head up.

“Why does Carlisle want to know about the others?” I asked Rosalie.  “Does he want to destroy them?   Will you destroy me when you have your answers?”

They all looked shocked, genuinely shocked.  Esme recovered quickest.  “No, no of course not, we wouldn't … we couldn't do that.”

“I only wanted to know because any others will be without guidance now that your creator has been destroyed.”  Carlisle quickly reassured me.  “Unsupervised newborns can cause problems for our kind.”

“Victoria's gone?  Riley as well‑ are they both gone?” I whispered.  Emmett's hold relaxed, and Rosalie and Esme both reached out for me as I slumped forward.

“I think you can ease off now, Jasper,” Rosalie said while giving him a pointed look.

“Yes, dear, they're both gone.”  Relief washed through me with Esme's words.  I was trapped in a house with six vampires, but I felt free.  Fred and I wouldn't have to spend the rest of our days looking over our shoulder for either of them.

We all resumed our previous positions.  Jasper still held Alice close to him, but his features had softened again, and at least he hadn't growled at me when I'd lost it.

Carlisle shifted slightly in his seat.  I could tell he wanted to return to the subject of the other newborns.  I let out a sigh before I started to speak.  “Fred left when we got here.  He didn't want to fight either.  He agreed to leave a trail for me in Riley Park, in Vancouver.  Some of the others had left before.  Riley said they were burned by the sun, but I guess they just figured out Riley was lying and ran away.  Or maybe he destroyed them because they knew he was lying.”

“I don't see that anything can be done about the ones that may have run off, but your friend Fred is another matter,” Carlisle said.

“Why? He’s not a problem.”  What did he want to do about Fred?  I was worried.  Had I put Fred in danger by talking about him?

“Do you know when he was changed?”

“No, but he is older than me.  He didn't need to hunt as often.”

“That's good; he will be able to control his thirst better.  I'm sure you know that humans are unaware of our existence.  It is essential that it remains that way.  A coven of very powerful vampires enforce this rule.  They are referred to as the Volturi.  If any vampire attracts the attention of humans due to their behavior, or irresponsible feeding, they will be destroyed by this coven.”

“Are they the ones with the cloaks?” I asked.

Carlisle nodded.

“Did they get rid of Victoria and Riley?”

He glanced at Jasper, and I thought I saw Jasper's eyes move quickly to the side and then back again.  “No.”  Carlisle didn't expand on his answer.  What was he not telling me?

“It is important that Fred knows about the Volturi,” he said, leaving the topic of Victoria and Riley's demise unfinished.  I was about to mention that I had told Fred a bit about the ones with cloaks, but Carlisle continued.  “I'm sure none of us want another visit from the Volturi.”

“Is that because of your human pet?”  I asked.  “Riley told us about her.  Does she know what you are?” 

“She.  Is.  Not.  Our.  Pet.” Alice ground out.  Her eyes flashed with fury, and she leant towards me.  I was thankful Jasper kept a restraining arm around her.

I was confused.  “But she's been in the house, and you have her scent on you.  If she's not your pet, what do you do with her.” 

Alice had calmed down a bit.  I was not sure if it was due to Jasper's influence, but for a moment she was almost as scary as her husband.

“We don't do anything with her.  She's Edward's mate.”  The anger had faded and her voice was almost playful now.

“What?  Like a best friend?”  

“No, silly, she's his mate, like Jasper is mine.   They're getting married.”  She clasped her hands together in front of her as she announced the wedding.

 “You mean they're dating?”  I'm sure my face showed my disgust.  I couldn't have hid it if I tried.  “I thought the brother and sister being married thing was gross, but this‑ isn't it like dating a hamburger?”  The words were out before I could stop them, and my hand flew up to cover my mouth.  I stole a quick glance at Alice; she was not happy.

Emmett's arm reached around my shoulder again.  The gesture was not threatening, but his voice when he spoke was definitely a warning.  “Bella is very special to all of us.  She's going to be a part of this family, and we all think of her as family already.”  I made a mental note to engage my brain before I opened my mouth again.  I also noted that he had called her Bella.  So she was the one that was upset.  That just left Jacob as the unknown entity.

I hesitated a moment.  I wasn't sure if I should say any more, but I still didn't understand.  “If she is going to be a member of your family, why haven't you changed her?  Why didn't Edward change her before they started dating?  You know how to do it, don't you?”  I felt a bit ridiculous asking.  Carlisle had a house full of vampires.  He must know how to do it.  Maybe he didn't.  I'd just assumed he had changed them all.  Maybe he just found vampires and invited them to join him.  That would explain the high proportion of  skills in this coven.  Is that why Emmett wanted to know if they were going to keep me.   

“Knowledge is not a problem.”  Carlisle's voice broke into my thoughts.  “Edward does not want her to be changed.  She is his mate, and we will not go against his wishes.” 

This still made no sense.  Were all vampires like these?  I had nothing to compare it to.  The way the newborns existed was wrong.  That was why Victoria was destroyed.  But living in a nice house, feeding off animals, and dating humans seemed just as wrong.  Humans were our source of food.  We were not even the same species anymore. 

Despite their explanation, I still didn't understand the point of keeping Bella human, so I finally decided to ask the question I really needed the answer to.  “The giant wolves, they're your pets, aren't they?”

Everyone's eyes turned to Carlisle.  How much would he hold back this time? I wondered.

Bree POV

“No, they are not pets,” Carlisle answered.  There was a small hesitation before he continued.  “They are our allies.”

I didn't know what he meant.  How could they be allies?  Even if they worked together, like the police did with dogs, you wouldn't call them allies.

“I thought only other vampires could harm us, but I saw one of them bite Raoul's arm off.  How could it do that?” 

“I'm sure you could tell by their size, that they are not normal wolves,” Carlisle explained.  “They exist to destroy vampires, so they are extremely powerful and agile.  They also have razor sharp teeth.”

“You called one of them Seth.  If they aren't your pets, how do you know its name?” I questioned him further.

“Edward gave me that bit of information,” he answered simply.  I looked at him waiting for him to expand on his answer, but he didn't say anything else.  How could Edward know?  Surely he couldn't read the minds of animals.  Even if he could, animals wouldn't give themselves names.  There was something they weren't telling me.  Maybe the wolves belonged to this Jacob guy they didn't want to talk about.

“Who do they belong to then?” I persisted. 

“They don't belong to anyone.”  Carlisle gave another answer that didn't tell me anything.

It was frustratingly obvious I wasn't going to get much more than that.  The family all looked at me expectantly, waiting for the next question.

I couldn't choose just one from the many that were running through my mind, so when my mouth opened the questions tumbled out one after the other.  “Where is Quileute?  Why is it so dangerous?  What happens near the border?”

Everyone's eyes turned to Carlisle again.  How much would he hold back this time? I wondered.

“The Quileute are a Native American tribe.  Their reservation is near the coast, about fifteen miles from here.  The wolves patrol the border and will kill any vampire that sets foot on Quileute land.”

“Why?”

“I'm sorry,” Carlisle stalled.

“Why do the wolves patrol the reservation?  How do they even know where the border is?”  My question, delivered in a singsong voice with attitude, caused Jasper to raise an eyebrow.

“Well, the reservation is their main concern, but they also patrol the outskirts of the town.  They will also destroy any vampires caught hunting in or around the town.”  He gave me a small smile.  “So, while you may not care for animal blood, you can't hunt humans in this area.”

I was just digesting that piece of information when the phone rang.  Carlisle excused himself to go and answer it.

“Dr. Cullen,” he announced to the caller.

Dr. Cullen?  Is he a doctor?  Did vampires need doctors?

“Hello, Dr. Cullen, this is Sam Uley.”  We could all hear the voice that came through the receiver.   He didn't wait for Carlisle to acknowledge him.  “Seth and Jared tell me you have taken charge of the newborn found near our border.” 

Seth?  Was this the wolf?  How could he have told him anything?

“Yes, that is the case,” Carlisle confirmed.

“Have you destroyed her?”  I stiffened and Rosalie squeezed my hand gently and mouthed, “don't worry.”

“No, she is very young.  If she has the proper guidance, she should adapt well to her new life.  We would like to give her that guidance and the information she needs to keep her safe in our world.”

“Do you intend to keep her?”  Sam didn't sound too happy about that prospect.  What was it with everyone and keeping me?

“We have barely had a chance to talk.  No decisions have been made yet.”

“I know you are aware of how your presence affects us.  We would prefer it if there weren't any more of you residing here.”

That was interesting.  I wondered how Carlisle would try to get out of explaining that one.

“As I said, no decisions have been made.”  Carlisle definitely wasn't going to be pushed into anything by this Sam, whoever he was.

“I'm sure she hunts err...  traditionally.  She will be covered by the treaty while she is with you.  Any breach by her, and we will consider the treaty broken.”

Wow, whoever this Sam is, he knows what we are.  What is this treaty I'm now supposed to be covered by?

“I am prepared to assume full responsibility for her while she is with us.” Carlisle reassured him.  “How is Jacob doing?  No complications, I hope,” he enquired, completely changing the subject.  He was really good at that.

“Jacob is recovering well, considering his injuries.  We are all extremely grateful for your excellent treatment of him.”  Sam's words were so formal, but his gratitude seemed genuine.

“I was just pleased you would allow me to help,” Carlisle replied.  “I'll stop by tomorrow and check on his progress, with your permission of course.”

So Jacob definitely wasn't another vampire.  As one question was answered, more came up.  Who was Sam, and why did Carlisle need his permission to see Jacob?

“That would be fine.  I'll let Billy know to expect your visit.”  Sam then disconnected the call.  No goodbyes and no pleasantries were exchanged.  

“Carlisle, do you think it's wise to have Bree covered by the treaty?”  Jasper voiced his concerns as Carlisle made his way back to Esme's side.  “She's not very controlled, and her actions could endanger the whole family.”

“If I had not assumed responsibility for her, I'm sure Sam would have wanted her to be destroyed.”

“What makes those dogs think they have the right to decide what happens to her?” Rosalie snapped, earning her a warning glare from Carlisle.

It was too late; Rosalie's slip had opened the proverbial can of worms.  I simply looked at Carlisle, an eyebrow raised as I waited for an explanation.

“Bree, I'm sure you heard all of that.  Unfortunately, the treaty prevents us from telling you more than I already have.”

“But didn't that Sam guy say I was covered by the treaty while I'm with you?”  I knew I had him.  Finally I was going to get some proper answers.

“Funny and smart; I’m getting to like you, kid.”  Emmett's large hand ruffled my hair as he spoke.  Jeez, how old does he think I am?  Five?

Carlisle put his hands together and steepled his index fingers, bringing them to his pursed lips.  He was either figuring out how to begin, or how to get out of the corner I'd finally managed to back him into.

“I'm sure before your change you thought vampires never really existed,” he began.  “We are not the only creatures that humans believe to be fictitious.”  He lowered his hands and continued.  “Some of the Quileute tribe carry a special gene that is affected by the presence of vampires.  This gene, once triggered, causes the young men to transform into werewolves.”

“Werewolves, are you kidding me?” I retorted.  “That's the best you could come up with?  There's no full moon.  It was the middle of the day for crying out loud!”  Maybe Emmett wasn't the only one who thought I was five if he expected me to fall for that one.

“Bree, I am being completely honest with you,” Carlisle insisted.

I looked around the room; everyone was looking at me, none of their faces hinted at any sort of amusement.  They were either very good at keeping a straight face, or there was some truth in what Carlisle was saying.

“They are not like the werewolves you have seen depicted in movies.  They don't need a full moon to make the transformation.  Once the gene has been activated, they can phase at any time.  They can have trouble controlling themselves at first, so they are extremely dangerous when they are young.  As I said before, they exist to kill vampires and are very efficient at doing it; especially when working as a pack.”

“Why haven't they killed you?” I asked.

“When we came here seventy years ago, we were confronted by three of the tribe.  We were quite taken aback that they knew what we were.  Having assured them that we do not hunt humans, they agreed to a treaty.  They would keep our secret, we would keep theirs, and we were to stay away from their land.  If anyone of us were to bite a human, the treaty would be broken, and they would attack us.  The wolves you saw today are the descendants of the ones we met all those years ago.  They have agreed to honor the treaty made by their ancestors.”     

To say that what I was hearing was weird would be an understatement.  I was still coming to terms with what I had become, and the fact that there were others like me out there.  Now I was being told that werewolves existed too.  How could humans be so blind to the world around them?

“Will they be out there now?” I asked.

“Yes, due to today’s events and the fact that you are still with us, they will increase, and possibly extend their patrols around the area.”

“How will I get away?” I failed to keep the panic I was starting to feel out of my voice.

“Don't worry, Bree.”  Esme's voice sounded a little hopeful as she continued. “You are most welcome to stay with us until you find your feet.”

I hadn't even considered staying.  It was tempting.  The Cullens were weird but seemed harmless.  I'd pass on the animal blood, but it would be nice to live in this beautiful house, wear nice clothes and shower every day.  But then I thought about Fred.  For some reason I felt that I needed to know where he was, and make sure he was ok.  Then an awful thought occurred to me.  What if the wolves had got him before he could escape?  Would he be able to repel them the same way he did with us?

“I can't stay.  I need to see Fred.  I need to know that he got away,” I explained, declining Esme's kind offer.

“Of course you are concerned about your friend,” Esme replied.  “But please consider our offer.  The first year of this life can be very difficult.” 

“I think it would be best if Jasper and Alice go with you, as the wolves are familiar with their scent.”  Carlisle took control of the conversation again.  He looked at both of them and Jasper nodded.  “They can explain the rules to your friend and answer any questions he may have.”

Not Jasper, please, anyone but Jasper.  Thank goodness Edward wasn't here to hear my silent plea.

“He's not expecting me to be with anyone, except Diego.  I think he'll run, and I won't be able to find him again.”  I was trying to be polite.  I really didn't want to go with Jasper.  He wasn't growling anymore, but he was still quite scary.  I couldn't imagine Fred would hang around once he caught sight of those scars.

Carlisle pressed on.  “Jasper has experience with newborns, so he will know how to approach him.”

I wracked my brains trying to find the right words.  Was there a polite way to say, you're too scary and I don't want to go with you?  

Rosalie offered me a lifeline.  “Em and I could go with you if you like.” 

“Okay, or I could go on my own.  Once I get passed the wolves I'll be fine.”  I made my voice as assertive as I could in an effort to persuade them.  “I'll tell Fred all about the rules and the Volturi.”

Carlisle did not give up.  “I still think it would be best for Jasper and Alice to accompany you.” 

Rosalie let out a small hiss at the slight, but Emmett didn't seem bothered.  “Oh hell, we’ll all go,” he stated loudly, clapping his hands onto his knees and rising to his feet.

“Oh yes, that will work.”  Alice seemed to be in agreement with him.

“You can't all go, there are too many of you, he's bound to run.”  I raised my voice, but managed to remain seated, and maintain some control.

“Don’t worry; we won’t all approach at once.”  Alice assured me.  “We'll decide what's best when we get there.  I'm not seeing any problems at the moment, but I'll keep you updated.”

Once Alice had given her assessment of the situation, everyone seemed to just agree with her.  My agreement didn't appear to be needed, so Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice would be going with me, whether I liked it or not.  If I was lucky, Fred would just work his magic, and they wouldn't even be able to look at him; then we could just take off on our own.

My four escorts disappeared upstairs to get ready.  We were just going to run to Vancouver; they would be back before the morning.  What did they need to get ready for?

“Bree, may I make a suggestion?”  I turned towards Carlisle, trying to keep my annoyance from showing.  What now?  I hoped he wasn't going to suggest that he and Esme come too.

“I have a friend near Denali in Alaska.  He can sense abilities in our kind, and sometimes can advise on their potential.  If Fred would be interested he may be able to help him develop his gift.”

I wasn't sure how to respond to that.  Who knew vampires had friends that lived out of state.  I didn't know we were such social creatures.  Apart from this lot, everyone else was suspicious and didn't really trust anyone.  Besides, Fred had been experimenting on his own; he probably didn't need any help from this other vampire.   Maybe he didn't want to help him.  He may just want to know how strong his gift was.  Maybe I was just naturally suspicious too.

Alice came downstairs ten minutes later with a backpack.  Where did she think we were going?  She didn't need an overnight bag.

“Here you are,” she gushed, shoving the bag into my hands.  “I just popped a few bits and pieces in there for you.” 

She pressed a small cell phone into my hand.  “It has all our numbers in it.  Memorize them in case you lose it or it gets broken.  The charger is in the bag; I'm sure you'll find somewhere to charge it.”

Esme approached me slowly with a sad smile on her kind features.  “I'm so pleased to have met you, Bree.  If you don't find Fred, please come back and stay with us until you know what you want to do.  You would be most welcome.”

I nodded.  Looking at the warmth in her eyes, I was tempted yet again to stay.  My mom had been gone for so long, that I couldn't even remember her.  I realized it was not just the house and the daily showers that were pulling me, but the thought of being part of a family.  Because that’s what they seemed to be.

Carlisle gestured towards the phone.  “May I?” he asked.  I handed it to him.  His fingers flew across the numbers and he handed it back to me.

“I have added the number of my friend in Alaska and the number of our lawyer.”

A lawyer: was he serious?  I hadn't figured out why vampires needed a doctor.  No way was I going to guess why they needed a lawyer.  He must have noticed my incredulous expression.  “We may have to leave here soon, and Mr. Jenks will always be able to contact us.  Esme is right, the first year is tough.  Please call us if you ever need anything.”  Carlisle gave me a warm smile and held my hand briefly as he handed back the phone.

I tucked the phone into a side pocket of the backpack and waited for the others to come down.

Bree POV

Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie appeared.  They had all changed, and Rosalie had pulled her hair back into a French plait. 

“Can't we take the Merc?  I really don't feel like getting wet,” Rosalie grumbled, as she smoothed her hands over her very close fitting jeans.

“I don't think it would be good idea for Bree to be on the ferry,” Jasper responded.  “If we run, we can keep away from the most populated areas.” 

“Fine, but you'd better have sealed our change of clothes well, Alice.  I don't like wearing wet jeans.”

Alice rolled her eyes.  “Really, Rose, do you think I like it anymore than you do?  The clothes will be fine.”

I noticed the large pack on Emmett’s back: They obviously didn't travel light.  We said our good-byes to Carlisle and Esme, and made our way out of the back door.

Once we had jumped the river, we retraced the route I had taken with Jasper and Carlisle.  Not following the same path exactly, but pretty close.  Emmett and Rosalie ran in front of me.  Jasper insisted he and Alice run behind. 

No one spoke, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.  It seemed as if everyone was focused on their own thoughts.  I decided that I might as well use this opportunity to pump them for more information.  If I couldn't find Fred, I needed to know more about these vampires if I was going to stay with them.  Hopefully their answers would be less guarded than Carlisle's.

I was just pondering who would be the most loose-lipped amongst them, when I caught a whiff of that awful stench, and the sound of two heartbeats grew steadily louder.  Rosalie and Emmett came to a stop as a black shape emerged from the trees.  This wolf appeared to be a bit bigger than the ones I had seen earlier.  He was followed by the sandy brown wolf they had called Seth.

Jasper and Emmett immediately pushed their wives behind them and Rosalie pushed me behind her.

“Sam, Seth.”  Jasper greeted them. 

Sam?  Was it the same Sam that had been on the phone?

“We are just escorting Bree to Canada; we have no intention of crossing your border.”  He informed them.

The black wolf turned his gaze towards me and Rosalie stepped back so that I was partially hidden from him.  He narrowed his eyes, made a small grumbling sound and nodded his head.

“Isn't he going to talk?  I heard him talk on the phone.” I whispered to Rosalie.

The smaller wolf let out three small huffs.  It was as if he was laughing at me.

“They can't speak when they are in wolf form,” Jasper answered.  His tone was condescending, making me feel stupid for asking.   “By the way,” he continued. “Their hearing is almost as good as ours.”

The sandy wolf's mouth was open slightly, his tongue hanging to the side.  His dark eyes appeared to dance with amusement; I guess he had been laughing at me.  The other one simply glared at me.

“You have just let them know that you know their secret,”  Jasper explained.  “Sam is a little er... annoyed, shall we say.  They will probably follow us for a bit to make sure we stay clear of their land.” 

“Oh, great,” Was Rosalie's acerbic response.  “Can we pick up the pace?  The sooner we're away from here the better.”

We resumed our original positions and began to run a little faster.  The wolves kept pace at a distance, flanking our left side.  Eventually their heartbeats faded and they were gone.

As we ran, I thought about the wolves.  Did they really turn back into humans?   I wondered what they looked like in human form.  Carlisle said they were Native American, so I assumed they would have dark skin and hair.  They would have to be huge individuals, probably bigger than Emmett.  I guessed they would have beards, and hairy arms and chests.  Maybe they didn't smell so bad either.  How could you hide what you were if you smell like that all the time?

The wolves’ appearance had sidelined my plan to get more information.  Now they were gone, I decided to try my luck with Emmett.  He hadn't said very much at the house, but I didn't think my inquisitiveness would bother him.  I got the impression nothing bothered him much.

“Emmett,” I ventured. 

“What is it, cutie?”   His endearment was sweet, but really, I'm not five.

“Was Carlisle really a doctor?”

“No, but he is now.  He works at the local hospital.”

My stride faltered slightly at this revelation.  “A real hospital? With humans?  Real, blood-covered humans?” I prompted for clarification.

“Yup, there's not much call for doctors in our world.” 

“How?” I was baffled; how could a vampire be that close to blood all the time?  Even the thought of it made my throat itch.

“He’s developed tremendous control over his thirst.  It's taken him hundreds of years of course, but I don't think he is even tempted by human blood anymore.  It’s almost like he doesn't notice it.”

He sounded so proud of him, like he really admired him for his achievement.  But I didn't get the point.  Why set out to achieve something like that in the first place?

“What's the deal with the animal blood anyway?  Surely you all can't prefer it?” I asked next.

“I can't honestly say we prefer it.”  His head tilted slightly to the side as if pondering something of great importance.  “We all have our own reasons.”

I waited, but he didn't elaborate.  Damn, I guess he could be cagy as well.  He didn't sound annoyed however, so I pressed on.

“What's your reason?”

He slowed until he was beside me and then matched my pace.  “Initially I did it for Rose.  Carlisle has one rule for this family, and that is that we don't hunt humans.  Esme, on the other hand, has lots of rules.  But you don't need to know about those just yet.”  He gave me a small nudge as he said the last part and almost sent me flying into a tree.

“Whoops,” he apologized, as I recovered and came to run along side him again.  From the large grin on his face, I didn't think he was very sorry. 

His face turned serious again and he continued.  “Rose needed to be part of this family and I'd have done anything just so I could be with her.  Now I do it because it allows me to live this life.  I have a family.  They’re a weird, freaky bunch, I know.”  He looked over his shoulder at Jasper and Alice as he said this.  “But they're family.  I don't want to disconnect from humanity.  Hunting animals allows me to live and interact with humans.”

A mischievous glint appeared in his eye.  “Besides, humans can be really funny.  You can mess with them in so many ways.  It’s a good way to pass the time if you’re bored.”

“I really don’t think Em’s the best role model for your new life,” Jasper scoffed.  “Most of us don’t fool around with humans for fun, you know.”

“I'll remember that the next time Mike Newton bursts into tears for no reason,” Emmett retorted, eliciting a giggle from Alice and a huff from Jasper.

“I’m just letting her know this life can be fun,” Emmett continued. 

“We have fun,” Piped up an indignant Alice.

“It's gonna be a while before Bree is up to a day at the mall, Alice,” he shot back at her.

Emmett's attention returned to me.  “Once you’re not so thirsty, you’ll need something to pass the time.  You can always spend your life with your nose in a book like the humour bypass back there, or you can live a little, so to speak.”

I couldn't imagine seeing humans as a source of entertainment instead of food.  Who was this Mike that they messed around with?  Riley only mentioned the girl.  I'd also noted what he had said about the rule for staying with this family would be.  Esme hadn't mentioned that when she invited me to stay.  How could you not hunt humans?  We were vampires; that's what we did.  Besides, I’d already tried the alternative: Yuck.  I wondered if there was a get out clause to this rule.

Emmett seemed to be in a talkative mood, so I decided to keep the questions coming.  “When you say you don't prefer it, does that mean you've hunted humans in the past?”

“Even with the best of intentions, we all slip up from time to time.”  Emmett bounded over to his wife and pulled her to his side.  “All except my beautiful Rose here.  Not a drop of human blood has passed her sweet lips.”

Rose snuggled into her husband, dipping her head so I could barely see the coy smile that formed on the aforementioned lips.  Alice and Jasper let out matching groans.

“Don't start you two, we're babysitting here.”  Jasper's comment hardly registered, as I was staring at Rosalie incredulously.

“Never? Not even as a newborn?  How could you not? How do you control it?”  I'm sure my voice registered the confusion I felt.  I recalled the first month of this life.  It was intolerable.  All I could think about was feeding, trying to extinguish the fire in my throat.  How could she even focus on choosing what to hunt?

Rosalie broke away from Emmett, leaving him with the makings of a pout on his face.  She dropped back to my side; matching my pace the same way that Emmett had done earlier.

“Well, we didn't live in the middle of a city, so humans were few and far between.”  She began to explain.  “Carlisle, Esme and even Edward were a great help.  But ultimately, it was my choice.  I was horrified by what I had become.  Once Carlisle explained how they lived and I realised I didn't have to be a monster, I was determined never to be that monster.”

That was it?  Just sheer willpower?  She was amazing, truly amazing.  What did the ‘even Edward’ comment mean?  He seemed quite pleasant until I mentioned Bella.  Jasper probably wouldn't have been much help, with his constant growling and glaring.  I’m sure Alice's exuberance would have been unnerving. 

“How close do you get to them?”   I knew Bella had been in the house, but there were no other scents there.

“Well, we all go to school or college, go to the movies, and go shopping, of course.  Esme always joins a local charity committee where we live.”  Alice rattled off the list like it was nothing.

“That close, every day, you come into contact with them every day?”  I wasn't sure I could believe what she was saying.  If it were true, their throats must be burning all the time.  Why were they putting themselves through this daily torture?

“Pretty much.”  Her response was almost lost as I tried to understand what I was hearing.  “Of course, we can't go out in the sun, but yes, mostly it’s every day.

“Don't they notice?  I mean, your eyes aren't red, but we're so different from them.”

Jasper caught up to me then.  “Their senses are not as sharp as ours.  Some of them are suspicious but they can't pin it down.  It helps that we don’t conform to traditional vampire folklore.  We also had to practice our movements, to blend in more easily.  They have lots of little mannerisms that don't come naturally to us.  It's the smaller movements that take time to perfect.  Of course, we can't stay anywhere for too long, people would notice that we don’t age.”

Alice had come to run along side Jasper so we were now running in a line.  Both couples were holding hands.  This brought another thought into my mind.  Why were they all couples?  Was that why Edward was dating the girl?

“Why did Carlisle change you?”  The words were out before my brain caught up again, so I rushed to clarify what I meant.  “Why change couples?  Victoria only changed us one at a time.  I'm guessing that's why he calls you his children, right, because he changed you?  I mean you're not really brothers and sisters, are you? 'Cause that would be beyond gross.”  I was aware I was probably rambling, but there were still so many questions in my head.  I knew we would have to go into the water soon, so we wouldn’t be able to talk.

Before anyone could answer, Alice quickened her pace.  “If we hurry we'll be able to cross before the next ferry without being seen.  Otherwise we'll have to wait for half an hour.”  We all sped up to keep up with her.  Damn, more questions unanswered. 

On arriving at the port, Alice whipped out a ziplock bag and we all put our phones into it.  She then placed that bag into another one, then placed that into one of those vacuum bags and quickly sucked all the air out. 

“You're going to have to take your shoes off, Bree,” she demanded, practically tugging them off of my feet.  “I don't have a spare pair for you.”

The shoes were wrapped the same way and placed in Emmett's backpack.

“Are you ok in water, Bree?” asked Jasper.

“Yeah, I can swim pretty well.  How deep do you think it is?” I answered.

“We plan to just skim under the surface.  That way the bags won't get too wet.  Let me take your bag, if you haven't done this before, you'll go deeper than you have to.”  I handed Jasper my bag and watched as Emmett and Rosalie entered the water.

I could see the backpack clearly on top of the water.  It looked like it was floating.  I could make out Emmett and Rosalie's forms just under the surface.  Their arms and legs moved so efficiently.  Emmett’s torso barely moved as he kept the bag just above the surface of the water.  That was a skill worth learning.  I'd also intended to get my hands on some of those vacuum bags.

On exiting the water, I wrung out my hair and looked up to see Rosalie had already undone her plait and was towelling hers.

“We need to find somewhere to change,” said Jasper, as he squeezed the excess water from the front of his shirt.  “Stay here. I'll scout out somewhere.”

He returned two minutes later.  “We're in luck; it's late and the restrooms at the port are empty.”

As we approached them, I heard a single heartbeat.  I wasn't very thirsty, but the sound caused a growl to form in my chest.  It was low, but they all heard it.  Rosalie and Alice each grabbed one of my arms, but I threw them off easily and was heading towards the sound.

I caught the scent just before the old lady came into view.  She was wearing layers of tattered clothes and carrying two large plastic bags.

“Oh crap,” muttered Emmett as he wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides and dragging me backwards.  Jasper was in front of me blocking my view.  I felt his calming influence and eventually registered my whereabouts.  I was in the men’s restroom. 

Fred POV

I slowed to a gentle jog after about half an hour.  I couldn't imagine Riley would be interested in following me now.  He'd be too busy fighting the yellow-eyed vampires - that's assuming these vampires even existed.  Riley lied about everything, yellow-eyed vampires were a bit farfetched.

The moment Riley told us about this fight, I knew it would be my chance to get away.  It was only the fear of burning in the sun that made me come back after hunting.  I had intended to go off on my own, but then Bree had said she wanted to leave as well.  The thought of her being out there on her own and unprotected, bothered me.  I wasn't sure how I felt about Diego joining us.  Thankfully, he didn't seem to be as moronic as most of the others.  If he turned out to be too irritating, I could always dump them and take off on my own as planned. 

It was strange being on my own again after so long.  When I was human I was quite happy with my own company.  Being forced to share a space with the Neanderthals Riley kept dragging in was wearing.  Thankfully, I could make them keep their distance.  I wasn't even aware I was doing it at first.  I gradually noticed that the more I wanted them to stay away the more ill they looked, and eventually, I could project the feeling of unease and nausea at will.  I could even vary the strength.  If I it turned on full on they couldn't even bear to look at me.  Making the effects last after I left the room was a bonus.  I preferred to hunt on my own, and it stopped those feral idiots following me.

Then Bree arrived.  She wasn't like the others.  She didn't want to get into mindless fights and arguments.  She was so young and mostly scared.  The day Jen ripped her arm off, I couldn't stop myself becoming involved.  I projected a little, just enough to distract the rest of Kirstie's mob and give Bree a chance to grab her arm and retreat into a corner.  Riley helped her reattach it, and then took her hunting to help with the healing.

When she returned, she approached the couch where I normally sat.  I projected almost as a reflex when anyone got too close.  Bree didn't stop, however.  She just crawled behind the couch and sat there all day.  Two days later she returned from a hunt with some books and an MP3 player.  She came straight over to the couch and crawled behind it again.  Before the next hunting trip, she left the books on the arm of the couch for me.  It was such a kind gesture, no one thought about anyone but themselves in that place.

We never exchanged a single word, but each time we were forced to move, I always bagged myself a couch or armchair, and Bree would always hide behind it.  She usually returned from hunting with books and left them on the arm of the chair when she had finished with them.

It was hard to believe she had spoken to me for the first time a couple of days ago.  I could tell Raoul was spoiling for a fight, I over reacted a bit and the wave of nausea practically had them heaving all over the floor.  She guessed why I had done it and thanked me so quietly that I barely heard her.  

It didn't take long to get to Vancouver and I made my way to Riley Park.  Leaving a concentration of my scent in the area, I quickly headed for Queen Elizabeth Park; it was easier to stay unnoticed there during the day.  It was not too sunny, but I stayed in the shade afforded by the trees and kept my head down so that no one could see my eyes.  I left a scent trail around the most densely overgrown areas before looking for somewhere to wait for them.  I headed east.  I needed to get further away from all of these humans.  I'd fed well from the ferry we had sunk the previous day so it wasn't too difficult for me, but it might be for Bree.

The area became less densely populated, and then I had a stroke of luck.  A taxi pulled up to a house that was set back from the main road.  A middle-aged couple hoisted two large suitcases onto the front steps and the driver loaded them into the trunk.   “What time is your flight?”  The driver called out.  I didn't bother to listen for the answer.  I was already heading around the back.  With the size of their cases they should be gone for at least a week.  I didn't need that long anyway.

I had no idea what we would do or where we would go.  All I knew was that we had plenty of time to decide.

Bree POV

The men’s restroom. Eww.

I wrestled futilely against Emmett's vice-like hold.

“Calm down, Bree,” Jasper growled.  Oh great, the growling was back.  “You're not that thirsty; you're just reacting to her scent and heartbeat.  It's perfectly natural, but you can control it.  Stop breathing.”

I did begin to calm down a little.  I wasn't sure if it was Jasper's influence, or the foul odour permeating the restroom and overpowering any other scent.  There were traces of numerous humans, but the overwhelming stench of urine, faeces and vomit almost obscured them.  I thought some restrooms smelled bad when I was human; thankfully I had no need for them as a vampire.  ‘Stop breathing,’ seemed like very good advice.

I relaxed a bit, but Emmett kept a firm grip on me.  “Go and see if the coast is clear, we need to get moving,” he instructed Jasper.

“Bring her out.” Jasper called out after a few moments.

Emmett released me, but kept an arm around my shoulder.  When we got outside, the place was deserted.

“Has she gone?” asked Emmett.

“No, she’s still in the restroom; she may be camped out for the night,” Rosalie replied, clearly annoyed with the bag lady.  “Pass the clothes, Alice. We'll get changed then we can watch Bree while the guys change.”

“What about me?”  I know I sounded a little snippy, but they were always talking like I wasn't even there.

“Well you can't go into the ladies.  You can change in the men’s, or go around the back.” I narrowed my eyes at Jasper, suppressing the hiss that his reply triggered.  No way was I going back into that men’s room.

“I'll go around the back,” I huffed, folding my arms across my chest.

“Alice and I will come with you when we're done.”  Rosalie turned on her heels and the two of them disappeared into the ladies.

Jasper gave me my bag and I opened it for the first time.  It contained some clothes; all neatly shrink-wrapped of course.  A bag of toiletries, including the jasmine shower gel I had used.  The pack of cards made me smile as I remembered the silent games I had played with Fred.  There was also a games console, complete with some games and charger. All double bagged and vacuum wrapped.  I didn't care for computer games that much, but they were expensive.  Why would they just give them to me?

Alice and Rosalie came out and escorted me to the back of the building while the guys went to change.  The neatly bagged clothes were completely dry.  Not that wet clothes bothered me that much anymore.  Being wet or dirty had just been a fact of my new life. 

I took everything out of the bag so I could put the wet clothes at the bottom.  As I put it all back, I asked Alice, “Why did you give me all of this?”

“It's nothing, just some things to keep you comfortable and help you to pass the time.”

“I can't take your stuff, it's expensive”

“We can always buy more things.”

I remembered the phone.  “How will I pay for the phone?”

“All of our phones are on a rolling contract.  Esme sorts out all the bills, so you don't have to worry about that.”  Alice's hand waved in a dismissive gesture as she spoke.

It was too generous.  I didn't understand why they would just give me their things for no reason.  I tried to guess what they could want from me, but I had nothing.

“Why are you doing this?  What's in it for you?” I asked, making no attempt to disguise my suspicion.

“You are in this situation because of us.  We just want to do what we can to help you.”

What situation?  Did she mean me being a vampire?  What could they have done that would make it their fault?

“Hey, are you girls are finished with your sorority meeting back there.”  Emmett's voice called from the front of the restrooms.

Alice tugged my arm and grabbed my bag.  “Let's go, I can't wait to meet him.”

I reluctantly let her pull me along.  I couldn't see how this could work.  I was sure Fred would flee as soon as he got wind of the four strange scents.

We made our way to Riley Park and picked up Fred's scent almost immediately; following it to Queen Elizabeth Park.  He had done a good job leaving the trail and we tracked him out of town.

He had circuited a sparsely populated area.  It wasn't as remote as the houses Riley had found for us, but the residences were all separated by large gardens and some were set well back from the road.

“Oh that's better, I can see him again.” Alice advised us as we approached a wooded area.

“Where is he?” asked Jasper. 

“He's definitely in one of these houses.  We need to stop here. If we get any closer he will hear us.”

“Which house?”  Emmett was becoming impatient.

“His scent will lead us to the right one, but we need a plan before we go any further.”

“I'll go with Bree while you all wait here,” said Jasper.

Alice stroked his forearm.  “I don’t see that working, Jazz.  I think it's best if I go with her.”

“I’m not letting you go alone.  It could be dangerous,” Jasper replied, placing his hand over hers.  “You've seen how volatile Bree is.  You would be alone with the two of them; either one of them could turn on you.”

I didn't bother to try and suppress my hiss this time.  I know my control wasn't all that great, but I wasn't violent, neither was Fred.

“He's not violent; he won't hurt her,” I spat.  “If you're that worried, then it’s probably best that I go on my own.”

“Nice try, cutie,” said Emmett.  He reached out to ruffle my hair again but I dodged him this time.  “I'll go with you.”

Alice looked almost panic stricken.  “Ah... Em, I don't see him reacting very well to you either.”

“This is ridiculous,” snapped Rosalie.  “I'll go.”

“We'll both go,” Alice announced.  She appeared to lose focus for a moment, then stated.  “That's much better.  Rose will err... distract him somewhat.”

Emmett growled, not very loudly, so the sound just vibrated in his chest.  I hadn't heard him growl until then.  His features hardened and he actually looked quite scary.  Fred would probably feel threatened if Emmett showed up looking like that.

Alice, Rosalie and I moved towards the houses, following Fred's scent.  It led around the back of a large two-story property set back from the road.  I knew the moment he sensed our presence, as the familiar nausea crept over me.  I could tell Alice and Rosalie were feeling it too.  Rosalie actually staggered for a moment.

“Fred, it's me, Bree,” I said softly.  “I'm with two females; they just want to talk to you.  Could you turn it down a touch?”

The effects lessened, but not by much.  Fred appeared at the back door, and then stepped cautiously onto the porch.  I was surprised how good it felt to see him.  I was tempted to run up the porch steps and hug him, but I restrained myself.

We came forward slowly, and Fred began to lean into a crouch.  I didn't feel threatened, as I knew it was instinctive.  He caught sight of Rosalie and appeared to freeze giving us time to get closer.  So that's what Alice meant.  I put my hands out to the side, indicating that the girls should stop while I approached the porch.  I went up the steps and against my better judgement, I hugged him.  He stiffened immediately, but didn't make any other move.  He finally managed to tear his eyes away from the vision that was Rosalie and asked, “Who else is with you?  I can smell two other scents.”

“There are two others, but we didn't want to startle you by showing up all at once.”  Alice and Rosalie started to move forward as I spoke.  The moment they moved Fred pushed me behind him and crouched, both girls fell forward clutching their stomachs.

“It's okay, Fred, they don't mean any harm.”  Even though I was behind him, I could still feel the effects of his ability, and it made it hard to get the words out.

Jasper must have sensed Alice's distress as he and Emmett both appeared in the back yard; fierce growls erupting from both of them.

I felt some of the tension leave Fred's body, and I assumed Jasper was using his calming influence.  This just made Fred over react more and suddenly all four of them were kneeling on the lawn, doubled over, practically retching.  Fred suddenly fell to his knees, no doubt on the receiving end of a heavy dose of lethargy from Jasper.  My position behind Fred seemed to protect me from the full force of their talents, but it was becoming hard to focus.  “Stop it,” I hissed.  “Both of you stop it.  We're creating a scene.”  The neighbour’s houses were not in close proximity, but I was sure the growling could have got their attention.

Fred and Jasper both eased off.  Testing each other and taking it in turns to reduce the effects.

Rosalie was the first to her feet.  “Well if you guys have finished your pissing contest, I suggest we take this inside.”  Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she stalked passed us into the house.

Alice started up the steps, but was stopped by Jasper.  He put an arm around her shoulder and went into the house with her, making sure he was between her and Fred.  Emmett staggered to his feet, still holding his stomach.  “Dude, you gotta lay off that crap.  I haven't felt that bad since St. Patrick's Day 1975,” he moaned, as he trudged into the house.

Fred finally turned to me, raised an eyebrow, and held his hands out to me palms up, in a silent question.

“It's a long story,” I sighed.  “Let’s go inside.”

'Is it safe?' he mouthed.  I nodded.

'Where is Diego?' he mouthed another question.  I just shook my head and took his hand to lead him into the house.  He gently squeezed my hand.  “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

I froze as I entered the living room.  Who ever lived here hadn't been gone long and the room was saturated with their scent.  “Are you ok?”  Fred asked.  “I did open the windows a little at the back, but I thought the neighbours would notice if I did the same at the front.”  I nodded, I was fine, but I decided to stop breathing until I needed to talk.  

The furniture in the room was a little dated, but the house was clean and well kept.  Numerous photographs adorned a large sideboard on the far side of the room, and more of them decorated the wall above it.  It was the first time I had felt like an intruder.  The run-down houses Riley had found for us didn't have any evidence of previous owners.  We were lucky if they had any beat up furniture we could use.  There were never any personal belongings, no lingering smell of polish, or family members watching us from the walls. 

A small couch and two armchairs were placed in a semi-circle in front of the newest thing in the room, the TV.  Emmett and Rosalie were on the couch.  Rosalie sat back apparently examining her nails, but I could see her eyes secretly shifting around the room.  Emmett had his hands behind his head and his right leg propped up on his left knee.  Unlike Rosalie, he appeared to be genuinely relaxed.  Alice was in the armchair on Rosalie's left and Jasper stood by her side.  As Fred and I entered, Rosalie moved over to make room for me, but Fred led me over to the other armchair and sat on the arm as I sat down.  If he noticed the withering glare Rosalie directed at him, he didn't react to it.

Fred broke the silence.  Looking down at me, he asked, “Are you going to introduce us?”

“Well I'm Al‑” Alice started but was abruptly cut off by Fred.

“I was asking Bree.”

“I'll thank you not to interrupt my wife.”  Jasper hissed.  We all felt the wave of anger that shot out into the room and the chorus of hisses and snarls were followed by a wave of nausea.

“Will you two cut it out?”  Emmett was no longer so relaxed.

“He started it,” griped Jasper. 

“I don't know what it is you're doing, but I definitely didn't start anything,” Fred responded tersely.  I'd never seen him like this; he was usually so quiet and calm. 

A low growl started in Jasper's chest.  “Not helping, Jazz.”  Alice reached for her husband's hand and began to stroke the back of it.  The growling stopped immediately.  I guess that was a good trick to learn if you were married to Jasper.  How she could be married to him and remain so perky was beyond me.

“Bree, honey, can you start the introductions before we end up in a fight, or barf all over the floor.”  Emmett's hands were back behind his head and the endearments were back.  At least it was better than cutie.

“That's Emmett.”  I started.  “Next to him is Rosalie.”  I then gestured towards the armchair.   “And they are Jasper and Alice.  They're the Cullens; the yellow-eyed vampires we were supposed to fight.  Their eyes aren't yellow because they're old, but because they drink animal blood.  They are really old though, you won't believe how old Carlisle is.” 

It wasn't until Fred raised his hand to stop me, that I realised I had started rambling.

“Wait, back up a minute, did you say they drink animal blood?” 

“Yeah, I don't know what the fight was really about, but it was nothing to do with access to the blood in Seattle.  They never drink it and you won't believe what they do with the girl, she’s not a pet, she's‑”

Fred raised his hand again, and I stopped speaking.  It was frustrating; I had so much to tell him.

“This animal blood, did you see them drink it, or did they just tell you this?”  Fred looked at Jasper suspiciously as he questioned me.

“Well, I didn't see them do it, but they made me drain a deer.”

The snarl that erupted from him startled me.  “What's the matter with you? She's just a kid, why would you do something like that?  Even Riley wasn't that cruel.”  Fred's outburst surprised me.  I had never heard him raise his voice, let alone snarl.

“It wasn't like that.  They didn't force me to drink it.  The scent of the girl made me thirsty and when Alice brought the deer into the yard, I started to drain it before I knew what I was doing.”  I rushed to get the words out.

“But she brought you the deer, right?” he spat, glaring at Alice.

Jasper hissed and the wave of anger was back.

“Please, not again, this is getting us nowhere,” Rosalie intervened.

I looked up at Fred to see if he was still angry.  His features had relaxed but I could still feel the tension in his body.  I tried to think of something to say to reassure him, but Alice immediately made things worse. 

“I wonder if the laundry room is in the basement,” she said, out of the blue.  I assumed she was trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room.  “We might as well get our clothes dry while we talk,” she continued.  

Fred stared at her, bewildered.  “Laundry? You really want to do laundry now?  Of all the‑” Fred momentarily seemed at a loss for words, before he finally asked.  “Do you have some sort of mental disorder?”

Alice looked hurt, really hurt, all of her chirpiness evaporated.  Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett all stared at Fred their lips pulled back in ferocious snarls.  

Bree POV

'What the hell?'  Fred's response to Alice had been rude and I expected another wave of anger from Jasper, but this was way over the top.

Rosalie's fists balled as she glared at Fred, her lips pulled back.  Emmett was now leaning forward; he remained seated, but his posture was definitely threatening.  “That was way out of order.”  He ground the words out between his teeth.  His whole frame was tense, making him seem even bigger.

“How dare you speak to my wife like that!”  Jasper lunged towards Fred.  Fred pulled me out of the chair before Jasper was half way across the room, and pushed me behind him.

Jasper's hand was a hair's breadth from Fred's throat, when his whole demeanour changed.  Had he connected with him, I would no doubt have been pinned to the wall behind Fred.  Fighting off the sensations emanating from Fred, Jasper grasped handfuls of his shirt, pulling him forwards until their noses almost touched.  “If you utter another word to my wife, I will wipe you from the face of the earth.”  Jasper's voice was chilling and I didn't doubt for one moment that his words were not an idle threat. 

The fear I felt was accompanied by an over whelming sense of guilt.  What had I done?  I'd let Fred believe it was safe, that they weren't dangerous.  A growl formed low in my stomach and made its way to my chest.  I was preparing to fight.  My mind screamed at me not to, that I would lose.  But my instincts told me it may give Fred a chance.

Before I could spring, Jasper released Fred and staggered back.  Rosalie and Emmett were still snarling, but all three of them now appeared unable to look at us.

Fred's posture showed no sign of aggression as he addressed Alice.  “I'm sorry that‑”  He was cut off by an ear splitting growl from Jasper, that made me put my hands over my ears in a useless attempt to block out some of the sound.

“Jazz, its okay.”  Alice's subdued voice silenced the room.  She was able to look at him so I knew Fred had stopped projecting. 

“It is most certainly not okay.”  Jasper was obviously still furious. 

“He doesn't know, Jazz.”

Fred turned to look at me and I shrugged my shoulders.  I didn't know either.  We both waited but no one made any attempt to enlighten us.  Why did everything have to be a mystery with them? 

“It was very rude of me.”  Fred eventually continued with his apology to Alice.  “I was only expecting Bree, but you turned up here mob handed.  He's obviously messing with my head somehow.”  He tilted his head at Jasper.  “Bree tells me you have fed her animal blood for some reason, and you suddenly announce you want to do your laundry.  You have to admit it's bizarre.”

It was bizarre, but their reaction was even more so.

“We really do need to talk and it may take some time.  I was just trying to be practical.”  By the sound of her voice, perky Alice was on her way back.

I could tell from his expression, Fred was dumbfounded.  “I have no idea where the laundry room is.  It's not the first thing I look for after breaking and entering.”

“That's okay, I'll find it.”  Alice gathered up all the wet clothes and went in search of a dryer.  Fred and I stared at her retreating form in stunned silence.

Jasper walked seemingly aimless around the room for a bit, but when he stopped he had placed himself between Fred and the door.  Fred must have noticed it as well, as he led me back to the armchair but sat on the opposite arm, placing himself between Jasper and myself.   Emmett appeared to have relaxed again, but he hadn't assumed his previous position, opting to keep a protective arm around Rosalie.  His eyes darted between the other two men.

I briefly wondered if we had attracted the attention of the neighbours, but I couldn't hear any signs of them approaching.  They could have called the police, but we would definitely hear them and be long gone.

After a few moments, Fred placed a hand on my shoulder to attract my attention.  “Do you think Riley will look for us?”  Even though he spoke very quietly, I was sure the others could hear, but they made no response.     

“Riley's dead.  I think the other vampires I told you about destroyed him, Victoria too.  That was her name, the one with red hair that created us.” 

“Did you get to see Diego?”

“He wasn't there.  He was already dead before we left Seattle.”

He looked at me for a long time but didn't say anything.

The silence was broken by Alice's soft footsteps as she returned.  Her arms were empty so I guess she'd found a dryer.

“Why did you bring them here?”  Fred continued to talk to me as if the others weren't there.

“I wanted to come on my own, but they insisted on coming with me.” 

“Why? Were you captured?  Did they try to stop you leaving?  Did they threaten you?”  His voice rose with each question as though the thought of them doing any of those things angered him. 

“No, no they've been really good to me.  I don't think they're really dangerous.”  Well not all of them I added silently to myself. 

Fred glanced down at his shirt to the small tears left where Jasper had grabbed him.

“Well, Jasper can be a bit overbearing.”  I didn't dare glance in his direction.  “Alice says it’s because we're newborns and unpredictable.”

“They all freak out over a rude comment, but we're unpredictable.”  He had a point.  We still didn't know what that was all about.

I wanted him to know they hadn't treated me badly, so I told him how they'd let me shower, gave me clothes and the phone, and even asked me to stay.  “I probably would have stayed for a while, but I wanted to make sure the wolves didn't get you.” 

His brow furrowed in confusion.  “Why would wolves bother me?”

“They're not ordinary wolves, they're huge, and they can destroy us.” My voice betrayed my excitement, I hoped I would finally get to tell him everything I'd found out.  “When I went into the clearing to find Diego, I saw these freaky giant wolves, and I ran.” 

“Giant wolves?” he asked with his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, Carlisle says they're werewolves; that they turn back into humans.”

“Who is Carlisle?”

“He's their coven leader, the one that's really old.  He has a job, he actually goes to work every day, you won't believe where.”

Fred didn't appear to be curious about Carlisle's career choice.  “Did you see the wolves turn into humans or did he just tell you?”  Fred was suspicious again.  I had to admit it did sound improbable.

“I didn't see them, but I know they can talk.  I heard one of them on the phone.”  It did sound odd saying it out loud like that, less believable somehow.

I knew from the look he gave me that he was not convinced.  I continued to tell Fred about what had happened since we had parted.  He stopped interrupting me, and just letting me ramble in a disjointed way until I stopped.  I explained what I knew about how the Cullens talents worked, but skipped over the bits where I'd lost control.  He and Jasper were still eyeing each other warily, so I thought it best not to mention Jasper pinning me to the floor.  I didn't mention the other vampire Carlisle mentioned either; the one who would want to know about his gift.

The Cullens didn't say anything; they all stayed eerily still while I talked.  It was as though Fred and I were the only ones in the room. 

When I finally stopped talking he looked around the room, addressing them all.  “To be honest, I don't care about your wolves, or your doctor leader, or the guy whose dating his lunch.  I just want to know what this is all about.  Why did she change so many of us? Why did she want us to fight?”

Rosalie and Emmett both looked at Jasper, silently electing him as their spokesman.  He had relaxed enough while I was talking to sit on the arm of Alice's chair once again.  He pursed his lips as if he was deciding how much to tell us.  They were always holding something back.

“Last year when Edward started dating Bella,” he began.  “We were playing baseball when‑”

“Baseball?  Really, how does that work?”  Fred asked.  I was curious myself.  Surely the bat would break.  Even if it didn't the noise would attract too much attention.

“I'll explain that later,” Jasper said, waving away Fred's question with a gesture similar to one Alice used.  “Three nomads heard our game and were curious.  Unfortunately, Bella was with us and one of them decided to track her.  We took Bella away for her protection, but he found her and we had to destroy him.  His companion subsequently tried to attack Bella some time later, but was destroyed by the wolves.  Victoria was the tracker’s mate.  She wanted to kill Bella in revenge for his death.  She knew she couldn't get past us and the wolves alone, so she decided to create an army.”

So that's what Alice meant when she said I was in this situation because of them.  I glanced at Fred but couldn't read the expression on his face.  I'd never felt so insignificant.  It was bad enough that my mom left and couldn't be bothered to take me with her.  Leaving me with a dad that mostly ignored me, only acknowledging me with his fist.  I'd become used to being invisible to the people going about their daily lives, as I almost starved on the streets in front of them.  To Riley, I was just an easy target.  He called us his kids, but he didn't care about any of us.  He was just doing what she wanted.  It didn't matter who we were; we were expendable.  Even if we had won the fight, she would have destroyed us.  The way she created us was against the rules; if she hadn't destroyed us, the ones with cloaks would have.

“What is it, Bree?”  Jasper's voice was softer than I'd ever heard it, full of concern.  “You're feeling quite dejected right now.”

“I don't know.  Maybe I should have stayed with the others and been destroyed.”  Rosalie gasped at my statement.  “She didn't create me as a mate or to have a friend, she didn't even want to know me.  I have to spend eternity like this just because she wanted revenge.  What's the point?”

“You will find purpose in your existence, Bree.  You're still very young and adjusting to this life.”  Jasper's sent a wave of optimism to me with his words, but it didn't help much.

“What do you know?  Carlisle looked after you and at least he changed your wife with you.”  I could feel Fred's gaze boring into the top of my head.  I guess he hadn't heard me use such a petulant tone before.

“Carlisle didn't change me.  The circumstances of my change were not dissimilar to yours.  I was also changed to be part of an army.”  I gaped at him open mouthed at this revelation.  Was this the norm?  Were vampires constantly waging petty wars humans knew nothing about?

Fred shifted slightly on the arm of the chair so his body was facing Jasper full on.  I could tell Jasper bothered him.  It wasn't just the empath thing.  I think he believed he could be more dangerous than we thought.  This latest revelation all but proved it.

“I stayed and fought for many years,” Jasper continued, as if unaware of Fred's movement.  “I lived this life for over eighty years before I met Alice.”

“But you said she was your wife.”  Had he lied?  Was she really his sister?  They didn't act like brother and sister.

“That's because we are married.”  Alice giggled and clasped his hand as he said this.  He lifted her hand and gently touched his lips to her knuckles.

“Can vampires do that?” I asked, astonished.  I don't know why that surprised me considering what I'd learned in the last twenty four hours.

“Yep, as often as we want.”  Emmett entered the conversation, pulling Rosalie closer to him and planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Well, I don't want to get married.”  My petulant tone was back.  “What am I supposed to do now?”

“Rosalie eased herself out of Emmett's embrace and leaned towards me.  “Come back with us; we will look after you.  Carlisle has a lot of experience guiding newborns.  Stay with us and give yourself time to decide what you want to do.”

I didn't know what to say.  Esme's face came to mind.  Her smile that reached her eyes, her welcoming warmth, and the hopeful look when she had asked me to stay.  She really wanted me.  I think Rosalie and Carlisle did too.  I can't remember ever feeling so wanted before.  But they were not the only ones in the coven, or family as they liked to call themselves.  Emmett would probably be fine with me staying, if only to keep him amused.  Alice seemed friendly enough, over friendly sometimes, but then there was Jasper.  I'd seen moments when he could be quite nice but my feelings were somewhat in line with Fred's.  I was sure he could be very dangerous.

Then there was the problem of Edward.  Well, not Edward himself, I'd barely spent any time with him to know if he would make me feel welcome.  It was more the issue of Bella.  I didn't think he would want to bring Bella to the house if I lived there.  To be honest, I wouldn't want Bella in the house if I lived there. 

I knew they were waiting for me to respond, but for some reason they were all looking at Alice.

I gave them the only response I could at that time.  “I need to talk to Fred, alone.” 

The Cullens 

Jasper POV

We left through the back door and wandered across the expansive back garden.  It was well-maintained and secured by a six-foot fence.  We would have to leave the garden to give them any real privacy.  Emmett and I leapt over first, and landed in a grassy area.  It was not very big; the fence of the nearest house was only ten yards away.  Alice and Rosalie joined us, but Rosalie was reluctant to put any more distance between herself and the girl.

“I think this is far enough,” she stated, coming to a stop a few yards from the fence.

“You know very well it isn't,” I replied as I walked along past the backs of the neighbouring houses.

“I want to know what’s going on in there.”

“Rosalie, Bree asked us for some privacy, we should give her that.  Besides we also need to talk and I don't want them hearing us either.” 

I continued walking, the soft rustling of the leaves underfoot was the only clue to the fact that they were all following me.  Rosalie was becoming more agitated with each step.  That needed to stop.  I'd had enough emotional turmoil for one day.  “Alice will let us know when she has come to a decision.”  I turned and sent her a calming wave as I spoke.

We stopped about half a mile from the house where the grassy area opened up into a small park.  It was far enough.  I was sure both parties would be keeping their voices low just in case.  It was too late for anyone to be out and about, even the late-night dog walkers were tucked up in their beds.  We sat at a picnic bench and Rosalie turned to Alice, “Well?”

“I can't see anything concrete; she hasn't decided yet.”  Alice put her fingers to her temples and made small circular motions.  “I have to stop looking for a bit.  She's so undecided, I just keep getting flashes and they're not very clear.”

“What do we do?  How can we persuade her to come back with us?”  Rosalie's voice held an urgency that had me worried.  I knew from the feelings she started giving off at home, that she was becoming quite attached to the girl.

Alice merely shrugged.  Without Bree's decision there was nothing she could do.

“What about Fred?” asked Emmett.  “Try him.”  He didn’t need my ability to read his wife’s emotions.  He knew how disappointed she would be if Bree didn’t come home with us. 

“Oh he’s easy; he's already decided to keep her with him.  They are both nomads together.  She's happy, so that's a good thing.”  Alice noted the look on Rosalie's face and quickly added.  “That will all change of course, if Bree decides to join us.”

“What about if she stays with us?  Is she happy too?” Emmett pressed.  He was also becoming too attached to Bree.

“Yeah, it takes a while for her to settle, but yes she's happy.” 

Alice’s response was all that Rosalie needed.  “That settles it; we have to persuade her to come with us.  Jasper, no more growling, give her some space, and leave Fred alone; you've seen how it upsets her.” 

I figured she would target me as the reason Bree would leave with Fred.  I knew they thought I was overreacting, but they didn't have any experience with newborns.  To them Bree was little more than a child who needed to be cared for.  That was the façade that would make traditional hunting in this life easy for her.  In reality she was a volatile monster; stronger than any of us, with the exception of Emmett.  Her thirst was barely under control and her emotional state was unpredictable.  The combination of her newborn state and teenage years was not a good one.   Once she passed her first year, it should become easier for her manage her reactions.  Unfortunately, due to our nature, if she was already petulant and prone to teenage mood swings, she might stay like that for an eternity.

I wasn't sure I was ready to take on another newborn.  I thought that I had left that part of my life behind me.  I was expecting to help out with Bella when the time came, but that was different.  I assumed Edward would take on the majority of her guidance, leaving me to manage her emotional state when needed.  Who would be responsible for Bree?  Carlisle would ultimately be responsible for her; he was the head of the family.  But I knew he would probably look to me to take on the day to day instruction and discipline to keep her in line.  Our diet was another consideration.  I could tell she wasn't too keen on the idea of hunting animals.

“It has to be Bree's decision,” I stressed to Rosalie.  “Our way of life isn't easy.  It has to be her choice.”

“Of course, but she needs to feel safe and wanted.  She needs to know the pitfalls of being a nomad.  How do we know he won't abandon her?  They're not mated.”  Rosalie’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, “Oh no, they're not mates are they?”

“They had better not be; he's way too old for her,” growled Emmett.

This was not good.  Rosalie's feelings were too strong, bordering on maternal.  Emmett's were more fraternal and not as strong, but the urge to protect her was evident.  I wasn't sure how much of that was down to Bree or if it was just his nature.

“No, I don't think they're mated.”  I hesitated, trying to find the right way to explain what I had picked up.  “There does seem to be a strong sense of attachment on both sides, but it's not as it is with mates.” 

“Rosalie's right, she better off with us.  This guy obviously wants to protect her, but what if it's him she needs protecting from?”  Emmett's declaration left me in no doubt; it was Bree he wanted to keep safe.

“I don't think so, Em.”  I attempted to reassure him.  “I haven't sensed anything inappropriate from him.  It's more like brother and sister, but quite strong.  If I had Chelsea's gift, I would be able to define it better, see the strength of the bond.”

“Still, there's no guarantee he won't be attacked by another nomad.  They haven't been guided very well.  They could unwittingly antagonise another coven.  She'll either be destroyed or left alone.”  Rosalie was determined.  At that moment, I was sure she would eliminate Fred herself if it would make Bree stay. 

“He has got a pretty good defence mechanism,” I pointed out.  “I'm not sure what the exact nature of his ability is, but we've all felt how powerful it is.”  Rosalie needed to acknowledge that we were not the only ones that could keep the girl safe.

I wondered if his gift was just a mental thing like Jane and Alec.  If it were physical it would be quite something.  Vampires never felt nausea as a rule.  There was no need.  We regurgitated human food when necessary, but we didn't actually feel sick.  We would feel a little sloshy if we over fed, but there was no urge to throw up.  Carlisle would probably be interested in him for his research.  One way to find out if it was mental or physical would be to see if it worked on Bella.  Oh crap! Bella!

It would be too difficult for Bree to have her in the house.  This wouldn’t be too much of a problem for Rosalie and me.  Rosalie and Bella had become closer, but I knew Bree's needs would come first with her.  I love Bella, but it’s not easy to have her scent in the house all of the time.   Emmett and Alice, however, would be upset, Esme too.  Edward was another consideration.  He had waited so long to find his mate, the fact that we all welcomed her was important to him.  He would be reluctant to have Bella in the same house as Bree.  I had to bring it up.  Bella had to be factored in.  If she were changed after the wedding as planned, it may be less of an issue.  But Edward was determined for her to stay human.  If he got his way it would be more of a problem.

“We're all forgetting about Bella.”  As I made my statement, the reality of our situation showed on Alice and Em's face.  “What if Edward has his way and she remains human?”

My dear sister was not going to be derailed so easily.  “Once the wedding is over Emmett and I could live apart from the family for a while, and take Bree with us.” 

This would be a possible solution, but then I remembered what they spent much of their ‘alone time’ doing.  They would be too distracted to give Bree the 24/7 supervision she would need for a while.

“I'm not sure you should be subjecting such a young girl to your ‘alone time’ activities.”  My comment brought a loud bark of a laugh from Emmett which he then attempted to stifle with his hand.

Rosalie glared at me, “Emmett and I are capable of restraint.”

“The crumbling walls of many school janitors closets are testament to your restraint,”   I shot back.

The burst of lust I got from Em, and the smile spreading across his face, left me in no doubt my response had him recalling one of those moments fondly.

Ignoring my comment and her grinning husband, Rosalie asked Alice.  “Do you see any problems if she lives with Em and me?”

Alice took a moment then replied.  “Well, a good sound system and headphones should alleviate most of her embarrassment.”  She paused, and then scrunched up her face.  “Eww, and stay out of her room.”

“What, we don't get to christen the whole house?”  Emmett's protest earned him a sharp dig in the ribs from his wife.

“I meant any other problems?  Would she be as happy with just the two of us?”  Rosalie was uncharacteristically uncertain.  Was she frightened the girl would reject her?

“Of course she would be,” Alice reassured her.

We sat in silence for a moment before Rosalie's foot began tapping impatiently.  “Alice, anything yet?” 

“No, it's not just her.  Her decision is very much linked to Fred right now.”

“I knew it; we should have invited him to stay as well.”

“Whoa, wait a minute; I can't see that working out.”  Emmett raised his hands as he objected.  “He and Jazz would make things way too freaky.  I don't want to be going through all that crap we had back at the house every day.” 

“Jazz can behave for a short while.”  Rosalie responded, giving me her death stare.  When did it all become my fault?  “Just until the wedding is over.”  She continued.  “Then we’ll find somewhere more remote for the next year.  Once she has more control we could travel for a bit until she’s ready to continue her education.”

The situation was getting out of hand.  Rosalie had her immediate future all mapped out and the girl hadn't made her decision yet.  I would have to brace myself for the emotional fallout if she said no.

I wasn't so sure living with Emmett and Rosalie would be a good idea.  Taking on Bree wouldn't be all happy families.  It would be spending up to a year managing unpredictable violent rages, while trying to help her control her natural craving for human blood.  I knew Emmett didn't think it was possible, but he would see Bree in a different light if she actually did remove one of his limbs.   

“Then what? We take her and Fred to live with us?”  Emmett was not too sure, but for different reasons.

“It'll be good for you to have some male company; you always miss the guys when we're alone.”  The death stare was gone, replaced by the soft, how could you refuse me smile she reserved for her husband.

“I don’t know, Rose.”  Em was weakening, but not falling for it altogether.  “We may not get along.  He’s kinda rude and I could do without feeling permanently queasy.”

“Don't knock it, Em, the nausea would definitely solve your problem with restraint.” Alice giggled, winking at him as she spoke.

“That only works if I consider it a problem, which I don't,” he replied, with a wide grin. 

“You can get along with anyone, Em.”  Rosalie was in full charm mode now.  Clasping his hands and looking up at him through her long lashes.  “I'm sure Fred was just reacting to Jazz.  Give yourself a chance to get to know him.”

The hiss coming from Alice surprised me.  “You can't put that all on Jazz; he was very rude.  Em wouldn't sit back and let him talk to you like that.”

“She has a point,” Emmett sighed.  “If he doesn't mind his manners he's gonna spend a lot of time with his head in a wall.  Bree's not gonna like that.”

“I'm sure he's usually more polite.  Alice just took him by surprise.  He's not used to her peculiar ways.” 

I hissed a low warning myself.  Not content with blaming me for Fred's behaviour, she was now apportioning part of the fault with Alice.

Emmett looked defeated.  He couldn't refuse his wife anything.  The dazzling smile, the hand holding and intense gaze were all unnecessary, anything in his power to give, he would give it gladly.  The protests were routine, but pointless.  If Rosalie wanted Bree to stay he would do anything he could to make that happen.  He was still concerned though, he looked at Alice a silent question in his eyes.  She gave him a sympathetic smile in return.  Only Edward could be sure what transpired between them, but I guessed he wanted to know how Rosalie would react if Bree left with Fred.

“I'm with you, Rose.  If it's what Bree wants, we'll have Esme find us a new home.  We can even leave before the wedding if Edward has a problem with her.  As long as we're there for the ceremony.”  Em sighed again.  “If we have to, we'll take the freaky guy with us too.”

Rosalie squealed, leapt onto her husband's lap, grabbed his face in her hands and peppered it with kisses.

She was happy for now.  I wondered if it would last.  I looked at Alice and she shrugged.  No decision had been made.    All we could do was wait.

Bree POV

I knew they were waiting for me to respond, but for some reason they were all looking at Alice.

I gave them the only response I could at that time.  “I need to talk to Fred- alone.” 

“Very well, we'll step outside for a bit,” Jasper agreed.

“I don't think we should leave Bree alone right now,” Rosalie objected.  What's up with her?  Why couldn't I be left alone?  There weren't any humans in the house.

“She won't be on her own; she'll be with me.”  Fred fixed his gaze on Rosalie.  It wasn't the same as when he first saw her; it was more of a challenge. 

“Well, both of you.”  Rosalie stumbled over her words. “I meant, neither of you should be alone.  What if the owners came back?” 

Fred tipped his head to one side and raised his eyebrows.  “The owners left here three hours ago, heading for the airport with two suitcases.”  He leaned further into the back of the chair we shared and continued.  “In the unlikely event that they do come back, I guess we could erm...”  He raised his hands as he shrugged.  “Leave.  We could be out of the back door before they even turned the key in the lock.  Was that all you were worried about?”  Again with the challenge; it was in his tone of voice this time.

“No, yes, I mean‑” she stuttered.  What was the matter with her? 

“Rose, come on babe, we won't go far.”  Emmett got up and extended his hand towards her.   She took it, rising gracefully from the couch and headed out of the room. 

Jasper and Alice followed.  Jasper turned as they reached the doorway.  “Don't worry; we'll go far enough to give you your privacy.”

I heard the back door click a few moments later, and turned to Fred.  He placed his index finger to his lips, indicating that I shouldn't speak yet.  He left the room beckoning me towards the kitchen window overlooking the back yard.  We watched as they jumped the fence.

“I think this is far enough,” Rosalie gripped.

“You know very well it isn't,” came Jasper's reply.  The sound of his voice diminished slightly, so I guessed he was moving away from the house.

“I want to know what’s going on in there.” Rosalie was sounding quite snippy now.

Fred smiled at me and mouthed, 'I knew it, the nosey witch.'

I covered my mouth with my hand to smother my giggle.  Rosalie wasn't that bad, in fact she had been really nice to me; she made me feel safe.  But she was being nosey.

“Rosalie, Bree asked us for some privacy; we should give her that.  Besides we also need to talk and I don't want them hearing us either.”   Jasper's voice had faded even more; he was definitely walking away.

“Do you know what you want to do?”  Fred's voice was low, just above a whisper, so I followed his lead when I replied.

“No, not really.  I could go back with them I guess.  What will you do?”

“I've no concrete plans; I might travel a bit, explore the world.”  He shrugged.  “You know you're still welcome to come with me.”   

When we'd parted yesterday, that was what I wanted.  To be honest I didn't have any alternatives then, now I did.  I had the chance to be part of a family.  Not that poor excuse for a family I'd grown up in.  A proper family, with a mom, a dad and siblings.  And that house; who wouldn't want to live there?  I can't deny the house was as much of a pull as the residents.

I realized I hadn't responded to Fred's open invitation.  I didn't know if he had made the suggestion be polite, so it wouldn't look like he was just abandoning me.  Maybe that was why I was so anxious to get to him before the twenty-four hours were up.  Maybe I just didn't want to be on my own.  But I wasn't his responsibility.  He didn't get me into this mess; he had just helped me to survive so far.  There was no reason for him to be stuck with me. 

“Do you really still want me tagging along?”  As I asked the question, I was surprised that I was actually dreading him saying no.  Why was I suddenly so afraid of his rejection?

“'Course I do.”  He put an arm around my shoulder and led me back into the living room.  “I really missed you, you know.  I was surprised how much.  Guess I just got used to you being there.”

We sat side by side on the couch previously occupied by Rosalie and Emmett.  I was totally at ease with him.  His arm on my shoulder was comforting, not threatening or lecherous in any way.  Much the same as Emmett's had been.  I hoped he wouldn't start ruffling my hair or calling me baby names.

“I still need to feed quite often.  I can barely go three days before it gets really bad.”  I don't know why, but I still felt like I needed to give him a way out.

He just shrugged.  I wondered how long it would be until I could feed less.  I'd fed well, yet within one day I was ready to kill a sad old bag lady.  “How long can you go?”  I didn't have to elaborate; he knew what I meant.

“About ten days now.  It starts to get uncomfortable after eight or nine, but by day ten, I've had it.” 

“So, I could gain a day a month?”  I asked.

“I expect so.  I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but from what I've observed, that seems to be a rough pattern.  I really don't think it's an exact science.”

That was so like Fred, always watching and taking things in.  It's like he analyzed every word uttered, every movement and gesture. 

“I won't mind, you know,” he said, patting my shoulder gently.  Once again the contact didn't bother me; it was reassuring really.

“I could always go on my own; you wouldn't have to go with me every time.”  I'd mentioned the hunting as get out clause for him and yet I didn't want him to use it.

“I wasn't talking about the hunting.  I'm talking about them.  If you want to go with them, it's okay; I won't mind.”  I looked up at him and saw the same sincerity in his face that was in his words.

“Don't get me wrong; I really do want you to come with me.  But if it's not what you want, it's okay.”

The second the words left his mouth I knew I didn't want to leave without him.  He had given me a way out, but I didn't want it.  I wanted a family, but I wanted to be with Fred too.  I didn't know why, we weren't that close really; we had barely spoken before today.  I just needed to know that he was okay.  Again, I didn't know why, but it was important to me to know that he was safe.  I didn't want to choose.  Why couldn't I have both?  Why couldn't Fred come with me?  The house was certainly big enough.  Of course there was the major drawback of him not actually liking the Cullens much, but surely he must be curious about what I'd told him.

“Or you could come with me, meet Carlisle and see the wolves for yourself.”  I knew he wasn't convinced about the wolves.  He believed I'd seen them, but he wasn't so sure they turned into humans. 

“I haven't been invited,” he stated quite simply.  “I don't think they are as taken with me as they are with you.”  I couldn't tell if that bothered him or not; neither his voice nor expression gave anything away.

He didn't say no.  That gave me something to work with.  “You said yourself you don't have any plans.  Why don’t you come back with us and meet Carlisle and Esme?  I'm sure they'll be happy for you to stay a day or two 'til you decide.”  I was trying to sound casual, hoping to make it not sound too permanent.

“Honestly Bree, even if they had asked, I'd have to consider my safety.  This Carlisle guy, is he aggressive or violent in any way?”

“Carlisle?  No, he didn't seem to be.  Why?”  I was a little shocked by his question.  Carlisle was like someone's grandpa.  A very young looking grandpa granted, but he acted so formal, so polite.  And the way he talked, like he just stepped out of an old black and white movie.  Not very vampire like at all.

“How does he control them?”

“What do you mean?”  Where was he going with this?

“You saw how Riley acted, full on alpha male.  That Jasper's a piece of work and I'm sure the big fella's no pushover.  If Carlisle really is the coven leader, how does he keep control?”

I shrugged.  It hadn't occurred to me.  That's why I needed Fred.  He saw things differently, looked at things from every angle.  I'd have just jumped in blindly, swayed by the promise of a family and hot showers every day. 

“There's something not right about this coven,” he continued.  “I know Jasper said Carlisle didn't change him, but he changed the others.  Don't you think they're all a bit odd?  I mean we don't know what sort of doctor this Carlisle is.  Maybe he's a psychiatric doctor and he's changing his patients.  That could explain their reaction to my comment to Alice.”

I'd never thought of that either.  I'd just assumed Carlisle worked with the sick or injured, but what if he was a psychiatrist.  Fred could have a point, but I wasn't about to give up that easily.

“Yeah, but we haven't met many other vampires; maybe they think we're odd.”

“Oh no, they're definitely the odd ones,” he asserted.  “The rulers with cloaks obviously don't like them either.  It can't just be about the girl.  Then there's the animal blood thing; it's just not natural.”

Damn, I'd forgotten about the animal blood.  Would they really expect me to hunt animals if I stayed with them?  Emmett had said that was Carlisle's only rule.  I wondered if it was negotiable.  I hadn't mentioned this rule to Fred.  If I brought it up now, there was no way would he even consider staying.

He broke into my thoughts with a completely different subject.  “What's the story behind Jasper's scars?”

“I don't know; they never talked about it.”  I had been dying to know, but I couldn't think of a way to bring it up without seeming rude.  I'd found out so much during the last twenty-four hours, yet I actually knew very little about them.  I didn't know anything about Fred at all, but that didn't seem to worry me as much.

“He said he'd been created to be part of an army.  All of those scars indicate an awful lot of fights,” Fred mused.  Now that was one thing I had thought about, but only in a fleeting way.  What if it's not safe with them?  What if we were not the first group to attack them?

“Do you think others have attacked them before?” I asked.  “They were certainly prepared for us in that clearing.  Could it be a regular thing for them?”   I stopped talking but my thoughts continued along that vein.  Maybe they didn't want me to be part of their family.  Maybe they're also building an army.  Just doing it a bit slower, so that the Volturi couldn't do anything about it.  If that was the case the plan wasn't working very well, 'cause the Volturi knew about them, and wanted them destroyed.

“The others don't have a mark on them,” he replied, shaking his head.  “I'm pretty sure he got all of those scars before he joined them.” 

“Do you think they all know how he got them?” I asked.

“Well, I'm sure the mind reader would have found out, so they must all know.”  He sighed.  “That’s another thing about going with them.  I don’t want someone rummaging around in my head all the time.  I like my privacy.  It’s hard enough to come by with our hearing the way it is, but the idea of not even being able to keep my thoughts to myself kinda freaks me out a bit.”

Another thing I’d failed to consider.  Could I stand living with a mind reader?

“Can he hear everyone, all of the time?” Fred asked.  So, he was curious. Was he was actually considering coming with me?

“He said he couldn’t switch it off.”

“Did you believe him?”  It never occurred to me not to believe him.  I pretty much believed everything they had told me.  What if he was lying?  

“I did; maybe he can turn it on and off like you, but he wanted me to think he was listening all of the time,” I said.

“Mmm maybe, but Jasper says he can’t stop feeling other’s emotions; it’s just the projecting that’s within his control.”  Fred spoke out loud, but I got the feeling he was just working things out in his head.

“It's really not an issue; even if he could switch it off, he probably wouldn't do it with us there.”

I nodded in agreement.  I gave nothing away, but I was jumping up and down inside.  He'd said us.  He said he wouldn't do it with us there.  Despite all the negative points, he was curious.  I knew he would be.  I was close to getting what I wanted.  I wracked my brains trying to figure out what would make him say yes.

The sound of the phone made us both jump.  It wasn't the house phone, it was the cell Alice had given me.  I pulled it out of my bag and flipped it open. 

“Hi, Bree.”  The trill, bubbly voice came through the receiver.  “Could I have a quick word with Fred?”

Fred's eyebrows knitted together as he reached for the phone.

Bree POV

Fred's eyebrows knitted together as he reached for the phone.  “Alice?”

“Hi Fred, I just wanted to let you know we're on our way back and to ask a favour.”  Alice's unmistakable voice seemed to jump out of the receiver as Fred and I listened.

“Well you're a bit premature; Bree and I are still talking,” Fred replied, hoping to delay their return.

“Oh I know that, but I have to get the clothes out of the dryer, and I do need to ask you this favour.”

“I'm sure we can cope with the dryer all by ourselves.  What was the favour?”  He was forcing himself to be polite, but I could tell she was beginning to annoy him.

“Are you any good with your hands?”

“Erm, I’m not sure what you’re asking, but I'm not really a much of a handyman,” he replied, clearly baffled.

“That doesn't matter.”  She dismissed his reply.  I could imagine her waving her hand flippantly as she spoke.  “We'll show you.” 

“I have no idea what you're talking about, could you get to the point.”  He was definitely irritated now.  What was she playing at?  If she didn't let up, he wouldn't come back with me.

“We have a cottage on our property that we want to fix up for Edward and Bella as a wedding present.”

“That's very nice of you.  I'm sure they'll love it, but like I said, I'm not much of a handyman so‑”

“I thought Bree might like to stay there for a bit.”  I could imagine the nonchalant shrug of her skinny shoulders as she spoke.  Then she added quickly, “'Till she decides what to do of course.”

“Then why aren't you asking her?” Fred enquired, rolling his eyes.

“Well, she may be scared to stay there on her own, but if you stayed with her...”  She let the sentence trail off.  Was she serious?  I was a vampire; what was I supposed to be scared of?

“One of you could always stay with her,” Fred suggested.  He wasn't buying it either.

“We'd love to, but we have so much to do.  With the wedding to plan and everything, I'm not sure someone could be there all the time.”  A pause, then.  “I know she's not keen on the wolves.”  There was another pause, then sounding very unsure she added.   “I'm sure they wouldn't attack her, but she would feel safer if she had someone with her.”  Ooh she was clever, playing on his protective instincts.

Fred's shoulders slumped in defeat.  “I'll ask Bree.”

“I already know she'll say yes; see you in two minutes.”  The line went dead.

“Could she be any more annoying?” asked Fred, staring at the phone as if it was the source of his problem.

Flipping it shut, he handed it back, holding onto my hand as I reached for it.  “You want to go back with them, don't you?”

I covered his hand with my own.  “Yes, but not without you.  If you hate it, we'll leave.”    

Fred sighed, leaned his head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling for a while before he spoke.  “Okay, I'll go with you, but just for a day or two.”  He then got up and pulled me with him.  “We'd better get those clothes out of the dryer.  The pixie seems to have some sort of OCD when it comes to laundry.”

“I heard that.”  Alice was coming in the back door as we headed down to the basement.

As we retrieved the clothes, I briefly wondered if...  “No, you can't stop for a shower now.”  Alice anticipated and responded to the thought forming in my head.  “We need to get moving so that we're out of the water before it gets too light.”  I scowled at the basement ceiling and Fred rolled his eyes as we went to join the others in the living room.

“We won’t get back before eight.  Will it be too light then?” I asked.  I still wasn't comfortable being out during the day.

Alice paused a moment.  “No, it’ll be ok.  It's going to be a lovely day, but the sun won’t be out 'till after ten.”

“You have your very own weather fairy, how sweet,” Fred mocked lightly.

“I know; neat trick huh,” Alice retorted, giving Fred a wink.

We travelled back to the port, Fred and Jasper ran at the rear, as neither of them wanted the other behind him.  The journey was uneventful.  Rosalie tried to engage Fred in conversation a few times, but most of her questions were met with one-word answers.  I could tell he had no intention of giving them any information about himself without finding out more about them first.

We exited the water at a different area than we went in before.  I wasn't sure where we were.  Jasper must have picked up on my confusion.  “We're going to make a slightly wider circuit on the way back.  I don't want to run into the wolves if Carlisle hasn't spoken to Sam yet.”

“You mean Alice doesn't know,” teased Fred.

“I can't see the wolves.  I don't see Carlisle at the moment, so he must be on the reservation.”

Fred and I exchanged a look.  I wonder if he was thinking the same as me.  Did vampire abilities not work on the wolves?  If we encountered the wolves, it would be more dangerous for Fred if he couldn't use his gift on them. 

“We don't know how they will react to both of you staying with us,” Jasper explained.  “They agreed to Bree being covered by the treaty before, but they will be less keen on two of you, so we may have to re-negotiate.”

The detour only added another ten minutes to our journey and we were soon back on a path I recognised.  “We're nearly there,” I told Fred.

“So Edward is ok with us staying at his place?” asked Fred, concerned.

“Oh he will be.” Alice didn't seem too bothered.

“He doesn't know?”  

“He will, when it's the right time,” Alice affirmed.  “Of course technically it's not his place.  It's a wedding present, and he's not married yet.”  With that final statement, she raced ahead and jumped over the river.

Esme came onto the porch to greet us.  Fred took her offered hand and shook it lightly as he was introduced.   As I entered the house, the clean pale walls and furniture made me feel grubby again.

“Yes, Bree, you can have a shower now.”  Alice rolled her eyes as she granted my dearest wish. 

Esme approached Fred. “You are welcome to use our bathroom if you would like to freshen up a bit.

“It’s very kind of you to let me stay.  I don't want to impose.”  Fred had barely cleared the doorway and stood with his back to the wall.

Alice paced around him in a semi circle, appearing to be in deep thought.  “Mmm...  Carlisle's wardrobe I think,” she stated, before flying up the stairs.

“Why don't you both head upstairs.”  Esme noticed Fred's hesitation.  “Alice will show you where everything is.  We'll all wait for you down here.”

“Well I’m not waiting.  I've been in that filthy water twice and my hair's a mess.  I'm going to have a shower, now,” Rosalie snapped, and stomped up the stairs.

“I'll help you get the tangles out,” called Emmett as he started after her.

“I'm sure she can manage, Emmett.”  Esme stopped him before he reached the bottom step.  “I think you should go and get Edward; Bella should be awake by now.” 

“Can't I just call him?” Emmett pouted.  His disappointment was plain on his face, like a child denied candy before dinner.

“No, If Charlie’s still home, he might hear the phone,” she explained.  “Besides, if you talk to him face to face he may not over react.”

“Hah, this is Edward we're talking about.  I don’t need to be Alice to see how that conversation will go.”  Rosalie's commented from her room.

As I climbed the stairs I wondered why Edward wasn't here.  Why hadn't he just come home when Bella had gone to sleep?  What did he do while she slept?  Did he just watch her?  No, he wouldn't just watch her sleeping; that would be kinda weird.

I spent longer in the shower this time, taking more time to read more of the numerous bottles on Alice's counter.  I found a spray that claimed to leave your hair tangle-free, so I sprayed a liberal amount on my hair before drying it.  It worked really well, and the comb glided through with ease.  Unfortunately, there didn't appear to any product that would make it dry any faster.  I came out of the bathroom to find the bedroom empty and a fresh set of clothes on the bed.  I grabbed them quickly, retreating back into the bathroom.  The light khaki pants and pale green tank top fit ok, the olive green zip up jacket was a little big but I loved the softness of the fabric.  I put the damp clothes in the hamper.  All except the jeans, those I stuffed back into my bag, hoping to find somewhere to dry them later.  They fit really well and I didn't think they would mind if I held onto them a bit longer.

When I returned to the bedroom again, Alice was still nowhere to be seen.  I walked across the room cautiously, half expecting her to leap out at me from some hiding place.  She wasn't in the hallway either.  I listened to the voices coming from below and picked up her high-pitched tone.  I relaxed; her sudden movements could be quite unnerving. 

I scanned the room when I reached the bottom of the stairs.  Carlisle had returned while I’d been in the shower.  Jasper and Fred had obviously cleaned up and changed quicker than me.  Fred had on an olive green polo shirt with beige pants.  He looked good, but seemed a bit uncomfortable.  I hoped Jasper wasn't messing with him again. 

Rosalie descended the staircase and her hair swayed and shimmered over her shoulders like woven silk as she walked.  I wondered what she used on her hair.  Maybe I'd get a chance to try out some of the products in her bathroom.  She looked at me then at Fred.  “Really Alice, they're not a pair of bookends.”  I glanced down at what I was wearing, then across to Fred.  Rosalie had a point.  We did match somewhat.  Alice took in our appearance then gave a self-satisfied nod.  Our matching attire seemed to meet with her approval.

Carlisle approached me.  “Bree, I've just been going over some of the things we explained to you with Fred.  Now you're both ready, perhaps you would like to see the cottage.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “But could I ask you something first?” 

I needed to bring this up now, before I thought about staying.  If this was the deal breaker for Fred, then I needed to know now.

“Of course you may, what did you want to know?”  

He looked at me expectantly as I tried to find the courage and the right words to ask the one question I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to.  “Would you expect us to hunt animals while we are here?”  The words eventually spilled timidly from my mouth.

“Ah, I see,” Carlisle smiled.  “I would be more than willing to support you if you were to adopt our diet.  But you are our guests, we would not dream of telling you how to hunt.    However, I would request that you not hunt in this area, out of respect for us and for your own safety.

I let out the breath I had subconsciously been holding and sneaked a look at Fred.  I could tell by his expression that he was not pleased.

Fred and I arrived at the cottage accompanied by Esme, Jasper, Rosalie and Alice.  When I saw it my heart sank.  Run down, didn't begin to describe it. Dilapidated shell was more like it.  Some of the places Riley had found for us were better than this.  No way was I staying here.  I resolved to hunt or just hold my breath while Bella visited.

Fred looked around, his face impassive.    

“We could help you repair the roof and replace the rotting timbers.”  Esme offered.  “It won't look so bad once it's gutted and water tight.”

 “We'll see.”  Fred gave a non-committing reply.  Was he still thinking about the hunting issue?  I guess I should have mentioned the animal blood rule before.  There was no guarantee he would stay now.

“Naturally, we would want you to spend your time in the main house with us.”  A wave of relief washed through me with Esme's words.  “But if you feel too uncomfortable with Bella's scent in the house, then feel free to use this place.  We could make a start now, if you like.  I’ll go over my plans for the place while we work.”

“I need to get back,” announced Alice. “Damage control.” 

“I'll come with you; I've just washed my hair,” added Rosalie, as she followed her.

I couldn’t come up with a good excuse.  I’d also just washed my hair, but if I bailed, Fred might think I wasn’t interested in the place.  If I wasn't going to spend any time here, there would be no need for him to stay and 'protect' me. 

“Well if we just get rid of everything, and take it back to the bare walls, I'll calculate how much timber and tiles we'll need, and order the materials when we get back.  They should be delivered tomorrow,” Esme said, reaching out to remove some of the foliage from one of the windows.

Having removed the encroaching forest from the outer structure the stone walls and outline became more defined.  I could imagine it was quite sweet before it fell into disrepair.  It didn't take us long to get rid of the few pieces of disintegrating furniture and remove the broken glass.  Various creatures had made their homes in almost every room.  They had scampered of course, as soon as we approached.  Unfortunately they hadn't taken their homes with them.  Jasper and Fred had taken care of that task.

When we had done what we could, it didn't look so bad.  “We had better be getting back.  Edward should be home by now,” Esme said, glancing at her watch.  “Once the roof is secure and the windows repaired, I'll get some furniture out of our storeroom for you.”

Fred and I both thanked her for the offer of furniture.  “Give us a minute; we'll catch up.”  Fred added.

Jasper looked as if he was about to object, but Esme answered before he could say anything. “Of course, take as long as you need,” she replied as she and Jasper took off.

I knew what was on Fred’s mind.  “Are you mad about the hunting animals thing?”

“Not mad as such, but you asked about it for a reason, a reason you haven't mentioned to me.”

“Emmett said Carlisle's only rule for the family was that they only hunt animals.”  I fiddled with my top looking down at the forest floor as I answered him.  “I didn't know if they would expect us to do the same, and I thought you wouldn't come with me if I told you.”

“It's possible I wouldn't have come if that had been the case.”  He exhaled slowly.  “Bree, I don't know if I can trust them, but I trust you, and I want you to trust me.”

“I do trust you.  I just wanted you to come with me.”  I was starting to panic and my voice rose in pitch, betraying that fact. 

“I know, but I need you to be honest with me, regardless of the outcome.”  His voice was calm and reassuring.  “I've had enough with all the lies and I know they're keeping secrets.”  His head jerked towards the main house as he said the last part.  “I need to know that you will be upfront and not keep things from me.”

“I won’t. I promise,” I agreed.  He wasn’t mad and he was still here.  The panic ebbed, but soon reappeared as I remembered the other vampire Carlisle had mentioned before.

“Did Carlisle mention a vampire that could assess your ability?”

“No, why?”

“He mentioned him when I was here yesterday.  He's says he’s a friend of his that lives in Alaska.  He said he can sense abilities in vampires and he may be able to help you develop your gift.”  I looked up at him nervously.  I’d kept something else from him.  Would he be mad now?

“Why didn't you say anything about him before?”  He didn't sound mad.

“Carlisle put his number into my phone and said you could call him if you wanted.  I wasn't sure if he really wanted to help you, or just find out how strong your gift was.”

He said nothing for a while, digesting the information.  “Is there anything else?”  I shook my head in response.  Finally he smiled, and I relaxed again as he said, “Okay, shall we head back?”

I nodded and followed him along the path to the river and we jumped it together.  The first voice we heard was Rosalie’s.  “I want this; everything’s not always about you!”  She was practically screaming.

“That’s rich, coming from someone who spends the whole of her existence rarely thinking of anyone but herself.”  I recognised the other voice.  ‘That’s Edward.’ I turned and mouthed to Fred.

His retort seemed to enrage her even more.  “This has nothing to do with you anyway, why don't you‑”

“They’re back.”  Edward interrupted her tirade and the altercation came to an abrupt end. 

Bree POV

“They’re back.”  Edward interrupted Rosalie’s tirade and the altercation came to an abrupt end. 

 I didn’t rate my chances of finding out what that was all about.  Maybe Edward wasn’t happy about us using the cottage.  That didn’t bother me, I’d willingly give up that hovel of a house; he was welcome to it.  I went along with Alice’s plan as it got Fred to come with us, and I’d happily keep up the façade if it meant he would stay.  That didn’t explain Rosalie.  What was she so cross about?  Even if her brother didn't want us in his love nest, that shouldn’t make her so angry.

I was just wondering if we should knock when Carlisle opened the door, moving back to allow us to enter.  Once again, Fred just cleared the doorway and stood with his back to the wall.  Only Rosalie, Emmett and Edward stood near the entrance.  I could tell from the soft footsteps that Alice, Jasper, and Esme were upstairs.  

Edward was closest to the door, and Carlisle made the introductions.  As Edward took Fred's outstretched hand, his face grimaced slightly.  I looked at Fred, why was he messing about with him?  Edward hadn't done anything.

“Emmett, will you stop that?” Edward growled, releasing Fred's hand.

“Told you it was gross.”  Emmett's smirk vanished as Rosalie delivered a sharp dig to his ribs.

My head turned from Edward to Fred, then to Emmett, and then back again.

“Em was just remembering his initial meeting with Fred,” Edward explained.  “That's quite some gift you have there. 

“Not as powerful as yours though,” Fred countered.

“Oh, I don't know about that.  Being able to anticipate your opponents move is handy when playing chess, but it’s not much use in combat if you're rolling around clutching your stomach.”  I could only assume that Edward was trying to make Fred feel less threatened.

“So, it really doesn't switch off, you hear all of our thoughts, all the time?” 

“Yes, pretty much.”  A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.  “Right now, they are all angling to get me on my own so I can let them know what you're thinking.”

“Snitch.”  Rosalie's comment was almost inaudible.

Edward's honesty surprised me.  I guess by the look on Fred's face, he was taken aback too.

“You must be a popular guy,” Fred teased, the sarcasm clearly evident.

“I try not to be intrusive, and don’t usually share the thoughts of others.  The exception being when my family's safety is at stake.”  Was that meant to be some kind of warning?

“You can't keep me out, the family have all learned how to conceal their thoughts from time to time, but it takes a while to get any good at it.”  Fred must have been wondering if there was any way of blocking him.

“So how do you like the cottage, Bree?”  The corner of Edward’s mouth twitched again as he asked.  He’d obviously picked up on my thoughts, but he'd said he didn’t reveal them to anyone, so I determined to see if that was true.

“It’s fine. I’m sure it will be lovely once it’s finished,” I replied with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.  “I know this was all sprung on you, so if you don’t want us to stay there, I’m sure we could leave.”

I didn’t get to finish my sentence as Edward raised his hand saying. “Bree, its fine, really.”  The twitch turned into a full on smirk.  “Make yourselves comfortable over there.” 

I could and I would if it made Fred stay.  Edward glanced at Rosalie; he seemed concerned.  What had she been thinking about?  Maybe she wanted the cottage; she didn't want to help us clear up the place.  Could that be what they were arguing about?

“Well, it's been good to meet you at last, Fred, but I need to get back to Bella.  She had a very difficult day yesterday,” Edward said, slipping his keys out of his pocket.  I guess that was partly our fault, but he didn't sound accusing in any way.

He stopped in front of Carlisle as he moved towards the door.  “Thanks for going to see Jacob earlier.  Bella will be relieved he's improving.”

“Any time son, any time.”  Carlisle rested a hand on Edwards shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  “You go ahead and take care of Bella; we'll take care of our guests.” 

Edward headed out of the door calling out to me as he jumped down the steps.  “No one will mind if you have another shower, Bree.  Alice already has fresh clothes laid out.”

Damn, those two were going to be a pain to live with.  I hoped he wasn't still eavesdropping, but the faint chuckle I heard as he raced down the drive told me he was.

---00---MC---00---

We had been there for almost three weeks.  When we left Vancouver, I couldn't imagine Fred staying for more than three days.  As the days turned into weeks, I waited for Fred to indicate he was ready to move on, but he never did, so I didn't bring it up either.  Surprisingly, but thankfully, we spent most of our time at the main house.  Rosalie and Alice had spent hours with me ordering clothes online.  Everything cost a fortune, but they kept insisting it didn't matter.  Alice tried to engage Fred in our activity, but he had little interest in clothes and would happily wear whatever we purchased. 

 Alice's horrified shriek the first time I tried on a skirt will be with me forever.  The sound brought Jasper and Emmett barreling into her bedroom only to discover that the blood-curdling scream was a result of witnessing the hair growing on my legs.  Mortified, I fled to the bathroom.  I tried my best to keep clean on the streets, but it wasn’t easy.   Did she really think I could pop into a spa for wax every couple of weeks?  I jumped out of the bathroom window and ran, but I soon became aware of footsteps immediately behind me.  I easily recognized them as Rosalie's and Fred's.  It was pointless to keep going; I was faster than Rosalie but Fred could easily outrun me.

They caught up to me in seconds.  “Sorry about Alice,” Rosalie attempted to console me.  “There's nothing to panic about; we can get rid of them.”  Was that what she thought I was worried about?  The hairs weren't great, but they didn't need an audience.

“Get rid of what?  What happened?  Why was Alice screaming like that?”  Fred was checking me for any signs injury as he fired his questions.  The look he gave me as I explained about the offending hair was one he usually reserved for Alice. 

“Really!  Alice screamed like a banshee and had you bolting into the woods over a few hairs!” he exclaimed, before turning abruptly and heading back to the house shaking his head.

 Rosalie and I followed, and she explained that neither shaving, creams, nor waxing would work.  The only way to be rid of it was to pluck each one out individually.  When we got back Alice confirmed it would hurt, but I would only have to do it once and it would never grow back.

“Dude, I think we should take a short walk until it's all over,” Emmett suggested to Fred.

“I'll stay, thanks,” he replied.  He sat in the nearest seat and leaned back, making his intentions clear.

“It should take half an hour, tops,” Alice informed me.  “That includes underarms.” 

Did she have to say that out loud?  I was already embarrassed beyond reason.  The guys didn't need to hear all the details.

I lay on the bed in my underwear and braced myself.  Alice and Rose took a pair of tweezers and a leg each and started to work.  The initial shock made me cry out and the house vibrated as a wall was hit downstairs.

“Get a grip; she'll be fine,” muttered Emmett.  

“Don't worry,” Alice said, not even looking up from her task.  “Fred was about to come and rescue you.  Emmett and Jasper had to restrain him.” 

“I'm okay,” I called out, hoping that would calm him down.

“I don't get it, why would she let them torture her like that?” 

I wasn't sure who Fred's question was directed at, but it was Emmett that answered.

“Dude, you don't know much about women do you?  Let’s take that walk, and I'll educate you.”

True to their word, my legs and underarms were completely hair free within half an hour.  They’d offered to take care of my bikini area, but I'd had enough.  “It will be sorted soon,” Alice reassured Rosalie as she started to protest.  I did let them take care of my nails and hair though, and to be honest I felt truly pampered by the time they had finished.

One week later, Emmett took Fred for another walk and my bikini area was tidied to Alice's satisfaction.

I still hadn't met Bella.  When she came to the house, Fred and I went to the cottage.  The scent in the house and on their clothes when we returned was overpowering sometimes.  Despite Alice's tale that they would be too busy to be at the cottage with me, one of the family would usually come with us.  Rosalie would be there more often than the others.  I didn't know why, as she didn't really get along with Fred.  If she stayed and visited with Bella, she always changed afterwards, and Esme would open all of the windows.  I wasn't sure if she did that for my benefit or if it made it more comfortable for all of them.

I was still hunting every four days, sometimes three if Bella had visited.  Fred always came with me, making sure we were well out of the surrounding area and always discrete.  We had been invited to hunt with the members of the family a few times, but had declined.  One or two of them kept us company, but left us when we got closer to a town.  I liked hunting.  Not just because it eased the nagging ache in my throat, but because it also gave us time alone.  Fred was more relaxed when it was just the two of us as he was still suspicious about the Cullens.

He probably got on best with Emmett.  I didn't know if that was because he and Rosalie seemed to spend more time with us than the others, or because he didn't have any abilities to worry about.  He had come to a neutral state with Jasper, but they were both still wary of each other.  This was not helped by Alice's bouncy nature.  Her sudden movements still alarmed me.  Fred would react to my alarm, and Jasper would react to Fred.  Thankfully, this mostly consisted of hisses and the odd low growl.  We hadn't been treated to the 'pissing contest' again.

Edward bothered him most, despite his warm welcome on the first day.  He was hardly ever home and when he was, he reeked of Bella, making it difficult for me to carry out a conversation with him for any length of time.  The scent didn't seem to bother Fred as much, but the mind reading did.  He felt he couldn't let his guard down.  He didn't get the point of his relationship.  Edward had explained how he had studied medicine but didn't practice because of the blood.  Why did he then choose to date someone who was his ‘singer’?

“I just don't understand this whole marry her and keep her human nonsense.” He remarked during one of our hunts.  “Why doesn't he just drain her or change her?  She's not a bottle of wine, I doubt if she will improve with age.”

These were the kind of thoughts he tried to keep from Edward, but I knew he let them slip sometimes.  Edward would throw him a look or simply leave the room, causing Fred to roll his eyes.  He actually laughed out loud when he found out that Fred thought Carlisle was changing his mental patients.  This led to Alice explaining the circumstances of her change to us, and Fred immediately regretted his choice of words during that first meeting.

The cottage wasn't so bad.  Once the roof had been replaced, and new beams and windows fitted, we were able to clean it more effectively.  It was still essentially a shell, but Esme had found us a couple of armchairs, a tiny sofa, a small coffee table, and even a bookcase.  There were only a few books in it though.  Books were usually borrowed from the main house, and then returned once we had finished with them.

Esme said she had plans to connect the water and electricity supply, but we didn’t really need it; we could see perfectly well without light.  The candles Alice had placed around the main room merely added a warm glow if we were there in the evenings.  Esme even found us a small battery operated TV and radio.  Emmett looked on it with disgust every time he was there, but we didn't use it much, so it didn't bother us. 

Fred had taken to spending a lot of his time in Carlisle's study, pouring over his books and journals.  He wasn't into medicine as such but he found his science journals riveting.  It also gave him time to himself.  While I was happy to be in the company of the family, Fred needed his alone time.

The day Carlisle received his latest journal with an article about some seaweed-based cure for something or other; he said Fred was welcome to read it before him, as he would be at work.  He retreated into Carlisle's study, and I didn't expect to see him for a while. 

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme had taken Bella into Port Angeles to do some wedding shopping.  Bella had apparently been reluctant to go for some reason, but Emmett seized the opportunity to hunt with Edward.  He had invited Fred again, but he politely declined, citing the very article he was reading.

That left Jasper and me at a loose end.  He wasn't so bad, and the growling had almost stopped.   Even when I lost control, he didn’t growl every time.  I think he realized that it just annoyed me more.  If Emmett wasn’t around to restrain me, he would just zap me with his personal Prozac to make it easier for someone else to do it.  In all honesty, if I had to be alone with anyone, I would not choose Jasper.

I wandered out onto the porch.  The breeze was warm and gentle, and it barely stirred the trees, so I opted to sit out there and read.  I went back into the house to retrieve the book I had been reading, before realizing that I had left if at the cottage.

“I'm just popping over to the cottage to get my book,” I called out.

“Okay, come straight back,” Jasper instructed.  Jeez, that was so annoying.  At least he didn't insist on coming with me.

As I wandered along the path, I realized it was the first time I had been alone since I got here.  I wondered how long it would be before Jasper came to look for me.  Deciding to extend my solitude, I took a short walk.  I didn't intend to go far; I just wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet for a while.

I heard the heartbeat first.  Oh crap, I'd hunted the day before, but the sound still made my throat ache.  I froze, holding my breath.  I couldn't attack anyone here, all hell would break lose.  I knew I should run back to the house, but I couldn't make my legs work. 

As the stench hit me I knew who, or rather what, the heartbeat belonged to.  Why was it here?  Carlisle had shown us the Quileute border, and I was nowhere near it.  Seconds later the sandy wolf appeared through the trees, stopping about fifteen feet away.  We both stared at each other.  We didn't growl, snarl, or adopt threatening positions, we just stared.  After a few moments, he retreated back into the trees.  My brain reconnected to my legs, and I turned to head back.  The strange sound coming from the trees made me cringe. It was like a cross between a pop and a crack and was accompanied by a shift in the air.

I spun around when I heard the voice.  “Hey, hold on a minute.”

Bree POV

I found myself looking at a tall dark individual. He was not as tall as Emmett, and not as broad in the shoulders, but his muscles were definitely well defined, and hard not to notice as he had nothing on but a pair of cut off pants. His dark eyes and hair complemented his light brown skin.

"Hi, I'm Seth," he said hesitantly. I stood staring at him, but made no response. He eventually gave up waiting for a reply and continued. "We've met before, but you probably wouldn't recognize me."

My mouth hung open as my brain tried to catch up again. I finally managed to regain some motor function and stepping forward, I replied. "I'm Bree."

"Hey, not so close," he protested, backing up. "I know who you are."

"I'm not going to attack or anything," I mumbled, lowering my head to appear less threatening. To be honest, the evil smell wasn't as strong on his human form, but I'd have to be raging with thirst to even consider draining him. Quite frankly that rancid deer had more appeal.

"Well, I had hoped as much, but the stink is a bit much up close."

Me, stink? I slowly raised my arm to my nose and sniffed my clothes. They smelled fine to me. He smelled like a wet dog, how could he think that I stink?

"It's not you personally; all you vamps stink. It's kinda strong, and gets up our sensitive noses." He laughed and I took in his features fully for the first time. He was kinda cute and so much younger than I imagined he would be. If it weren't for his size, I'd say he was about my age.

"Oh, sorry." I didn't know why I was apologizing.

"Don't sweat it. I know I don't smell so good to you either." He waved away my apology.

 "You're not how I imagined you would be." Why did I blurt that out? Was my brain still catching up?

"What do you mean?" he asked creasing his brow in confusion.

"You did just transform from a wolf, didn't you?" I queried, and he nodded in response.

"I thought you would be hairier." I was mumbling again, thoroughly embarrassed. "When Carlisle said you turned into humans, I thought you would be hairier, or at least have a beard or something." I cringed mentally at how rude my comments probably sounded. But he didn't seem to be offended as he threw his head back and laughed.

"Well that's better than a talking wolf." Damn, he remembered the comment I'd made weeks ago and he was laughing at me - again.

 "We're just regular humans most of the time actually," he explained.

 "Oh." I couldn't think of an appropriate response. It made more sense I guess, but I'd only seen them as wolves.

 I was sure I wasn't anywhere near their border, so I asked. "Why are you here?"

 "I could ask you the same question," he countered as his face broke into another grin. "Just kidding; I'm on patrol. Sam has us extending our round as you're here. He says you have another newborn with you."

 "Yeah, Fred. He's up at the house now." I had a moment of doubt. He seemed nice enough, but maybe I shouldn't have let him know I was alone.

 "So how come you're out here on your own? Sam said Carlisle promised to keep an eye on both of you while you were here." He squatted down on a tree stump as he spoke. Well that explained why Fred and I were only alone while hunting.

 I quickly looked around for another makeshift seat. Carlisle had mentioned that humans were more comfortable if you mirrored their behavior. I didn't know if it was the same for werewolves, but I decided to give it a try. There wasn't anything nearby I could use, so I sat on the ground, and told him. "I came down to the cottage to get a book, but decided to go for a walk."

 "The cottage?" His face held a quizzical expression. "Oh, you mean that run down house on their land?"

 "You've seen it then," I giggled at his comment.

 "Not personally; I'm not allowed to go that close." He rolled his eyes and sounded slightly miffed as he said it. "Sam and Paul have though. We're not supposed to go onto Cullen land but your scent was all around the area and they went to check it out. I saw it when we were phased."

 "What do you mean? How did you see it?" It was my turn to hold the quizzical expression.

 "They haven't told you much about us have they?" His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sam's convinced that they're all spilling the beans, and giving away all of our secrets."

 "You've got secrets too," I groaned. "That figures. I've been a vampire for four months, and I've never known so many people keep so many secrets."

 "Well I'll let you in on one." he offered, while acting out looking over both shoulders as though he were checking there was no one about.

"What?" I didn't mean to sound so eager, but I sat up a little and leaned forward, giving myself away.

 "Well, we can't talk in wolf form." Another grin. "We communicate through our thoughts."

 "No way! You mean you can hear thoughts like Edward!" I jumped up, astounded at hearing this latest piece information. Unfortunately, he misinterpreted my actions and leapt up from the stump, backing towards the trees.

 "No, wait." I immediately sat back down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't going to attack, I promise." The words came out so fast, I wasn't sure if he could decipher them.

 He edged forward again slowly. He was still tense, and didn't sit back down. I looked at him expectantly, hoping he wouldn't clam up, as I wanted to know more. I tried to think reassuring thoughts. "Are you reading my thoughts now?"

 "What? Oh no, it doesn't work like that." The grin was back and he relaxed a bit. "The pack can only hear each other's thoughts, and only when we're phased."

 "Still, it's kinda cool." I couldn't do anything special. I was beginning to feel a bit short changed with this whole supernatural deal.

 "Yeah, it freaks you out at first, but you soon get used to it. Of course, there are some thoughts you don't want to hear, if you know what I mean." He ended the reply with a wink and I knew exactly what he meant. There are some things as a vampire I'd rather not hear.

 There was an awkward silence for a few moments before he asked his next question. "So what brings you back here? I thought you were heading to Canada."

 "I'd arranged to meet Fred in Vancouver after -" I hesitated. Should I mention the fight that brought the army here? He might remember he was supposed to be my enemy. He was looking at me expectantly, so I continued. "The fight. We didn't want to fight anyone. We were going to take off on our own, but I wanted to find my other friend first." I rushed the words out, hoping he wouldn't see me as the dangerous monster he'd no doubt been led to believe I was.

 "At least you had a choice. Sam wouldn't let me fight." He sounded quite annoyed about that. "I still managed to get in on the action though," he added proudly. Well that wasn't the reaction I expected.

 "Really, what did you do?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

 He sat back down on the stump before he began his tale. "Edward wanted to keep Bella out of town, 'cause he knew the red-head was really after her. The plan was to camp out in the mountains 'til it was all over. I was just supposed to protect Bella and keep tabs on the fight while phased."  He started to become animated as he got into his account. "Course she was smarter than he figured. She tracked his scent and found us up in the mountains. That chick was something else. She had that Riley guy wrapped right around her little finger. He was convinced he was the love of her life, but she didn't even bat an eyelid when I tore him apart."

 "Wait." I forced myself to remain seated. "You destroyed Riley?" I was almost too shocked to form the words.

 "Hell yeah. He thought he had wounded me, but I- " He stopped, his voice became a little more subdued. "Oh, was he a friend or something?" He must have misread my expression.

 "No, no I didn't even like him much." Then I felt I needed to ask. "Did you kill Victoria too?" I was starting to get a bit worried. If he had killed them, he was a lot more deadly than he looked right now.

 "Nah, Edward was happy to deal with her personally," he responded, oblivious to the change in my mental state.  I was alone with a person, well creature that had destroyed a vampire. He was as dangerous as Carlisle had said. Surely, I should feel more afraid.

 "I hope you don't mind me asking." His voice broke into my inner analysis of my situation. "How do you cope with having Bella around?"

 "I haven't met her yet," I confessed. "That's what the cottage is for. I and Fred go there when she visits."

 "You'd like her. She cool; she doesn't get freaked out by all this supernatural crap." He brought his hands up, wriggling his fingers in a spooky gesture. It made me smile, any possible danger I might be in was pushed to the back of my mind.

 "I don't think Edward wants us near her." He'd never actually said it out loud, but he always made a point of informing us of a visit and establishing that we would be at the cottage.

 "Makes sense I guess." Seth delivered his observation with a slight shrug.

 "Yeah, Fred's a bit older than me, his control is better. I'd probably just go for her-"

 I stopped mid sentence as familiar scents, growls and snarls erupted around us.

 Jasper and Fred were behind me, both crouched, both growling; ferocious masks distorting their features.

 Behind Seth were two wolves, the huge black one and the brown one I'd seen with Seth before. They were snarling, their postures tense, and their razor sharp teeth bared.

 We both turned to our protectors at the same time. "It's okay, we're just talking," I cried, wanting to calm everything down.

"Cool it, Sam. Nothing happened. She didn't attack me or anything." Seth was doing his best to calm it down on his side.

 The growls got lower, but didn't stop altogether. That's because they were only coming from Jasper. Fred was staring, clearly dumbfounded at the sight of the giant wolves in front of him.

 "Who's this?" he asked eventually, jerking his head at Seth.

 "That's Seth. He's the wolf that found me when I ran from the clearing. He says he destroyed Riley." Fred cast a quick glance towards Jasper and when he nodded in confirmation, Fred immediately pulled me behind him.

 "Sam, could I have a word?" Jasper asked. Sam appeared to hesitate, before he gave a short nod and nudged Seth back towards the trees.

 The air shifted and the sound made me cringe again, then Seth reappeared in his wolf form. Sam and Seth looked at each other for a bit, then lowering his head, Seth went to stand next to the other wolf while Sam withdrew into the trees. After another shift in the air, I found myself looking at the tallest individual I'd ever seen. He was easily taller than Emmett. His colouring was similar to Seth's, perhaps a shade darker, but this guy looked far from friendly. He was also dressed in only a pair of cut off pants and was clearly bulkier than Seth. He looked a lot older too.

 "This is Cullen land. Why are you here?" Jasper got straight to the point.

 "We came to look for Seth. He phased out, and we couldn't contact him." Sam's gaze fixed on Fred and me. "We have widened our patrols since the others have been here."

 "I don't think it's necessary for you to come so far onto our property," Jasper replied.

 "I don't think it's necessary for you to increase the size of your coven with killers," Sam countered.

 "The treaty has an agreed boundary line," Jasper continued, unfazed by Sam's comment.

 "The original treaty allowed for five of you to reside here. We agreed to abide by it and extend it to include yourself and your mate, because of your diet." Sam tilted his head at Fred and me. "They do not share your diet."

 "Carlisle has discussed this with you. Your reasonable attitude has been much appreciated." Jasper had changed tactics and was turning on the accent, bringing forth the southern charm. "You very kindly agreed they would also be covered by the treaty." Knowing how Jasper felt about the wolves, I'm surprised the words didn't stick in his throat.

 "The good doctor also agreed they would be properly supervised." Sam also modified his tone, but he wasn't being swayed.

 "There has been adequate supervision," Jasper insisted.

 "And yet Seth found her here alone," Sam parried, as the verbal sparring continued.

 "It won't happen again," Jasper snapped, giving me a hard stare. "We will uphold our end of the agreement; just be sure to keep that pup of yours on a shorter leash." With the final barb delivered, he gripped me by the arm and practically dragged me away. For once Fred didn't react to his handling of me.

 "What were you thinking? If you had broken the treaty we would all have been in danger." Jasper spat the words out through clenched teeth.

 "I didn't do anything; we were just talking," I protested. "Why were you following me anyway?"

 "I was not following you," he ground out. "Alice called in a panic when you disappeared. Rosalie was practically hysterical," he explained. Not that it made sense to me. Why was she so upset? I hoped she wouldn't be too mad at me for putting them all in danger? I'd seen Rosalie angry, and I was not looking forward to her ire being directed at me.

Fred hadn't said a word. He followed us but his focus seemed to be somewhere else.

We travelled back to the house in silence. Jasper didn't let go of my arm. I tried to wriggle free a couple of times, but his grip just tightened, and when I glanced up at him his jaw was set and his eyes were hard flints. I was probably still stronger than him, but given his mood, I decided not to risk losing my arm again. I resigned myself to facing the wrath of Rosalie.

Bree POV

Rosalie and Esme arrived half an hour after we got back, letting us know that Alice was taking Bella home. Surprisingly, Rosalie rushed towards me, much the same as Alice was inclined to do, and enveloped me in a hug. I stiffened momentarily at the unexpected contact. Fred emitted a low hiss, and she turned to glare at him before cradling my face in her hands. It definitely wasn't the greeting I anticipated from her, and why was Fred hissing at her, when he had just watched Jasper drag me through the woods without a word?

"Are you ok? Did they attack you?" Rosalie enquired urgently. "Why was she on her own?" The last question was directed at Jasper.

He let out and exaggerated sigh before he answered. "She's fine, no one attacked anyone, and Bree just went to the cottage to get her book."

"They were at the cottage!" she shrieked. "How dare they? They know they're not supposed to come onto our land. Carlisle's been too lenient with them. That idiot Bella insists on hanging around with already broke the treaty. Carlisle should..."

Esme halted her rant by placing a hand on her arm. "Rosalie, calm down, no harm has been done."

"This time, maybe. Those dogs need to stay away from our property, and Carlisle should insist on it. Instead, he bends over backwards to accommodate them; letting that Sam tell him what he can and can't do." Esme's efforts only had a temporary effect, and Rosalie was back in full rant mode. Why didn't Jasper do something? He must have some sort of emotional tranquilizer up his sleeve he could use on her.

While an angry Rosalie was terrifying, I was pleased it wasn't directed at me. I assumed the idiot she referred to was Jacob. Emmett had told me how hacked off Edward was that Bella's best friend was a werewolf. What did he do to break the treaty? Why were we all trying to live by this treaty if it had already been broken? I felt so confused and dejected. I'd listened to Carlisle and Jasper, I tried to control myself and behave the way they wanted, but I'd still managed to screw up. Why did they even want me here? I just seemed to be a nuisance; I couldn't even take a walk without everything being blown out of proportion.

"They weren't at the cottage." Jasper finally managed to get a word in. "Bree went for a walk instead of getting her book." He gave me a pointed look. "Seth was on patrol, and they ran into each other."

"He better not have had his filthy paws anywhere near her," Rosalie growled.

"They were just talking when we got there."

"Talking, what would they have to talk about?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Nothing in particular, just talking." I got my chance to have my say at last.

"Bree, dear." She stroked my cheek then placed an arm around my shoulder. "Those dogs are volatile creatures; it's not safe to be around them. You really don't understand how dangerous they are." How did she know what I did or didn't understand? Seth had told me he'd destroyed Riley. But he didn't attack me when we first met, and he didn't attack me today. According to Jasper, I was also dangerous and volatile. That didn't mean I was a bad person. Maybe Seth wasn't a bad person either.

My relief that Rosalie wasn't mad at me turned into annoyance. "Why is everyone overreacting? We just talked." I growled before shrugging her arm off and stomping out of the back door.

"Bree!" Jasper and Rosalie called out simultaneously.

"I'm not going anywhere," I snapped. "I'm just going to sit outside." I sat on the top step of the porch, trying to get my head around what had just happened. What was with Rosalie? She was really nice to me, and it felt good to have someone care enough to actually worry about you. But her reaction seemed still seemed to be a bit over the top.

After a few moments, Fred came out. He hesitated for a moment and then came to sit next to me. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm just a bit fed up. They're all over reacting."

"Not really," he said, pulling me into his side. "You could have been hurt, or worse."

"So?"

He pulled away from me a little so he could look at me. His eyebrows were raised. I wasn't sure if it was the word or my sharp tone that surprised him.

"Sorry." My defiance evaporated, and I was back to just feeling fed up. "I just feel like I'm causing problems for everyone."

"You're not causing me any problems."

"Apart from dragging you off to hunt every couple of days and making you hang around in a house full of weirdos." I leaned in and whispered the last word.

"Well there is that," he acknowledged with a grin. "But on the up side, I enjoy hunting with you. And more importantly, Carlisle does have an extensive collection of research books and journals."

I mock punched him in the ribs, and he faked clutching his side and leaning forward as if I had really hurt him. I lowered my voice further, so that only he could hear. "I can't figure Rosalie out. When Jasper said she was hysterical, I expected her to be mad at me, but she's not. She's absolutely livid about the wolves though."

He took a moment to respond, as though he was searching for the right words. "I think Rosalie cares for you a great deal, she feels very responsible for you." He kept his voice equally low.

"Why? I know we were created because of them, but why should she feel more responsible than the others?" My voice was barely above a whisper now.

"I don't think it's anything to do with why we were created." His answer wasn't much help.

"What are you not telling me?" I asked. "We're not supposed to keep things from each other, remember."

‘We'll talk when we hunt,' he mouthed as Emmett and Edward came into view. They had either had a very quick hunt, or Alice's phone had been in action again.

"Where's the fire?" Emmett called as he flew past us and though the door with Edward in his wake. Fred and I looked at each other and both mouthed ‘Alice' before following them into the house.

Emmett had Rosalie in his arms and had lifted her off the floor. "Put me down Emmett." She pushed out of his hold, surprising him and me. Their usual greeting following any separation had us gagging or fleeing from the room.

"Bree was accosted by one of those dogs earlier," she explained.

"What!" Emmett roared balling his fists. Oh great, was anyone not going to overreact?

"Don't exaggerate Rose," Esme chided. "Bree went for a walk and bumped into Seth, that's all."

"Did he attack you?" Emmett asked, concern taking over his anger.

"No, of course he didn't," I responded, rolling my eyes.

"He didn't go anywhere near her," Edward added. For once, I was happy he could read my mind and see what really happened.

"Well it's lucky for him that he didn't. It's been a few weeks since I had a good scrap. The muscles could do with a good work out," Emmett joked, flexing his biceps in front of Rosalie's face.

She slapped his arm away. "Will you take this seriously Em? Bree could have been hurt."

"Yeah," he admitted with a light sigh, before his voice perked up. "But she looks fine to me," he concluded, reaching out to ruffle my hair. I wasn't expecting it so I didn't manage to dodge out of the way in time.

We all heard the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes winding its way along the drive. The engine had barely cut out before he came through the door and looked around the room.

"Alice has taken Bella home," Edward informed him, and he visibly relaxed, apparently relieved that everyone was accounted for.

"What happened? Is anyone hurt?" he asked as he made his way over to Esme.

"Aargh not you as well!" I all but screamed at him.

Silence descended on the room as they all looked at me with stunned faces. Carlisle's eyebrows were raised, but the corner of his lip twitched slightly.

"I take it from your outburst, that you are not hurt in any way," Carlisle addressed me, his eyebrows still raised.

"No," I mumbled, embarrassed and thankful I could no longer blush.

"Do I need to make a house call on the reservation?" he asked no one in particular.

"No, nothing happened. Bree and Seth ran into each other and talked for a bit. When Jasper got there, he and Sam had a few words; that's all," Edward informed him.

"Were you on your own?" He tried to disguise it, but I could tell he was surprised that I was unaccompanied.

"Yes, I told Jasper I was going to the cottage to get my book, and I just went for a walk," I explained quickly. I hadn't seen Carlisle punish his coven in any way, but I didn't think anyone should be blamed for what I did.

"Bree, I'm sure you are aware by now that you can't just take off on your own like that." He gestured towards the living room, and we all went in and sat down. I pulled Fred towards the smaller couch, Rosalie followed and they sat either side of me.

"I made an agreement with Sam that if you and Fred were covered by the treaty, one of us would be with you at all times." Carlisle had just started to speak, when Rosalie butted in.

"Why do you even bother to negotiate anything with them? You don't have to..."

"Rosalie." Carlisle didn't let her finish. "I made the original treaty. How and with whom I negotiate it with is my concern." He didn't shout, but the authority in his voice was evident.

"I'm sorry I didn't make this clear to both of you." His attention was back on me and Fred. "I was hoping we could be subtle and not make you feel as though you were under surveillance all of the time. If you had come across a hiker, it would have been almost impossible for you to resist, and the fallout would have been catastrophic for us."

Alice arrived as Carlisle was speaking, and I threw her a menacing glare.  "Sorry," she mouthed as she hopped onto Jasper's lap.

Carlisle gave Alice a smile of acknowledgement before he continued. "It was fortunate for you that it was Seth you ran into. He is young and was probably a little unsure what to do. Another one of the pack may have felt threatened and attacked you."

"Well, I still think you should have another word with Sam. His puppy only ran into Bree because they were on our land," Rosalie insisted. She had no intention of letting it go.

"I don't think that's necessary right now. I suspected they would extend their patrols and none of them made any attempt to attack her," Carlisle answered.

Rosalie huffed, folded her arms and slumped against the back of the couch. Would she finally let this drop?

"Have you done any research on them?" Fred asked.

"I've not had an opportunity until recently." Carlisle had a glint in his eye as he turned to Fred.

"What gave you the opportunity?"

"Well, you did inadvertently." Fred's brow creased in confusion before Carlisle clarified. "I treated Jacob when he was injured in the fight and managed to take a blood sample."

"Really, have you tested it yet?" It was the most enthusiasm I'd seen from Fred for anything. "Are there lupine enzymes or antigen present?"

"Well, I haven't completed a full set of tests yet, but I did find something interesting with the chromosomes. I'll show you what I have done so far," Carlisle said, rising to go up to his study. Fred got up and followed him, practically vibrating with excitement at the information Carlisle shared with him as they made their way upstairs.

Relieved that the discussion was over and that Carlisle hadn't punished me, I got up and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Rosalie and Jasper both asked. This simultaneous speaking was getting freaky. Had they forgotten they weren't really twins?

"I still don't have my book; I'm going back to the cottage," I stated, not breaking my stride.

"I'll come with you dear, I want to measure..." Esme started, reaching my side before I opened the door.

"Esme, the cat's out of the bag. You don't have to find excuses to follow me anymore," I pointed out.

"I know dear, but I really do want to measure up for my garden plans."

"Oh," was all I could come up with, accompanied by a mental wince. I hoped she didn't think I was too rude. My mouth still seemed to be ahead of my brain.

"I'll come with you." Edward came to join us at the door.

I tried to cover up my stunned expression, but if I looked anything like Rosalie at that moment I had failed. It wasn't that Edward was unfriendly or unwelcoming, but he spent so much time with Bella and when he was home he was with Alice or Emmett and Jasper. I could only recall one time he actually came to the cottage, and that was to help Jasper and Emmett clear some more of the path and surrounding area.

The short run was completed in silence, and when we arrived I retrieved my book from the bookcase, while Esme went straight to the small walled area at the rear.

"Bree, could I have a word?" Edward asked taking one of the armchairs.

He'd obviously heard my mental groan. "Don't worry, I'm not going to have a go at you," he said raising his hands. "Consider the subject of your earlier walkabout well and truly dropped."

He seemed nervous or unsure of himself at least. What could he possibly want to talk about that would have him in that state? At least he wasn't carrying Bella's scent on him. I might actually be able to focus on what he needed to say. A smile tugged the corner of his mouth. "I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I love her scent, and I find it comforting when I'm not with her. You may find you become desensitized to it after a while."

He may have had a point there. It still triggered an itch in my throat, but it no longer made me lose control the way it had that first day. But what would be the point of becoming desensitized, we never met.

"Bella would like to meet you," he said suddenly.

Bree POV

"Bella would like to meet you," Edward said suddenly. 

"Really?  Why?"  It didn't make sense.  Didn't she realize how dangerous that would be for her?

"Despite my objections, she's determined to be changed after our wedding," he explained.   "But she's concerned about what she will be like immediately after."

"So, she's not worried about the excruciating three day hell, but what she'll be like after?"  Then a thought occurred to me, given their penchant for keeping secrets.  "She does know about the transformation, doesn't she?"

I could tell my train of thought surprised him, but he simply replied, "I know it's hard to believe that anyone would choose to go through that, and yes the transformation does concern her, but she sees that as more of a temporary state."

"What can I tell her that any of you can't?"  I still didn't know why he would even consider this meeting.  It's not like they all couldn't remember being newborns.

"It's not so much what you can tell her; it's more that she wants to see how controlled you are."  He actually made this statement with a straight face.  I couldn't stop the hard laugh that burst out of my mouth.

"Controlled!  You really think I'll be controlled with her up close?"  Was he for real? 

"Well, you wouldn't have to be that close and it's more the level of control.  I fear my attempts to dissuade her have left her with the impression she will be a feral, blood thirsty monster for a year or more."  Considering that pretty much summed my last few months, I still didn't know what he was hoping to achieve.

 "I must confess I was initially against it, but I find it almost impossible to refuse her anything."  A mischievous smile began to form.  "So I decided that I would allow her this meeting, but I may be able to get something out of it myself."

Now we were getting to it.  What did he really want from me?  "What?" I asked suspiciously.

"I was hoping you might be able to convince her rethink her choice.  We have all given her our opinion and she knows all of our history."  I bit my tongue at his words.  I guess it made sense that she knew more about them than I did.  No secrets for Bella.

"Not many, no."  He responded to my thoughts.  That was something I couldn't get used to.  Having someone answer both your thoughts and your words made for a weird conversation.

"My apologies; I'll attempt to answer only what you choose to verbalize," he said with a wry smile.   "I know your circumstances are not similar, but you are from the same generation; she may listen to you.  Can you honestly say you would have chosen this life?" he asked.

"Honestly?  I don't know.  I hated it at first.  Not because I missed my home or family; my life before wasn't all that great you know."  I knew he had seen my foggy memories of my life with my dad and on the streets.

"It was the way we existed I didn't like.  Living in dingy basements, surrounded by all the violence, around people I felt I couldn't trust.  I couldn't even hunt without permission."

"And now?" he prompted.

"Now, I still don't know.  It's not as bad as it was before but I still don't know what to do with myself.  I don't want my human life back; I want a better human life.  Does that make sense?"

He nodded, and I continued.  "We can't stay here forever.  We need to decide what to do, where to go.  That would be easier if I had the human life I want.  I'd probably finish school, get a job, go out Friday nights and get drunk.  I might have travelled for a bit.  Until I ran away, I'd never left my hometown.  None of that's an option for me now."

"Well travel isn't out of the question; most of our kind are nomads and move frequently," he informed me.  He paused and I had the feeling he wanted to say something else.  Eventually he asked.  "When you say ‘we', are all of your decisions about your future linked to Fred?"

"Of course, why wouldn't they be?"  What was he getting at?

"No reason, I just wondered."  His words caused a nagging fear to creep to the surface.

"Has he said or thought something?"  I just assumed we would stay together; maybe he didn't want that.  "Does he want to take off without me?"

"No, far from it.  He's very fond of you.  I didn't mean to imply that there was any reason for Fred not to be a consideration in your decision making," he tried to reassure me.

The conversation was starting to unnerve me.  I knew Fred and I would have to decide what to do soon, but this was a discussion I should be having with Fred, not Edward.  I decided to bring the subject back to Bella.  "What's Bella like? Seth said she was cool."

"That's an understatement."  His voice had an almost reverent tone as he spoke of her.  "She is the most wonderful, bravest, and selfless person I have ever met."  Wow, he had it bad.

He chuckled at my thought.  "Yeah I guess I do."  He then mouthed a quick apology for responding to my thoughts once again.

"Seth's a nice kid," he remarked.  "He sees beyond what we are.  He's more interested in who we are."

"Do you know him well?"  I didn't think they hung out with the wolves as such.  Carlisle said they were allies, but they certainly weren't friends.

"No, not well, but I have heard his thoughts.  I'm sure he would be a good friend to have."

"For you maybe; world war three would break out if we ever spoke again."  Rosalie's tirade played on a loop in my mind.

"Only if Rosalie found out, and you do have a cell phone."  I hadn't thought of that, I'd barely used it; I had no one to call, until now.

"Do you think he would want to talk to me again?"  I was his natural enemy and he knew I hunted humans, but he had talked to me earlier.  From the look on Sam's face, Seth had probably been in a lot of trouble over that.  Would it be fair to add him to the list of people I was causing problems for?

"I could ensure he gets your number.  Perhaps he could let you know when he will be alone and you could call him back," he suggested.  "You really wouldn't want his sister to answer." 

His family was another complication I hadn't considered.  Maybe they didn't know about us.  I didn't ask if that was the case and he didn't clarify so I simply said.  "Thanks."  It was at that moment I decided I would meet Bella.  If he was willing to risk the wrath of Rosalie it was the least I could do.

"Thank you."  He answered my thoughts again, but made no apology this time.  "We'll speak to Alice when we get back to the house."

--00-MC-00--

"Day after tomorrow about three o'clock," Alice announced as we entered the main house.  "I've already made plans."

"How could you make plans, we've only just got back?" I asked, perplexed.

"Oh, I started looking at possibilities as soon as Edward decided to ask you.  Once you agreed, everything got so much easier."

"So what are our plans, Alice?" Edwards asked, obviously used to her ways.

"Well, Jasper should be there to track any change in Bree's emotional state.  You'll know through him if she's is too thirsty or agitated."  Alice led the way towards the dining table as she spoke and the three of us took seats at the end.  Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett soon joined us; it was as though Alice had been waiting for them before she continued.

"I'm sure your main focus will be protecting Bella, but I'm not sure Jasper is strong enough to handle Bree on his own if she is overcome."  She patted Jasper's hand apologetically as she said this.

"Edward, do you think you would be able to leave Bella and help Jasper restrain Bree if needed?" Alice asked.

"If you come and get Bella to safety, I'll assist Jasper," he affirmed.

"What about Bree?" Rosalie asked.

"What about her?" asked Jasper.  "She'll calm down soon enough once Bella's inside and I can help with that." 

"Typical," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.  "What about Bree's safety?  We've all seen how over-zealous Edward can be when protecting Bella.  What if Bree gets hurt?"  I hadn't thought about that.  They would be pretty mad if I went for her, I might just lose another limb.

"No one is going to hurt her; we're just going to restrain her," Edward dismissed Rosalie's concerns. 

"These things can get out of hand," Rosalie insisted.  "Emmett should be the one to restrain Bree.  He's strong enough and he won't hurt her."

"Nothing will get out of hand.  Alice will get Bella and-" Edward started.

"Erm, Edward."  Edward stopped and winced as Alice got his attention.

"Oh.  Maybe Emmett should be the one to restrain her," he concluded.  I dread to think what was in the vision Alice just had. 

"Can Fred be there?" I asked.  I didn't need to see Alice's vision to know I would be collateral damage when it came to protecting Bella.  Fred wouldn't let anything happen to me.

Alice looked distraught then quickly masked her features.  "I don't see that working out so well.  Fred's control is better than yours, but he just adds too many variables to my outcomes."

"Don't worry Bree, you can trust Emmett.  He can easily restrain you and he won't let Edward near you," Rosalie reassured, while Emmett nodded in agreement.

"How can you be so sure it was me?" Edward demanded, knowing that Rosalie couldn't see Alice's visions.

All of them turned to him with knowing looks on their faces.  I don't know what they communicated silently, but Edward just snapped.  "Fine, Em can be responsible for Bree."  He rose from the table and five seconds later the tires of his car could be heard on the driveway as he sped away from the house.

--00-MC-00-

I had hunted the previous evening.  I was looking forward to talking to Fred, and finding out what it was he was keeping from me.  Unfortunately Rosalie and Emmett had come to the cottage to tell me Fred was busy with Carlisle and they would escort me out of the area.   I was disappointed, but I needed to hunt before meeting Bella, so I would have to wait another three or four days to find out.

Leaving Fred, Carlisle and Esme at the cottage, I made my way to the river.  Emmett had come out to meet me as I approached the house.  The smell of food had wafted out as the door opened.  Bella had come over for lunch and Edward had tried out a new recipe for her.  I had no idea what it was, but it definitely had melted cheese in it; the worst smelling food ever.  The smell almost made me gag.  I couldn't believe I used to love pizza. 

If Emmett was worried about the outcome of this meeting, he wasn't showing it.  He ambled his way across the lawn, flashing his dimpled grin.  "Hey, kid," he greeted me.  His hand reached up to give me a high five, and as I raised my hand to connect with his, his other hand landed on my head rearranging the hair on top.  I scowled at him, but it only made his smile wider.

We heard movement inside the house.  This was it.  I was about to have my first talk with a human.  I'd spoken to Seth, but that was different.  His blood didn't have any appeal. 

"Don't worry, if it gets too much for you, just leave."  Emmett's unusually quiet voice broke into my thoughts.  "We'll understand; you won't have to explain yourself."

"Are you ready, love?" Edward asked Bella.  They were still in the house near the back door.  I didn't hear any response so I guess she must have nodded or something.  I stood up, took a deep breath and held it.  I tried to ignore the steady beat of her heart that grew louder the minute the door opened.  It was slower than I expected.  It should have been hammering in her chest as a result of her fear, but it beat slow and steady as if she were just out for a walk in the park.

I'd seen pictures of her so I knew what she looked like and I was familiar with her scent, but seeing her in person was still overwhelming.  She was a little taller than me but smaller than I was expecting.  Her hair hung loose, framing her pale face and caressing her shoulders.  It was beautiful.  I could see the subtle shades of brown and the smattering of red strands that ran through it.  My hair colour was flatter, with less shades, and black strands here and there.  My musings temporarily took my mind off the steady thump of her heart and the fire that was coming to life in my throat.

Edward had his arm around her shoulder and they walked steadily towards the spot where Emmett and I were seated.  Jasper came out of the house seconds later and followed them.  I could see Alice at the kitchen window; she smiled and gave me a thumbs up with both hands.  I would have sighed with relief but I didn't want to let go of the precious breath I had just taken.  They came to a stop about fifteen feet away.  Bella was the first to speak.

"Hello, Bree."

I nodded a greeting.  I figured if I controlled the breath I was holding, I could talk in short bursts for a total of fifteen seconds before taking another one.  No point using it up just to say hello.  Nothing was said after that for a short while; I guess neither of us knew what to say.  Eventually Bella broke the silence.  "Seth said to say ‘hello'."

"Oh, is he your friend, like Jacob?"  Damn, I'd responded without thinking.  Using up almost three seconds of breath already.

"I don't know him very well, but I've met him a few times at barbeques in La Push." 

"I've only met him once, well once when I could actually talk to him.  He seemed quite nice."  Oh crap, I had to learn how to control my mouth, there was virtually no air left in my lungs.  Plan A had failed, I was going to have to take a breath and hope I didn't try to kill her.

I looked at Emmett in a silent plea and thankfully he understood.  Standing behind me he wrapped his arms around my upper body, pinning my arms to my side.  I took a cautious breath.  Oh boy that hurt, I knew it would, why didn't I just hold onto that first one?  The venom pooled in my mouth, but I swallowed it down; adding fuel to the raging fire in my throat.  I locked down all of my muscles and tried to focus on the encouraging words Emmett was whispering. 

Bella had taken a few steps back and looked at Edward in confusion.  "She's fine, she's just taken a breath that's all," he explained to her.

"Oh, okay."  She replied, understanding replacing confusion.

Fine, how could he believe I was fine?  I couldn't imagine how I looked to Bella right now.  I must be her worst nightmare come true.  I was trying to control my features, but it was hard to keep the mask while simultaneously blocking out the steady beat of her heart and taking in Emmett's words.

"You're doing very well, Bree," Jasper said encouragingly.  I felt a calming wave, but I kept my muscles locked in place.  I needed to concentrate and not waste the tortured breath I'd just taken.  

"I think it would be best if you did most of the talking, love," Edward advised.

"Is it very bad?" Bella asked.

"I'm okay."  That was better.  Keep it short, I reminded myself.  Surprisingly it was true.  I was in control.  I could actually focus on her as a person, not just as a vessel carrying wonderful untainted blood.  I couldn't let my thoughts wander like that.  Not only would I start to lose control, but Edward was giving me the evil eye.  Emmett loosened his hold and moved his hands so that they were resting on my fore-arms.

"How long did it take you to feel in control?"

I thought about the best way to answer without using too many words.  "About two months."  That wasn't entirely accurate. It was more complicated than that.

"Will you allow me to expand on that for you?" Edward asked.

I nodded an agreement, letting my thoughts flow freely so that Edward could vocalize them.

"The initial confusion combined with the thirst is the hardest to deal with at first.  The heightened sense of fear was overwhelming.  I was constantly on alert, every sound or movement was a potential threat.  I hated not being able to control my movements and I was always breaking things or tearing my clothes.  As soon as I returned from a hunt I wanted to go again.  It was hard to think of anything but the constant burn in my throat.  Just thinking was pretty difficult as well; it still is sometimes.  I suddenly had the ability to process so much information but I didn't know how to, so I ended up re-running everything in a loop in my mind.  That combined with the enhanced hearing, sight and smell had me believing I would go crazy at one point.  I was about two months old before I could read a book.  For me, that's when first I considered myself to have any semblance of control.  I could turn the pages without tearing them and I could concentrate enough to take in the words."

Edward did a pretty good job interpreting my thoughts.  Not word for word exactly and the words were delivered without any real emotion, but it saved me a lot of air.  Bella's gaze remained on me the whole time.  When Edward stopped speaking she asked, "Are you unhappy with the way you are now?"

Again I tried to find the right few words to convey my feelings.  These are the cards I was dealt.  It's not all bad.  I kinda like to run fast and being able to see everything so clearly is amazing; especially out here.  Just watching a sunset or the rain falling through the trees was so beautiful with these eyes.  But even with all the Cullens had, the human life I wanted was still preferable.

"If I had known this would be what I'd end up as, I think I would have passed on the burger."  I hoped that made sense to her.  If she knew how hungry I was, it would. 

I guess she knew about my life before I was changed, because her face fell slightly.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," she said softly.  "I know it was very difficult for you."

"It's okay," I shrugged.

"If Edward were to give me your number, we could talk some more, if that's alright with you," she said hopefully.

"I'd like that."  Those last words used up the remaining air and I didn't want to take another breath.

I threw Edward a silent apology and fled, jumping the river before I started to breathe again.  Wow, I'd done it.  I'd come face to face with a human and had a conversation, well sort of.  Not only that, but I may soon have some new numbers in my phone.  I was becoming a regular socialite.  I laughed to myself as I headed back to the cottage.

Bree POV

Fred would need to hunt by tomorrow, and we needed to have a serious talk; we had decisions to make.  We'd been with the Cullens for a whole month.  Carlisle had given us guidance and advice, but it was time for us to start our own lives.  In all honesty, I was waiting for Fred to make the decision.  I didn't have any plans; if he was happy to have me tagging along, I'd stick with him.  Despite Edwards’s reassurance, there was the very real possibility that his future plans didn't include me.  I was not his responsibility.  I knew I'd persuaded him to come with me, but I had to stand on my own two feet again sometime.  I had to let Fred know that he could make his own plans; he didn't have to include me out of some misguided sense of obligation.

I wanted us to be alone when we had this conversation, plus I could finally find out what he was keeping to himself about Rosalie.  He was surprised I had hunted without him the last time, insisting I should have just come and got him, as he and Carlisle weren't talking about anything important.  I got the feeling there was something about Rosalie's behavior I was missing, but I shrugged it off; there was no way Rosalie could know what we were going to talk about, and she was always so good to me.  I was closer to her and Emmett than the others; I felt like they hung around with me because they wanted to, not just to make sure I didn't screw up.

Emmett had come over earlier with some more of the materials Esme had ordered to complete the renovations.  At least that was the excuse he gave when he arrived to relieve Alice, who had popped over with some magazines the previous evening.  I don't know why they bothered with the excuses any more.  We knew they were just keeping an eye on us, well me particularly.

The arrival of the building materials pressed home the need for us to move on.  Edward would need his home soon. 

“Would you care to be my guest for dinner this evening?”  Fred interrupted my thoughts with his invitation.

“I'd be honored,” I replied.  It was our little pre-hunting joke. Fred knew I felt bad asking him to go with me every time I hunted, so he made sure it was him that did the asking.  He thought of different ways to ask, and I always replied in kind.

“Shall we stay in the state, or would you care to go further out?”

“I don't mind.  You decide, but let me know if I'm expected to dress up.”  I continued to play along with his formal invitation.

“Hey, you guys planning to hunt tonight?” Emmett asked the obvious.

“Yeah, I still can't get past four days,” I said ruefully.  I wondered if Fred would have been able to extend his time between hunts if he didn't accompany me every time.

“Why don't you come with Rosie and me?” Emmett invited.

Fred and I glanced at each other.  We always felt bad turning them down, but neither of us was keen to try their diet.

“Listen, before you knock me back again,” Emmett persisted, “we're going to Montana.  We'll take the Jeep and then take a short run before we set up camp; then the fun can begin.”

“Set up camp, what for?” Fred asked.

“'Cause it’s fun of course.  We don't need the tent and stuff.  However, it would look odd if any humans came across us and we didn't have the appropriate gear.  Don't worry,” Emmett added in response to Fred's anxious look.  “We don't camp anywhere near the trails, but you never know when some dumb human is going to wander off track.  The woods are a dangerous place even without us there.  I should know,” he concluded, giving us his dimpled grin.

Emmett was a great storyteller.  Fortunately we were outside when he acted out the one about him and the bear.  The poor cottage would never have withstood the frantic thrashing around that was Emmett demonstrating his fighting prowess against his eternal nemesis. 

“Do you want us to sing songs around the campfire too?” Fred joked.

“Well, that's up to you,” Emmett shot back.  “But we will have a fire.  It’s kind of nice to watch the flames and stuff.”  He paused for a moment.  “Rosie's eyes are amazing, but they're never more beautiful than after a hunt with the reflection of the flames dancing in them.”

We were both staring at him.  His observation was more like Edward than Emmett.  He must have realized why we were staring and ran his hands roughly through his hair as though trying to regain his carefree persona.

I'd never been camping.  Apart from the few field trips I’d taken at school, I'd never been anywhere really.  I was tempted, but I didn't fancy the food much.

“Isn't the fire a bit dangerous?” Fred asked, concerned.

“Well, I wasn't planning on throwing myself on it,” Emmett responded with a roll of his eyes. “I do know how to set a fire safely, thank you.”

Was Fred actually considering going?  The camping thing sounded like fun; Emmett would probably tell some great stories around the fire.  But I wouldn’t get to talk to Fred on our own, and I didn't want to wait another four days.  A plan took shape in my mind.  We could go with them and pretend to be willing to hunt animals.  Once we got there, we could just say we changed our minds.  Hopefully they’d leave us alone and we could talk.  It seemed like a good enough plan to me, but I had to get Fred to play along.  Getting Fred’s attention without Emmett noticing was easier said than done.  Emmett was very observant.  He was a bit like Fred in that respect.  He was carefree and fun to be around, but he seemed to pick up on every look, comment or mood.  Distraction would be the key, so I got up and went over to the small TV.

“I don’t know how you can bear to watch that tiny thing,” Emmett grumbled.

“It’s okay,” I shrugged as I exaggerated fumbling with the dial to get the right channel.

“Here, let me do it,” Emmett offered.  “I think I can remember how these old boxes work.”

As he turned his attention to the TV, I quickly mouthed ‘play along’ to Fred.  He quirked an eyebrow but thankfully didn’t have any other reaction.

“So, about this trip,” I asked casually, “where exactly were you thinking of going?”

Emmett turned sharply; his stunned expression made way for a grin that went from ear to ear.

“We're heading out to Flathead this time.  There’s always plenty of moose and bobcats; lots of black bears too,” he replied excitedly.

“Well, we were going out anyway; I guess we could join you.”  Emmett's mouth hung open, but I didn’t wait for him to respond.  “What do you think?” I asked Fred.

He didn’t even flinch; he was good.  “I don’t know, Bree.  You know I’m not keen on this animal blood thing.”

“But we could try.  It couldn’t hurt, and the camping might be fun,” I pressed, hoping I wasn't sounding too keen.

Emmett’s eyes darted between us.  I prayed he hadn't caught Fred’s brief facial movement.

“Sure, it'll be fun, and the hunting won’t be nearly as bad as you think.”  Emmett was definitely excited that we were finally going hunting with them.  “We'll head back and tell Rose.  She'll be stoked,” he added, pulling out his phone.

Having established that Bella would be leaving soon, he filled us in on their plans.  “We plan to leave late this afternoon.  Just grab a bag with a change of clothes; we'll take care of everything else.” 

Fred and I made our way to the room at the back where the few clothes we left at the cottage were stored in a trunk.  I quickly pulled out some pants and a couple of long-sleeved shirts for both of us.  When I looked up, Fred was staring at me, arms folded and his head tilted to one side, waiting for my explanation.  I quickly whispered my plan to him.

“If you wanted to go camping you should have told me, and I could have taken you,” he whispered back when I'd explained why I wanted to go in the first place.

“Yeah, but you probably wouldn't have built a fire, and you don't tell funny stories,” I retorted, keeping my voice as low as I could.

“Fine,” he agreed.  “But if I end up with a belly full of moose, you’re gonna owe me big time.”

“Agreed,” I acquiesced, shaking his hand.  “But it won't come to that.  I have a plan, remember.” 

“Hey, are you guys coming or what?” called Emmett.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” I replied.  “I couldn't decide which shirts to bring,” I explained as we made our way back to the main room to be greeted by an impatient Emmett.

“I would say it doesn't matter, as no one is going to see it, but I know you'll just come up with a ridiculous response as to why the blue one is a better choice than the brown one,” Emmett griped as he held the door open for us. 

--00--MC--00--

I'd seen all of their cars, but Fred and I hadn't been in any of them since we'd been here.  There was no point really.  We didn't go anywhere we couldn't run to quicker.  This family loved their cars.  Fred had declared them environmentally unfriendly, but Carlisle had insisted they were necessary for their charade.  We joined Emmett and Rosalie by the least environmentally friendly vehicle of the lot.  The Jeep was a monster, but it was also Emmett's pride and joy.

“Why don't we sit in the back?” Rosalie suggested, grabbing my bag and tossing it into the vehicle. 

I shrugged and hopped in, ignoring the strange multi-clipped seatbelt.  “We need to buckle up 'til we're out of town,” Rosalie said, deftly clipping her harness in place.  I watched how she did it and copied her.  Fred climbed into the front beside Emmett, fastening his belt like a pro.

At the sound of the last click, Emmett put his foot down, and the vehicle lurched forward, heading along the drive.  I turned and caught sight of an unhappy Alice, standing on the porch with a hand on each hip.  Oh crap, I'd forgotten about her.  Had she seen my decision to dump them and hunt traditionally?  She obviously hadn't said anything, so maybe she hadn't seen it yet.  I could only hope that their cell phones would be too far out of range to get a signal if she did.

Emmett was obviously familiar with the route.  Had I still been human, the break-neck speed he was driving at would have terrified me.  Rosalie seemed to know exactly when he would deviate off-road, as she grabbed the roof handle seconds before Emmett made the sharp turns. She still managed to keep up a stream of conversation as we traveled, while Emmett sang along to the radio.  Fred didn't say much, but he tapped his fingers in time to some of the tunes.  I tried to focus on what Rosalie was saying while trying to think of the right words to let them know we had no intention of joining them for their hunt.  My distraction must have been more obvious than I thought.  Emmett glanced at me a couple of times, eventually asking, “You okay, Bree?”

Fred's head snapped around to look at me before I answered, “Yeah, I'm fine; just thinking about the hunt, that's all.”  Now that I'd put it out there that the hunt bothered me, maybe they wouldn’t be surprised when we decided not to join them after all.  There was still no call from Alice either, so I hoped she was concerned about something else.

It was close to midnight when we arrived.  Emmett headed off road for about fifteen minutes before he stopped and parked the Jeep.  We distributed the bags and equipment before starting to run deeper into the forest.  After another half hour, Emmett declared he had found the perfect spot.  The trees had thinned out, leaving a flattish area about fifteen feet wide.  The bags were set down, and Emmett started to set up the tent.  I shouldn't have been surprised, but it was huge, with two individual bedrooms and a dining/seating area that could be left open or zipped closed if the weather was bad.  They even had fold out chairs, metal dishes and cutlery.  The whole set up took less than five minutes.  Rosalie and Emmett carried out the task like clockwork. It wasn't until Rosalie went to set the pots and pans near the little stove that she realized we were staring at her.

“What?” she asked, glancing down to take in her clothing, as if there could be something out of place.

“Pots and pans?  You just drain the animals, right?  You don't actually try to eat them or anything?”  I knew it sounded ridiculous, but I had to ask, hoping that they were overplaying the charade and I hadn't just dug myself into a very deep hole.

The nauseated look on their faces brought out a sigh of relief that was echoed by Fred before Rosalie answered, “Don't be ridiculous, of course we don't eat them.”

“Have you ever tasted cooked meat?” Emmett asked, not actually wanting an answer.  “It's worse than it smells.  Believe me, we only eat if we absolutely have to.  All this stuff is just for show.  Anyway, we're all finished here,” he stated, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.  The sound bounced off the surrounding trees, echoing in the enclosed camp.  “Let's hunt.”

“Now?” My strangled, high-pitched cry sounded alien to me.  I daren't look at Fred; we were supposed to have bailed by now.  I wasn’t expecting to hunt the minute we got there.  I’d wanted the campfire stories first‑ so much for my first camping trip.

“Bree dear, what's the matter?”  Rosalie came and stood in front of me, placing a hand on each shoulder.

“Nothing, I just thought we were going to get the fire going first,” was my weak response.

“Good idea,” Fred said quickly.  “Bree and I will go and get some wood.”  There was no time for excuses now; we'd just have to get going.

“Nah, you can't leave a fire unsupervised,” Emmett dismissed Fred’s suggestion.  “We'll hunt now; see what's out there.  If we all feed well, we can just enjoy the rest of the trip.  If not, we'll come back, light the fire, give it a few hours then head back out in another direction.”

“Are you worried about the hunt?” asked Rosalie.  More like worried how I was going to get out of it.  Perhaps Fred could come up with something else.  I looked at him but wished I hadn't.  His face didn't give much away, but his eyes told me what he was thinking.  I tried; your turn to come up with something.  I hadn't responded to Rosalie, and she carried on speaking, oblivious to my turmoil.  “Animals can be tricky at first.  Their instincts kick in the minute they detect us.”

“Not like humans.  By the time the human brain registers what's happening, it's over,” Emmett chimed in.  “With animals it's either flight or fight.  I prefer the latter; it’s more fun.  You know they're going to lose, but it's nice to toy with them for a bit.  On the other hand, chasing them down can be a hoot.  Either way I always win,” he concluded with a devilish grin on his face.

“Is there anything about this life that doesn't amuse you, Emmett?” Fred teased.  Even though they got on well, Fred still didn't get how he could be so happy in this life.  The others accepted it, but Emmett seemed to embrace it.

Emmett rubbed his hand over his chin, apparently in deep thought.  “Well, crazy newborn vampires trying to kill your future sister-in-law isn't funny.  But other than that, I can always find something to amuse me.”

“Emmett,” snapped Rosalie.

It was the first time either of them had mentioned the fight.  I didn't know if they deliberately avoided the topic or if they considered it closed.

“What?  They know I don't mean them,” he protested.

“It's okay, no offense taken.  After all, we weren't fighting anyone,” Fred told him.

“See, jeez Rose, if you start overreacting to every word that comes out of my mouth, you're going to end up like Edward.”  Emmett's retort brought forth a low growl from Rosalie, and I braced myself for another one of her rants, but Emmett just carried on as if he hadn't heard her.  “Can we get going now?”

“I think it would be best if we split up,” suggested Rosalie.  “I'll go with Bree, and you take Fred.”

“Okay, okay, let's just get moving.” Emmett seemed very keen to get started.

“Don't you think it would be best if we all stick together, or I could go with Bree,” Fred countered.  Oh thank you, thank you Fred.  At least he was trying to get us out of this; I was wracking my brains, but I had nothing.

“No, you're both new to this,” Rosalie insisted.  “You know how territorial you get when you hunt?   Well, the urge is magnified if you are chasing your prey.  Trust me; it's much safer in pairs.” 

“She's right,” Emmett acknowledged.  “Anyway, Rose is all about technique and how to keep your clothes clean.  I'll show you how to do this the fun way.”  With that said, he clapped Fred on the shoulder, and another loud crack echoed off the trees as he urged him forward.  Fred glanced at me over his shoulder, and I met his eyes.  “Sorry” I mouthed.  It was inadequate, but it was all I could come up with.   

I followed Rosalie reluctantly, practically dragging my heels like a child denied a treat and refusing to leave the store.

“Come on, Bree,” she urged.  “Let’s get back to camp before them.  I might even start the fire.  Em likes to do that;I think it’s the residual caveman in him.  He's so cute when he sulks.”

She was always going on about how cute he was when he did this or that, or the way he looked at one time or another.  He was a nice enough guy, but I never thought of him as cute.  Funny, warm, and fiercely protective, yes.  Cute, no.

I quickened my pace, and we ran deeper into the forest.  There were no trails here, just thick brush underfoot, but it didn't slow us down.  Rosalie raised her hand and I stopped behind her.  There was a small herd of deer in front of us; they stilled as if sensing our presence.  At least I think they were deer, but they were bigger than the one Alice had brought me that first day. 

“Don't think about it,” Rosalie whispered in my ear.  “Just focus on the sound.”  As she said it the multiple heartbeats grew louder, rising to a throbbing drumming in my ears.  Venom pooled in my mouth, and I was moving forward before my brain registered the movement.  I zeroed in on a large beast at the edge of the herd.  He turned to run, but it was too late.  I had already grabbed an antler in each hand, and his neck snapped as I pulled him to the ground.  I sunk my teeth into his neck and began to draw in his blood.  It flowed freely over my tongue and soothed my throat as it made its way down to my stomach.  I had taken several long draws before I became aware of the sour taste.  It was unpleasant.  But it was blood, and I couldn't stop feeding. 

When the bloodlust receded, I became aware that I was on my own.  I pushed the huge carcass aside and scanned the area for any sign of Rosalie.  What now?  What was I supposed to do with it?  I was used to disposing of humans, and although the beast wouldn't be heavy, he was bulky and might be awkward to carry. 

“Here, let me help you with that,” Rosalie offered as she approached slowly from my left side, making sure she was well within my eye line.  Apart from a few strands of loose hair, she looked immaculate.  I went to run a hand through my hair and noticed a few blood splatters on my palm.  Looking down, I found my shirt and jeans were blood splattered too.  I didn’t usually get that messy when I hunted.  Maybe it was their size or the volume of blood that made the difference.

We dug a large hole and buried the carcass.  When we finished, Rosalie was sporting a few smudges of dirt on her top, but my jeans were muddy from ankle to knee.  “Didn't you find anything?” I inquired, hoping that would explain her almost pristine appearance.

“I took down a couple of moose when you drove them my way,” she informed me.  “I'm done for now.”

I wished I was done.  The moose had taken the edge off my thirst, but it wouldn't keep me going for four days.

“Come with me; you could use that blood to your advantage.”  I had no idea what she meant but followed her anyway.  “If there's a bobcat around, he may catch the scent of the blood and come looking,” she explained.  I wasn't sure I wanted to tangle with a bobcat; they looked kinda dangerous.  I knew it couldn't hurt me, and I was silly to worry about it, but I couldn't help it.

Sure enough, we soon spotted one stalking in our direction.  Once again the animal froze as it got closer to us.  Now that I was less thirsty it was less appealing.  Rosalie gave my shoulder a gentle nudge, and I tried to focus on the animal’s heartbeat as I leapt forward.  Unlike the moose, the bobcat took off.  The moment it started to run, my instincts kicked in, and I was after it without a second thought.  The chase barely lasted ten seconds; my mouth was soon at its neck and I snapped it and began swallowing simultaneously.  The blood was richer than that of the moose; it flowed thickly down my throat and the thirst receded.  I had to admit they were right, the blood of predators was better, but it still didn't compare to the exquisite taste that was human blood.

When I finished, Rosalie helped me bury the body again.  As I threw it into the hole, one of my sleeves fell in with it.  It was only then that I noticed the slashes across the front of my jeans.  Rosalie pointed out the matching ones on the back of my shirt.  I guess he had put up a bit of a fight.  I hadn't even noticed.

As we arrived back at our camp, Rosalie began muttering obscenities under her breath.  The guys were standing watching the fire; both of them had changed their clothes. 

“Hey.” Emmett waved at us as we approached.  “We got the fire started; go and change, I think Fred's ready to start the singing.” He laughed loudly at his own joke.

“How come you're back so quickly?  Didn't you find anything?” asked Rosalie.

“Well the party pooper here,” he started, tilting his head at Fred, “came across a black bear straight away.  Had it down and drained in less than two minutes.  He didn't even bother to get it riled up or anything.  I got two moose, but I'm gonna go out again later and see if I can bag something with a bit of fight in it.”

Fred rolled his eyes, and I gasped as I saw them.  They were no longer deep red. There was a slight orange tint to them.  I wondered if it was the light from the fire catching them, but on closer inspection his eyes had definitely changed.  It was almost unnoticeable, and I found myself moving closer to him to get a better look. Fred backed away slightly from my intense stare.  “You okay?” he asked.

“Do my eyes look like that now?”

“Like what?”  How stupid of me, of course he wouldn't know.

“Your eyes have an orange tint,” Rosalie told him.  “It's barely noticeable.  Most of your human blood has been used up, so they will change over time if you feed from animals.  “Bree's haven't changed as she still has a lot of her own blood left.”

“By the state of your clothes, I'm guessing you got a mountain lion,” Emmett said, reminding me of the jagged tears in my jeans and top.

“Bobcat,” Rosalie and I answered in stereo.

“We'll get changed, and then we can see what Fred has on his play list,” Rosalie quipped while guiding me into the tent.  Emmett's laugh reverberated through the trees.

This trip was not going according to plan.  We had ended up hunting animals, and we still hadn't gotten away to have our talk.  I needed a new plan, but I couldn't come up with anything.  If we didn't get away before morning, I was just going to grab Fred's hand and run.  Little did I know Emmett was going to provide our means of escape.

Bree POV

When Rosalie and I emerged from the tent, the guys had placed two large logs a safe distance from the fire, and they were sitting on them adjacent to each other.  Rosalie went over to Emmett, while I took the space next to Fred.  He had resisted all attempts from Emmett to get him to sing, so Emmett began to sing himself.  I didn't know the song, and I didn't get the chance to learn it, as Rosalie cut him off with a sharp “Emmett,” before he got to the end of the first verse.  “That's not appropriate,” she added, nodding in my direction.

“Oops,” he sniggered, covering his grin with one of his large hands.  “I guess I'll just have to entertain them with tales of my misspent youth.”  Emmett's misspent youth seemed to encompass most of the last eighty years.  He told us about his fun with humans over the years and how easy it was to wind Edward up.  Rosalie laughed loudest at those ones, and apart from the occasional “Emmett” to keep him what she considered appropriate, she stayed silent.  A comfortable silence descended eventually, and we all stared into the flames, content for a while.

“Care to take a midnight stroll, Rosie?” Emmett asked, laying his head on his wife’s shoulder.

“Em, it's almost two o'clock, and we can't just wander off and leave them alone,” she replied, leaning her cheek against the top of his head.

“They'll be fine, and I need to stretch my legs.” Fred gave him an odd look.  Emmett was always using meaningless human expressions.  “You don't want me all alone in the woods, do you?  Who knows what could be lurking in there.”  Emmett hunched his shoulders, pretending to look over each one in fear.  Rosalie let out a breath and rolled her eyes.  “Come on, Rose, you can hold my hand and keep me safe from the bogeyman,” he added, fluttering his eyelashes at her.  I don't think he could have looked or sounded any more ridiculous, but Rosalie fell for it somehow, and leaned forward to still his fluttering eyelashes with a kiss.

“Fine, I'll help you stretch your legs if you help me stretch mine,” she purred, and I don't know how the blood I'd drained from the bobcat stayed down.  Fred looked like he was using his nauseating gift on himself.

The instant the reply left her lips, Emmett grabbed Rosalie, threw her over one shoulder, and disappeared into the trees.  “You’re supposed to be holding my hand,” Rosalie gently protested.

I turned to Fred, put a finger in my mouth, and made a gagging sound.

“I thought they'd never leave,” he whispered.  “I want to try something.”

“What?” I whispered back.

Fred quickly doused the fire and took my hand to lead me in the opposite direction.  I glanced at our hands and commented, “You're not scared of the bogeyman as well, are you?”

“Petrified,” he shot back.  “But he may not be a problem if this works.”

I was intrigued.  He made us swap places so that I was walking in front of him, and he appeared to be deliberately leaving his scent.  I guessed it was because there would be less drama if they could find us easily when they got back to camp.  I was sure they must have heard us leaving; if they were going to stop us, they would be behind us by now. 

“You probably don't need to be so obvious.  I'm sure we'll be back at camp before they've finished their walk.”  I used my fingers to make air quotes for the last word.

“If we hurry back, I won't know if it worked,” he replied while urging me forward.

“If what worked?”

“I've been talking to Carlisle about how I learned to expand my gift; he was quite impressed.”  From the tone of his voice, Fred seemed proud to have impressed Carlisle.  “He said it might have more potential.  I'm not a year old yet, so there is a chance it may be stronger than I originally thought.”

“In what way?”  I thought the way he could make people feel ill if they even thought about looking at him was cool; it made him sort of invisible.

“I'm trying to see if I can project the feeling through my scent.  See if I can make following my scent have the same effect.”

“So you can't be seen or followed?”

“Well, I don't know if it will work, or how long the effects will last, but I may have some idea if they try to find us.”

I began to move faster; I was keen to put more distance between us and the camp so we could talk.  Five minutes later, I figured it was far enough.  We stopped, but neither of us sat down.  I faced Fred and got straight to the point.  “So, what's the deal with Rosalie?  What are you not telling me?”

He seemed a little hesitant before he answered, “I'm not keeping anything from you as such.”  Not that I considered that an answer.

“What is it then?  Is it the reason you don't like her very much?”

He hesitated. “Yes and no.”   

“Are you actually going to tell me anything, or do I have to ask twenty questions before I get the answer I'm after?”  I was snapping, but I didn't care; I wanted a proper answer.

“Remember I said Rosalie feels responsible for you?”  I nodded and waved my hand in a circular motion, indicating that he should carry on.  “What I should have said, was that she wants to be responsible for you.”  He let out a breath as he said it, as though that one sentence had revealed everything.

“I'm still not getting it,” I groaned.  “Maybe I'm being stupid or something, but you need to give me more than that.”

“You're not being stupid,” he said, shaking his head.  “I don't want to put ideas into your head that may not be real.  It’s just what I've picked up from watching her.  I think she sees you as some sort of substitute daughter.”

Well, I definitely wasn't expecting that.  She did spend a lot of time fussing over me, but I thought she was just trying to make me feel welcome, and that she was naturally friendly.  Thinking about it now, that wasn't strictly true, because she wasn't all that friendly with Fred.  Was she acting like a mother?  I could hardly remember mine when I was human; I certainly couldn't recall her now.  Why would she want to be my mom anyway?  I was practically an adult.

“You think she wants to be like my mom or something?” I prompted Fred for clarification.  “Is that why you don't get along?”  It didn't seem like a very good reason.  Was I missing something else?

“It's not as simple as that.”  He paused, as if searching for the right words.  “Even if what I'm assuming is true, I'm not sure if she wants to be like your mother, or if she just wants someone to mother.  If I were sure it was about you, I'd be less worried.”

I ran through all of the time I'd spent with her in the past weeks.  I still couldn't see any of her behaviour as particularly maternal, but was that because I had nothing to compare it to?  What about Emmett?  Fred spent a lot of time with him; had he said something?

“Does that mean Emmett wants to be my dad?  Has he said anything to you?” I asked. Unfortunately, I could still remember having a dad.  Even though Emmett and my dad weren’t remotely alike, the idea of a new dad didn't appeal to me.   

“No, it's more what he doesn't say that's firmed up my assumptions.”  I was just about to growl at him, but he explained, “He'll talk about Rosalie day and night given the chance, but if I mention you and her in the same sentence, he clams up.”

I needed to be more observant, like Fred and Emmett.  This mothering thing might explain why Fred didn't like Rosalie, but why didn't Rosalie like Fred?  What else was I missing?  Should I just ask her straight out?  Emmett and Fred got on fine.  Did Emmett know why his wife didn't like him?

I couldn't dwell on the Rosalie issue; it would all be irrelevant soon.  We had plans to make while we were still alone.  It was time to broach the subject I'd been dreading.  Taking a deep breath I asked, “What were your plans when you left the clearing that day?”

He was not quick enough to hide his reaction to my change of topic.  I obviously hadn't taken the revelation about Rosalie the way he was expecting.  “Nothing definite,” he eventually responded.  “I thought I'd find somewhere to stay, work out how to stay unnoticed, and travel eventually.  I’d like to explore the country a bit.  I figured I could stick to less populated areas 'til I could control myself better around humans.  Once Riley’s lies had been exposed, I realized there's a whole world out there, and I had an eternity to see it.”

“Is that still what you want?”

“Yes.”  He was very sure in his answer.  “What about you?” 

“I didn't have any plans.  Until you suggested I come with you, I just wanted to find Diego and leave.”  An overwhelming sense of sadness and loss washed over me as I thought about Diego, and the misplaced trust he had put in Riley.  Fred took one of my hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.  The reality was I didn't have anything in mind to do; I'd just wanted to get away from Riley.

“What’s with all these questions?  Are you ready to move on?” he asked hopefully, a little too hopefully.

“I think we need to.  The wedding is in a few weeks, and they need to finish the cottage.”

“Just say the word, and we can go.”  His voice had taken on an air of excitement at the prospect of leaving.

“You don't have to take me with you, if you don’t want to.”  I braced myself, ready for him to seize the opportunity to be free of me, but I was met with a puzzled look.

“Why wouldn’t I want to?”  His brow furrowed as he asked.

“Well, you only came with me 'cause Alice had you worried about my safety with the wolves.  I played along with it 'cause I was being selfish.  You looked out for me, made me feel safer, and I wasn't sure I could trust them.  But I’m not your responsibility; you should be free to make your own choices and go anywhere you want.”  I felt deflated as I finished speaking.  He could take off now if he wanted.  He’d be okay; Emmett and Rosalie wouldn’t follow him.  We were in another state, so the Cullens weren't responsible for us here. 

“I am free.  I chose to come with you, and I choose to stay with you.”  He placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned back to look at me.  “You're so young, Bree; I was happy to look out for you.” 

“But I'm not going to get any older, and you can’t look out for me forever,” I protested.  He couldn’t think like that or he’d never be free.

“You're my friend, Bree, and I'm happy to take care of you in any way I can,” he insisted.

“I'll hold you back.  I can't stand humans for very long, so you won’t be able to travel with me.” 

“That will change in time.  I was going to head back to Vancouver first anyway,” he shrugged.  I wasn't convinced he had really thought this through.    

“You might think that now, but do you honestly think you'll be happy dragging a moody teenager around with you?” I pressed on, trying to get him to see what he was getting himself into. 

“Well, I hoped I wouldn’t have to drag you,” he laughed.  “Besides, you won’t be a teenager forever.”

“Eh, vampire here,” I stated the obvious, moving my hand up and down in front of me.  “I'm stuck like this.”

“Physically you won’t change, but your mind will mature.  Your perspective will change.  You'll gain more control and see things differently in a year from now.”

“I'm worried I'll become too dependent on you,” I confessed.  “What will I do when you get fed up with me?”

“I have no idea.”  At least he acknowledged it was a possibility.  “What do you think I'll do when you get fed up with me?” he countered.

“That won’t happen,” I protested. 

“You don't know that.  I'm not the best company for a young girl, and I know you don’t share my interests.  Like I said, your mind will mature, and you'll feel more sure of yourself.  One day you could decide you don't need protecting, and you want a livelier companion.”

“I don't see that happening.”  

“Is Alice rubbing off on you?” he quipped.

“No,” I replied, giving him a gentle shove.  “I like your company.  I like you the way you are.  I don't mind that you're quiet and need time alone.  You're right; I've no interest in science, but that’s mostly because I don't understand it.  Maybe when this brain matures it will magically all make sense, but I can't see how any change in my brain will change how I feel.  It won’t stop me liking you, it won’t stop me trusting you, and it won’t stop me worrying about you.”  I don't think I'd spoken to anyone as openly as that before, but it didn't feel strange or uncomfortable.

“Worrying about me - why would you worry about me?”  His brow furrowed again.

“I don’t know; I just do.”  I didn't know where the feeling came from, but it had been there since he left me the day of the fight, and was growing stronger all the time. 

“I can take care of myself pretty well,” he stated with an air of confidence.  “Even if another vampire were to get past my ability, I still have Riley's fight training to fall back on.”

“It's not that; it’s hard to explain.  I just need to know you're okay, and then I feel okay.”

He looked shocked, pleasantly shocked I think, and then he smiled.  He didn't smile very often, but when he did, it was like seeing a different person.  Like I was seeing a Fred no one else saw.

“What do you want, Bree?”  The smile was replaced by an intense stare.  “You have to have some say in what we do.”

“I don't know.  It's easy for you; you had plans.  I was just living day to day, not knowing when I would get to hunt again.  I had no plans.”  I really was pathetic; I'd never really considered my future.  My human life was crap.  I'd get up, go to school, come home and try to stay out of my dad's way if he was drunk.  “The only plan I ever made was to run away.  Look how well that turned out.”

“You're forgetting about your wonderful plan to get away before we had to hunt animals,” he reminded me.  Fair point.

“See, yet another reason why I shouldn't make plans.”

“You still owe me for that bear,” he teased.

“I think the deal was, I’d owe you for a belly full of moose,” I retorted.  “How was the bear anyway?”

“Hairy on the tongue and a bit sour.”  His face scrunched up as he recalled the taste.  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I still can’t see why they would do that all the time.”

He brought our conversation back on track by asking, “Do you really want to leave?  I'm sure they'd let you stay.  Rosalie would certainly be pleased if you stayed.  Once this wedding is over, Bella won’t be an issue.  You could live in the main house and shower every day, three or four times a day if you wanted.”  The last comment earned him another shove.  I knew they all commented on my frequent showers.  Carlisle thought it could be some form of OCD, but apart from the hunger, being dirty was what I hated most about being on the streets.

I would miss the Cullens; they were odd, but not in a bad way.  I pretty much got along with all of them.  Even Jasper was becoming bearable.  They had not destroyed me, they had helped me find Fred, they’d welcomed me into their home, and bought me designer jeans.  I loved designer jeans.  But could I be happy there without Fred?  Despite the seriousness of my thoughts, I suddenly burst out laughing.

“What?”

“I was just wondering if I loved you more that designer jeans,” I giggled.

Fred barked out a sharp laugh.  “Well I can honestly say I love you more than the biochemistry journal.”  We both stood there laughing at our ridiculous thoughts.

We'd both just told each other that we loved each other, but it wasn't awkward or anything.  We knew we weren't mated.  Carlisle had explained about vampire mates, and we knew that wasn’t us.  We were more like brother and sister, I guess.  I never had any siblings so I didn't know if this was how it should feel.  Fred would know; he had siblings.

“Do you feel the same way about me as you did your brothers and sisters?” I asked.

“Not really,” he answered matter of factly.

“Oh.”  I must have got it wrong.  If we weren't mates and we weren't siblings, then what were we?

“Sorry, that probably sounded bad,” he rushed to explain.  “What I meant is that I didn't know them very well.  We didn't see each other that much.  I feel closer to you than I ever did to them.”  His words were comforting, but I still wasn't sure how to define our relationship.  We were friends, but it felt like more than that, to me at least.  Could we just become brother and sister?  It's wasn’t like we could adopt each other or anything.  The Cullens all called themselves brothers and sisters, but as they all seemed to be married to their siblings, I couldn't see that working for us.

As if he were reading my thoughts he said, “We don't need to define our relationship.  Putting a label on it won't make any difference to the way we feel.”

“Okay,” I agreed, before asking, “Do you think we should tell Rosalie and Emmett we're leaving or wait 'til we get back and tell them all at the same time?”    

“Best wait 'til we get back.  Let's head back to camp and see if they have been looking for us,” he suggested, and the sense of excitement was evident in his voice.  I'd momentarily forgotten about his experiment. 

Emmett was about half a mile from camp when we heard him.  “Where the hell have you been?” he bellowed as we broke through the trees.

“Nowhere, just walking and talking,” Fred shrugged.

“Well you could have let us know; Rose has been tearing her hair out.” 

“Why didn't you just come and look for us?” Fred suggested casually. 

“Thought about it, but your scent was kinda hard to follow.  Did you take to the trees or something?”

It worked.  It actually worked.  Fred must be stoked.  His expression gave nothing away, but I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

“Ha, I knew it,” Emmett shouted, misreading my expression.  “Let's get back to camp.  Rose wants to have a word with Bree.”

Emmett turned and stomped off, missing the look Fred and I exchanged.

Bree POV

"Hey, we're back," Emmett called as our camp came into sight.  Rosalie had started another fire and was standing next to it.

 "Oh, thank goodness," Rosalie sighed with relief.  "Where did you get to?"  Her voice was suddenly louder than it needed to be, and she seemed a little anxious.

 "Calm down, Rose.  They actually went for a walk."

 "If they were just walking, why did it take you so long to find them?" she shouted, a hand resting on each hip.

 "They took to the trees for a bit, so I couldn't trace the scent," he explained.  "Why are you shouting at me anyway?  I didn't go anywhere."

 "We just wanted to explore the forest," Fred spoke up, trying to deflect some of the heat from Emmett.  "We were on our way back when we came across Emmett looking for us."

 Rosalie looked from Fred to Emmett, and then back to Fred again.  She seemed to accept Fred's explanation and sat down on one of the logs.  "Oh well, you're back now," she said, pulling me down next to her.  "I wanted to have a word with you, Bree."  Fred's forced cough covered up what he muttered under his breath as he and Emmett took seats on the other log.  

 Ignoring Fred, Rosalie asked me, "Are you enjoying the trip?"

 "Yeah, it's been good," I replied with the enthusiasm I was genuinely feeling.  She didn't need to know why it was so good.

 "Hunting wasn't too bad, was it?" 

 "No."  I decided honesty was the best policy, so I echoed Fred's feelings.  "I don't know if I want to do it all the time though."

 Her face fell slightly, but she quickly recovered.  "I've enjoyed it too.  It's a relief to be away from Alice's frantic wedding planning.  With her gift she could afford to chill a little."

 "I second that," grumbled Emmett.  "She actually measured me for my suit.  Why would she need to measure me?" he added.  "I've agreed to one fitting and that's it.  She knows she's gotta keep her hands off the bachelor party though.  That's my domain, and she'd better keep her all-knowing nose out of it," he finished, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.

 Rosalie waved her hand at her husband, indicating she wanted him to shut up.  "The wedding's only a few weeks away now," she mused as if lost in thought.  "If Bella has her way, she'll be changed soon after, and we'll have to move."  Maybe breaking the news to Rosalie wouldn't be so bad.  If they were all moving on, we would have to leave anyway.

"Where do you think you'll go?" I asked, wanting to keep the conversation on this track.

 "We'll need somewhere quite remote for Bella's sake, so we'll probably head to our property in Wyoming," she answered.

 Wyoming?  I thought the cottage was a wedding present.  "Why are you doing so much work on the cottage if you're going to leave in a few weeks?"  Maybe Edward didn't want it anymore.  It didn't even have a bathroom, so Bella would probably hate it anyway.

 "Well, Edward is still hoping to change Bella's mind.  If he succeeds, it will be more comfortable for everyone if they have their own space."  If that was the case they really needed to get to work on the bathroom.  "They'll still be newlyweds, so I'm sure they'll want their privacy," Rosalie continued, as she and Emmett exchanged a knowing look.  Privacy didn't seem to be an issue for them.

 "That's what makes the Wyoming property so ideal," Emmett interjected at that point.  "The main house backs onto the Shoshone forest, and there are also two smaller houses."

 "Three houses!  How big is this property?"  I was stunned.  The fact that these vampires actually owned the large house in Forks was astounding; now telling me they owned three more. 

 "Oh, about seven thousand acres," Rosalie stated, looking to Emmett for confirmation, and he nodded in assent. 

How rich were these people?  I assumed they hadn't killed the owners and had just bought the property like regular people.  Fred's eyebrows were raised, so I guessed he was wondering the same thing.

 "When Em and I get married, we like to have an extended honeymoon and live apart from the family for a bit."  They turned to each other, gazing into each other's eyes for a while.  Fred shifted on his log, and the movement drew them out of their trance. 

"We originally planned a break when we left Forks, but Edward meeting Bella changed everything."  Rosalie almost sounded annoyed at him.  "Em wants to be on hand to help out with Bella.  With three homes, we can have our own space and still be there for her."  She carried on talking while I tried to fix the stunned expression on my face.

 "And the main house, is it as big as the one in Forks?"  I had to ask.

 "A little bigger maybe," she answered with a shrug.  Of course; how silly of me.  "It only has two stories but it's more spread out.  Esme rebuilt it about fifty years ago in a ranch style and the views are fantastic.  The second house is about two miles away.  That one's quite small, it only has two bedrooms."  I didn't think we shared the same definition of small when it came to houses.  "The third one is just under three miles in the other direction.  We spent our second honeymoon there."  Another gooey look was exchanged.  Why didn't they just go for another 'walk' and be done with it?

"That one's bigger," Emmett informed us.  "It used to have three bedrooms, but it suffered quite a bit of damage."  They exchanged yet another knowing look, and I assumed the damage had nothing to do with the weather.  "When we rebuilt, we added another bedroom."

 "What grade were you in school?"  Rosalie rushed out the question, cutting across her husband.

 The sudden change in subject caught me off guard, and I had to think for a moment before eventually answering.  "I was a sophomore."  School seemed like a lifetime ago, in more ways than one.

"Do you think you would like to finish school?"

 "Yeah, do you think they'd freak out if I ate my teacher?" I answered sarcastically. What was she thinking?

 I could hear Emmett trying to stifle his laugh.  Rosalie gave him a warning look before turning her attention back to me.

 "You couldn't go to school of course," she responded patiently.  "But we could set you up with a correspondence course and home tutor you."

 "What? You want me to move with you to Wyoming?"  My gaze shifted from Rosalie to Emmett as they both nodded.

 "You could live with us in the four bedroom," Rosalie offered.  "The second bedroom has a beautiful bathroom, with a large shower."  More digs about my love of showers.  Was I that bad?

I didn't know what to say; I'd just made plans with Fred.  Nothing definite, but we were going to stick together and travel eventually.  Fred remained silent throughout the entire conversation.  Would he want to go to Wyoming?  I noticed Rosalie hadn't invited him, and his face wasn't giving me any insight into his thoughts.

 "You'll like Wyoming," Emmett said to Fred, giving him a hearty slap to the back.  Rosalie's eyes narrowed fractionally as he said it, but Fred still remained silent.

 "What about the others?" I asked.  Esme had invited me to stay until I found my feet and Carlisle could explain all the rules.  If it was time for me to go, I didn't want to outstay my welcome.

 "We have discussed it a bit, and if it's what you want, they're happy to support you," Rosalie answered with a smile.

 "Why?" 

 "Why what?"  Her voice echoed the confusion on her face.

"Why would you all do this?"  My initial suspicions about the Cullens resurfaced.  Fred's mothering theory might explain Rosalie's motivation, but what was in it for the rest of them?  Was Carlisle creating a large coven?  If he was, what was his reason?

 "You're so young, Bree," she crooned, stroking my hair in that comforting way she had, but it didn't have the usual effect.  If anyone told me how young I was again I would scream.  "We just want to help you.  You are in this situation because of us, remember."

 So was Fred, but they weren't offering him any direct help.  There had to be more to it than that.  What was I missing this time?

 "What do you think?  Does that sound like something you would want to do?" Rosalie pressed.  I'd not considered staying with them long term, and finishing school had never even crossed my mind.  The last few weeks with them hadn't been so bad, and being tutored would give me something to do.

 "Of course, you'd have to stick to our diet."  Emmett finally dropped the bombshell.

 "I was getting to that."  Rosalie's tone left me in no doubt that she was not happy about her husband's interruption.  But there it was, the catch.  I knew there would be one, and I guess at the back of my mind I knew that would be it.

 I let out a long steady breath and gave the only answer I was prepared to give at that time.  "I'll think about it."

 "What about you, Fred?  Does Wyoming appeal to you?" Emmett asked, ignoring the death glare his wife fixed on him.  "You could do some more of that boring research with Carlisle you're so fond of," he continued in an effort to lighten the tense atmosphere.

 "I can't say it's something I've considered," Fred said diplomatically.  "I guess I'll have to think about it as well."

 "Fair enough," Emmett conceded with a nod.

 "Do you want to know anything else, Bree?  Anything about the house?  Have you thought about what subjects you might want to take?"

 "Rose, baby."  Emmett thankfully cut off Rosalie's barrage of questions.  "You just mentioned school two minutes ago.  How will she know what she wants to study right away?"

 "I'm just asking," she replied, still glaring at him.  "She may have a favorite subject."

 "And it will still be her favorite tomorrow, or next week, or when she's made her decision," he insisted, both of them talking over my head as if I were invisible.

 "I am still here you know," I snapped. 

"See, now you've upset her."  Rosalie pulled me into a comforting hug as she admonished her husband.

Emmett opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it.  At least I felt he was on my side.  If Fred's 'mother' theory was right, Rosalie would definitely come under the heading of pushy parent.

 "Well, I'm still a bit thirsty; I'm going in search of something with a bit of fight in it,"  Emmett announced, slapping his hands on his knees as he got up.  Any living creature still brave enough to be in the vicinity must have fled at the sound.  "Why don't you come with me this time, Bree?"

 "Bree's still new to this, so I think it's best if we girls stick together," Rosalie protested.

 "She's right," Fred agreed.  He was probably panicking at the thought of being alone with Rosalie.

 "Nonsense," insisted Emmett.  "I'll show you how to make this fun," he added with a wink.  My hand was suddenly enclosed in his meaty one, and I found myself being pulled away from the camp.

 "Emmett," Rosalie called after him.

 "Better get going, Rosie.  You don't want me to get back before you again, do you?  And don't forget the fire," he shot back as he sped through the trees, pulling me after him. 

 "Wait," I called after him.  "We should go back.  I don't think we should leave them alone together."  I made no attempt to hide the panic I was feeling. 

 "I think time alone together is exactly what they need," he stated confidently, not slowing his pace.

 "Are you crazy?  They'll probably kill each other."  I lurched forward, grabbing hold of his arm with my other hand in a frantic attempt to get him to stop.

 He slowed down but didn't stop.  "Maybe they will, maybe they won't," he said casually.   "They both have things to say to each other, and neither of them needs an audience." 

 "What do they have to say?"  Fred never mentioned anything to me.  Had he told Emmett?

 "Not our business.  If Rose wants to tell me she will.  If Fred wants to tell you he will."  I waited, but he had nothing more to offer on the subject, so I reluctantly followed him deeper into the forest.    

We had only been running a few minutes when he stopped suddenly.  I flew past him, but he caught my arm and pulled me back while placing a finger on his lips.  I jerked my arm out of his grasp, huffing my annoyance.  He merely pointed out a large cat prowling about twenty feet away.  It began to pace in circles as if it sensed our presence but was unsure how to respond to the threat.  "Do you want to take it down or play around with it for a bit?"  Emmett's voice was almost inaudible as he tried not to spook the animal.

The thought of drinking the animal's blood was even less appealing now that I wasn't so thirsty.  I kept my voice at the same volume as his as I declined.  "No, it's okay, you can have it."

 He shrugged his shoulders then leapt in front of the beast, landing about five feet in front of it.  The animal was clearly startled, but it held its ground.  Its angry snarls were met with similar sounds from Emmett.  Dumb cat; it should have opted for flight.  Emmett was going to have a ball before he fed.  Sure enough, Emmett growled at it, dancing close and then leaping back as the cat made one swipe after another.  The beast continued to try and outwit him, even taking to the trees at one point.  He deliberately let it make contact a few times, giving the animal false hope and leaving his shirt in tatters.  As the cat began to tire, he swiftly snapped its neck, quickly draining it. 

 "That's more like it," he said as he dug a hole to bury the carcass.  "You were a worthy opponent and a good meal," he told the cat as he finished covering it.  I wondered if he was trying to be funny, or if this was some sort of ritual he carried out each time.

 "Come on, let's see what we can find to tempt you before it gets light."  I made a face.  I didn't think I could do it; I wasn't thirsty enough. 

 "Okay," I answered, hoping that we wouldn't be able to find anything before the sun came up.

 My luck ran true to form for this trip, and we soon came upon another small heard of moose.  I could hear the heartbeats, but they did nothing to appeal to me.  The thirst didn't get stronger, and no venom came to my mouth.  I guessed this lifestyle was not going to be possible for me.  I just couldn't make myself move forward.

 "I know this is harder now there's no thirst driving you.  This is when you have to work at it.  Make the conscious decision to hunt without the benefit of the instinctual pull."  Emmett wasn't looking at me as he spoke; he was staring off into the distance, as if giving me the privacy to decide what to do next.

 So much rested on this moment.  If I couldn't do this, I couldn't stay with the Cullens and finish school.  I wasn't even sure if that was what I wanted, but if I didn't hunt now, it may never be an option.  I still had Fred; he would be there for me, and we still had our plans to travel.  I was happy with that until this whole Wyoming thing came up.  Now I wasn't so sure.  I stared at the animal closest to the edge of the herd.   This creature would unknowingly give me a choice.

I couldn't think about it too much.  I knew I needed to move quickly, because if it ran, I wouldn't have had the will to run after it.  The second the decision was made, I found my teeth at the creature's throat.  Without the overwhelming thirst driving me, I had to force them through the skin to allow the blood to flow over my tongue and down my throat.  The taste was awful, but once the blood started to flow, my jaw tightened on reflex, and I began to draw it in.  I forced myself to keep going beyond its final heartbeat, until it was dry.

 I shuddered as I pushed it away from me, noting that Emmett hadn't moved.  He stood in the same spot sporting his biggest grin, with his dimples revealed in all their glory.

Bree POV

 I made my way back to camp with a heavy heart.  I had done it.  I’d managed to hunt an animal without the instinctual pull of human blood.  I should feel elated.  Some part of me did, but the success of the hunt meant I still had a choice to make.

But what did that mean for my future?  Having a choice was all well and good, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do.  What if Fred didn’t want to go to Wyoming?  What if he and Rosalie had a fight and weren't speaking to each other?

Could I go without him?  If I did, how would I know if he was okay?  We needed another chat-- alone.

Emmett led the way, flying through the trees and occasionally leaping to grab a branch to swing on.  The smile hadn't left his face since I'd drained the moose.  It was funny to watch him spring from one foot to the other as he ran, almost as if he were a child skipping with excitement.  Was the moose that big of a deal to him?  Did he want me to go with them that much? 

As we got nearer to camp, I strained my ears to see if there were any sounds of an argument, or worse.  What if they had fought and Fred had taken off?  I didn’t think he would just leave me, but he may have had enough of Rosalie.  If she was shouting we would have heard by now, and I couldn’t hear any snarling or growling.  Either we were back before them, or they were sitting in camp silently glaring at each other.  My assumptions were dispelled in the next minute, when I heard quiet voices.

 “Told you,” Emmett crowed, leading the way through the trees surrounding the camp.

The entire camp was packed and ready to go.  Fred and Rosalie were sitting together on a log in front of the dampened fire, quietly talking to each other.  Rosalie was even smiling.  I definitely needed another chat with Fred, the sooner the better.

How did Emmett know what would happen?  It was as if he knew what people were feeling, or what they needed, just by observing them.  Perhaps Carlisle’s friend, the talent spotter, should have taken a closer look at him.  I think he may have missed something.

 “You were quick,” Emmett sounded miffed.

 “We didn’t hunt,” Rosalie shrugged nonchalantly.  “We packed up and chatted for a bit.”

 Was that good or bad?  It looked good; she was smiling after all.  But Fred hadn’t hunted.  Was that because he didn’t want to?  Did he not want to go to Wyoming?

 “Did you find anything?” Rosalie asked, her eyes darting between Emmett and myself.  Given the state of our clothes, it seemed like a redundant question.

“Yeah, I took down a mountain lion,” Emmett boasted.  “He had the decency to put up a fight and make my trip worthwhile.”

 “What about you, Bree?” she pressed anxiously.

 “She took another moose.  It wasn’t easy for her, but she did a great job,” Emmett answered before I could get a word out. 

Rosalie rushed at me, pulled me into a hug, and caused me to tense momentarily at the assault.  I smiled at Fred from her vice-like grip, and he returned my smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

 Emmett and I changed our shirts before we all quickly made our way back to the Jeep.  I jumped into the back pulling Fred with me.  'Is anything wrong?'  I mouthed when I thought no one was watching.  He shook his head and squeezed my hand in reassurance, but I didn't feel reassured. 

As we left the forest my phone vibrated. I noted the caller ID before I flipped it open.  The message was from Edward. 

Seth alone tomorrow pm & would like to hear from you.   

 He had added Seth's number and ended the message with a smiley face.

 Fred saw the message, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. 

 “Was that Alice?” Rosalie enquired.  “Did she see any problems?”

 “No.” I didn't elaborate.  I meant, no it wasn't Alice.  If she assumed I meant there weren’t any problems that was fine by me. 

 Edward must have followed through on his offer to help me form a friendship with Seth.

 I couldn’t see how that would pan out.  We wouldn't get a chance to know each other very well, as I'd be leaving soon.  I wasn’t even sure if we should bother getting to know each other.  I was a vampire and he's a werewolf, so we weren’t even supposed to get along.  We'd managed to have a brief conversation without trying to kill each other, even if it did cause a major freak out.  Edward wasn't concerned though.  He even said Seth would make a good friend.  Surely no one would freak out if we talked on the phone.  What harm could it do?

 I heard the piano being played as we wound our way up the drive.   I didn't recognize the tune, but it was a classical piece, so I guessed Edward was home.  Alice preferred more the up-tempo stuff she said was very popular in the forties.  The music stopped as we came through the door.

 “Hey, bro, how's it hanging?” Emmett greeted Edward.

 Edward rolled his eyes as he replied, “I'm fine, Emmett, if that's what you're asking.”

 “What's Bella up to?” Emmett asked him.

 The lack of a heartbeat, and the fact that Fred and I made it through the door, made us all aware that Bella wasn't in the house.

 “She went to Port Angeles with Alice,” Edward told him.

 “Good, that means there's no chance of the little monster rushing at me with a tape measure.”

 “I heard that,” Jasper said as he came down the stairs.

 “Hey, Jazz,” Emmett greeted him unfazed.  “Don't tell me you didn't breathe a sigh of relief when she left.”

 “Alice loves all this wedding stuff; it makes her happy.  When she's happy, I'm happy,” he replied in defense of his wife.

 “That may be the case, but she's driving the rest of us up the wall,” Rosalie moaned.  “She needs to calm down a bit, and you should be helping with that.”

 “How was the trip?” Jasper asked, ignoring the jibe.

 “Emmett can fill you in; Bree and I need to shower,” Rosalie said, grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs, where I made my way to Alice's room.

 As much as I wanted to shower, what I really wanted was to get back to the cottage so I could call Seth.  Fred already knew about the message, but Rosalie and Jasper would have a fit if they found out.  I wasn't sure how Emmett would react.  He might be mad at first, but once he knew I was okay, he probably wouldn’t be too worried.  The chances of Fred and me returning to the cottage alone were slim to none.  Edward had only been to the cottage twice to my knowledge, so my best bet would be Emmett.

I showered quickly, not really enjoying it; I was too busy thinking of ways to ensure that Emmett would be our escort for the rest of the day.

I came down to an empty room.  It didn't stay empty for long as Esme came in followed by Edward and Jasper carrying grocery bags.  Yet another ridiculous ritual they carried out.  Bella only ate there a few times a week, yet Esme still shopped for a houseful.  She brought it home and unpacked it, only to pack it all away a few days later and donate it.

 “Did you enjoy your trip, Bree?” she asked as I followed them into the kitchen.

 “Yeah it was great.  I've never been camping before,” I answered.

 “I'm glad you got to do something new.”  She paused while she reached for the grocery bag with the cold items and opened the fridge.  “And the hunting, how was that?”

 “Okay,” I replied.  “I wouldn't say it was the best part of the trip.”

 She laughed then asked, “So what was the best part?”

 “Emmett's stories,” I answered with a smile.

 “Oh,” she said with a worried look.  “I trust Rose kept him in line.” 

 “Pretty much.”  It was then that I became aware that Emmett and Fred were not helping to unload the car.

 “Where are Emmett and Fred?” I asked while listening for any sounds that might give me an answer.

“Fred's taking a shower, and Em's err... helping Rose with her hair,” Edward told me.

 Ugh.  At least they were keeping the volume down.  The downside was there was no way I was going to get Emmett to the cottage now.

 When I heard Fred's footsteps on the landing, I went back into the living room.

 “Shall we head back to the cottage?” I asked him urgently as he reached the bottom stair.

 “Sure, let me get my bag.”  His brow furrowed as he agreed.  Fred knew I didn't volunteer to go there if Bella wasn't visiting.

I wondered which one of them would come up with an excuse to go with us.  I hoped it would be Esme.  If Jasper came, I wouldn’t be able to make the call, and I was surprised how much I wanted to speak to Seth.

“Actually, Fred, Carlisle will be home soon, and he wanted to have a word with you when you got back,” Edward said.

 “Really, what about?”

 “Can't say,” Edward shrugged.  “I don't mind walking back with Bree.”

 My mouth opened in surprise and closed just as quickly.  Of course Edward knew I wanted to call Seth; he set it up. 

 “When you say can't say, you mean won’t say, right?” Fred clarified with Edward.

 Edward shrugged again, so Fred went over to one of the sofas and turned on the TV.

 “Thanks,” I said to Edward after we jumped the river.  “For the set up and the means of escape.”

“My pleasure,” he replied.  “Emmett would have been a good second choice though.”  Damn mind reader.

 “So what did Carlisle want to talk to Fred about?”  He wouldn't tell Fred, but I decided to ask anyway.

 “Nothing.”

 “So why did you make him stay at the house?”  I started to panic irrationally.  Was this some sort of trap?

 “Calm down.  Fred was wondering if he should tell Carlisle about his experiment.”

 How did he know?  I'd tried so hard to block it, I’m sure I hadn't thought about it since we came back.

 “It wasn't you.”  He answered my panicked thoughts.  “Fred let his mind wander while he was in the shower.  I didn't get the whole picture, but what I got looks interesting.”

I didn't want to give any more away, so I sang the verse of the song Emmett had sung by the campfire in my head.  Edward just laughed, and we continued our gentle jog in silence, until he stopped short of our destination.  I stopped my mental singing and turned to him in confusion, but he spoke before I could ask why.

 “You can make your own way from here.”  He gave me an intense stare before he added sternly, “I'm going to trust you, so don't wander off.  I'll be here when you have finished.”

 I didn't hesitate.  I pulled the phone from my pocket as I ran.  The door had barely closed behind me before my fingers flew over the keypad. 

 “Hello?”  Seth's upbeat voice came through the receiver.

 “Hey, it's Bree.”

 “Oh, hey.”  He sounded pleased to hear from me, and I let out the breath I had been holding.

 I wasn't sure what to say next, so I went for the safe option.  “How have you been?”

 “Good.  I'm a bit tired though.  I was out on patrol last night.”  I felt a twinge of guilt that he was losing sleep because of me, and wondered if Sam was being particularly hard on him because of our chat.

 “Was Sam very mad at you?”

 “Yeah,” he confessed.  “Cause Leah got wind of it and had to have her say too.”

“Who's Leah?”

 “My sister.” 

His sister?  If she got mad at him, she must know what he was and about us.  I thought it was supposed to be a secret.  Did the whole tribe know or was it just their families?  

 “Jasper and Rosalie had a major freak out too,” I told him, letting him know I was in the same boat.

 After a short pause, he asked, “What have you been up to anyway?”

 “Not much.  I went hunting with Rosalie and Emmett.”

 “What? Like veggie hunting?” he asked, clearly surprised.

 “Yeah.”

 “How did that go?”

 “Okay.  It's not so bad when you’re thirsty, but a bit harder when you’re not,” I explained, though he probably didn't understand.

 “So, are you gonna stick with it?”

 “I don't know.  Things are a bit more complicated now,” I admitted with a sigh.

 “How so?”

 “Fred and I planned to take off and travel before Edward’s wedding, but now we've been invited to move with them to Wyoming.”

 He let out a long sigh of his own.  What was that for?

“I guess if they’re planning to move, Bella's gonna be one of them when they go.” 

 I should have kept their moving plans to myself.  The biting human thing wasn't going to sit well with a werewolf.  What was wrong with me?  My brain had an overwhelming capacity, and it still couldn’t control my mouth.

 “Yeah, it’s not what Edward wants, but I think Bella really wants it,” I said in an effort to make it sound better.

 “I know, but it sucks.”  He sighed again.

 His choice of words amused me, but I didn't know if he would see it the same way, so I didn't reply.  There was another pause before he asked, “So, do you only get to go to Wyoming if you stick to their diet?”

 “Yeah, but that's not the only problem.”

 “You don't like Wyoming?” he jokingly guessed.

 “I don’t know; I've never been there.”

 “Fred doesn't like Wyoming?” he guessed again.

 “I don't know; I never asked.”

 “So what's the problem?"  He gave up guessing.

 “Fred thinks Rosalie wants to mother me.”  That didn't sound quite right so I added.  “Well, what he actually said was, he thinks she wants me as a substitute daughter.”

 “Rosalie's the blond, right?” he asked.

 “Yeah,” I confirmed.

 “Hmm.  She didn't strike me as the maternal type.  Does that mean the big guy wants to be like your dad?”

 “No, well I don't think so.” 

 “So how's that gonna work?”

 “I don't know.”

 “Don't you think you should find out?” he said, stating the obvious.

“Yeah, but how?  I can hardly go up to him and say, ‘hey you wanna be my dad?’” I mocked.  “I don't even know if Fred's right.  I could just make a fool of myself.”

 “Edward must know; why don't you ask him?”  Why hadn't I thought of that?  He might not tell me, of course.  What with his ‘I don't hear and tell rule,’ but it couldn't hurt to ask.

 “So, shall I ask him about Rosalie or Emmett?”

 “Hmm.”   He pondered for a moment.  “Rosalie first, she's the one that Fred's bothered about.”

“Well he used to be.  That’s another thing, they really don't get along, but Emmett and me left them alone while we hunted.  I expected carnage when we got back, but no, they're sat there all cozy, chatting away like long lost friends.”

 “Really?  What happened?” he asked.

“I don't know.”  Seth laughed at my response.  Why did he always end up laughing at me?  I was aware my responses were getting repetitive, so I expanded my answer.  “I haven’t had a chance to ask him yet.  I need to get him alone.”

 “How are you going to manage that?”

 “I don’t kn…”  I stopped myself.  “Do you have any ideas?”

 “Nope.”

 “Aargh!”  I screamed into the phone.  “This is ridiculous.  I'm fed up with being followed around all the time.”

 “Just so you know, that kinda hurt.  Our ears are pretty sensitive, even in human form.”  His voice was slightly lower so I assumed he had moved the phone farther away.

 “Sorry,” I apologized.

 “No harm done, well nothing permanent anyway.”  His little joke let me know I was forgiven.  “Who's with you now?”

 “No one.  Edward walked me back most of the way, but he left me alone so we could talk.”

 “Sam will probably give me hell for saying this, but if you’re fed up with them following you everywhere, why don't you just tell them?” 

 He had a point.  “I guess if they say no, I'll be no worse off.”

 I heard muffled voices as I finished speaking, and his response was not what I expected.  “Yeah ok, I'll let you know.”  Let me know what?  “Bye Bella.”  Bella?

The phone went dead, and I stared blankly at the handset.  His family must have come home.  Would we ever manage to have a conversation without being interrupted?  I'd been enjoying our chat and was disappointed it was so short.  If I'd gotten away earlier, we would have had more time.  All I'd done was moan about my problems.  I hadn't found out anything about him.  How old was he?  How long had he been a wolf?  Did he go to school?  What music did he like?  I knew he had a sister, but what other family did he have?

 I needed to get Edward to set up another call.  But first things first, I needed the family to back off and give me time alone with Fred.

Leaving the cottage, I found Edward exactly where I’d left him.  I wasn't sure if he'd been close enough to hear everything, but I knew I was probably still on his 'mind radar' as I called it.   “I think we need to have a family meeting,” he said as we headed back to the house.

Bree POV

Fred was still on the large couch when we got back, watching a documentary with Esme.

I was relieved to see that Rosalie was on the smaller couch reading, as it meant I wouldn’t have to block any sounds originating from the first floor.

“Where did you two get to?” she asked, looking up from her magazine.

“We just popped over to the cottage,” Edward answered.

“Why did you go?   Her eyes narrowed at Edward suspiciously.  “You never go over there.”

“That’s not exactly true.  I go when I have time,” he corrected.

Her gaze shifted between us for a moment.  She was apparently satisfied with the answer, as she returned to her magazine.

“Where are Jazz and Emmett?” Edward asked no one in particular.

“Rosalie wants to service the Jeep, so they went to pick up some parts,” Esme answered.  “Is there a problem?” 

Fred sat up and turned around; he must have picked up on the worried tone in her voice.

“No, everything’s fine, but I would like to call a family meeting,” Edward said casually, but his tone failed to keep the vampires present in their seats. 

“Why?  What's happened?  Did you see one of those dogs again?”  Rosalie was up and across the room, closely followed by Esme and Fred. 

“Nothing happened,” Edward replied, rolling his eyes.  “Bree has some things she would like to say, and I think it's best if we all hear her out at the same time.”    

“What have you said to her?”  Rosalie immediately rounded on Edward.  Then turning her attention back to me, she asked, “Has he upset you?”

“No, of course not.”  Why did she always have to overreact to everything?

“What's the matter then?” she persisted.

“If something, or someone is bothering you, you can always talk to me, dear,” Esme said, placing a comforting arm around my shoulder.

“It's not that, I just...”  I stuttered, suddenly feeling quite nervous.  If I couldn't get the words out now, how would I be able to say anything when they were all here?

“Bree is fine; she just has some issues she would like to address, that's all.”  Edward tried to placate his mother and sister.  I could see that Fred was worried, and I knew I had to find a way to let him know that there was nothing to worry about.  I also wanted him to know what I planned to say.  It concerned him too. 

“Well, Carlisle is due back at ten, why don't we have it then?” Esme offered.

Fred held Edward’s stare at Esme's revelation.  He must have suspected Edward had lied to him, and I could tell he wasn't happy to have it confirmed.

I watched their faces to see if Fred had made a silent comment to Edward, but got nothing.  Edward just said, “I'd like to see Bella when she gets back, so I'll return when she's asleep.” 

Not three seconds later Edward’s phone vibrated, and we subsequently heard Alice's chirpy voice inform him that she and Bella were on their way back from Port Angeles, and she had a surprise for him.

“I'll meet you at Bella's,” Edward responded, and was about to disconnect the call, when Alice stopped him. 

“No, she's going to have dinner with Charlie tonight.  They're having fish,” Alice warned him.  What a sap.  He could withstand the burn in his throat day in and day out to be with Bella, but he would avoid the smell of fish like the plague.

“Fine,” he agreed grudgingly.  “What time do you suggest?”

“Oh, about eight thirty will be good.”  Alice barely got the words out, before he grunted a farewell, snapped his phone shut, and retreated to his room.

I joined Fred and Esme on the couch.  The documentary was still on, but that didn't stop Rosalie trying to engage me in an article in her magazine.  I couldn't focus on either.  I wasn't especially interested in polar bears, or what everyone would be wearing in Paris in the fall.  I had to find a way to get Fred out of the room.

I tried in vain to get Fred on his own for the rest of the evening.  Rosalie wasn’t having any of it.  Eventually I had to settle for a scribbled note that I managed to pass to him during the few seconds of distraction afforded when Emmett and Jasper returned.

Edward came downstairs and sat on the other couch just before we heard Alice's Porsche on the driveway.  She walked in and threw a magazine onto Edward’s lap.  On closer inspection, it turned out to be a Mercedes brochure.  What did he need another car for?

“What did you do?”  He didn't sound very happy.

“I didn't do anything.”  Alice replied, not bothered by his tone at all.

“If Bella even suspects...”

Alice waved his protest away.  “She can suspect all she likes, but she'll find no proof.  Her furry mechanic's not around, so she'll just have to deal with it.” 

“I don't know Alice.  I have to tread carefully.”  Edward sounded more hopeful.

“The car has been on order, and ready and waiting for weeks.  Make the call, and have it delivered.”  Alice directed with her impish charm.  “You can thank me properly when I think of a suitable reward.”

What the hell was going on?

“The car is for Bella,” Edward answered my thoughts.  “Her truck appears to have died,” he added, giving Alice a pointed look.  “I've leased a more suitable model for her.”

“You just got her a new car.  What's the big deal?”  He was apparently as rich as Midas.  Why did he let her drive around in that old rust bucket anyway?

“Bella is very fond of that heap, and she doesn't like me to spend money on her.”

The Bella I met seemed quite normal, but she voluntarily wanted to become a vampire.  Now I was hearing that she had a mega rich fiancé and didn't want him to buy her anything.  She would fit right in with these guys.  Fred's theory about them all being former mental patients had been dispelled, but she was exhibiting a certain level of mental impairment on par with her future family’s.

--00--MC--00-- 

“Sorry, it took a while to get away,” Carlisle announced, as he came through the door just after midnight.  “I'll get changed and then we can start.  Is Edward home?”

“Not yet, he'll be here in about fifteen minutes,” Alice informed him.

Carlisle acknowledged the information with a nod, and then went upstairs to get changed.  I'd taken to holding my breath the minute I heard Carlisle step out of his car.  Thankfully he always changed as soon as he got home.  Edward, being equally considerate, came in through his window to change before he came down.  We all took seats around the dining table.  Carlisle sat at one end, and Esme was on his left followed by Rosalie, myself, then Emmett.  Jasper sat on Carlisle's right followed by Alice, Edward then Fred.

“Well, Bree,” Carlisle started as soon as Edward took his seat.  “I understand you have something to tell us.”

Their eyes were all on me, as I searched for the right words.  I didn't want to sound rude or ungrateful.

“Just say it, Bree.  Once it's out in the open, we can discuss it,” Edward encouraged me.

I looked down at my hands twisting the fabric of my shirt, and mumbled, “I want to be allowed some time on my own, or time alone with Fred.”  Having started, I felt confident enough to raise my head.  “I don't think we need to be watched all of the time.”

“Out of the question,” Jasper said immediately.  I already had an idea that would be his response, so I didn't let it bother me.

“Hold on a minute, son,” Carlisle said.  “We need to discuss this.  Although, Jasper does have a point, Bree.  We have assumed responsibility for you.”

“What is there to discuss?” Rosalie asked dismissively.  “She can't be alone; it's not safe for her.  Or Fred,” she added as an after-thought.

“I'm with you on this, Bree.  I would like some time alone too.”  Fred backed me up. 

“They could be alone at the cottage.  Maybe we could set some conditions,” Emmett reasoned, seemingly oblivious to the glare Rosalie fixed on him.

“Emmett has a point,” Esme said, leading him to nod smugly at his wife.  I knew he would pay for that later.  “We do need to preserve the treaty, at least until after the wedding, but we shouldn’t deprive you of your privacy,” she continued.  “Maybe we should see if we could do both.”

“I don't think Sam's up for anymore negotiating right now,” Carlisle responded.

Alice was unusually quiet and sat with her head down, rubbing her temples.  She hadn't made any comment so far, but I expected her to agree with Jasper. 

I had no idea what her problem was.  She couldn't possibly have a headache, and she didn't usually look so distressed when she had her visions.  “Does this have anything to do with Seth?” she suddenly asked.

“What would it have to do with him?” Rosalie asked.  Her voice got slightly higher and her eyes darted between Edward and me. 

“Not helping, Alice,” Edward muttered.

“We need all of the cards on the table, if we are to come to an agreement.”  Alice insisted.

What do I do now?  If I told them about Seth, a fight was bound to break out, and I didn't want that.  If this descended into an argument, we wouldn't get anywhere.  But Alice had practically let the cat out of the bag.

“It's up to you,” Edward said, letting me know he would keep our secret if I wanted him to.

I put my head into my hands and groaned, as I made the decision to come clean.  “I talked to Seth on the phone when I went to the cottage.”

I counted three gasps, a growl, and a solitary snigger before I raised my head.

“How did he get your number?” Rosalie demanded, glaring at Edward.  Of course it didn't take her long to guess the culprit.  There was no point trying to protect him.

“Edward gave me his number, and I called him,” I confessed.

“Oh great, the minute the pup phases, Sam's gonna know,” Jasper spat. 

“How do you think that's going to go down?”

“Edward, do you think that was wise?” Carlisle didn't sound as angry as Jasper, but they were definitely on the same page.

“They both expressed a desire to communicate as friends.  They are a similar age, and considering they have coped with two face to face meetings without any consequences, I didn't think a phone call would be a problem,” Edward said in his defence.

“I think you've been a bit naïve, son.  The phone call itself is not the problem.  Despite our recent alliance, I don't believe Sam will welcome any unnecessary contact.”  Carlisle voiced his concerns.

“It's not that we don't want you to make friends, dear,” Esme said.  “It's just that it may complicate things.”

“Why would you want to call him in the first place?”  Rosalie asked.  “What on earth did you talk about?”

“Nothing much, just stuff.”  No way was I going to discuss our conversation with her.  I hoped Edward was planning to stick by his rule on this one.

“What stuff?  You can't possibly have anything in common.”  Rosalie continued to dismiss my fledgling friendship, and I saw red.  Jasper must have sensed it, because a wave of calm crashed into me, and almost stopped me answering.

“What's the big deal?  Why is it okay for Bella to be friends with a werewolf, and not me?”  I forced out as angrily as I could, while battling against Jasper's influence.

“To be fair, Bella and Jacob were friends before he was a werewolf,” Edward interjected.  “I tried to end that friendship, and could have lost her because of my actions,” he continued while looking directly at Rosalie.  “Seth's a good kid.  He doesn’t have any ulterior motives.  As far as he's concerned, Bree's just someone his age, who knows about our world, and might be good to chat to once in a while.  He knows she’s a newborn vampire, but he knows that's not all she is.”

Was that what he really thought about me?  Could he see past the monster?

“Hmm.”  Emmett rubbed his chin, like an old man concentrating on a game of checkers.  “Edward may have a point.”

“Don't you dare side with him on this,” warned Rosalie the moment the words left her husband’s mouth.

“Is it okay if I side with Bree?” he shot back.

Anger flashed briefly in her eyes before she turned to her new ally.  “You must be concerned for her safety, Fred.  Surely you don't think this friendship is a good idea.”

“Honestly, I don't see the point in it.”  Rosalie cast her husband a winning smile before Fred continued.  “But if they're just talking on the phone, what harm can it do?”

Rosalie's eyes narrowed at Fred.  I guessed their new friendship was going to be short lived.

“Bree dear, I am neither your father nor your creator.  I can not, nor would I want to, forbid you from making your own decisions regarding your friends.”  Oh no, Carlisle's statement didn't fill me with hope.  “I will not raise any objections to your communicating with Seth on the phone, but I would advise against any face to face contact.”      

Oh, so getting around all that funny way of talking he had, phone calls were okay, but no meeting up.  Cool.  The phone was better anyway; I didn't have to put up with the smell.  I guessed Edward was eavesdropping again by the way his shoulders shook as he tried to smother his laugh.

“Another point to take into account is Sam's reaction when he finds out,” Carlisle continued.

“It can't affect the treaty.  I can't bite him through the phone.”  I knew I was being facetious, but I didn't care.

Carlisle gave me a disapproving look before he explained.  “Unlike me, Sam can stop Seth having any contact with you.  He is his Alpha.  If Sam forbids it, Seth will not speak to you again.”  His voice softened.  “I just thought you should know.  If he doesn't return your friendship, it may not be within his control.”

Well that was a brief victory, and I still hadn't made any headway on getting some time alone.   

“Can we get back to the original point?” Jasper asked.  “Considering the Seth issue wouldn't have arisen had Bree not wandered off in the first place, I don't think giving her more freedom is a good idea.”

“He's right, Bree, you were lucky it was Seth you ran into and not Sam,” Rosalie said.  “I know you think I'm exaggerating, but it really isn't safe for you to out there on your own.”

“There is also the very real possibly that you could kill someone.  That can't be allowed to happen,” Carlisle added.

“What about me?  I have no desire to form any kind of relationship with a wolf, but I would appreciate some time to myself,” Fred said.

“We're in the middle of nowhere.  I've never seen any humans between here and the cottage.”  I was aware my voice was becoming a bit whiney, but I thought their objections were ridiculous.

“I'm sure neither of you has any intentions of breaking the treaty, but we can't be sure you will be able to exercise control if you came across a hiker.  They do wander across our land occasionally,” Carlisle reasoned.

They were all so negative.  I noticed Alice had gone silent again.  She probably knew my hopes were doomed before the meeting even started.  Esme didn't say anything either, but she nodded in agreement with every comment her husband made.  What was wrong with Edward?  He suggested this meeting, but I wasn't getting any help from him.

“We could always escort them to and from the cottage,” Emmett suggested, and I suddenly had a good feeling about what he was going to say.  “If they agreed to stay put until we went back for them, that might work.”

“That won’t do,” Rosalie disagreed.  “What if a hiker wandered close while they were alone?”

“What are the odds on that happening?  Besides, Alice can always have a quick scan ahead to see if it's likely before we leave them.”  Emmett nodded as if agreeing to his own plan.

I could work with that.  It would be a bit annoying being walked over and dropped off like a five year old, but we'd get to be alone.

“Well, I think we need Alice's agreement before we take a vote,” Carlisle seemed to be on board with this plan.

“Fine by me,” Alice agreed.

“Well, I would be happy for Bree and Fred to be alone under those circumstances,” Carlisle said, and Esme agreed.

“I'm sorry, but there is a lot at stake here, and too much responsibility will rest with Alice.  She already watches Bella and Charlie, not to mention the Volturi.”  Unsurprisingly Jasper was against it.

“I agree.  Alice has too much on her plate right now with the wedding so close.  She doesn't need any more stress,” Rosalie chimed in.

Stress, who did she think she was kidding?

“I think we should give it a try.  It’s going to be a couple of hours, tops.  Bree knows there will be consequences if she wanders off.”  Edwards gave his agreement.  Why was he having a dig at me?  Did he just assume that Fred wandering off wasn’t an issue?

We all looked at Alice; it was academic, as there were more votes for than against.  But with Jasper's objections, she may not be willing to do her part.  Without Alice on board, I was sure Carlisle and Esme would change their votes.

“I really don't mind looking out for Bree, but perhaps we could set a time limit.  That would narrow down a time frame and make it easier.   Say, no more than three hours at a time, and no more than forty eight hours after hunting.”  Alice placed a consoling hand on her husband’s arm.  “I promise to let you know the moment she even considers going walkabout.”  Alice reassured him while fixing me with a hard stare. 

Again with the assumption it would be me that needed watching.

“Did it ever occur to you that Fred might wander off?”  I shouted, slamming my hands on the table.  Jasper must have caught the change in my mood again, as they didn't hit with as much force as I intended.  Just as well, because I would have owed them a new table, and I had no means with which to replace it.

Instead of being grateful for his influence, the annoyance I was already feeling turned to anger.  I leaned forward, baring my teeth and snarling at him.  I felt Emmett tense beside me, but he made no attempt to touch me.  “Would you stop doing that,” I growled at Jasper, ignoring the stunned expressions on Carlisle and Esme's faces.

“I will, as soon as you've finished your tantrum,” he replied evenly.

“Chill out kid; you got what you wanted,” Emmett said reaching out to ruffle my hair.

“Don't do that,” I snapped, batting his hand away.  “I'm not five.”

“Hah.”  He threw his head back and laughed.  “Right now I'd say you were about three.”  His hand successfully connected with my head, and I let him rearrange the hair on top for a few seconds, before I shrugged it off.

He had a point.  I had what I wanted.  Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?

“Sorry.”  I mumbled an apology to everyone.

“Apology accepted,” Carlisle responded on behalf of the family.  “Well, now that’s settled.  Was there anything else anyone wanted to mention while we’re all here?” he asked.

Edward looked pointedly at Fred but both of them remained silent.  No one else spoke up, so I assumed the meeting was over.  “Can we go now?” I asked eagerly.

Everyone turned to Alice once again.

“It’s fine,” she said after a few moments

I was out of my seat in less than a second, pulling Fred with me.  Emmett immediately volunteered to escort us, but Rosalie insisted she wanted a word with him.  There was a possibility we would hear every one of those words as far away as the cottage.

Bree POV

Carlisle suggested that he and Esme should be the ones to accompany us to the cottage, as they needed to hunt.  Esme talked enthusiastically about her future plans for the place as we ran.  I was sure he appreciated living in the wonderful home she created, but I got the impression Carlisle had little interest in the finer points of interior design.

When we entered the cottage, Esme immediately lit some of the candles on the mantelpiece, bathing the room in a warm glow.  She then took one of the armchairs, and Carlisle stood next to her, so Fred and I mirrored their positions with the other chair.  I wasn't expecting them to stay, but I couldn't ask them to leave what was essentially their own property.

Carlisle stared at me intensely and I could tell he wanted to ask me something.  When I started to shift uncomfortably under his gaze, he finally asked, “Would you care to tell me the reason behind your outburst earlier?”

I sighed, but it came out more like a groan.  “I don't know.  I just feel like they always pick on me as the irresponsible one, the one that always needs watching.  No one even suggested that there would be a problem with Fred.”

“But the outcome was in your favor, and yet you still lost control.”

“I know.”  I tried to find the words to explain it.  “Sometimes when I get mad, I can't control it.  It's like my brain is telling me one thing, but my body is doing something else.  And my mouth, well that seems to be on a separate circuit altogether.”

He nodded sagely and hesitated before he ventured.  “I know there is a strong possibility that I will have my head bitten off, but it's probably just your age.”

There it was again, my age.  I pushed down the anger that was starting to build, gripping the arms of the chair too tightly with the effort.  He must have heard the creak as the wood began to give way, because he raised his hands in surrender.

“Hear me out,” he pleaded.  So I let go of the chair and placed my hands in my lap.

“You are just four months old, so a certain lack of control is expected.  You also had the misfortune to have been changed during adolescence.  Human hormones present at that time can lead to irrational behavior.  I suspect the combination of the two is the reason for your frequent tantrums.”

Now he was calling my outbursts tantrums as well.  Was I that bad?  I knew I lost it from time to time.  I just wish I could change the way I reacted, as I usually ended up doing something childish.  Maybe that was why Rosalie wanted to adopt me, and Emmett treated me like a five year old.

“I'm sorry.”  I gave another apology.

“You have apologized already; that was not the reason I brought it up.”

“So why did you?”  I was being facetious again, and Carlisle gave his usual look of disapproval, leaving me with yet another apology to make.

“I wanted to know if your episodes bothered you at all.”  Episodes?  Well I guess it was better than tantrum.  What difference did it make if they bothered me?

“They do,” I confessed.  “But mostly because I end up behaving like I'm still a child, instead of a sixteen year old.”

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.  “Compared to the rest of us, you're practically a babe in arms.”  My eyes narrowed, and he raised his hands in surrender again.  “The fact that you are aware of your behaviour, and it concerns you is a good thing.  I feel more confident that once you get past your first year, they will gradually become a thing of the past.”

I hoped he was right, because they would never stop treating me like a kid if I kept acting like one.  Was that it?  Would they go now?

“Rosalie said she had mentioned our move to Wyoming.”  Esme took the conversation in a different direction.

Was that what all this was about?  Did they not want to take a teenage hormone monster with them?

“We just wanted you to know that you are both welcome to join us.  I believe Rosalie has suggested you stay with her and Emmett, in one of the smaller houses.”  Her statement sounded more like a question, so I nodded.

“That would be fine, if that is your preference.  But you would be equally welcome to reside in the main house with us,” Carlisle offered before he voiced his real concern.  “Given your erm... emotional state, I think that may be the best option.”

Oh, so they were happy to take the teenage hormone monster with them, but they just wanted to keep tabs on it.

“You would still get time to yourselves, of course,” Esme reassured us.

“I know you are aware that you will have to stick to our diet to remain with us on a permanent basis.”  Carlisle had placed all his concerns out in the open.  “It's not going to be an easy option for either of you, but you will have the support of the whole family.”

Fred and I both nodded our understanding, but neither of us made any comment.

“I think we should go now. This is their time after all,” Esme said, getting up from her seat.

“Of course,” Carlisle agreed.  I got up, and Fred came with me to the door to see them off. “One of the others will be back for you in a couple of hours,” he reminded us before they left.

Fred and I stood behind the closed door, and looked at each other with stupid grins on our faces.  We didn't speak, waiting until we thought we were out of hearing range.

“So, what do you want to do with your new found freedom?”  Fred broke the silence after a few minutes.

“I don't know.  I guess I just wanted to be able to talk to you without them around.” 

“And if you get to talk to your furry friend, that's just a bonus right?” he ribbed, and I poked my tongue out at him in response.

“My, my, look how you’ve grown.  You must be all of seven years old now.”  He continued to mock me, and earned himself a dig in the ribs.

“Was Seth the reason you wanted time alone?” he asked, his tone more serious now.

“Partly,” I admitted.  I didn’t want to lie to him.  “The phone call just made me realize it was ridiculous having to wait until we hunt, just to discuss anything.  I'm not sure I'm ready to be as open with them as I am with you.”

“I know what you mean,” he agreed.  “It's not one-sided, though.  I get the feeling they keep a lot of secrets.  I don't know if it's a natural mistrust, or if they have something to hide.  We still don't know why the Volturi don't like them.  It can't all be about Bella.”  He made his way back towards the chair previously occupied by Esme as he spoke, and I went back to the other one.  “Do you know why Edward lied about Carlisle wanting to have a word with me?”

“I think he wanted to give me time to make the call, but he also knows about your experimenting,” I told him.  “He wanted to give you time to decide if you wanted to talk to Carlisle about it”

“I thought that might be it.  He didn't mention anything at the meeting though.”

“Do you think he will say anything to Carlisle?” I asked.

“I'm not sure, but I'm not going to volunteer anything for now.”

It occurred to me that having time alone would be tempered by the fact that Edward could just pick our brains the minute we got back.  If Alice was looking out for us, would she be able to see what we talked about?

“Do you think Alice can see us right now?”  I voiced my fears.

“Probably, maybe you should give Seth a call and have him sit outside.”  He smiled when he said it, but I had the feeling he wasn't joking.

“I could, but I'm sure Alice would have Jasper here the minute we disappeared.”  Though Fred’s plan did have some appeal.  “Do you think Edward will try to find out what we talk about?”

“I’m not sure, but I bet they’ll all be bugging him to find out.  We’ll have to make a conscious effort to be discrete.  Maybe start using code words,” he whispered, and I was reminded of the club Diego and I formed in the cave.  The feeling of sadness and loss that always came with thoughts of him washed over me, bringing down my mood.

My phone vibrated, indicating a message from Alice, and jerked me out of my melancholy.

Keep the wolf away from the door x

I rolled my eyes and showed the message to Fred, who did the same.  Another message arrived before I could put it back in my pocket.

Leaving you in peace now. BEHAVE.

I gritted my teeth as I shared the message with Fred again.  Did she have to use capital letters?  I wasn't that bad.

Throwing the phone onto the coffee table, I pushed Alice to the back of my mind.  This was our time, and I had things I wanted to discuss, so I dove straight in.  “What's the deal with your new BFF?”

“I wondered when you'd get around to that.”  He made no attempt to hide his amusement.

“So?” I pressed, making him smirk at my frustration.

“Rosalie and I have never really had a proper conversation before.  Having talked to her, I think I understand her better now.”

“Did she talk about her change?”  She was the only one of them who hadn't told us the full story about how she came to be a vampire.

“No, but she hates what she is.”  Any trace of a smile was gone now.  “If she didn't have Emmett, I think she would have tried to destroy herself by now.”

I found that hard to believe.  “Yeah, being stunningly beautiful and staggeringly rich must suck.  How does she make it through the day?”

My comment didn't even raise a glimmer of a smile.  “That's just the surface.  Don't get me wrong, she is more than happy with her looks, and the affect they have on people.  She also indulges herself with the unlimited funds they appear to have.”

“So, what’s her problem?”  She was such a strong person.  Why would he think she would consider ending it all?

“It's not what she wants,” he said simply.  “She wanted the perfect cookie cutter life.  Marriage, kids, the house with a white picket fence, and the twin rocking chairs on the porch in her old age.”

“Well she's got the marriage thing sewn up,” I laughed.  “How many times have they been married?”

“I don't know, but it's less than Elizabeth Taylor, and at least it's to the same guy.”  Fred shared the joke this time, before we both became serious again.

“The not having kids thing, is that where I come in?” I asked.

“Yes, but her feelings for you are genuine.  Once I established that, I listened to her more.  It's almost subconscious on her part.  I think she would probably have been just as concerned if you had been older, but your youth feeds the longing that will always be part of her.”

“Does she have to be so pushy with it?”

“I don't think that's a maternal thing,” he laughed, shaking his head.  “That's just Rosalie.  She does like to have her own way.”

Carlisle wasn't going to let her have her way.  He didn't want us to live with Rosalie and Emmett.  But none of that would matter if we didn't decide to change our diet.

“How did you feel about the hunting?” I asked, and Fred grimaced before he answered.

“Well, it's definitely an acquired taste, and I don't think I'll last ten days on it.  I can't see why Emmett thinks it's so much fun.”

“You should have seen him with the mountain lion,” I said, smiling at the memory.  “He was like a kid playing with a kitten.”

Fred frowned as he tried to picture it.  It must be something you had to witness to get the true image.

“But what do you think about us hunting like that all of the time?” I pressed.

He slid down further into the chair and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles.  “I still don't get why they hunt like that all of the time,” he replied.  Then he elaborated.  “I sort of understand Edward and Jasper.  Their gifts make hunting humans difficult.”  He then placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.  It was probably the most relaxed I'd ever seen him.  I must have zoned out watching him as I jumped slightly when he began to speak again.

“I even get Carlisle to a certain extent.  His moral issues aside, it allows him to follow a profession.  A ridiculous profession for a vampire, but it's his choice,” he shrugged.  “Esme naturally will do anything to be with her mate.  Alice on the other hand, doesn't do it for her mate.  If anything he does it for her, so I don't get her motivation.  Actually, I don't get Alice, period.”

I laughed at his musing.  There wasn't any form of antagonism between them like there had been with Rosalie, but Alice's exuberant personality, and slavish devotion to fashion, baffled him.

“It's the same with Emmett and Rosalie,” he continued.  “I get that Emmett will do anything for his mate, but I don't know why Rosalie sticks with it.  Not wanting to be a monster just doesn't seem to be enough.”

“Maybe they all do it just so that they can stay together,” I reasoned.  “Carlisle did say they were unusual in our world.”

“That's an understatement.”  He tipped his head up to smirk at me before his eyes returned to the ceiling.

“I meant what he said about it being almost impossible to keep non mated attachments if you drink human blood,” I explained.  

“Why is that important?  Why does he need such a large coven?  They don't fight, and they don't want to gain control of any territories.  What is the purpose of maintaining those attachments?”  Fred was always trying to find a logical explanation for things, but people weren't always logical.

“Maybe because they want to be a family.”  I couldn't speak from experience, but they seemed to be how I envisioned proper families to be.

“You could be right.  It could be as simple as that.”  He shrugged again.

“Do you think that will happen to us?” I asked cautiously.

“What?”

“That we won’t stay together if we continue to hunt humans.”

“I don't know.  I guess it depends on exactly what it is that drives other covens apart.  Perhaps it's something we could discuss further with Carlisle.”

I was facing the possibility that I might lose Fred.  I'd started to think of him as my brother, but he wasn't.  We had the same creator, but that didn't seem to matter in the vampire world.  Would the thought of losing him be enough to make me hunt animals all the time?   Would the thought of losing me be enough for Fred to convert to it? 

“Does it worry you?” he asked, bringing his gaze down from the ceiling again to look at me.

“Yeah.  Doesn't it worry you?”  He didn't seem very worried.

“It never crossed my mind until you brought it up.”  I don't know what he saw on my features, but he pulled himself back up and leaned towards me.  “I don't know if this will help, but Carlisle also said that most covens are formed for convenience or strength in numbers.  That doesn't apply to us.” 

I still didn't feel reassured.  “Would you consider trying it, if you thought it would make it easier for us to stick together?”

He let out a long slow breath before he answered.  “I'm not gonna lie to you Bree.  The thought of it is not very appealing, but I will think about it.”

I felt slightly relieved.  He hadn't said no, and I was strangely pleased he had been so honest with me.  I decided it would be the best time to get the answer to the question I wanted to ask most.  “Do you want to go to Wyoming?” 

He didn't answer straight away, and I began to feel uneasy again.  “I'd really like to head back to Vancouver.  I know I can't go and see my dad, but I would like to try and find out if he's okay.  It can't be easy for him.  He must think I've just disappeared.”

I had no intention of ever seeing my dad again.  He probably missed me the first day his dinner wasn't on the table and didn't give me another thought after that.

“I think you should consider going to Wyoming with them.”

His words slammed into me, causing a pricking sensation at the back of my eyes.  There were no tears to relieve it, so I blinked repeatedly in an effort to dull the sensation.

“You want me to go without you?” I choked out.

“No, I want you with me,” he insisted.  “But going with them may be best for you.  Finishing school will be a good thing and all of your hygiene issues will be taken care of,” he added in attempt to lighten the mood.  “I know you would like to be part of a family, and they can offer you that.”

“I don't want to go without you.  Can't we go to Vancouver now, and meet them in Wyoming after the wedding?” I suggested.

“We could, but I probably won’t stay.”

“Is it the hunting thing?”

“It's not just that.  I want to know what my options are in this life.  Other vampires don't live the way they do.  I'd like to find out how our kind exists in this world.  Maybe I'll come across some other vampires and get a more balanced view.”

I noticed he was saying I, not we.  Two minutes before, I was worried about us staying together long term, and then it was as if he was ready to move on without me.

“Bree, if it wasn't for them offering to take you with them, I'd leave tomorrow and take you with me.  Don't doubt that for a minute.”  He got up and came over to crouch down in front of me.    

Taking both of my hands in his, he tilted his head to make eye contact before saying, “I don't want you to give up what could be a great life for you, because of me.  I'll be fine. I'll email you and let you know I'm okay.” 

Email?  Did he just say he would email me?  I wrenched my hands away from him and pushed back in my seat to increase the distance between us.  Unfortunately I pushed too hard, and the chair crashed into the wall.  I guessed from the resounding crack that the chair has sustained some damage, but I didn't look.  My gaze was fixed on the confused face in front of me.

He then made the mistake of voicing his confusion.  “What's wrong?”  Did he really just ask me that?  How could he not know?  His words triggered a spark of anger that flared up and blurred my vision.  My feet propelled me forward, and I lunged at him.  All sense of reality was gone until my teeth pushed through something hard, and I heard a strangled cry.

Bree POV

 As my senses returned, I was aware of a strong arm around my upper body pinning my arms to my side. My back was against a hard chest, and I was also feeling a bit nauseous. Oh my God. What had I done?

 “Bree, Bree, are you in control?” Fred's voice began to permeate the fog in my brain.

 “I'm going to let you go now,” he advised me before he released me.

I staggered as he temporarily increased the intensity of his gift. When the feeling ebbed, I turned around to see Fred clutching his upper arm.

 “Oh my God, oh my God,” I repeated, as I took a step closer to see the damage I had inflicted.

 Fred stepped back, and his body leaned forward a little. I could tell he was fighting the natural instinct to crouch and prepare for an attack. I wouldn't have blamed him if he had. I'd bitten him; the outlines of my teeth marks were visible through the tear in his shirt. I'd scarred him over an insensitive comment. I was a monster. Whether I wanted to be one or not, that was what I was.

 “I'm sorry,” I whispered, moving back a little. It seemed so inadequate. How many times had I apologized today?

 “What did I do to upset you?” he asked as he straightened up, obviously oblivious to the reason for the attack.

 “You said you would email me,” I mumbled.

 “Don't you want me to?” He was still confused. “Only when we talked before, you said you would want to know that I would be okay.”

 “You said you would email me,” I repeated slightly louder, as if hearing the words again would trigger some sort of understanding.

 There was no light bulb moment. I could almost see the cogs in his brain whirring, trying to fit everything together and get to the source of the problem. Eventually he gave up. “You're just gonna have to spell it out for me, Bree.”

 “We were going to stick together; you weren't going to leave without me. Now you're going to dump me with them and send me an email.” I tried to keep calm, as losing it again wouldn’t have been a good idea. “Can't you see how insensitive that is?”

 His mouth opened and then closed again, as if he had rethought what he was going to say. “I'm not going to dump you. I'd never do that.” He seemed to gauge my reaction to his words, before he continued. “I just wanted you to know that you could stay with the Cullens and not have to worry about me.” 

It made sense. I know it did, but he sounded so casual about me staying with them, as if it didn't matter to him what I did.

 “Don't you care?” My voice was getting louder, as his calmness was starting to annoy me.

 “About you?” he asked, seemingly perplexed. “Of course I do. Why do you need to ask?”

 “Because you want me to stay with them.” I was all but shouting by then.

 “No, what I said was, I think it may be best for you if you stay with them.” His words deflated my rising anger. That was what he had said. It wasn't the words that were at fault, it was the way they made me feel that caused the problem.

 He tilted his head, made a pouty face, and tentatively held out his good arm. I took his hand and let him lead me over to the small couch. A closer inspection of his arm, revealed two semi circles with teeth marks. They were healing, but the venom on each mark still glistened on top of his flesh. I briefly wondered if it was his or mine, or a combination of the two.

 “Do you think someone should take a look at that?”

I wasn't sure who could help right away. Carlisle had gone hunting, and Edward was with Bella. Perhaps Rosalie could do something. She said she had been to med school.

 “It's fine, you didn't remove any flesh, and the sting’s not so bad now,” he replied, apparently unconcerned. I couldn't believe how well he was taking it. Why wasn't he mad at me? Why was he so calm?

 He rested his damaged arm on the arm of the sofa and placed the other one on the back, turning his body so that he was facing me. I kicked off my shoes and sat with my back against the other arm, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. The couch wasn't very big, so my toes were right up against his leg. I rested my chin on my knees, and examined the polish Alice had applied to my toenails earlier.

 “It hurt,” I said almost accusingly. Once the words were out, I lifted my head to look at him. “When you said I should stay with them, it hurt.”

 “It wasn't my intention to hurt you, Bree.” His eyes matched the sincerity in his voice. “I can see that I may have been a little insensitive.”

 “May?” I challenged his assessment of the situation.

 “Okay was,” he conceded. “This is all very new to me. I'm so used to speaking plainly; it doesn't occur to me that my words could be interpreted differently.”

 “If I left on my own, do you think you could stop worrying about me if you got an email? It was my intention to send more than one,” he quipped. The smile soon left his face when I scowled at him. “Okay, point taken. I guess an email wouldn't stop me worrying about you.”

“Are you sure you don't want to come to Wyoming?” I knew I kept coming back to it, but I wasn't ready to just let him go.

 “I could come with you, but I feel I would be living a lie if I stayed. Pretending to be something I'm not. The way they live isn't natural for what I am now.”

 As much as I didn't want to, I understood his reasoning. Their diet was totally at odds with our nature. But apart from the hunting, their lifestyle seemed quite natural to me.

 We stayed on the couch talking for the next hour or so. It should have felt awkward, but surprisingly it didn't. We mostly stuck to discussing inconsequential things. Neither one of us wanted to mention the attack, or his impending departure.

 Eventually he got up, picked up his backpack and started pulling things out.

 “What are you looking for?” I asked.

 “I need a clean shirt. ‘Cause if they see this.” He indicated the tear in the one he had on. “They're gonna start asking questions.”

 “Won’t they notice you've changed?”

 “Only Alice will,” he replied with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Let's hope she's not in the retrieval party.”

 Having come up empty, he threw his bag back onto the floor and made his way to the bedroom. It was just another room really; there wasn't anything in it apart from a chest that held the few clothes we kept there. I heard the lid lifting and closing and the rustle of fabric as he changed, but when he didn't reappear, I got up and made my way down the hallway. He had opened the glass doors in the bedroom, and was looking out into the small garden. The garden wasn't that interesting. What was he thinking about?

 “Penny for your thoughts,” I offered.

 He turned and gave me a small smile. “I was just wondering what would be the best way to get information about my dad. I want to find out if he's still looking for me, and maybe find a way to stop him looking.”

 “Were you very close?” Fred didn’t talk about his family a lot, but his human life had been a lot better than mine.

 “It depends on how you define close.” He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and leaned against the door frame. I examined the floor very closely in an attempt to hide my smile. He was picking up their human mannerisms without even knowing it. “We only had each other after he and my mom separated. I'd left home already, but he knows I'd never just break off all contact. He must know that something’s wrong.”

“You could ask Jasper,” I suggested. Alice had told us her husband was some sort of computer whiz and master hacker. He could probably find out anything.

 “Yeah, I've thought about it. Perhaps I'll have a word with him before I head off. It'll give me somewhere to start.”

 I heard their footfalls two seconds before I caught their scent. We walked back into the living room as Jasper and Emmett came through the front door. Jasper may have sensed our concern as his eyes shifted between us.

 “Hey.” Emmett's greeting reverberated off the walls.

 “Hey yourself; still in one piece I see,” Fred joked with Emmett. Maybe lightening the atmosphere would get around Jasper.

 “Rosie can't stay mad at me for long,” Emmett replied with a wink. “Jasper didn't even have to leave the house.”

 “You should be thanking me for keeping out of it,” Jasper retorted.

 “Why?” Emmett puzzled. “You know Rose only gets pissed if you try to calm her down.”

 “I could have ramped her up a bit,” Jasper advised in jest.

 “Hmm... I can handle it. Besides the angrier she is, the more making up we get to do,” Emmett teased, lifting his elbow to nudge Fred's arm. Fred tried to hide the wince, but there was no fooling Jasper.

 “What happened?” Jasper demanded.

 “Nothing,” Fred shrugged, and I was flooded with guilt. There was no way Jasper could have missed the emotion swamping me. He didn’t have to ask again, as his intense glare was enough to make me cave in.

 “I bit him,” I confessed quietly

 “What!” Emmett exclaimed.

 “Why?” asked Jasper.

 “I don't know; I was upset,” I replied. I didn't want to go into details.

 He raised his hand toward Fred's sleeve. “May I?” Fred gave his agreement and Jasper exposed the scar. The venom was no longer there and it was flatter, but the marks left by each individual tooth were still noticeable.

Emmett glanced around the room before his eyes rested on the broken armchair. “You weren't defending yourself were you?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

 “No, of course not.” Why would he even think that?

 “Of course she wasn't,” Fred protested.

 “So what happened?” Emmett pressed for an answer.

 “I don't want to talk about it,” I insisted.

 “There's nothing to talk about.” Fred backed me up.

 “Did Carlisle have a word with you?” Jasper enquired. I guess it made sense that Carlisle would have discussed his concerns about my behavior with Jasper.

 “He mentioned my 'episodes' if that's what you mean,” I replied using my fingers to make air quotes.

 “Did he upset you?” His voice had a hard edge to it now.

 “No, why?” Then it dawned on me. He thought I might have bitten Carlisle as well.

 Fred followed his train of thought and replied, “Carlisle's fine.”

 “Carlisle and Esme weren't here when...” I let the sentence tail off.

 “We'd better head back. You do know we're going to have to discuss this incident when he returns.” Jasper said.

 I nodded. I'd just have to take what was coming to me. I'd never seen Carlisle punish any of them; he didn't even raise his voice much. I wondered if it made a difference that Fred wasn't technically a part of his coven. Maybe he wouldn't actually punish me, but he wouldn't be happy about it. I had no idea what awaited me, but it would have been pointless to attempt to delay our return. Fred went to close the garden doors, and I grabbed my phone off the table before we all set off at a gentle jog towards the main house.

Carlisle and Esme returned just after five in the morning, and Jasper wasted no time filling him in. Rosalie was livid of course. Not because I'd bitten Fred, but because we hadn't told her about it the minute we got back. Jasper decided it was best to wait for Carlisle, so we wouldn't have to repeat ourselves. Alice had been true to her word and had left us in peace, so she didn't see what had happened. But she did know what we wanted to discuss with Carlisle, so Rosalie was effectively the only one left in the dark, and Emmett was left with more making up to do.

 We all sat in the living room as Carlisle examined the wound, but there wasn't anything he could do. I'd broken the skin, and my venom had entered the wound, so the scar would be permanent.

“How long was Bree out of control?” he asked, as he lowered Fred's sleeve.

 “Not long, no more than five minutes.”

 “Was she harmed in any way?”

 “No!” We both protested.

 “I just restrained her and made her feel a bit queasy, that's all.”

 “And how did you feel, Bree? When you became aware of what you had done.”

 What kind of question was that? Did he think I was pleased with myself? That because I was upset, I thought what I did was okay? Did he think I was that much of a monster?

 “I was horrified of course,” I insisted. “I still can't believe I've scarred him over something so trivial.”

 “Would you care to share this trivial matter with us?” We still hadn't let them know the reason I was upset. I didn't want to tell them; I hoped Fred wouldn't either.

 Carlisle didn't push for an answer and neither of us gave one.

 “Your gift could have saved you from a far nastier outcome,” Carlisle told Fred.

 “Well, it made restraining her with one arm a lot easier, that's for sure,” Fred responded light-heartedly.

 “I'm sure it did. We must have a chat about how effective your ability really is sometime.”

 Fred and I exchanged one of the quickest glances we ever had, but I doubt if anyone missed it. We both knew the cat was out of the bag. It would seem that Mr. I Don't Listen And Tell had told.

 Carlisle excused himself, saying he needed to change and get ready for work. I tried to hide my surprise that he was just leaving it like that. No punishment or anything. He hadn't even mentioned cutting out my alone time. Rosalie stomped upstairs, dutifully followed by Emmett. Jasper took Alice's hand and was headed in the same direction, but was stopped by Fred. “Jasper, could I have a quick word?”

 “Sure,” Jasper agreed.

 “I’d like to head back to Vancouver to see if there is any way I could check on my dad.”

 “You know it's probably not safe to get too close.” Jasper sounded concerned.“Yeah I know. I just wondered if there was any way you could find out if he's still looking for me.”

Jasper sighed. “Your dad is fine, and he's still working at Samuelson's. He’s reported you missing, but the police have no leads so far.”

 “How do you know all this?” Fred sounded as suspicious as I felt.

“I erm... ran a background check when you first came to stay with us. It's important for our safety that we know if anyone may be looking for you. You are an adult, but you are still listed as missing. We didn't want to risk anyone spotting you and linking you to us. The police report back to your dad every other month. Mostly to say there are no leads.”

 “It's not fair to him. He shouldn’t spend the rest of his life wondering what happened to me.”

 “We can help with that,” Alice offered.

 “How?” I asked before Fred had a chance to respond.

 “Well, we can stage an accident,” she advised.

 “It's more difficult now days, what with DNA an' all,” added Jasper. “But it can be done. It will probably have to involve fire or water, as you’ve been gone a while. Your apartment has probably been packed up, and your personal belongings would have been sent to your dad. We’ll see if we can get some samples from your things. If not, we’ll harvest some from him, or one of your siblings and plant them in the lab.” I could almost see a plan forming in Jasper’s head as he spoke.

“When you say harvest?” Fred asked, obviously worried.

 “No one will get hurt,” Jasper reassured him. “Alice can get samples from a hairbrush, or toothbrush, or clothing. They won't even know she's been there and it will give us something to work with. Do you still have any personal effects or ID on you?”

“I've still got my drivers license,” Fred said, reaching into his pocket for it.

 “That'll do. You won't need it anymore.” Jasper took his license and added. “If you're going to come into contact with humans at some point, it may be a good idea to have a new ID. I can sort that out for you. Unfortunately you won’t be able to use your own name right now, as you are missing and will soon be declared dead. It's usually easier to keep your first name and pick a last name, or I can pick one for you.”

“You can use mine if you want,” I offered. I wouldn't need it any more. I assumed they would want me to be Bree Cullen, or would Rosalie want me to be Bree Hale. Not that I could see Carlisle agreeing to me living with her and Emmett after last night’s events.

 “Fred Tanner?” He tried it out. “Yeah, that seems fine.”

 “I won’t be able to go to the funeral will I?” Fred's question sounded more like a statement.“It's not advisable, no. But I'll let you know when it happens. You can say your goodbyes at the same time.”

 “How long will it take?” Fred enquired.

 “The ID will only take a day or two, as I need to create an identity that can be traced if needed. The accident will take a bit longer.”

 A day or two. Was that all the time we had left? I'd thought I'd had a great victory securing time to ourselves, but he would be gone in forty-eight hours. Just like my previous triumph over the phone calls with Seth, it looked as if my success would be short lived.

“What will you do exactly?” Fred asked.

 “I won't go into details, but it will give your dad closure,” Jasper answered sympathetically.

  hoped that would make Fred feel better. I didn't care if my dad had closure or not. He probably wasn't even looking for me. But I was curious. “What about my dad? Did you check up on me too?” I asked Jasper.

Alice put one of her spindly arms around my shoulder. Jasper was about to protest, but she waved it away before he could give it voice. “Do you remember anything about your mom?” she asked.

“You found my mom?” I gasped incredulously. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. She'd walked out and left me with my pig of a father. I could barely remember her before, but since the change, any memories of her were gone.

“No, not exactly.” Alice sounded cautious. Well had she found her or not?

 “She left when I was little. I don't remember much about her at all.” I didn't have any clues to give her, if they weren't sure they had the right person.

 “She didn't leave, Bree. She was murdered by your father.” The arm around my shoulder tightened and she hesitated, casting as glance at Jasper before she continued. “Her remains were discovered soon after you ran away. When the authorities discovered he hadn't reported you missing, he was charged with both of your murders. He is currently in prison awaiting trial.”

Bree POV

I could hear them talking to me, but I felt unable to respond.  The only thing registering in my mind was the fact that she hadn't abandoned me.  All those early years I’d spent hoping she would come back for me were in vain.  The subsequent years when I'd hated her for leaving me with my dad were also pointless.  She had been dead all that time.  I should have felt sad; I should have felt like I had lost something, but I couldn't.  She was gone and I couldn't mourn her because I couldn't even remember her.  I couldn't feel the loss because I had no idea what I had lost.  Was she a good mom?  Did she play with me and sing to me?  Did she read to me at night?  I would never know.  The person who took her from me would know, but he couldn't tell me.  I didn't care what happened to him.  He could rot in jail.

“Are you doing that?” Fred asked Jasper.

“No, she's actually quite calm right now,” he answered.  “I can't say if it will last.”

Everyone in the house had returned to the living room the minute Alice had made her startling revelation.  Rosalie pulled herself away from a protesting Emmett and came to sit beside me.  She linked her arm over Alice's and held my other shoulder.  I could tell Emmett and Jasper were concerned.  They weren’t crouching, but their posture was tense, and I knew they were waiting for the monster to re-emerge.

“Did you have to blurt it out like that?” Rosalie hissed.  “Why didn't you wait 'til I could be with her?”  She continued to admonish her sister.

“I didn't know she was going to ask,” Alice retorted.

“How could you not know?” Rosalie demanded.

“It's not an exact science; you know that.”  Alice reminded her, as they continued to talk in hushed tones over my head.

“Well you should have stalled until I got down here.  Look what you've done to her.”

“You can't blame Alice.”  Jasper defended his wife.  “Besides, she's fine.  I'm not sensing any alarm or distress at all.”

“Bree?”  Fred had crouched down in front of me.  “Can you nod if you’re okay?”

I inclined my head once reflexively.

“I'm so sorry, Bree.”  Fred expressed his sympathy.

“I can't remember her,” I whispered in an attempt to explain my lack of reaction.

“We have a photo,” Jasper said.  “It looks like it was taken in high school.  The local paper used it when the body was found.”

Jasper retrieved the photograph. I don't know how long I looked at it, trying to dredge up an old memory, but it didn't bring anything back.

“I can't remember her,” I repeated.

“We can try to get another picture,” Rosalie offered.  “A more recent one, if you’d like us to.”

“Thanks, but I don't think it would make any difference.  She's gone.  She's been gone a long time.”

“I'm so very sorry, Bree,” Rosalie said sincerely.

“Thanks.”  I felt I should reassure her, reassure all of them really.  “I'm okay, really I am.”

“Why don't you come upstairs with me and have some quiet time by yourself,” Rosalie suggested.

I nodded my agreement and let her lead me to her room.  Emmett followed.  I knew why; he was worried about his wife’s safety.  They were all still waiting for the explosion.  I knew it wouldn’t come.  I wasn’t upset or angry; I wasn’t anything really, just numb.

“Do you mind if I take a bath?” I asked.  I didn't usually like baths but I felt the need to be completely alone, and it was the one place I could guarantee that.  Rosalie ran a deep bath and added some scented foam.  It was quite hot when I got in, but my body soon cooled it down.  The temperature didn't make that much difference, so I rested my head on the small pillow, and attempted to get my head around the last twenty-four hours.  When I got tired of running everything in a loop in my mind, I tried to switch off completely.

I had limited success, as I could hear the hushed whispers coming from the bedroom and the conversation taking place in Carlisle’s study.

Rosalie was still mad at Alice for telling me about my mom and was trying to persuade Emmett to leave the two of us alone.

Carlisle had called the hospital to say he would be delayed.  He probably just wanted to be on hand if I had another one of my 'episodes'.  Fred had stopped him before he returned to his study to say he wanted to discuss something with him.

They hesitated as they passed Rosalie and Emmett's door, as if unsure if they should check up on me or not.  I guess they decided against it, as there was no knock and they continued onto Carlisle's study.

I heard Fred going over the experiment we had carried out while camping and Emmett's reaction to the reason he had trouble following our scent.  Carlisle confessed that he knew something about what had taken place but would be interested to know more.  When Fred told him he already suspected Edward had mentioned it, Alice admitted it was her who had told Carlisle.

“Alice is usually as discrete as Edward, and had your gift been a simple defensive weapon, she probably wouldn't have said anything.”

“What difference does this development make?”  Fred sounded wary.

“To us?  Not much really.  You are both free to leave at any time, and we would not follow you if you did not wish us to,” Carlisle answered.

“So, I guess that leaves the Volturi,” Fred surmised.

“Aro, their leader, is a bit of a collector.  He would dearly love to have Edward and Alice's gifts at his disposal.  He already has Jane and Alec to render any offenders helpless, so his desire to acquire Jasper’s talents is less urgent.  Your gift in its original manifestation, being somewhat similar to Jasper's, would have been of little interest to him.  Projecting your power though your scent is something I've never come across before.  I’m sure Aro would be intrigued, and no doubt keen to add you to his collection.”

There was a pause in the conversation, but Fred didn't make a verbal response and Carlisle continued.  “You may wish to pursue an alliance with the Volturi.  You are free to make that choice, of course.  However, I would like you to have a word with a friend of mine in Denali before you make any decisions about that.”

What did this friend of his do exactly?  Carlisle seemed very keen for Fred to meet him.

“On the other hand, if you don't wish the Volturi to know about you, I would advise that you keep a low profile and only use your gift when absolutely necessary.”

I don’t know how long I stayed in the bath.  Fred and Carlisle had moved on to discussing the article Fred had read the other day.  I listened for a bit, but I didn’t understand half of what they were saying.  Fred must have been really clever when he was human because he couldn’t have learned all that stuff he talked about in Riley’s basements.  Even though my brain now had an overwhelming capacity, I didn’t feel any smarter, and I wondered if going back to my studies would make a difference.  At least I’d be able to remember everything I learned this time.  Eventually I decided it was time for me to get out of the tub.  I entered the bedroom to find Emmett and Rosalie sitting on their bed waiting for me.  Emmett had a firm grip on her, or I'm sure she would have rushed across the room at me.

“I'm fine.”  I reassured them again.  “I feel I should be grieving for her, but I don't know if I can.”  I told them the one thing that I kept coming back to while lying in the bath.

“When the authorities have sorted everything out, we'll find out about the funeral arrangements.  Emmett and I can take you to the grave after, if you'd like.”  Rosalie offered.

“I don't know, maybe,” I shrugged. 

“We're here for you, Bree.  Me, Emmett, all of us.  We will all help you through this.”

“Thanks,” I murmured.  I didn't know what else to say.

“What would you like to do now?”  Rosalie's voice took on a forced cheerfulness.

“I don't know.  Can I just watch TV for a bit?”  In all honesty I didn't want to do anything, and that seemed like the best option.

“Sure you can,” Emmett said, his voice unusually quiet.  He pulled me into his massive arms and kissed the top of my head.  When he released me, he put a hand on each of my upper arms and looked me over.  I was waiting for him to either say something trite or profound, but he scooped me up, threw me over his shoulder and proceeded to jog down the stairs.  We reached the bottom before I could form any sort of protest.

“Do you think that was wise?” Jasper asked.

“She's fine,” Emmett insisted while setting me on my feet.  I half heartedly pushed him away, making sure to give him a small smile to let him know I wasn't mad at him.

“I just want to watch TV for a bit, if that's okay,” I said to no one in particular.

“Of course it is dear,” Esme said.  “Just call if you need us.”  It was her way of telling everyone to leave me alone.

They all left the room, and I grabbed the remote and started flicking thought the channels not really knowing what I was looking for.  Two minutes later, Fred came out of Carlisle's study and made his way down to join me on the large couch.  He didn't say anything; he just took my free hand and held it while I continued to mindlessly press the buttons.  I eventually settled on the cartoon channel.  I watched the brightly coloured animated antics for almost three hours.  Fred sat by my side un-moving, silent, holding my hand the whole time.

Eventually I took pity on him.  He hated cartoons, so I switched off the TV, and Rosalie appeared within seconds. 

“Would you like to come for a walk with me?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, a walk would be good right now.”  It was mid morning and it had been light for hours.  The last few days had been glorious, and the sun had broken through the forest canopy on occasion.  It was not as sunny, but it was still warm, so I could enjoy the temperate air on my skin without creating a spectacle.  I was sure there wouldn’t be anyone around to see the freaky glitter show, because Alice would not have let us leave the house.   

“Sounds like a plan,” Emmett agreed.

“No, Em, this is girl time,” Rosalie insisted.  Ignoring the sulky look on Emmett's face, we made our way to the back door.

“I'll miss this place when we leave,” she sighed.  “I usually prefer to stay in one place for longer.  I hate having to move every couple of years.”  Her mood lifted when she added.  “This time it's different though.  I'm looking forward to Em and me having our own place again.  I love my family dearly, but sometimes it's good to get a break from them.”

“Well, I think Carlisle wants me to stay in the main house, so you're going to get your wish.”  I didn't think Carlisle had spoken to Rosalie before he had told us of his concerns at the cottage.

“Nonsense, you and Fred will stay with us like we discussed.”

“I think Carlisle's worried about my behavior.” 

“That will be water under the bridge in a couple of weeks.”  She dismissed her father's concerns.  “Carlisle tends to be cautious.  But I'm not the least bit worried.  I'm here with you now aren't I?”

My shoulders slumped and I told her.  “Fred doesn't want to stay.”

“What does he plan to do?”  Her voice held more than a hint of panic.  “I over-heard his chat with Jasper, but when he has satisfied himself that his dad's okay, what then?”

“He wants to travel and explore the world.”

“Well, I'm sure that would be a wonderful adventure for him, but I don't know if that life would be right for you just now.”  The panic was no longer there but she still seemed to be on edge.

“He doesn't think so either.  He thinks I should stay with you and finish school.”  She attempted to cover up her sigh of relief with a forced smile.

“He cares about you, so of course he wants what's best for you.  I'm sure he'll keep in touch, and he's welcome to visit any time.”  It would seem that their new found friendship was easy for her to let go of.  With Fred's imminent departure dismissed, she continued.  “We can start to look at subject options when we get back.  You'll probably find things easier now, but you will still have to work at it.”

“It will be strange to be without him.  I know we haven't known each other very long, but I feel so connected to him.”  I stressed, wanting her to know how hard this would be for me.

“Well that's understandable.  Your experience in this life so far has been similar.  Once you have more control, Emmett and I could take you travelling; you'll love Paris.  Emmett loves Africa; Botswana is probably his favourite country there.  Perhaps Fred would like to join us on our trips.”

It all sounded very exciting.  Would she really take me to Paris?  I didn't think Fred would like Paris very much, but he might like that other place in Africa she mentioned.  I had a sneaky suspicion that the hunting might be the reason for Emmett's love of Africa.  That was something we hadn't really talked about.  It hadn’t even been two days, and my throat was starting to itch already.

“I'm not sure if I can stick with the hunting,” I admitted.

“It will be difficult,” she agreed.  “You will need to feed more often at first, but we'll all help you.”

“But what if I can't help myself, and I attack a human?”  I felt sure Carlisle would punish me for that.  He was very fond of humans, and if I was officially part of this family he could punish me if he wanted to.

“We won’t expect you to be perfect.  We’ve all slipped at some point.”

“You haven't.”  I pointed out.  She was so much stronger than me.

“No, but none of us judge each other for our nature.  We are designed to drink human blood.  It calls to us.”  She was talking in earnest now.  “Resisting it will be the hardest thing you will do in this life.  There's no point pretending it will be easy, but you will have a lot of people supporting you, and we will hunt with you whenever you need to go.  Every day if necessary.” 

“Do you really think Carlisle will let me stay with you and Emmett?”

“It might take some convincing, and you will have to try and keep better control over the next few weeks.”  She all but wagged a finger in my face.  “But I think I'll be able to persuade him.”  She concluded with confidence.

We talked some more about the house, about my new room, and about shopping with Alice.  I didn't think that it would be possible, but she was sure that once I changed my diet, I would eventually be able to start making contact with humans without killing them.

This new life sounded wonderful, and I wanted it so much, but I couldn't shake an odd feeling that something wasn't right.  I tried to ignore it and focus on our plans, but it was still there nagging away at me the whole time.  When we got back, I wasn't ready to face any more sympathetic glances, so I told Rosalie I wanted to sit by the river for a bit.  She gave me a quick hug before she sprinted off towards the house in search of Emmett.

I'd been sitting there for an hour before Emmett came out.  He hesitated before he came up beside me.

“This seat taken?” he asked.

I patted the ground, inviting him to take a seat, and he eased his huge frame to the ground in a surprisingly graceful movement.

“He will keep in touch you know,” he said staring straight ahead.  “If he doesn't I'll hunt him down like a dog.  I may even team up with your doggy friend, and we'll hunt him down together,” he added with a laugh.

“You don't have to do that,” I said quietly.

“Is there a reason I don't have to do that?”  He knew.  I could tell he knew.

“Because I'm going with him.”  The moment the words came out, the nagging feeling was gone, and I knew I'd made the right decision.  “I really appreciate all you’ve done for me, for both of us.  But I belong with Fred.”

I heard a quiet sob followed by a low growl.  “Let me go,” Rosalie snapped, and she was on my other side within seconds.  Emmett reached behind me to rest his hand on her shoulder.

“I don't understand.  I thought you wanted to come with us, and be part of our family.”

Rosalie was fighting to hold on to some semblance of control.  Emmett dropped his hand, and moving behind her, he knelt on the grass and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug as if he was trying to hold her together. 

“I do want a family.  It's all I’ve ever wanted my whole life, and I have that now.  Fred's my family.  I know you think he will abandon me at some point, because we're not mated, but I'm his family; he won’t.”  The more I spoke the clearer everything became.  Fred was right when he said we didn't have to define our relationship.  Others vampires may call us a coven if that's what they believed us to be.  But I knew we were more than that.  There may only be two of us but Fred and I were a family in every sense that mattered, and we would find our way in this life together.

I was sad to think of leaving the Cullen's.  They were good people.  They were a wonderful family, and I was honored that they wanted me to be a part of that.  But when I thought of leaving them, I didn't feel the same sense of loss that I did when I thought about parting from Fred.

I knew Rosalie was hurting.  She was a beautiful, strong, caring woman, and no one could wish for a better mother.  But I couldn't be her daughter; I couldn't be what she needed me to be. 

“But I don't understand.”  Rosalie's bewilderment was heartbreaking.

“I don't fully understand it either, but it feels right.”  I wish I could have explained it to her better.  

“Emmett, say something,” she pleaded.

“It's her choice, Rosie,” he said softly.  There was no trace of anger or accusation in his voice.

The simple statement made me feel so guilty.  I was not only hurting Rosalie I was hurting Emmett too.  The only way to make the hurt go away would be to stay with them, but I couldn’t do that.

I left them, in their world of anguish, on the lawn and returned to the house. 

I felt awkward as I entered and was met by four pairs of eyes.  Surprisingly none of them bared any hostility.  I knew they had heard our conversation.  Esme confirmed it when she kindly said.  “We will miss you, dear, and you are welcome to stay with us any time.”

Alice pouted slightly before pulling me into her slender arms.  “You would have loved Paris, you know,” she advised me.  She paused for a moment.  “Mmm never say never,” she added with a wink.

Jasper's face gave nothing away.  Was he pleased I was going?  He could certainly do with a break from my mood swings.  Then it dawned on me.  Rosalie and Emmett would not be the only ones in pain.  I gave him a sympathetic smile and he responded in kind.  “I guess things are going to be a bit quiet around here,” he joked.

“Well, let's hope Bella keeps you busy.  Maybe then you'll remember me as the quiet one,” I retorted.

“Maybe,” he agreed.

Then I looked at Fred and there it was, the beautiful smile I loved.  Even though there were other people in the room, he still gave me that smile.  

We left the following evening.  Alice insisted we kept the phones, the music players and the clothes.  We couldn't take them all of course, but Fred happily let me put some of my jeans in his back pack.  Then it was time to say goodbye.  Bella had called earlier and we had given her our best wishes for the wedding.  I had tried to get hold of Seth, but I couldn’t reach him, so Edward promised he would pass on my farewell.  It was a little awkward and formal as they all wished us well, until Alice hugged me, and then launched herself at Fred.  The look on his face was priceless.  Emmett pulled me to him and kissed my forehead before releasing me and rearranging the hair on top of my head.  He clapped Fred heartily on his back, but no words were exchanged.  Rosalie was the hardest.  She held onto me for the longest time.  I held her back, not wanting to be the one to break the hug.  She was shaking slightly and she almost collapsed when Emmett eased her away.  Jasper must have been over doing it.

As we jumped the river for the last time, I was happy.  The only gray cloud was Rosalie.  I knew Emmett would take care of her, but I still wished I could have avoided upsetting her.

The life I was born to was not a good one.  Becoming a vampire wasn't what I wanted either.  But being with Fred was my choice, and I knew it was the right choice for me.

Two years later.

Bree POV

“How long now?” I asked for the third time.

“Not long, maybe an hour,” Eleazar chuckled.  “Looking out of the window won't make it go any quicker.”

I knew that.  I just couldn't help myself.  Fred and I had been apart for a whole month, and I missed him.  Sure he had called and he'd emailed, but I still missed him. I would have begged him to take me with him, but no one takes their sister on their honeymoon.  Half an hour later I heard a car approaching, but was disappointed when I recognised it as Kate and Garrett returning from hunting.

Carmen came and rested a consoling hand on my shoulder before she went out to meet them.  I reluctantly left my post and joined her.

“Hey there, squirt,” Garrett laughed as he ruffled my hair.  I scowled at him as I always did when he did that.  Between him and Emmett it was a wonder any follicles survived.  I soon gave in and gave him a hug.

“So any news from the newly-weds?” he asked.

“We're expecting them shortly,” Eleazar called out.

My phone buzzed.  The message ID read Tanya.  Be there in 10 Tx.

I smiled as I read the message from my new sister-in-law, as I'd missed her too.  I couldn't believe how close we had become.  I hated her at first.  The minute she set eyes on Fred on that first visit to Denali, our lives as nomads were over.  Fred had noticed Tanya in Forks, when we returned to face the Volturi.  She was not at the house when we arrived, and I didn’t see her until the other vampires joined us in the clearing.  She barely exchanged two words with Fred after the confrontation, as the lost of her sister left her oblivious to the presence of her future mate.

If the Cullen's thought they had seen the worst of the teen monster, they were wrong.  Jealous teen monster was much worse.  Fred and I had taken to hunting animals the moment we decided to stay in Denali.  Carmen and Eleazar were very supportive, but it was so hard.  The animal blood did little more than sooth the burn.  It did nothing for my taste buds; they still craved the rich, thick, nirvana that was human blood.  Fred seemed to take to it more easily, but then I guess he had a strong motive.  The combination of the change in diet and the jealousy over Fred's new relationship made me just about impossible to live with.  I don't know how they all stood it for as long as they did.

The turning point came when I overheard Carmen on the phone with Carlisle.  The exasperation she was feeling about my behavior was clear in her voice, as she asked him how much longer she could expect it to go on. 

“She's past her first year; surely she should have calmed down a bit by now.”  She vented her frustration.

“Carmen, my dear, I'm afraid this may not be a vampire problem.”  I could picture the disapproving look he used to give me as he answered.  “I believe what you have on your hands is a teenager.  Unfortunately I don't have a lot of experience with actual teenagers, but I'm sure Jasper would be willing to stay with you for a while.  He may be able to help,” he offered.

The thought of Jasper's growling put me on my best behavior for a whole week, and I could almost hear the collective sigh of relief.  When the threat of Jasper had been removed, I confessed to Seth during one of our calls that I was ready to start on Tanya again.  Seth was the voice of reason.  He made me see that my dislike for her was irrational, as I hadn't even tried to get to know her.

“Even if she's the wicked witch of the west, the bottom line is, she's his mate,” he pointed out.  “You can't change that.  All you’re doing is continuing to make him miserable.”

I didn't want that.  He deserved better from me, so I decided to make the effort to get to know her.  Tanya was tough.  She didn't scare easily, but when I suggested we hunted alone together for the first time, I swear she blanched.  Fred looked positively panic stricken too.  But that hunting trip was the start of our friendship.

--00—MC—00—

Fred and I had been on our own for just over four months before Tanya first came into our lives.  We didn't go straight to Vancouver as planned when we left the Cullens because Fred wanted to wait until after the ‘accident’ had taken place.  Jasper had sent a text with the funeral arrangements, and we went back to Vancouver that day, but we didn't go anywhere near his family.  Fred would probably have been okay, but I was still testing my control.  We had tried hunting animals a few times, but the craving for human blood was so strong that we always ended up hunting traditionally within an few days.

Fred was good at finding us places to stay.  They were not as grand as the Cullens’ home, but heaps better than anything Riley had come up with.  We had to take some risks though.  Staying out of the sun without Alice's help wasn't easy.

I missed the Cullens, especially Rosalie; I was surprised how much. Rosalie had called regularly after we left, and once we got past the first awkward call, I felt our relationship was just as it was when I was seeing her every day.  She always reminded me that I was welcome at any time, and Fred promised to take me to them the minute I’d had enough of our nomadic lifestyle.  She had told me all about the wedding and had emailed pictures for me to see.  Bella looked amazing and Edward didn’t look too bad either.  Why hadn’t I noticed how hot he was before?  Fred had given them a cursory glance but he wasn’t especially interested in who wore what.  I couldn’t believe how many humans were there.  I know they said they interacted with them all the time, but to actually see them side-by-side with so many of them was still quite shocking.

The call from Seth, a few weeks after we left, came out of the blue.  Edward had confirmed that he had been forbidden from making contact with me.  Seth said it was okay now, as he wasn't in Sam's pack anymore.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  If he could just change packs, why didn't he do that before?  Then he could have called me anytime.  Our chats weren't very long, but I found I looked forward to them.

It was odd when the calls from Rosalie stopped.  I didn’t worry much for the first few days, but after a week I thought I may have offended her in some way and had called Emmett.  He was polite but short, and I didn’t speak to Rosalie at all.  Even Esme was busy.  I tried Seth, but I always got his mom and she always said he was out.  Fred suggested they were probably preoccupied with Bella and the move, and would be in touch again when things settled down a bit.  I thought he may be right, but it still hurt. 

When Rosalie made contact again a few months later, she asked if she and Emmett could meet up with us.  As we were in Montana, we agreed to meet at the campsite where we’d hunted before.  I expected Emmett to bound toward us, talking ridiculously loudly, and scaring every creature in sight.  But they approached us with solemn faces.  They explained that they were still in Forks and needed witnesses, but wouldn’t say what for.  They did confirm the Volturi were involved and insisted Edward would explain it to us when we got there.

Fred was worried it wouldn't be safe.  He thought Bella was still human, and the Volturi had gotten wind of it.  It was the only reason, he concluded, for them to still be in Forks.  I did wonder if that was the reason the phone calls had stopped: so that we wouldn't know about Bella and the fact that they hadn't moved.  We deliberated for two weeks before we decided that whatever the reason, we owed it to them to hear Edward out.  But Fred was adamant; if Bella was still human, Edward had brought it on himself, and we were leaving.

The concentration of different vampire scents became stronger as we got closer to Forks.  I started to think Fred was right to be so cautious.  Something serious was going on; there must be over twenty vampires in the area.

I was completely taken off guard when vampire Bella stepped out onto the porch, followed by a small child, accompanied by a giant russet wolf.

“Has he adopted a human child now?” Fred muttered.  “No wonder the Volturi are pissed.” 

I initially thought the little girl's heart was beating so fast because of her fear.  Then I became aware of her scent.  Even with the odor of wet dog, the unique scent was still detectable.  Why was there a wolf in the house in the first place?

Then Seth came out of the door carrying a plateful of food.  What the hell was going on here?

“Hey, Bree.”  He greeted me and bounded down the steps, while still managing keep a hold of his plate.  Fred stepped back pulling me with him as Seth approached.  We had never been so close before and his foul odor was overwhelming.  I couldn't believe they let him inside the house.  I was also surprised at how hot he was.  It was December, and even though he was only wearing a pair of cut off pants and a t-shirt, the heat was radiating off him.

“Why are you so hot?” I blurted out.

“You think I’m hot?” he teased with a smile.

“No, your body’s really hot.”  I attempted to clarify, but just made it worse.  Thank goodness I couldn’t blush.

“Thanks,” he laughed, and the red wolf huffed along with him.

I didn’t think it would be wise to say anymore.  Not only was Seth laughing at me again, but the other wolf was joining in.

“It’s a wolf thing,” he explained.  “Our temperature runs hot all the time, so we don’t feel the cold so much.”

Bella came down from the porch to join Seth, and the little girl remained on the porch with the wolf.  Was that even safe?  He lowered himself down and rested his head on its front paws.  I guess it seemed harmless enough.

“Hello, Bree,” Bella greeted me.

“Hi,” I responded.

“Fred,” she said extending her hand to him.  “It's good to finally meet you.”

“Good to meet you too,” he replied, taking her hand and shaking it briefly.

“This is Renesmee,” she said, indicating the little girl who was now sat on the top step scratching the wolf’s ear with one hand.  She waved at us with the other and we both waved back.  “She's my daughter, mine and Edward’s.”

Oh no, Fred was right.  They’ve adopted a human child.  Unless they abducted her, and the FBI and the Volturi were after them. 

“She was born in September while I was still human.”  Bella explained.  Bella didn’t look pregnant when I met her, and the child looked about four years old, so there was no way that kid was born in September.   Was she expecting us to believe that they’d had sex while she was still human?  The steady, rapid, thumping of the child’s heart was hard to ignore, but it did distract me from the road my thoughts were starting to travel down.

“That's Jacob with her,” she added, indicating the wolf, and he raised his head and nodded a greeting.

“Er... hi.”  This was getting more bizarre by the minute.  If that was Jacob, what was he doing in Edward's house?  Why did he appear to be babysitting his daughter?

“You ok, Bree?” Seth asked stepping back.

I stepped back a bit too, as the heartbeats were getting to me.  I didn't understand how Bella could remain so calm.  She couldn't be more than four months old; the sound should have been driving her up the wall.  The wolves were definitely safe from me, and the child's scent was sweet and not particularly food like, but the continuous thumping was starting to make my throat itch.  It was just as well that Rosalie advised us to hunt before we came.   

Emmett must have heard the concern in Seth's voice as he came out of the door in a flash, followed by Rosalie.  I expected Jasper to appear and administer a heavy dose of lethargy, accompanied by his familiar growl.  But the door didn’t open again.  Rosalie scooped Renesmee up into her arms and planted a kiss on top of her head.  “I think you should go back inside with Jacob for now,” she said, putting her down beside her furry babysitter.  Renesmee gave us a shy smile, waved goodbye, and disappeared into the house. 

Emmett led us away from the house and explained about Renesmee.  Bella told us how Jacob had left Sam's pack to protect her from the wolves while she was expecting, and Seth had followed him.  They had planned to keep Renesmee a secret so the Volturi wouldn't find out about her.  That was why everyone had been so uncommunicative.  Fred asked if the other wolves were still a threat, but they assured us they were allies once again.  No one explained the swing of allegiance between the Cullens and the wolves.  Maybe this was a regular thing with them.  Like siblings, squabbling one moment, and best of friends the next.

The Volturi were due to arrive within the next two days, so Edward and Carlisle were already in the clearing waiting for them.  They knew it would be early in the morning but couldn't pin point the time due to the absence of Alice.  That was another turn of events that no one explained.  

They were all very polite about it, and took great pains to stress their gratitude to us for coming to their aid, but given my poor control, they thought it would be best if we didn't stay in the house while Renesmee was there.  We didn't mind, because the cold didn't bother us, and when the snow fell intermittently, we took shelter in the garage.  Most of the cars were gone, as most of the other vampires had taken them to go hunting.  We were here to act as witnesses, but the possibility of a fight could not be ruled out. 

There were only seven other vampires in the house when we arrived, and Esme brought them all out to meet us.  All of their eyes were a deep burgundy, like Fred’s.  Two of them were straight out of a horror movie.  All dressed in black, their skin deathly white and sort of dusty in appearance.  Really creepy.  There were three Irish vampires; they seemed friendlier, and I loved their accent.  The last two had a slightly darker cast to their skin.  It was still pale, but it was almost as if they had attempted to catch the sun.  They were a mated pair from Egypt.  Their creator had known Carlisle for centuries apparently.  The male, Benjamin, could manipulate the elements.  He used the river to demonstrate his ability, pulling the water into a gigantic wave until it looked like it was going to come over our heads and soak us, then he pushed it back at the last minute.

It was a light-hearted moment before our thoughts were drawn back to the present when the other vampires returned.  I smiled, shook hands, and made small-talk, but I was just staggered by the fact that there were so many of them.  Fred and I hadn't come across any during our limited travels.  To think I was once surprised to hear that Carlisle had vampire friends that lived in another state.  He knew vampires all over the world.      

We made our way to the clearing in the evening and were greeted warmly by Carlisle and Edward.  Then we waited.  It would have been eerily silent if not for Jacob's loud, rhythmic snores as he slept in a tent with the little girl.  None of the family seemed bothered by the fact that he was in such close proximity to her.  The only negative reaction came from Rosalie, who would occasionally roll her eyes and wonder how the child managed to sleep at all.

The rest of the wolves arrived before dawn and they fanned out behind us.  I spotted Seth and gave him a small wave, and he nodded back.  I would have moved toward him, but Fred had a firm grip on me.  A gray wolf that was slightly smaller and thinner than the others came and stood next to him.  I couldn't be certain but it appeared to be glaring at me, so I put all thoughts of moving any closer out of my mind.  Their heartbeats seemed to beat a tattoo as the cloaks of the Volturi appeared through the gloom.  I felt the same chilling fear I had that first day I arrived in Forks.  If it wasn't for the death grip Fred had on me, I'm sure I would have bolted.

Aro and Carlisle greeted each other like old friends, but despite the politeness of their words the amiable exchange was obviously false.  That Aro guy was so dramatic, playing to his audience.  Even the blonde one with him was getting fed up.  I was sure he wanted to forgo the charade and just get to the fight.  Aro was in no hurry; he had a show to put on.

As the whole confrontation stemmed from the accusation that the Cullens had created an immortal child, the female who had made the report was called forward.  She admitted she had made a mistake, but Aro still insisted on taking Edward’s hand to verify the information for himself.  At one point he looked at Fred, and I knew that he knew about him.  I put my arms around Fred’s waist pulling him closer to me, as if that alone could keep him safe from the pompous egomaniac.  He reciprocated in kind, slipping his arm around my shoulder and holding me just as tight.

The female who had made the false allegation was destroyed but that was not enough.  I could tell the Volturi wanted all of the Cullens, and their allies, dead.  We prepared for the worst before Alice and Jasper made their appearance, accompanied by two other vampires and another hybrid.  Apparently there were even more hybrids in South America.  Why did anything still surprise me?  The whole vampire mythology was nonsense, and it would seem that there were half vampires running around out there as well.  I also learned that Seth wasn't even a werewolf; he was a shape-shifter apparently.  I wondered if he knew that.

Aro and the rest of his cloaked court soon departed with their tails between their legs, but everyone knew this wasn't over.  We had witnessed his defeat.  The battle was only verbal, but it was still a defeat.  I didn't need Edward's gift to know he would try to destroy all those who had stood with the Cullens.

Fred couldn't wait to get away after the confrontation.  He didn't say as much, but I was sure he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the Volturi as possible.  Before we left, Carlisle's friend invited us to stay with them in Alaska and for once Fred didn't decline.  He'd never been interested in meeting Eleazar before, if anything he was suspicious of his motives.  I guessed Fred felt he no longer had anything to hide, as the Volturi knew all about him now.  I was wrong of course; Eleazar wasn't the reason he suddenly wanted to go to Alaska.  We didn't go straight away, and I thought he'd decided not to bother, but three months later he announced that a trip to Denali would be a good idea.  

--00—MC—00--

So here I sat on the porch of the place that had been my home for more than a year.  Rosalie and Emmett had taken me on a trip to New York for the first three weeks after the wedding, but the last week had dragged.  Poor Seth had listened patiently as I moaned down the phone about my brother's absence.  My new extended family was great.  They did their best to keep me occupied, and I really did enjoy spending time with them, but I still missed Fred.

Exactly nine minutes after her text I heard their car.  I tried to remain on the porch, and I managed to stay put until he cut off the engine.  I even hovered until he helped Tanya out of her seat.

She dropped his hand immediately. “Brace yourself darling,” she advised her new husband.

I connected with him before she uttered the last word.  “Hey.”  He absorbed the impact and managed to stop us colliding with the car.  “Miss me?” 

I looked up at his smile.  Fred smiled more often these days, but when it was directed at me, it still felt special.

Tanya had been welcomed home by the rest of the family before she turned to where I was still holding onto Fred and asked, “Do I get a hug, or do I have to get your presents out first?”

“Hmm.”  I pretended to debate for a minute before I flung myself into her arms.

“I was sure you were going to opt for the presents,” she laughed as she pulled me closer.

We made our way into the house while Eleazar, Garrett and Fred retrieved the luggage.  Fred and Tanya were home, and my family was complete again.

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Fred POV

Could this trip get any worse? Not only have I ended up with a stomach full of sour bear blood, but I'm now stuck in a clearing with the annoying Rosalie Hale. The last person on earth I would choose to spend any time with.

Rosalie is a stunning vision; no one can deny that. But her attachment to Bree, combined with her determined efforts to keep us separated, is grating. I couldn't figure it out at first. The Cullens are very accommodating and friendly, considering we had been created to destroy them. Rosalie seemed to latch on to Bree more than the others, and I could tell that Bree's attachment to me irritated her. It took me a few weeks of observing the family for the penny to drop. They have created the family charade in order to interact with humans. But for some reason they carry on with the farce in the privacy of their own home. The non-mated members act like siblings, and Carlisle and Esme continue their role as parents. That's the key to my theory about Rosalie's preoccupation with Bree. She's trying to assume Esme's role in Bree's life. What I don't know is why.

When Bree agreed to join Emmett and Rosalie on their trip, I don’t know who was more surprised, Emmett or me. Emmett was too ecstatic to notice the shock on my features or the minute wince I tried to contain at the thought of feeding from an animal. My initial instinct was to retract immediately and say we had changed our minds, but Bree overrode my instincts with her desire to go camping. I could see she was excited about it. Her poor excuse of a father had used her as a housekeeper and punch-bag and never bothered to take her on any excursions. Not even a day trip to the zoo. I didn't have the heart to cancel and disappoint her.

I'm now standing, starring at the gap in the trees that Emmett and Bree have disappeared into, listening to Bree's protests fading away as Emmett leads her further away from camp. To say Rosalie is a prickly individual would be an understatement. The only good thing about this situation is that she seems to be as uncomfortable and irritated as I am. She appears to be contemplating something as she watches me, and for a moment I wonder if she's considering throwing me onto the fire. I surreptitiously shift away from the flames.

“What are you so nervous about? Anyone would think I was about to hurl you into an inferno,” she snaps at me, breaking the silence. Well that's freaky.

I don't answer her. Letting out a long slow breath, I decide that as we're stuck with each other, we may as well get on with the hunt. “Shall we?” I say half heartedly, and wave my arm in the direction of the trees.

“I'm not that thirsty,” she shrugs. “But if you need to hunt again, I guess we should head out.”

I really don't fancy draining another creature. “I'm not that bothered really,” I reply. “I can give skip it and hunt again with Bree in a few days.”

“You may have to go sooner,” she admits reluctantly. “The animal blood won't keep her thirst at bay as long at first. But as she gets used to it...”

“You seem very sure she wants to get used to it.”

“Life will be so much better for her if she does,” she states confidently.

“Better for you too,” I retort, and she merely shrugs again in response.

“I'm surprised you waited so long.” My statement is met by a questioning look. “To ask her to move with you,” I clarify. “I was sure you would have mentioned your plans when you took her hunting without me last time. A good tactic by the way - divide and conquer. Jasper must be proud of you.”

She quirks a small smile and I know that there's no point dancing around the subject.

“You seem very keen for Bree to move with you.” It's not a question, but I know she will respond to it anyway.

“She's too young to be wandering around on her own.” Her response is nonsense.

“Who said she would be on her own?” I challenge

“You're a lot older than her, in human and vampire terms.”

What does my age have to do with it? Does she think I have romantic feelings for Bree?

“I don't have any romantic feelings for her, if that's what you’re worried about. I'm well aware how young she is. I'm not going to take advantage of her.”

“That wasn't what I meant,” she responds. “Jasper and Edward have already confirmed your intentions, or lack of them, so to speak.”

I'd rather she was convinced of my good character, than relying on the gifts of her brothers, but at least I don't have to work to reassure her of my platonic feelings towards Bree.

“It’s more about awareness and control,” she starts her explanation. “Em said you had expressed an interest in doing some travelling. It's still too difficult for Bree to do that right now. She needs structure in her life to help her adjust. Going back to her studies will give her that.”

“I think I've been helping her to adjust quite well,” I say in my defense. “At least I'm not watching her all the time. You all do it, you know. Your eyes follow her every time she moves, or gets up, or walks down the stairs. She hasn't mentioned it, but I'm sure she notices.” I know why they do it. Bree can be un-predictable, as she's still finding it hard to control her mood swings. Jasper's always alert, waiting for a change in mood that could signal a violent rage. Emmett's always ready to restrain her. Esme's concerned that her outbursts mean she's not happy, and goes out of her way to spend time with her afterwards. Rosalie's worried that Jasper will hurt her in some way, and Alice is worried that Bree will hurt Jasper.

I'm less worried. Bree isn't naturally violent; she's just trying to deal with the intensity of the emotions that come with being a vampire. I've found that the calmer the people around her are, the quicker she calms down. Of course Jasper insists on interfering with her feelings, and I'm not very happy about it. How can Bree ever learn to control her emotions if she's never allowed to experience them? Jasper has assured me that while he understands my concerns, he is in fact lowering the amount of calm he floods her with each time. He can't forgo it altogether though, for the sake of Esme's house. They may all live there, but it is definitely Esme's house.

I decide to bite the bullet. “Why Bree?” I ask Rosalie directly as I sit down next to her on the log. “I'm sure you don't take in every vampire that crosses your territory.”

“She hasn't been dealt the best hand in either of her lives,” she replies, bristling slightly. My coming so close seems to have unnerved her. “She's quite headstrong, and without the proper guidance and structure in her life, she could become quite feral. I don't want that for her.”

“You think we're feral? Why, because we hunt humans?”

“It has nothing to do with your diet,” she responds, adopting a patient tone as if explaining herself to a child. “It's more of a mind set. That's what I was referring to when I mentioned your age. Your early experiences in this life were similar, and yet you have emerged from it fairly civilized.”

Fairly civilized. I'm not sure if she means it as a compliment.

“That was probably due to your upbringing and the fact that your personality was set because you were an adult. Bree is at the age where a lot of humans go off the rails. Teenagers from loving homes lose their way, drop out of school, and make bad choices all the time. The statistics are higher for kids with unhappy home lives. She was already a runaway...”

“That's not Bree,” I insist, cutting her off. She didn't see the kind, frightened girl that resided in Riley's basements. “You have no idea what it was like for us after our change.”

“Bree has told me.”

“And you believe that someone who lived like that, and still kept their kind thoughtful nature, could turn feral?” I questioned in disbelief.

“As I said, she's so young,” she persisted, still using her patient tone. “She's not adjusting well, and she's still prone to violent rages.”

“You've been known to throw the odd hissy fit yourself. What's your excuse?” That woman is full of it.

Her eyes narrow at me, and for a moment I think one of the aforementioned hissy fits is on the way.

“She deserves better. After the life she's had, she deserves better. I can give her that,” she states simply. It's the first thing she's said that rings true.

“Do you think you're the only one who can give her that?” I ask.

“I believe I'm the only one that can give her what she needs in her life right now.” She sounds so sure of herself. She may be right, but that still doesn't explain the maternal feelings that are so central to her desire to have Bree stay with her.

“Is that how Carlisle dealt with his newborns? Did you spend your first years of this life draining deer and hiding your head in text books?” My tone is mocking, perhaps un-necessarily so.

She doesn’t rise to the bait. “Draining deer, yes. But it was about ten years before I went to college for the first time.” I'm surprised when she offers more information. “I developed my interest in cars during those early years. Initially it was just something to do, but I found out I was quite good at it. The fact that I could get a better performance out of an engine than Edward was a bonus,” she adds with a self satisfied smile. I’d noticed that she and Edward seemed to have a love-hate relationship. I thought about asking her about it, but it was her relationship with Bree that concerned me right now. Perhaps the answer lies in those early years.

“Were you never tempted by human blood?”

“What a ridiculous question,” she exclaims. “Of course I was tempted; I'm still tempted every day. But I resisted then and I resist it now; I don't want to be more of a monster than I already am.”

“You really think you're a monster?” I ask, though the words 'meddlesome witch' keep floating through my head.

“I'm a blood sucking vampire,” she says with a wry smile. “That pretty much counts as a monster in anyone's book.”

“That may be how humans see us, but why do you see yourself like that?”

“Because I know what's inside here,” she replies, placing a hand on her chest. “I know what I’m capable of.”

She doesn’t elaborate and my mind goes into overdrive. What has she done? I know she's never gone on a newborn rampage; she’s never tasted human blood. Perhaps it was something she had done in her human life. Was she one of those girls that made other girls lives miserable? Did she leave a trail of broken hearts behind her? She certainly has the looks to have had men falling at her feet. She'd never talked about her human life or her change. I know that she was near death, as Carlisle would never have considered changing her otherwise. Perhaps she was murdered by a jealous lover who couldn’t take her rejection. I don’t expect her to open up to me; whatever it was, it's obviously something she's not very proud of. The journey into Rosalie’s psyche has taken me off track, and I'm still not any closer to finding out what is driving Miss Rosie, in relation to Bree.

The non-question approach had produced a good response before, so I decide to employ that tactic again. “So, you want to give Bree a taste of your fairy tale life.”

“This life is no fairy tale, believe me.”

I'm taken aback by her response. “Oh. What’s wrong with your life?”

“I didn't want this. I would have chosen death over this half life.” Her answer stumps me momentarily. I wouldn’t have chosen to be a vampire, but it’s what I am. I can’t say that I would have preferred death. Even when I believed Riley’s lies about burning in the sun, I never considered death as an option.

“Immortality sounds wonderful until you are faced with the reality of it. Carlisle gave me a new life, but he stole all of my dreams, and I hated him for it.” I notice she's used the past tense, and I wonder what could have changed her mind. “We had it all: the best clothes, the finest jewellery, the newest cars, and the most up-to-date electronics of the time. If I’d still been human, I’d have been in seventh heaven. But I wasn’t human, and the things were just that: things.” She's staring into the flames as she speaks and I stay silent, not wanting to draw her out of the trance like state she's in. She's the most open I’ve ever seen her. “The sense of despair almost overwhelmed me at times,” she continues. “I don’t know how I existed day after day like that. Then I found Emmett.”

I notice the smile on her lips as she speaks her husband's name. Now there is a relationship that mystifies me. I understand the concept of mates and the strength of the bond, but I didn't get how it could work when the vampires involved were polar opposites. How did an easy going, straightforward, all around good guy like Emmett end up with a high maintenance, shallow, pain like Rosalie? Conversely, what did the stuck up princess see in the down to earth, likeable guy that was Emmett?

“He gave this life meaning,” she says as she appears to come out of her self-imposed trance.

“So why are you still unhappy?”

“I'm not unhappy. It's more that I have so much, but not what I really want.” Okay, maybe she's not so shallow.

“What do you want Rosalie?”

“What every girl of my generation wanted. To meet the man of her dreams, settle down, raise a family, and grow old with the one she loves. To spend our twilight years sitting gray haired on our porch, reminiscing about our lives with our faded memories.” She turns her head to look at me, and her gaze is so intense. With her trance broken, I expect her to clam up, but she continues. “None of that is possible for us. We can never settle in one place for too long, we can't have children, and we'll never struggle to recall our youth. This is not how life should be.”

Is that what this attachment is all about? Rosalie wants a child. But Bree's not a child.

“Bree's not a child.” I voice my thoughts. “You can't just use her to fill in a missing part of your life.”

She gives me her best bitch glare. “You really don't think very much of me, do you?”

There's no safe answer to that question, so I bite my tongue.

“I'm well aware that she's not a child. You may not choose to believe this, but I don't just want this for me.”

Her admission surprises me. At least she acknowledged that it was partly about her desires.

“I think Bree will adjust and gain control quicker if she lives with Emmett and me.” She turns to face the fire again. “It's natural for newborns to be unnerved by having too many people around, and I know she still finds Alice a bit too much at times.”

At times? Alice had to be the oddest creature I'd ever met. If I were Jasper, I'd have to zap her with a permanent dose of lethargy just to get through the day.

“Can you honestly say it wouldn't be a good thing for Bree?”

“I can't say hand on heart that it would be a bad thing for her,” I consent.

“But you still want to drag her around the country with you.” She makes the idea sound ridiculous.

“I do want to take her travelling with me, yes,” I reply evenly. I don’t want this to descend into an argument, but she is beginning to irritate me again.

“Do you not like travelling on your own?” She queries sweetly, too sweetly.

"I'm fine with my own company, thank you."  Having a companion would be nice, but I'm used to spending time on my own.  I've never felt the need to be around people just for the sake of having company.

"Then why?"  She's persistent.

"Because it's what we both want."  I hope she stops this line of questioning.  I don't like feeling that I have to justify myself or my motives to her.

"She may not want that now that she has another option."

I know that might be the case. Despite all of the trouble they seem to attract, the Cullens have a lot to offer her, materially and emotionally. I have nothing to my name, apart from the things they have given me, and I'm not entirely convinced that I can offer her the emotional support she needs to get through her first year. But I will offer her my friendship, protection, and loyalty for as long as she wants them.

"Bree is free to make her own choices," I tell her. "If she wants to go to Wyoming with you, she can."

"She may not come with us out of loyalty to you." She finally voices her real fear.

"Maybe." Bree is loyal, and after the chat we'd just had, I knew she felt as connected to me as I did to her.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"You can ask," I reply sceptically.

She takes a deep breath, and I can tell that she really doesn't want to make the request. "If Bree asks for your thoughts on the move, could you be honest with her and admit it would be a good choice for her?"

Oh I see; that must have been difficult for her.  I have no intention of pushing Bree onto the Cullens.  If she asks my opinion, I'll give it to her, even if it means she stays with them.

My answer is simple.  "I'm always honest with her." 

She turns her head so that she's looking directly at me again, and holds my gaze for a few uncomfortable seconds before she smiles. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"And will you tell her she will be just as happy travelling with me?" I ask.

"Not a chance," she snaps back.

I stare at her, briefly stunned. And then she laughs. It's not a polite, social laugh, but an unguarded blast, followed by a series of smaller giggles, and in those few seconds I see a glimpse of a Rosalie I might want to know better.

"Your face," she says through her giggles. I never pegged Rosalie as a giggler. "I know you're not the bad guy here, and Bree would be safe with you."

Her admission makes me relax a little, so I'm thrown by her next statement.

"I was tempted you know," she says with a smirk.

"Tempted by what?"

"To throw you into the fire," she confesses with a wink.

"Even with all those years of self denial, it must have been hard for you to resist," I quip, not wanting to lose the amiable feeling that has come to settle between us.

"Not really," she answers, and I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. "It would have defeated the object. I could hardly say you tripped and fell, and Bree would never have forgiven me."

Her reasoning brings forth a chuckle from me, and we fall into relaxed conversation until we hear Emmett crashing his way through the trees.

"Told you," he crows. Now what's that about?