Volterra - 1955 Tara Spaulding sat on the bed of her hotel room, overlooking the clock tower in the

square of Piazza dei Priori. It was a warm, sunny day. She gazed out the window at the giant fountain in the center of the square. The water droplets glistened in the sunlight as they shot up into the sky and then fell back down into the pool below it. "Beautiful. Like diamonds", she thought. Today marked a day that Tara will never forget - her 16th birthday. Her trip to Italy was gift from her parents. She'd long desired to visit the country since she was a little girl. Her parents discovered she had a talent for art when she was only three years of age and she quickly took an interest in many of the famous Renaissance artists remembering all their names and paintings almost as quickly as she learned the alphabet. They knew early on that Tara was a gifted child. She possessed the ability to draw anything from memory having the ability to capture every detail in her mind, even after seeing it only once and she normally spent countless hours of her days drawing or painting. Tara's father was Huntley Spaulding, owner of a large fiber company in New England. He was good man whose assets were never of greater value to him than that of his own values and love for his family. Her mother Anna also had a love for the arts and was excited to travel to Italy with her daughter and tour some of the most famous and inspiring works in history. While Tara waited for her parents to take her to breakfast before heading into the city, she took out a set of oil pencils and sketched the fountain in the square. Her hand whisked over the paper as she drew incessantly. Before she could finish the drawing, her parents both entered greeting her with smiles and traditionally singing Happy Birthday to her. Her mother slowly walked in carrying a cake with both hands, trying not to let the candles go out. Her father carried a tiny wrapped present in one hand and an envelope in the other as he approached. Tara excitedly set her sketches aside so she could see what surprises they had for her. After she blew out the candles on the Dutch chocolate cake, (her favorite) her father handed held out the tiny gift box. The paper fell to the ground as she quickly tore it off

and then anxiously opened the lid. Inside was tiny gold locket. The front of it had three letters engraved on top, T.E.S; the initials for Tara Elizabeth Spaulding. She opened the locket and discovered a photograph of her parents inside, taken only a few months ago. With her mothers help, she put it around her neck. The final and biggest gift however was the one in the envelope. He handed it to her and she peeked inside pulling out three tickets. They were for a private tour of an art exhibit, exclusively for distinguished tourists only, her father explained. In reality though, it meant he bribed several in people in order to find her the perfect present. Tara and her mother were extremely excited about seeing this exhibit as Huntley explained they would being seeing some oldest and most famous collections of art there. After breakfast, they spent the morning touring the Pinacoteca, an art gallery in Palazzo Minucci-Solaini that was founded in 1905 and consists mostly of works by Tuscan artists from 14th to 17th centuries. Then by sunset, they headed to the Roman Theatre where they were scheduled to meet with their tour guide at approximately six o'clock in the evening. Their docent stood out front eagerly waiting for them when they arrived. They easily spotted the man for he stood out among the crowd of people. The family approached the dark figure, covered in a long black cloak. He had a very macabre appearance and his voice sent a chill down Tara's spine when he spoke. "Are you Mr. Spaulding?" The mysterious man asked. "Yes, I am, and this is my wife Anna, and my daughter Tara," Huntley replied "Greetings, I'm Demetri," he said holding out his chalky, white hand. Huntley shook it. A bit chilly tonight is it? he asked, noticing the mans hands were like ice. Indeed, he replied as he grinned from behind his hooded cloak . The unusual pair of spectacles he wore completely covered his eyes. Tara thought it odd that he wore them, since the sun had already set behind the horizon. "It's a pleasure to be your escort for the evening. Is this your first trip to Volterra?" he pried. "Yes it is," Huntley replied. "It's also my daughter's sixteenth birthday today. I was hoping to find a special event for her this trip and your tour sounded absolutely amazing. I was wanted to make this a very special experience for her."

Demetri inhaled deeply as though he were savoring a delicious aroma then looked right at Tara when he spoke. "Ah, sixteen. such a momentous year. Happy birthday young one," he hissed, flashing his teeth at her. She only stared at the man, saying nothing. It didnt seem to bother him that she didnt speak. Her heart beat sped up as he grinned and then twirled around on his heals signaling for them to follow. The street lights came on as the night began to fall on the city. Demetri guided them through the dark, unfamiliar streets of Volterra taking them on a long walk that veered off the cobblestone walkways and into labyrinth of narrow alleyways that were no longer lit up. Anna put her arm around her daughter's shoulder as they walked, trying not to lose sight of their tour guide. Tara clung to her mother's side starting to feel nervous about where he was taking them. Just before reaching their destination, Demetri turned to face them and smiled. "I assure you, this will be a night you'll never forget." He then signaled them to follow him through a giant wrought iron gate at the entrance of a very antiquated looking palace. Huntley and Anna returned a pleasing smile to the man but Tara didn't smile back. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but she felt something unsettling about him. When they entered the aged building, Tara observed every detail. The brightly lit foyer was covered in wood paneling and the floors were carpeted with a lush green tapestry. She gazed at several spot-lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside that hung on the walls. Tara quickly noticed there was not a window in the place - not anywhere. Demetri led the family down a long corridor. While he walked, he removed the hood of his cloak and exposed the black, wavy hair that stopped at his shoulders. He oddly left the dark spectacles on his face however, even though they were indoors now. A low chatter of many voices could be heard in the distance. It came from more tourists. All of them headed in the same direction, piling into a large, round room at the end. The room looked as aged as the rest of the place, but it was masked with many pieces of modern decor and art. Several glossy tables arranged about the room held crystal vases on top of them, containing vibrantly colored bouquets of fresh flowers. Some of the guests sat comfortably on the dark leather couches that were arranged in a cozy grouping

around a large round Asian rug centered in the room. They all seemed to be waiting for something. Demetri stopped to speak again. "Ah, here we are. Now, if you will all just wait right here a few moments for the main event, I promise it won't be long." He waved his hand at several pieces on the wall. "Please feel free to look about and enjoy our small collection of art here in the waiting room until we begin the main event." As he left, the heavy double doors they came through closed shut with an echoing sound and the people in the room continued to mingle, chattering amongst themselves and looking about the room. Anna pointed at some of the paintings on the walls and tugged at Tara's arm to come look at them with her, but she wasn't the least bit interested in them. An unusual odor in the room turned her stomach as she breathed and a sick feeling sank in her gut. She no longer wanted to stay. "Mom, I think we should leave. I don't like this place, it's really creepy," she said as she tugged on her mother's arm. "But why? I think it's absolutely beautiful sweetie. Don't you? It's very majestic." "No, I don't like it. Something doesn't seem right. Can we just go back to the hotel?" Anna whispered so Huntley couldn't hear. "Honey your father paid a great deal of money for this. It's your birthday present, don't ruin it for him." It's all a bit mysterious but I think its all part of the show. It will be fine, you'll see." She rubbed her arm trying to sooth her daughter. Tara didn't feel as secure as her mother did however. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she began to scan the room. She glanced up at a mural painted on the vaulted ceiling above their heads noticing a balcony above them. It circled the room with several doors on the upper level leading out. She spotted two more doors on the opposite wall of the room, tightly secured as well. Several moments passed while they waited, when suddenly she noticed the creaking sound of hinges as they turned with a door. Then seconds later, she heard another. She glanced at the large entry door they came in. It appeared to be secured still. She turned to look at the other two at the back of the room but they were also shut tight. Before she even had time to look up and check the balcony, she heard the screams coming from every direction. Panic set in the room. People pushed and shoved each

other, running everywhere. At first, she didn't know why. She wondered if the building had caught fire, though it seemed impossible, considering the entire place was crafted in stone. When she scanned the room to look for the source of the mayhem, she caught a glimpse of the creature just before it attacked. It crawled out from a hole in the floor that had been strategically hidden under the giant rug. The figure appeared to be human at first. Its ghostly white complexion reminded her of their tour guide but something else about it became very apparent to her - its eyes. They were nothing like she'd ever seen before demonic and red. The irises were a deep crimson around the edges, darkening until they were black around the pupil and they were completely focused on her mother. The creature crashed through one of the leather couches as it targeted her, easily smashing though it as though they were made of toothpicks. The creature snarled, exposing a row of razor sharp teeth just before it reached her mother and sank them into her throat. "Momma!" Tara shrieked in horror. "Anna! No!" her father yelled as watched the creature take her down. Before Huntley could get to his wife, another one leaped from the balcony and landed on a man in front of them as he ran towards the exit. The creature bit the mans arm but it didn't eat the flesh. It only appeared to be draining his blood. Tara screamed again and it eyes panned up from its meal, blood dripping from its mouth. She was unable to move, paralyzed by fear as it growled at her. Without even thinking Huntley grabbed Tara by the arm, pulling her as he headed for the entry way in which they came through. He wanted to get his daughter out of the room before the creatures killed her too. Not knowing if Anna was still alive or not, he would go back for her once he knew his daughter was safe, but he knew he had to get her out of the room first. Huntley could not find any handles or knobs on the towering doors. He tried squeezing his fingers between them to pull them apart, but they didn't budge. The lock on other side had been bolted shut. Fewer screams echoed though the room now. The creatures spread about, feeding on the tourists. While Huntley still searched for a way out, Tara spotted one of them feeding on a young boy. It looked up and fixed its scarlet eyes on Tara. Unsatisfied by its small meal, it

tossed the child to the side and lunged for her. The creature ripped the sleeve from her shirt and bit into her shoulder. Tara screamed as the pain seared though her arm. She felt as though someone shoved a hot poker in her shoulder. "Tara!" Huntley yelled as he thrust his body at the creature. To no avail, he struggled to pull it off her. His actions only angered the creature as he disturbed its prey. Suddenly, the creature let go of Tara and lunged at Huntley. Her father struggled as the blood drinker latched onto him. Tara screamed in horror as she lay on the ground, twitching and watching her father being ravaged. "Hide Tara!" her father breathed his last words before it plunged its teeth into the base of his neck, "Hide!" he gurgled and then exhaled his last breath. She wanted to run for the doors at the other end of the room but she could barely move. The pain crippled her as it began to spread through her entire body. She crawled under the large mahogany table next to her and curled into the fetal position. She lay there helpless under the shoving her fist in her mouth to muffle her screams as the fiery venom traveled through her veins. Tara watched in terror as the creatures took down every last person in the room. They ignored her however. It was as if they couldn't see her or didn't notice she was there. Finally, her vision faded into blackness. The only thing echoing in her head her head over and over were her father's last words to her. "Hide Tara, Hide!" ________________________________________ Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:34 AM 1 comments

Chapter 2 - Fifty-Four Years Later Fifty-four Years Later (The Present)

Dartmouth College Campus, New Hampshire Alice had predicted partly cloudy skies with bouts of sunshine for their trip but for the time being, the sky was completely filled with thick gray clouds. Edward and Bella exited the admissions office at McNutt Hall and headed towards the auditorium for a group information session followed by the campus tour at Dartmouth College. Bella finally made her first big trip outside of Forks since her transformation. Her original plans to attend Dartmouth had been abruptly put on hold the day she discovered she became pregnant with her daughter Renesmee just a little over three years ago while on her honeymoon. Bella had planned to quietly disappear with Edward and start college in the fall after they married. She wanted to spend a little more time as a human with him and enjoy certain aspects of having flesh and blood. She worried that intimacy with Edward would not be the same once she made the transformation into a vampire. Her choices came to a screeching halt though once Renesmee came into her life and she never looked back. It was though she couldn't even remember what life was even like without her. Edward and her daughter were her priority and nothing else mattered. Since Renesmee's development was exceptionally fast, Bella didn't want to miss a moment of her precious life. She spent as much time as she could with her daughter during the day, reserving her nights for her husband. Renesmee's advancements were astonishing with her first year being the quickest and then progressively slowing down over the last two years. Now her growth only happened in spurts with her last one recently happening over night. Since growing into a young teen (Carlisle estimated she was at the age of 14 or 15 year old) she started becoming much more independent. Bella managed to stop hovering over her so much and Edward finally talked her into finally considering college again. She long sacrificed her own desires to care for her daughter over the last three years, but now that little Renesmee was growing and spending more and more time with Jacob, she felt comfortable with the idea of returning to school again. Edward and the family helped Bella prepare for this day as best they could also by working on her tolerance to be near so many humans. It was one thing to be around her

family and close friends that she cared deeply for, it was another thing to be in a room full of complete strangers that smelled like a blood buffet to her. When her eyes finally shifted from the deep burgundy to a softer golden tone, it allowed her to go out in public. Alice always kept a close eye on Bella's future and didn't foresee any problems but the extra hunting trips always helped. As they strolled down the corridor Edward squeezed Bella's hand tightly sensing her discomfort. The overwhelming scent of human blood burned Bella's throat as she walked past the rooms filled with students. She felt secure with him at her side, knowing there would be no way she could do this without him. His presence gave her comfort and strength, though she couldn't help but think that a little mood control from Jasper could probably do her wonders right now. Bella knew her first year at a college would be a challenge. Several newcomers mixed with students in the hall, all hurried to class rooms. Others stood in groups talking amongst themselves. As Bella walked past them, she felt the stares coming from every direction and whispers coming from some of the girls strolling by. A few made comments about her but most of them were noticing Edward. She didn't need to be able to read minds to know they admired him. Bella choked back several hisses, feeling silly for being jealous but she found it too difficult to contain her emotions. Anger flooded over her when the girls continued to ogle at her husband. The tempo of their heart beats sped up as they walked past the girls. When Bella looked at Edward though, she noticed he became a bit over protective himself as he suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him. She wasn't quite sure if he was worried she might bite someone or perhaps that he had another motive for his action. Just then, his face changed and his mouth hardened into a straight line as he tuned in to the minds of a few boys that walked by gawking at Bella. He tried very hard to ignore them. Their orientation was scheduled to be held in the Spaulding Auditorium. Edward studied the history of the college before they arrived and knew the auditorium had been named after a prominently wealthy philanthropist and business man that donated a great deal of money to the school. He also knew the man mysteriously disappeared while on a vacation

with his family in Italy many years ago. They both decided to travel on foot across campus, taking advantage of the comfortable cloudy weather that New England offered them for the day. After crossing through the Bedford Courtyard, they entered the large concert hall and Edward stopped just to the right of the entrance of the auditorium, pulling Bella in close to him. "Sohow are you doing?" he whispered in her ear. "Great. As long as I'm with you of course," she tried to sound confident. "How about you, what's with the uhface?" "Oh nothing I can't handle," he sighed. "You know, I remember high school boys being aberrant but I'm realizing how much worse they will be here," he said as he scowled as a few more boys passed them. Their thoughts really stood out from the rest. In the corner of her eye, Bella caught one of them staring at her intently. Edward disliked his thoughts the most and he let out a low hiss. The boy walked faster, bolting into the room and sinking into his seat. Bella wrapped her arms tighter around Edwards waist and stood up on her toes to meet his lips. She reached for his face and concentrated, staring into his golden eyes, opening her loving thoughts to him. His eyes softened. Once she had him melting in her arms she thought about the boy that passed them. She envisioned herself chasing him down the hall as he ran, screaming in terror. "Bella!" Edward gasped, trying to hide a smile. "What?" she giggled. "It's just a thought." As they entered the giant auditorium, Bella counted nine-hundred seats within seconds. The students piled in, finding seats for themselves and Edward searched for a section no one had claimed yet. He chose two seats on the far end, trying to give them a little privacy. He eyed a news paper laying on one of the seats and picked it up, looking at it as he sat down. He read the heading of the story on front page. Mysterious disappearance of blood units, still baffles police in Local County Edward stuck the paper in Bella's book bag just before taking his seat. He listened while the students settled in. Bella eyed the room. There was a podium at the front of the room and dozens of multicolor panels covering the ceiling with a multitude of recessed house lights that reminded

her of a starlit sky. She counted exactly five hundred and sixty four heart beats in the room. It amazed her how Edward could simply zone out all the voices that ran through his head all day. She imagined it would be extremely distracting while trying to concentrate on a lecture. Edward excelled at it though, having years of practice. Most of it bored him anyway. He had little desire to listen in on the adolescent minds that filled the room and after spending four years in the same high school in Forks, he knew every mind by heart. It all had become very mundane as he described it. It wasn't until Bella had come to Forks that he found any interest to listen in on the minds of all her close friends in attempt to appease his curiosity. Edward started to get a feel for his new surroundings as he tuned in to the voices. Most of the students were nervous and a little lost in the confusion. Several were far from home and alone for the first time in their lives. Others sounded just like all the rest he was used to. Though the voices in the room began to get quiet as the Dean entered to make his welcoming speech, the noisy thoughts buzzing in Edward's head remained just as loud for him. The mans footsteps echoed through the silence. He gave the microphone a quick blow to see if it was on and then began rambling on about the school's background and admissions. Bella listened intently, trying not to become distracted by delicious aroma that filled the room. It was like her food called out to her. She immediately shook her head trying to refocus on the lecture. Edward became instantly bored with the Dean's speech, already knowing what the man would say even before he begun. When he moved onto the subject of financial aid procedures, Edward faded out for a while, focusing his attention on something more interesting to him which was his wife. He put his hand over hers, using his intuition to sense what she was feeling. He didn't need to read her mind to know her throat ached from the smells in the room. She smiled at him and held his hand tightly. Nearly thirty minutes passed. Every now and then, Bella would gaze over at Edward. He continued to stare at her distracting beauty, soaking in every perfect feature. He slid an arm around her shoulder and played with a strand of her hair, twirling it through his fingers. She never grew tired of the intense devotion and attention her always gave her. As the speaker droned on during his speech, Edward's continued to ignore him. After all, he was there mainly for Bellas benefit; yet through all the chatter in his head, something

came through very clear to him - something odd that caught his attention. His body stiffened and he sat up straight. His hand no long played with Bellas hair and his concentration suddenly became diverted. Bella noticed his peculiar behavior and it made her nervous to watch him scanning the room with a disturbed look on his face. "What's wrong?" she whispered in a completely inaudible tone that only he could hear. But then Edward did something she didnt expect. He pulled out a pen and wrote on one of the handouts they were given. Not sure. Something's off. She thought it odd that he didn't speak since human couldn't hear them or even see their lips moving. Edward's eyes panned across the room as though he was searching for something or someone. He shook his head and went back to observing the lecture. Maybe it's nothing, Bella hoped. As the manifold of voices still rambled through his head, something unusual caught his attention again. He sat stern faced for a while and then turned and gave Bella an uneasy look. Then he wrote on the note paper again. I don't think we're alone. Bella's eyes narrowed, looking at him even more confused. Then he wrote again, one single word. Vampire Her eyes widened. What? Who? She thought, this time allowing Edward to hear her when she touched his leg and unshielded her mind. She also understood now why he didn't use verbal communication knowing, that a vampire within close range would be able to hear them. Unsure, but it's a female. He wrote again. Jane! Bella thought instantly and her mind started racing. The Volturi is here? What could they want now? she wondered. Edward wrote another response. I don't think it's the Volturi. He glanced at Bella to see her expression and she shrugged at him with a worried looked on her face. Edward listened intently for a few more seconds and then put his pen to the paper again. She's alone. They patiently waited for the lecture to end. Once it did, they jumped up moving as

quickly as they could towards the exit. Edward and Bella stood out in the center of the corridor. He sifted through dozens of voices in passing, listening intently to try and track down the suspect. "This way," Edward said as he reached for Bella's hand and walked with her down the corridor. They ended up in an outdoor Courtyard near the main entrance to the museum. Bella spotted the rude boy from earlier staring at her again along with a couple of his friends. This time Edward wasnt as interested in his glaring peer. "She's out here and she's noticed us," Edward said. "She's still wondering why we're following." "Who is she? Is she feeding here?" she wondered. "I don't think so. She's not thinking about hunting humans at all." "Well what is she thinking about then?" Edward gave a brief smile. "Actually, right now she's looking at you." He scanned the area to see if anyone was appeared to be staring at Bella. "She thinks you're beautiful...can't argue with that." He winked. Just then, Bella spotted a young girl. She stood in the court yard not fifteen feet from them. Her long black hair covered a portion of her face, hiding her flawless pale complexion. The shiny, gold locket that hung around her neck completely stood out against her drab and colorless apparel. Bella clearly saw the initials T.E.S, engraved in the front of it. She blended in well with the other students except for the fact that she appeared almost too young to be a student there. The moment Bella spotted her glaring red eyes however, she knew right away it was her. "She's about to leave," Edward said. The girl began moving again. Since the sun began to peek out of the clouds now, they knew to be careful as they followed. Edward continued to inform Bella as he listened to the vampire's thoughts. "She just took off into the parking lot," he said. "I know! I see her," Bella replied. "You do? Where?" Edward kept looking for the girl. He saw an image from her from her mind, but couldn't locate anyone that looked like her. "Right there!" Bella pointed at her but Edward saw nothing - nothing but humans, so he

thought. Bella wondered what was wrong with Edward's eyes that he couldn't see the glaring red eyes that stared back at them. Suddenly she was on the move again. "Oh no! She's headed right for that break of sunlight. What's she thinking? Is she trying to give herself away?" Bella panicked. Edward picked up on her thoughts knowing exactly where she headed even though he still did not see her. They watched as she ran right in front of a speeding car in the parking lot and leaped on the hood, startling the driver who slammed on his brakes. The girl stopped abruptly to look back at her followers. She stood in a direct ray of sunlight that beamed off her skin in every direction. "Shoot! Too late! Everyone will notice her now. What should we do? Want me to tackle her? Or I could cause a distraction," Bella suggested. Edward continued to read the girl's thoughts. "Not necessary. I don't think anyone's going to notice her. They can't see her just like I can't see her." "Um, you don't see the shiny girl in the parking lot?" Bella wondered how he could possibly miss her. "No, and I think I've figured it out. She's able to control my thoughts. She can manipulate them to make me see what she wants about her and she doesn't want to be seen. As usual though, it's not working on you and she's frustrated." Edward understood that feeling all too well. Before he could continue, the girl disappeared running into the nearby forest. "Shes leaving. Do you think we let just her go?" she paused. "Yes, I think it would be best for now. She'll be back. Come on, we're missing the tour." Edward put his arm around Bella and turned her to head back but she continued to stare out towards the far end of the campus where the girl had run off to. The vampire's shimmering figure stood just inside the perimeter of the trees gaping back at her. Edward always knew that buying a property near Dartmouth would be a good investment and he'd purchased one just before they married in the event that they needed to move one day. The purchase came in handy now and he was praising himself for buying the place. They were able to avoid the hassle of a hotel and got to enjoy the comforts of a

home and a bedthough there was only one thing they need that commodity for and they make good use of it that evening. The following day when they returned to campus, they took a tour of the Hood Museum of Art, located just next to the auditorium. They spent over an hour viewing several of the museum's collections from many ancient cultures and regions of the world. Suddenly Edward detected the presence of the girl. "She's back," he whispered calmly. Bella looked around and saw the girl standing in the shadows trying to peek at them from a distance. She seemed more curious than threatening. "Edward, she's so young, not much bigger than Renesmee." Bella said feeling sorry for the girl. "How could anyonewell any vampire even consider doing that to a child?" "It happens. It's rare though. Many times if one feeds on someone too small they wouldn't even survive, the blood gets drained too quickly," he said in a matter-of-factly tone. Bella cringed at the thought of it. "That's just horrible." "Yes. It's difficult for them usually. As you know, the Volturi would normally step in because they are unable to control their urges. This one seems to be handling herself quite well though, I'm quite impressed. It seems as though she's been mentored at some point in her life. She's very curious about what were doing here." As Edward and Bella walked through the museum with their group, the girl followed watching them assiduously. Edward listened to her thoughts intently so he could find out more about her. "So none of these people here see her?" Bella asked. "No, it's like she's invisible to them." "Should I?" Bella thought to suggest she try and shield the girl's powers so Edward will see her. "No, don't. You may startle her if realizes she's no longer concealed. She's hiding for a reason and I'm trying to figure out why. It's okay though, I can hear her and I sort of have a picture of her from her mind. She isn't quite as young as you suspected." "She's not?" "No, she's a teenager, about fifteen or sixteen I think. Her mind is so busy. It's hard to sift through her thoughts. She's unique though, this isquite rare. She actually has a conscience."

"What do you mean?" "She doesn't kill. Look" he said as he dug into her back pack and pulled out the newspaper he found in the conference hall the other day. "She's stealing blood to survive, so she doesn't have to hunt." The paper was folded back to expose the story. "Okay, but how do you know this is her?" Bella asked as she tapped her finger on the paper. Edward just gave her a funny look. "Oh right," she said. It was obvious he was picking her brain and she felt silly for asking. "So then, is she all alone here?" "Yes, it appears that way. I think she's been alone a long time." "How sad," Bella said looking at the girl, feeling sorry for her. "Yes, she is. She seems to be hiding for a reason though. I haven't quite figured out what it is yet." Bella turned back to Edward. "Maybe if we talk to her..." she started to suggest. I'm not so sure if we should approach her yet. Not till I'm sure it's safe." The group of people that were with them finally moved on, leaving Bella and Edward standing in the tiny room alone. When Bella looked back at the corner the girl stood in, she was no longer there. "Hey, where'd she go?" she wondered, but before she could turn Edward spotted the girl as she came into his view. "Bella!" Edward snapped, reaching out to protect his wife. As Bella whipped around, she came face to face with the vampire as she stood only inches from her face. Bella then leaped back, completely startled by the girl's stealthy maneuver. She felt Edward arms wrap protectively around her. "You see her now?" she asked Edward while still keeping her eyes on the girl. "Clearly," he hissed staring as well. He shoved Bella behind him and stood between them. The girls red eyes narrowed as she peered at their faces. "Why are you here?" she demanded to know. Bella curiously peeked around Edward. "We're here to see the museum, and the college, that's all," she replied. "But why, what are you looking for?" the girl asked.

"Were not looking for anything. We're considering attending," Bella stated plainly. The girl seemed confused. She cocked her head to the side wondering what Bella meant. The thought of vampires actually attending a college with other humans intrigued her. She assumed she was the only one of her kind that even attempted to be civilized and though she lived among humans, she never socialized with them. They never even knew she existed there. Edward decided it might be best to introduce himself and explain some things to her. Excuse me, he politely interrupted. My name is Edward Cullen and this is my wife, Bella. We arent following you, we're simply taking a tour of the campus and were only here for the orientation and to view the area, nothing more. I apologize if we alarmed you." The girl curiously stared at their golden eyes. She'd never seen vampires without red eyes before. "It's our diet that makes our eyes this way," Edward said. The girl looked stunned. "What? How did you... Did you just read my mind?" "Uh, yes. I'm sorry. It's a habit of mine I use to figure people out. I didn't mean to intrude." She knew a mind reader once, but Edward's gift was unique. It required no physical contact. She didn't like the intrusion but was too curious about them to care. "Your diet? What kind of diet?" she asked quickly moving onto the next subject. Her head was filled with questions. "Animals. We're umvegetarians...so to speak." Edward winked. "So, you only hunt animals? That's all?" she cocked an eyebrow. "Correct," Edward replied smugly. "Ew," she grimaced at the thought of it. Edward and Bella both looked at each other and chuckled. The girl seemed even less harmless now as she displayed very normal behaviors like of a teenager. Edward could see she meant no harm as long as they were of no threat to her. The thought of animal hunting surprised her though. It made her realize they were not killers then and that they were peaceful vampires such as herself. She admired that. Never before had she encountered other vampires that didn't hunt for human blood. Something else bothered her though.

"So how is it you can see me?" She spoke directly to Bella, "No one ever sees me!" Bella shrugged. "Sorry, that's just what I do. I seem to have immunity to other vampire's abilities. Edward can't even read my mind, unless I let him." "Fascinating." She blinked. I've never seen a gift like that one before. You would surely come in handy in a fight," she said, thinking about some of the other gifts that certain vampires possessed. Having a shield would be a great defense, she thought. Then she paused momentarily and decided to introduce herself. "Well, I'm Tara and you're kinda crowding my home." "Home? You mean you live hereat the college?" Bella seemed surprised by the idea of it. "Well, I stay here, yes. Everything I need is herepretty much." It all made perfect sense to Edward. She had plenty to occupy the mind at a college, food was not far off the campus grounds and sleeping wasn't an issue. She could just roam the campus indefinitely. The more Edward thought about it the more he thought of it as great idea for a vampire. She seemed very intelligent for her age, realizing she must spend hours reading and taking advantage of her resources there. He continued to scan her busy thoughts for as much background as he could, hoping he could provoke some answers if maybe he asked the right questions. "So you're alone here? "Yes." she replied in a tinier voice than before. Edward caught a glimpse of her family's demise when she ran the memory through her mind. "Ah, there it is. Uh! Horrible!" he thought. Tara changed the subject. She didn't like thinking about that part of her life. You two are not from here are you?" she asked. It was all too obvious to her. "No we're from a small town in Washington called Forks." Edward didn't think she'd have heard of it but she knew exactly where it was. It surprised him until he realized she had nothing better to do with her time than study. She was full of information. "Mmm, yes. Well you won't get such generous weather here. You'd be indoors much more than you'd like I think," she said. "Well, Dartmouth is just a consideration for us. We're planning on touring all of our options. We're not quite sure if we're ready to leave our family behind, but it's good to know what's out there for us, regardless. Also I wanted to expose Bella to the outside

world more. Forks isn't exactly the most exciting place. She's stepping out from her new born phase and this is her first trip outside the state." Edward suddenly realized that was a bit too much information for her. She knew what baby vampires were like and Bella didn't fit the description of one in the least. She also couldn't understand what he meant about having a family. Tara just quietly stood with her arms folded, staring at Edward with disbelief. "Um, I guess that was too much information for you all at once," he admitted. "Family? Is that what you call your Coven?" It was such an unusual term for a vampire to use, she thought. "Yes. And we do consider them family. There are nine of us total, though two have left for college themselves and only visit occasionally now." Edward was referring to Rosalie and Emmett who were both in Alaska attending college and enjoying some private time away. "Nine in your coven? That's quite a large uh family you have," Tara said. "Yes well, we're all adopted, so-to-say. The eldest, Carlisle is the head of our family. He's like a father to me and his wife Esme is very much like our mother. She's quite the nurturer. Right now she is feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome, especially since we have moved to a little place of our own as wellit's not far from them though." "Mother and father?" This all sounded very odd to Tara. "And these pseudo parents of yours they take in new vampires? Thats correct. Interesting. I suppose they're all like you then?" she asked. Edward understood that she referred to their diet of animal blood. "Yes, all like us. We've vowed not to harm humans. We can't help what we are but we don't have hurt anyone. We choose not to," he said. "Believe me when I say that I understand how difficult that must be for you all. I admire your will power." "I do believe you, but what about this? Edward asked, pulling the newspaper from Bella backpack and showed it to her. Tara looked at the paper, reading the headlines and frowned. She hated to make the news. She knew she needed to be more careful knowing it could blow her cover. Edward was positive now that it was her stealing the blood.

She shrugged. "Hmm, well at least no one gets hurt this way." She took the news paper and chucked it in the trash bin in the corner. "Ah well, you forgot to read the part where they had to call for an emergency blood drive for several accident victims that needed a transfusion. You also draw attention to yourself when you go around stealing like that you know." Edward said, realizing how much he started to sound like Carlisle now. Tara smirked. "Good observation. Im not too worried at this point though. They will never find me, plus there will always be donors," she said. Edward rolled his eyes realizing she was stubborn like a teen too. Bella took a liking to Tara. She wished they didn't have to leave her here, all alone in the museum. She grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it tightly. Edward listened and then turned to her. "We'll see," he spoke softly. Tara watched, as the two of them communicated. She realized they were having a private conversation and thought maybe she should depart. "Well I guess as long as I know you're not a threat, I should leave you be to finish your tour. I'm sorry if I intimidated you," she said to them deciding to leave. Edward saw it all clearly now, as she exposed in her mind who she was hiding from. "I was wrong about you," he said. "You are Volturi." Bella gasped. What? Tara grimaced disliking the mind-reading gift again "Was," she said very frankly. "Hmm, and you escaped. That's nearly unheard of but I see now how your gift assisted you with your extrication." Tara looked at Edward fearfully realizing she was completely exposed, unable to hide her thoughts from him and unable to conceal herself from Bella. Edward sensed her dismay. "Oh no, pleasewe will never expose you to them. We are trying to avoid the Volturi as well. We actually feared you might be one of them as well, sent to spy on us." Tara relaxed. "I suppose we share something in common then, don't we?" "Yes, we do," Edward replied. Tara started feeling more comfortable with them now. She felt sure they wouldn't hurt her and she was very curious to get to know them better. She wondered more about the rest of the family too. She changed her mind about leaving and made them an offer. She liked

the company and it had been a long time since she'd been around other vampires. "Well if you would like, I could give you my own personal tour of the museum. I know this place way better than these clowns," she said, referring to the campus guides. Edward gave her a sly smirk. "I'm quite sure you do. That would be superb. How about you lead the way?" he suggested. Tara smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she had a reason to but it felt good. She showed them several exhibitions, explaining each one with thorough detail. She knew the museum as well as every other aspect of the campus like the back of her hand. She took them to one of her favorite rooms where they had a large collection of Native American art. She pointed to one of her favorite pieces. It was a ledger drawing of an Indian warrior and a large black wolf. She spent the next few hours getting to know them, asking Bella dozens of questions until Bella finally decided it was her turn. "So why did you decide to live here?" she asked the girl. "This is where my mother wanted me to study once I graduated high school. I've been all over the place really but this was home for me originally. I wanted to come back. My mother and I both loved the arts.." she trailed off remembering more of her past. Edward's cell phone rang while they talked. It was Carlisle replying to Edward's text to call him. He stepped away to take the call privately. After several minutes, he finally regrouped with them and Bella stared at him curiously wondering who the call was from. Edward looked right at Tara."That was Carlisle. He seems to know about you already." Tara remembered them mentioning the one named Carlisle as the head of the family. "You told him about me? You told him I'm here?" "No, I hadn't said anything. You see one of our family members Alice, she sees the future and once you exposed yourself to us you became visible to her also. And now, well." "Well what?" She expected the worst. "Alice says you are coming home with us." "I'm what?" Tara sounded confused. Bella smiled. It's what she hoped for. She couldn't see leaving the girl alone here to fend

for herself. She knew Carlisle and Esme could help her and they would be more than willing to take her in, especially now that Rosalie and Emmett are gone. It would help fill the void that was present in the home. "She says I'm returning to Washington with you?" "Yes." Edward replied. "So... what if I refuse?" she crossed her arms. "That's certainly your decision if you choose to do so. We would never force you. But the invitation is there." Tara thought about it. It was an opportunity to have a home, something other than the empty void she'd been living for years. "Consider this I do feel we could protect you even more so in Forks. Alice can see if the Volturi are coming. She watches them at all times. You certainly wouldn't have to live in fear anymore." "Oh Tara, I hope you'll consider," Bella added. It all sounded quite tempting to her now. "Well when do you leave?" she asked. "Bella and I will be heading back in the morning. I can take care of the tickets immediately to assure we're all on the same flightif you are interested of course." "That wouldn't even be necessary." Tara knew she could simply hide herself. "So is that a yes?" Bella asked with a little excitement in her tone. "Um" Tara thought about it, wanting to but worried she might be intruding. "Whatever makes you comfortable, but the ticket is not a problem for us. And I assure you, you would not be imposing on our family in any way. Your stay can be as temporary or as permanent as you would like it to be. If you ever decide to leave we'll gladly fly you anywhere you like." Tara couldn't speak. She only displayed and enormous smile and then leaped at him hugging him. If Edward hadn't seen her intentions before she acted, he would have been alarmed. "We'll take that as a yes," Bella said. Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:33 AM 0 comments

Chapter 3 - Forks Bella saved many of her stories for the long flight. She filled Tara in on the Cullen family and their history, carefully avoiding certain details of events that she felt should be protected for the time being. She didn't mention their involvement with the wolves, nor did she tell her about their past dealings with the Volturi. She also held back on telling Tara about Renesmee. Bella wasn't quite sure how she might react to the news of their half-human, half-vampire daughter. She felt that chapter of their lives might be best kept for a later time. Tara took great interest in the account of Bella and Edward's love for one another. She became completely absorbed in all the details as Bella described her move to Forks, meeting Edward and the rest of the Cullens. She told her about all the times when Edward saved her life, from Tyler's speeding van to her near attack in Port Angeles and she even told her about their encounter with James, explaining how she nearly died when he bit her. Bella gave no more stories past that point and allowed her to absorb it all, leaving the rest for another time. Tara automatically assumed it was James that turned Bella, never questioning otherwise. "That's absolutely incredible. I mean, your story would really make a great book fictional of course," Tara said to them. "Of course," Bella winked.

Heavy rain and dense clouds greeted them when they arrived in Forks. Alice showed up at the airport to pick them up. She came alone knowing there would be three of them arriving and needed the extra seat space. As the trio came into view she cheerfully

pranced over to meet them at baggage claim giving Bella the first and biggest hug. "I totally missed you guys!" her voice sung. Bella rolled her eyes at her. "Really Alice it's only been a few days." "I know but I've been thinking about what it would be like if you actually lived there you know all the way across the country.far, far away.at college." Alice put on her best pouty face. She didn't like the idea of them leaving Forks to attend college. It was hard enough having Rosalie and Emmett gone, she didn't want to lose them too so when Edward and Bella began touring some of the more distant colleges she started laying the guilt on quite heavily. Once Alice spotted the new girl however, her frown lifted. She was excited to meet her finally. "Hello Tara, I'm Alice!" She said giving the girl an overly friendly hug. Then when she stepped back and got a good glimpse of Tara's frumpy attire the fashion Nazi began to ramble on in her mind about the girl's appearance. Ugh! Geeze Edward, you sure can pick em! I see her and Bella even have the same fashion secrets. Well, looks like I have more work to doHmmm, bet she's a size fourOooh, that lacy pink dress I just bought would be darling on her! Edward groaned. Bella stifled a chuckle as her instincts told her that Alice was already plotting something. She clearly had that look in her eye that said "a make-over is coming". Tara remembered Alice from Bella's stories. "SoI hear you can see the future. You see anything good in store for me here?" Oh I already see a new wardrobe in your future, Alice rambled on in her head.

"Uh, Alice?" Edward nudged her. "Ohum, hmm well, I already know you are gonna love it here in Forks with us," she said sweetly. "but other than that, your future seems very cloudy now for some reason. That's so odd." Alice looked a little frustrated by her inability to see Tara's future. "Really? Well I suppose that means I'm just not very exciting," She shrugged. Tara thought perhaps her life was too boring for Alice to read. After all this time, nothing extraordinary has ever happened to her, so why should moving to a town like Forks make any difference, she assumed. As requested, Alice drove Edward's car for the ride. Edward and Bella packed very light, sharing only one suitcase between them and Tara only brought a small backpack, containing a few sketch books and her iPod. It was all she owned. Knowing Edward would insist on driving home, Alice strategically placed several brochures for the University of Seattle and a few other local colleges on both front seats. Bella grabbed hers off the seat first, gazing at it with a smirk on her face. Once Edward opened his door, he also noticed one on his seat. He grinned then shoved them in the center console. "Nice one Alice," he said. "Oh, well I'm not worried anymore. You guys are staying here. I'm positive of it now," Alice said smugly after confirming their future. When Edward pulled into the driveway at the Cullen home, he leaped out and zipped around to open the doors for each of the girls.

As Tara got out of the car she nervously scanned her surroundings, absorbing in all the new sights and smells. She detected a new and unfamiliar scent in the air and thought perhaps it could be an animal nearby. Bella and Edward mentioned something about mountain lions but she thought it smelled more like a coyote. When Edward scanned her thoughts he suddenly realized they would need to fill her in on a few things right away. He then led her home to meet the rest of family that eagerly waited for them. Esme and Carlisle stood in the great room as they entered both smiling. Esme instantly greeted her with a warm hug. The idea of having a new addition to the family thrilled her. "Hello Tara, I'm Esme and this is my husband Carlisle." Carlisle nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Forks. Please make yourself at home." "Thanks. I really appreciate your hospitality I've heard so much about you on the trip here." Just then Jasper strolled towards them, stopping alongside Alice. "You must be Jasper," Tara said remembering the name well. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. He was just glad they didn't bring a human home. "So, how about a tour?" Esme offered. "I can show you all the rooms. We have a couple extra you can use if you just need some privacy." "That sounds great." She nodded, smiling politely."You're both so kind. I can see why

Edward and Bella speak so highly of you both." Edward knew she felt pretty good about coming with them now. He could see that was taking to Esme right away. Her warm smile and benevolent demeanor made her very likable. As Esme walked Tara through the entire house, showing her every room, they stopped at Edward's old room. The walls had been repainted a soft crme color with lavender trim and a floral border wrapping around the perimeter of the ceiling. A Rembrandt painting hung alone on one wall, while two botanical ones hung on the adjacent wall, accenting the color scheme. A new Bose system replaced Edward's old one. Several stacks of CDs sat on a shelf next to it, neatly arranged in perfect alphabetical order. The neighboring shelves contained piles of books, all neatly alphabetized as well. A dresser stood in the corner, with a purple lamp on top of it. Behind the closet door was a variety girls' clothing. Last but not least, Tara noticed the frilly canopy twin bed, centered in the room and neatly made with giant lacy pillows propped half way down the lavender bed spread. Very girly, she thought. Tara didn't bother to ask why it was there since three of the other rooms also had beds as well. She assumed they belonged to the couples, but didn't bother to inquire about it knowing vampires needed privacy at times. As she strolled through the house with the family, she kept looking at their eyes. It fascinated her. "So you're all on this animal diet I see." "Yes, that's correct," Carlisle answered. "We've all vowed not to kill humans." "I've never seen anything like that before. But you're a physician, so why don't you just consume human blood like I do? You have access to it so easily." "It's much harder to control urges when you live among humans. We've weaned ourselves

off human blood to decrease the risk of accidents. I believe it's more tempting to fall off the wagon, so-to-speak, if you're consuming it every day." "I don't find it so hard. Every city has a hospital and as long as I have a food source, I'm fine," she spoke quite sure of herself. "And if you're not..?" he pondered. "Well, I have resorted to an animal or two in the past. Guess you gotta do what you gotta do, ya know?" Carlisle admired her willpower to abstain from humans completely on her own. "It's not so bad really. It also gives you the sport of the hunt. Animal prey is a bit more challenging, not much, but they are faster and have better senses then humans, so the hunt is much more thrilling for us." She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, except they kinda taste like crap." Jasper snickered at her comment, making the others giggle as well. He liked the new girl already. "Yes well, you get used to it," Carlisle replied with a chuckle. "Trust me, the game here is pretty good and a carnivore's blood is a lot closer to human blood." "Oh..so I guess that means you won't be hooking me up while I'm here then?" she sounded a little disappointed after feeling a little excited at first when she found out he was a physician, hoping she would no longer need to steal her food any longer. But as it looked now he wasn't about to help her in the way she had thought. He patted her shoulder. "We'll have to work on you, I see." They finally finished the tour out in the garage where Alice took the opportunity to

proudly show off her shiny yellow Porsche. Tara's favorite item however, was the black motorcycle next to it. It happened to be the same one that Edward purchased to go riding with Bella. He never used it even once. Jasper assumed ownership of it when Edward abandoned the idea of riding with Bella. Tara looked over at Edward with a childish grin hoping she could take the bike for a ride some time. The face she made, reminded Edward of one Renesmee would make when she wanted something. "So, what do you think?" Bella asked, hoping Tara started to feel more comfortable. She remembered her first visit to the Cullen home and how much she really wanted to feel accepted by them, hoping they had achieved that with Tara as well. "Your home is beautiful. I just love how open and spacious it is." Tara noted. "There's just one thing I can't seem to figure out though." "Uh-oh". Edward thought as he scanned Tara's head again. "What is it Tara?" Esme hoped there was nothing wrong. "Well, please don't be offended but, what is that peculiar odor? "Tara stressed the last word trying not to be rude, but she really didn't refer to it as a good smell. Damn! Edward thought, as he picked up on the voices that came from the forest. He knew exactly what odor she referred to now. Bella touched her hand to her face as she started realize what she meant also. "Oh yeah that." Jacob got news of the new vampire in town and wanted to scope things out. Even though she was a guest of the Cullens, the treaty didn't apply to her and he needed to see for himself if she could be trusted in Forks. He and Renesmee were together and headed

straight for the open garage door. Renesmee squealed and laughed as she held on to the scruff of Jacob's neck while riding on his back. Tara's eyes widened with fear as she watched the enormous reddish-brown wolf barreling in her direction. She only heard about the stories of werewolves but never actually saw one, nor was she sure they even existed - until now. She hissed, leaping in the air like a cat and hurling her body backwards and landing on Alice's Porsche. Her feet made crushing dent in the hood. "NO! Not my car!" Alice screamed then jumped right in front of Jacob, stopping him in his tracks. "You stupid dog! Look what you did! Why did you have to show up looking like that?" she fumed. "Oops"! Renesmee thought as she slid off his back with an enormously guilty look on her face. "Sorry Alice," she apologized, since it was all her idea. Jacob barked a wolfly laugh. Edward stifled back a laugh himself. He couldn't help but be tickled by his daughter, even when she misbehaved a little. She wanted to run over and give her parents a hug but Edward shook his head at her as soon as she thought about it, letting her know to hold off until it was safe. Just then, everyone noticed - Tara disappeared. What the where'd she go? Jacob thought. Edward knew she only cloaked as a defensive tactic. Two more wolves, Leah and Seth strolled in together, overhearing the commotion.

Bella, the only one who could still see Tara, tried to convince her to come down from Alice's car as she stood there frozen in a crouched position, barring her teeth. Seth and Leah both looked at her like she lost her mind. Though they couldn't speak, they communicated telepathically. So umm, why is Bella talking to Alice's car? Leah wondered. Whoa! Did Bella do that to her Porsche! Man, Alice looks pissed too! Seth thought. Hey where's the new blood-sucker at? Leah asked. She was just here! She must've run off! Jacob answered. Oh great, now we'll have to track her, Leah complained. "She hasn't left. She's on the car, that's who Bella's speaking to." Edward explained after reading their thoughts. They looked at him as though he were crazy now too. "Tara, could you please stop doing that. They won't hurt you but they do need to see you," Edward said. "No! What are you all mad!" she said but no one else knew where the voice came from. "It's okay Tara, you can come down. They're friends of ours. They didn't come to hurt you. They just wanted to meet you," Bella said, trying to convince her. "Friends? With werewolves? But why? They kill our kind!" she said frantically. Tara remembered the stories she heard about werewolves many years ago. She thought they were only legends though.

Jacob started to step towards the car to get a closer look and she backed up further up onto the roof of the Porsche. Flicks of yellow paint fluttered to the ground. "That's it dog! You owe me a paint job!" Alice growled at Jacob, pointing out the dents and scratches on her car. "They aren't real werewolves, they are shape-shifters. They are protectors here in this area and they only came to make sure you aren't here to hunt humans. We are totally at peace with this Pack. They won't hurt you. I promise," Edward explained. Bella held her hand out to Tara, still trying to coax her down. She worried more about the physical harm Alice might do to Jacob if she stayed up there any longer. Everyone needed to refocus their eyes for a minute as Tara came into view again, stunning everyone. Wow, and I thought the others were freaky! Jacob thought. She finally leaped off but remained close to Bella. Esme came over and put her arm around her. Everyone just stared for a moment to wait and see what the girl would do next. Tara just glared at Jacob, watching his every move until her attention was distracted by the girl he was with. She noticed the young teen's remarkable beauty but also something else, something unusual - her skin. It was less pale than the others and her scent seemed all wrong - more human, but not entirely. When Tara heard the sound of a pounding heart beat she counted. To her surprise however, there were a total of four! Jacob took notice to Tara's darting stare. He tensed up, nudging Renesmee to get behind him.

Tara wondered if she was human but when she turned to Bella to ask, she suddenly noticed the resemblance in both their features. She did a double take just before turning to Edward and noticing the same thing and gasped in disbelief. "Whatwhat is she?" Edward decided to explain, since he knew every thought in her mind. "Tara, I know you have a lot of questions. I think it would be best if we took this inside so we may fill you in on some details." Edward thought it might be easier if the wolves phased and met Tara in human form instead to put her at ease. Jasper worried about the current state she was in and felt the need to help. He hovered near the girl until she calmed down so they could move inside. Poor Alice stood in the garage for a few minutes staring at the enormous dents and gashes on the hood of her favorite gift from Edward. She let out a huge sigh before she shut off the light and joined the others. Upon entering the house, they all convened in the living room and Tara huddled very close to Esme. Alice quickly took her place next to Jasper and Edward and Bella stood together with Renesmee guarded behind them. Edward signaled for her to keep her distance until he was ready for her. Within a few moments, three more people entered the room from the front door. The two tall males, wore only a pair of cut off jeans. Their feet were bare. The third, a female, wore an old t-shirt with cut-off as well. Humans. Tara thought. Their beating hearts gave them away. Her eyes widened as they walked in her direction. She could only wonder what the Cullen's could be up to. Their affiliation with wolves and humans was completely aberrant to what she was used to. Now she started to feel she got more than she bargained for by coming to Forks.

Then Tara had a thought. Could these humans be the wolves? How's that possible? Edward started to introduce each of them to her. He introduced Jacob first, as head of the pack and he nodded. Leah gave her a cold stare when Edward said her name but when he introduced Seth, he just stared at her like a deer in the headlights. Edward picked up on something strange but just ignored it and continued to talk. He went into an apology for not explaining things to her before their arrival and began to fill her in on the history of the Pack, why they exist, and how they came to a truce with them. As Tara listened, she kept looking over at Renesmee who moved from Edward's side over to Jacob and clung to his arm. She could smell the half-human blood that ran through her veins. Edward listened to all the questions rambling through her head. "Tara, I have a much better way that this could all be explained to you but I need to introduce you to someone first," he said. Then he turned toward Renesmee and stretched his arm out to signal for her to come over. Jacob tensed up, grabbing her hand before she got too close to Tara but Renesmee turned and touched his face. The fiercely worried look in his eyes faded and he instantly relaxed. Then Renesmee turned face Tara again as Edward spoke. "I would like to introduce you to our daughter Renesmee," he said with his hands on her shoulders. Her sweet, warm smile didn't reduce the tension Tara felt however. Her mouth dropped when she noted Edwards's precise words; our daughter and she took a good look at the three of them again. "Your...daughter?" she gasped. The resemblance is remarkable. She's adopted too? She thought, knowing Edward would hear.

"No, she is not. She is our biological child," Edward said very seriously. "How is that even possible?" Tara questioned as she listened to the thumping heart beat right in front of her. "I could explain it to you myself however I would like to allow her to do it, if you will permit it. She has a much better and well.unique way of telling stories and can fill you in on every detail." "Umokay," she replied nervously as she looked at Renesmee who started to approach. She smiled at Tara. "Renesmeethat's quite a name," Tara said to her as she stepped closer, carefully observing her movements. "You can call me Ness or Nessie, if you like. Everyone else does." Bella cleared her throat to get her attention. She still hated the nick names. Renesmee chuckled. "Sorry mom." She stopped right in front of Tara and extended her hand to her and spoke in an angelic voice. "I'll need to touch you for this. It won't hurt though, I promise." Her chocolate brown eyes looked right into Tara's. Something about Renesmee's eyes instantly softened a person. Tara nodded giving her approval. Then, Renesmee stepped in and placed her hand on Tara's cheek. She jumped a little as the images began flowing through her mind. Renesmee showed her every event, starting with her birth, all the way up to the last week

just before Edward and Bella left. Tara gasped when Renesmee showed her a vision of the Volturi. It petrified her. After several minutes, Renesmee finally released her. "That was just incredible," she said, astounded by the visions. It all seemed very unreal for the moment. The images Renesmee implanted in Tara's head seemed very much like dream, but for the Cullens, it was reality "I know this is a lot for you to absorb Tara. I'm sorry we didn't fill you in sooner than this, but we felt you might not even believe it without proof and Esme worried you'd be afraid to come with us had we mentioned any wolves to you," Edward said. "Yes, that might have made me think twice," she admitted. "I saw the Volturi in her vision. You stood up to them?" she said directly to Jacob. "Course! We weren't about to let them take Ness from us." His courage stunned her. She knew no one stands up to the Volturi, unless they have a death wish. She wondered if he and Renesmee were united in some way, noticing Jacob had not left Renesmee's side since they arrived. "Well I can tell you Aro never forgets anyone whose talents he admires. I assure you, he will be back to check on your daughter in the future," she warned. Carlisle spoke up. "Yes, I'm sure of that also but Alice is our eyes when it comes to that and she will let us know if and when return." "That's good then."

"One thing we've discovered is their tracker has difficulty seeing us when we are around the Pack. I have this problem too. It's very hard for me to see Renesmee's future because she is with Jacob so often. The pack seems to cloud my visions. We think the same goes for their tracker as well," Alice explained. `"Since the wolves cloud their sights on us, you can sort-of say we have the upper hand," Carlisle hoped the information would relieve worries. Then quickly Tara thought about what she had done to Alice's shiny new Porsche in the garage. "Oh Alice, I'm so very sorry about your car. II" Her remorse echoed in Edward's head. "No worries. I'll take care of that immediately. It's was entirely my fault for not explaining the situation to her first," he said. "Really?" Alice perked up. "Cuz I was thinking about changing the color anyway. Maybe a hot red!" she said, in an excited tone. Edward rolled his eyes. How convenient, he thought. Jacob had patiently waited his turn to speak and finally stepped in and began to discuss the matter they came for. "Okay so, now that you know all about us, we need to know about you." "Well, what do you need to know?" Tara folded her arms, trying to look unthreatened by his presence. "I wanna make sure you're not gonna be a problem for us here in Forks. Edward and Bella filled me in on some of the details and they seem to trust you but we are the Protectors here so I just need to establish that you're eating habits don't cause a problem. We don't want anyone getting hurt." He glared at her red eyes.

"You have no need to worry about me. I'm sure they explained to you I spent most of my time blending in with humans on a daily basis. The Cullen's have been very kind to me and I have no intentions of giving them any trouble, if that's all you're concerned about." "Yeah well, we'll be watching you." Bella snickered remembering how embarrassed Jacob was the time when Billy had paid him to say the exact same words to her at the Prom. "Be my guest," Tara said sharply, glaring at Jacob. She had the feeling he was going to be trouble for her. Jacob exchanged glances with Seth who was looking very uncomfortable suddenly. He avoided making eye contact with the girl the entire time and kept looking off in space like he was on another planet. Edward had been so busy listening in on Tara's thoughts he did give much attention to the others. Jacob and Leah displayed heavy distrust in the girl. Seth however, kept running very unusual things through his head. When he started thinking about the Blade movie he'd just watched, Edward finally just rolled his eyes and just tuned him out. Renesmee didn't like Jacob intimidating their new guest so she stepped in. "Hey Jake, be nice to our guest. My parents trust her and so do I. I have the feeling we're gonna be really good friends," she smiled. "That's because I already said you would!" Alice bragged. Renesmee rolled her eyes. "I have my own room upstairs. Feel free to make it your own if you ever need your own space," she told Tara. Renesmee slept at the Cullen home more often than she stayed with Edward and Bella

since she'd grown older. She knew they enjoyed their privacy and their little cottage felt too small for the three of them. Then she leaned in and whispered in Tara's ear. "Aunt Alice decorated my room so try not to mind the dcor." "Uh, I can hear you," Alice snapped from across the room with a frown on her face. Renesmee giggled making Tara smile, finally. "How long do you think you'll be staying?" Renesmee hoped it was going to be a while. It excited her to have a new friend closer to her age. "I don't know really, I guess as long as you guys want me to." "Or as long as you can stay out of trouble," Jacob added. Tara decided she really didn't like this one. Renesmee wanted to get to know Tara and make her feel more comfortable. Her charismatic demeanor captivated anyone that surrounded her. When Esme appeared from the kitchen with some food, setting a large tray of sandwiches on one of the tables in the living room, Jacob finally started to relax enough to leave Renesmee's side momentarily to grab one. He couldn't resist anything Esme made. He had to admit he really admired her talented culinary skills for someone who didn't even eat food. So much attention had been put on Tara, that no one noticed that they were short one person until Esme made mention of it. "Where's Seth?" she asked, expecting him to be fighting Jacob over the food she brought

out, and worried that he might not have liked what she made. He shrugged his shoulders. "Um, I'm not sure. Maybe he just went out for some air. I don't think he's been feeling so well." "Oh well I hope he's alright, I've never seen him pass up food before." "It's nothing personal, I'm sure. Don't worry about him. I'm sure once he's feeling better he'll be back over here more than you want him to." Esme chuckled. Leah wasn't hungry but came over to ask Jacob about Seth too. She was so busy watching the new girl she didn't even see him leave. She looked over at the front door noticing it was ajar. Then she headed outside to look for him and stared out at dense forest. It began raining heavily and she detected no sight or smell of Seth. Worried about her little brother, Leah leaped off the porch and ran into the forest to search for him. Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:32 AM 0 comments

Chapter 4 - First Hunt It was Twilight. Edward and Bella took Tara to their cottage for a very short tour, showing her their humble, nine hundred square foot cottage in a very short time since it was so small. Tara had a good laugh when Bella showed her the enormous closet in which Alice had filled with enough apparel to clothe a small army of fashion models. As she walked through the house, she understood why Renesmee stayed with Esme and Carlisle most of the time since they had so much more room, not to mention it gave the couple so much more privacy.

At the end of the tour, Bella took some time to show Tara a few photo albums she and Esme put together with all the pictures they took of Renesmee, capturing her rapid growth that happened sometimes within a few days or weeks of each other. It amazed Tara to see the pictures of her rapid progression. Renesmee's ability to develop quicker than a normal child bothered Bella the most. She worried about leaving her alone to sleep some nights because she knew her little girl might wake up even older the next day. Her life passed by too quickly and Bella knew that before long, Renesmee would physically be older than her. She cherished every moment she had with her daughter. It was difficult to have to share her with Jacob but she knew it pained them both to be away from each other for long periods of time. She saw the inevitable coming; Renesmee would soon mature into a young woman and her relationship with Jacob would become more than just friendship. Once they finished the tour and Bella finished reminiscing Tara decided it was time to return to the Cullen home. Edward and Bella's body language gave off an obvious implication that they were ready for some quiet time together after their long trip. Despite their offers, Tara insisted she would not need an escort. She knew she could easily find the way back. Edward was comfortable with it once he confirmed it in her mind. As she ran through the forest, she sensed something strange and unfamiliar to her; like a magnet attracting her. She paused for a moment to look through the trees, trying to solve the mystery but then thought nothing of it and continued on till she reached the home. As Tara comfortably settled in and everyone returned to their usual routines around the house, she quietly curled up with a book she found in Renesmees collection and sat herself by a window in the bedroom. It started raining again and the droplets tapped against the glass like a drum. Renesmee couldnt resist getting to know her new friend. She buoyantly plopped down next to Tara and grabbed her sketchbook that she left out and skimmed through her artwork. "These are beautiful," she said. Thanks. She smiled. Renesmee had been the first person to ever admire her work before. As she flipped through the pages she rambled on about some of her favorite artists, discovering they shared many common interests. Tara decided to set her book aside talk with her for a while. It had been so long since she had any real discourse with anyone she

delighted in opportunity to have a real conversation. Before she knew it, a few hour passed by while they discussed art and music and many of the books they both liked. Tara told Renesmee about her many travels around the world before she returned to her home land where she ended up at the college. She explained how living there wasnt much different from attending private school as a young girl. She didnt have many friends growing up since she was so different from the others and not quite accepted. Being alone and invisible seemed the norm for her, even since before she was turned. Renesmee took to Tara quickly. She loved having someone to talk to outside her family. She could only dream of going to school hoping one day that shed have the chance so she could be more like other people. She realized now that she and Tara had something in common now; they were both hiding from the world around them. "I would love to attend a college like Dartmouth when Im old enough but I don't think Jake would go. I'm not sure if he'd ever want to leave here," Renesmee told her. Tara recalled something she saw in Renesmee's visions that made her curious. "I don't quite understand something about you twowhat's imprinting? Are you like his mate or something?" Tara asked. "Yesthat's pretty much what it is. We'll inherently always be together and we'll always love each other. It's almost painful to be separated at times." "But he'sa wolf. That doesn't bother you?" "Not at all. Jacob's a wonderful mateas loyal as they come. I love him with all my heart. The physical differences mean nothing to me. It's what's inside that matters." Tara's eye brows popped up in disbelief. It all seems so strange and foreign to her. "And your family accepts this?" "Yes, they've learned to accept it. It can't be undone. Were bound together for life. Some of them still have the prejudices about it but for the most parteveryone's family," She explained. "But you're so much younger than he is, so how does that work?" "I'm aging quickly. Carlisle thinks I'm about fourteen or fifteen years of age physically but I go through changes so rapidly he thinks I could surpass Jacob within a few more years. For obvious reasons Jacob and I have no physical relationship. Plus my father promised to rip his limbs off if he even thought about it before I matured enough to marry him."

Tara chuckled at the thought of it. "So how long do you think it will take before you're the same age?" "Who knows, could be a few months or a few years. My aging has slowed down some though. It only happens in spurts now." "And what about Jacob, is he aging too?" "No, but he can control it. His phasing keeps him from aging. So as long as hes the wolf he doesnt age. Hes been waiting for me to catch up. She winked. Some of the others stopped phasing once they formed a truce with the family though. That way they can age with their imprint as well. Though since you came to town, the wolves have no choice. They all started phasing again. Tara scrunched her eyebrows together. "I dont understand. Why?" "Theoretically, they only need to transform when vampires are around. It's like a protection mode. Since the alliance between the Cullens and the Quileutes however there wasn't much need for them to change anymore, so they seldom did and controlled their phasing in order for their bodies go back to their natural state. Once you arrived, that all changed again." "Oh... I guess I messed things up for you then," she said feeling guilty. "Nah, don't worry. Once they feel they can trust you, things will go back the way they were." "I hope you're right. I don't wish to be a problem for anyone." "You're no problem. I'm so glad you're here. It's nice to be around someone closer to my age.well you know what mean." "Thanks Ness, I appreciate your family for inviting me. I've never been a part anything like this. I hope I don't do anything that will break your trust in me though." "Yeah well I'm sure you know that my dad's been in your head. He keeps an eye on those sorts of things. I don't think he would have brought you here if he thought you were dangerous." "I'll have to do my best not to disappoint anyone then," Tara said smiling. She watched curiously as Renesmee let out a big yawn. "Oh do you need sleep? I can head down stairs if I'm disturbing your rest." She signaled for the door. "Not at all, stay as long as you like." Renesmee smiled. "Hmm, I envy you.you truly have the best of both worlds it seems."

I suppose. Sometimes I wish I didn't need sleep. I think of all the things I could accomplish without it, and I always hate missing out on so much with my family." "I see you're point. But at least it makes you more compatible with your Jacob. He must really appreciate that you have many human qualities." "Yes, I think he does." Renesmee smiled thinking about him. The girls stayed up for a little longer chatting until eventually Renesmee could no longer keep her eyes open. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes. Once she drifted off, Tara curiously watched her eyelids flutter as she fell into a deep dream state. She couldn't remember what it was like to dream any more. Tara wondered if she would be able to see Renesmee's dreams while she slept and curiously reached over and touched her hand. Suddenly she saw vivid images of her family, randomly changing from one to the next like a movie be played in her head. She saw Edward playing on the grand piano downstairs while Bella sat with him. Next she saw Jacob on the beach with friends, then vision switched to him running through the forest on a hunt with her. Tara felt a little embarrassed when she saw Jacob give Renesmee her first kiss. She was pretty sure that part was only dream. She figured she must be looking forward to that moment. Tara worried about invading her privacy, and let go. Then she made herself comfortable in the corner with her book again over by the window. The rain finally let up and she could see into the forest. The bright moon crept out from the clouds and illuminated the sky. Its light bounced off the glistening leaves in the trees. She even heard more activity in the forest through the silence now as she listened. Something peculiar caught her attention though. It was like a magnetic force tugging on her. She desired to search for its source and thought about hunting thinking it was what she needed as the new smells surrounding her seemed to be luring her in. She remembered Edward saying the hunting grounds in Forks are much better for vampires of their kind and that they were filled with a different variety of game. Tara thought about the times she tried animal blood when she needed to feed. It was the only thing that kept her from hunting the humans at times, but she never preferred it. She found their taste rather bland compared to human blood. She knew she had to keep herself properly fed so she wouldn't give in to hunting humans however. Her horrible memory of the deaths of hundreds of human victims in her mind helped deterred her from

wanting to kill ever again. She leaped out of the upper window and sprang into the forest, eager to explore the new hunting ground. Tara was used to seeing many deer and moose in New England and an ample amount of coyotes as well. They reminded her too much of dogs however. She detested the taste of domesticated animals. She preferred to feed on a cow over a cat or a dog any day but none were really quite pleasing to her. It was something she would need to get used to. "Mountain lion", she thought. That's what Bella and Edward mentioned. They're carnivorous and more satisfying, they explained. That's what she decided to hunt. After covering several miles of land she became unsure of what direction to take so she followed a stream. Something kept luring her in a certain direction, so she followed her instincts. She hesitated when she passed several large deer and some elk, contemplating simply snatching one of them and then calling it a night. She deeply inhaled the scent of their blood. "Much bigger than white tail." She thought but then changed her mind. Nah, probably tastes just like Bambi too. Mountain lion right, she thought again, reminding herself of her goal. Setting out on her mission, Tara ventured further west, smelling the air and absorbing her new surroundings. So many new and different aromas teased her palette as she allowed herself to drift with the smells and listened for movement. A crunching sound came from the bustle of hooves that echoed through the forest but it was muffled by the sudden sound of rain as the droplets began hitting the canopy of leaves above. The moist beads of fluid began to fall through the trees onto on her face. "Drat! It's starting to rain again." she complained to herself. She knew she needed to move quickly now before all her prospective game took refuge. Knowing cats hate water she worried she might have to turn back and pick off one of the elk before it was too late. Just before giving up, the wind changed and a new scent hit her nose. It was a rich scent, sharper and more appealing. She detected the sound of the muted padding of large feet that came from above. She looked up at a spruce, about ten feet in front of her and

spotted the tawny hide of an enormous feline. The animal sat perched on branch above, sporadically twitching its tail as it was preparing to leap down. "Mmm, hell-o", she thought while staring at the giant cat. "You're a big kitty, aren't you." She started feeling playful now. It had been many years since she hunted anything living. Suddenly the rain picked up and she knew she would lose her meal if she didn't act quickly so she crouched down slightly and prepared to leap at the animal. Though she could easily sneak up on her target undetected, she enjoyed the hunt and the smell of fear that emitted from her prey. So with a light bound she sailed through the air and landed just a few feet from the tree with the cat still in her sights. Her thoughts were so completely focused on her prey she barely noticed the other smell that started to wrinkled her nose. It was a familiar scenta gamy scent. Though she stopped moving momentarily, the cat quickly stood and arched its back, hissing at something that seemed to threaten it. Then a deep low growl came from feline. Something seemed odd though. Its eyes didn't meet hers. It was looking at something else; something behind her. She heard another growl but this time it was much deeper, fiercer like a grizzly. She quickly spun around looking into the deep black pit of the forest seeing creature that frightened the cat. A huge black shape eased out of trees like a silent shadow. It's long muzzle revealed a line of dagger-like teeth as it snarled at her. Tara's eye widened as the fear shot though her like a bolt of lightning. "What? No! I thought they were friends?" She shouted in her head. When the enormous silvery wolf started to lunge, Tara leaped in the air and the he clipped her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The huge animal turned again to attack and she immediately cloaked herself, confusing it just before it came at her. Just then, she heard another snarl and a large sandy-colored wolf barreled into the other one in mid-air knocking him into the trees. Tara watched in hiding as they fought, snapping and tearing at each other. Their angry growls echoed through the trees like thunder. The lighter one had the other upper hand, pinning the other one to the ground. Without waiting another second she took off running as fast as she could back to the Cullen house, not looking back even once. She quickly tracked her way back through the forest, and when she reached the Cullens home she leaped back up through the same upper window she jumped out of. Then she blasted though Renesmees door and hurdled

herself over the stair rail jumping straight down to the first floor. As she dashed through the living room past Jasper and Alice who were both engaged in a quiet board game, he sensed an emotion of fear in her. She ran through the house till she found Esme in her sewing room and rushed into her arms. Esme held her like a mother cradling a frighten child who had just woke up from a nightmare. "What is it? What's wrong Tara?" Esme asked in a soothing voice while she stroked her head. Tara squeezed her arms around Esme tightly, keeping her eyes closed. I thought they were friends! Who Tara? The wolves! she squeaked. "Why did I even come here?" She thought. The others curiously ran into the room to see what the commotion was about, including Renesmee who woke up once Tara came barreling through her room. She rushed to Taras side and put her hand on her shoulder when she saw how scared she looked. What happened? she asked, worried for her friend, but Tara didnt speak. Carlisle texted Edward a message knowing something was extremely wrong and he and Bella rushed over within seconds. As soon as they entered, Edward saw the whole thing from Tara's mind and groaned. You went hunting? he said. Im sorry. I thought it was allowed. She frowned feeling horribly guilty. She had no idea what she did wrong however. Edward rubbed his temples realizing he forgot to mention the rules to her. He turned to the others to explain what happened. She went hunting and crossed the border onto Quileute territory. Paul spotted her and attacked He didn't know who she was. I don't think he would have tried to harm her had he known better." Carlisle sighed. "Well we should be expecting them soon. Let's hope they'll be forgiving." "They're already here," Edward said as heard Sam and Jacobs thoughts. Edward opened the door to faced Jacob, Sam, Paul and Seth as they approached the house, all in human form. What was left of the scratches and cuts on Paul and Seth's bodies already started to heal. Edward let the four men in. Jacob and Sam lead and Paul and Seth followed behind. Seths eyes caught a glimpse of Tara huddled in Esme's arms. He wondered if she was

okay but quickly diverted his eyes away before anyone noticed. Jacob spoke up first. "So, youre new vampire crossed our borders. She was caught hunting on our land. I apologize. Its entirely my fault for not explaining the boundary lines to her. I had no idea she would get the urge to hunt animals tonight. She clearly displayed a dislike for them earlier so I thought wed have to break her in first. Bella and I intended on taking her ourselves to show her. Well, it looks like she had plans of her own, Jacob replied. I assure you, Jake. She meant no harm to anyone. Look at her. Shes more frightened of you than you are of her." Jacob glanced over at Tara still huddled in Esmes arms. He grinned with satisfaction. Edward was in Pauls heads trying to get another view on what happened. Seths mind however, was cluttered with thoughts of meaningless ramblings. Edward identified this tactic right away. It was one his sisters used on him frequently to keep him out. He immediately suspected him of hiding something. Yeah well you know the rules Eddy. She's not allowed on our territory. Edward rolled his eyes and let out a low grumble when he called him that. We dont know that the girl wont hurt anyone. She cant be trusted. Look at her eyes. Sam added. Shes more like us than you give her credit for. She survived on human blood but only from hospital, she wont kill. Youll just have to trust my instincts on this one. I would not bring her here if I thought she was a threat. "Sam" Renesmee interrupted. He looked down at her. "Yes Renesmee? "May I show you something? He nodded and then she touched his face and concentrated, sharing a series of memories from earlier. You see, I trust her and so does my family. You know that none of us pose a threat to any of you so why are you holding onto these treaty rules? Besides, you already give me free rein on your land. I don't see why you shouldn't extend the same privileges to the rest of my family." "Ness, you know why you're allowed at La Push, it's an entirely different matter," Jacob

said. "Yes, you're half human," Sam added. "And I'm half vampire too," Renesmee pointed out. "I also hunt and feed just as my family does and if you remember, I preferred human blood over animal blood for the longest time. Don't think those cravings will ever go away. I've just learned to control them, just as Tara has. I think it's time to change this treaty. Are we not Allies?" "We are but the girlshe's not one of you." Sam questioned her status. "Yesshe is one of us. You either accept us all, or none. I don't wish to be divided in my own family." Tara suddenly turned when she heard Renesmee defending her. She stood and approached Edward and Carlisle. Im sorry. I didnt know you had rules or boundaries, she said to Sam Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder. I know. We should have told you. I wasnt worried about you harming anyone though. Im just glad you didnt get hurt. She nodded. Then Carlisle turned to Seth. Thank you for preventing a possible tragedy. I know Paul was only doing his duty. Im glad you stopped him though, allowing us to explain, he continued. Seths eyes panned up to Carlisles. Um no problem, he shrugged. Tara stared at his face. He looked preoccupied with something else at the moment and looked away. His actions confused her. He saved her for some odd reason but he didnt seem to want anything to do with her. Jacob folded his arms. Guess we can just treat this as a misunderstanding for nowbut as I said before, well be watching you. Tara had just about enough of Jacobs attitude. Well gosh Jacob thanks so much for the warm welcome, she said with sarcasm. Suddenly Seth let out snicker and grinned but he quickly caught himself. When he lifted his eyes and realized Tara was staring right at him his mouth flattened to a straight line again. Then he glanced over at Jacob and got a disapproving stare from him. Renesmee broke his concentration when she kissed his cheek. Thank you Jake. He touched her face and smiled. So youll rescind the treaty and allow my family on the land? she batted her big brown

eyes at him. Jacob to Sam for his thoughts on the matter. After all weve been through together I dont see why we should continue with the old law. Im not so sure all our boysor Leah, would feel comfortable with the idea of you hunting near their families however. Thank you Sam. I wouldnt want to worry anyone. Well gladly refrain from hunting there still but we appreciate you extending us an invitation. None of us will abuse it," Carlisle said. Jacob nodded. Sounds good. Carlisle held his hand out to shake Jacobs. And you promise youll be nice? Renesmee added. Ok, dont push it. He held up a finger. Tsk! Jake! she said as she grabbed at it. Aw dont ask too much of him Ness, he has an image to maintain, Bella teased. Edward let out a chuckle. Jacob just shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. They all seemed to loosen up a bit now that more serious matters were settled. Seth was the only one who still remained quiet and withdrawn though Before they all left, Renesmee gave each of them a giant hug saving Jacob for last but when she hugged Seth he seemed ridged. Renesmee looked at his face and smiled hoping she could break his unusually repressed mood. Seth smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He loved her like she was a little sister and she cared for him just as much. Renesmee remembered Seth since the womb when he spent hours next to Bella keeping her warm. Though Renesmee loves all the wolves of the pack, she held a special place in her heart for Seth. Once the four of them were finally gone, Renesmee gave Tara a hug too. It startled her when she wrapped her arms around Tara and at first, she stood motionless unsure of how to react but then when Renesmee told her she was glad she was that she didnt get hurt, Tara warmed up and put her arm around her too. "You defended me. Thank you Ness." "Of course, I defended all of my family. She released her and smiled. "Family?" Tara realized she'd just been included in the equation. But you hardly know

me and I almost destroyed your loyalties with the pack." "You're my friend, and you did nothing wrong. You didn't know about the treaty or the border lines. Besides, it was time for this to be put to an end. No one has ever put it to the test until now because no one besides me has ever wanted to go there. There wasn't a reason to contest it, until now." "I'm glad they didnt give you a hard time because of me. I hope Im not more trouble than I'm worth." Carlisle patted her shoulder. "Nonsense, Tara. It's always precarious introducing a new family member into the home. There are always adjustments to be made." I can stay? You would accept me? "Of course. You're welcome to stay here. We'd love to have you if that's what you wish," he said. Tara looked at all of them and smiled and they smiled back. Esme gave her one of her motherly hugs. Carlisle decided he should take care of Tara's feeding needs quickly and then plan for a hunting trip later for the family. As he headed for his supplies Edward followed to discuss some things he discovered about Tara. "The girl seems to have held onto a lot of memories that most of us would have forgotten. Jazz also thinks shes quite emotional. Its unusual," Edward said. "Yes, it's possible since she was turned at such a young age. I mean, a sixteen year old girl, probably going through hormonal changes in her life and then the emotional trauma she went though when her family was murdered right in front of her.it makes sense. Anything's possible it seems. Her gift is truly amazing. I'm surprised the Volturi let her leave," Carlisle said. "I don't think they did." Tara guarded that memory very well from him. "We'll don't worry, about the girls tonight. I have it all taken care of. You and Bella can head back home, he said. Once they tucked in Renesmee and said their goodbyes, Carlisle brought two units of blood to Tara.

"I thought perhaps you would need this tonight." Tara took one of the bags and flopped it back and forth, examining it. "Did you stop at the hospital for me? she grinned. "Not quite. Ive learned to stock animal blood for emergencies. Uhoh. Wellwhat kind? she stared at the bag with s grimace. "Mostly farm animals. Theyre easily accessible online. Sorry, I know its nothing exciting but it should make you feel better. Mmm." She forced a smile. Carlisle chuckled. "Don't worry, youll get your chance to hunt soon. We need to be sure we stay clear from humans when we hunt as well. It happens to be hunting season right now so they will be in certain areas this time of year. Its best to avoid the temptation." "Of course." Carlisle patted her shoulder and smiled. Then he started to turn to leave. "Hey, umthanks Carlisle. Thank you for everything you and your family have done for me. I've never had a real family since.." Tara couldn't finish her sentence and just trailed off. "I know. That's why we're here for you."

The next day Jacob began making the repairs on Alice's Porsche. Edward had brought it over to have him buff out all the scratches and dents and then change the entire color to a new fieryred as promised. Jacob and Seth worked together as co-owners of their own auto body shop, located in the middle of the small town of Forks. After Jacob graduated from high school, he started a small business for himself fixing up cars out of Billy's garage. By word-of-mouth, he'd built himself a large list of clientele doing small jobs such as oil changes and tune-ups and an occasional body repair. He used the income to work on his degree in automotive technology at community college in Port Angeles. Seth, who also majored in shop in high school, took an interest in Jacob's business and began helping him part time after school and on weekends. After Seth's eighteenth birthday, Jacob proposed to him the idea to open a shop of their own. Seth used some of the college money his father left him as a

down payment on the property and they became equal partners in their business. He used the rest of his money for schooling as it was intended. That morning, Seth walked through the door of the garage, arriving late to start his day at work. He shoved something in his pocket and grabbed the dirty, gray jumpsuit off the hook on the wall. A large oil stain from a job they did the day before covered his name patch. Seth took a whiff of the suit before he put it on determining it definitely smelled ready for the washing machine. "Bout time! I'm almost done buffing the scratches out," Jacob snorted. "Sorry.I slept in a little." Seth yawned while leaning against Jacob's tool bench. "A little? It's noon buddy. Try sleeping at night." "I slept some," he said while rubbing his bloodshot eyes. "So, did you calm Leah down after she found out?" Jacob asked. "No, she's still freaked out. She wants me to stay away from her." "I take it you're not going to listen to her advice." "Of course not. How can I? I've been going out of my mind. Leah will just have to deal with it. She's just being overprotective of me." "Yeah well I have my own concerns for you, ya know." "Why?" Seth pulled the shiny object back out of his pocket and held it in his hand, looking at it. "I may be the only one that can really understand what you are going through, but I think this is really dangerous for you. This could all go very badly." I just need some time. Maybe if I get to know her if we become friends first, shell accept thisI hope. You better hope. JakeI dont know what else to do. How the heck do I tell a vampire I imprinted on her? Jacob shrugged. You got me man.Ness was different. It was like she knew when she was born. Do you think she senses anything? Seth wondered. Dunnoguess youll find out though. Shouldnt you be a little worried she might rip your face off when you try and explain it to her?

Yeah, but I dont have a choice. I can barely sleep. Its all I think about. I need to try. Its your life. He shrugged. Thanks for the support, he said sarcastically. Heh! Im all ya got right now. Better suck up! Seth chuckled. Then he had a more serious thought. You think theres something wrong with me Jake? I mean...how could this happen? Im not sure but if I can imprint on Ness, anythings possible I suppose. I think Billys theory was right; we imprint to make us stronger. I dont think it has anything to do with breeding; its just about finding your soul mate. Guess were all destined for that one special person. What about Leah? She still hasnt been imprinted on. He shrugged again. Guess she just hasnt met the right guy then. Jacob had another curious thought. So how do you plan on working out all the you knowdetails? He was referring to having an intimate relationship with her. Seth shook his head. Im just gonna take one thing at a time. Guess well figure it out if it even comes to that. "Well what about you and Ness? Dont you have the same concerns about that?" "Ness? I could never be afraid of her. Even though she's strong as an ox, she's as gentle as a mouse." Jacob knew in his heart that Renesmee could never hurt him. "And besides that, Ness isn't even venomous." Jacob recalled when Renesmee always like to bite him when she was an infant. The Cullens thought it was the funniest thing when she did. "Well, just make sure you don't ever make her mad then. That girl has quite a temper on her!" Seth warned. "Yeah, I'll never forget the time she chased you down and busted your arm when you stuck those fake vampire teeth in her mouth while she was sleeping. Man that was a great prank though. Hey, you still got those pictures?" Jacob laughed. Seth chuckled. "Heck yeah, I even made printed copies!" They both laughed as they high-fived each other. "So what about the mind-reader - you think he's figured it out?" Jacob wondered.

"I don't think so. Hopefully I have him convinced I'm really into stupid vampire shows. I just watched Vampire Diaries the other day so I kept running the episodes through my mind over and over just really stupid stuff. I'm pretty sure he just totally tuned me out." "Heh! Yeah, good way to keep him out of your head!" Jake wiped his hands on his jumpsuit and grabbed the hood. "Ok, well let's start getting these dents out," he added. "So wheres Ness today?" Seth asked. "She's hunting with Bella and Tara. Girl-time I guessI wasn't invited. Neither was Eddy. He mentioned it when he dropped off the car." "Hmm, well in that case I think I'll take a trip over tomorrow since we're closed or do you plan on working on the Porsche again? "Nope, I promised Ness I'd spend the day with her, maybe some cliff diving if it's nice like theyre predicting. I'll let you know so you can meet us." "Cool. Thanks." "So have Charlie and Sue set a date yet?" Jacob asked, changing the subject. "I think so. Mom's been all secretive latelyI have the feeling they're going to make an announcement soon." "That's cool, I'm really happy for her, Billy is too. Charlie's a great guy." "Yeah, he is. He's been good to her. I'm glad to see her so happy." After Bella left home to marry Edward, Sue began taking care of Charlie, cooking him meals, and helping him around the house. It didn't take long for the two to hit it off and eventually start dating. Seth knew it also wouldn't be long before the couple became serious, especially when she started spending the evenings with him. Seth became very fond of Charlie. Though Charlie loved Bella with all his heart, he had a strong fondness for Seth. He'd regretted never trying for a son when he was married to Renee. Deep down he always wanted to have a boy he could take to baseball games, go fishing and hunting, all of which Bella was much too uncoordinated to handle. He accepted Seth like he was his own and they bonded quickly. Seth never once felt any animosity towards Charlie or Sue even though their relationship took off so quickly after his father's passing. He was just happy to see his mother smiling again. "I just don't know how I'm gonna break the news to mom yet," Seth continued.

"Yeah well I don't think she's the one you need to worry about just yet." Seth gave him a grim look. "I know." **TO READ CHAPTERS 5-15, CLICK ON OLDER POSTS Chapter 5 - Friendship Tara sifted through Carlisle's library during the early hours of the morning, looking for something to read. She found one of her favorite classics, The Count of Monte Cristo, then curled up on a couch in the den to quietly enjoy her book. Before she could finish the first chapter, Alice appeared out of nowhere greeting Tara as she strolled in the room. "Good morning!" she said with a suspiciously, cheerful grin on her face. "Hey Alice," she replied as she looked up and smiled, she then returned her attention back to her book. Tara had no idea that she was about be drafted for a makeover. Alice could no longer stand to see the girl go another day in the same outfit. It also bothered her that the girl's long stringy hair hung in her face. She described her to Edward as looking quite homeless. In Tara's defense however, Edward reminded her that up until now, the girl was in fact homeless. She felt the girl was simply just a rare gem that just needed a little polishing and she decided it would be her mission to improve on the her appearance. Tara realized Alice hadnt moved and her eyes slowly panned up from her book to see Alice standing there with a dress in her hand and a large grin on her face. "Are you busy? I thought we'd have some girl time. You can always read that later can't you?" Alice suggested. Tara took a good look at the dress in Alice's hand. "Um..are we going somewhere?" "Nope, I just thoughtor well, I hoped, you'd let me give you a little makeover. Bella and Renesmee let me do it all the time and they love it." Or so she believed. "Oh, well I don't really do dresses," she said politely while staring at the frilly item, covered in pink and white lace. I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing, Tara thought. "No problem, I've got lots of stuff that will fit you. Come on, be a sport, it'll be fun! I can do so much with your hair. It will look very fashionable, I promise. I found the perfect

style for you." She held up a copy of Elle with a photo of Katy Perry on the front. Tara's eyes widened. "You wanna give me a hair cut too?" "Yes, you're in dire need of one - no offense." Alice ran her fingers through Tara's hair, checking for split ends. "Why? What's wrong with my hair?" "It just needs a little attention. Don't worry, I've done this before. You'll look adorable when I'm done with you. Pretty please?" Alice gave her a pair of sad eyes as she begged. Tara remembered Bella mentioning that Alice loved fashion and had even been to beauty school recently. She didn't want to hurt her feelings so she agreed. Alice grabbed Tara's hand and practically dragged her into the bathroom, which looked like she'd turned it into a mini salon. "Uh, makeup too?" Tara really didn't like makeup. "Just a tiny bit, I promise." Tara reluctantly sat down to let Alice go to work. She washed Tara's hair in the sink, dried it and combed it through, getting all the snarls out. Then she cut it exactly like the picture. Her hands worked very fast. Once she finished blow drying and styling it, she worked on Tara's face, sticking to her promise not to overdo it with the cosmetics. As the transformation process began, Alice rambled on about her life speaking of her love for Jasper, and how they found each other She also mentioned how she spent years locked in an asylum and how she thinks she chopped off her hair while she was there. Tara took notice to Alice's wild, spiky hair-do. Though the edges were choppy and uneven, she thought she managed to make it work well. When it was over finished, Tara looked at herself in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself, especially since her eye color started changing now. They were no longer the intense burgundy shed always known. The makeover wasn't the worst thing she'd experienced she thought but not something she could see herself doing daily. She liked the simpler, much shorter hair style, stopping at her shoulders and cut off evenly all the way around. "Wellwhat do you think?" Alice asked. "I think I look almost human." Alice laughed.

After the sun had come up.. Seth headed to the Cullen's late in the morning. He drove the old bike Jacob had put together for Bella when Edward was absent from her life. Jacob had decided to give it to him as a birthday present when he turned sixteen just two years ago. Seth happily accepted it and got his license so he could ride it legally. It was currently his only form of transportation but he loved his bike. In the past three years, his bond with Jacob became almost inseparable. Seth frequently accompanied Jacob to the Cullen's home when he came to see Renesmee. Hed always been much more accepting of the Cullens than most of the wolves, developing a friendship with them that the rest of the pack considered unusual. The Cullens also considered him just as much of a member of the family as their own, especially Edward and Bella who felt very grateful for everything he did for them. This time however, Seth had a new reason for visiting the Cullen house. When Esme answered the door, he greeted her with a compliment. "Hey, Mrs. C. You look lovely today." He smiled. He simply adored Esme and she also cared for him and Jacob like they were one of her own. "Why thank you, Seth." She smiled back. " Is everything ok? You really worried me the other night, when you ran off without even eating." "Oh yeahsorry, I just had some business to tend to. Nothing personal." "Well I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. "Jacob and Nessie aren't here, though. You just missed them." "Oh that's okay. I was hoping I'd catch your house guest here. Is she in?" "Yes, Tara's up in Nessie's room right now. Is there a problem?" she worried. "Oh no. I just have something for her. A peace offering, you could say. Do you mind if I go talk to her?" he asked politely. Esme opened the door wider to let him in. "Not at all. Come in," she smiled warmly. "Thanks." He slipped in and dashed up the stairs, heading down the hall to the last room. As he got closer he heard a voice. Someone was singing and it came from Renesmee's room. He picked up Tara's scent and then quietly as he could he peeked in, pushing on

the door slightly. Tara stood facing the back wall with her iPod on and ear-buds in both ears. She sang loudly while air-guitaring to her favorite rock music. He stood by the door, silently watching, amused at the vision. It didnt take her long at all to notice the familiar smell of wolf and stopped cold, turning around slowly to see who was there. Seths presence startled her and she disappeared immediately. He became nervous, putting his hands up as a peaceable gesture. "Hey, easy - no need to be scared. I'm the one who saved you remember?" Before he could blink, she had already zipped across the room and stood in front of him. It took him by surprise when she reappeared and he stumbled back a few inches. When she closed in on him, her head only came up to his chest but she stood up on her toes leaning in close. Seth froze as she stared him down. She put her face up to his chest and inhaled. "Hmm, yes it was you then, the other one smelled much worse." Still only an inch away from his body, she stared up at him as he towered over her. "And, I'm not scaredwolf." Her eyes narrowed. "How long have you been standing there?" "Uhnot even a minute." "Well don't you know how to knock?" she frowned. "S-sorry. I was about to," he paused changing the subject. "Um, sooo we're you just, air-guitaring over there?" he grinned. She looked embarrassed by the question. His unusual stare made her suspicious but she noticed something else; she detected no fear of in him, no scent of it at all. His heart beat steady and calm as well. She took a step back and turned on her heels to walk back to the bed, ignoring his question. While her back was to him and she bent over to pick up her sketch book off of the floor, Seth gripped the front of his T-shirt, pulled it to his nose and sniffed. He wondered how bad he smelled to her. Then Tara sat down on the bed and started working on a drawing she started earlier, before being taken away by her music. "So, what do you want then, a personal apology? I have no intentions to hunt on your land again if that's what you came to check on," she said, not even looking up from the

paper. Her hand moved very fast as she drew. He watched her intently. "Uh no, that's not why I'm here, though a thank you would be nice." Her hand stopped moving and she slowly lifted her eyes from the paper. "Um...thanks," she said without showing a trace of emotion though she was thoroughly confused now, wondering why he was there. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. "Uh, right." His eyebrows scrunched up as he spoke. "So, anyway, I have something for you. He paused for a moment before entering. Um, can I come in?" he asked politely. She nodded and then watched him carefully as he stepped closer to her. Her eyes widened with curiosity as he fearlessly sat on the bed next to her. She remained perfectly still, bemused, wondering what he was up to. Seth reached into his pocket and took something out. He stretched his arm out to her and opened his fist exposing the gold necklace in his hand. "My locket!" she gasped. Her fingers brushed his hot skin as she took it from him. She quickly pulled her hand back with a surprised look and stared at him for a moment, bewildered. He smiled at her, hoping she was pleased. Then she looked down at the locket in her hand, staring at it for a moment almost in disbelief, thinking it was lost it forever. Seth decided to break the awkward silence. "The clasp was busted, so I had to make a repair. I gave it a new one but it almost matches perfe.." Before he finished his sentence though, Tara leaped across the bed and hugged him tightly. It startled him but she was so quick he had no time to react. "UmWow. Okay," he said, gasping for air as she nearly crushed him with her embrace. Her reaction took him by surprise. Tara gasped as she felt the heat from Seth's body, noticing it was much warmer than normal skin temperature. She quickly let go of Seth and shifted back further on the bed lowering her eyes and feeling embarrassed for doing that. "Ahexcuse me. I-I don't know what came over me." "No worries," he chuckled as he rubbed his chest. It stung from the impact of her body

slamming into him. "At least I know you're happy," he added. It was a better reaction than he expected from a vampire. Tara became overwhelmed with emotion. Her most precious treasure had been returned by a stranger - but not just a stranger, a vampire killing machine and he'd come to give her the only valuable possession she owned. "I don't understand." She gave him a suspiciously glare. "What's that?" "How you found this and why you brought it to me." "Um, well I noticed you didn't have it around your neck the other night and I thought maybe it had fallen off when Paul hit you. It was quite an ordeal looking for such a tiny little thing. It landed in a pile of leaves. Good thing your scent was all over it still. I thought the rain would wash it away." "You actually went looking for it? Why would you do that?" He shrugged. "Because I just thought it might be something important to you." He watched her expression. She still seemed baffled. "And maybe I'm just a nice guy," he added with a big grin. "Well, I guess I just don't understand why you would be so nice. I mean you wouldn't even look at me the other night and the rest of the pack doesn't seem to like me much, so it just seems odd to me." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off as rude and the packwell, theyre just doing their job is all." "Isn't that your job too?" Why did you stop your friend from attacking me? "Yeah but I didnt sense that you're a threat and I didn't want Paul to hurt you. I mean, you were only trying to hunt that big mountain lion. You obviously didn't know about the boundaries. I can't blame you," he shrugged. She gave him an odd stare. How did you know I was hunting a mountain lion? Um well cuz I saw it. He lied. Then he changed the subject quickly. "I have a lot of confidence in Edward and Bella. They seem to trust you so that's good enough for me." Oh. She stared into his big brown eyes, believing him for some strange reason. His stare made her nervous so she casually looked down at the locket, rubbing her thumb over the initials on the front.

He noticed her staring at the locket and wanted to ask her something that he was curious about. "So can I ask you something?" She figured she owed him that much at least and nodded. "Well, don't get mad but I looked inside and I wondered who are the people in the pictures?" He took the liberty of looking inside when he found it. "The woman looks very much like you," he added. Her expression changed to a frown when he asked about the pictures of the man and the woman on either side of her locket. He worried that maybe he shouldn't have invaded her privacy. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Tara kept looking at the locket not speaking but then she decided to answer his question. "My parents. She looked up at his face to see his reaction. Those were my parents." Her expression remained sullen. "Oh." It was what he suspected. He noticed she used the past tense, guessing they were no longer alive. He also noticed something else about the photo as well. "So you're mother was Native American?" Her eyes focused on him. "Yes." Seth examined Tara's facial features, trying to imagine her with darker skin like his. It astonished him because he never before imagined one of his tribe being turned but it made him realize that it was a real possibility for them. "Hmm, I guess I didn't really notice before. You're such a pale-face now." He winked. Tara gave him a disturbed look and he worried that the comment bothered her "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." She shook her head. "No, it's not that it's just my mother used to call my dad that name, jokingly of course. It was kinda of her pet name for him." "Well, I won't say that anymore if it bothers you." "It doesn't. Don't worry about it. You just made me remember something I forgot for a long time is all." "I take it they're both gone now?" he said, figuring they were probably no longer alive. "Long gone," Tara said in a low voice, looking down again. "Hey, I know how much it hurts to lose a parent, I can't imagine losing both." Tara's expression softened. "My locket is the only thing I have left of them. Thank you

for finding it for meSeth Clearwater." Her eyes met his with sincerity. It was the first time she'd said his name and he liked it. "You're welcome, and it's just Seth. I'm flattered you even remembered," he smiled. "Well, I happen to remember everything," she said smugly as she unclasped the chain and put it around her neck. Looks good as new, he said smiling at her. Seth's eyes warmed her mood. She wondered how old he was, looking at his boyish face. Based on his size and frame, she guessed he was about twenty in human years. As she found herself getting lost in his stare. Seth became a bit nervous when there was a silent lull so he tried to think of something a little more cheerful to talk about. He spotted her ipod on the bed. So what were you listening to there before I came in?" he said as he pointed at the tiny gadget. "Do you mind if I have a look?" She stared at his open palm and then lifted her eyes to his. He seemed nice enough to her to trust him. As she gave him the device she purposefully placed one hand under his and slowly placed the iPod in his palm with the other hand. Her fingertips tingled as she touched his heated skin. "Thanks," he responded warmly. Then he browsed through the music list. "Hmm lets see. Elvis eh?" He made his lip curl up like The King and she chuckled shaking her head. Mmm, I like the Beatles too, he said but as he scrolled through a few more, he didn't recognize most of them. "Uh...Chuck Berry and the Platters?" He scrunched his face. "Yes, I like oldies. They're all more from my time." "So how did you get your hands on one of these anyways? I know they're not cheap and I heard you lived at a school." "Well, let's just say it's kinda handy when you can go completely undetected at times." "Ah, so you stole it?" His right eyebrow popped up as he gave her a sly grin. "My-my, such a little thief, I bet some poor student is probably searching the lost and found right now, hoping some kind soul will return it to him," he teased. "No, actually it's more like some poor employee at Best Buy is stressing over his inventory." "Oh, now that's a misdemeanor," he tried to say with a straight face, "Maybe I should

keep my eye on you, maybe you are trouble." "Tsk! Whatever!" she clucked, reaching over to grab her iPod from him. He just moved away from her and turned his head looking her in the eye. "Ah-ahhold on, I'm not done!" She grabbed at his hand to take it but he playfully switched it to his other one. She became inpatient with him and leaped on top of him gripping the hand that held the iPod tightly. He realized she was much too strong to fight back. "Umow. That hurts a little," he said as she squeezed his wrist. She leaned into his face. Her breath was as cool as her icy skin when she spoke. "You really shouldn't tease a vampire. It's a very dangerous thing to do," she hissed. Seth trembled under her realizing hed pushed her too far. "I-I'll try to remember that." He stared closely at her eyes and then realized what was different about her. Her eyes were blood red the last time he saw her. Theyd darkened to an almost brownish color now. She cocked her head to the side, staring at him. Then she smirked and pried the iPod from his hand. "Don't worry Seth, I won't hurt you." She backed off letting him up. He exhaled rubbing his wrists. "Who's worried?" "You know, stealing is hardly the worst thing I've ever done or could do, for that matter." He realized what she meant by her comment. "I'm sure I know what you're capable of, however I don't see you as a monster like you might think." Tara's eyes narrowed again. "So what do you see me as then?" "Mmm, how about a friend?" he suggested, hoping she'd accept. "You're asking to be my friend?" she looked puzzled. "Well yeah, I figured, since you owe me and all," Seth raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand. Why would you want to be friends with me?" "Umwell I guess if you're not interested" "That's not what I said," she snapped. He shrugged his shoulders. "Do I need more of reason? Look, the Cullens are my friends so I thought we could be as well. if you want." She stared at him silently for a moment, confused by his actions. She couldn't figure out

why he behaved so peculiar. The unusual stare and silence made Seth start to feel as though he wasn't really wanted there. "If you just want me to leave, I can just take off. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you." He started to get up and walk away. She didn't want him to leave though. "Seth - wait!" she ordered. He turned back to towards her. "I suppose I shouldn't turn you down. since I owe you for finding my locket." "And saving you," he added. "Stay," she requested. He thought for a second and then walked back over to the bed, standing there nervously. "Sit," she ordered. "I promise I won't bite." She smirked, keeping her eyes on him as he sat back on the bed next to her and slowly turned his eyes her face. "I'm very curious about you. You're my first human...friend." She felt odd calling him that. "I never actually speak to humans." "Why not?" he asked. She leaned a little closer to him. "Do you ever talk to you food?" She looked in his eyes to see his reaction. He shook his head nervously. She grinned while looking him over. "Thoughyou're not entirely human either," she pointed out. Seth shook his head staring at her face. "No, I'm not." "You smell different from humans, also." "You mean I smell bad." He remembered her words from earlier. "You should be thankful I normally wouldn't tolerate being this close to a human without considering them for a meal." Seth gulped and his eyebrows scrunched together. "AlsoI noticed your heartbeat is much calmer today," she added. "Well...at least it was up until a few seconds ago." She grinned pleased with herself. "Huh?" He tensed up. "The first night you were here, you're heart was racing like the wings of a humming bird. Do I make you nervous?" "Uh no, not really. How do you even know it was me anyways?"

"Because when you disappeared, the room quieted down. I knew it was you then." "Oh ..yeah, umI wasn't feeling well. I just needed some air." He looked away feeling awkward about it. "Oh, I got the impression you didn't want to be around me. I thought maybe I spooked you or something." He chuckled. "Um, no offense, but I've actually been around scarier vampires than you." Her eye brow went up. "Is that so - and who might that be?" she mused. "The Volturi." Tara snickered. "Mmm, the Volturi,yesthey are a scary bunch." She spoke in a mocking tone since she used to be one. He obviously didnt know that however. "You're all lucky to still be alive. When the Volturi show up at your door like that, you don't usually live to tell about it." "Yeah well I think they were more scared of us. They may be very powerful but I don't think they were ready to face a pack of angry wolves that were teamed up with some very gifted vampires." "Maybe so. Aro's not one to get into a battle, he'll avoid it if possible. He likes an easy kill, one where he has the advantage. That's why he likes to collect vampires with talents that serve his purpose." "You seem to know a lot about them." The corners of Tara's mouth turned down. "Let's just say I've encountered them more than I'd like to." "Same here," Seth agreed. An awkward silence came over the room again. Tara found herself curiously fascinated by Seth's presence and his unusual kindness towards her. She also still wondered about his unusually warm body heat. She never remembered humans being quite that hot. They were warm to the touch but Seth's skin was like a blazing fire against hers. She inquisitively reached for his hand to touch his skin. He almost jerked it away but waited, trusting her to see what she was about to do. Her fingertips gently skimmed over the top of his hand, making the hairs on his arm stand strait up. "Forgive my curiosity but are all of your kind so warm?" Her cool touch gave him goose bumps. "Yeswe're always like that. It's a wolf thing." "Is that uncomfortable for you?" She turned his hand over studying his palm.

He started to relax, enjoying her inquisitiveness. "It was at first it was, but not anymore. How about you - are you uncomfortable being so cold?" She pulled her hand away quickly at the mention of her coldness. "Uh, well noI'm dead. Cold feels normal to me." "Hmm well last I checked, dead people don't talk, or sing or air-guitar," he smirked. Tara reached for his hand again and pulled it to her chest, placing it over her dead heart and holding it there. "What do you feel?" She spoke with a soft and soothing voice. "Umm" he paused becoming nervous and speechless. "No heartbeat?" Her eyebrow rose. "Uh, no," he spoke softly. "That's because I'm not alive." She watched his expression, expecting him to become withdrawn but he didn't. "Well that's only because certain parts of your body that have ceased to function, but you're obviously alive. Your soul is still there, right? Otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you right now. So my theory is you're just something different." She let go of his hand but he didn't move his. His receptiveness made her apprehensive. It was something she was not used to with humans. "You're very interesting." Her eyes became narrow. "Really? Is that good or bad?" he asked as he pulled is hand away slowly. "I'll let you know." Seth smiled at her, hoping she would. "So then, what are your plans while you're here in Forks?" he pried. Tara shrugged. "I have no plans really. I've been a little reluctant to venture off by myself sincewell you know. And since Renesmee went to the Reservation with Jacob for a few hours and Edward and Bella won't be back for couple hours I guess I just plan to hang here for a bit at least until they return. Bella promised to show me around Forks though. I'm kinda looking forward to getting out." "Oh I see." he nervously looked down at the bed. "Uh, well do you like motorcycles?" "Sure." Tara wondered why he would ask such a question. "Great, then how about if I show you around Forks? If you'd like." He looked to see her reaction.

Tara stared at him not saying anything, boggled by his amity towards her. "What? You still don't trust me?" She looked at him skeptically. "I'm still trying to figure you out." "Well you can figure me out while we're getting to know each other. So, how 'bout it?" When he held out his hand to her, she looked at it like it was an alien probe. "Umm... I dunnoare we supposed to be doing that?" Tara never thought in a million years she would befriend a human, especially one that could mutate into a giant wolf. She felt like she was doing something completely illegal. "Yes, it's fine. We're friends now. Come on - I think Edward has an extra helmet in the garage too. Esme won't mind if we get it." She contemplated for a few seconds. She wasn't sure why, but she was very interested in taking a ride with her new acquaintance. "Alright then, but I won't need a helmet." She put her iPod down and slowly got up from the bed. "I would like to change into something a little more suitable however if you don't mind. Alice kinda got to me last night. She thinks I'm her new dress up doll or something." Seth chuckled. "Oh I see. Yeah, I've heard that about Alice from Ness. You look really good though. Maybe a bit overdressed for a bike ride, but it's a good look for you. I like the hair. It was covering your eyes too much before." "Thanks," she said, being very coy. "I'll wait for you downstairs," Seth offered, giving her some privacy. She slipped into Renesmee's closet looking for a top and grabbed her jeans. Tara's head nearly spun as she thought about the unusual turn her life had taken since arrived in Forks. So much for dull and boring, she thought.

Seth drove Tara through town showing her all of the 3.1 square miles of the small city. It reminded her very much of a tiny little town called Milton, where her grandmother lived. Then they headed south on the 101, cruising several miles down the coast of the Pacific. Tara looked out towards the ocean enjoying the feel of the cold air blowing through her hair. Seth pulled into a tourist stop near the edge of the coast, overlooking a breathtaking view

of the ocean. He removed his helmet after turning off the engine."So what'dya think?" he asked. "It's beautiful," she replied hopping off the bike and then walked closer to the edge admiring the view. She took in every detail remembering it for later for when she could copy it to her sketch book. A light breeze hit her face and she inhaled the smells of the cool, salty air. Seth walked over and watched her as she seemed to get lost in the scenery. He chuckled. "What?" She looked at him curiously. "You should have worn the helmet. You should see your hair. Alice will be mad," he chuckled, looking at her new wind-blown hairdo. "No problem," she said as she grabbed a hair band from her pocket. She pulled her hair back and wrapped it around the ponytail. Seth smiled at her as she studied him. "You seem unusually comfortable around vampires. I find that odd," she said. Seth shrugged. "The Cullens are cool. They've been like family to me. We have a lot of history." "Yes, I saw that from Ness's visions. You defended them too. I find that admirable." "Well after all wed been through with them, we weren't about to let those vamps come to town and start killing our friends unjustly." "So how do you know I'm not just like those other vamps?" Tara leaned against the railing that bordered the cliff's edge. Her face became more serious. "Like I said, I trust Edward and Bella's judgment." Then he leaned in a bit closer to her. "Plus your eyes look different today. I think you've changed your diet." "How very observant of you," she said, crossing her arms. "How's that going for you?" he wondered. "Mmm, it will take some getting used to. I feel like I have to feed more often. Edward says that will fade as I get used to it, as well as the agitation." "Agitation? "Yeah from the change always feeling hungry when you're not. It'll pass." "You seem to be handling it quite well. Is it really that difficult? I mean blood is blood right? What's the diff?" "The diff is, it's not the same. Tell you what, try eating nothing but apples for a whole

week and tell me how you feel." "That's not so hard, I like apples." "Heh, okay! Well I doubt you will after a whole week," she grinned. Just then the cell phone in her pocket vibrated. It was the one Esme gave her for emergencies. She almost forgot it was even there. Renesmee's name popped up on the caller ID. "Hey Ness," she answered cheerfully then paused as Renesmee talked. "Oh sorry, I didn't know when you'd be back and Seth offered to take me for a ride Yeah, we're somewhere on the coast." Another pause. "Ok hold on." She held the phone out to Seth. "She wants to talk to you." "Hey Ness." he said. After another long pause he spoke to her again. "Really? Yah, we'll come. See you in a whilehey did you bring food? Cuz I'm starving." Tara remembered how humans needed to eat every few hours. She realized what that grumbling noise she heard was now. "Kay, see you soon," he said to her before ending the call. "Ok, come on," Seth said as he headed back to the bike waving his hand for her to follow him. "Where we going?" she asked. "You'll see," he grinned, nodding for her to follow and get back on the bike.

He returned to the 101 and drove several miles north, finally coming to a dirt road and turned. For a long while she saw only trees and then finally there was a break ahead, seeing patch of sky in the distance. They rode above the shore line, on top of the cliffs, bordering the beach. Seth parked his bike, allowing Tara to hop off first. He secured his helmet to the seat and started walking towards the cliff. "This way," he said, leading her to a path. As they got closer to the ocean, Tara heard voices more clearly. She recognized two of them for sure. As they neared the sounds, she saw Renesmee, Jacob and a couple of other boys atop of the cliff. Two of the boys hurled themselves off the cliff while howling. "Tara!" Renesmee called as she ran over with a welcoming smile. She smiled back. Jacob followed right behind Renesme and greeted Seth with a high-five. "W'sup guys!

I'm glad you made it. Ness really insisted Tara came so she wouldn't be the only girl." "Oh and I texted mom so she'd know you were here with us too. She also said something about the museum tomorrow..." Renesmee mentioned in a questioning tone. "Oh, right. She must mean the one in Seattle," she said as she curiously watched Seth pull off his shoes and socks. He looked like he was going to join the other boys in jumping off the cliff. Ah, so what on the agendaare you all committing suicide today?" She joked. Seth laughed. "Hardly. Just some cliff jumping. Its fun you should try it." Just then, Tara noticed the two boys that had jumped a few minutes ago had already climbed back up onto the cliff. She figured they must be part of the pack since no human could climb those rocks with that speed and strength. Both the boys came over to greet Seth and he introduced them. "This is Embry and Quil," he said introducing the two dripping wet boys to her. They didn't appear to be cold, but she knew the water temperature had to be glacial. Both boys stared at Tara apprehensively, knowing what she was, but eventually greeted her with a nod. "Are you jumping?" Quil asked nervously. "Well I wasn't exactly planning on getting wet today." She stood in a very neutral position as she spoke with him with her hands behind her back. "Ha! Wuss! What kinda vampire are you anyway? Oh I know.you're just like Rosalieprobably don't wanna mess up your makeup." Jacob teased, happy to have a new vampire to pick on now that Rosalie was away. Tara became annoyed and gave him a dirty look. She bent over to pick something off the ground. "Oh look Jake.." She held up a twig waving it in front of his face. Then she threw it over the edge. "Fetch!" She smirked at him. It went out so far they couldn't even see where it landed in the water. Seth and the others started to snicker. "Cute one, Elvira. No problem, though. Why don't you just stay up here and guard our food. I know I don't have to worry about you eating any of it." "You're right about that I don't like kibble," she snapped back. Jacob grinned. "Hey Tara, you know how a werewolf says goodbye to a vampire?" Tara crossed her arms and frowned. "So long - sucker!" Then Jacob flipped backwards off the ledge.

Renesmee rolled her eyes. "You should just ignore him. He really hates being ignored." Then she followed him off the edge into the icy water, squealing as she fell. Jacob waited for her at the bottom then they raced to climb back up. Renesme beat Jacob by a long shot. Tara stood at the edge of the cliff, peeking down over the edge with her arms still folded. "Well? Wanna try it?" Seth pressed, nodding his head towards the cliff. "Hmmm," She cocked her head to the side. "It's an awful long way down," she said in teasing tone. "You're not too scared I hope." One eye brow popped up as he smirked. "Hardly," she replied. Her mouth flattened in a straight line. "By the way, isn't this water just a little too cold for humans?" she wondered. "The cold doesn't bother me. I happen to like cold things," he grinned stepping towards her while looking at her reaction. Her eye brow popped up and she cocked her head to the side. "Oh...is that so?" "Mmm-hmm," he mumbled. "So... how about it then? Ladies first?" he gestured with his hands. "That's ok.why don't you just show me how it's done," she said putting her hands on her hips. "Sure, sure. Just watch The Pro." Seth bragged before pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it on the ground. "Well ok, here goes nuthin!" he said getting ready to charge. Tara became distracted as she stared at his muscular chest. She watched as he stepped back a little, getting ready to lunge forward. He dashed for the edge of the cliff but then quickly turned back around reaching for Tara around her waist. He wrapped his arms around her spinning her and then jumping off with her in his arms. Half-way down, she shoved him back and flipped her body around entirely doing a perfect dive into the water. When he surfaced, he looked around for her but she didn't come up to the top. He looked around frantically. It seemed like a very long time for any normal person to be under water, but not for a vampire. Jacob and the others watched curiously from the top of the cliff. Where is she? There's no way she could have drowned. Seth thought. Just as he started swimming inland, he felt something at his feet. It grabbed him and pulled him down under the water.

"Seth!" Jacob yelled in a panic. He leaped off the edge, diving into the water. The others watched nervously from the top. When Jacob surfaced he looked around in a panic. "Seth!" he yelled again. Suddenly, Seth's body vaulted up in the air and fell back down further out in the ocean, landing with and enormous splash. Tara swam so quickly, she was already at the bottom of the cliff when his body came back down and hit the water. She leaped up on the rocks and climbed them with dexterity. Seth's head finally popped out of the water, slightly stunned but unharmed by the throw. Renesme and the other boys just looked at each other and then laughed hysterically. Jacob snickered as Seth swam by him. "Wow dude, guess she showed you who's Boss!" Jacob teased. "Shut up!" Seth shoved Jacobs head under and tackled him. When Tara reached the top of the cliff and pulled herself over the edge Renesme held her hand out for a high five. She smiled and slapped her hand. "Nice one," she laughed. Seth climbed back up and sloshed past Renesme dripping wet. "That was awesome Seth, I didn't even know you could fly," Renesmee said with a big grin. "Shut it, squirt!" He messed up her hair as he passed and then walked over to Tara. She was sitting on the ground, wringing out a sock. "Now that wasn't very nice of you," he said with his arms folded, trying to be serious. She didn't even look up at him. "Mmm, you're the one who thought it would be funny to throw me over a cliff." She said angrily. He smirked. Then turned and grabbed some towels that spotted. He walked back over to her and put one over her shoulders. "I'm not cold," she snapped at him, shoving it off still not making eye contact. She continued wring out the other wet sock. Pieces of wet hair stuck to her face and little droplets of water dripped off her chin. He grabbed the towel again and plopped it back on her head. "You're dripping though." She yanked it off and then gave him a dirty look as she combed her fingers through her wet hair, brushing it back. He smiled as he dried his head with the other one. Then he squatted down next to her.

You know I kinda thought you were gonna stop me, but you didn't." Her eyes darted up at him, realizing she wasn't even alarmed when he grabbed her. "Mmm, well I guess I just thought I could trust yousince we're supposed to be friends and all," she said, still irritated. "Well, I think we're even now. How about we call a truce and start over?" he held his hand out for a truce. She ignored it and looked away. "I warned you about the teasing, didn't I?" she grumbled. "Hmm, so you did. Guess I forgot." He pulled his hand back and smiled at her still. "So how 'bout it? Please?" After a moment she sighed and finally gave in. "Fine," she threw her towel at him then reached in her pocket and pulled out a small electronic device that dripped water. She pitched it at him. "But you better explain this to Esme." Ah, Sorry. I forgot all about your phone," he said feeling guilty now. Suddenly, Seth's stomach growled loudly. "What was that?" she said. "Thats my stomach. I'm starving." Seth looked around searching for food. Tara spotted a cooler and pointed. "You should look in that box over there. I just saw one of your friends grab some sort of dead carcass out of it," Tara said in all seriousness. "Huh?" Seth looked at her as though she spoke in a foreign language. "Chicken, I think it was chicken." She corrected herself. "Ohright," Seth chuckled. He walked over to the cooler and opened the lid, reached in to grab some food and can of soda and then returned to sit sat down next to Tara. "You're right chicken." He waved a drumstick at her. "I bet Edward made these. He's a great cook." "Edward?" Tara thought about how odd it was for a vampire to have culinary skills but then she realized he probably learned to cook for Renesme since she also consumes human food. "Yup, sure is. Oh, looks like Ness made the cookies though." He looked at the black underside of one. Renesmee was a terrible cook. No matter how hard she tried, she always burned things. Jacob always teased her saying she obviously didn't inherit the cooking gene that the rest

of them had. Tara smiled and curled her knees into her chest as she watched the others still leaping off the cliff. Though the other boys seemed to make her feel on edge, she felt unusually comfortable around Seth. It was almost impossible for her to resist his amiable personality. "So. can I ask you something else? Seth became more serious. "Are we playing twenty questions today?" she replied still looking out at the ocean. "Um, I dunno, have I reached my limit yet?" She grinned rolling her eyes. "No, its fine, go ahead and ask." "Ok, how old are you? She paused for a second looking at her strangely curious human friend. Then she responded. "In human years or vampire years?" "Both." "I was turned when I was exactly sixteen and I've been this way for fifty-four years." "Wow, seventy. Thats old!" he joked. She smiled smugly. "Actually I'm considered young, for a vampire." "Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure Jasper and Carlisle have been around a really long while." "Yes, they have." He paused for a moment taking a drink, thinking about asking her some more questions. "Sohow did it happen?" He pried again. "What?" "Ah, you know.." he paused hoping she'd understand he wanted to know how she became a vampire. "Oh" She looked surprised. "You really wanna hear about that?" "Only if you wanna tell me." Tara paused again thinking as she stared at the horizon. She was a little hesitant to tell him the story. No one had ever asked her before. She sighed and her face became more serious as she began to speak. "My parents took me to Italy for my sixteenth birthday. My father wanted to surprise me with an extravagant tour of this exclusive art museum of some kind." She paused again.

Pain filled her eyes as she stared ahead. "First they killed my mom. Then when one of them came after me, my father pushed me out of the way but they killed him too." "Who"? Seth imagined some mad gunmen or something. She turned her head, looking him square in the eyes. "Vampires." Her face looked cold and hard and her eyes darkened with her mood. His expression suddenly changed to surprise and then quickly turned to horror as she continued on. "I was bitten, but it didn't kill me. I hid, somehow. I don't know how but I guess once the venom was in me I was changed. I just remember my father telling me to hide so I crawled under a table and laid there, watching them kill everyone in the room. The only thing that went through my mind was just to try and become invisible or something. I just prayed they wouldn't see me. They should have found me otherwise. They only did later, once the change was completed. I wandered around, confused, hungrynot knowing what happened to me. Then I finally realized I was one of them." Seth's heart sank looking at Tara with a sympathetic expression. He couldn't imagine what she must have gone through watching her parents be murdered by vampires. "I'm so sorry. I feel bad for asking now. I can see it's making you uncomfortable talking about it." Tara shook her head looking down. "It's fine. Ask anything you like of me. You should know what I am." Seth paused for a moment before he thought of his next question. "So, they left you alone once they knew you were turned? Did you escape?" "No, not right away. I couldn't leave and my power was weak at the time. I didn't even know I had a gift right away. I was so confused. Aro took me inhe favored me. He admired my ability, desiring to use it to his benefit. He took me in and tamed me and then taught me how to accept my new life and how to survive. He and the others helped show me to use my gift.how to manipulate people's minds." "Aro?" He remembered that name well. "The Volturi did this to you?" "Yes." Seth's blood boiled. He understood Tara's dislike for the Volturi now. She continued on. "I didn't know what else to do. My parents were dead, I couldn't return home, I had no one and I was. hungry. They weren't about to just let me go and leaving the Volturi is difficult. I needed to feed and the thirst was unbearable. They only fed me when I did what they wanted. Eventually I juststayed. They treated me like I was one

of their own. I justbecame one of them. Once they trusted me enough, they used me to do their dirty work for them. Since I could conceal myself in the daytime they used me to lure people into their place. I brought the unsuspecting tourists right in for them. They never saw it coming." Tara looked down in shame and then continued her telling her story. "One day I finally realized I had become the monster that killed my parents and the next day that they sent me out, I never came back. I stayed in the sunlight for years living in the sunniest parts of the world hoping they wouldn't follow. Then eventually I just found my way back to home town in hopes to find something or someone I was familiar with. The hardest part was when I wandered into our family cemetery and found, not only the tombstones of my parents, but my own as well. Everyone I'd ever known believed that I was dead." Tara glanced over at Seth who looked like he'd just finished watching a gory horror flick. She also noticed he'd stopped eating his food. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you all that. You look like you're about to puke." "Uh no, no. it's okay. I can handle that part. I just can't imagine what you must have gone through. It's the most tragic thing I've ever heard." Tara still looked puzzled by his compassion. "It was terrifying, like a horrible nightmare I couldn't wake up from. I didn't even know what it was that attacked us. To think such creatures even existed, was unfathomable. The only vampire I'd ever seen in my life was in an Abbott and Costello film, which was a pretty silly portrayal of Count Dracula." "Abbott and who?" he asked, unfamiliar with the actors names. "Costello." She giggled. "Don't tell me you never heard of them." Seth shrugged. "Um, noshould I?" Tara shook her head in disbelief. "It's a Classic. You'd get a kick out of it. It's got a wolf man in it too." "Heh! Really? That sounds good. I'll have to see that one." Seth was thinking he'd probably sit and watch the weather channel with Tara if she was even the slightest bit interested. He continued with his questions again. "So, you just stopped hunting humans once you left?" She shook her head looking away. "It wasn't that simple. For a while, to avoid killing the innocent, I went to prisons and jail houses. I felt less guilty about killing criminals. Only

problem is, it started gaining attention. Too many prisoners were missing or found dead. I was drawing too much attention to myself so I had to move around a lot. Then I just decided that blood banks would be the simplest thing. It kept me out of trouble." "Makes sense," he said. "So how long has it been...since you've um" He couldn't get the word out. "Killed?" she finished for him. "Yeah." "You're a very curious creature. Why do you wish to hear all of this?" "I'm just trying to understand. Do you mind?" His eyes looked soft and sincere. "NoI don't mind." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "Its been about twenty-three years for me, with one only accident and then never again since." He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. He seemed to want to know everything so she didnt stop. She was curious at how much information he could take in before he became disgusted with her. "There was a rapist on the campus a few years ago. He was killing his victims. I didn't bother to get involved or anything. It's not my place to interfere with the humans ,but one night I heard the screams of a girl. I was curious so when I went to see where the screams had come from and I then saw him. He was strangling a young girl in her dorm room. Don't know what came over me but I just.attacked. It was that last time I ever fed on a human. I was too late to save the girl's life though." "What about the rapist?" Seth wondered. Her eyes darkened. "They never found his body. I made sure of it." He detected a hint of pleasure when she spoke of the event. A chill surged through Seth's spine. "Am I'm freaking you out yet?" she asked. "No." "No? None of this bothers you?" "You rid the world of a killer. Why should that bother me?" "Because, I killed a human being!" "Anyone that can rape and murder a young girl doesn't really qualify as a human being to me. Maybe you just did the world a favor." Tara stood up, frustrated. "Don't talk like that. I can't justify killing people no matter what

they've done. Don't make me sound like a hero for it." She started to tremble. His reactions were not what she expected. Seth stood up and touched her arm. "Hey, I'm sorry. I've very opinionated and I think a little differently than the others but you're right, I shouldn't justify it. All I'm trying to say really is that I understand. Don't be angry, ok?" Tara focused on his hand the moment he touched her. His skin blazed against hers. Looking back at him she tried not to think about it, and nodded. She stared at his face looking as though she wanted to speak, but hesitated. "What is it?" he asked. "You have a good soul. You're honest." He smiled at her. "Thanks. So does that mean you trust me now?" "Perhaps," she smirked. He decided to change the subject and lighten the mood a little. "Okay then... how about we go jump some more...since you're already wet and all." Tara slowly turned her eyes in his direction and gave him a crooked smile. All her frustration and irritation left as he spoke. "Ok, but last one down get's the back seat on the way back!" She sprung up and began to run. "Oh hell no!" Seth charged after her.

Later on Tara was trying to get Seth to let her drive the bike home since he lost all the races she challenged him to. Seth was already on the bike ready to head out. "Come on! I beat you six times. A deals a deal!" "Um I don't recall actually agreeing to your little bet." "Then why did you keep racing?" She had her hand on the handle grip right next to Seth's. "Cause you kept making me!" he complained. "Please?" she begged. "No." "Fine.I'll just walk back to Forks." She turned to leave.

"Tara, you don't even have a license!" She jumped back over to him, cupping her hands together. "Ok, just to the interstate then?" Seth sighed and dropped his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He moved his arm so she could hop on scooted back on the seat. Her eyes lit up and she jumped on the bike. Seth just shook his head. As he put his arms around her waist, he inhaled a whiff of her hair. It smelled sweet like fresh strawberries and honey, he thought. Tara let up on the clutch and pulled back on the throttle. She didn't wobble at all and kept perfect balance as she drove up the dirt road several yards. The small engine revved into a high-pitch sound, barely climbing above twenty five miles per hour. Seth put his lips up to her ear though he knew her perfect ears would be sufficient enough to hear him. "Uh, have you ever driven a motorcycle before?" "Of course. I stole one in Italy, once," she shouted over the whining buzz of the engine. "What kind was it?" "A Vespa, why?" "A what? Ok wait, stopstop...STOP!" Seth reached over Tara and grabbed the handles taking control. He sighed. "Ok, this is not a scooter, you have to change gears." "Oh yeahthat's this over here by my foot right?" "Yeah, um...maybe I should take over now," he suggested worrying about his bike. "No, no, come on reallyI can drive it." She nudged his fingers away from the handles. Looking at her for a moment, Seth tried to decide whether he wanted to risk his bike and possibly his life, to please the adorable being he enjoyed hanging onto, even from the back seat of his own motorcycle. He groaned losing the battle with himself and gave in to her. "Please don't kill my bike," he said with a sigh. She smiled as he grabbed onto her tighter when she sped off. Tara flipped through the gears, speeding up to sixty miles per hour trying to push the bike harder. She weaved in and out and around the path following it with such perfect precision that Seth wouldn't have known she'd never handled a real motorcycle before had he not asked. "That's the highway up there," he cautioned, "Slowdown. Tara... TARA!" She stopped the bike instantly just a few yards short of the interstate. Seth's body flew forward, slamming into her stone-hard back and he instantly gripped her tightly to keep himself from falling off. "You make a horrible air bag you know."

She turned her head. "Well you're still in one piece aren't you?" she smirked. "Can I have my bike back now?" Seth started sweating, even though it wasn't even warm out. Tara spun off the bike, keeping her eyes locked on Seth the whole time with an enormous, confident grin on her face. Then she waited for him to scoot forward and she leaped on, behind him. "So, you like to go fast?" he asked looking half way back at her. "Of course," she replied. Seth grinned and then peeled out onto the Interstate. He showed off a little by exceeding city speed limits on the trip back to the Cullen home. He figured it's always handy when your mother is dating the Chief of Police and you wish to bend the rules a little. When they arrived at the Cullen home, Tara jumped off the bike and Seth cut the engine. "So, you wanna come in or do you have to leave?" she asked. "I've got nuthin to do," he said gladly, shrugging his shoulders and implying for her to lead the way. As they went in the house, they heard Edward playing a melody on the piano. Bella sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. They were the only ones home. Carlisle had left for his shift at the hospital and Esme was busy doing volunteer work in town. Seth remembered to be careful to guard his feelings while around Edward so he immediately began thinking about food, which was pretty easy because he was hungry. Tara passed a mirror in the hallway and caught a glimpse of herself and gasped. "I should probably do something with my hair before Alice sees me." He smiled at her wild looking appearance. Though her clothes were nearly dry from the ride, she decided to change into something clean. "I'll be right backI'm gonna change out of these." "OkayumI'll be around." Seth thought about wandering into the kitchen to see what Esme had stocked in the fridge. While Tara was upstairs, she put on a pair of fresh jeans and a tight fitting, hooded shirt. Then she raked a brush through the snarls in her hair and headed downstairs to find Seth, peeking in all the rooms trying to follow his scent. Hey Edward, she said as she passed the music room.

"Kitchen," Edward chimed when she passed, knowing exactly who she looked for. Tara chuckled and headed back upstairs to the kitchen. She hadn't thought about that one. She only saw the kitchen once during Esme's tour and never needed to be in there since. She found Seth nibbling on some pizza that Jacob had brought over the other day. "Oh, I'm sorryI forgot you needed to eat again huh?" she said. "Yeah, I was feeling a bit shaky. You know, I think Jake and I are the only ones who use this kitchen, except when we get Esme to cook for us." Tara strolled over to the fridge and peeked in just out of curiosity. She scrunched her nose at the smells that hit her as she opened the door. "What's with all the eggs?" she wondered as she counted six dozen stacked neatly on the top two shelves. "Ness really likes eggs. I don't know why," he shrugged. "And since she hates cooking, Edward has always volunteered to do it for her. He says he misses not being able to cook for Bella anymore." "Hmm, interesting," she pondered the thought, "Sowhat shall we do after you've consumed your curd-covered-carbohydrate?" she asked as she watched him chewing on a mouthful. Seth nearly choked on his pizza, laughing at Tara's odd descriptions for his meals. "Do you have to keep talking about my food that way?" "I'm sorry," she grinned. "So, how is your...pizza anyway?" She slowly pronounced the word. "Not bad, it'll do the trick. I'm sure it's not as good as mountain lion," he winked. "Probably not," she laughed. "What about you? Do you need to um.eat?" "Are you offering me a snack?" She leaned into closer to him. Her eyebrow popped up as she displayed a devilish grin. "Umm." Seth leaned back an inch. "Relax," she chuckled. "I'm kidding, I'll eat laterwhen it's dark." "Do you need an escort?" he offered. "Absolutely not!" she snapped. "Oh." Seth felt a bit rejected. "You'd scare away all my prey!"

"Oh. No I wouldn't. I go with Ness and Jacob all the time. It's pretty hilarious to watch that tiny little thing take down a giant grisly." "Mmm hilarious. Yes, that's exactly how I wish to portray myself when I'm killing something," she said sarcastically. "You know wolves hunt too." "They do?" She didn't think they'd need to, especially when there's human food available to them. "Yup, we've had to resort to it a few times in the past when it was ahinconvenient for us to phase back." "I see, but pizza's much better though, right? She grinned. "Definitely!" Seth swallowed his last bite. "So, do you miss it at all?" He said nodding at the empty pizza box next to him. "Do I miss what?" "Human food... eating normal stuff." "Drinking blood is normal stuff to me. I have no memory of eating human food, so I guess the answer would be a no." She paused. "You have an awful lot of questions." "Sorry, does it bother you?" "No, I'm just wondering what the motivation behind it is." "Curiosity," he shrugged, hoping she'd accept his excuse. Seth became lost in her eyes as she stared at him. He snapped out of it before he got too carried away, remembering Edward was still in the other room. He started thinking of things they could do to distract his mind. Tara wanted to pry more into his head but her attention became distracted by the tiny vampire that just hopped off of a tree branch and sprung through the kitchen window. It was Alice, followed by Jasper right behind her. "Hi guys!" she sung cheerfully. Her mood quickly changed once she got a glimpse of Tara's hair though. "Ugh! What have you been doing all day, chasing tornados? "What? I brushed it out," she shrugged, running her fingers through it. Then Tara looked at Seth. "Is it that bad? she asked. Seth shook his head quietly and smiled. He liked her hair. Then his attention suddenly turned to Jasper and they exchanged a friendly nod as he remembered to guard his

feelings around him as well, a task he found to be very difficult. Since his feelings of hunger had passed, he began to think about work as a distraction, tuning Alice out for a moment. She still rambled on about Tara's appearance. "..and of all the clothes in Nessie's closet you managed to find one of Bella's old outfits. You guys are just killing me!" "Well it looked comfy. I might hunt later though, maybe I could slip on an evening dress and some pumps and seduce some unsuspecting animals tonight," Tara said with sarcasm. "Really? Seth asked. Tara turned towards Seth and gave him a No stupid, that was just a joke, kind of look. "Are you mocking me?" Alice's eyes narrowed. "Why no, I would never do that to you Alice." She sung in an innocent voice with a smile. "Tsk! Whatever! Well I suppose if you're just gonna hang out with a bunch of wolves anyway, there's no need to fuss over you." she huffed before exiting kitchen. Jasper loyally followed behind her. "Uh, thanks Alice," Seth replied, but she was already gone in a flash. He turned his attention back to Tara still trying to think of something they could do. "So.do you like watching movies? The Cullen's have like, tons of them." "A movie? Hmm, that sounds good. Let's just see what they have then, shall we?" Seth took her to a room that had a seventy-inch plasma TV. Normally when Emmett was there he dominated the television with his sports. Tara picked up three different remotes trying to find the ON button. Seth knew exactly the right one being that he spent so much time watching sports with Emmett or Jacob. As the screen came on, it was already tuned into ESPN. Then he went over to a large cabinet opening the doors, exposing hundreds of DVDs. "Wow," Tara uttered. "Yeah, I know. It's like having a video store in your own home." She sifted through the movies looking at the titles. "Goshsomeone really likes horror," she noticed "That would be Emmett. He collects them allzombies, vampires, werewolves, aliens."

Tara looked through the names of each one, all organized alphabetically. "Hey, what'ya know!" Tara said as she pulled out the copy of the nineteen forty-eight movie, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." Seth observed the cover which showed pictures of a very vintage-looking Frankenstein, Dracula and wolf man on the front. "So this is the one eh? Oh, hey ya know, I think my dad use to watch these guys when I was littleits um, black-n-white eh?" he recalled from a memory. "Yeah that's right," she said. Cuz, ya knowIm old and all, she nudged him with a cold elbow. Seth chuckled. "Ok, let's watch it then." He opened the case and placed the disk in the player, waiting as it whirred up. Tara plopped herself on the floor even though there was a couch. She wasnt used to furniture though she knew what it was for. The floor was just fine for her and she liked looking up slightly at the TV from a lower angle like being at the movie theater. Seth turned the surround sound on and then once the opening credits began, he sat on the floor in front of the couch next to Tara. She curled her legs in towards her chest and wrapped her arms around them and smiled as he made himself comfortable. He was used to sleeping on the floor in wolf form so it didnt bother him much either. After a several minutes into the movie, Seth put his elbow up on the couch and then propped his head up with his hand. He glanced over at Tara often during the movie, trying not to be too obvious. Though shed see the movie a dozen times as a kid she still enjoyed it like it was her first time. It amused him when she would laugh at the two slapstick comedians on the screen and hed laugh with her. About half way through, Tara noticed he wasn't laughing anymore. She peeked at him through the corner of her eye and noticed he'd fallen asleep. His head was resting on his stretched out arm that laid flat across the couch. She cocked her head to the side, curiously staring at him as he slept. He looked very peaceful, she thought. Tara reached her hand out towards his face and paused, yearning to touch his skin. She debated with herself for a moment and then she slowly stroked her finger tips across his warm soft cheek. His skin felt like burner of a stove under them and an efflux of energy pulsed through her arm. She never intimately examined a human this way. She pleasantly enjoyed it, very much as she studied his face intensively, copying all the features to her mind. One of her fingers pushed back a few

strands of hair that hung over his forehead. When she realized she was getting too much enjoyment from the experience she pulled her hand back, nervous about the sensations it gave her to touch him. She distanced herself a little, perching herself up on the couch so she just could watch him sleep. She was so absorbed in the moment she didn't even notice when the music had stopped playing down stairs or when Edward entered the room. "So are you supposed to be watching the TV or the sleeping human?" he curiously asked. "They're so interesting when they sleep," she said as her eyes shifted back to Seth's face. Edward smiled. Her observations reminded him so much of his days of watching Bella sleeping. He started to notice the way she looked at Seth. It was more than just curiosity that she was feeling. Edward was intrigued as he listened to Seth's dreams. They exposed the enigma in Seth's mind that he could no longer conceal as he slept. Jacob and Renesmees voices carried in the hall now. They both stopped to talk to Bella before heading their direction. As they approached Edward met them in the hall and greeted his daughter with a hug and a kiss on the forehead. He only gave Jacob the usual manly nod acknowledging his presence. Then he wrapped his arms around his wife and gave her a very gentle kiss on the lips like he used to do when she was a frail human. Bella took notice in his use of restraint. "Um, that was awfully reserved of you," she commented. He sighed. "Oh well, I was just having an epiphanyand a bit of DeJaVu. How about we head home?" he suggested. "Home? Already?" Bella asked. She wasn't thinking about leaving so soon now that her daughter finally returned. "Yes, I was just having the sudden urge to cover you in feathers." Edward winked. Jacob seemed to recall a remark about feathers once before, except it was Bellas remark that time. He knew it had to be about something personal. Ugh! Jacob rolled his eyes. Bella didn't wait another second. She yanked his arm nearly dragging him behind her as they he sped out of the house. Tara heard them down the hall speaking. She wasn't quite sure what he meant by what he said but she figured it was code for something very private. She remained quiet at Seths side just staring, not wanting to wake him just yet. Her moo0d was spoiled when she heard Jacobs giant feet clomping towards the room. As soon as Jacob entered the room

he noticed his friend passed out next to her. It startled him at first and he frowned but when he realized his friend was only sleeping his mood lightened up. "I see you put him to sleep," he said as he turned his attention to the TV. "Well no wonder, what kind of nonsense are you watching?" Lon Chaney Jr. was transforming into the Wolf Man on the TV. "Wow, what lame special effects!" he laughed. "It was made in nineteen forty-eight, Rin Tin Tin. It's a Classic and it's supposed to be funny." "Yeah it's a classically lame movie. Look it didn't even entertain the poor guy enough to keep him awake." "Well he's got the right idea anyway, I'm ready for bed," Renesmee said. "Ok, Ill tuck you in. Go get your PJs on. He smiled at her with his big warm eyes. When she zipped up the stairs, Jacob walked over and shook Seth's arm to wake him. "Hey Seth, you moving in or what?" Seth snorted when he woke up and rubbed his eyes. He looked up at everyone in the room as they stared at him. "Oopssorry, I guess I passed out." Tara smiled at him until Jacob spoke again with a tone that was starting to really annoy her. "Yeah well I would too I was watching that snore-fest," Jacob teased. "Guess I missed the wolf man huh?" Seth said to Tara as he stood up stretching. "Nah, you didn't miss much," Jacob interrupted. Tara just rolled her eyes and clicked the off button on the remote. She was trying to ignore him like a pesky fly that buzzed around her head. She badly wanted to take a swat at it though. "Hey Tara, do you know why Dracula has no friends?" She gave Jacob another dirty look, not saying a word. "Because he's a pain in the neck." "Wow, that's hilarious," she said in a flat tone. "Where'd you get that one, stupidvampire-jokes-dot-com?" Seth snickered. "No, I made that up. Hey is that a real site?" Jacob made a mental note to google that one later.

Tara just shook her head rolling her eyes again. "So, I guess I'll see you around," Seth touched Taras arm gently taking her mind of her irritation.. Jacob chuckled. "Yeah, real soon I'm sure." He grinned. "Good thing you napped, eh?" Seth gave him a dirty look. "Weren't you just saying you were leaving?" he grumbled. "Yep. I just wanna make sure you dont stay up too late. I expect to see you on time to work tomorrow. Thanks Jake, I already have a motherand a sister. Jacob grinned. Right. See ya. He said just before he disappeared. Seth shook his head and rubbed his face still feeling a bit groggy. "I better take off. I'm sorry I missed the movie. Maybe we can finish it another time?" "That sounds fine," She smiled. "I'll see you around then. "Seth nodded. He knew that was all too true.

Later that night, Tara left the house to hunt on her own. She finally captured the mountain lion that managed to get away from her when Paul attacked and scared it away. After being satisfied by her meal, she perched herself in the limb of the tree overlooking the forest. She didn't so much as even blink, staying perfectly still for nearly an hour just watching and listening. As she inhaled the crisp night air she smelled the scent of fire wood burning several miles away. A gentle breeze lightly flickered through the leaves and the light from the moon peeked through them, illuminating the forest. As the cold air shifted, she picked up a familiar scent. Looking deep into the forest thought the trees, she spotted the source. Tara remained perfectly motionless and silent as she observed the large furry creature. It circled the area several times, sniffing the air. Then it put its muzzle to the ground, tracking a scent like a bloodhound. She grinned, curiously tilting her head to one side as she watched it getting closer. After a few moments, it became frustrated until finally it let out a whimper and laid down under the tree folding its paws, resting it's head on them. Tara stood on the branch and silently tiptoed to the edge. As she leaped down to the ground, her body spun around, landing in front of it. She then slowly stood up making eye contact as it lifted its head and snapped up on all fours. She slowly walked forward

until she stood face to face with it. Her eyes widened with amazement of its size. She never examined a wolf so closely, let alone one this large. She recognized the scent and the eyes immediately. "Seth?" she whispered. He nodded stepping closer. Taras eyes widened with amazement as he towered over her. She stepped back cautiously and Seth picked up on her fear. She looked around for others and then looked back at his big brown eyes. Something about them stared right through her. He stopped moving and shook his head, hoping she wouldnt take off. She paused for a moment watching him. You wont hurt me will you. He shook his head again. She stepped closer wanting to see him up close. She slowly reached out her hand to touch his pelt and caressed his head, running her fingers through his fur. Wow," she gasped as she closely looked him over. He closed his eyes tilting his head in towards her hand. The corners of her mouth turned up as she put her other hand to his face and pet his soft fur coat. He was in heaven. "You're so soft," she said. "You know, you're actually kinda... cute." She grinned. Seth let out a low grumble. "Oh sorry, I mean ferocious looking. Really, really ferocious," she corrected "But what are you doing out here so late?" Seth looked down to the side, slightly embarrassed. "Are you looking for something?" Seth nodded, then put his nose up to Tara's hair and began sniffing. It tickled, making her giggle. "Ah, you tracked me, but why? Am I doing something wrong?" He shook his head. She sighed. "Could you change back to a human so you can talk? This is kinda frustrating." His eyes widened, remembering he ran all the way from the reservation not thinking he'd need a change of clothes. He groaned and shook his head. "Why not?" Tara looked up at the sky. "Is it the full moon?"

Seth let out a loud wolfy laugh and shook his head. "Okay, okay. Come on, I'm new at this. She tryed to think of a reason why couldn't change back into in front of her. Finally the light bulb came on in her head. "Ohh," Tara snickered. "I get it, you're naked!" Seth put his paw over his face. "It's okay," she said still giggling. "Looks like I'll just have to do all of the talking." As she continued to pet his face, his eye lids fought to stay open. His body swerved back and forth, feeling woozy. He plopped down on the ground curing up into a ball trying very hard to keep his eyes open while Tara talked. She sat close to him, gently stroking the fur on his back. She prattled on for a while about herself and all the places she'd been up until she returned to New England. She talked about the museum, about how her and her mother loved art and how her parents had planned to send her to Dartmouth once she had graduated high school. Before long, Seth finally lost his fight to stay awake and could no longer hold up his heavy eye lids. She looked over at him watching him sleep peacefully. She caressed his back a few times, running her hands though his soft coat. After a while she rested her head on his back and gazed up at the moon and the stars.

Tara stayed with him till the sun rose. In the early morning, a variety of birds sung their melody. Seth lay for an hour more until his ears picked up the sounds around him. He opened his eyes and looked down at Tara, curled up into his side. She watched him sleep, still playing with his fur. They sat silently looking at each other for a while before Seth's stomach started to growl. "I take it that means you're hungry again?" Seth thought about it for a moment, not really wanting to get up but then he shook his head. "We should head back. I don't wanna worry them. I have been gone all night." Seth stood up and leaned forward, putting his arms out front and stretched his long back, then shook his body like a dog waking from a long slumber.

"Ready to go?" Seth nodded . "Okay, then let's see how fast you are. Race you there!" Tara suddenly vanished. She was merely a blur moving through the forest. Seth chased after her taking long strides and leaping over vast amounts of terrain. He thought he'd almost lost her when the blur disappeared but then something made him stop abruptly in his tracks. He saw the vision of white wolf standing in front of him. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Tara standing in spot where the white wolf was. She let out a playful snicker and disappeared into the trees again. He stood there in shock for a moment but then started chasing after her once more. Running as fast as he could he finally caught up to her. Then he leaped over her head and completely passed her. He stopped at the edge of the woods just behind the Cullen home, skidding in the dirt spinning around right in her path. Tara stopped instantly, just inches from him. "You beat me," Tara grinned from ear to ear. "You had to work really hard to do it though. You're winded." Seth let out a big sigh as she reached up and touched his face again. He closed his eyes as she ran her fingers though his thick fur. "This is very strange for me, but I really have enjoyed spending time with you. Thanks for making me feel welcome here." His eyes lit up when she smiled. "Well see you around." She fluttered her fingers at him then quickly spun on her toes and dashed off. Oh and uhdont be late for work. She winked. He let out a snort. Then he watched as she headed for the house. She stopped and turned to look one last time before entering and then shut the door. Seth finally turned and headed home. But as he dashed though the forest, he picked up on an intruder following him. "Damn, he thought, as his sister Leah ran up beside him. "What the hell are you doing!" she demanded to know. "Nothing!" he grumbled.

"I warned you not to do this Seth!" "Just mind your own business Leah." "This is nuts! She'sshe's not even human. She's a vampire. You can't do this!" "I know what she is, and you know I have no control over the situation. It's just happened. Besides, I don't mind so much. She's actually very sweet and if and if she'll accept it, I wanna be with her". "You're going to tell her? How? What if she doesn't take it well, Seth? You could be risking your life." "I haven't figured it out just yet. I don't have all the answers. I dont know how to tell her just yet. Then dont! "Just stick to our deal and keep Sam's pack out of this for now. Jacob promised he'd do the same". "But they can protect you." "I don't need their protection. I don't think she'd hurt me. I protected her, remember?" "Don't remind me. It would have better if you just let Paul kill her. Problem solved! I don't like this at all." "Just shut up Leah, It not even your problem anyway!" "I'm just worried. I don't want you to get hurt." "Well stop worrying. I can handle it." "Mom's not gonna be happy, did you even think about how this will affect her?" "Yes, and in fact, mom's engaged to Charlie, whose daughter is a vampire also, and F-Y-I - that would make Bella our step-sister." She thought about it for a moment. "Damnthis is all getting so. weird." "Not to me. I'm totally fine with it." "Well, that's great for you but what about the rest of us?" "Look I'm sorry you don't like it but I can't change it." "Oh, well fabulous! As long as YOU'RE happy!" "I told you, it's not a choice but I don't care. I want this. It doesn't matter to me that she's a vampire. Maybe there's something different about me. Maybe there's something different about the both of us. You haven't even been imprinted on yet." "Yeah well I sure as heck don't wanna get stuck with any vampires! It's gross."

"That's your opinion!" he thought as he grumbled. "Well, this isn't gonna fly Seth. You're gonna have the others in an uproar over this one". "You have to keep this to yourself. Promise you'll keep the others out of your head ok? Just till I can figure this out. Please?" "Fine." She huffed. "Figure it out soon though." Then she disappeared.

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:31 AM 7 comments

Chapter 6 - Trust Tara easily adjusted to her new surrounding as the next couple of weeks went by. She loved her new family and living in a home rather than a school. It gave her a sense of belonging that she hadnt felt in a very long time. She also felt cared for and loved by Esme and Carlisle. A feeling she hadnt experienced since the death of her parents. Even though her needs were cared for when she lived with the Volturi, she knew they only desired her for her talents. They played the charade of the family dynamic to make her feel wanted by becoming her new guardians but she eventually realized it was only a faade Aro created to keep her a part of the coven. The Cullens interest in her had nothing to do with her talents however. They showed her a new way of life and a genuine compassion and kindness that couldnt be counterfeited. She knew they truly cared about her, wanting to give her a better life than what she had. For the first time in many years, she felt real happiness. After becoming familiar with Forks, Edward and Bella took her around to some of the neighboring cities. They visited the Museums in Port Angeles and then drove to Olympia and Seattle to see some of the art museums. Esme and Alice also insisted on taking Tara on a shopping trip for new clothes since she didnt own anything more than the clothes she arrived in. Though Renesmee and Bella already gave Tara free rein of their closets, Esme decided she should have her own things to give her a sense of belonging there.

Esme even considered redecorating one of the extra rooms in the house to give her privacy, but she held off on presenting the idea after seeing how well she and Renesmee bonded. They both seemed to enjoy sharing a room with each other for the time being. Renesmee, being so isolated from humans and the outside world, was ecstatic to finally have a friend to spend time with. Seth frequently tagged along with Jacob when he visited Renesmee because he felt so comfortable around the vampires and even considered them an extended family. The Cullens equally liked Seth as well, or at least most of them did. Rosalie still didnt show much affection for the wolves despite their help in the past. She simply tolerated them when they were around. Emmett always invited Jacob and Seth in to watch sports and Alice and Jasper were also pretty neutral about their visits. They never went out of their way to greet them when they were at the house but they were always polite. Edward and Bella viewed Seth as family and became very attached to him over the last few years. Seth also always took care of Edward at the shop when he brought his car in for tune-ups and maintenance. Though he could read any dishonest mechanics mind and know who not to trust, it was simply nice having someone he could depend on and not even have to bother driving into Port Angeles for service. Tara seemed to enjoy Seths frequent visits though she never suspected that she had anything to do with it. Knowing Jacob was the Alpha wolf, she only assumed it was normal for Seth to shadow him. It was very obvious Seths loyalty for Jacob went beyond just leadership however. She could also see that they were good friends. As he spent more and more time around her she developed a fascination with him she couldn't explain and found herself hovering near him often. Her unexplainable bond with Seth grew stronger each time he came to the house. Eventually it became too difficult for Seth to control his thoughts around Edward however. He began to doubt his ability to keep the mind-reader out of his head, worrying about the reaction the Cullens might have to the imprint on their new family member. He worried most about Tara's reaction though and as much as he desired to tell her, he still could not bring himself to do it just yet. Not wanting to take the risk of Edward exposing him, Seth completely avoided visiting when Edward came around and even then, it worried him since Edward lived within such close proximity. It didn't take long for Tara

took notice Seth's absences and she began to assume that he was growing tired of her presence. She started to wonder if he'd lost interest in their friendship but it made no sense to her why it even mattered. The emotion she sensed frustrated her and she tried to convince herself it wasn't in her best interest to care, though she knew deep down she really did. Seth's efforts to refrain from seeing Tara didn't last long. He craved to be near her and knew he would need to find another way to get closer, even if it meant bringing her to the reservation. Knowing his best option would be to see her outside of visiting the Cullens, he hoped catch her alone after a hunt. Seth just waited for his opportunity to follow her until one night. Hunting animals appealed to Tara even more now. As she headed deep into the Olympic forest, she encountered a large black bear that satisfied her thirst. She understood why Emmett and Renesmee enjoyed hunting those most after discovering that bears put up an entertaining fight. When she finished her meal, she curiously roamed through the forest following the sound of running water in the distance and came across a large body of water. A giant cascade spilled into the pool below. The remote area seemed completely secluded, hidden behind a dense cover of trees and vegetation. The water looked inviting. Upon deciding to take a swim, Tara removed all of her clothing under the assumption that she was completely alone. Once the rain passed, the clouds shifted and the moon lit up the sky and forest. Its light beamed off the surface of the water. She dove deep into the pool and swam all the way to the bottom, staying immersed under the cold depths for a long while. Seth remembered to carry extra clothes with him this time as he tracked her scent through the forest. Sensing he was near her, he morphed and dressed quickly. He found her scent all around the waterfall and searched for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Just before turning away, he captured a glimpse of a head appearing out of the water. He crept forward while still looking and realized he found her. He slowly crouched down, remaining completely motionless as he watched her dive under and resurface over and over. When she swam towards the waterfall and leaped out of the water onto the rock basin Seth froze and his eyes grew wider as he immediately noticed her lack of clothing. "Oh crap," he thought. His heart pounded as he looked at her naked body, watching as the water poured down on her face and head. He quickly became flustered and turned his

eyes away, realizing his bad timing. Sweat began to stream down his forehead and his shallow breaths suddenly became deeper and more rapid. Tara hadn't taken a breath since she resurfaced but even through the crashing noise of the waterfall, she heard the rapid pounding of a heart beat. She stepped out of the current and inhaled deeply. "Wolf", she thought and then let out a low deep growl. Immediately upon realizing she wasn't alone, she vanished. Seth decided it would be best to leave. He knew this would be a really bad time to make his presence known to Tara. As he slowly began to stand and turn, he noticed Tara no longer stood in the waterfall. He snapped his head around, frantically searching for her. A feeling of uneasiness came over him and he stood up abruptly, ramming his head into a tree limb. His eyes closed as he stifled a yelp, reaching up to his head with both hands and clenching it tightly where he'd bumped it. As he quickly turned leave he opened his eyes and gasped when he saw the angry dark figure that stood only inches from him. Tara stood directly in his path. She was fully dressed again. Water dripped from the strands of hair that hung over her pitch black eyes. She looked at Seth fiercely and growled. "Oh shi...," he started to say just before she gripped his throat and cut him off. "What the hell!" she hissed through her teeth. "Were you just peeping at me?" "No!" he gasped, trying to get enough air to speak. He effortlessly grasped at her hands on his neck, trying to pry her fingers loose. It was like trying to bend iron. "I should rip your filthy eyes out! How dare you!" Seth managed to suck in a breath of air to speak again. "Wait! Lemme explain" Tara cut him off again as she tightened her grip. She was so blinded by fury however she never even saw the wolf as it came barreling at her with a furious rate of speed. Jacob snarled just before he knocked her flat on her back, leaping on top of her. Seth coughed as the air filled his lungs again when she released him. Tara barred her teeth at Jacob and then kicked her feet upward, throwing him off and hurled him over her head. As she immediately leaped back into a standing position ready to fight. There was a large gash on her arm that ran from her right shoulder to her elbow. Within seconds, the wound closed up, healing perfectly without even the trace of a scar. Her head snapped in Jacob's direction, angered by his attack. "That's it Jacob Black! I've had just about enough of you! You wanna pick a fight with me? Let's go!"

Seth jumped in front of Tara before she could attack. "Stop!" he ordered in a raspy voice, trying to gain back his vocals. Tara hissed at Seth as she shoved him out of the way and headed for her target. Instantly another wolf appeared. Leah, who came with Jacob, had been standing just in along the border of the trees waiting for her opportunity to intervene. Jacob ordered for her to stay back until he gave her the word, however she wasn't about to wait any longer. She leaped to Jacob's side, letting out a violent roar, heeding a warning for Tara to back off. Neither Jacob nor Leah really wanted to start a fight, knowing there would be consequences to face if they harmed the girl. They only wanted to protect Seth. Tara who also wasn't so sure she would be ready to face two wolves at the same time, hesitated but stood ready. "What the hell is your problem? Why are you threatening me?" When Jacob transformed back to his human form so he could speak, Tara threw her arms up at the sight of him trying to obstruct the view of his frontal extremities. "Ugh! Jacob, gross! That's way more of you than I ever wanted to see!" "Hey, this is what I am so get over it! It's not like we can wear clothes over our fur out here." "Well go grab a leaf or something! I'm not about to stand here and talk to you like that!" Just then, Seth's shirt hit Jacob in the face. He took it off so Jacob could use it to cover himself. Leah decided against phasing back to human form. She didn't trust Tara and remained in her wolf form to protect her pack. Seth tried again to plead his case. "Tara, please listen to me " She looked at him with a pained expression. Though she felt humiliated and angered she still decided to listen. "I had no idea you were swimming in the...umthe nude." Seth paused between words looking over at Jacob and Leah's reaction. Then he focused his attention back to Tara. Jacob shook his head. "Huh?" he said, looking confused. "What's going on here?" How come you attacked Seth?" "Because your boy here was peeping on me while I was taking a swim, and no, I don't own a bathing suit, so of course I was naked. Furthermore, I had no reason to think there would be anyone out here at this hour!" Jacob just shook his head again and chuckled, realizing there had been a misunderstanding. Wow, well that's um, quite a story there Seth. I guess you have some

explaining to do." Then he hesitantly turned to Tara, unpleased that he had to apologize to a vampire. "Sorry about the misunderstanding but you attacked my friend and I can't allow that. We were simply defending our own," he grumbled. "Ok fine, I got it. That doesn't explain why you all feel the need to follow me around still. How long is this going to go on for? Are all you mongrels going to track me for the duration of my stay or are you just hoping you'll run me out of town eventually?" "No, that's not our intentions. I think we can safely assume for now that there's no immediate danger here, but that doesn't mean we can just let our guard down. You need to understand that. I'm only doing my job." Then he looked at Seth who had a shameful expression on his face. "But as far as answering your other question, I'm gonna leave that one up to Seth." Lastly he turned to Leah. "I think we're finished here." He nodded for Leah to follow him. She growled not wanting leave just yet. "Its fine Leah, let's go," he ordered. "Seth can handle this. It's his mess." Jacob took one last turn back to Tara. "Can I trust you won't be harming my best friend then?" he asked for Leah's benefit. "Yeah, I've pretty much calmed down now." Tara's eyes narrowed as she stared at Seth. She folded her arms across her chest. Jacob figured he could leave safely now. He grinned as he handed Seth the shirt he used to cover himself with but Seth shoved his hand back with a grimace. "Uh yeah, you can just keep that now." "Whatever!" Jacob threw it at him the he turned in a flash making a running leap into the air as he shifted back to a wolf. He and Leah ran for the tree line. Leah stopped just before entering the forest and turned her head looking back at Seth one more time before she disappeared into the green umbrage. Tara stood with her arms folded, silently waiting for an explanation. Seth noticed the variations of emotion in her expression. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "What on earth were you doing? Did you track me again?" "Uh, y-yeah," he confessed. "Why? What are you stalking me or something? I don't get it.first you say we're friends, then you ignore me, and now you pull this! I thought you trusted me - I thought I

could trust you!" "I do...you can it's it's just complicated." "Well what the heck does that mean?" Seth let out a sigh. "II followed you because I wanted to see you, I mean... I didn't want to see you naked..." Tara's eyes grew wider as Seth put his foot deeper into his mouth as he continued to talk. "Not that I'm saying that you look bad naked or anything." He stumbled over his words nervously realizing he was not making this sound any better. Tara just frowned. Though his story didn't seem to improve the situation, he continued to ramble on. "I had no idea what you were naked until I saw you come out of the water. I just thought I would surprise you, and gosh did I ever, but I just missed you and just wanted to come see you and that's all, I swear." Her expression softened. "Y-you missed me?" Tara said surprised. "Yes." He nodded. "Well, couldn't you have just picked up a phone and called me? I could have seriously hurt you! You had me thinking you were just out here spying on me." "I know. Calling would have been the smart thing to do. I just haven't been able sleep well and next thing I knew I found myself heading to your place, but you were gone when I got there." Seth cautiously took her hand in his as he tried to apologize. "I really am sorry." His hand felt warm and comforting. She found her anger slipping away but she didn't want to let him off the hook so easily. Nor did she want him to know how much she enjoyed his touch. She yanked her hand away. "You should be. What if I had hurt you? You didn't even fight back. Why didn't you change when I attacked you?" "Because, I'm in control of it. I wasn't about to fight you." "So you would have just let me rip you to shreds?" "No, I wouldn't have let it get to that point. I just hoped you'd let me explain first." Tara shook her head. "That was very foolish of you." "I didn't want to hurt you. You saw what Jacob did to your arm. You're not as indestructible against us." Tara glanced at her shredded sleeve. She started to think Seth was right and that maybe

she might not have fared so well fighting with Jacob. "I won't hurt you Tara. Not ever. Do you understand?" "No, not really." "Why, what don't you get?" "You're behavior. You're niceness towards me. It's not normal." "Well what do you want me to be, a jerk? I'm your friend, how else do you expect me to treat you?" "Like the others. I expected you to treat me like they did when we first met but you're different. I'm just really confused. I mean... you said were friends but you just stopped coming around, so I thought maybe you changed your mind." "Is that what you think? I'm sorry, I had good reason for not coming by but it wasn't anything like that. I promise." Tara gave him an unconvincing look. "So, do you not want to be friends anymore?" he asked. "N-no. I like being friends with you even though I think it's a little strange." "Okay then what's bothering you?" "I just thought you trusted me. I thought I could trust you too." "I do trust you, and you can trust me." "And them? She referred to Jacob and Leah. "They followed me too." "No, actually. they followed me," he confessed. "You? But why?" "They're just a little worried about me spending so much time withyou ...alone. They're just being over protective, especially Leah. It's hard for her not to." Tara's expression shifted. "They're afraid I'll hurt you." she realized. "Yes." "Then I suppose it didn't help that I lost my temper in front of them." "Don't worry about that. It's hardly your fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you." "No, you shouldn't have." "So, how about it then? Will you give me another chance? Can we still be friends?" he hoped. She sighed. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? Maybe it's not so healthy for you for have a vampire for a friend."

"I'm not worried." "Well, you're friends are." "They'll get over it." He persisted. "That's not very reassuring. I really don't like being followed when I go out." "I know But maybe it would help if they just saw more of you." "Honestly I don't think they want to see more of me." "Maybe so...but I think it would help." Seth paused, thinking. "Hey..I think I have an idea." "And what's that?" "Come to La Push with me this weekend. A few of us are going surfing and " "What? The Reservation? Surely youre not serious." "Of course Im serious. Whats wrong? Can't you surf?" Tara rolled her eyes. "Yes I can surf, but that's irrelevant. I can't go waltzing down there. The Pack will want to eat me alive!" "Jacob already gave you permission to come on our land. It'll be a good way for them to see you and get to know you better. I'll be right there with you to make sure nothing bad happens." She stared at him like he was crazy. "You want to be trusted right?" he asked. "Well, I don't think that's the best way." She folded her arms. "Don't you wanna hang out with me anymore?" He used the puppy-faced guilt on her. "Well yes, but." "Are you afraid?" "No!" That got under her skin. She didn't like to be accused of being afraid of them. "Ok then, I'll pick you up around nine." Tara sighed, giving in only because she knew deep down she wanted to be with him. "I don't know how I'm letting you talk me into this," she said shaking her head.

The next morning Tara shoved a towel into her back pack along with a hair brush and a change of clothes. She hadn't remembered ever needing so many items for a small trip before. She always

lived very simple and carried few things with her. Now she needed to get used to the idea of being seen. For the first time, in a very long time, she paid attention to her appearance. Alice provided her with a body suit to wear since she didn't own a bathing suit. She preferred to wear one since it covered her albino-like completion. Alice also predicted bouts of sunshine throughout the day giving her another excuse to cover herself up. She didn't know how Seth would react to seeing her glittering skin and she promised not to disappear on them while she was on their land. Tara planned to keep her word. Tara became engrossed in a novel as she waited for her ride. When she picked up on the smell of axle grease and dog she jumped up and zipped into the bathroom. "Your ride is here," she said and both Alice and Renesmee looked up at her. "Hey, that looks cute," she complimented, admiring the long French-braid Alice skillfully weaved into her hair. "Thanks," Alice replied, taking credit for her work. "I'll do yours next." She didn't even look up as her hands moved very quickly through Renesmees long hair which hung to her waist. "Thanks but I'm only gonna get it all wet anyways, how about tonight after I get back?" She felt guilty for rejecting her. "Well Rosalie will be here but... maybe I could squeeze you in." "Oh - right." Tara heard a variety of things about Rosalie but she especially remembered the jokes Seth and Jacob made about her. Their comments left her with the impression that she was quite vain. Just then, Jacob popped his head in. "Hey beautiful, you ready yet?" he asked Renesmee. "She's all yours." Alice said, releasing her. Jacob nodded at Tara."Wuz-up Morticia?" "Hey, Cujo," she quickly snapped back repressing the urge she felt to slash his tires. She glanced over Jacob's attire. He wore only a pair of swim trunks and a Tee. "Looks like your boy is late. Get used to it, he's always late," he told her. "No biggie," she shrugged. "You sure you don't wanna ride with us? He can just meet us there," Renesmee offered. Tara didn't have the least bit of desire to sit in the back of Jacob's Rabbit, nor did she want to go to La Push without Seth at her side. The idea of being on wolf territory made her anxious, but being with him gave her a more guarded feeling. "No thanks. I'm in no

hurry." "Worried?" Jacob grinned. "About?" she questioned. "Being on the Rez. You look nervous." Jacob liked the idea of putting some fear in her. "Not at all." She lied. "Do I have a reason to be?" "Nope, not as long as you behave," he warned. "Of course." She said, giving him a stern look. Jacob's attitude towards her started to get on her last nerve. As he and Renesmee turned to leave, Tara called out to her. "Oh hey, Ness... do you know how to stop a dog from howling in the back of the car?" "Um, no how?" Ness asked. "Put him in the front," she replied. Renesmee giggled at her joke. Jacob just rolled his eyes and smirked as he led Renesmee by the hand. They disappeared out the door. Alice however, still had her sights on Tara. "Last chance beauty call," she said, pointing at the little chair in front of her. "Thanks Alice, but I'll be getting on a motorcycle in a few minutes. There's really no point" Alice sighed. "That's so bad for your ends you know. You should really wear a helmet at least or you'll have me pulling out the hot oil on you. If I pull it back, at least it won't get so wind-blown." Tara pondered the thought for a moment then casually walked over and plopped herself into the chair in front of Alice, changing her mind. She figured she had some time to kill anyways. Several minutes passed before she heard the hum from Seth's bike coming up the road. Alice sensed Tara becoming anxious to get up. "Almost done, sit still please." Her fingers were a blur as she weaved her hair in and out, working very fast. Seth parked his bike out front and hurried into the house. When he opened the door, he heard the light melody of a piano that echoed though the rooms. The music suddenly came to a halt the moment he headed for the stairs. Before Seth's foot touched the first step, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Edward staring at him with a stern look on his face. "Hey Edward," Seth jumped, startled to see him. He stared at him waiting, wondering

what he wanted. Seth's thoughts were no longer a secret to him. He leaned in close to Seth. "Be very careful." he said to him in a low, almost inaudible tone. Seth's face changed. He tried to interpret what Edward meant. "I intend to. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things and make sure nothing goes wrong, if that's what you're worried about." "I'm sure you will, however, that's not what I'm referring to." Edward didn't even blink once as he spoke very seriously. He glanced up at the stairs, listening to Tara's thoughts. "It's obvious to me that she knows nothing. I understand what you're doing, so I've been patient and kept my silence. However...I don't think you understand what you are dealing with. I just want to caution you. You're my friend, and I don't wish to see you hurt, in any way." "Thanks Edward, but I got this one, ok? I think I can handle it." "I hope so, for your sake." Edward nodded and stepped back, letting Seth continue up the stairs to get Tara. Seth exhaled trying to relaxed then headed down the hall spotting Alice just as she came out of the bathroom. "Hey Alice," he said to her in a friendly tone. "Dog," she responded, greeting him with a nod in passing. Before leaving, she turned back quickly, to give him a word of advice. "Be sure you keep that pack of yours under control. Tara's future may be a little cloudy but I can clearly see wouldn't hurt any humans. And just so you know...she's doing all this for Ness. They're gonna be best friends and she wants to spend time with her because it make her happy, so I'm trusting you'll keep her well guarded for us." "Of course Alice, you have my word on that," he assured her. "Good," she said smugly then continued walking. Seth almost passed the bathroom, until he spotted Tara checking her hair in the mirror. She immediately turned towards Seth when she noticed his presence and she reached for her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. His grin grew wider while staring at her new hair style, admiring the braids Alice put on each side. Her new look made her look like a Native American porcelain doll, he thought. "What?" she wondered as he kept staring. Seth ran his finger under one of the braids. "I really like this look on you," he said as his

finger reached the end of her braid and let it fall back in its place. "You know you're very prettyfor a vampire that is," he added with a wink. "Thanks I think." She smirked, crinkling her nose. He smiled. "Sorry I'm so late. I tried to power nap and I just ended up oversleeping." "Hmm, well maybe you should try sleeping instead of lurking around the woods at all hours of the night. It's dangerous out there. You never know what creatures you might run into," she teased. Seth laughed. He was happy to see her in such a light mood. "You're right and I'll have to think of how I can make it up to you." "Oh, don't worry, I have an idea," she said before quickly disappearing before his eyes. He only felt the rush of air as she dashed out of the house. Seth ran after her to see what she was up to. When he came outside she was sitting on the bike with her hands at the handles waiting for him. "Umm, what are you doing?" he asked as he got closer. "Letting you make it up to me for being late. Hop on," she nodded her head at the back of the bike. "I am so not riding on the back of my bike to La Push. I have my limits and this is definitely one of them!" "Hey that's not right you owe me! You even said..." "No way! Have you looked at me? Do you have any idea how silly I would look holding onto you on the back of this thing? An isolated trail is one thing but I do know people in this town and I would never hear the end of it. I'll take you riding off-road another day, I promise, ok?" Her lips turned down into a pouty frown. "Come on...Pale-Face, let's go while it's still high tide," he said, holding onto the clutch, refusing to give in. She started to smile when he called her that name. Then she let out a small sigh. "Oh...ok. But you better! I won't let you forget either." She let go of the front of the bike and scooted back allowing him to hop on in front. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sure you won't," he grinned, shaking his head.

Tara recognized the route they took through town as Seth turned out unto the 101 interstate. He drove north until he came to a turn. She read the sign at the intersection: La Push Road They crossed over a long river then continued on for several miles more. Tara smelled the briny air as Seth turned his bike onto a dirt road, much like the one that led to the cliffs. The road was edged by beautiful dense green forests. He pulled into an open lot that appeared deserted except for Jacob's Rabbit. After pulling up next to it, he cut the engine and Tara hopped off the bike first. "This is it, there is a small trail this way," he said pointing. Before she could turn and follow the path, he stopped her and reached for her backpack. "Wait," he said as he slid it off her back to carry it for her. Then he began walking again and she gave him a funny look, not understanding his actions. When Seth noticed she wasn't moving he looked back. Her odd stare made him do a double take. "What's wrong?" He wondered. "You realize I could easily carry you on my back, right?" "Well, that doesn't mean I don't have to be a gentleman does it?" he replied. "Oh." Tara wasn't used to that kind of treatment since she always had to be very independent. "Does it bother you?" he asked. "Oh no, I'm just not use to that sort of thing...I think I could get used to it though," she smiled. "Good." He smiled back. Leading her through a long trail, he thoughtfully held all the branches out of her way along the path and even offered his hand to her when she had to leap over a fallen tree. She played along with his chivalry, not really minding so much for the offered yet unnecessary help. When they finally broke through the confines of the forest, she saw the rock shore in front of them. A thin border of sand edged the water, turning into millions of large smooth stones and drift wood trees. A brisk, cool breeze came in off the waves. As she looked out toward the ocean, she spotted Jacob and Renesmee out in the water already, but no one else. "Um, where is everyone?" she asked looking out at the empty beach figuring on a day

like this there would be a mob of people there. She could smell human blood but it wasnt anywhere near them "Oh, down shore a ways. This is our own spot. Too many kids on the other side." Tara suspected the decision to come there was more for safety rather than privacy. She accepted the conditions since she was glad it would only be them - actually preferring it. She noticed something else. Though she didn't see anyone, she was quite sure she smelled more than one wolf nearby. Even through the thick salt air, their scent was very strong. "So... how many of them are out there?" Tara asked. Seth stopped walking and turned around to face Tara. How many? "Wolves. I know they're watching me. I can smell them," she added. He sighed. "There's six of them that came...I'm sorry...this is a first since Renesmee and they're a bit nervous about having you here so close to their families." She shrugged figuring that was to be expected. "Well aren't you too?" "No, I told you.I trust you." She just shook her head at him. He dropped their things in the sand where the group had set up a small area. Two blankets lay on the sand with piles of towels and a few bags filled with a variety of items for the beach. Two large coolers sat off to the side, little closer to the edge of the forest filled with enough food feed a pack of wolves. A single surf board stood erect out of the sand. She assumed it was left for Seth. "Guess we're short one," she said looking at the board. "Oh yeah, well when they come in I'm sure you can use Ness's board, unless you wanna take mine now...I'll hang back for a while, I don't mind." "No...that's ok...I'd rather wait for you." Seth smiled. "We'll wait then." Tara didn't mind the idea of spending time alone with Seth without the others, in fact, she desired it. She studied him closely and quickly observed a familiar look in his eyes. "I'll bet you didn't eat this morning did you?" He seemed surprised by her observation. "Actually, I was in such a rush, I totally forgot. How'd you guess?" "Because I know hungry when I see it." Her eyebrow rose up. "Hmm, well I guess I'd better take care of that then."

He walked over to one of the coolers and opened it. He pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in foil, opening one and sniffing it. Ham and cheese, something he liked. Then he grabbed a soda from the other cooler. Tara stepped over to examine the surf board while he sat down to eat. "I wish I could offer you something. I feel rude eating in front of you all the time." Seth said, peeling away the foil from one of his sandwiches. "I'm good. I'll just watch you," she said as she smiled and circled the surf board. "So is this one yours?" "Yup," he said just before taking a bite. "It's nice. These kind are expensive." She ran her hand down the side of the board walking around it. "Thanks. It was a graduation present from Charlie. He told me if I graduated with honors he'd buy it for me. I don't think he knew what he was getting into when he offered but he stood by his word." "Charlie?"She looked puzzled. "Yeah...um, Bella's dad." Tara thought about it for a moment. She clearly remembered Charlie from Renesmee's vision but she didn't understand the connection or why he would give Seth such an elaborate gift. "That was nice of him. Are you two pretty close?" "Well yeah, ..he's dating my mom." "Oh." Tara paused, thinking again. She wondered about Seth's father. "Are your parents... divorced?" Seth turned his head down. "Uh, no." He said shaking his head slightly. "My dad passed away." His voice faded. Tara noticed Seth stopped eating. She didn't think it was good sign. Then she remembered when he said he knew how painful it is to lose a parent but she hadn't realized he was talking from personal experience. In a flash, she was crouched in front of him. "I'm so sorry. What happened?" She cocked her head to the side. He stared blankly at his sandwich. "If this makes you uncomfortable, we can talk about something else." Tara saw the

sadness in his eyes. She worried the question might have upset him too much. "It's ok. You answered all my questions and told me about what happened to your family. I don't mind, it just that I haven't talked to anyone about it, except Leah." Tara sat curling her legs in and wrapping her arms around her knees, waiting patiently for him to speak. Seth paused, taking a few sips of his soda before he spoke. "My dad had a heart attack. They said it was his diet, but I know it was something else that brought it on because.it happened just after he found out about Leah and I When he found out we were both wolves. I think he was really upset over it and that's what I believe really caused his death." "You blame yourself?" He didn't say anything. He only looked down at the sand. "Seth...look at me," she said. His glossy eyes turned in her direction. Her face was stern. "It's not your fault. It's not something you couldnt control." "I just always have. I don't talk about it though, except with Leah. She feels even worse. It's why she's become so protective over me." Tara kept her gaze focused on him. She liked that Seth confided in her enough to talk about something so personal. It bothered her to see him in pain and she felt it was time to put the subject to rest. "So then you haven't always been like this? Been able to change into a wolf?" "No, I was fifteen when it happened." Her golden eyes widened with curiosity. "What was it like for you?" "Scary, at first. I didn't know what was happening to me. I was pretty young for the change to be happening. Leah was already nineteen. Apparently it has something to do with the vampires being here though. It made all of us change." "All of you?" "Well, all of us that have the gene for it. After a while I was pretty excited about it. I thought it was cool ya know?" Tara smiled. "So, how old are you now?" "Eighteen," he replied.

Her eyebrows rose. "Oh, you're a little younger than I thought." "Why, how old did you think I was?" "Mmm, well I guessed about twenty. You and your friends are all very ...large." Tara was glad to see Seth continued to eat his sandwich. "Well, I'm the youngest out of the whole pack but... I'm still older than you. You're just a sweet sixteen." "Uh wrong..." she rolled her eyes."I'm seventy remember?" "That's just a technicality. But in that case, you do look great for an old lady," he winked. His comment made her chuckle. "So anyway...where did you learn to surf?" he wondered. "While I was in Australia." "Australia?" His face was full of surprise. "How did you get there?" "I swam," she said as though it was as common as doing laps in a pool. "Uhyou swam...to Australia?" he said slowly, realizing the distance involved. "Vampires don't tire easily, unless we're weak from not feeding. Nor do we need to breathe... I could literally swim forever if I wanted." "Wow. Well even still, it seems like a lot of work. Couldn't you have just did that cloaking-thing and smuggled yourself on a plane?" "Sure I've done that before but have you ever been to the bottom of the ocean?" "Um, no." "Well I have, and it's actually quite spectacular. Nothing like you what you see in pictures. You'd be amazed at what's down there creatures that never come to the surface." "Like what, the Loch Ness Monster?" He looked at her completely serious. Tara just laughed hysterically shaking her head. Seth smiled, continuing on with his barrage of questions. "So... you were in hiding in Australia right? Because it's sunny?" he asked. "Yes." "Bet the others are jealous that you can go anywhere, huh? I mean, you can feel more normal." "Well being invisible doesn't really make me feel normal. It gets very lonely after a while."

"So, can you look like anything? Human? he wondered. "Yes anything Ive already seen in my mind." "Well if you can look anyway you want, you can just blend, right? "Yes, but looking human doesn't change what I am. I'm cold, don't sleep or eat and...I drink blood...I can't mask those things...eventually people would sense the difference. It was easier for me to just hide and never been seen." Seth thought about it for a moment. "So you've been alone for a long time then...since you left the Volturi?" he asked. She nodded. "You have no idea how happy I was to meet the Cullens. I never would have thought there were Covens such as theirs. I feel really lucky that they stumbled upon me and took me in like that." "I'm really glad that they found you too." Seth smiled at her. Just then, clouds separated, exposing a large patch of blue and the sun broke free from its captivity. Tara's skin glimmered in the sunlight. Her eyes looked even more golden as the sun lit up her face. "Wow," he gasped as he stared at her. "Oh, yeah .. freaky huh?" she said feeling embarrassed of what he must think of her sparkly appearance. "No way! You look amazing. I think its pretty cool." "Seriously?" she asked with a smirk. Her tone sounded unbelieving. "Yeah. Totally!" He studied her curiously, wanting to touch her skin. "May I?" he asked nervously as he slowly reached his hand up to touch her face. Tara nodded silently. Seth's fingers moved along her shimmering cheek. It was cold and smooth like a stone. She closed her eyes, taking pleasure in feeling of his warm skin against hers. Seth's burning touch, triggering a sensation that made her nervous. She clenched her fists, staying perfectly still. "You're hands are so warm," she exhaled in a whisper. "Is it uncomfortable when I touch you?" he asked, noticing how incredibly tense she seemed." No. That's not exactly how I'd describe it."

"How would you describe it then?" "Mmm, it's more like a static current." She felt the hairs on the back of her neck, stand straight up. He pulled his hand away. "That doesn't sound pleasant." She opened her eyes. "You'd be surprised at what I find pleasurable." His eyebrows rose. "Are you trying to freak me out?" "No, it's true. But I am a freak," she winked. He chuckled. "Well, aren't we all? I mean, none of us are exactly normal." "Well to be honest, I like being around you because you make me feel more, normal. I think you're fun to be around. I can't even remember the last time I laughed before I met you. Thank you for that." "You're welcome." "I wish" she stopped mid-sentence looking away. "What?" "Nothing." She shook her head. "Now you've got me curious. Please tell me what you're thinking." "I just wish I wasn't... what I am. It doesn't matter though. There's no changing things now." "Well, other than the obvious, is there some other reason you're thinking that?" he pried. "I guessit would just be nice not to have certain, limitations." Seth tried to interpret her cryptic answer. It wasn't quite what he was hoping for but it seemed like a subtle hint. "You know, if you weren't a vampire, I would have never known you. I mean technically you shouldn't exist right? So, that's a positive way to look at it anyway." She smiled. "Yes. I am glad I met you." "Me too." He smiled back, thinking about reaching for her hand when his plan was interrupted Jacob and Renesmee. "Hi guys!" Renesmee said with a pleasant tone as her and Jacob walked over. "Late much?" Jacob said to Seth. Renesmee plopped herself down next to Tara and hugged her. "I'm so glad you came... So what'dya think?" "It's great... I love the ocean. I never tire of it."

Jacob already began rummaging through the cooler. He pulled out a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for himself and an egg salad sandwich for Renesmee that Esme packed for them. Renesmee made a scrunched up face at her food when he handed it to her. It wasn't a grisly for sure. "Eat, you need the energy," he said, just before he grabbed a large blanket and wrapped it around her body for warmth. Tara observed how Jacob always cared for her. She watched as Renesmee picked the pieces of egg out of her sandwich, eating only the whites. Then she shifted her attention to the ocean watching the waves crashing on the shoreline, silently hoping Seth would take her out to the water soon. She no longer wished to spend time near the forest, sensing one of the wolves had moved in closer. It made her uncomfortable. "Hey Ness...you mind if Tara uses your board?" Seth said as he stood up, brushing the sand from his shorts. "Not at all. You guys gonna head out there?" "Yup." Seth stretched his hand to Tara. She paused at first then put her hand in his palm and she felt him pulling her to her feet. "Ready?" he said as he gave her hand a squeeze. "Yes, She replied but forgot to let go of his hands as he tried to move. "Uh, I kind need those." He chuckled. "Sorry." She said nervously and released him. Then Seth pulled off his shirt and removed his shoes before grabbing his board and walked with her into the crashing waves to paddle out. They both disappeared into the water for a long while. Leah, Quil and Embry became very hungry as they waited and watched, guarding their territory. Finally they emerged from the forest, unable to resist the temptation to grab some food from the coolers. They sat with Jacob and Renesmee while eating and monitored the situation still. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly until suddenly something caught Leah's attention out in the water. "What the hell!" she blurted as she looked out at the water's edge. They all jerked their heads around to see what the commotion was about. "Something's wrong!" Jacob shouted as they all turned and saw Tara pulling Seth's limp body from the water.

"Seth!" Leah shouted just before she started running towards them. Jacob chased her and the others followed. "I knew bringing her here was a bad idea!" Leah snarled. Jacob crouched over Seth noticing blood streaming down his face. "What happened?" He examined Seth's body while trying to keep Leah back. "His board pearled and he went under. He hit his head on the reef." Tara explained. Renesmee and Leah gasped when they saw the gaping wound on his forehead near his hair line oozing bright red blood. "Seth! Hey Seth can you hear me?" Jacob tapped at his face with the back of his hand. He seemed unresponsive. Tara knelt next to him. His blood dripped down his face and into the sand. Though she heard Seth's heart beating, she didn't hear him taking any breaths. As soon as she tried leaning in close to his mouth to check his airway, Leah lunged and shoved her back. "Hey!" Tara hissed at her. "Back off, bloodsucker! This isn't meal time for you!" Leah snarled as she hovered over her brother. Tara became furious. "He's not breathing you idiot! You gonna start CPR or would you like to let the brain damage to set in first?" She hissed. They all looked at each other, not moving. Tara growled and let out a huff. She inched closer Seth's body and shoved Leah back. Leah started to lunge again when Jacob grabbed her and stopped her. "Wait," he told her, holding up his arm to keep her back. Tara gently lifted Seth's neck and put her ear to his mouth. Nothing. She turned her face and carefully pressed her mouth to his blowing a breath of air into his lungs. She stopped and listened again. As she began to blow another breath of air into his lungs, he suddenly reached his arms around her body and held his mouth against hers. Her eyes opened wide as she realized she'd been tricked. She shoved him breaking his grip on her and he let out a laugh. "Ugh!" Tara blurted aloud. She balled her hand into a fist and punched Seth in the sternum but only hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

"Agh!" Seth gasped, grabbing his stomach and rolling over on his side. "I can't breathe!" He winced in a raspy voice. "Good!" Tara huffed as she stood up and walked back to where her things were. "Tsk!" Renesmee blurted out rolling her eyes. Then she followed after Tara. "Smooth move dude," Jacob said grinning at him, helping him to his feet. "Yeah man, what were you thinking? Why'd you go and kiss her like that? You're lucky she didn't bite your face off," Quil said. Seth could barely speak. He stood hunched over, his hands on his knees gasping for air. "What?... All I know is I come-to and I have a girl pressing her lips to mine." "No, a vampire. You had a vampire on your lips." Leah corrected him. "Ick!" Quil blurted out. "Hey shut up already." Jacob growled at him not appreciating the comment, especially with Renesmee there. Once Seth came to his senses, he looked for Tara and spotted her near the tree line grabbing her bag. He dashed after her before she could get out of his sight. "Tara wait.Come on please," he pleaded, following her. She considered running off, but figured he'd still follow. Seth reached for her arm to get her attention but she pulled it away. She finally stopped and turned to face him with a scowl. "Don't be mad, ok? I'm sorry. I don't know what happened back there." His head was still spinning and he stumbled trying to catch up with her. Tara grabbed him quickly to help him get his balance back. She could no longer avoid looking him in the eye. Taking a deep breath to calm herself first, she finally spoke up. "Seth tell me; are you insane?" Her eyes became narrow as she spoke in a cool tone. "Well that would certainly explain a lot," he mumbled to himself. "What?" she snapped back. "Nothing," he shook his head. "No I'm not insane, though I know I have been acting pretty crazy." "Yeah, ya think?" Tara waved her arms in the air in frustration. "Do you have any idea what kind of situation you put me in back there? I mean seriously thought you drowned and then you go and pull a stunt like that on me?" Seth' eyes widened when he suddenly noticed the blood all over Tara's hands. He hadn't

realized his head was cut open. "W-why are you covered in blood?" he froze. "You hit your head stupid." Tara reminded him. He felt the stinging now. His hand touched his forehead feeling the oozing wetness that seeped from his wound. Then he pulled his hand back, seeing the bright red blood on his fingers. He quickly tried rubbing it on his shorts realizing that the smell must be driving her crazy. "Shoot! I didn't know. I'm so sorry." "You apologize an awful lot you know." She put her hand on her hip. "Yeah, I seem to be screwing up a lot around you." He looked at her with his big brown eyes, hoping to gain some sympathy. She spotted a tiny piece of coral still stuck in his head that needed to be removed. "Don't move." She ordered. He stood still as she stepped closer to him and slid one hand behind his neck so he couldn't run, then she reached up with her other hand and pinched the coral with her petite fingers and pulled it out. "Ow!" Seth howled. She held it up to his face so he could see what it was she pulled out. He barely saw the tiny rock covered in his blood. She dropped it to the ground. Then unzipped her backpack and pulled out a towel. "Here, and you should probably get Carlisle to look at that," she said tossing it at him. "Thanks," Seth said, pressing the towel to his head. "No need for that though. I'm a fast healer." "If you say so." She shrugged. "Well I should go. I think I've had enough excitement for today." She started to turn towards the road to head back. Seth reached for her arm and grabbed it this time. His hand nearly set her arm a blaze. It startling her and she turned. "Wait, at least let me take you back to Forks. Don't run off please?" Seth warmed her over with his eyes again. Tara frowned at him trying to decide if she should let him. She finally caved. "Fine," she sighed and she began to walk back towards his bike. "Isn't the blood bothering you at all? You seem pretty impassive. I'm impressed," he said, while keeping up with her. "No it's not too bad. Though human blood is very appealing, I've worked on desensitizing

myself to it over the years. You're blood however it doesn't seem to bother me." "Why's that?" Seth asked almost hurt. "It just smells different. I don't know how else to describe the scent really, and no offense or anything but, your blood is more like vampire repellant." "Ohgreat." Seth wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or relieved by her remark. It was certainly for the best that she didn't desire to drink his blood but he didn't like the idea that anything about him repelled her. "You sure you're okay to drive?" she asked when they got to his bike. "Perhaps I should drive you," she suggested. "Nope perfectly fine," he said pulling the towel away. "See? The bleeding has stopped." She frowned watching him climb on his bike. "You know, I think we're even now," he said. "Oh no." she huffed climbing on the back of the bike."You still owe me." When they pulled into the Cullen's driveway, Tara hopped off. Seth shut the engine down hoping to talk to her but Tara just started to walk towards the house without saying anything. "Hey wait! Am I forgiven yet?" He took off his helmet and jumped off the bike chasing her. Tara stopped and twirled around on one heel and started to stroll back towards him. She gave him a cooked grin and sighed. "Well I suppose I shouldn't hold a grudge, you did smack your head pretty good out there. I'm sure it must have been what impaired your sense of rational." "Ah no, I don't think so." "Well why the heck did you kiss me then?" she said in an irritated tone. "All I remember is, I was on my board and then the next thing I know you had your mouth on mine. I thought it was a dream or something." "You thought you dreamt of kissing me?" "Y-yeah, guess so," he admitted shyly. "Well you scared the hell out of me. You stopped breathing and it certainly didn't look like your friends were about to save you." He chuckled. "Yeah well I think even they have their limits. Where did you even learn to do CPR anyways?"

"I sat in a lot of classes at the college just observing. and I also catch a lot of TV when I'm bored. Baywatch was one of my favorite shows. "Oh yeahgreat, cause TV is a really credible tool for learning life saving techniques," he joked. "Hey! I think I did pretty good, next time I'll probably just let you drowned!" she teased. "Next time? Does that mean we still get to hang out?" "Mmm... I dunno, you sure that's a good idea? Your friends seemed to think I was gonna have you for lunch out there. Aren't you worried?" "Uh nopeI believe you said I smelled like uh, what was it again? Oh yeah, vampire repellant." Seth placed a lot of emphasis on the last two words. She shook her head. "Gosh, you say that like you're insulted or something. Honestly it's for the best. I certainly wouldn't want to be worried about wanting to bite you all the time. I mean I suppose if I was hungry enough I'd eat you. Does that make you happy?" "Ah no, but I think I see your point, biting me would not be good, your venom is deadly to us." "It is?" she gasped. "Yup, once it reaches the heart." The corners of her mouth turned down. "Seth, you should have told me! I wouldn't have done that today if I had known.. I could have killed you!" "Well apparently ingesting it isn't dangerous. I'm still alive." "You're just lucky." She frowned. It pained her to think she could have hurt Seth or worsekilled him. "Was it so horriblekissing me?" "Well, no I wouldn't say it was horribleinteresting maybe. I just wasn't expecting it at all. I thought I was saving your life." "I'm sorry. I promise not to scare you again but thanks for caring about me." Tara just shook her head. "Just try to watch what you're doing next time," she warned. Then she looked at up at the spot on Seth's head where he'd hit it. She reached her hand to his cheek and turned it so she could see the spot where the gash had been. The wound was completely healed. Only a small, hint of a scar was left with a little bit of dried blood covering the area. "Oh, you really do heal fast," she said reaching up to touch it rubbing some of the dried

blood away and exposing the fresh pink scar. She gently traced it with her finger tips. The cool touch of her skin gave Seth goose-bumps. His eyes closed for a moment as he slowly, exhaled. His heart beat began to speed up. When he opened his eyes, he looked right at her face, focusing on her lips thinking about his next move. As she ran her fingers along his temple, he reached up and placed his hand over hers, holding it. There was a silent moment between them when their eyes met. Still holding her hand in his, he inched forward and reached his other hand around her waist and then slowly leaned into her lips. Tara stood perfectly still, lowering her eye lids as he got closer until he was kissing her. His lips were pleasantly warm to her and very soft. She could hear the sound of his heart like it was trying to break out of his chest and she found herself fighting back a strong craving. Within seconds she became nervous and leaped away, looking him in the eyes with a rigid stare. "You ok?" he asked. "Yes." "You look terrified. You're all like...tensed up. Are you nervous?" "Sort ofyou did it again." "I caught you off guard?" She nodded. "You kissed me again." "I knowI meant to this time though. I'm sorry if it startled you." Her stare worried him. "You look frightened." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I swear I would never hurt you. You know that, right?" She nodded standing almost in a frozen position looking puzzled. "What's wrong then?" he asked, inching closer to her. "I'm not scared of you," she paused. "I'm scared of me." "Huh, why? I thought you said my blood doesn't bother you." "It doesn't..I don't want your blood." Her eyes were wide and dark. She displayed look he hadn't seen before, as if she was restraining herself. "I'm not sure I understand." He stepped closer to her and took her hand in his, then reached up to touch her face with his other hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers caressing her cool skin. She closed her eyes. The feel of his hot skin on hers was surprisingly pleasing to her. She tensed up again and squeezed his hand tightly.

"Ow.ow.OW! Tara! You're crushing my hand." She shoved him back, scared that she might hurt him but that's not how he interpreted her reaction. He stumbled catching his balance. Her black eyes pierced right through him. "I have to go. ..inside.right now," she said coldly. She turned quickly and zipped in the house. Seth sighed as he watched disappear. He looked at his aching hand and rubbed it. "Nice going dumbass," he thought. Then he stomped over to his bike and threw his leg over, hopping on. He sat for a moment, staring blankly, deep in thought, toiling over what happened. He realized that he probably ruin his last chance to confess his feelings to Tara. He didn't get the reaction he'd hoped for from her. After taking one more look at the house, he put his helmet on and sped off. Tara stood at the door, looking out the stained glass window watching as he drove away. Suddenly she noticed the voices that came from behind her. She wasn't alone. The voices came to a halt. She nervously turned to see who was there. All of the Cullens stood there staring at her, including two new faces. The expressions on their faces changed when they instantly saw the blood all over her hands. Esme gasped. "Oh crap." she thought. "This looks pretty bad right now," she realized. She'd come back from her first visit to La Push with blood on her hands. Not good. Esme gasped. "Tara, what happened?" Carlisle asked, immediately worried. "It's nothing. Seth had a little accident." Suddenly they realized the blood stunk of dog. It had no appeal to them. Their tensions relaxed, though they curiously wondered what happened still. "Is he alright?" Esme asked. She adored Seth and hoped no serious harm came to him. "Yes, yes he's fine now. He just hit his head on some coral. I had to pull a piece out and that's how I got blood on me. He's okay thoughhe even escorted me home." She explained, leaving out several details. She couldn't stop the recent events from racing through her head though. Then she glanced over at Edward, realizing he was probably listening the whole time. It was suddenly obvious from the look on his face. "Great." she thought. She hoped Edward wasn't going to say anything. Emmett spoke up suddenly. "So are ya switchin' sides on us or what?" he asked Tara.

"Oh no! Did they see the whole event outside?" she wondered. "Umexcuse me?" she mumbled in confusion. Esme realized they hadn't been properly introduced just yet. "Tara I'd like you to meet two other members of our family. This is Rosalie and Emmett." she said. They had both just returned from a long trip to Kodiak Island in Alaska, where the bear population is at an historic high. They also just finished their second year of college. Emmett threw his hand up and gave her a short wave of his fingers accompanied by a friendly smile. "Hey I'm just kiddin'. The others were telling us you got to go to La Push today. So what was that like?" "Whew," she thought, relieved. Everyone waited for her to say something. "Oh, well uh it was interesting, to say the least." She stumbled over her words nervously. Rosalie's expression didn't change. The idea of mingling with wolves still seemed revolting to her. She tolerated Renesmee's relationship with Jacob but she had no love for the wolves still and didn't like the idea of collaborating or socializing without good reason, or force. Tara took one look at Rosalie's expression and knew. But even though her grimace, Tara thought Rosalie was even prettier than she expected. She reminded her of a movie star. "You're back earlier than we expected. Is everything ok? Where's Ness?" Esme asked. "Still there. I uh didn't want to hang out anymore," she lied. "Couldn't stand the smell huh?" Emmett asked. "Yeah.wet dog." she chuckled, playing it off. The others laughed. Tara had very little to talk about at the moment. She politely sat and listened to the Emmett and Rosalie as they returned to their conversation they were having about school and their trip with the other. Tara hoped the distraction of them being there would keep them from asking her any more questions. Before long, Jacob and Renesmee returned to the house. Jacob made sure to bring Renesmee back early enough to spend him with Rosalie and Emmett before she was too wore out from the day. He was almost too late as she'd fallen asleep in the car on the way back. Jacob opened the door to his Volkswagen and softly rubbed her arm to wake her. "Come on sleepyhead. The blonde, ice-queen is waiting for you." Renesmee opened her eyes to Jacob's smiling face. He swept the long curls that fell in

front of her face with his fingers. Her face lit up when she realized she was home. As they came through the door, Renesmee squealed with excitement seeing Emmett and Rosalie, and ran over to give each of them a hug. Emmet lifted her off the ground with a giant bear hug. "Aunt Rose! Uncle Emmett! How's school and the bears?" she asked once he put her down. "It was quite an adventure. Still got your puppy I see. Is he housebroken yet?" Rosalie snickered. Jacob interrupted before she could reply. "Hey Rosalie... know what the blonde said after she finished college?" She ignored him as usual but Jacob continued on with the punch line. "Will that be paper or plastic?" Rosalie hissed. "Don't you have some escaped convicts you should be searching for, dog?" she snapped. "Nope," he said popping his P on the end. "I'm not a bloodhound." Tara felt glad she wasn't Jacob's target for the moment. She had too much on her mind to get into a battle of wits with him right then. "I've missed you Rosalie, I've got a ton of blonde jokes I've been saving for your visit," Jacob said, provoking her. Renesmee rolled her eyes at the two of them, but when she realized Tata was in the room she focused her attention on her. Tara wasn't even paying them any attention. She stared out the window with her head in a total fog. She walked over and touched Taras face to check on her. No, Dont worry. Im not upset anymore. she said and patted Renesmee hand. Esme suddenly became concerned when she overheard. "Upset? About what?" "Seth nearly drowned and Tara gave him mouth to mouth. Then he kissed her and she hauled off and punched him. It was comical," Jacob said chucking. Tara scowled gave him the, "shut the hell up" look. She wanted to turn invisible now. "Ha! Really?" Emmett chuckled. "You didn't tell us about that part. Is that when he hit his head or did you hit it on the coral?" "Uh gross! You should have ripped the little fleabag's face off!" Rosalie sneered. The others knew Seth had a playful side to him but they were surprised he'd be brave

enough to attempt to kiss a vampire, even as a joke. It seemed a little odd, even for him. Carlisle seemed pleased that Tara had been a good sport about it. He knew it could have ended violently, even if it was a playful gesture. Jasper also seemed impressed by her self control, but as he hovered over her, he sensed an unexpected emotion from Tara. Glancing at Edward, he wondered if he was right about his intuitions. "Nah you wouldn't do anything to your buddy like that, huh Tara?" Jacob said. He and Renesmee seemed to be the only ones not entirely disturbed by the event. "Oh? Are you so sure Jake? I seem to recall you examining him for bite marks when I pulled him out of the water," Tara argued. "Well, I had to be sure. Just doing my job." he shrugged. "I thought all that blood might be too tempting for you." "Ick! I'm sure Tara has better taste than that!" Alice perked up. "Well, it seems you handled the situation quite well Tara," Carlisle commented. Though he would never wish any harm to come to Seth, he felt the accident was a fortunate event for them. The new vampire not only made a save, she ignored a bleeding head injury. He saw it as a good move on her part and hoped it reinforced the Pack's feelings about his family and their values. Tara wanted nothing more than to hide at the moment. She couldn't stop thinking about the warm sting that still lingered on her lips from Seth's kiss, nor could she ignore the fact that she enjoyed it. That part worried her the most. "Why would Seth even do something like that?" Alice questioned. "Uh who knows. maybe the lack of oxygen got to him. I think he was already low on some brain cells anyway," Jacob said jokingly, trying to divert the issue. Everyone laughed except Rosalie who took the situation more seriously than the others. Jacob fixed his eyes on her. "Hey Rosalie, know how to make a make a blonde laugh on Saturday?" he paused before giving the punch-line, "Tell her a joke on Wednesday." Rosalie stood with her arms folded, gritting her teeth together. Emmett tried to hide his smile. He got a kick out of Jacob whenever he provoked Rosalie. She only behaved herself for the sake of her niece, but her patience with Jacob grew thinner. Emmett and Jasper had a bet on when she would finally snap. "Hey, maybe Seth has crush on our new vampire," Emmett said jokingly.

"What? That's absurd! He really does have brain damage if that's true," Rosalie said. "Or a death wish," Alice added. "Well I always suspected he seems to like vampires too much. What do you think Tara?" Emmett asked. Everyone stared at her waiting for an answer. It made Tara uneasy. Though they all seemed to accept Seth as a friend, she didn't think they would find it feasible for a vampire to respond kindly to his bizarre display of affection. The conversation was starting be too much for her. "I think he's definitely got a death wish. If I knew he was going to pull that kind of stunt would have let the stupid dog drowned," she retorted in a nasty tone. Edward knew she was lying but the others laughed. Jacob looked at Tara, square in the face. He took her words very seriously. Tara wondered if it was for the best. What could possibly become of them anyway, she wondered. Wolves and vampires don't mix well. It was a foolish thought, or at least that's what she tried to convince herself. "Well if you'll all excuse me, I'd really like to shower and get this smell off me." Tara excused herself, eager to leave the room. As she departed, everyone turned their attention back to Rosalie and Emmett, except for Edward and Bella whose eyes, bore into her back as she walked away. Before she made it the shower, Bella stopped her. "Are you ok Tara?" She turned around to face her. "I-I truly don't know Bella." "Tell me then, I might understand," she said as she put her hand on her shoulder. "When you and Edward were together, when you were human...you two had a ..um physical relationship?" she wondered. "Uh yeahwe had a baby together," she said rolling her eyes. "Oh..right." Tara felt foolish for forgetting. It was just something that seemed so unreal to her. "So then, it's possible?" "Tarado you have feelings for Seth?" Bella asked. She nodded. "But I shouldn't. It's all wrong." "Does your mind tell you it's wrong, or your heart?" Tara grimaced. "I have no heart." "Course you do." She put her hand on her shoulder. "If you have feelings for Seth, you

have a heart. Just because it stopped beating doesn't mean you don't have one. Do what your heart tells you. Don't worry about what the others might think." Tara exhaled and smiled. "Don't tell them though, okay?" "I won't." "Edward already knows though, doesn't he?" "Yes, probably more than you think." Tara's eyes widened. "Don't worry, he won't say anything either. He's been keeping this secret for a while now. It makes him nervous though. He's noticed the way you look at Seth. It reminds him of when he was falling for me when I was a human. He just has concerns, having experienced it before. That's why I wanted to talk to you." "Yeah, it kinda frightens me too. I don't know how this works." "Don't worry, it will work itself out. Trust me." "Thanks Bella." "Welcome." She hugged her and then zipped off to be with the family before she was missed. Tara threw her backpack on the white, tile floor of the bathroom and jumped in the shower. As she undressed, the sand fell from her clothes into the basin. She shoved them into her bag so she could wash them later then pulled curtain and turned on the water. Tara stood there for a while allowing the water to beat on her head. Seth's blood ran down her leg and washed away into the drain as she stood in the stream. She closed her eyes and when she did, she kept seeing him leaning in to kiss her. The image ran through her head over and over. After a few minutes, new images ran through her head, ones that hadn't happened but she was imagining they would. She turned the water to the coldest setting. "Damn! Wish that worked", she thought. Chapter 7 - The Imprint Tara didn't hear from Seth for a week after the beach incident. Each time Jacob came over to visit Renesmee he coldly told her Seth was busy and didn't have time to come

with them. Seth made no effort to call to explain his absence either. She hunted alone thinking he'd come see her, but he never did. The taste of his soft lips against hers still burned in her memory and she ached to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. As the week came to an end, she hoped Seth would come by with Jacob, knowing Renesmee had plans with him. Her heart leaped with delight when she heard the purr of a motorcycle engine coming up the street. Trying not to give herself away, she casually crept down the stairs to see who arrived. Jacob walked through the door greeting Renesmee with big bear hug, lifting her off the ground. Tara waited. She heard no other engine sounds. No one else came through the door. He came alone. Since the clouds moved out again Jacob had decided to take his motorcycle out for a drive instead of the Volkswagen. He still owned the motorcycle he'd build with Bella after Edward left her. He didn't ride it often, but today he decided to take Renesmee for a ride on it. It felt like a cruel joke to Tara. She slowly turned and headed back up the stairs. Jacob and Renesmee both spotted her before she could slip away unnoticed. "Hey Neferata," Jacob teased choosing a new name for her. She didn't even flinch and only kept walking. Renesmee hated to see her this way. "What's with the bike Jake?" she asked. He shrugged. "What? It's a nice dayI wanted to take you for a ride." She stood with her arms folded, staring at Jacob with an unconvinced look. "What?" "You know what. You know exactly what she came down here looking for. Why doesn't Seth just come talk to her?" Renesmee whispered. Tara froze when she heard his name mentioned. Her vampire ears perked up. She wanted to know the real reason why he wasn't coming around. "I told you he's says he's not coming over anymore." "Well he should have just told her about the imprinting. This is stupid, now it's all a mess." There's nothing more he can do Ness. He says things didn't turn out the way he'd hoped. Now he's just trying to stay away and do whatever he can to forget all this." "You know he'll never forget. And she obviously misses him, you can tell. She's not the same anymore." "Hmph! Coulda fooled me," he snorted.

"She says one thing but I can I see something else in her eyes. Imprint? What imprint? Tara thought. It started to make more sense to her now, why he stopped coming by, why he was too busy. She didn't understand why he didn't tell her though, wondering if he really cared so little that he couldn't just tell her to her face. Tara dashed out the bedroom window and headed for the auto shop, hoping he would be there. So many new emotions went through her mind as she ran - anger and sadness being the strongest. She felt a new emotion she never knew before now - jealousy. Tara remembered her way to the tiny auto body shop in town. Seth drove her past it on her first motorcycle trip with him, the day he returned her locket to her. The sign out front read: Big-Dogs Automotive Repair. The first time Tara read it, she laughed out loud. It was the first time she laughed in many years. It was actually Renesmee who came up with the idea for the name and it was just so comical and befitting that they agreed to use it. Tara even jokingly made the suggestion to Seth that they add the phrase "We Lycan Your Business" under the name. He was completely amused by her humor. This time however, she wasn't laughing when she got there. Seth lay under an old blue Chevy, working. The radio on the counter was blared loud rock music, drowning out any noises. Tara slipped in unnoticed. She scanned the room for the source of the noise so she could turn it off. When she found it, she yanked the power cord from the outlet. The sudden silence startled Seth and he rammed his head on the bottom of the car. Tara heard a loud clang just before he yelled in pain. "Ow!" he shouted, immediately rubbing the lump on his head. Then he came out from under the car, seeing Tara standing there staring at him. "Hey," he said, completely caught off guard. "Where have you been?" she demanded to know. "Working," he lied. "I have a lot going on." He tried not to make eye contact. "It's a Saturday. Jacob's not even working today. He's taking Renesmee to a movie." "Yeah? Well that sounds great. Maybe you should go with them," he said coldly. She frowned. "You haven't been around at all since my trip to La Push. Jacob says you're always too busy." His eyes dropped. He turned his head and looked for a towel to rub the grease off his hands. "I didn't think you noticed," he shrugged "Well I did," she snapped.

He turned to confront her. "Look, you just seemed pretty upset with me for what I did. I know I did some foolish things and I'm sorry for that, but when you pushed me away I felt like you just didn't want me there and Jacob even confirmed that you weren't too thrilled about saving me either. I just thought it was best if I didn't come around anymore." "Is that all?" she scowled, standing with her arms folded. "That's your only reason?" she questioned. He scrunched his eyebrows and threw his hands up. "You want a better excuse?" he snapped. "I think you have one." Her eyes darted at him. "And what's that?" He rolled his eyes. "You imprinted," she said watching his reaction. Seth's mouth gaped open. "Who told you that?" "I overheard Jacob and Ness talking about it," she confessed. Big Mouth! Seth thought. "I don't like being lied to," she said bitterly. "I'm sorry. I tried many times to say something but I couldn't get the words out." "So when did this happen?" "The day you came to Forks." he admitted. Tara fumed now. She dropped her arms, balling her hands into fists. "Then why the heck did you start hanging out with me and pretending to be my friend? What was all that about?" "What do you mean pretending? I wasn't pretending. I was trying to get to know you. What else was I supposed to do?" "Oh I dunno, maybe go spend your time with whomever it was you imprinted on instead of misleading me into thinking you actually cared about me in some way. I mean I don't know why I even care anyway! This is so stupid. I don't know what I'm doing here!" She turned to leave. "H-hold on. What? Tarawho do you think I imprinted on?" She stopped before she got to her exit but didn't turn around. "How should I know that?" she grumbled. "Because I thought you figured it out." He inched towards her. "Wait...do mean you have

feelings for me?" She snapped around. "What does that matter?" "It matters to me. I need to know." He stared at her straight in the eyes. How can he be so cruel? She thought. "Well what do you think? I'm a vampire I'm not supposed to feel anything about you. You're all wrong for me," she lied. "That's it? That's how you really feel?" That hurt. It was the answer he feared. "Yes, that's how I feel, because that's how I should feel. I was foolish for letting you get so close to me. I should have known better we shouldn't even be friends." He stepped even closer hovering over her putting his hands on her arms and stared into her eyes looking very serious. "I didn't ask you how you think you should feel. I wanna know how you really feel. I wanna hear from Tara, not the vampire. What does Tara want?" Her eyes softened. "She she wants her friend back. She misses him... a lot." "Is there more?" he pried. She pulled away."I'm not playing this game of yours anymore. This really hurts, I don't know why. I just wish I hadn't come here now." She broke free from his grip and started to turn. "Ugh, Tara... WAIT! This is so frustrating. Don't you get it? It's you!" "What do you mean it's me?" "I mean, you're the one I imprinted on. There's no one else." She shook her head. "But that's not even possible." "Why not?" "Because it's not...because wolves don't imprint on vampires. That's just crazy." "Well, Jake imprinted on Ness. So apparently it is possible." "She's part human though." "But she's also part vampire. We have no control over it, it just happensand from the moment I saw you I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I don't know how to explain it, but it's happened, and it's you. I know it's crazy but I don't even care. You're all I want now. This is how I've felt since the day I met you and it's been nearly impossible to control my feelings for you. I just had no idea how you'd react so.I thought I'd just see how you react to being my friend first, but then I just couldn't take it any longer. The

day at the beach, I wanted to tell you so badly. The words were right there but they didn't come out and I just ended up kissing you." Tara just stood there, unresponsive. Her silence seemed to confirm his suspicions. He felt rejected and let go of her. "I think I have my answer though and I'm really sorry, I never meant to force this on you in anyway. I knew you've been given a life you didn't choose and you were forced to be something you didn't want. I didn't want to do that to you, which is why I just stopped coming around and..." "Seth!" she cut him off. "W-what...?" "Shut up!" He gave her a puzzled stare. She gently reached for his hand and caressed it. "I do want this.I want you." "Y-you do?" His heart leaped. Yes, you have no idea. I felt myself being more and more drawn to you each day. None of it made any sense to me. I think you're the sweetest, kindest creature I've ever encountered," she paused, "but.." "But, what?" "But, I just don't see how this can be real. We can't possibly be meant for each other." "There's no mistake. I told you I can't explain it, but it is real. I've already toiled with this so I know everything you are thinking, but I've just decided I'm going to accept it because this is what I want and nothing else matters to me. The only thing that matters is if you accept it too and I think maybe you have but you're just afraid to admit it." "Don't you know what I am...what I've done. You're supposed to kill vampires like me not mate with them." "That's the past, you're different. I can see that. All mankind is capable of killing. Humans kill each other all the time. There are days when I read the news and see that some people that are worse monsters than we are. Everyone has to choose their own path in life, whether it be good or evil. You didn't choose to become a vampire, but you chose live your life apart from the murderers who tried to curse you." "But what if I'm cursed? What if there's no reprieve for me? You want to be attached to someone like that?" "You and the Cullens are proof to me that all are capable of rectitude. I don't think there's

any way you could be cursed." Tara stared at him in awe. She stepped closer to him, reaching up with one hand and touching the side of his face. Seth stood extremely still unsure if she was going to attack or be gentle. She ran her cool fingers down the side of his cheek. Her touch was soothing and his shoulders dropped as he relaxed. "I must be out of my mind. If I could sleep, I would think this was only a crazy dream," she smiled. "I'm pretty sure you're not dreaming," he cocked his head to the side. She put her hand over his heart, feeling it beat rapidly. He placed his hand over hers and looked in her eyes. "Well if I am I don't want to wake up," she confessed. Seth smiled. "I was so worried. I thought you really meant what you said about me not being your kind. I didn't think you'd even be attracted to me because of what I am." "I am ...extremely. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am. I even tried to convince myself not to care about you, but the more I tried, the more I couldn't stop thinking about you. How crazy is that?" "I'm just glad you feel that way. When you pushed me away after I kissed you, I thought you finally just had it with me. I didn't think you wanted me and I felt so stupid for tryingthat's the only reason I didn't come to see you anymore. It would have pained me to see you, knowing I can't be with you." She shook her head. "No, that wasn't it. I liked it too much. I just got nervous and excited all at the same time. I've never been kissed by a human before. It feels like I'm doing something wrong, but that just makes me want it all the more." She chuckled. "Yeah... I know." "And youyou're attracted to me, despite what I am?" she asked, hopeful. He nodded. "Very much." Her eyes lit up and she smiled. "Did you really mean it when you told me I was... pretty?" she wondered. He looked at her very seriously. "No," he answered. The corners of her mouth fell. "Not pretty, I think you're beautiful."

Her expression changed to relief. He could tell he embarrassed her as she timidly smiled and looked down. He touched her chin and turned her face back to his. "So then, do you think maybe I could kiss you again without you hitting me or running away this time?" Tara smiled. "I promise I won't." He cupped her face in his hands, leaned down and softly pressed his mouth to hers. She closed her eyes delighting in the taste of his sultry lips. The heat of his skin stung as he touched her. When they parted, he slid his arms around her and pulled her in tight, pressing his lips to her hair. "I've never felt like this before. I don't even know how to describe my feelings for you," she admitted. "It's okay. You seem to be doing a good job at showing me." He spoke into her hair. Then something on her shoulder caught his eye. Her tank top revealed a scar just inches from the base of her neck by her collar bone. He pulled back, looking at it and touched gently with one finger, circling the spot. "Is this what I think it is?" Tara knew what he meant. He pointed at the scar on her shoulder. The one she got when she was bitten and turned. "Yes. It's the only scar I have on my entire body and I'll always have it." Seth leaned over and softly kissed it. "If I could take it away from you, I would," he said. Tara put her hand over the scar and gave him a disturbing look. "What is it? You have that look on your face again like I hurt you. Does the scar hurt?" He ran his fingertips down the side of her arm. It sent a surge of energy though her body. "No. It doesn't hurt," she said as she froze. "Then why do you look like that?" "Like what?" "Like you're in pain when I touch you." "You're not hurting me. It's just the opposite actually." She dropped her eyes. "I- I'm not quite sure how to explain without totally embarrassing myself." "Oh.." Seth thought for a moment and grinned. "So you're saying you like it when I touch you." He continued to caress her arms and let his fingertip trace her body up to her neck and face. "More than you can imagine." She closed her eyes tilting her head to the side.

His one hand ran through her hair as the other was around her waist pulling her closer. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Well I can imagine quite a lot." "Not my way you can't," she grinned. "You're way? And what's that? He leaned back to look at her with curiosity. "Mmm..well, vampires are not the gentlest creatures when it comes to.affection." "Oh, uhis that's bad?" His eye brows rose. "It could be for you," she chuckled. "Don't worry about me, I'm a fast healer," he winked. "Mmmyou're awful confident." "Yeah, that's me. I'm a risk taker." He smiled. She chuckled wanting to kiss him again but held back. Seth, on the other hand, couldn't wait another second. He touched his lips to hers, softly at first, but within moments Tara found herself becoming more electrified, pressing her body against his. Seth didn't resist at all. His breathing became heavier as he became aroused by her motions. Suddenly Tara pounced on him like a kitten attacking a grisly - a very strong kitten however. He landed flat on his back as she sprawled on top of him. "Ooof!" he blurted when he landed, banging his head on the ground on impact. "Ow. Okay, that kinda hurt." She stopped herself quickly. "Are you alright?" "Yeah, I just bumped my head. That was a bit too fast for me." "I'm sorry, here lemme see." Tara ran her fingers through his hair to feel the lump on the back of his head. "Does this help?" She gently rubbed it with her cool hands. "Mmm" He closed his eyes liking it very much. "It's like you have a built in icepack at your fingertips." She chuckled becoming lost in his stare as she lay there in his embrace, still stroking his head. So this part could be a problem," she sighed. "We'll figure it out. Like I saidat least I'm a fast healer." "I wouldn't like it if I hurt you." She frowned. "I think I can handle and few bumps and bruises. Besidesyou know what they say?" "What?"

"Practice makes perfect." She sighed. "Your over confidence could be the death of you." Tara rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating against her palm. "I don't think you're capable of that." She just shook her head. Then she started thinking about their other problem. "So, does anyone else know about this?" "Jacob does and I'm sure he told Ness. And Leah knows too. She and Jake were able to hear my thoughts the night it happened." "Listen to your thoughts? Like Edward does?" "All the wolves have that ability, we hear only each other's thoughts though." "All of you?" her eye brows rose. "Well just in our pack, but if we allow it the others can hear too. I've just been avoiding phasing for a while to be on the safe side." "You probably can't hide this much longer then," she said. "No. I'm sorta worried about what'll happen when they all find out. What about the Cullens? I wonder what they will think? "Actually, some of them already know."

Seth and Tara went to the Cullen's home together. As they walked in the house, all was quiet except for the sound of a television. Jacob and Renesmee sat in the theater room along with Emmett and Rosalie, watching a hockey game. Renesmee leaped up running over to greet them as they came in the room. It surprised her to see them together."Tara .Hey! Are you okay? I got worried when you disappeared." "Just fine," Tara replied. Jacob had followed her to check out the situation for himself. "Hey Seth, you finally decided to get out of the garage?" he asked. "Yeah I needed a break. Almost done with the Chevy... I should have it finished tomorrow." They all looked at each other suspiciously, not saying anything until Tara finally broke the silence. "Ok, yes I know," she admitted.

Jacob groaned. Then he reached into his pocket and slapped a ten dollar bill into Renesmee's hand. She laughed taking it. "What's that for?" Seth asked. "Just one more week. I had ten bucks that said you'd hold out for at least one more week." "You guys had a bet.. on us?" he asked. "Sure why not. I figured you'd crack sooner or later but the way you were acting I didn't think you'd cave so quickly." "Well Tara came to me," he confessed. Jacob sighed. "Females!" he rolled his eyes. "Bet? What bet? What did I miss out on?" Emmett overheard them and invited himself into the conversation. He loved a good bet. Rosalie, who wasn't the slightest bit interested a moment ago perked up to listen in on what was going on. Tara and Seth just looked at each other, unsure of how to explain the situation. "Seth Imprinted," Renesmee finally said. "He did? Nice! Who's the lucky girl?" Emmett asked. Tara gave Renesmee nudge for opening her mouth about it. Rosalie had it figured out immediately. Her angry eyes stared at the two of them. "What? It's not like you guys were saying anything here," Renesmee pointed out. "I don't get it," Emmett said looking confused. Rosalie got up and stomped towards the four of them. "You can't be serious! You wouldn't be that foolish would you?" she said to Seth. Emmett became alarmed at her reaction and followed behind. "Hey Rose, chill out. What are you so upset about?" "Can't you see? The dog imprinted on Tara, that's what!" She angrily waved her hands at the couple pointing out that they were obviously together. Emmett looked at the two of them. "Really? You mean you can do that?" "Apparently," Seth said as he put his hands on Tara's shoulders. "Wow, and you haven't killed him yet?" Emmett said to Tara, snickering. "I don't intend on killing him. I'm okay with it." Rosalie couldn't contain herself any longer. "Well that's just great, like we needed another

reason to attract the Volturi here! I mean we barely got through the last ordeal, now this." Her voice grew louder. "Uh, well ya know Rosethe rules only state that we can't tell humans of our existence, it really doesn't say anything about vampire-wolf relationships," Emmett said in their defense. He was amused by the situation and already thinking of some bets he could place with Jasper on their relationship. Rosalie scowled at him. "Well it doesn't!" he added, shrugging his shoulders. "I think Emmett's right, they're not breaking any rules and it doesn't matter anyhow, they will never see Tara as long as she's with Seth. Their visions are just as clouded as Alice's when the wolves are around," Renesmee said. Rosalie didn't accept it though. The thought of a vampire being intimate with a wolf thoroughly disgusted her. She couldn't understand the attraction. It was too unnatural for her. "Well I hope you're right! I mean first it was human...now dogs! I think this family has too many strikes against it and flaunting this kind of relationship will certainly attract attention." "Hey I am human!" Seth argued. Tara placed her hand on Seth's chest to back him down. "Rosalie, I swear wouldn't place your family in jeopardy. If I thought there was a chance that my being here would endanger your family I would leave, I swear." Tara promised. Seth gripped Tara's shoulders tightly. That's not an idea he agreed on. Rosalie's angry voice carried through the house and grabbed the attention of the others. Carlisle and Esme came in the room followed by Jasper and Alice who were all very curious. "What's the problem?" Carlisle asked. "Ask the wolf," Rosalie said in a snooty tone, pointing at Seth. Carlisle looked at him. "Seth, is everything ok?" "Uh, I um." He gulped. "I imprinted," he paused. They all gawked at him, waiting. "On Tara," he added. That changed things. Alice and Esme gasped. All of them gaped at the couple with wide

eyes and blank faces. The news astonished Carlisle. "Fascinating. I didn't know this was even possible." He stared at the two of them curiously. "Neither did I. It just happened the first time we met. That's why I disappeared so quickly that evening. I didn't know what to do. The only one I told was Jacob because I knew he'd understand and I thought maybe he could help me." "I'm surprised Edward didn't figure this out right away," Carlisle commented. "Actually he did. He confronted me with a warning but he wanted to respect my personal life. He knew he hadn't spoken to her yet and chose not to reveal it to anyone until I handled it myself." "I understand, that's very much something he'd do," Carlisle said. "I'm sorry for hiding this. I thought it was the only way at first. I was hoping I could find out if Tara had any feelings for me at all." Carlisle looked at Tara. "And are you okay with this?" he asked. "Yes, it's what I want," she answered. "You mean you're not mad?" Seth said, surprised at Carlisle's calm reaction. "If this is what you both want - then yes. Who am I to say otherwise? I love you like one of my own Seth. I just want you to be happy, both of you. But I have to throw caution into the wind. You do need to be careful, but I'm sure you can make it work. Edward and Bella did just fine." "Oh yeah, that was a real blast. Maybe we can invite the Volturi to their wedding too! Rosalie snapped. Everyone turned in her direction, wide eyed. "Rose!" Renesmee growled. She didn't like her tone or her comment very much. Rosalie had forgotten she was listening too. "I'm sorry, I just think this whole thing is going to reflect badly on us." "Well it can't be any worse than Jacob and I. We both seem to have the same dilemma." "I don't think this will be of any concern. I think Renesmee and Tara will be perfectly guarded from their seeker when they are around the wolves. They shouldnt suspect a thing." Carlisle informed her. "What about the pack, Seth? Do they know yet?" Esme asked. "Just Jake and Leah, but I think the others have their suspicious about what's going on. I'll

deal with that issue I come to it." "Yes I think you should stick to the more immediate issues and let us worry about any bigger problems if they arise." Alice spoke up. "Don't worry guys. I'm keeping my eyes on the Aro. Im always one step ahead. If they decided to return, I'll know about it." She seemed less worried about the situation than Rosalie. "Thanks Alice," Seth said. "You're welcome. We're all family here aren't we?" Everyone smiled, with the exception of Rosalie who just rolled her eyes.

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:17 AM 5 comments

Chapter 8 - Confessions "So that went better than I thought. What now?" she said to Seth. He shrugged his shoulders. "Now we justbe ourselves." "You have some confessions to make to some people first I think," she pointed out. Seth sighed. "Yeah but I that was the least of my worries before. All I cared about was what you thought." He squeezed her hand. "Now that I know, I don't care much about the rest. Let the chips fall where they may." "Really... that easy? What about the rest of the pack?" He shrugged again. "They accepted Renesmee. Why should you be any different?" "Because I am different Seth, I've killed people. Renesmee is innocent. She's never harmed anyone." "With the exception of Carlisle, every Cullen has done the same. But, they're all repentant. I won't judge you for what you've done. That's your past. You're not like that anymore."

"Seth have you ever heard the story of the Frog and the Scorpion?" He thought about it for a moment. "Uh yeah, I think so." "Well, I'm like the scorpion. Killing is in my nature. Those who chose a vegetarian lifestyle, still crave the flesh because it's what they were born to consume. Not a day goes by that I don't think about feeding on a human. I know it's wrong, and I may not want to be this way, but it's what I am. If you are going to be with me you have to face the fact that there's a chance I may hurt someone some day. It takes all of the strength I have not to, I'm not perfect." "I understand that, but I trust that you won't. You did it on your own without the Cullen's. You know what's right and you have a good soul.." "Seth" She cut him off, shaking her head in disagreement. "I truly don't deserve anyone like you and I'm afraid of disappointing you.or worse, hurting you." Her eyes looked pained "Tara don't" She stopped him again. "It's true. You're a pure spirit. Seriously Seth, what's the worst thing you've ever done in your life, cheated on a test maybe? I can't even compare myself to you." "Well would it make feel more even if I tell you I've taken lives before?" "You have?" Her eyebrows rose up. "Yes. Newborns,...vampires. We helped the Cullens kill a bunch of them that were coming here to kill Bella." That information aroused some curiosity in her. "New-borns that wanted to kill Bella? I hadn't heard that story yet..but regardless, those aren't even lives you took. Their lives were already taken from them. You were only finishing the job." "They were just as alive as you are. We only had to kill them to keep them from hurting others. It's our job to protect the people here of Forks, that included Bella despite her involvement with the Cullens." "As you should. It's your job to protect people from the monsters." "Tara, are you starting to doubt yourself? What's this about?" "I'm just warning you. I may have abstained for years and learned to live around humans without feeding on them but there have been exceptions." She stared at him wondering if he remembered the story she told him.

"The rapist," he said. She nodded. "I don't know what it was that made me do it. I don't normally engage in human affairs. I thought perhaps it was the smell of the blood soaked rope around her neck that made me lose control but regardless, I didn't resist." Seth became quiet. "I'm sorry. I've really put this in perspective for you haven't I?" "It doesn't change how I feel. Are you having second thoughts about us?" She sighed shaking her head. "Even though I know I'm all wrong for you, I'm a pretty selfish creature. I don't know that I'd even have the will power to leave you even for the right reasons." She leaned in close to him, reaching her hand up to his face and caressing his cheek, slowly running her hand down the side of his face. "You know, for the longest time I've wanted nothing more than to end my life. I didn't want to exist this way. But now that I've met you, I want nothing more than to live. You have no idea what you've done for me," she continued. He smiled. "Then how can I have any regrets? I'm happy being with you. Can you just accept that?" She smiled and nodded, looking into his eyes. "I do have one request however," he said taking her hand in his. "What's that?" "Go on a date with me." "A date?" Her eyebrows rose. "Yeah, you know date." She looked at him strangely, like it was a foreign word. "Um, haven't you done that before?" "No, my father never allowed me to date. He was very over-protective." "You never dated?" "No." "Boyfriends?" No, none. I wasn't allowed." "Wow. Well, I guess I get to be your first. I'd be honored." He smiled. She smiled back with a chuckling. "Um, so.. what would we do on this.date?" "Anything you want. I have lots of ideas. I already know you like movies. We can do

that, or there's a new mini-golf place we can try. It doesn't matter much to me, I just want it to be you knowofficial." "Hmm. I'm not sure I understand the point of it all. Why do you want to entertain me with this human custom?" "You know how you said I make you feel more normal? Well I just figured you missed out on all these things in your human life so I just want to try and give some of that back to you. Please?" An enormous wave of emotion came over Tara. She never experienced love, so it was an emotion she couldn't identify quite yet to be sure, but the feeling nearly knocked her off her feet. She swore she was almost dizzy. She just stared at Seth in a daze. "What is it? Tell me what you're thinking." "I'm just trying to absorb all this. I'm feeling emotions I didn't even know existed anymore. This is all new territory for me." "You like it then? I mean is that something good?" "It's wonderful, staggering. Better than I can even describe to you." "Wow all that from just asking you out on a date? I can't imagine what it will be like when I ask you to marry me some day." "Uh" her mouth gaped open. "Take it easy." he chuckled, "there's plenty of time before that happens." "You say that as though it's a matter of fact, not as a, what if'." Seth grinned slightly. "Ah, yeah or at least a likely possibility. Is marriage not something you ever envisioned in your future when you were human?" "I supposed it was at one time, but it certainly wasn't anything I considered once I was turned. I mean seriously do you see me as being a little housewife in an apron cooking dinner or and playing house?" "I have to admit that is a cute vision, but who says that's what marriage has to be like?" "Well, isn't it?" "No. Not necessarily." Just then, Seth realized what time-frame Tara spent her human years in. It made more sense to him why she would see things in that perspective. Tara only remembered women of the fifties being housewives. She didn't pay any attention to modern times and relationships. It was outside of her world. "Marriage is whatever you make it to be but the way I see it, it's just two people vowing

their love for one another before God, or the Great Spirit, or whatever it is you believe in." "Okay, and you need a ceremony for that?" "Course not, that all just for fun and show." He paused, thinking. "Can I show you something?" She nodded. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." Seth left for a few moments and returned with a moist washcloth. He reached for her hand taking her palm in his and gently wiped it with the cloth. The towel was already warm from his hands. He continued to delicately wipe each finger and he then turned her hand over to wipe the top. She looked at him with an odd expression. "Were my hands dirty or did you want to just explain the dynamics of a washcloth to me?" she joked. Seth smiled as he reached for her other hand and repeating the same motions. He spoke softly to her. "You see, when my parents were married, part of their ceremony was a ritual Washing of the Hands. Our people believe it washes away past evils and bad memories - memories of past loves too." He winked, before continuing on. "Everything is symbolic of course, but it has a deep meaning. It's kinda like baptism, if you're familiar with that custom - baptism for the marriage. You're putting aside all the things in the past and starting a new life with the person you love." When he finished, he continued to caress her hands softly. Her long and slender fingers felt like silk to him. "So you see? Customs are a good thing. Do you wanna do my hands now?" he smiled, handing her the cloth. She immersed herself in his gaze as she stared into his soft brown eyes with deepest affection for him. "You have no evil in you to wash away," she said. He chuckled. "Hmm, well maybe just some bad memories. I certainly have no past loves to wash awaywell, at least none that left any dirt behind." He chuckled nervously again. "And I'll never have another, now that I've found the one I want to be with." He looked at her with endearing eyes. Tara's emotions took over. She became lost in his gaze and her palm opened up letting go of the wash cloth and it fell to the floor. She nearly threw herself at him, pressing her lips to his and gently stroking his cheek with her fingertips. Seth reciprocated quickly and wrapped his arms around her. He embraced her tightly pulling her body into his. Before

things got too heated between them, Alice and Jasper walked in the room. "Oops, oh umexcuse us. We didn't know you guys were in here." Alice smirked at them, slightly embarrassed to catch them in such a private moment. They pulled away from each other quickly when they heard her voice. "No, uh sorry, we were sort of just talking." Seth tried to explain unconvincingly. "Yeah looks that way." Jasper said sarcastically, sensing their emotions. Alice squeaked as she stifled a laugh. "Well we just came in here to finish our game," she said glancing at the board game laid out on the table. "We can come back later." "No, that's ok. We were just leaving. Go ahead," Seth said to them. They stood up getting ready to clear out of the room so she and Jasper could play. "You know you two do kinda make a cute couple," Alice admitted. Tara smiled. "Thanks Alice. You know Seth just asked me out on a date - our first date and my first date ever, actually." "Really? When?" She perked up, seeing excited about the news. Tara looked up at Seth for an answer. "Uh, I dunno, um.Saturday?" He hadn't quite thought about which day they'd go but it looked like he had to make some quick decisions. Tara looked back at Alice. "Saturday then." "Great! Can I help you get ready?" Oh god. Tara thought. "I'll make you look stunning. I have the perfect outfit." "UmI think we're just doing mini-golf Alice," Tara said. "Mini-golf? That's where you are taking this girl on her very first date ever?" she said to Seth rolling her eyes. "How memorable," Alice said with sarcasm. "Well, mini golf was just an idea, it's not set in stone or anything," he said trying to defend his idea. "Oh, well in that casewe have plans to make then," Alice said excitedly. Seth heard Alice say the word we, meaning she just included herself into the planning equation. "I think this should be special. Ooh, I know maybe the Theater?" she continued. "A movie was my other idea," Seth said. Alice rolled her eyes. "Not the movie theaters Romeo, I'm talking about The Theater; the

Performing Arts. Port Angeles has a beautiful Symphonic Orchestra playing there also." "Orchestra?" Seth displayed distasteful face. Tara giggled. She'd been to many of such events with her parents growing up. "Ugh! You're such an un-cultured beast. Seriously, it's a good thing she doesn't eat. You'd probably take her to the drive-through too." "Hey! I'd at least let her supersize," Seth joked. They all just gave him an odd stare. "Umm...never mind, stupid human joke." He shook his head at his failed attempt to be funny. Alice ignored his bazaar behavior, getting back to business. "Ok so Saturday, let's say, sixish?" she said looking at the two of them. "Uh six, sounds good," he shrugged. "Great, don't be late." She pointed a finger at him like he was a kid. "No problem Alice. You sure we didn't forget anything while you're planning our date and all?" he grumbled. "Hmm, I'll let you know, and I'll check on tickets to see what's playing on Saturday in Port Angeles." "Awesome," Seth said, rolling his eyes. He realized his date just got taken over by the scheming event-planning vampire. When Tara and Seth headed out to Seth's bike parked in front of the house he held her hand and she liked it. "So, you really into that kinda stuff?" he wondered. "Oh, well my parents took me to the Theater all the time as child. I remember some of them." "So that would be something you would rather do then?" "Well, I love the Theater but I would much rather do something that we will both enjoy. This is our date, not just my date. Mini-golf sounds just wonderful, and I have never been either." Seth smiled. "Perfect!" he felt a wave of relief. "And the beauty of it all is, we can lie to Alice and she will never be able to see it thanks to you of course." Tara grinned. Seth chuckled at her deceitful little plan. "I love the way you think." He kissed her on the

forehead. Tara looked at the sky noticing how late it the day it had gotten. "Don't you need to eat again soon? It'll be dark in a few hours. "Yeah, my mom's invited Charlie over for dinner I told her I'd drop by." "Will you tell her?" She looked worried. Seth nodded. "I want to. I don't like hiding things from her." "What'll you say?" "Umwell I was kinda hoping you'd come with me." "What? No, I don't think that's a very good idea." She shook her head. "Why not? She'll wanna meet you." "Oh I doubt that. I think she'd be pretty unhappy about you bringing a vampire in her home." "She's been around the Cullen's many times. She's dating Bella's dad, and trust me she knows about that too, even though she's not supposed to. She still pretends to think Bella's a human, for their sake. She's even had Renesmee and Jacob over for dinner before, she adores her. It took some getting used to at first but she's come around." "Seth, I'm not Renesmee, please get that out of your head." "I know you're not Renesmee. I know there's a difference." "Yes I'm the one who " He put his finger on her lips stopping her from say what he already knew. "Are you saying if I take you to meet my mom you'd be too tempted?" He removed his finger to let her speak. "There's always temptation, but to answer your question, no. I can resist, I've been doing it for years. I couldn't imagine ever hurting your mother Seth. It makes me ill thinking about it." "That's why I trust you. I don't believe you would either." She sighed shaking her head. "Look, I don't have to tell her everything right at first but I want her to meet you at least, I think it will make it easier if she gets to know you," he said. He stared at her with his puppy-dog eyes. "Please?" She reluctantly hopped on the back of his bike. "I still don't know how I let you talk me into these things."

He smiled then revved up the engine and sped out heading to the Reservation. They arrived at an oversized trailer sitting in a clearing, deep in the forest. Tara spotted Charlie's police car parked out front, as well as small Toyota. Though Tara didn't recognize the car she was pretty sure it belonged to Leah. Great, the family's all here, she thought. As soon as Tara entered the tiny house, a wall of fragrances greeted them at the door. She detected several strong scents coming from the kitchen. The least of her favorite being the food that Seth's mother prepared. It filled every inch of the house. The one that appealed to her however, set her throat on fire. The smell of Charlie and Sue's blood made the venom well up in her mouth. "Well this is it. It's not much, certainly nothing like the Cullen's. I grew up here though, all my life," Seth said, showing her the tiny living room they entered first. "No, it's nice. The Cullens have a beautiful place, but this looks like a home. It's very warm and inviting. I like it. " "Thanks." He smiled. Tara's attention shifted to a shelf full of family pictures. She noticed a picture of Seth in his graduation cap and gown, as well as one of Leah. A couple in a wedding picture stood next to it. "These are your parents?" she guessed, noting the similarities. "Yes." "You have your father's smile and your mother's eyes." Seth liked her observation. He moved closer to her, positioning himself behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She picked up a picture of Seth and Leah when they were toddlers, playing in a small plastic pool in their yard both of them completely naked. She identified the boy in the picture with a big toothy smile."Weren't you cute." She snickered. Seth rolled his eyes, embarrassed that his mother kept such old pictures out around the house. His friends always loved to tease him about the pictures when they came over but Sue refused to put them away."Ah thanks. I'm sure you'll find plenty of incriminating photos of me around here if you look keep looking." "Hmm, maybe I'll hafta look for those then." She winked, taking pleasure in watching his cheeks get redder as the blood rushed to his face. It wasn't long before Leah picked up on their voices from the kitchen. She ran around the

corner before their mother noticed. "What do you think you are doing? She interrupted, "Are you insane! You brought her here?" she spoke in a low tone trying to avoid being heard from the kitchen. Seth's pleasant mood changed instantly. "Go on Leah, this isn't your concern." "To hell it's not! That's my in there too and you're about to drop a bomb on her!" "No, I'm not. I'm just introducing her, that's all. And she is welcome here." Seth's mother, Sue Clearwater stepped around the corner before Leah could respond. She heard the commotion from the other room but couldn't make out what was going on. "Why hello! I thought I heard new voices. Are you going to introduce me to you friend Seth or is it a secret?" Seth turned towards his mother's voice slightly stunned. "Uh, hi mom, this isuh.." He stopped mid-sentence as soon as he turned his head back around, looking at Tara. Leah stared at her also in complete shock. Tara's appearance had changed. Her completion was more radiant and her hair was slightly longer and pulled back in a clip and her eyes were a light brown. Seth couldn't say another word as he remained focused on her. Her transformation took him by surprise. Tara figured the silence went on long enough and decided to speak up. "Hello, Mrs. Clearwater, I'm Tara. It's nice to meet you." she said with a big smile. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Tara. Maybe you better tell Seth your name again too. He seems to have forgotten it." "Mom...," he broke his stare from Tara and looked at his mother. Sue smiled cheerfully. "Are you from around here?" she asked. Tara politely smiled back. She turned her attention to Seth's mom as she casually spoke. "Oh, I just moved here from the East Coast. Seth and I met through some mutual friends and he's been showing me around." Well at least that part's not a lie, she thought. "That's so nice of him. I hope you're making good friends here in town." It delighted Sue to see Seth spending time with someone other than Jacob for once. He dated a few girls in the past but it never developed into anything serious. She begun to worry about he and Leah since neither of them had experienced an imprint. She knew how difficult it was to meet people living in such a tiny town and even harder living on a reservation because it limited their opportunities. Sue was mainly concerned for their

happiness in life but she truly hoped that she one day they would each have children, especially Seth, who could pass on the family name. When she noticed Tara observing the family photos, she sauntered across the room and began to chatter on about each photo telling her when and where each was taken. Tara just smiled politely. She hoped his mother wouldn't notice that she held her breath to keep from breathing in the sweet aroma of her blood. It was only on rare occasions that Tara needed to pretend she was human. Most of the time she was just invisible to humans and since being invisible didn't require her to act like one, she never needed to breathe around them. It just always made it easier for her not to have to smell their blood when she was near them. Tara knew she could only get away with it until she had to speak again. She just allowed his mother to continue to ramble on while she kept a very attentive expression on her face. Sue became so wrapped up in the conversation she almost forgot about the food on the stove. A buzzing sound echoed from the kitchen. "Oh will you excuse me? I need to grab that. I'm not so sure Charlie's knows how to shut off the timer." She chuckled. Tara just smiled politely at her. When she disappeared into the kitchen, Seth leaned into Tara's face. "What are you doing?" Seth spoke in a loud whisper. "I'm sorry, I panicked." Tara winced. Leah interrupted. She was stunned by Tara's transformation. "Holy cow! How is she doing that?" Seth just ignored her. "But she thinks you're human now!" "So? Maybe that's not such a bad thing." "Until she figures it out, I can't lie to her about this." "Well she seems to like me as a human. I doubt she would be so cordial with me if she knew what I really am." Leah cut in again. "Yeah, probably not." "Butt-out Leah! He growled at her. "Mom can handle the truth just fine. She's seen her kids morph into giant wolves. " "Yeah well dad didn't and I don't like the risk!" Seth growled at Leah, nearly lunging at her for bringing up the painful memory of his

father's death. Tara jumped in front of him before he could attack. "No Seth, don't do anything you'll regret later." Tara warned him. The fierceness started to diminish as she touched her cool hands to his face and diverted his boring glare from Leah to her golden eyes. "I don't protection from my brother, bloodsucker!" Leah snarled at Tara. "Who said anything about protecting you?" she retorted. Tara figured Seth could put up a good fight against Leah, but she didn't want things to get out of hand, especially with Sue just off in the next room. Both Seth and Leah's bodies shook visibly as they faced off. They both tried keep from phasing right there in the living room. Just then, Charlie came in to say hello. "Hey Seth, how are things at Big Dogs?" he smiled. Seth took a deep breath to calm down, trying to regain his composure. "Business is good. Jacob's got me doing more than half the work right now but I really need the money." The conversation distracted him enough and he stopped shaking. "Well no one can say you don't work hard, that's for sure. It's all your mom talks about," Charlie said while glancing over at the new girl in the room. Tara smiled politely at Charlie's comments making eye contact. Before Seth could introduce her, Sue walked in with a plate of cookies and interrupted. She placed them on a small wooden coffee table. They were Seth's favorite - chocolate chip. "These just came out of the oven. I probably shouldn't serve them before dinner but I didn't know Seth was bringing company over." "That's ok mom, you didn't have to go through any trouble. We're not really hungry right now", he said hoping to make an excuse for Tara. "You never refuse my cookies," she complained. "Besides, let the girl speak for herself..Tara, would you like some cookies? I made them from scratch." Charlie picked up on the name right away. "Tara?" Charlie recalled hearing that name before. "Bella mentioned a Tara. Are you by chance the new foster kid that the Cullen's took in?" he asked curiously. Tara nervously looked at Sue's reaction to the mentioning of the Cullens. She figured the

chances of there being two Tara's that came to a small town like this would be slim to none. Not wanting to create another lie, she just decided to go with it. "Yes that's correct." Seth's mom stared at Tara with a very suspicious look on her face. Tara just smiled innocently. "Funny though, you don't look like a Cullen. Actually you look more like you belong here on the Rez," Charlie noted. "Oh yes, well that's because I look like my mother." "Is that so? So, where are your parents now?" Sue inquired curiously. "They're um, no longer alive. They were murdered. I've been on my own for a while since." "Not really a lie. Just short a few details," she thought. "Oh you poor thing, what happened?" "Uh, Mom" Seth said shaking his head. "Oh I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask. That's just so tragic." Sue sympathetically touched Tara's arm. It felt cold as ice to her. She shifted her eyes from Tara's face to her arm when she touched the skin. "Oh my, you're frozen." Her eyes widened. She pulled her hand back very quickly, her suspicions grew. "Yeah, I don't have a jacket. It's no big deal thoughI'm used to the cold." "Seth did you drive her here without a jacket on? Where are your manners?" "Sorry, she's a little stubborn," he said as he nudged her. Tara nudged Seth back, forcing back a grin. It came through her eyes though and he spotted it. "Well it's nice of the Cullens to take you in. They've always been good like that. They have a lot of foster kids," Charlie said. "They are very gracious in opening their hope to me in my time of need," Tara replied. "Oh yeah, they're real humanitarians," Leah said sarcastically. Seth just gave her another dirty look. Charlie and Sue looked at her with a confused stare for acting rudely. Leah decided she'd amp up the game she was playing. She picked up the plate of cookies and grabbed one, taking a bite. "These are great cookies mom, thanks." She held it out to Tara. "Here, try one Tara, my

mom is the best cook," she grinned, knowing she wouldn't eat them. They all looked at Tara for a moment as she stared at the cookies, unsure of what do to. "I told you we're not hungry, Leah. Don't you have some other place you could go and be a pain-in-the-ass in?" he snapped. "Seth! What kind of talk is that?" his mother scolded. "Sorry mom, Leah's just been getting on my nerves lately," he said through his teeth. "Well that's no reason to talk to her like that, and not in front of your friend especially." Sue reached her hand out to take the plate from Leah. "For heaven's sakes, it's completely fine if no one wants to eat right now," she said. "Oh yeah I forgot, the Cullens never eat," Leah blurted out. Seth's blood started to boil. He knew his mother would surely be suspicious now. Tara saw Seth's mood changing. She decided she'd bite the bullet on this one since it was her that decided to pretend being human. She hoped she could just fake eating the cookie and then expel it later. Tara grabbed a one off the plate that Leah still held in her hand. "Don't be silly, of course they eat. I'd love one," she said. Never tried this before but, here it goes. How bad can it be? Tara thought. She put the cookie to her mouth and bit down. Okay, it's bad! She thought as she chewed. Leah and Seth watched in almost disbelief. Tara tried very hard to look like she enjoyed it. Solid food hadn't entered her throat in over fifty years. The cookie was dry and hard going down when she swallowed. It was like eating dirt, she thought very bland and grainy. "Thank you, they are very good," she lied. Her second bite didn't go down so easy. She meant to take only one more and then hope to distract them in conversation so she could crumble it up and dispose of it without them noticing. She coughed trying to dislodge the pieces that got stuck in her throat. "Oh my gosh, are you choking?" Sue said frantically, as she grabbed a glass of water. Tara shook her head. She took the glass from Sue's hand and sipped it, dislodging the crumbs. "I'm fine," she gasped once the food was down. They all stood staring at Tara in an awkward moment. "Hey why don't you stay for dinner Tara?" Leah suggested breaking the silence. Her phony smile irritated Seth and he gave her another bitter look. "No thank you," Tara said between her clenched teeth. "I'll be having dinner with my

family later. We have plans." Her eyes narrowed, glaring at Leah. "Oh, are you all going out to eat?" Leah asked, starting in again with the elusive questions. Seth angrily shoved Leah's arm knocking the cookies all over floor. "Nice going dumb-ass," Leah said. "Alright, I've had about enough of that!" Sue scolded both of them. "Both of you can clean this up," she said in a snappy tone. "Do you have a vacuum Mrs. Clearwater? I could help." Tara offered. Sue already headed to the closet to grab it. "Yes, I.." Sue grunted. The vacuum wasn't in the closet where she'd put it last. "Ok, where is my vacuum?" She looked in at her two children who would be the only ones in the room that she knew would have taken it. "Uh, sorry mom, I borrowed it for my apartment," Leah confessed. "Well that's just great." Sue huffed, putting her hand on her hip. It's ok, I have shop-vac in the garage mom," Seth offered. He grabbed Tara's hand, to lead her though the kitchen and out the back door towards the garage. She stopped when she saw the hound dog lying on the floor next to the exit. It let out a defensive growl as soon as it saw Tara. "Homer, no!" he said as he scolded the animal. "Come on, it's ok, he's just an old grouch. He thinks he owns the place." Tara walked slowly towards the door keeping eye contact with the animal. It continued to growl when she passed. When her leg swung by the dog however, it lashed out and bit her ankle. Tara didn't even flinch as the animal latched on. Its teeth couldn't penetrate her hard skin. Sue and the others came in to see what the commotion was as Seth yelled at Homer. The dog cowered and then ran out the door, hiding under the back porch. "What happened?" Sue asked. "Oh no! Were you bit?" "Wow this just keeps getting better," Leah mumbled. "Homer just freaked out for no reason," Seth said. "Maybe someone spooked him," Leah smirked. Seth angrily slammed the door shut. Everyone but Tara jumped at the noise. Then Sue looked at Tara's leg. "Oh Tara, you're bleeding." She noticed blood dripping from her ankle.

Seth's eyes widened. "You are?" Seth leaned down to see the gash in her leg that oozed blood. Tara nodded at Seth, hinting to play along. "It's not bad. I should probably go back to the house and have Carlisle take a look at it though. I don't want it to get infected or anything." She leaned on one leg to look convincing trying to use the injury as an escape route. Sue handed her a towel for the blood that wasn't really there. Tara started to worry about her illusions getting out of hand now. "Thank you," she said as she took the towel from her hand and then gave Seth an apologetic look. Just then Seth quickly scooped Tara up into his arms. "What are you doing?" Tara squealed. "I don't think you should walk on that. I'm gonna take you in the bathroom and help you clean it." He looked her straight in the eyes. She understood. "Oh," she replied. They all stared silently as he carried her out of the room. Seth carried her to a small bathroom down the hall. He gently set her back on her feet and closed the door. He put his hands to his face and rubbed his temples trying to figure out what to do next. "Ahsorry. I keep making this worse for you. I don't mean to," she said. Seth let out a big sigh. He stepped towards Tara, cupping her face in his hands and put his forehead to hers. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and took some deep breaths. Tara waited patiently for him to calm down. When he opened his eyes, Tara looked like her vampire self again. "I know, he sighed, touching her cheek."I'll figure out how to explain. Don't worry about it. That was kind of amazing though, you certainly know how you fool a crowd." "Oh I am the master of deceit," she grinned. Seth chuckled then studied her face intently. "So, is that what you looked like when you were human?" "Yes, as best as I can remember." "I thought you remember everything?" "Some human memories become clouded. Only everything after the change is crystal

clear." "You had beautiful brown eyes." He caressed her cheekbone with the back of his fingertips. "If you like, I can always look like that for you. If it's what you prefer." "That won't be necessary. I like you just the way you are." "Even though I'm a pale-face?" she kidded. "Even though you're a pale-face," he agreed, smiling at her. He was about to lean in to kiss her when she made a face he hadn't seen before. It looked like she was in pain and she moaned. "What?" "Nothing, I just don't think my stomach likes you're mom's cookies. I'll have to get rid of them." "How are you gonna do that?" he wondered. Before she could explain there was a knock at the door. Seth rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. She touched his chest with her palm. "It's Jacob," she whispered. "How do you know that?" "Cuz. he stinks really bad." Seth snickered. "Hey you guys in there? Are you decent?" Jacob shouted from behind the door. Seth yanked it opened. "What do you mean are we decent?" "Well, I don't wanna walk in on anything that might damage my eyesight." "Real nice Jacob. My mom's in the next room. You seriously think we came into the bathroom for a quickie?" "Hey, you said it, not me." He shrugged. Seth shook his head ignoring Jacob's crassness. "What do you want?" Jacob glanced at Tara quickly and then looked at Seth. "Uh we need to talk." "Is this private?" she said, picking up on the hint. "If you don't mind," Jacob replied. "She can't leave, her leg is supposed to be injured." "Huh?" Jacob said, confused. "I'll explain later." "Don't worry about it. I'll limp outside. I'll tell your mom I need some air. I have

something to take care of anyway," Tara said wanting to get out of there. "Ok, wait for me?" She nodded. Once Seth finished his talking to Jacob, he searched for her outside and found her behind the garage, bent over a fresh pool of blood. "Tara! What happened?" She put her hand up in the air signaling for him to stop. "Don't come closer, please." She didn't face him. She wiped the blood that dripped from her mouth not wanting him to see. "But there's blood!" he cried. "It's ok. It's just that I can't digest food so I had to get it out of my system." "Oh," he understood, feeling relieved. "Will you be ok? Why can't I come near you?" "I don't want to risk it. The problem is my food came out with the cookies. I'll have to hunt now." "Okay." He stayed back. "I can't go back in there with your mom and Charlie. I definitely don't trust myself now. " "I understand," he said pausing for a moment. "I have to leave Tara, just for a while." She turned slightly to look at him. She didn't speak. "The Pack has called a meeting. I'm obligated to go," he continued. She nodded. Jacob and Leah came around the corner. "You ready Seth? We're leaving." Jacob looked at the fresh pool of blood in front of Tara and became nervous. "What just happened?" Leah stood by him, observing. "Oh wow, looks like Tara tossed her cookies," she said grinning. Seth grabbed Leah's arm. "This is your fault!" "My fault? I didn't tell you to bring your vampire girlfriend over to the house to meet mom and then pretend to pass her off as a human!" Jacob gawked at the two of them. "What the heck did I just miss here?" he asked. Then he looked back at where Tara stood. She disappeared. "Hey, where is she?" "She had to hunt. Let's go." Seth ordered. His mood changed entirely. He wasn't looking forward to the Pack meeting they were about to attend.

The wolves gathered near one of the cliff tops. They stood grouped together, talking and joking around. When Seth, Jacob and Leah came through, they all became quiet and stared at them. Embry stopped them as they passed. Hey Seth, wanna hear something funny, these guys are trying to tell me that you imprinted on that new vampire. Ha! Isn't that hilarious? Seth stared at him blankly. What? Embry asked. I told you it's true. Quil said. He waited for Seth to defend himself. He said nothing. You mean hes not kidding? I told you that's why we're here. You never take me seriously. Quil shook his head. You mean that's really possible? Holy crap! Yeah I heard you even kissed her, ain't that true Seth? Paul added. Seth angrily looked at them. He didn't like the thought he heard coming from them. He continued to suppress his thoughts from them however. Yes. Wow, what's that like kissing a vampireis it gross? Embry wondered. No, it's not gross! It's just.. different. Yeah, like thirty-degrees different. Paul laughed. The others laughed too. Ha ha! Good one! They high fived with their paws. Shut-up, Paul! You don't know anything! Seth growled. Is it true she's Volturi too? What? Are you serious? No, not anymore. She's not one of them. So, what does this mean? Are we able to imprint on vampires too? No way! That ain't gonna fly. Jared said. Yeah but look at Jacob and Sethit's gotta be possible. Quil thought. Hey I wouldnt wanna imprint on no vampires! Jacob heard every painful thought in Seth's mind. He finally spoke up jumping in their faces. Enough! all of you! He growled at them fiercely. Seth's emotions were already stirred up now. She didn't choose to be a vampire. They killed her family and turned her. It's not like she asked for it to happen

Yeah but she's still one of them. I mean she's dead. How can you mate with that? Embry asked. Yeah they've got a name for that you know. Paul said. Seth lunged, knocking Paul down. You shut the hell up! I don't look at her that way! She's more than that to me! Sam came over and stepped in. That's enough! Seth, back down! Seth obeyed, backing off and went and stood by Jacob. We have a more serious issue that needs to be discussed her here Seth. What are we gonna do if your vampire girl attacks a human? Sam asked him. She won't. Seth you can't guarantee that and you know it. She won't! he repeated. Yeah, the rules say we can't touch her now that you've imprinted on her. That means she can go around killing humans and there's nothing we can do to stop it? Paul demanded to know. Oh to heck with that! Quil said. No. She won't do that. I know her. You can't be sure of it though. What if she does harm a human? Will you stop her? Sam asked. Yes. I would. How? Seth became quiet thinking about what he'd really have to do if it came to that. Would you be able to finish it? Seth winced. I'd do it. Jacob said. They all looked at Jacob stunned. That's not allowed Jacob, Pack's rules. Sam reminded him. Yeah well I don't care. I'd rather my best friend hate me than he hate himself for the rest of his life for killing the one he loves. And I don't care what you do to meyou wanna expel me for it go ahead. This is my pack and I set the rules. We protect our own. Everyone looked at Sam. He can challenge you to fight, he said. I know.

To the death. Jacob nodded. Seth shook his head. NoI can't let you do that. Well you don't have a choice anymore. I'm sorry. It's an order. Seth looked at Jacob sadly. He couldn't imagine ever hurting his best friend. He loved him like a brother. But he knew he would have to allow the Pack to do their job without repercussion. It was the only solution. The meeting turned his stomach sour. Angry and hurt, he departed, heading for his place, running as hard as he could through the darkness. Desiring to see Tara, he grabbed the extra set of clothes he kept in the garage and dressed. Then he ran back outside to his bike. It made a clicking noise when he tried to start it but couldn't see anything. His hand touched something wet on the ground underneath it. Great, he thought. Once he pushed it into his garage to get a better look, he discovered a leak that requiring attention. He contemplated leaving the bike there and heading to the Cullen's on foot but the more he thought about it, the more he thought it might be better for him to calm down heading over there. He grabbed his tools and started working on the bike. A couple hours passed as he slowly worked, taking pieces off and checking each one. He took more time than needed. He knew he needed a part that was at the shop in order to get the bike in running order but he just couldn't seem to leave yet. He kept trying to think about how he'd tell Tara about the meeting. His stomach knotted up thinking about it. A tear ran down his check and he immediately rubbed his eye with his clean sleeve, trying to avoid getting any grime on his face. Just then a tiny voice came from behind him out of nowhere. "Hey." Tara stood behind him. He never even heard a footstep when she crept up behind him. His head jerked around quickly. "Hey," he responded. They looked at each other silently for a moment. Then he spoke again. "Didn't Jacob tell you I'd be coming over?" "Yeah, he did but it seemed like a long time and I'm just kind of impatient," she shrugged, "Plus I sensed something was wrong when he came over and of course he wouldn't tell me so"

Seth let out a deep sigh and stood up. When their eyes met she noticed the glossiness in them. "The meeting didn't go well?" she asked. "Not quite. It left me with a lot to think about." He turned his face diverting his eyes to the ground as he fidgeted with the tool in his hand. "It was about us right?" she assumed. "Yes." She waited, wondering if he was going to give her more than a bunch of short replies. He said nothing else. "Sodo you wanna talk about it?" she asked. He didn't speak. When his eyes began to well up with tears, he tried to hold them back. In flash, she was in front of him. She touched his face wiping the warm tear drop that rolled down his cheek. "Seth? What is it?" She hated to see him this way. He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. Turning away from her, he walked over to his workbench then rubbed his sleeve on his face. He took a deep breath before speaking."It was something that was brought up that I hadn't thought about before." "What?" "The Pack is never allowed to harm the Imprint of another. It's one thing that saved Renesmee when she was born. They were planning on destroying her because of what she is. They were afraid of her. Since Jacob had imprinted on her, they weren't allowed to touch her. It's one of our rules." "And?" "And.they posed the question - what if you were to ever attack a human? They are rendered helpless. There's nothing they can do now." "I see." She looked away thinking about the situation. "So what was your answer to that?" she wondered. Seth's lip trembled. He started to back away feeling guilty. When he didn't answer, she looked at his face. It tormented her to see him in such pain. She knew however, what it was he would have to do if she ever slipped up. "Oh, I see," she said again in a whisper. "No! You don't see! I could never hurt you. It's impossible."

"But that's what you're meant to do. You'd have to, if it ever came to that." He shook his head and sighed. "I know it's my job to, but I just can't. I'd die before I'd ever hurt you. It's just how I feel and I can't change that. It's tormenting me Tara, because it goes against everything that I am." "I told you Seth, I'm the Scorpion. It's our nature to kill." "You told me you don't want to kill and I trust you." She moved towards him standing directly in front of him and put her hand to his face turning his eyes into hers. "No, I don't want to - I never want to take another human life as long as I exist but I can't promise you that would never happen. Honestly I'd rather you take my life if I ever did. You have no idea what it's like to live with the memories of what I've done." He wiped his hand on his pants and stepped closer to her, running the back of his fingers down her arm trying not to get her clothes dirty. He put his forehead to hers. I'm sorry," he whispered. "What are you sorry for?" "I didn't want to bring up past. It wasn't my intention." She pushed him back. "Don't be sorry for what I've done. The Pack has every right to be worried. They should be able to do their job if they need to." Seth became very quiet. He looked away again. "They will. II had to give them permission to." Tara nodded and looked down. A moment of silence came between them. "I should go. You probably need some time alone I think." He wanted to hold her and tell her how much he loved. He searched for the courage to say the words but before he could even turn around to face her, she was already gone. The next morning Seth opened his eyes. He lay in his bed, still in the clothes he had on the night before. Tara lay next to him on her side with her head propped up on one arm. She smiled. Good morning," she said softly. He lifted his head up and looked into her golden eyes. "Hey, you came back." His eyes lit up. "Yes, I couldn't stay away. I missed you."

"I'm glad." He caressed her face. "Besides, I enjoy watching you sleep. I find it rather fascinating." "Fascinating?" she chuckled. "I think you need a hobby." "I have several already. You're my new favorite one now," she grinned. "I certainly don't mind being your favorite hobby. I really could get used to waking up next to you too. It's nice to see your smile in the morning." She chuckled. "It's actually quite comfy." She slid her hand down the bed, feeling the plush mattress. "Considering I don't sleep, I found it an enjoyable commodity. AndI have a confession." "What's that?" he wondered. "I liked lying next to you. You're delightfully warm and your heart beat is like music to me. It's hard to describe, but it was a very pleasurable experience for me. I found it difficult to let you stay asleep," she said flirtatiously. He grinned and then reached over and touched her face, leaning in to kiss her. He put his arm around her waist and slid her over closer to his body. Before things got too heated, they were interrupted by a honking that came from a car horn outside. Their lips parted. Seth's heart pounded in his chest. "What's that?" she asked. Seth sighed. "Oh just my ride to work." Tara recognized the hum of the engine now and the distinct feral scent of Jacob. "Mmm, maybe it's for the best." She got up from the bed. "We haven't even had our first date yet." He stood up. "That's true. Are you looking forward to it then?" "Of course silly. Why wouldn't I?" "Just making sure we were still on." "I wouldn't miss it for anything. It's my first date, remember?" "I want it to be memorable for you." "It will be," she whispered leaning in to kiss him again. Then they both heard the door knob turning. Seth turned his head towards the door, seeing Jacob barging through. "Hey bro, you ready?" "Ah..yeah," Seth said nervously. He turned around seeing that Tara had already

disappeared. "Who were you talking to in here?" Jacob asked suspiciously. "Umno one," Seth lied. Jacob stepped in further and took a whiff of the air. "You liar! I can smell her. Diddid she stay?" "None of your business," Seth said putting his shoes on. "Did you guys.?" "Shut-up! No, of course not! Geeze, she just watched me sleep!" "Okay, okay...well, you just better be careful, one bite and your done your know." Seth sighed. "She won't bite me. She doesn't even want my blood, she told me. " "She did? Why what's wrong with your blood?" "I dunno, it's just unappealing to her. I guess it's just a wolf thing. She said she wasn't even tempted the day at the beach when I hit my head and bled. She didn't care." "Wow, well that's good to know. She could still damage you though. You're no match for her strength in that body." "So far she's pretty gentle, she's learning. And, I trust her." "Wow so what is it really likethe kissing? Do you taste venom?" "Gosh you're so nosey! No, I don't taste anythingwell anything unusual. Her lips are always cold at first but that's about it. Other than that it's really nice. In fact, it's unbelievably nice. She's..ah.. really good at it." Jacob just scrunched his nose at him then shook his head. "Yup, you're doomed buddy." "Just shut up and drive." Seth gave him a shove and they headed to work.

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:16 AM 0 comments

Chapter 9 - The Date Tara anxiously waited for the week to end, eagerly looking forward to her date with Seth. She agreed to allow Alice to prepare her for the event. Alice set her up in a makeshift

beauty chair in the bathroom so she could style her hair. She skillfully twisted it around in the back and pinned it up, leaving just a few strands dangling elegantly in the front. She applied a little bit of makeup to her face as well. Tara had her limits though. She preferred to be plain and comfortable and kept warning Alice not go too overboard. "I'm not trying to win any beauty contests tonight," she said. "Don't fret. I'm going light on the application. I did promise to make you look stunning however." Renesmee helped by handing Alice bobby pins for Tara's hair. "I think you're gonna make Seth's eyeballs drop out. Have you seen the dress Alice picked out for you?" she said. Tara frowned. "Dress? I told you I don't do dresses Alice, not to mention I'm gonna be on a motorcycle." "Nope, not tonight you're not." "Uh, I'm not?" Tara's jaw gaped open and her eyebrow rose on one side. "Nope, Edward insisted Seth take his car. He refused to let you go on your very first date on the back of a motorcycle." "But... I like motorcycles," she mumbled. " and jeans," she added. "Well not tonight. You get the..." "Porsche!" She finished Alice's sentence with an excitedly hopeful tone. "Uh nothat's my car. You get the Audi." "Oh, I've never driven one of those before." "Nice try. Edward gave Seth specific instruction to not let any under-aged, unlicensed drivers behind the wheel." "Figures." Tara rolled her eyes. Gee, what other not-fun things could you plan for my date? she thought. Alice fitted her in a black sleeveless cocktail dress and handed her a box with a brand new pair of black pumps inside. Tara was definitely not thrilled about those. When Alice finished, Tara stood up and stared at herself in the mirror, twirling around looking at herself from all angles. It's a good thing I don't have to worry about feeling drafty, she thought. As she made her way down stairs, she saw the whole family come into view. Seth stood amongst them already waiting. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He wore a dark blue

button-up, long sleeve shirt with a tie. Alice noticed the denims right away. "Jeansreally?" she snorted at him. "What?" Seth shrugged. "They're nice jeans." Alice groaned. "How come you get to be comfortable," Tara teased him. Seth just silently stared at Tara in awe. Jacob stood next to him. He gave Seth a shove from behind to snap him out of his trance. "What? Ohsorry. You look great," he grinned from ear to ear. She felt awkward though. "I think I'm a bit over dressed actually, maybe I should change so we coordinate better." "No don't I like it. Please, don't change a thing." Alice smiled, gloating at her work. "Yeah, you clean up real well Elvira," Jacob added. Renesmee shushed Jacob. "I think you look gorgeous Tara," she said. "Thanks, Ness. And thanks to you too Alice. I guess I really did get to stun someone after all." The three of them laughed. "Plus I think it puts at least five more years on you," Renesmee added. "Hey, I always wanted to date an older woman," Seth joked. "Uh, I am an older woman," she reminded him. "Only by a technicality," he reminded her back. "Oh you look just lovely," Esme said as she came into the room with Carlisle. She hugged Tara just before handing her two tickets to the Symphonic Orchestra. "You two have fun tonight," she smiled. "Thanks Esme, we will," she smiled. Then she looked up at Seth and grinned. "Thanks again for getting these. We really appreciate it," she said to Esme and Carlisle. Seth felt bad about Carlisle having to go through all the trouble of getting tickets for them, knowing they wouldn't be using them. You're very welcome," Carlisle answered. Edward chuckled as he ease dropped on their plot to ditch the Orchestra and go play mini-golf instead. "Shall we?" Seth asked as he swung his arm out gesturing for them to go.

Renesmee gave Tara a thumbs-up as she and Seth headed out the door. Before Seth even got the passenger side door fully opened, Tara zipped around to the driver's side in a flash. Had he not heard the other door shut, he wouldn't have even known where she'd disappeared to. He stuck his head in the car seeing Tara's hands eagerly gripped the steering wheel. Her feet barely touched the pedals at the floor. She grinned at Seth. He tried to ignore how adorable she looked for the moment so he could talk her out of the seat. "Umm, what are you doing?" "What?" she shrugged very innocently. "There's no way. Edward already promised he'd break every bone in my body if he found out I let you drive this car and he will know if you do." Seth tapped the side of his head with his finger. She rolled her eyes and made a pouty huff. Then she stepped out and quickly zipped around to the other side, still letting Seth close the door for her. As soon as he started the engine, the stereo came on instantly. The CD whirred up and began to play Bark at the Moon, by Ozzy Ozbourne. Seth and Tara looked at each other and laughed. "Edward." They both said simultaneously. Seth shook his head as he turned down the volume and in the house, Edward laughed as well while he listened to their thoughts, satisfied with his little prank. Once Tara felt they were far enough away, she looked in the back for something. "Now what are you up to?" Seth asked suspiciously. She pulled out backpack that had been cleverly hidden behind her seat and unzipped it, pulling out a pair of jeans and one of her favorite shirts. "Oh my, look! How did these get in here?" she said musically, as she displayed a devilish grin. She knew very well. Renesmee had Jacob place the bag of clothes in there, so Alice would never see it. "You brought extra clothes?" "Yes, umhope you don't mind." "No of course not, I want you to be comfortable. You do look amazing in that dress though." "Well I really could have just made myself look like this without all the work involved and being tortured by Alice and all." "Mmm, I don't know if you could actually imagine yourself to be as beautiful as you are

for real though." Seth had difficulty keeping his eyes on the road. "You'd be surprised at what I could do, she said cunningly. "Well I like the real you, no illusions." "And you look extremely handsome tonight. Love the tie. Real or clip on?" Seth unclipped it and held it out to show her. Very nice," she chuckled. "So how far do we have to go?" she wondered as they drove several miles out. "To Port Angeles. There's not much here in Forks unless you like hanging at the MiniMart for fun." Tara heard a faint grumbling noise. "Seth, did you forget to eat again?" she asked. "Um, no. Not really," he fibbed. She looked at him in disbelief. "I just wasn't really very hungry earlier, I was kinda nervous," he admitted. "Nervous?" "Yeah, I just want it to be a good experience for you. Don't worry, it's just normal to be nervous before a date. I take it you didn't have that problem?" "Me? No. Anxious maybe. I'm very impatient, I counted the seconds," she gleamed. "Uh, now you kinda make me wish we were doing something more exciting than minigolf." "Why's that?" "Because, this is important. I meanmaybe we should use the tickets that Esme got us. Mini-golf isn't exactly an extravagant pastime." "Seth, I'm not an extravagant kind of person. I packed comfort clothes so we could have fun. I've been to Orchestras and they can be very uplifting and beautiful but you just basically sit there and listen quietly. It doesn't involve a lot of one on one time with someone. I'd much rather just be able to enjoy you." Seth smiled at her. "You know for someone who's never been on a date before, you seem to know a lot about them." "Yeah well when you don't get to date, you spend a lot of time thinking about it and what it might be like." "You have a better memory from when you were human than you thought." "Maybe. I think being around you seems to help."

Seth's stomach started making more noise. "Do you wanna get some food for yourself?" Tara asked, concerned. "Um, no I'll be fine," he said politely even though he was really starting to get very hungry. She gave him another doubtful stare. His eyes glanced over at her. "What?" He shrugged. "You know, I may not know much about dating but I seem to recall that most dates start with a dinner usually. Am I right?" "Well yes, but you don't eat so I was gonna skip that part." "Why? It's part of the ritual." He laughed when she referred to their date as a ritual. "What are you gonna sit with me and watch me eat?" "Why not? You should get used to it anyways. So thenyou'll eat and I'll talk while letting you stare at me in this dress for a while longer. Then when you're done, I'll change and we'll go play. Besides, I'm an extremely cheap date because you don't even have to pay for my half." She grinned. "Deal?" He smiled and then nodded. "You had me at the part where I get to stare at you in that dress." Tara laughed. Seth found a small Italian place in Port Angeles. The waitress offered them a booth but Tara noticed they had an outdoor area with tables and requested to be seated out there away from the smells and the people. Even though it was summer, it was still too chilly out for any normal human to enjoy so they gladly had the entire area to themselves. "Do me a favor will you?" Seth requested as he took off his jacket. "Put this on. I don't wanna look like I'm thoughtless for having you out here in that dress without a coat on." Tara slipped Seth's enormous jacket on. The sleeves hung too long and the bottom nearly touched her knees. The inside felt like it had been left sitting by a fireplace for a while. He grinned at her as she tried to shove the sleeves up her arms. "You look like a dwarf in that thing," he chuckled. "That's only because you're so freakishly tall." He chuckled.

The waitress brought them menus and Seth ordered two drinks for them, both the same since he'd be drinking them. "Well only now you don't get to look at me in my dress," she frowned. Seth looked a little disappointed. He hadn't thought about that. When the waitress returned with the drinks, Seth ordered the chicken with a side of pasta. "And for you?" The tall brunette waitress asked Tara. Tara glanced over at Seth briefly. "Oh I think we will just share, hmm?" "Yes, thank you," he agreed handing the waitress the menus. After she brought his plate along with an extra fork and disappeared for a while, Tara slipped the coat off her shoulders and folded her arms on the table as they talked. Seth liked the dinner with a view. "So tell me about your parents," he prodded. "My parents?" "Yes, do you remember much about them?" She nodded. "They were good people. My dad was a prominent business owner in our town, verywealthy." She seemed reluctant to admit that part. "I was very close to my dad. He was very protective of me, sometimes too protective, but it was just because he loved me. He didn't like seeing me get hurt. It was a struggle for me being only half white you know. Interracial relationships weren't too popular back then and my dad insisted I go to a private Catholic school. Needless to say, I stood out." "I'll bet. So how did your parents even meet?" Seth took small slow bites so he could listen as she talked, even though he was very hungry. "My mom was a smart woman, very educated. She took advantage of all the incentives offered to our people. She was an art major but she learned to sell Real Estate to make a living. She met my father when he was looking for some land to build on. He told me he knew the first time he met her he was going to marry her. He said she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid his eyes on." "Well considering she looks just like you, I can't blame him." Tara would have blushed if she could. He could tell from her coy smile he'd embarrassed her. "So how'd that go over with the family?" he continued. "Not well. My grandmother wasn't happy about it. She didn't like my mother and she never really treated me like the other grandkids. My grandfather on the other hand, was

very different, more accepting. He was just glad his son was happy. He was a pure Irishman. You should have heard his accent." Tara mimicked her grandfather's accent perfectly when she said the word Irishman. Seth smiled. "They were the happiest couple and they loved each other no matter what, even when the world was cruel and unapproved of their relationship." "A forbidden love eh?" he observed. "Yes. You could say that". "I like that story." "Do you?" Her eyebrows rose. `"Yes, they were two people, not only at opposite ends of the spectrum but from races that for the most part were enemies for ages, and against all odds, they found love. It's a very good story." She nodded and then looked down. "It's too bad it didn't have a happier ending." "Well something good came out of it". He touched her hand. He meant it to be a compliment for her but she didn't see it that way. "Nothing good came out of it," she said with an irritated tone. The bitterness of their death still burdened her heart and though she hadnt admitted it, she felt responsible for it since it was her birthday they were celebrating. Seth moved his hand from hers and sat back in his chair. "Tara, I'm being very sincere. Can you stop with all this self loathing stuff because it's really bumming me out. I totally get you, and I know what happened to your family was horrible stuff, but what I'm trying to tell you is that I think you are a good thing. Can't you just try to accept my compliments?" Tara pulled her hands back and set them in her lap feeling guilt now. She looked down at the table as she spoke. "Yes, I'm sorry. It's just a sore subject for me. I don't mean to ruin the evening." Seth leaned forward and lifted her chin with his fingers. "You haven't ruined anything. Just don't get all gloomy every time I compliment you. Despite what you think of yourself, I think the world of you and that's not gonna change. Okay?" She looked in his warm eyes and nodded, then glanced at his plate that he'd hardly touched. "Your fowl is getting cold," she said in all seriousness.

Seth roared with laughter. After dinner, Tara disappeared into the restaurant bathroom with her bag and changed her clothes. She let her hair down, brushing it neatly. Then she folded the little black dress and carefully placed it in the bag trying not to add wrinkles since she knew she'd have to put it back on before they went back to the house. She figured Alice wouldn't get too upset about the hair. When she returned to the table, he still waited for the waitress to bring the check. "Feel better?" he asked "Yes, I feel more like me again. Are you disappointed?" "No never. I think you are always beautiful." She smiled and then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she responded pleasantly. No argument that time. He was glad. Then Seth paid for the meal and they headed to the miniature golf course. It thrilled Tara to see the giant montage of obstacles on the lot. It didn't take long at all for her to pick up the game. She skillfully hit each ball with dynamic perfection sinking them into every hole. She even managed to win the bonus prize at the end of the game which required you to impossibly tap the ball through a small opening, send it up a steep mount and sink it into a volcano, accomplishing it with ease. Her accuracy and skill astounded him. When they finished, he challenged her to several of the arcade games they had inside of the arena. He wasn't much of a match for her there either but she started feeling a little guilty for showing off and let him win a few rounds of Mortal Kombat. When the place closed at ten, they headed back to Forks. The only thing left open at that hour for anyone under the age of twenty-one was the cinema and Tara said she'd rather save the activity for their next date out. Seth agreed with her. "So did you have a good time tonight?" he asked her on the drive back. "The best." she smiled. "Honest?" "Honest." She couldn't remember when she'd had that much fun, even in her human years. "I wish there was more to do. Everything closes pretty early. They try to push a curfew on kids in the smaller towns. Keeps problems down to a minimum."

Tara looked out the window. A full moon lit in the sky. "What about the beach?" she suggested. "What about it?" "Could we go for a walk on the beach, or is it getting too late for you?" "No, it's not too late. Anything you want," he said, liking the idea. "Anything?" Her eye brows rose. "Sure." He shrugged, keeping his eyes in the road ahead. "Can we go to Disneyland?" There was a glint of excitement in her eyes. He titled his head, giving her a funny look. "Um, are you being serious?" She shook her head giggling. "No, I just wanted to see if you'd actually say yes." Seth laughed. "You know I think you have more human traits than you give yourself credit for." "Why do you say that?" She sounded disbelieving. "Because you're fun and you have a great personality. You display a lot of human qualities. You haven't lost them, they're all there." "Maybe it's just the company that brings it out of me." "Weren't you like this, you knowbefore?" he asked. She understood he was referring to when she was a human. "Actually, I was a very shy kid." "Really?" "Yes, I told you I stood out and I didn't like it. I always tried to find ways to hide, blend in." Seth began to make the connection to her gift now. "So I'll bet you were one of those bookworms that always got straight A's," he teased. "Pretty much. If we had returned from Italy I would have graduated that year." "At sixteen?" "Is that bad?" She couldn't remember if that was normal or not. "No that's great." He said, impressed. "I hope you don't think I'm prying too much tonight." "Actually, it's stirring up a lot of memories for me. A lot of it's coming back now. You may keep asking. I like it." She smiled. Seth drove Tara to a closer beach with easier access. He parked the car and opened her

door for her again. She took her shoes off so she could feel the sand on her feet as she walked. The night was unusually clear with a beaming moon, reflecting off the water and a sky full of stars. It was rare you could see so many stars at night in Forks. After a long stroll she sat him down to show him some of the constellations that were visible particularly pointing out the constellation Lupus which in Latin means wolf. It impressed him that she could name so many. She scooted closer to him putting her head on his shoulder and they talked for a long time more, watching the waves roll in and out. Seth ran his fingers through her hair caressing it the entire time. "You're hair is like silk. I've never felt anything so soft before." She turned her face and look up at him. Unable to resist the temptation to kiss her lips, he cradled her face in his hand and pulled it to his. His fingers trailed down her cheek to her neck. She closed her eyes taking pleasure in the warmth of his skin. Then as he brushed her hair back, his mouth moved along her cheek and down to her neck. When his lips met the base of her neckline and she gasped, pulling back slightly. She paused and looked at him with surprise. Her eyes darkened. "I'm sorry. You don't like that?" he said. She shook her head, staring into his eyes like she was in a trance. "No, actually I like it a lot," she spoke softly. She timidly raised her hand towards her face and pushed her hair behind her ear then she turned her head slightly, offering her neck to him again. He leaned in against her ear with his lips. She felt his warm breath on her skin as he spoke. "Are you sure you're ok?" he whispered. She closed her eyes and nodded. His lips brushed her neck softly. He parted his lips slightly and warmly greeted her neck with his tongue. She stiffened up at first sitting perfectly still trying to let certain urges pass. "Are you still ok?" he whispered again. "Mmm-hmm," she mumbled, with her eyes still closed. "Are you nervous?" he was still whispering softly in her ear while teasing her neck. "You could say that." He pulled back to see her eyes but they were still closed. "It seems like you're resisting a little." She opened them after noticing he stopped. "You have no idea," she admitted.

"Come here," he said as he turned her and pulled her up on his lap. He cradled her in his arms tenderly. "If anything gets to be too much, just say so. I just like being close to you this way. It feels really nice." She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his pounding heart against her chest. His fingers gently stroked her hair and shoulders. "I'm just a little nervous about touching you, she admitted."You'd tell me if anything I did hurt wouldn't you?" "Ah, I'm pretty sure I'd let you know." She turned her head to look at his tender smile. Then she reached up to his face and touched it, his cheek softly with her cool hands. "Am I too cold for you?" she worried. "Nope. You're just nice and cool." He put his hand against hers on his cheek. "Not in a creepy way?" "No, not creepy," he chuckled. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his very slowly. The feel of his blazing hot skin against hers aroused her. Within minutes she became more excited and less fearful. She adjusted her position sitting herself in his lap in a straddled position. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She put her hands to his face and began to softly kiss his forehead and worked her way past his temples. Then she slid her hands lower so she could kiss his cheeks until she reached his ear. "Can I try now?" she whispered. He nodded giving approval. She leaned into his neck brushing her nose and lips long the base, softy kissing it. He quivered and she grinned at the reaction. Her lips slowly trailed back up his neck to his ear. "How did I do?" she asked. "You gave me goose bumps." She kissed him again but this time more passionately. His hands gripped her tighter, pressing her body against his. He kept one hand at the small of her back and slid the other one to the base of her neck entwining his fingers in her hair. His mouth was at her neck again. She exhaled as she felt his hand gently gliding up her back under her shirt. She felt the blaze of his palm against her bare skin of her back. Her desire for him intensified as their bodies moved against each other. She felt herself losing control, impassioned by the

feel of his heated body pressed against hers tightly. Suddenly she shoved him back onto the sand, thrusting her body against his. He groaned but not in a good way. "Easy there Hercules," he said when he landed on his back. "Are you hurt?" she gasped. "No," he breathed heavily. Then his mouth was on hers again without hesitation. He rolled her on her side so they lay side by side. His hand trailed down the side of her body being careful of his boundaries. Tara's hand slid up the front of Seth shirt and ripped it open. The buttons flew off, exposing his chest and then he pulled back. "Ah, this was a good shirt," he said. "I'll get you a new one," she whispered in his ear and then her mouth was on his again. She slid her hands over his bare chest and then around the side of his body gripping him to hold him even tighter. It was the sound of a snap that made her freeze suddenly just before she gasped. Seth pulled back as he winced and sucked in a breath of air, groaning and squeezing his eyes shut. "OkI'm hurt now." "Seth! Oh. I'm so sorry!" He grabbed his side exhaling slowly. "Ahuh, I think something might be broken," he winced. Tara felt horrified by what she'd done. The thought of hurting him sickened her. "Oh no! No..no!" She slid off his lap and scooted away from him. He breathed slowly trying to speak, shaking his head, wanting to remove the burden of her guilt. "It'll be ok...I'll be fine." "No, you should have Carlisle look at it. It could be worse than you think. I...I can't believe I hurt you like that. I just lost control..." Remorse filled her eyes. "Tara stop...don't beat yourself up...it's not like I was pushing you away." "Maybe you should have," she scowled. "Cut that out. I wanted to be close to you. We'll just have to figure this out somehow." "We have to get you looked at. I need to take you back." Tara helped Seth get to the car and argued with him over who was going to drive. She wasn't serious, but she convincingly threatened to break more than just his ribs if he didn't hand her the keys to the car so she could drive him. Seth figured it was gonna be either her or Edward so he

gave in and handed her the keys. She drove insanely fast up the small dark road. Her eyes saw perfectly in the dark. She handled the car very skillfully racing at an intense rate of speed. "Tara, slowdown! This is not an emergency!" She turned her eyes towards him quickly and then looked back at the road. He could see she was upset. "Tara, I mean it, slow down! You don't even have a license and Charlie's working tonight. He will pull you over and I really, really don't want to face that. Ok?" She let up on the pedal. "Does it hurt much?" she worried. "Only when I breathe." "Oh great." "Don't sweat it. It's not my first vampire-related injury. It'll heal fast." "Not your first?" "Ah noactually Bella and Ness have caused a couple. And not to mention the battles we were in. Those were pretty scary. This is nothing. I'll take a few broken bones from you any day," he winked. "Don't joke about this Seth. It's not funny that I hurt you." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I'll save the humor for when you are in a better mood." Tara gave him an irritated look. She purposefully jerked the car slightly to the right and then back on the road quickly. Seth's body jerked with the movement. "Ow! Hey, what are you doing?" "I told you it wasn't funny." She snapped. Seth smirked. "Ok, that's just mean." She gave him another threatening look. "Ok ok, I'll stop. Just quit driving all crazy-like." He sighed again. "I'm gonna close my eyes. Tell me when we get there." "Good!" she huffed. He put his head back on the seat and closed his eyes, gripping his chest with his arms. She peeked over at him. It was quiet except for the hum of the engine. She reached her hand over and rested it on his leg. Her guilt overwhelmed her. Seth didn't open his eyes. He simply moved one hand and set it on top of hers. They drove the rest of the way

without another word between them. They arrived back at the house at nearly three in the morning. "Don't move," she said just before getting of the car. She parked and zipped around to the other side to open the door. Seth groaned as he stood up. "No front door. Can you sneak me in a back entrance? See if Ness left the window open or something." Seth hoped to avoid the majority of the family. Tara took him around to the side of the house where Renesmee's bedroom was. The window was wide open. She gently wrapped her arms around Seth's waist, getting ready to leap. "This might hurt a bit. You sure you don't wanna go in the front?" "Positive." He gave her a stern look. Tara held onto Seth and leaped up and through the window. Seth groaned when their feet hit the top floor and he exhaled slowly. "Sorry. I tried to be gentle." "I know, thank you," he smiled. "Now, let's find Carlisle, quietly." As they walked towards the door a voice spoke from the dark. "Hey guys. How was the date? Heywhat are you doing in my room?" Renesmee sat up, still a bit groggy. "Shhh, go back to sleep we're just sneaking in quietly, I'll tell you everything later," Tara said. Renesmee had excellent night vision as well. She took a good look at Seth and could tell something was very wrong. His clothing looked ragged and he gripped his side as if he were in pain. "Are you ok Seth? What happened? You get mauled by a wild animal or something?" "Ah not exactly, but you're guess is not far off," Seth winked at Tara. She didn't find it amusing at all. He tugged Tara's hand hoping to slip past as quickly as possible before Renesmee caught on. She looked at him with a bewildered expression but finally read their faces clearly and within a few moments she burst into a fit of laughter. "Shhh, Ness cut it out!" Seth whispered loudly through his teeth. Renesmee continued to laugh so hard that she fell off the bed with a loud thud. Seth just put his hand to his face with embarrassment and sighed. "Oh geeze, come on," he said to Tara as he continued to walk towards the door but when he opened it he there were six curious vampires standing in the hallway, waiting to see what the commotion was.

Carlisle took one look at Seth and knew something was not right. The he looked over at Renesmee who was wiping the tears from her eyes in hysterics. "Um, Everything okay Ness?" Carlisle asked. "Oh I'm fine, but you might wanna give Seth some attention." Renesmee tried to regain her composure. "Seth? Are you ok?" Carlisle took a look at Seth who tried to avoid looking anyone in the eye. Seth let out a deep sigh. "Ah no, I have an injury I need looked at," he admitted. He saw Seth gripping his sides with both arms. "May I?" Carlisle asked before lifting Seth's shirt to examine him. Seth nodded. Carlisle gently touched the injured area. Seth held his breath as Carlisle pushed in a little. "You're lucky I just got off work. Is that tender?" he asked as he looked at the bruised area. "Yep," Seth exhaled. "Maybe I should have a closer look then. I have an exam room down the hall, let me take you there," he said as he gripped Seth's arm helping him. Emmett and Jasper both noticed the enormous look of guilt on Tara's face and they both had enormous grins on their faces. "Nice going Tara, break your new toy already?" Emmett said. Tara growled at him in passing. Emmett just snickered. Then he whispered in Jasper's ear. "You owe me fifty bucks," Emmett said to him as he nudged him. Tara turned towards the both of them giving them a dirty look. "What the ... did you guys make bets on this?" They both looked at each other with guilt on their faces. "Hey! I had fifty bucks that said you wouldn't kill him on the first date. I knew you'd come through." Emmett just smiled trying to defend his bet. Tara's eyes shot daggers at him as she scowled. "Better run Emmett!" Bella laughed. Edward grabbed Tara before she took off after him and shoved her forward following Seth. Both the boys were still snickering from behind. Carlisle led them him to a small

office that had an examination bed like the kind you see in a doctor's office. There was a large cabinet which held medical supplies and a small desk with a chair and a lamp. Not much else could fit in the crowded room. Tara stood back in the corner with a grimace on her face and arms folded into her chest as she watched. Edward and Bella stood at the door and the others peaked in from behind in the hall to see try and hear what was going on. Carlisle helped Seth lay on the table so he could get a better look at him. Seth moved very slowly as he laid on his back trying to relax as best he could. Carlisle lifted his shirt and lightly pressed several areas checking for injuries. Seth tried as hard as he could not to make a peep even though it hurt each time. He couldn't stand seeing the guilt on Tara's face and he knew it would only make her feel worse. "Hmm, I don't feel anything broken but it's very hard to tell without an X-ray. It might just be bruised in which case it could feel just as bad as a break. It's possible it started to heal on your way back here. Don't worry though. I won't have to reset anything." "So is the treatment the same either way?" Seth asked. "Yup, I'm just gonna wrap you and immobilize you for a while." "Ok then do it, no need for X-rays. This will heal fast anyways." Carlisle nodded. He reached into the supply cabinet to grab an elastic wrap. "So, would anyone care to tell me how this happened?" he asked as he pulled him into a sitting position and started to wrap the elastic around his rib cage. "Um. well, I kissed her" Carlisle chuckled. "Didn't I hear you got punched in the stomach last time you did that?" "Yeah well, this time she didn't mind the kissing part so much." "Mmm, I can see that from the extent of the injury you got this time." He winked. "Right." Seth smiled, attempting to chuckle at Carlisle's sarcasm. Edward had a disturbed look on his face. He saw the entire event in Tara's mind over and over as she replayed it in her head. He couldn't remain silent anymore. "Tara! How could you?" he said in an angered tone. She looked at him with a stunned expression. "Hey! Get out of my head, those thoughts are private!" she shouted. "Well you make it impossible when you think so loudly. He's human Tara. How could you be so careless? You could have killed him!" Edward looked at her very seriously. He wanted her to get the point.

Her mood changed to anger. "I didn't mean to and you know it!" "Edward stop!" Bella cut in. "No Bella, she has to know what could have happened." He turned back to Tara. "That was very foolish of you to think you two are even ready for..." Tara leaped across the room and stood directly in front of him growling. She balled her fists tightly and purposefully though of ways to physically hurt him. "Don't even think about it young lady! I can see every move you are going to make." He scolded her like a child. Tara didn't like having her thoughts invaded. Edward knew her personality and that she was just being over-emotional and overreacting out of anger. "Just so you know, had you killed him not only would you have taken the life of one of my closest friends, you would have broken our truce with our allies. Do you even understand that?" Edward hissed. Tara felt even worse now than before. She looked at Seth and realized the damage she could have done. She couldn't speak because she became too overwhelmed with anguish and guilt. She stormed out of the room. "Tara wait!" Seth tried to move but Carlisle had his iron grip on him."What the hell was that for?" Seth growled as he turned to Edward. He didn't like the way Edward spoke with her at all. "She was already feeling horrible enough as it is, why did you have to gut her like that?" "Because she's inexperienced and nave. She needs to know how badly this could have ended for everyone." "You're seriously not going to be this much of a hypocrite are you Edward? After all you went through with Bella? You're gonna lecture her?" "I know, and I was very lucky. I could have made the same mistake. That's exactly why I'm telling her this so she knows too. I just want her to know what she's dealing with here. I don't want either of you to get hurt. You have to be more careful that that. She could have broken more than a couple ribs, you're lucky she didn't crush your skull." "Yeah, well she wasn't even touching my skull!" he said sarcastically. Emmett and Jasper snickered as they listened from out in the hall. Emmett whispered to Jasper. "Yeah it definitely could have been worse than his skull I think." Seth rolled his eyes, giving them an angry glare.

"You're too emotional about this Seth, you're not thinking with your head," Edward continued. Emmett and Jasper snickered even more. "Oh I think he was," Jasper mumbled to Emmett and made him roar out loud with laughter. "All right, that's enough out of you two! Everyone out, I wanna talk to Seth alone." Carlisle demanded. Everyone quickly obeyed and moved out of the room. He shut the door behind them so they could talk privately. Seth slowly slid off the table. "How do you feel about her?" Carlisle asked him. "I love her." "Have you told her that?" "No. I only told her about the imprint and I was shocked at how well she took it. I just don't wanna mess things up. If she feels the same way, she'll tell me. I don't wanna push things." "Ok, then. I suggest you wait till she can handle things with you then. This is all new territory. She has to get used to the fact that you're not indestructible." "Can she?" he worried. "Oh I think so. Edward and Bella figured it out and Bella doesn't have the healing capabilities you do. Just give her some time. She doesn't know her own strength around you. Edward once told me it was easier than fighting off the desire for blood, and that's not something you have to worry about with her. I think with time she'll figure it out, but be careful regardless. I don't want to have to be treating you for injuries on a daily basis." Seth nodded. "Think she's pretty upset, I need to go talk to her. Thanks for everything Carlisle." "You're welcome." He patted his shoulder. Seth walked down the hallway. He hoped Tara hadn't left the house since he wasn't in any condition to chase her. He decided to check Renesmee's room. "Tara?" he spoke softly as he stepped through the doorway. There was no reply. Seth stepped into the room farther. He finally spotted her sitting behind the bed on the floor. Her legs were tucked in closed to her body and she wrapped her arms around them

and them burying her face in her knees. "Hey," he said to her as he started walking closer. She didn't move. He couldn't quite tell, but it appeared as though was crying from the way she looked. Then he heard the faint sobs. "Hey," he said again but in a more soothing tone. He went right to her side and knelt down next to her. It was a painful movement for him but he didn't even think twice about it. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Tara, look at me." She lifted her head and grimaced. "What are you doing? You should be resting," she said looking at his as he clutched his ribs. "I can't rest if I know you are upset." He looked at her face. "Are youcrying?" he asked her as he touched her chin with his fingers. "I don't know if you can call it that." "No tears," he wiped her cheek as if he were wiping away a tear from her face. It felt completely smooth and dry. "No, we only feel the pain and there's no way to release it so it stays bottled up. It's agonizing for us." "Well stop. Don't do that to yourself." "I can't help it Seth, I'm so disgusted with myself. Edward was right." "No, he shouldn't have said all that to you. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Things just got carried away. I half expected this to happen." "What? You expected it? You knew I'd hurt you?" "Well you're a vampire Tara, I know your strength and you've displayed it quite thoroughly to me when you're mad. I'm actually kinda surprised this isn't something that happened sooner." "That's because I have excellent control when I'm in a fight, even when I angry I control my actions better, but when you touch me or kiss meI just turn to mush. I wasn't thinking about my actions. That's very dangerous for you." "Mush?" Seth laughed. "Really? Is that what I do to you?" She didn't like him laughing at the situation. "Yessince you find that so amusing.It takes every ounce of strength in me not to pin you down and." Tara stopped talking abruptly, realizing she'd said way too much. "And what?" Seth became ever so curious now.

Tara realized she definitely said too much and she knew he wouldn't let her avoid it. She stuck her head between her knees again and covered her face, not looking him in the eyes. "Have my way with you," she mumbled. Both Seth's eyebrows went up. "Oh..." She sighed. "You understand very little about what vampires crave don't you." she mumbled into her knees. He scooted closer and rested his hand on her head, caressing her soft hair. "I know they crave blood," he said softly. Tara lifted her face and looked him in the eyes. His innocent brow eyes stared at her affectionately. He appeared as though he was wanted to understand what she felt at the moment. She took his hand in hers and tried to explain. "Yes, that's not all though, we're very sensual and carnal creatures usually guided by our appetites, especially new vampires, it's much worse for them. As I think you know, most vampires are very, animalistic, they lack feelings, emotions, they have no conscience. That part of us sometimes gets lost when we lose our humanity, but I've worked very hard to try and hold onto mine and when I was strong enough, I was able to remove myself from that world. Unfortunately that left me with nothing.unable to fit in anywhere and being alone has been hard on me. Since I have been with you though, you've awakened something in me I thought I had lost forever. I've never felt this way around anyone. I feel like I can't be close enough to you, even when you are standing right in front of me. And touching you...it's like nothing I've ever felt before. You're so unbelievably warm and soft. I've just never experienced a human before." "Um.so. what have you experienced?" Seth wondered. Tara's eyes opened wide then she looked away feeling awkward. He realized she was embarrassed by the question. "Ohuh...I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me. I shouldn't have asked that." She instantly accepted the apology and changed the subject. "You need rest. Let's find you a bed." Seth shook his head. "The couch will be just fine. I'd rather be sitting inclined." Tara nodded, helping him. He took her hand and walked with her to the living room. As he eased into the couch he let out a tiny groan then exhaled deeply. Then he put his head

back against the cushions and closed his eyes. Tara stood there unsure of what to do with herself. "I should leave you to rest," she said making a gesture to leave. Seth's eyes popped open and he lifted his head again. "No, stayplease." He held his hand out to her. She walked back to him and took his hand and sat next to him. They looked at each other quietly for a while. Then she looked down. His palm was in hers and she stroked the back of his hand feeling its warmth. Touching a human was always an exhilarating experience but she never imagined being intimate with one. Humans only feared her. She always made her feedings quick, never paying close attention to them, never getting too personal, and yet discovering the experience of feeling his heated blood pumping through his veins while his soft flesh pressed against hers was inebriating. She had a new found desire for her new human companion. Tara curled up her body next to Seth's, watching him as he started to nod off. She had too much on her mind however and couldn't resist the urge to talk. "Seth?" She caressed his arm as she spoke. "Hmmm?" he mumbled back as he began to doze. "May I ask you something personal?" She looked as his hand while she spoke running her fingertips over is palm and over each finger. "Sure," he mumbled as he was drifting off. "Have you ever?" she trailed off without finishing. "Ever what?" he wondered. "Are you a virgin?" Seth eyes shot open. His state of relaxation was completely blown away by her question. "Uh, where did that come from?" "I dunno. I was just thinking about...things. I mean it doesn't matter to me whether you are or notI was just curious. I could've just assumed it based on your age but you really never know. From what I can remember boys didn't always wait till they were married, even in my day." "Well, just for the record, I'm not a boy, I'm eighteen. I own a business, and I'm the oldest male of my household now. So in my world, that makes me a grown man. But to answer your question honestly.yes, I am still a virgin," he sighed and rolled his eyes. She squeezed his hand has gently as she could. "That's very honorable. I think it's great

that you have the choice and yet you waited this long. It's quite unheard of these days." "Yeah, well, I guess I just want it to be with the right one, ya know?" "It's very sweet," she smiled at him, still caressing his hand. Tara quietly watched him for a while as she thought. She wanted to answer his question from earlier, but feared his reaction to her answer. "I had a mate once," she finally confessed. Seth's head came off the couch. She had his full attention now. "It's not what you think though. It's not something you could understand, but I will try to explain." Seth listened intently as Tara opened up to him. "I didn't choose it really. It just worked out that way. He was my makerthe one who bit me. His name was Derek. He hadn't been with the Volturi for very long at the time. He was a new born they took in only because of his rare gift, like they did with me." "You fell in love with the one who turned you?" he said in almost a whisper. "No, I didn't love him." She shook her head. "Then why were you his mate?" "I told you, it wasn't by choice." Her eyes met his. She could see Seth didn't like the sound of that. "Have you ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome?" she asked. Seth nodded. "I think so." "It was something like that, but in my case it was more out of obedience and loyalty." "Because he created you?" he asked. "I suppose. I hated him at first. I hated all of them. But eventually it was the only life I knew. He was the only one I had to turn to. I had no choices." She paused for a moment then spoke again. "I told you, vampires have certain cravings. New-borns crave blood but also." She didn't finish the sentence, but Seth understood. "Derek was always the one to feed me. I became dependant on him until I finally desired it." She looked away shamefully. "I'm sorry I just wanted to be honest with you." He squeezed her hand. "Thank you, but you don't have to be sorry." Seth tried to recall all the names of the Volturi that came to Forks. He wondered if he had actually seen him before. "Is he still there? I don't remember a Derek, but there were so

many of them, it's hard to say." "No, never came to Forks. He's dead." "Dead?" "Yes, I killed him. It was the only way I could escape. Needless to say Aro was not pleased and I'm not sure he has not forgotten, even to this day." "Why did you decide to leave?" he asked. He could see she was hesitant to tell him. "Because of my abilities, they used me to retrieve tourists for feedings. I always brought them to the same room I was turned in." She took another long pause before she continued. "One time while I was feeding, something caught my attention in the room. It was something shiny from under one of the pieces of furniture. It was my locket. As soon as I saw the pictures of my parents, I remembered. I remembered what I used to be and what they did to me. The next time Derek and I went out to hunt, I killed him and fled. I could have just ran and hid from him, but I wanted him to pay. I wanted to destroy him for what he'd done to me." Her eyes became darker as she spoke. Seth sat completely silent. Tara looked at his face and could see it was a lot for him to absorb but he never once looked at her with disgust in his expression. His eyes always looked upon her with affection. "I think I've said enough. I'll tell you more later, if still want me to. I think you should sleep now," she whispered to him. Seth nodded. He slid down into the couch in the most comfortable position he could find and closed his eyes. Tara sat close to him and stroked his face until he fell asleep. A few hours passed. She never moved from her spot. Once Seth fell asleep she just stayed with him, watching him sleep. Occasionally she touched his face or his hand. She observed his breathing and listened to his calm heart beat. He was in a comfortable dream state. She let her hand wander down his neck feeling the beat of his pulse, then continued on down to his chest each of his pectoral muscles though his shirt. She let her fingertips glide down the side of his body until she found his rib cage being as gentle as she could. At one point he moaned and she pulled her hand back quickly thinking perhaps she was hurting him but it really wasn't the case at all. She tried it again, being even more careful, letting her hands wander up and down his arms. She turned her head slightly to see Edward standing in the room with an odd look on his face. She sighed, "Oh...were my thoughts too loud for you again?" she said in a sarcastic tone.

"Umsorry, I didn't mean to intrude but, yes, I could hear them a little too clearly." Tara just sighed. "Well it's impossible not to think about him. You'll just have to start tuning me out." "I understandthat part about it being impossible to stop thinking about him. I understand that more than you know." Tara kept her eyes on Seth. "I'm sorry for getting angry with you." "Apology accepted. Forgive me for being so hard on you. I only did it for your own good." She nodded. "You were right." "It's not impossible you know." Edward said as he listened to her thoughts. She worried they may never be able to make it work. Tara looked him strait in the eyes. "I can only hope that's true. I really care for him so much." "I know how you feel. I was scared to death of hurting Bella, especially on our honeymoon. I feared I might not even bring her back alive." "But you brought back two lives," she smiled. Edward smiled too. "Yes we did," Bella said as she had crept up from behind and wrapped her arms around Edward. "I just always knew Edward would never hurt me. I think the fear of it stood out in his mind so much he was always overly cautious with me." she explained. "You were certainly lucky Bella, Edward was in perfect control of his actions obviously." "It wasn't without great effort," he admitted. "Seth could protect himself though. He's not so vulnerable when he phases." "No he's not, but he won't hurt you. I've read his mind. He'd die first." "I can't allow that." They all watched as Seths chest rose and fell as he breathed, sleeping peacefully. "He's dreaming about you," Edward said. "Then maybe you really shouldn't be listening." Edward chuckled. "It's nothing like that, otherwise I'd definitely tune it out." Tara became silent again and returned her attention to Seth. Edward listened to her thoughts. "Just be much more careful," he warned.

The next morning When Seth woke, he saw Tara sitting on the couch next to him, motionless like a statue. He lifted his head. "Hi." "Hi," she replied. He noticed she still wore the same clothes from the date. "Did you sit here all night with me?" "Yes. How do you feel?" she asked. He sat up looking at his chest and rubbing his hands over the area that was in pain the night before. "Good as new," he said. "How about you? Do you feel any better?" "Actually I had a terrible night, I couldn't sleep at all," she winked keeping the mood light. Seth chuckled at her humor. Then he became distracted by something. "Do I smell bacon?" "Yup, Esme is making you breakfast. She asked me to bring you to the kitchen when you woke up. I told her you'd probably have no trouble finding it yourself, she smirked. "You're right about that but I'll gladly accept the escort. Lead the way." She took his hands pulling him up and he followed her towards the aroma in the kitchen. Alice, Rosalie and Esme were all in the kitchen, talking quietly. Rosalie continued to express her dislike for the situation. She still had concerns about Tara and Seth drawing too much attention to the family and now there was also the added issue of her harming him and damaging their truce with the Pack. Even though Rosalie had no love for the wolves she liked that they protected Renesmee so it was to her benefit to keep them around. Esme scooped some eggs onto a plate for Seth as they walked in. She made plenty for Jacob and Renesmee as well, knowing they'd be coming too. "You know you'll never get rid of me if you keep putting food out Esme," Seth joked. "See, I warned you not to feed the strays," Rosalie snorted. Esme nudged her to be quiet. "Well, I know humans are hungry when they wake up so I thought I'd make you something." She smiled. "And we like keeping you around," she continued, giving Rosalie a darting look to make sure she kept her comments to herself.

"Thanks Esme. You're like my favorite mom-away-from-home," he complimented. Rosalie groaned, rolling her eyes. Tara tried to think of a comeback for her when she was distracted by something that caught her nose. "Esmewhat exactly did you cook?" Tara looked around the room as though she was searching for something. Esme thought it was a strange thing to ask. "Just some eggsbacon and toast, why?" "Don't tell me you're thinking about eating human food now," Rosalie said sarcastically. Tara wrinkled her nose. "Don't you smell that?" she asked the three of them. They all three quickly came to attention like they were alerted by some sort of inner alarm that just went off. Then they heard the most blood curdling scream come from upstairs. They all quickly flew out of the kitchen and ran to Renesmee's room. Seth followed as quickly as he could at his human speed. When he entered, he saw the four vampires fixing their eyes on Renesmee whose clothes were stained with blood. Chapter 10 - Changes The smell of blood hit them like a wall as they entered. All of them stood in the doorway staring at Renesmee who had some very obvious physical changes in her appearance since the last time they all saw her. "What's wrong Ne.? Oh, wow!" Tara gasped when she got a good look at Renesmee. Renesmee stood beside her bed, staring at her sheets that were stained in red. "I - I'm bleeding!" She trembled. Seth leaped in front of her putting himself between her and the four vampires, worried that they might become ravenous from the smell. "Uh, what are you doing?" Tara questioned his behavior as though it was odd. "There's blood!" he said in a panicky tone. The vampires all snickered. "Don't worry about it, Seth, it's not the right kind of blood," Esme said as she stepped toward them. She put her hand on his shoulder calmly to show him she wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"Huh?" He looked confused and wondered if Renesmee's blood was unlike a human's blood but that wasn't the case at hand. Esme walked past Seth and put her arm around Renesmee to calm her. "It's okay, sweetie. I think you're just menstruating. Your body's just changing again," she said to her with a smile. Renesmee gasped with excitement and her eyes lit up. "What?" Seth was taken by surprise. He didn't expect that one. "Carlisle and I weren't sure if this was even possible or when it would happen but he'll be really surprised to hear it's happened this quickly," Esme continued. She couldn't wait to call him at work and tell him the news. "Apparently you've had another growth spurt," she finished. "I'll say! Wow, Ness, you sure look um.different!" Tara said as she stared at Renesmee's body. Renesmee looked down at her chest. "Oh my gosh!" She ran to the mirror and looked at her new curvier figure in the reflection. "Holy cow! A lot has changed!" she squealed. Rosalie became ecstatic. She knew this meant that Renesmee could bear children. She ran over to her and hugged her blissfully. Alice already began planning a shopping trip for her. When Jasper and Emmett heard the commotion they came and stood in the doorway with curiosity. Once they realized what had happened they both groaned, having no interest in such a feminine matter. Still concerned about the blood issue however, Seth wanted to make sure Renesmee would be safe. "Wait...you mean this isn't a problem? This doesn't affect you?" "'Course not. sillyit's dead blood. It's not even appealing," Tara said, scrunching her nose. Emmett rolled his eyes "Yeah, dude, not in the least!" Seth let out an enormous sigh of relief. "Oh, well, good cuz I'm so outta this conversation then!" Esme chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Go eat your breakfast. The girls can handle this one." Seth patted Renesmee on the arm. "Uh, yeah, way to go Ness, or congrats, or, uh...something"

He tried to politely keep his eyes on her face as she had clearly outgrown the pajamas she had on. "Can't wait to see the look on Jake's face when he comes over," he chuckled as he started to leave the room. Emmett also searched for an excuse to leave. He quickly looked at his watch. "Uh yeah, I think there's a Knicks game on, you wanna go watch that with me, Jasper?" he hinted. "Definitely!" Jasper agreed even though he hated the Knicks. He just wanted to get out of the room. Tara's eyes fixed on Seth as he walked through the door looking at her to see if she was staying or not. "Um, if you guys don't mind I'm gonna go with Seth," Tara excused herself. Rosalie turned her head and gave her a sour look. Tara truly felt happy for Renesmee but she wasn't the slightest bit interested in the subject of her menstrual cycle. It was one of those bothersome human experiences she no longer missed, like bath room trips or illness. However it also reminded her she would never have the experience of bearing a child. She completely desired to leave the room before they began a conversation about bra shopping. A short while later, when Jacob finally showed up, Esme greeted him at the door. "Good morning, Jacob," she said cheerfully. "Hi, Esme. Ness roll outta bed yet? I thought we'd hit the beach again while this weather holds out on us." "Mmm, Jacob, I don't think Ness will be able to go to the beach today, something's happened." She put her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? Is she sick?" She detected the panic in his tone. "No, no. She's fine but I think I'll let her tell you. You might wanna go see her. She's upstairs," she said trying to calm him. Jacob looked worried. He ran up the stairs, skipping steps as he climbed to the top. He ran to her room and looked in. "Ness?" He called out. "Jacob?" Her voice called back to him, but not from her room. It came from down the hall. He started to pass the bathroom door which was closed, when he heard her voice call to

him again. "I'm in here." He knocked. "Are you decent? Can I come in? What's wrong?" he said in a panicky tone. Renesmee swung open the door. Alice and Rosalie stood in the bathroom with her, helping her fit into some new clothing. They had to grab some of Rosalie's clothes since all of the other girl's things were too small for her. Jacob noticed the changes immediately. She clearly lost all childlike features in her appearance especially with the help of Alice who was already fitting her in new outfits that displayed her new figure all too well. Jacob gasped when he saw her and his eyes widened. "Jacob!" Renesmee cried excited, to see him. She was completely thrilled about her new changes and in hopes that Jacob would feel the same she threw herself at him wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. Jacob suddenly felt every curvy addition to her new body and he suddenly became edgy. "Ness! W-what happened?" "She went through some changes last night," Alice explained. "Yeah, I can see that!" Feel it, too, he thought. Renesmee stood even taller now with her head coming right to his chin, which was several inches higher than she stood the day before. She still had her arms around Jacob staring at Jacob's face, waiting for a response. Jacob tried to figure out where to place his hands on her as he stared back completely speechless. He was sensing emotions and attractions that he hadn't felt before and it made him very nervous. The change was a little too fast to all of the sudden absorb and as he became lost in her gaze his heart beat faster and he began to sweat, trying to think of what to do now. Before he was even able to speak, Renesmee didnt bother to wait any longer. She leaned slowly towards his face and pressed her lips to his, something she had been patiently waiting to do for a long time. At first Jacob closed his eyes, falling into the kiss but within seconds he forced her back when a surge of desire came over him making him panic. Renesmee pouted. "Jake! Why are you pushing me away?" "I- I'm not. You just caught me off guard. What's happened to you?" "Ah, I think puberty happened," Alice informed him. "Can't you see?" She waved her hands up and down in Renesmee's direction pointing out her body to him. "Yeah, I do see. I'm just surprised is all. This all happened in one night?"

"I had another growth spurt." She grinned. "Uh, that's putting it mildly. Is there anything else?" Renesmee was hesitant to tell him. "Umwell, yes." "What? Tell me." He was almost afraid of knowing. "I got my period," she said shyly. "You what!" he gasped. Renesmee looked over to Alice for some guidance. "She's menstruating, Jacob. You do know what that is right, or do I need to explain that to you, too?" Alice questioned with intended sarcasm. "Yes, I know what that is." He didn't even look at Alice. He just continued to stare at Renesmee. He looked her in the eyes and then reached out and touched her face trying to make it all feel real to him. "Wow," was all he could say at the moment. Renesmee's grin grew wider. She hoped he was as happy about it as she was. "So is that all then? Do you feel okay, sweetie?" he asked her lovingly while caressing her cheek. She nodded. "I'm fine. I'm better than fine! Jacobdo you know what this means?" He just at her stared blankly and then shook his head. "Jake! It means we could have kids, if we want to that isif you want to." Renesmee was very sure she wanted to have children but she wasn't quite so sure about Jacob's feelings on the matter. He hadn't thought about the subject too extensively. He never wanted to get his hopes up. Not to mention he wasn't even allowed to think about intimacy with her yet let alone family planning. "Jacob! Don't just stand there, say something to me!" Renesmee started to get misty-eyed, worrying that he wasn't pleased by about the news. "Aw, come here," he said as he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into him. He embraced her tightly and buried his face in her long bronze curls. "I'm happy, I truly am," he whispered. "I just didn't expect all this so suddenly. I thought it would be a more gradual change for you." "You're really happy?" "Yes, I promise."

She squeezed him tighter. "Love you, Jacob Black." "Love you, too, Ness." He stroked her long hair and they held each other for a long while. As they embraced, they didn't even noticed Alice and Rosalie had stealthily slipped out to give them privacy. In the kitchen, Tara offered to help clean up so Esme could spend time with Renesmee. As Seth finished his breakfast, he noticed a change in Tara's mood and that she had suddenly become very quiet. "It's going to be nice out today. Do you wanna go to the beach?" he offered, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "Sure, that'd be great. Maybe I could find away to finish you off and all your friends could watch." Her tone was sour. Seth's fork clanged as it fell to the plate. "Where did that come from?" "Thatcame from my rational side," she snapped. "Your rational side? Ok, well, I don't like it," he snapped back. "Tell your rational side to go take a hike so I can talk to whatever side of you that was on a date with me last night." "Oh... you mean the one that nearly killed you?" Seth sighed. "So what now? Are we back to this 'I'm no good for you' stuff again? I had a great time with you last night despite the little mishap." "Little mishap? Is that all you see it as?" "Tara, I can deal with any obstacles in the road as we come to them but not if you're gonna gut yourself every time something goes wrong. Every couple has problems. No relationship is perfect, you know." "Normal couples have normal problems. This isn't about something trivial like who's gonna take out the trash. Most guys don't have to worry about their girlfriends killing them." "Hmm, Well I guess that confirms that you really haven't been in a relationship before." His sarcasm didn't amuse her. She crushed the dish in her hand and the pieces crumbled to the floor. Seth sighed. "Look Tara, we're not normal so we're not gonna have normal problems. I expect that."

"I know, you admitted that to me last night," she grumbled. "Okay, so what's the problem then?" She put her hands on the counter and leaned in towards him. "The problem is you are too accepting of all this. What's wrong with you, Seth? Why are you so damn nice? Did the imprinting take away all common sense from you?" "Are you serious? Are you really complaining that I'm too good to you?" "Yes! I break your ribs and you don't even care! I nearly killed you in the woods and you would have let me had Jacob not been there to stop it. It's not right. Why doesn't this even faze you? You don't even get mad." "How can I get mad at you? It's not like you did this stuff on purpose." "Well if I did, I don't think you would even do anything about it either. I don't want to take you out of your element. It's your nature to defend and protect and if I attack you, even by accident, you should respond accordingly to that. That's what you're made to do. I can't live with the fact that if I tried to hurt you, you wouldn't even protect yourself or the ones you love. You're sister and the others were right, they were smart to be worried about you." "You wanted to be trusted and I trust you. You're out of your element here, too you know. It's your nature to hunt humans but you choose not to. I'm not worried that you will hurt anyone and I'm not worried about you hurting me, not intentionally anyway." "Oh, so if I kill you by mistake that makes it perfectly okay?" Her tone was pure bitterness. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying" He couldn't finish. "What? That you believe I won't? That's not enough. If ever my natural instincts ever took control of me I would become dangerous and you'd allow it. I can't have that, it's just wrong. What if I couldn't stop myself last night? What if the guilt didn't set in and I took over and did even more damage? Would you have stopped me?" He said nothing. Suddenly she slipped right in front of him, staring him in the eyes. He felt her cold breath on his lips as she spoke. "I could kill you right now. You're weak as a human, but if you phased you'd at least have a chance." "I won't hurt you and I know you won't kill me." She frowned. "Then you're just a stupid creature." She backed away from him. Her face

was hard and cold. That cut Seth to the bone. He scowled then stood up shoving the chair across the room and stormed out of the house to head towards his bike. The door slammed shut behind him, alarming everyone in the house. It was not the reaction she'd hoped for. Before Seth could get on his motorcycle however, something grabbed him from behind and he was thrown across the yard. He lifted his head up in a daze, looking to see what it was that hit him. Tara was drilling towards him. "Tara! W-what are you doing?" he shouted. "Killing you!" she said as she grabbed him again. "What? Stop this, it's not funny!" "I'm not joking," she snarled viciously. She picked him up and grasped his arm tightly and he screamed painfully. "Do something then!" she challenged. "What? What do you want me to do?" "Protect yourself! I won't stop until you do!" "Let go! I don't want to fight you! I know you're not going to kill me." "Do you? You don't know anything then! I could have killed you last night, remember?" "It was just an accident!" he said sharply. She growled louder and leaped at him landing on top of him. Her eyes were black as coal and she barred her teeth at him. She hit him in the face trying to provoke him. He coughed and gasped begging her to stop. "You better stop me before I lose control Seth, because I think I'm starting to enjoy this. This is what vampires do, remember? You need to see the real me." She warned. "This is not the real you. Get off me! Why are you doing this!" The commotion drew the attention of the entire household. Even Edward and Bella who lived near-by heard the commotion and Edward was able to tune in to their thoughts as he got closer. As soon as Jacob came out of the house, he phased and got ready to pounce. Edward rushed at him at lightning speed and grabbed him quickly. "Wait," he said to him She's lost her mind! She's gonna kill him! Jacob thought. "Trust me," Edward said. The vampires were all on edge, ready to intervene as they watched. Tara was still sitting on top of Seth. Though she was so much tinier than him her strength was overpowering.

"So, you'd let me kill you?" "No!" he gasped. "Then fight me off! Do your job!" "NO! Get off me Tara! Stop this now!" She clawed at Seth's chest, tearing open the skin, making him growl, partly from the pain of it, but also from anger swelling up inside him. He didn't like this side of Tara one bit. When she smelled the fear and the adrenaline emitting from him she knew he was close to phasing. She grabbed him by the throat with one hand pinning him and then tore his shirt with the other, snarling at him with her razor sharp teeth. Seth struggled feebly beneath her as she dug her claws into his neck. He screamed again. Finally, a low rumble came from his chest and then it suddenly happened; Seth violently threw her across the yard as his entire body morphed into a great wolf. He leaped up, running towards her and hit her with a mighty force, pinning her to the ground with all fours. He snarled just before letting out an enormous roar that froze her like a statue. His pointy sharp fangs were only inches from her face. Tara's eyes widened as she lay there completely still and submissive. She finally got the response she hoped for., knowing Seth would defend himself and stop her if she ever lost control. Seth also nearly lost control himself however, becoming so enraged, he nearly bit into her neck and tore it out. He stopped himself before it went that far. He panted heavily, staring at her pitch black eyes. Then he suddenly realized what he'd done and backed off. Tara sat up and looked at him calmly. "And there it is the monster I was looking for." Seth paused calming himself as he realized what he'd just done. He looked at the others and then back at Tara, then he moaned sadly and ran off into the forest. Tara hung her head and sighed as she watched him leave. Renesmee looked overs at her father. "Why did she do that?" she asked. "It was something she felt needed to be done," Edward said as he let go of Jacob. He was also busy listening to Taras thoughts. She wondered if she would be forgiven. "I don't understand. One of them could have been killed," she said. "She thought it was better to give it a chance this way than to find out later the hard way," Edward explained. Renesmee just shook her head. Once Jacob was free from Edwards grasp, he started to run after Seth.

"Let him go, Jacob. Give him some time to cool off!" Edward shouted to him. Jacob stopped and turned back to look at Edward. No, he's my friend and he needs me right now. Take care of Ness for me until I get back. And he was gone. Suddenly Edward, who was too caught up in the moment to even notice at first, caught a glimpse of Renesmee in the corner of his eye. He very slowly turned his head to get a full look at her, noticing the changes immediately. Bella already had her arms around her daughter with an enormous smile on her face. "Hi Dad! Guess what?" Renesmee squealed with a grin. Edward's eyes grew as large as saucers. She didn't even need her to say another word. He just brought his hand up to his face and he groaned. Several hours went past. Tara sat on the front steps just staring blankly into the forest. She hadn't moved from the spot in hours. She hated what she did, but she knew she was better off living with the guilt of hurting Seth this way instead of the guilt from doing something much worse later on. Her ears perked up when she heard the familiar sound of a bike humming up the road. She looked out at the edge of the driveway and waited until the motorcycle came into view. Seth pulled up to the house and sat on his bike for a moment looking forward. Through the visor, she saw his dark and bleak expression. When his eyes shifted to hers, he nodded his head in a way that signaled her to get on. She took the hint and quickly zipped over, hoping on the back of the bike and he drove off. Seth drove several miles to deserted cliff top. She hopped off the bike once he stopped and cut the engine. He sat there, not moving or even looking at her and still with the same dark expression. The echoing sound of the waves crashed below. Each waited for the other to say something. Finally Tara sighed and started to speak in a low voice. "Seth" His eyes looked in her direction, seeing the anguish in her face. He removed his helmet and listened. "Look... I'm really sorry for..." Before she finished, he leaped off the bike and pressed his lips to hers for a long kiss. His fingers knotted in her hair and he let his helmet fall to the ground so he could pull her in tight. This time she remembered to be careful, holding him gently as her arms slid around

his waist. When they slowly parted he pressed his forehead against hers, though he didn't let go of her body. She exhaled deeply. "I didn't finish my apology," she whispered. He pulled his head back, and looked in her golden eyes. "Okay go ahead." His eyes looked warmer now. "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" "I'm thinking about it." He looked away. "Does the kissing help?" "maybe a little," he admitted. She leaned in to kiss him again and he stopped her, putting a finger to her lips. He looked at her face. "Tara" His eyes smoldered again. "I wanted to kill you today." "That's good." "Good? How's that good?" He let go of her. "Because I know at least if anything did ever go wrong between us, you'd do the right thing." He sighed. "I hated myself for feeling that way." "You told me it tormented you knowing that you could never go through with carrying out your duties, because you said you could never hurt me. Now you're sad that you know you could? You can't win, Seth." "I know." "So what now?" She shrugged. He stood there, silently thinking. "Can you take it back?" she asked. "Take what back?" "The imprint on me - then you'll be free." "No, it doesn't work that way. I can't control it. And even if I couldI wouldn't. I don't want to be set free." "Oh right, because it's much better to trapped in a relationship with someone who's turned your life upside down." "I don't see it that way." He frowned. Tara sighed. "No, of course you wouldn't because that would make sense."

"Is that what you want? Do you want me to set you free?" Just the thought of it pained him. "Of course not, silly. Why would I desire to give up someone like you? You're the pinnacle of everything good. Youre sweet and caring and selfless. You just had the unfortunate mishap of imprinting on a vampire but that's not your fault. Me however I'm a selfish being as I've said. I surely don't want to give you up and go back to my miserable lonely life, butif I know it would improve yours.then I would do it, because it's the right thing to do." He touched her face gliding the back of his fingers down her cheek. "And that is why" His eyes stared at her with a deep affection. "I'm so in love with you." She smirked shaking her head. "You really are a stupid creaturebut I love you too." He chuckled. Longing to hear her say those words, he embraced her close, wrapping his arms around her back and then he touched his warm lips against her ear and whispered. "And I forgive you." She smiled and laid her head against his chest. "So I guess we're just doomed to be together?" He sighed. "Mmm, I guess so." He held her tighter. "I'm very glad you stopped me today. I was starting to think you really wouldn't." He lifted his head to look at her. "You know, that was completely reckless thing to do to try to figure that all out." "Yeah well, I'm vampire. It's what we do. We're a reckless race." "So I've noticed." He smiled and then leaned down to kiss her lips that eagerly waited for them.

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:02 AM 1 comments

Chapter 11 - The Ball Game A new day.

Tara sat on the bed with her sketch book in hand. Her pencil whisked over the paper rapidly looking like she was in under a spell as she drew incessantly. She patiently waited for Seth to come by since he promised to spend the day with her. They were going to start the day with a hunt, but as usual he over-slept. When he finally arrived at the house, he quietly crept up to the room. Upon hearing the sound of her pencil moving from outside the door, he peeked in. She didn't even look up as he entered and tip-toed across the room and then sat on the bed next to her. Seth felt quite guilty for not showing up on time. "Sorry I'm late." He spoke softly, hoping she wasn't mad. She smiled, rolling her eyes but still drawing. He stared at her with fascination. Within seconds the white paper in her lap was filled with the image of a majestic cathedral. "There's a storm coming," he said as he glanced out the window at the dark clouds that filled the sky. "I know." She tilted her head slightly, still concentrating on her work. "Oh yeah? Do you hear it?" He figured she probably could hear a storm from miles away. She suddenly stopped drawing and listened. "Almost, but I can definitely smell the rain coming. Plus, Alice told us yesterday." She continued drawing again. "Ohright, Alice." He peeked over her shoulder to look at her sketch. It's was nearly complete now as she finished shading the windows of a familiar building he'd remembered seeing somewhere once before. "Hey, that's really good. You doing that from memory?" "Yes." Her pencil still whirled around the paper as she shaded. "Where is that?" he wondered. "Rome.Saint Peter's Cathedral." "Wow. That's really amazing," he said, impressed by the beautiful detail she had put into it. She paused and looked him in the eyes, flattered by his sincerity. "Thanks," she said, delighted by his compliment. "Welcome." He smiled, thinking about kissing her but she spoiled the opportunity when she turned her attention back to the paper again and continued and her expression became more serious

again. Seth eyes became fixed on her again and took pleasure in watching her work. It was futile trying to keep up with the movement of her hand as it spun around the paper in a blur. His averted his gaze up her bare arm until it reached her shoulder. Her blue tank top exposed the flawless, ivory skin on her arms. He lifted his hand and gently brushed the silky wisps of hair off her neck. It made her tense up but she didn't stop drawing. It wasn't until he leaned over and pressed his lips to the bottom of her neck that she froze completely, closing her eyes. "Umm, w-what are you doing?" she sighed. "Distracting you," he grinned devilishly. "It seems to be working." She bit her lip as he continued to softly kiss a trail to her shoulder. "I'm sorry, should I stop?" He let his fingertips slide down her arm, right down to her hand and back up again. "No please continue, I was kinda in the mood to break some more of your bones," she said in a sarcastically musical tone. He chuckled. "Mmm, me too. I guess I must be one of those masochists then." "Yes, I'm starting to think you are," she agreed, opening her eyes as he reached over and touched her chin and turning her face towards his. "You're eyes are still a pretty gold, I think I'm still safe for the time being," he said, knowing her eyes darken when she gets too excited. "Then perhaps you shouldn't push your luck." She playfully tapped him on the head with her pencil. He smiled, giving up for the moment. As she continued to finish her picture, he reached down and picked up another one of her a sketch books off the floor and flipped through the pages. The first one was of Bella and Edward at the museum embracing each other. The second was of portrait of Renesmee. He flipped through, drawing by drawing of each family member until he stopped at one that caught his interest. It was a drawing of a very familiar tan wolf, standing on a cliff. "Hey, when did you do this one?" he wondered. She glanced at it from the corner of her eye without stopping. "Mmm a while ago." He continued flipping the pages. There were more wolf drawings throughout the book. "Wow, you were like obsessed with me.and you accused me of stalking you," he teased.

"Tsk!" She calmly reached over to grab the calmly book but he moved his arm away from her. "Come on now, lemme see." He said as he grabbed her wrist in an attempt to stop her from taking it. She sighed. "You're really not gonna try this again are you? Cuz you know you will lose." Seth knew he didn't stand a chance against her strength but it amused him to try and muscle his way out of the situation. He enjoyed the cat and mouse game with her only because he trusted she wouldn't hurt him and she was very carefully not to use too much force as he struggled pointlessly to keep the object in hand. Tara effortlessly pinned his arm down and then stretched across him to get the book. She paused as her body pressed against his and their eyes met. In her moment of distraction he slid his arm around the waist and then playfully spun her onto the bed. He grinned feeling victorious, even though she let him do it. When he leaned in to kiss her, she flipped him over hurling him onto the floor on his back and then leaped on top of him pinning his arms down. "Ooof, ow!" he said feeling a bit stunned. She sighed shaking her head. "Mmm, when are you gonna to learn to listen?" "Probably never," he smirked. "I told you, you would lose at this game." "Actually, I think I'm winning," he said, knowing he got what he wanted. She squeezed her grip tighter on him. "Ah, ok that does hurt just a little," he complained. She leaned in close to his face tasting his heady breath. "I think you really do need to learn the hard way." "Is this all supposed to scare me? Cause it's actually kinda turning me on." She grinned shaking her head. Then she loosened her grip to get up. "You like danger too much." As soon as Seth's arms were free, he grabbed her again and pulled her in tightly for a kiss. His blood boiled under his skin as his lips touched hers. She let him have the moment, not wanting to resist anymore. Her body warmed up as his body heat transferred to hers and her icy lips started feeling scorched as he pressed them it against her, burning her lips. "Ahem!" a voice came from behind them somewhere.

Tara slowly rolled over as they both looked up at Jacob and Renesmee staring at them. Renesmee snickered. "Do you guys mind keeping it P.G.? I gotta sleep I here ya know." "Yeah guys, there are children present," Jacob said pointing a finger at Renesmee. Renesmee nudged Jacob's arm. "Hey! I'm not a child!" she complained. "I know. You keep reminding me!" He rolled his eyes and reached for her sweater, zipping it up over her chest that was a little too exposed and she playfully swatted at him. Then she directed her attention back to Tara. "Alice says the thunderstorm isn't far. You wanna play a game tonight?" "A game?" Tara said curiously. "Yeah. Baseball. It'll be fun." "Um, what about us?" Seth exchanged glances with Jacob. "You can't keep up, sorry," Renesmee said. Then she paused, thinking for a moment. "Hmmm, though you could be Umpire," she offered. "We can play if we phase," Seth said. "What are you gonna bat with, your teeth?" Renesmee said, making Tara laugh. "No, smarty pants, you could bat for me and I'll be doing the running. We'll just be on the same team." "Plus we can catch," Jacob added. "Don't you mean fetch?" Tara teased. "Har-har, very funny!" he replied. Renesmee giggled at her joke and Jacob playfully tickled her making laugh harder. "Sure why not. Baseball is probably safer activity for you anyway," she winked at Seth as she stood up smoothing out her blouse, leaving Seth on the floor in disappointment. Renesmee grabbed Tara's arm gleefully and they started leaving to meet with the others. Seth gave Jacob an unpleasant look as he lay on the floor alone now. "Hey don't worry, from the looks of things you'll probably thank me later for saving you." "No I really don't think so," Seth frowned, shaking his head. They all agreed to meet at the giant open field in the Olympic range. The Cullen's let Jacob and Seth take the jeep to carry the equipment and save some energy for the game. Renesmee tagged along with them for the ride. When they arrived, she grabbed their gear and met up with the others on the field so the boys could undress and phase. Once the

vampires saw the two wolves appear from behind the trees, they took their positions. Thunder roared in the distance as they geared up for the game. They flipped a coin to make teams. Emmett and Carlisle got Tara and Seth while Jacob teamed up with Edward, Bella and Rosalie. Alice took her usual position as pitcher, Esme was umpire and Jasper sat behind home plate to catch. Carlisle's team took the field first with Tara and Seth in the outfield and Emmett and Carlisle standing between bases. Renesmee stepped up to the home plate twirling an aluminum bat though the air like a pro. She took her stance waiting on Alice who stood completely motionless on the pitcher's mound. Suddenly Alice moved for the windup. She moved so fast, the wolves hardly saw the throw and the ball was already in Jasper's hand with the blink of an eye. "Strike one!" Esme called. "Come one Ness! You can do it! Just like I showed you keep your eye on the ball." Edward encouraged her. She stood ready again for the pitch. Alice wound up and threw it. This time Renesmee hit the ball with a force that made thunderous crack. As soon as Jacob heard the impact he started running for first base taking huge leaps though the air. Seth watched the ball as it soared. He took an enormous vertical bound and snatched the ball in his mouth. "Out!" Esme shouted. "Shoot!" Renesmee stomped her foot. Edward stepped up to the plate next and put his arm around his daughter, kissing her on the head. "Good job sweetie. Don't worry, they won't get this one." "Go get em dad!" she cheered. Then she ran over to Bella who put her arm around her and they both watched as Edward readied himself for the pitch. Tara took the ball from Seth and threw it back to Alice who immediately dropped it when it landed in her hand. "Ugh! Dog slobber!" she griped, wiping her hand on the front of her shirt. The others laughed hysterically. Alice turned around and gave Seth an unhappy look. Then she reached into a bag next to the pitcher's mound and grabbed a new ball. She was glad they had extras. She wound up for the pitch and hurled the ball at Edward. The bat made a loud boom as he smacked the

ball clear across the field. Tara ran into the woods after it. They watched as she disappeared into the forest and then saw her leaping above the trees for a catch. She missed the ball by inches but within seconds it flew out of the forest through the branches. Emmett caught the ball but it was too late, Edward already stood safe at third. Bella got ready to bat next. She loved playing sports now that she had the agility and skills for them. "Come on Bella, send me home!" Edward yelled to her. "This one's for you my love," she winked at him while positioning herself. "Aw," Renesmee cooed at her parents affection for one another. Jacob just rolled his eyes and started making gagging noises. She waved a scolding finger at him and he playfully nudged her back with his cold wet nose making her giggle. When Alice threw the ball, it zipped past Bella into Jasper's hand as Bella swung the bat missing the ball. "Strike one!" Esme called out. Emmett stood on third with Edward. He laughed and elbowed him when Bella missed the ball. "All for you my love," he mimicked her in mocking tone while batting his eyes at Edward. Bella scowled at Emmett and threateningly pointed the bat at him. Edward turned to Emmett. "I can't read her mind but I think if I had to guess what she was thinking, it's probably, Shut your word-hole," he said. Bella stood ready again. "Ok, this one's really for you," she grinned. "Let's go Bella, bring Edward home!" Rosalie shouted. The ball flew towards Bella and this time she smacked it in Carlisle's direction but it bounced off the ground so he couldn't get it mid-air. Carlisle swiftly picked up the ball and threw it home but Edward had already slid into the plate. "Safe!" Esme called. They were up one, with Rosalie last to bat. "No cheating!" Edward warned Emmett out in the field, who occasionally missed a ball when he had to play against Rosalie. When she hit the ball, she smacked it into left field heading straight towards Tara who then leaped up and caught it. She quickly threw it to home where Bella was headed. Jasper caught it just before her toe hit the base.

"Out!" Esme shouted, making Rosalie growl. Three outs. The teams switched. "I'll take the outfield," Edward claimed. "No way! Lassie takes the outfield just like our team buddy. You get third this time," Emmett complained, trying to keep things even in the game. "Don't worry dad, me and Jake got this." Renesmee said just before she high-fived Edward and then she ran to her position with Jacob near the edge of the forest. Carlisle let Tara bat first. She'd never played baseball in her life but she had a concept of how it was done. Tara grabbed a bat and readied herself at the plate. "Am I doing this right?" she asked Esme for help. Esme got behind her and reached around positioning her arms and legs correctly. "There, just like that. Remember - keep your eye on the ball," Esme said helpfully with a smile. "Thanks." "This will be an easy out," Rosalie snorted. Tara concentrated, waiting for the ball. Seth watched her intently, waiting to run. Alice threw the ball. Tara got ready to swing but something caught her eye in the distance and she missed it completely. "Strike one!" Esme yelled. Renesmee and Jacob were dancing around the outfield shaking their rear ends at Tara trying to distract her attention. "Hey! No fair! You guys are so immature!" she griped while pointing her bat at them. The other team all laughed. "They cheat, just ignore them. Keep your eye on the ball like I said," Esme said pointing at Alice who was ready to throw again. She stepped up again. The ball came screaming at her and she smacked it with a mighty force that sent it high in the air and it disappeared deep into the forest. Seth bolted for first base. "I GOT IT!" Renesmee shouted as she sprinted, disappearing to the trees. The ball bounced off a tree limb and landed in a small bog covered with moss and shrubbery. "Yuk!"She thought, as she stepped in it to pick it up.

"INCOMING!" she shouted, throwing the ball. It soared over the trees and came down in the middle of the field where Edward ran to catch it. Renesmee started to run back when she heard the sound of a snap behind her in the distance. She quickly spun her head around looking as far as she could see but saw nothing. Her sense of smell was not as acute as the rest of the vampires but she picked up the very strong scent of a doe in heat as she sniffed the air. She shrugged her shoulders and turned back around seeing Jacob standing there. It nearly startled her. He protectively followed Renesmee to check on her when she didn't come out of the woods. Jake hadn't noticed the mud everywhere from the heavy down pour they got earlier and he stood right in a huge puddle of it. Renesmee laughed as he shook out his paws flicking the goop everywhere. As she laughed even harder, he started to come closer, putting his paw out like he was going to wipe it on her. "Jacob Black, don't you dare! I swear, Alice will be furious if you get this outfit all dirty so don't even think about it!" She warned. Jacob didn't listen. He crept towards her slowly with a toothy grin and tongue hanging out. She leaped out of the bog to dryer land but he jumped in front of her. "I'm warning you! You better not!" she giggled, failing to keep a straight face. Just before she could run, he pounced on her and she fell on her back in the mud. "Jacob! You are so gonna pay! Look at me, I'm filthy!" Jacob knew how to take care of that for her. He began to lick her face and arms profusely making her squeal and laugh. She thrashed about as he licked her making so much of a commotion, she didn't even hear the click of the gun barrel but Jacob did. He suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder seeing that he was faced with a double barrel shot gun about fifty meters out. Without thinking, he quickly put his entire body over Renesmee, covering her. Her laugh was the last thing he heard before the shot was fired. The sound echoed through the forest. Jacob's blood covered Renesmee and she screamed when he fell to the ground. She turned her head and saw the two hunters who were closing in on them fast. The Cullen's all froze when they heard the sound of the gunshot and the shrill screams of Renesmee. They quickly raced into the forest.

"Jacob!" Renesmee screamed. "NO!" She hovered over to his bleeding body and touched his face. He breathed shallow. His eyes turn towards her but his head remained still. Then she heard something behind her. "Are you alright Miss?" the voice said as the man approached. Renesmee impulsively spun around and lunged at the hunter in a furious rage. She knocked him down and grabbed his gun, effortlessly breaking it in two. "Oh my God!" the second man shouted. He started to raise his gun at her but she was too quick. Before he lifted the barrel, she grabbed him by the throat and snarled at him fiercely. She smelled strong scent of female deer emitting from his body, the fake kind hunter's used to lure in their prey. A stream of fluid dripped out from his bottom pant leg as he trembled with fear and his gun fell to the ground. Renesmee never felt this way before. Fear and anger completely took over. She leaned close to him barring her teeth, desiring to sink them in his throat. The man screamed as she started to attack. "Ness! Stop! Let him go!" a crackled voice said from behind her. Jacob phased back to a human and begged her not to kill the hunters. Her fury dissolved once she heard his voice. The rest of the group suddenly came into view, observing the situation. Edward knew right away the hunters had just witnessed several unexplainable events; a young girl just snapped their guns like twigs, a giant wolf just turned into a man, and now, eight very scary looking individuals accompanied by another enormous wolf just appeared out of nowhere. Both men looked like they were in shock. Renesmee let the one man go. He ran towards his friend and they screamed as they ran away leaving their guns behind. Rosalie started to chase them when Edward stopped her. "They're getting away! We can't let them go! They've seen too much!" she struggled with him wanted to run after the men. "We can't hurt them, not even to protect ourselves. You know that!" "Then just scare them, threaten them not to say anything do something! They'll go to the police!" Carlisle already knelt by Jacob, examining his wounds. "Don't worry, we know the Chief, now get over here and help me!" he shouted at them. They all ran over to Jacob. His body trembled violently. Emmett removed his oversized shirt and handed it to Carlisle to cover him at the waist. Jasper sensed his fear and used

his skill to calm him. Carlisle spoke sternly. "We have to move him fast! Edward, I need you and Emmett to carry him to the jeep as fast as you can and then drive him to the house. We can't take him to the hospital. It's too risky now that there are witnesses. I will be ready for you when you arrive." Renesmee sobbed as she held his face in her hands. As soon as they got him in the vehicle, she sat in the back seat holding him and keeping pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. He kept his eyes fixed on her. "It hurts," he spoke in barley whisper. "It hurts real bad." "I know, I know," she said softly, stroking his cheek. "Hold on Jake. Don't close your eyes. Hold on for me!" Edward drove insanely fast. The bumps were really hard on Jacob but there was little he could do. He didn't have time to be careful and slow down but he also hoped the pain would help keep him alert till they got him home. Edward listened to Jacob's thoughts. "He's holding on for you Ness. He's fighting. He says he won't leave you and he loves you. Keep talking to him." Tears fell on Jacob's body. She began to ramble on to keep him awake."I love you too Jacob. I'm gonna marry you soon and we're gonna be happy and have lots of vampirewolf-mutant babies just like you always joked about remember? You'll see." She tried to smile through her tears. The pain kept Jacob from smiling back but she saw a small twinkle in his eyes that let her know he liked her humor. "That's it Ness, he's listening to you. He says, just as long as they are all as pretty as you." His words made her smile and cry even more but she kept on talking to him the whole way back. Renesmee's thoughts tore Edward's heart into pieces. He tried to push the pedal harder but it was already to the floor. When they reached the house, Edward shouted as they entered. "Carlisle!" "Get him in here!"' The doctor shouted back. He waited for them in the same room they had used to deliver Renesmee. They carried Jacob's limp body in and laid him on the gurney. He finally fell unconscious. "Edward, you stay. I need your help. Everyone else has to go out of the room so I can

work." Renesmee shrieked as Bella pried her hands from Jacob's. Jasper ran over to help calm her so they could get her out of the room. Carlisle instructed Edward to start an IV so he could try to stopping the bleeding. Everyone waited outside silently. Only the faint beeping of a heart rate monitor could be heard coming from inside the room. Carlisle moved quickly. Being at home allowed him to be much more expeditious, not having to pretend to function only at a human speed like he would at the hospital. Jacob lost a lot of blood during the return trip but he needed to get the slugs out so he could close up the wounds. Several grueling minutes passed as he labored. Renesmee stood outside, looking into glass door that separated her from Jacob. Bella came over and put her arm around her daughter. Suddenly, his heart rate monitor became unsteady and Edward no longer heard Jacob's thoughts. His mind no longer screamed in pain and nor did he scream for Renesmee. His heart beat came to a dead silence. "I need to intubate him, start CPR now!" Carlisle shouted. Everyone stood frozen, staring at the room in horror. Tears streamed down Renesmee's face. "No!" she screamed. Bella held her tightly. Once Carlisle had the air tube in place, he placed the electro pads for the Automated External Defibrillator to Jacob's chest and waited for a charge. Within seconds, the automated monotone voice instructed them to clear his body. Shock Advised - Stand Clear The machine spoke before it executed. Renesmee sobbed when she saw Jacob's body jolt from the shock it sent though Jacob's body. She cringed and covered her ears trying to block the sounds. Bella embraced her, covering her head and caressing her hair. Everyone else watched with gloom on their faces. The machine spoke again: Analyzing Rhythm - Shock not advised - Start compressions "Come on Jacob! Don't do this to me!" Carlisle began doing chest compressions as the defibrillator monitored Jacob's vital signs. It spoke again: Analyzing Rhythm - Shock advised - Stand Clear They both stood back and watched as the machine sent another charge through Jacob body causing him to thrash again but still, nothing. Carlisle started compressions again as Edward push air into his lungs. Then Carlisle charged the machine to try once more, but

his body didn't respond. "It's no useI- I lost him," he sobbed. Suddenly Renesmee no longer felt his presence. It was as though the connection she felt with him had been severed. She broke from Bella's grip and ran into the room. Edward let her run past him to his lifeless body. She put her hands on his face and leaned in close. "Jacob no! Please don't leave me! I love you please, please come back." As she held his face in her hands and touched her forehead, droplets of tears fell onto Jacob's cheeks. Everyone in the other room stood motionless and despondent. Each of the vampires held their mates in a somber embrace. Even Rosalie looked pained at the sight of Renesmee wailing over Jacob's body. A tear ran down Seth's face as he listened to the steady hum of the heart rate monitor. Its tone rang in his ears with a stabbing resonance. He couldn't take it anymore and fled out of the house. He only made it to the edge of the yard until his legs gave out underneath him and he fell, crouched on the ground, sobbing. His best friend was gone. Tara followed him and slowly approached from behind. It tortured her to see him in so much pain. She knelt down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. He reached out to her and pulled her close burying his face in her shoulder and broke down in her arms. Edward felt like someone jack-hammered his insides as he watched Renesmee begging for her Jacob, listening to every tormenting thought in her head. He remembered the moment Rosalie told him Bella was dead and the blow he felt and how he wanted nothing more than to die right there. He couldn't bear it any longer. Edward reached for the AED unit and started a charge. Carlisle grabbed his hand. "No, we can't give up. Try again!" Edward demanded. Carlisle knew he couldn't stop Edward from trying. He nodded at Edward and let go of his hand. The machine whirred up again. Esme pulled Renesmee back so they could work. Bella came in too and they both stood with her holding her tightly. Edward leaned down near Jacob's ear and whispered something to him. "Don't you give up! Don't you dare leave her! Fight, damn it!" The machine recharged, sending a violent pulse through his chest. They waited. Finally, they heard the sound they had been waiting for - the monitor beeped. Everyone stood motionless, listening. It beeped again and the machine spoke.

Shock not advised - Rhythm detected Edward exhaled with relief and Bella hugged Renesmee smiling. She extended a hand out to Edward and he took it, squeezing tightly and exchanging smiles. Carlisle removed the pads from Jacob's chest and started working on his wounds. He made Renesmee stay back until he could finish. Esme and Bella stood with her, huddling closely as they all watched. The others also heard the Jacob's heart beating again and sighed with relief. Outside, Tara still held Seth in her arms tightly. His warm tears soaked her shirt. Tara heard a commotion inside, realizing something happened. She yanked Seth to his feet and pulled him back inside the house. By the time they returned, Carlisle had speedily removed the slugs from Jacob's body and stitched him up. Edward helped by holding his body for him so he could reach his back. While Carlisle worked, Jacob's body started to move. His hand grabbed Edward's arm and his eyes opened. He looked right at Edward and tried to speak but the tubes were in his way. "It hurts," he thought. "I know stay still," Edward ordered. Jacob reached up and tried to pull the tube out of his mouth. Edward grabbed his arm. Jacob kept repeating Renesmee's name in his head. "She's right here, she's fine. Stop struggling," Edward told him when he heard Jacob's mental cries for Renesmee. Renesmee ran to his side. Carlisle gave him morphine and within seconds he passed out so he could finish. Jacob saw her just before he closed his eyes. She held his hand the entire time Carlisle labored. He worked extremely fast and got Jacob bandaged and cleaned up in perfect timing before the rest of family arrived. Charlie was informed of the news and brought Billy, over immediately. Sue accompanied them. It pleased Carlisle that they came when they did - thankful they didn't witness him nearly dying. Renesmee still sat at his side, holding his hand. Her eyes never moved off him. "Ness, why don't you go clean up. You have Jacob's blood all over you," Edward suggested, stroking her head. "But I don't want to leave him," she thought. "He'll be fine. He's going to be sleeping for several hours. Don't worry, someone will stay

with him." Renesmee nodded. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and then started to leave the room with Bella. Before she walked through the door, she stopped and turned back, quickly wrapping her arms around Carlisle. "Thank you." He hugged her back tenderly. "You're welcome Ness." Renesmee hugged her father also for not giving up. Edward held her for several minutes before he let her leave. "I love you," he whispered to her. "I love you too," she thought. Billy, Charlie and Sue all entered the room to see Jacob and Carlisle filled them in on the details. Billy shook his hand and thanked them for saving his son. He told them he would be forever indebted to them. Seth came in and hugged his mother, then greeted Charlie and Billy. Tara accompanied Renesmee while she cleaned up and changed her clothes, hurrying as she was eager to go back to Jacob. When she finished, Tara walked with her back to Jacob's room, planning to look for Seth but when they got there she spotted him in the room, taking notice of the company with him. She didn't think it would be a good time to expose the lie she had created at Sue's house so she hesitated. Seth made eye contact with her wondering why she didnt join him. Then she backed away from the door and retreated to Renesmee's room and when she did, Seth excused himself to follow her. He found her sitting on the bed and entered the room. "Why'd you leave?" he asked as he sat down next to her. "I just don't think this is a good time to introduce the real me. You're family has been through a lot. It would only make it worse." "Oh." Seth thought about it. "I supposed that's true. I don't think they will be leaving any time soon though, you can't hide up here the whole time." "I'll be fine. I can stay at least until Jacob wakes up and everyone calms down a bit. Then we'll figure it out after that." He reached up and stroked her hair and nodded in agreement. "He'll be a sleep for a while. I'll come back in little bit. If I don't go back now though, Sue will come looking for me." "Go then." She reached over and squeezed his hand gently before slipped out of the room.

Jacob slept for hours. Everyone took turns checking on him but Renesmee refused to leave his side at all. Charlie went back to work, deciding he would return later to check on Jacob's status, Sue sat in the kitchen for a while having coffee and visiting with Esme. Billy finally nodded off in his chair and Seth excused himself to take a nap in Renesmee's room, falling asleep in Tara's arms. The rest of the vampires sat quietly and waited. They didn't need to occupy their time like the humans. They could sit motionless for hours without a distraction, though Emmett finally decided to see if there were any good sports on TV and found a good UFC fight on one of the channels. Some of the others came in and sat, enjoying the stimulation from it. Renesmee loyally sat at Jacob's side in the chair Edward brought in for her to sit at comfortably. She held his hand tightly in hers, until her eyes refused to stay open anymore and she fell asleep. Her head lay in the most uncomfortable-looking position on the bed next to his leg. As she slept, she dreamt of Jacob, caressing her hair softly. Soon, she started to realize it wasn't a dream though. It really was him running his hand through her soft curls. She looked up at him and he smiled at her. "Jake!" She squealed, excited to see him alive. "Did we win?" He asked her in a very groggy tone. "What?" she whispered. "Did we win the game?" he asked more specifically. Renesmee smiled. "Yup, we sure won," she confirmed, but she wasn't talking about the game. "Good. Seth owes me ten bucks then." Renesmee laughed with tears running down her face. She moved closer to him. "Why are you crying?" he asked her. "Because, I'm just so happy you're okay." Though his hands were still weak from the drugs, he managed to reach up and wipe the tears from her cheek. She grabbed his hand and held it. "You took those bullets to protect me you silly wolf." "Of course." More tears streamed down her face. "Hey, don't cry, everything's ok now."

"I'm sorry, I was so scared. I thought I lost you. I don't know what I would have done." "Well I'm gonna be just fine and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" She nodded and put her head on his chest. He stroked her back with his free hand. The other one lay at his side with the IV still in his arm. "I'm so sorry Jake," she apologized. "For what?" he asked. "I lost it out there, I was so upset. When that hunter shot you, I thought.." She didn't want to finish the words. She didn't want to say that she had feared would die. "Shhh, don't." She lifted her head from his chest. He wiped hear tears again. "Tell me what happened to the hunter though. I can't remember what happened. Ness, did you.?" "No," she shook her head and put her hands to his face showing him that she let him go. "There were two?" he asked. He only remembered seeing the one. "Yes. I'm so afraid of what they might do now. I'm so sorry I've exposed us." "No! This isn't your fault, not in any way. They probably thought I was attacking you. It wasn't anyone's fault. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I should have sensed they were there. I was just too caught up in the game." His eyes panned around the room looking for others. "Is Charlie here?" he asked, wondering what Charlie might know about the accident. "He left for work. He says he's going to see if anything has been reported and he says if it has he will do his best to cover it up." "That's good. I really owe him." She smiled looking deeply into his eyes. "Love you Jake." "I love you too Ness." He touched her cheek with his warm hands. "I never want to lose you." She grabbed his palm in her hands and kissed it. "You couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to." He smiled. She knew he was still a little too weak to resist him from all the drugs Carlisle had given him. She slid closer to him and caressed his face more. Then she decided she didn't want to wait any longer. She carefully took his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips very gently. He didn't even think to resist. He wanted it all along but held back so Edward wouldn't

pound him into the ground. It didn't matter to him anymore and in fact he'd gladly take a beating from Edward in exchange. He longed for her kiss and her touch endlessly. His weak arms reached around to the back of her neck and stayed there holding her. It was even better than he had dreamt. Carlisle walked in followed by several others while they still embraced. "I thought I heard your voice," he said cheerfully. Renesmee pulled back and turned her head to face the group piling into the room. Edward and Bella came through the door next holding hands. Then shortly after, others started to come. Seth entered with Billy and other Cullens stood by the entry curiously peeking. "How do you feel?" Carlisle asked. "Better," he admitted. "Are you in any pain?" "No but my back is itching like crazy." "That's a good sign. Lemme have a look at your wounds." As Carlisle removed the bandages to check his wounds, Billy came over wanting to be close to his son. He was thankful to see him alive. "Amazing," Carlisle said astonished. "You're healing very nicely. You sure make my job easy. He smiled. I wish all my patients did this well," he added, very pleased. "Hey thanks for giving us all a big scare like that," Seth said to his friend. He was happy to see him alive and well. "Yeah I heard you cried like a big baby," Jacob grinned, teasing him. He'd saw Seth in the images Renesmee showed him when she touched him. "Uh, well yeah, you got any idea how much it would cost me to change that sign outside the shop!" Seth joked. Jacob grabbed some gauze off the bed and threw it at him, "Yeah then you'd have to change it to Just One Ugly Mutt." Everyone in the room laughed. After several minutes of seeing Jacob's personality return back to normal, several more of Jacob's friends arrived to see him. Quil, Embry and Sam all piled in the crowded room. Renesmee stayed but Edward and Bella fell back and gave the pack some time to visit. They each all hugged Renesmee and then gave Jacob knuckle bump or high five. When Renesmee made physical contact with them however, they saw

the entire roll of events that took place. Sam became cautiously aware that Renesmee displayed signs of aggression that had not been there before. He knew that meant they'd be watching out for her as well, to see how she develops as she matures. He was also now very concerned about the safety of the pack and how the incident posed a threat to their secrecy. Edward listened in to every thought, being forewarned now of their position. He glanced over at his daughter huddled by Jacob's side, trying hard not to listen in too much to their thoughts which had drastically changed within the past few days. Edward knew it wouldn't be long before he would totally lose his little girl to Jacob. She was well on her way to becoming a woman. Something he wasn't quite ready for yet but had to accept sooner or later. Bella noticed he seemed distracted. She reached for his hand, opening her thoughts to him. Are you listening to anything good over there? She thought. Edward smiled. "Nothing important. Everyone's just very happy to see Jacob back to normal," he spoke in a low tone. Well that's important. I am too. I'm very happy for Renesmee most of all. I don't know what she would have done if "Don't even think about that. He's fine now." I know, but it just makes me think about the future. "We can't change the inevitable Bella. This is the part of being a vampire I warned you about. Watching the ones you lovedie." She put her head to his chest and he stroked her soft brown hair softly. "Don't spend all eternity thinking about these things. You'll just go mad. We have to embrace what we have now and enjoy it. Ness isn't a child anymore, and soon she'll be a full grown woman. Even her mind is maturing. Her thought patterns are changing," he continued. You better be careful about listening in. I don't think Jacob is gonna be able to hold out much longer. He's completely in love with her, and now with all these changes, the way he looks at her... "I know, don't remind me!" Bella chuckled. Well you know it won't be long before they get married and Edward squeezed her hand tightly before she finished. "Yes, I know that too. That's why I wish to spend as much time with her as possible before that happens."

Aw, because you'll miss her when she's with Jake? "No, because as soon as they get back from the honeymoon, we're moving to Alaska." Bella looked up at Edward. He tapped the side of his head with his finger. Bella had a flashback of their honeymoon and thereafter and suddenly realized why he would need to get away, far away. She burst out laughing making the whole room turn and stare at them. Tara hoped to see Jake and Renesmee and perhaps rejoin Seth again. She peeked in the room but saw it was over crowded and decided it was still not a good time so she turned around, heading out of the room planning to go out for a run or maybe even hunt, just anything to free up some of the energy she had. As she started down the hall, she came face to face with Sue. Leah was with her now and both of them were headed to Jacob's room. Knowing it was too late to change or disappear she kept walking, hoping not to be noticed and Sue almost didn't, had Leah not spoke up. "Hi Tara," Leah said to her walking by. Tara balled up her fists and closed her eyes, irritated by Leah's antics. Sue spun around. "Tara?" she said. Tara turned around. Sue's eyes grew wider as she looked at her. At first she thought it was just Alice in passing since they are close in height and hair color but now she could clearly see it was not. She could tell it was Tara but she clearly spotted the difference. She looked more like one of the Cullen's now. "Youyou look very different Tara," Sue said in a suspicious tone. "Yeah, you're looking a little pale there Tara, you ok? Leah sneered. Tara turned to Sue being respectful. "Mrs. Clearwater. I owe you an apology," she began. "I'll say," Leah interrupted. Tara gave her a callous look. "If I'd be allowed to finish, I'd like to explain." Edward picked up on the conversation from the other room and he whispered a warning in Seth's ear. Seth quickly excused himself and headed out the door into the hall where he saw the three of them together. "Oh great!" he thought. He quickly ran over to intercede. "Uh mom I can explain..." he interrupted. "Well someone better because I'm pretty confused right now. Tara was just saying she

owes me an apology for something." "Um, you were?" he said looking at Tara. "Yes, I haven't been honest with you Mrs. Clearwater." Is that so? she responded. Seth interrupted again. "Uh...well mom I have some confessions myself..." Sue stared at the two of them anxiously wondering what was going on. "What are you? You're one of them? One of the Cullens?" she asked. Tara nodded, carefully watching her reaction. "How did you change your appearance like that?" "I have a gift. We all have gifts." "A..gift?" she cocked an eyebrow. "Sure...your son turns into a wolf...I can basically change into whatever I want to. Or I can make it so you can't even see me if I desire, sorta like a chameleon." "So.. you're more like a shape shifter?" she hoped. "No...I don't change physically. It's an illusion. I can manipulate your mind into seeing things." "Then what are you really?" Leah became impatient and finished the sentence. "Ugh! She's a vampire mom!" "Damn it Leah!" Seth hollered. "Could you just stop already and let us handle this?" "Handle what? Beating-around-the-bush some more?" "Enough! Both of you! Look, I'm not stupid. I have eyes." She looked at each one of them. "However, I don't think you're brother needs help with this. Let him tell me on his own please." Leah grumbled and then shut her mouth. "I apologize for making you believe I was something I'm not but I was afraid of how you would react if Seth brought me to your home to meet you. This is what I really am." Seth reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. Sue caught it and stared wide-eyed at them together. "You two are more than just friends?" she asked a little stunned. Seth hesitated to answer. "Yes. We are." "H-how much more?" she really worried now.

He stared sweating now, worried about her reaction to the next blow. "A lot...I imprinted on her," he finally admitted. Sue's knees became wobbly and she began losing her balance. "Mom!" He quickly grabbed her and held her up. "Oh God, please don't pass out." "No, I-I just need to sit." Her voice trembled as Seth helped her into a chair. "But howwhen?" "The night she came to town, the night I first saw her." His mother gasped. "I just don't understand. You imprinted on a .a." "Tara mom, her name is Tara. She's still the same girl that came to the house that you met, she just looks a little different now but it's her. Seth pointed out. "But she's.she'sa.." She couldn't finish. "A vampire." Tara said finishing for her. Sue looked over at her. Tara stood with her hands folded behind her back as she spoke. "I understand your concern Mrs. Clearwater. You should know, I have asked your son if it's at all possible for him to remove this imprint on me so that he could be set free from the situation. Not that I want him to mind you, because care for him deeply and want nothing more than to be with him, but not if it's at the expense of causing him any anguish or disrupting his life. I would never wish to see any harm to come to him because of me, I swear to you." "This can't be undone," Sue said. She knew that very well. She wasn't looking anymore pleased about the situation. "No it can't mom, and I don't want it to. I love her." Sue felt her head spinning again. She knew there was no winning this situation. An imprint is forever. It truly is 'Until death do us part' and she knew he would never leave her now. Sue also began to realize there would be no grandchildren in her future, at least not from her son. "It may take me a while to absorb all this," she said to Seth. "I know. I knew it would. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was too afraid of how you'd react and afraid of losing you." "Losing me? Did you think I'd disown my own son?" "No, no I don't mean thatit just that dad he didn't react well to all this stuff, the changingthe vampireseverything. His heart couldn't take it."

Sue stood up and grabbed Seth's face in her hands looking up at him. "Your dad's death had nothing to do with you or any of this. Don't you ever blame yourself! He had an unhealthy heart, and he knew it. He joked about it all the time. It was just his time sweetie." Seth embraced his mom. He wiped the tears from his face with one hand. She removed much of the guilt he'd been carrying for so long. While they stood there for a few moments longer, Charlie came in after just getting off work. He came to see Jacob and give them some news. "Everything ok?" he said as he observed the emotional moment between Sue and Seth. "Is Jacob alright?" They all turned to face him. "Yes he's doing great. He'd love to see you. Billy's in there with some of the boys," Sue said putting her hand on his arm. Seth moved closer to Tara again. "You might want to grab Carlisle, I have some news for him too," he said as they headed down the hall. Tara immediately ran and got him and then rejoined everyone in Jacobs room where the others all sat eating some pizza that Billy ordered for all of them. Billy was in the middle of telling the boys some childhood stories about Jacob and making them all laugh. When Charlie came in he greeted Jacob with a hug and within second, Carlisle was at the door. He moved so quickly and quietly no one had even noticed his presence till he spoke. "Hello Charlie, I was told you had some news to share with us?" His presence startled everyone at first. The room became quiet as everyone listened. The rest of the Cullens circled around the room too to hear the news. "Uh yeah, about thatI just wanted to let you know there was a police report filed by a couple of men who claim they were attacked in the forest by" Everyone stood motionless, waiting for Charlie to tell them what was reported. "a young girl," he finished. They all just looked at each other and then suddenly Jacob snickered. "A girl? That's it?" he asked. "Well, nothat's not all they reported. They mentioned being attacked by two large

wolves also." "But we didn't attack anyone!" Seth said angrily. Charlie held his hand up signaling to wait. "They are claiming the girl that attacked them wasn't human either, that she had super strength. Strength enough to snap a shotgun in half." Bella gasped. Edward remembered he had the guns in the back of the jeep still. "They also said they saw one of the wolves change into a man right in front of them," he finished. They all started to worry now. "What will happen now Charlie?" Carlisle asked. "WellI'm supposed to file the report and start and investigation. HoweverI informed the men I had a long list of reports ahead of theirs and that I would be getting around to it once I located Big Foot, The Loch Ness Monster, and Frankenstein." Then his serious face turned into a grin. Carlisle smiled too. The boys started snickering and then suddenly the mood became lighter in the room. "Thank you Charlie. We appreciate all you've done for us." Carlisle shook his hand. "I do suggest you all stay out of the woods for a while though. Let this thing die out quietly." "We will be sure to do that Charlie." Carlisle assured him. Renesmee gave Charlie a hug and thanked him too. Bella smiled when she saw them together. "Welcome kiddo," he patted her back smiling too. Then he suddenly pulled back slightly, looking at her. "Did you get taller since the last time I saw you?" he wondered as he remembered her being much shorter on his last visit. Renesmee giggled. "Growth spurt," she said shrugging her shoulders. "Right. Growth spurt." Charlie chuckled.

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 1:02 AM 3 comments

Chapter 12 - Unexpected When Renesmee awoke the next morning in her own bed, she sat up quickly and wondered how she got there, knowing she'd fallen asleep in the chair in Jacob's room. She threw the covers off and jumped onto the floor. "Ow!" Someone yelled, as she stepped on something hard on the floor below. It was Jacob. He slept on the floor next to her bed. "Jake! What the heck are you doing in my room? Wait! What the heck am I doing up here? I thought I fell asleep in your room last night." "You did, but I couldn't stand seeing you sleep in that chair all night so I carried you up to your bed," he said. "Man, you've really put on a few pounds you know," he added. "Youhey wait what?" she frowned, putting her hands on her hips when she realized what he just said. Jacob laughed, pulling her down to the floor. "Don't worry, I don't mean that in a bad way." He grinned. Renesmee looked him over. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of sweat pants he'd changed into before he fell asleep. She examined his side where the wounds had been. They were completely healed. "You're all better? Really?" she asked. "Yup. Good as new." He held out his arms, showing off. Renesmee threw herself at him and hugged him. Jacob wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, unable to resist her affection. When she pulled back, she smiled and stared into his eyes. He looked at her differently now. It was no longer the playful affection he displayed for her before. There was clearly a strong desire behind his eyes that longed for her. As he brought his hand up to her face, he tenderly touched her cheek and leaned in to kiss her, pressing his lips to hers softly. When they parted, he pressed his forehead against hers, tenderly caressing her face. "I've been waiting for this for so long," he confessed. He leaned back and looked at her. Her hair was still a bit messy from sleeping on it. He

took his finger and brushed a long curly lock of hair from her eyes. "You are so beautiful. I don't know if you even noticed but I haven't been able to take my eyes off you since" She smiled. He didn't need to finish. "It was almost impossible to be around Edward. I thought at any moment he was gonna just run over to me and rip my eyes out for looking at you. I just can't get you out of my head." She started to blush. Jacob liked it. "But wasn't it that way before? I thought you said you were always thinking about me." "Well yeah I was, but it was different. I mean it was impossible for to me imagine being with you like this before. I knew it would happen someday, and I've been counting the days, believe me! You just ignited a flame the first day I saw you standing in the bathroom all..grown-up and stuff." He did a little waving of the hands, pointing out her features. She leaned in close to him. "Jacob?" she said, almost seductively. "Yes?" "Are you trying to tell me you only love me for my body?" "What? No! That's not what I'm saying" She grinned devilishly and started to giggle. It made him laugh too and then he playfully tackled her to the ground and began tickling her making her she squeal. As they still squirmed around on the floor, Bella suddenly peeked in. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. They both looked up at her nearly breathless, in an embrace. "Uh...yeah, okso this is awkward," Jacob said. He stood and then helped Renesmee to her feet. "I just wanted to see if you might be hungry. Esme made some food," she said to Jacob. "Oh... yeah actually, I'm starving now that I think about it." Food was the last thing on his mind a moment ago. He nervously rubbed his hand behind his neck as he started to sweat. "How about you Ness? Want some eggs?" "Sure. Let's go," she said gleefully as she kissed his cheek and then headed for the door. As soon as Renesmee turned her back to them, Bella's face became very serious and she made a Vee with her two fingers, first pointing at her eyes and then turned her hand and

pointed one finger at Jacob, indicating she was watching him. Jacob almost laughed at the irony of it. All of the other visitors disappeared for the night knowing Jacob would be recovered by morning. Carlisle returned to the hospital to work an early shift. Jacob and Renesmee followed Bella into the kitchen. Seth nearly finished eating the food Esme prepared for him too. Tara sat by his side listening as Edward told her more family stories. She curiously wanted to hear the about the vampire army that came to Forks to hunt Bella. It was a story she hadn't heard yet. He began the story with the account of James and how he tricked Bella and nearly killed her. Tara originally thought James turned her but Edward explained how he saved her by drawing the venom out of her blood before the process was complete, saving her life. As everything started to comfortably fall into place, all of their troublesome burdens seemed almost trivial now. But when Bella spotted that familiar expression on Edward's face, she knew something wasn't right. Suddenly, Alice's scream echoed through the house, confirming her suspicions. Everyone dropped what they were doing and ran to her. "They're coming!" she said frantically. "Who's coming Alice?" Seth asked. "The Volturi! They know something, I don't know how or what exactly but they're on their way here." How soon? Esme asked. Hours. Alice replied. Less than a day. Edward turned to Seth and Jacob. "Take the girls to the Reservation. They'll be protected there. We'll handle the Volturi and get rid of them as quickly as possible." They both nodded. They knew the Volturi couldn't track either of them as long as they were with the wolves and would be safe for the time being. "What do you suppose they want?" Esme asked Edward. I don't know, maybe they've just decided to check on Renesmee. It could be nothing. We'll just be polite and respectful and try not to give anything away. We'll have to make sure not to make any physical contact with Aro. If we do he'll know everything immediately." She nodded and they all acknowledged his warning. Edward knew the Volturi could

travel fast. They wasted no time in getting the girls out of there. Jacob took Renesmee to Billy's house then contacted Sam's pack to have them patrolling the area to keep guard. Seth took Tara to his house. As he'd hoped, he found a note from Sue on the kitchen table. Going out with Charlie tonight after work for dinner and a movie. Won't be home. Left you dinner in the fridge. Love you, Mom. The news relieved Seth since he wouldn't have to explain to his mother why Tara would be staying there for a while. They waited several hours. Nightfall came and there was still no news yet from Edward. To kill some time, Seth suggested they watch some movies he borrowed from the Cullens. Tara hoped it would be a good distraction however, it wasn't being very affective. As she and Seth sat on the couch, she barely paid attention to the plot, staring blankly at the screen. He put his arm around her, caressing her shoulders and glancing at her frequently. "You're very quiet tonight," he'd noticed. His voice broke her trance. "I'm sorry. My mind is elsewhere." "Where's that?" Tara sighed. "In the wrong place." She gazed at his face. "You're just worried. It's understandable." He kissed her head. "Worry is a wasted emotion. It solves nothing. There are so many other emotions I'd rather be indulging in when I'm with you, so I'll stop." She shrugged it off, changing her mood instantly. Seth was taken aback. "Wow. You're so much less complicated than other girls I know." "Less complicated? You're joking right?" She gave him a crooked smile. "Uh, no." She shook her head. "What?" he asked. "I just can't believe you don't think I've complicated your life," she replied. "Well I don't. Human girls are full of complications. I mean for one, they can't just logically turn off their emotions or change them the way you do. And when you see a problem, you fix it. You don't just dwell over it forever. I really like that you prefer to

focus on us and set aside everything else going on. Even I have a hard time doing that sometimes but you seem to be a natural." "I'm sorry. It just makes sense to me. I didn't know there was another way," she shrugged. "Don't apologize for the way you are. It's part of what I love about you." "Okay then, I'm not sorry and I also like hearing all the reasons why you love me," she smiled. Seth turned his body, facing hers. He propped his head up in one hand, staring at her while caressing her arm with the other. "I didn't really like this movie so much any. It's too predictable. I already figured out who the killer is," he said. She grinned. "I always figure that out right away. I can spot a killer easily, unless they are just horrible actorslike this guy." She pointed to the man on screen who was about to strangle his victim. "Huh, ok I guessed wrong," Seth admitted as he realized he'd picked out the wrong guy in the movie. They sat quietly for a while, staring at each other until Seth's minded drifted. "How long do you think it will take them to get here?" he asked, breaking the silence. She knew he referred to the Volturi. "Depends how they choose to travel, but either way they are quick." "How many ways are there for a vampire to travel?" he asked. "Well if they choose to fly they'd have to conceal themselves and travel at night. They also have to hide their eyes. They find this very inconvenient so most often they will travel by foot." "By foot? But..aren't they coming from Italy?" "Yes, we're good swimmers...remember?" she reminded him. "Oh, right." His mind began to wander as he stared off in another direction. She reached up and touched his chin turning his face back in her direction. "Thought we weren't going to worry tonight?" she reminded him. "Mmm, you caught me. Sorry about that." He gave her a smile and she returned one. "Are you getting tired at all? Do you need to rest?" She realized how late it was and knew it would be time for him to sleep soon. "Not tired at all. Actually... I'm a little wound up," he admitted. She sighed. "Hmm wanna go for a quick run? I bet I can beat you this time," she said,

trying to think of ways to make him feel better. Running and hunting always relieved tension or anxiousness for her. Seth had something else on his mind however. "No, I don't feel like running," he said then slid closer to her and began to stroke her arm. As his hand trailed up past her shoulder to her neck, he gently caressed her skin with his fingertips. She understood what kind of mood he was in now. Then he brushed her soft, cool lips with his fingertips and she closed her eyes enjoying every second his skin contacted hers. When he could no longer hold back, he slowly leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, tasting the chill in her breath. She didn't resist. He ran his fingers through her hair as he kissed her more passionately, then slid his hand past the small of her back to her leg and gripped her thigh. Tara moved slowly and cautiously. She leisurely eased her way into his lap with her legs on either side of him so she faced him and then she leaned into him, reaching her arms over his shoulders and placing her hands on the back of the couch. As she pressed her body against his, absorbing his body heat, she closed her eyes and softly touched her lips to his. Seth hands slid from her hips to her back, running one up the back of her neck, knotting his fingers in her hair. The stinging heat from his palms electrified her and her hands gripped the back of the couch digging her nails into the cushions. His kiss became more penetrating as he parted his lips and kissed her even more deeply than he had before. She felt his heart rate speed up and he breathed even heavier now as things became more intense. As his lips trailed down her neck she found herself desiring him more. She suddenly sucked in a breath and leaped away from him quickly. "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" he huffed out of breath. "Ah no, no you did everything right actually," she confessed. "Then why did you jump off of me?" "Sorry, I just needed to stop for a second. I have to be careful. If we keep that up, I'll take you whether you want me to or not," she winked. "Well, who says I don't want you to?" She realized he wasn't joking. "Umm, wouldn't you like to give it a little thought first?" "I have thought about itfrequently," he admitted. "Yes, but are you sure it's what you want, right now? Shouldn't you wait or something? I mean you've already waited this long.." "What's left to wait for? You're the only one I'll ever want and right now, I really, really

want you. But, only if you're ok with it. I want you to want this too. It's not just about me." She paused for a moment and then with a sudden motion, she was in his lap again. She looked very serious but her eyes were soft and loving and yet still very radiantly golden. "You're sure about this?" she asked. He nodded staring in her eyes. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You're making this too easy for me you know." "Good," he whispered, his mouth nearly on hers again. "I want you too." she said, then brushed her cool lips to his quickly. "But I don't wanna break anything on you." Seth chuckled, leaning back to look at her. "Okay then, in that case we'll just keep your hands above the waist and below the neck, for the time being." He winked, placing both her hands on his chest and holding them there with his. Tara giggled shaking her head. "Oh I see. I only get access to all your major organs. Those are expendable, eh?" "Well uh, not all my major organs," Seth teased. Tara gasped with embarrassment and poked him in the stomach. He jumped slightly, and laughed at her. As she started to laugh with him, they both became aroused from the movement between their bodies. Seth eagerly kissed her again but this time with more force behind it as he held her tight. Before long, his blood boiled under his skin. He broke away only for a moment as he crossed his arms, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head. Tara touched her hand to his soft, bronze skin, placing it over his heart and feeling it pound against her palm. Then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his chest, kissing a trail up to his neck. Her lips burned against his skin. The fiery heat from his body electrified her and she longed to feel his bare skin against hers. She paused to remove her shirt and then embraced him, burying her face in his neck. She liked the way his body felt against hers and she began to kiss his neck and shoulders until she reached his mouth again. He scooped her up and brought her into his bedroom, setting her gently on his bed. He slid next to her and pulled her close, pressing his bare skin against hers. As things intensified, Seth's body started to tremble. Tara stopped and placed her hands on his chest, feeling the vibration. "You're shaking.

Am I making you cold?" she worried. Seth shook his head. He was starting to look a little less confident. She cocked her head to the side and touched his chin with her finger, turning his face so his eyes would meet hers. "Are you scared?" He shook his head again and his eyes looked away embarrassed. "No, not scared really just... nervous." Then his eyes panned up to see her reaction. "Oh." She understood and smiled. "It's okay," she said, caressing his cheek, "We can stop if you want." "No. I don't wanna stop. I don't think I could even let go of you right now if I tried." His fingers gripped her tightly. She smiled putting her head to his. "Then don't," she whispered. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you too." Seth brushed her hair back from her face with his hand and kissed her temple, then her cheek and then he slowly moved his lips to her neck. He kissed a trail down her body till he reached her navel and circled it with his tongue while he gently pulled off the remainder of her clothing. His hands trembled as he slid them over her smooth, cool skin all the way up the front of her body. He kissed her again on the lips and slid his hand around to her lower back, gripping her tightly as he pulled her body into his. Tara could feel that Seth was ready for her. Her hands drifted down to his jeans and she gripped the fabric, tearing it from his body. The shreds fell to the floor. He rolled to the side a little stunned. "Umm, you're going to owe me a lot of clothing," he said to her slightly out of breath. "Mmm-hmm." Was all she mumbled as she pulled his body back to hers and wrapped one leg around his waist drawing in the heat from his blazing hot skin. He pressed his cheek to hers and ran his fingers through her hair. "Tell me if I do anything wrong. Okay?" he whispered nervously in her ear. His breath was warmed her skin as he spoke. She leaned back and smiled touching his face with her fingertips. "Don't worry about that, it's not as though you can hurt me. Do what your body tells you to do. Do what feels good to you. You'll know." She said completely unyielding to him as

she softly stroked his back. "I'm all yours tonight." A chill went down his spine. She helped him position himself and the moment he felt he was inside her, he thrust his body against her. She gasped as she felt the heat from his skin penetrate her body. His heart beat faster as the blood pumped through his veins. Her body delighted in the new sensation she experienced. It was unlike anything she'd know before. It was different, not like the cold, heartless ravaging she experienced with Derek. Seth was warm and loving. He embraced her with passion and love. Even his inexperience was a delight for her as she felt him taking pleasure in learning and giving in to his desires. He was very gentle with her, always asking if his touch was pleasing to her as he explored new grounds. As his motion rocked her, she felt a surge of energy flow through every nerve ending in her body. In her moment of ecstasy she sunk her nails into the bed, gripping it tightly in her fists. She put her hand to her mouth to stifle a squeal when Seth drove his body into hers when he climaxed. In a completely habitual manner, Tara bit down clenching her teeth hard. A few hours passed. Seth opened his eyes, seeing Tara lying next to him. She traced the outline of his arm with her fingers. "Hey," he spoke softly, smiling. "I'm sorry, did I fall asleep?" "It's ok, I think I wore you out a little," she grinned. Seth chuckled. He looked down at his body. "So are all my major organs still intact?" he said jokingly. "Mmm, last I checked they were all there," she grinned devilishly while her fingers drifted over his shoulders and down his chest. "Most of the bruises have gone away too," She added. "Bruises?" His eye brows rose as he examined his body. "Umm...just a few. I really tried being gentle." He smiled "Well I can't say I recall anything ever hurting. Everything felt pretty amazing to me." He touched her face caressing it softly. Then he noticed she wore the t-shirt he took off. "Hey, is that my shirt you have on?"

"Mmm-hmm. It's comfy, and covers me up all the way," she said as she showed him how long it hung down her body. "Plus, I like the way it smells. It has your scent." "But I thought you don't like the way we smell." "Well, your scent has kinda grown on me." "Mmm, I know what you mean," he said, leaning in to smell her hair. When she lifted her arm to touch him, he spotted two fresh scars. "Hey, what happened to your arm?" he asked, grabbing her hand. She pulled her hand back quickly. "It's nothing." "When did you get these? I don't remember you having bite marks on your arms." "Umm... that's because, I bit my arm last night." She lowered her eyes. "W-why"? "Well, because you kept biting me and the more excited you got, the more I worried I would bite you back. I had to stop myself. It was all I could think of at the time," she confessed. "I bit you?" he gasped with surprise. "Quite a lot." she nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." She stroked his hand. "Don't be sorry, I liked it. It's not like you can hurt me with those teeth." "Was there anything else?" he worried. "Umyou kinda growled a lot too." "Ioh no, please tell me you are just teasing me now!" Seth wondered if maybe he'd been so caught up in the moment he didn't realize what kind of noises he made. She bit her lip and shook her head. Seth threw himself back on the bed and put his hand over his face embarrassed. She laughed, crawling on top of him and lifted his hand. "I just love it when I make you blush." He opened his eyes to look at her. "Were you teasing?" She grinned. "Ok maybe just a little," she chuckled. "Gotcha." He laughed. "Ok I guess I sort of earned that. You really had me fooled but" He reached for her arm looking at the scars, still there. "This isn't an illusion?" "No," she admitted.

"Then?" Seth looked at her confused again. "Well, things got pretty intense and I really was afraid I'd bite you." "So you bit your own hand?" He examined the scar rubbing his fingers over it. "Don't worry about it, better mine than yours," she pointed out. "Oh and umI'm sorry about the holes in your mattress." "Holes?" his eyebrows rose with curiosity. She pointed where she'd dug her nails into the mattress. "Wow, you clawed up the bed was it that good?" he chuckled with little concern for the damage to his bed. She leaned in close. "You have no idea," she whispered, and then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "What about you though, was it worth waiting for?" she wondered. He touched her face. "Yes, better than I imagined. It feels perfect with you - like you were made for me." She smiled. Then he lay back in the bed, pulling her onto him so her head rested on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair. She knew he was asleep, once his hand fell limp.

*********************************The Volturi********************************** Five of them came - Aro, accompanied by his body guard Renata. Demetri, Jane and Alec shadowed them. Carlisle graciously greeted them when they arrived, inviting them in his home. "Good to see you again old friend. How are you?" Aro asked him. He folded his hands in front of him being inquisitive. "We're all very well Aro, thank you but forgive me for skipping over the small talk. Needless to say we are all a bit anxious that you've dropped in at our doorstep for no

apparent reason. May I ask what is it that brings you all the way to Forks?" "Of course." His smile faded. "We have a bit of a problem you see." Aro held out a news paper. Everyone read the headlines: Local Men Attacked by Mysterious creatures in Olympic Forest. The article went on to mention details of the events that took place giving descriptions of the creatures they saw. "I really don't like finding out this sort of thing this way and Demetri here seems to have difficulty seeing things very clearly when it comes to your family. I wonder why that is?" "I'm sorry Aro, I'm afraid I can't explain that one," Carlisle lied knowing the wolves protected them. "Yeswell regardless, you know our rules, the humans cannot know of our existence, and someone here has made us known to them. Unfortunately we are unable to see the events that caused this, I was hoping you could clear this matter up form me my old friend. Tell me, are the wolves giving you grief?" "No, Aro, the wolves have not been a problem at all. As you can see from the article there was an unfortunate hunting accident that involved one of the wolves. He was shot and we came to his aid." "I see and the humans involved in this are the ones responsible for this?" he pointed at the paper. "That is correct." Carlisle answered. "So you left them alive, even though they knew of your existence?" Aro frowned. "Aro, we cannot kill humans, not only is it morally wrong but it would break our truce with the wolves. We had to let them go. This was unexpected, however I don't think it's any reason for you to come all this way. We are all laying low and I'm sure this will pass in a matter of days. People will just call it a hoax and move on. There is no need for you to be so concerned. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience." "Mmm, well I like to be sure of these things. Which one of you witnessed the event?" Aro asked. "I did." Edward spoke up quickly, taking the heat. "I carried the body back here so he could be treated by Carlisle. We wanted to avoid taking him to the hospital and making this any more public than it already was." "Ah, very good. Well, I would like to see this for myself if you please." Aro held out his

hand. "Just to be quite sure no details were left out. Edward hesitated. He read Aro's mind who was unconvinced that there was really nothing more to it. "Is there something wrong?" Aro asked suspiciously. "No, nothing's wrong, I just don't like being accused of lying," Edward hissed. Carlisle stepped in. "We've told you everything Aro. We just wish to forget this event and move on. I'm sorry you came all this way, but it was truly unnecessary." Aro paused thinking for a moment then he paced across the room. His bodyguard Renata shadowed him. "All right Carlisle, I will give you the benefit of the doubt." Edward still listened to his thoughts. "You realize that it could cause more problems for us if those hunters disappear right now," Edward said to him when he saw Aro's plans to make a meal of the hunters. Aro let out a devilish snicker. "Ah, such an amazing talent you possess Edward. It's such a pity you refused to join us. We truly would love to have you with us," he chimed. Then he stepped closer to Bella. "And Bella my dear." he said in a sly voice. "How have you been? You look wonderful. I see you are maintaining the Cullen diet still," he said looking into her eyes. "Yes," she said plainly. She didn't like Aro, nor did she wish to entertain him. Bella took Edward's hand, squeezing it tightly. Keep him away from me, she thought. He made her skin crawl. Aro continued speaking to her. "And how is your daughterRenesmee?" he asked, looking around the room for her noticing she was not present. "I'm sorry, she's not here at the moment," Edward told him. "I see. Hunting?" "No, she's actually spending time with some friends. She won't be back any time soon. I'm very sorry you'll miss her." He tried to sound sincere. "Demetri? Aro said as he turned to him. "Nothing Aro," he replied. "Hmm, how odd. We've had trouble keeping an eye on her. She seems to be in and out of Demetri's view. Aro paced across the room. He went over to some pictures that were on a table. There was a picture of Edward and Bella with Renesmee when she looked about the age

of ten. Aro picked it up and stared at it. "Her friends you speak of.are they by chance... the wolves?" Edward glanced at Carlisle. "Yes that is correct." Carlisle answered. "And you feel it's safe for her to mingle with them, especially after your recent misfortune?" "They are very protective of her, they wouldn't let anything happen. We trust them," he assured Aro. "Is that so?" The corners of Aro's mouth turned down. "And you trust those killers with your daughter Edward?" "Yes, I do. They would never harm her. We have a truce and we like to keep it that way." Aro let out a deep sigh. "I find your relationship with these animals is disturbing Carlisle. I'm starting to wonder if this bizarre diet you've chosen is affecting your judgment." "No, not in any way I assure you Aro," He replied. "Well, these creatures have already caused some trouble for us," he said holding up the newspaper, "Perhaps you should consider detaching from them and keep your distance. I don't wish to see this kind of thing again in the future, nor do I like having to find out about it through the media. It's so archaic. If the wolves wish to expose themselves to the humans, then that is their business however we need not be involved and risk uncovering ours. Do I make myself clear on this matter?" he ordered. Jane silently glared with her crimson red eyes as she stood motionless, watching all of them very carefully. "Aro, I will personally make sure this event does not repeat itself. Again, I assure you we are taking precautions to ensure we keep our identity concealed. We are very happy here in Forks and we do not wish to jeopardize our stay," Carlisle said. Aro continued to pace across the room looking about. He walked over to the large bay window and stared out it for a moment without saying a word. He looked for the wolves, staring deep into the forest as his eyes would allow, trying to see if they were guarding the house. He saw no sign of them. Edward read his every thought carefully scanning to see what he was planning. You could feel the tension in the room as the Cullens waited anxiously hoping Aro would accept Carlisle's story and leave quickly.

Aro glided across the floor back over to Carlisle standing directly in front of him. "Very well my friends, I feel we have concluded this visit." He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. His companions drifted over to him and stood just inches next to him at his side. "Till next time." Aro held out his hand to Carlisle to bid him farewell. Carlisle stared down at it, afraid to touch his skin for he knew it would instantly reveal everything to Aro. Aro frowned again. "You're being rude Carlisle. Or... is it that you have something to hide as well?" He looked him square in the eyes and Carlisle glared back. As the tension grew even higher, Bella readied herself. Suddenly Aro reached out and grabbed Carlisle's arm. Edward and Emmett got ready to spring into action. Carlisle quickly told them to back down, concerned for their safety. They both just growled. Aro pushed up Carlisle's sleeve and touched his skin. Nothing. Aro smiled a crooked smile. "Bella," he said slyly as his eyes diverted in her direction, knowing she was applying her gifts. "What are you protecting?" he hissed. Edward tried to stop Jane before she leaped at Bella knocking her to the floor. He grabbed the tiny girl, lifting her off his wife and threw her across the room. The rest of the Volturi and the Cullens began to lunge at one another until it became a big snarling mess of arms and legs swinging in all directions. "STOP!" Carlisle ordered. Aro's still grasped his arm tightly as he stood there. The distraction worked however. Bella lost her concentration when Jane hit her. Aro broke through and saw everything through Carlisle's mind. He let go of Carlisle and barred his teeth at them. The visions angered him. "You lied! I knew you were hiding something but I had no idea it was anything this unfathomable!" "We've done nothing wrong Aro, we just wish to be left alone, in peace." "On the contrary, you're harboring a fugitive here and you're allowing your vampires to engage in intimate relationships with the wolves. This is detestable!" "She's not a fugitive, she's free to do as she pleases and she wishes to stay with us. As far as the relationships, there are no rules against it and it does not violate any other codes. The wolves keep our secrets as we protect theirs."

"Tara belongs to my coven where she was created." "You're not her maker though. You have no power over her." "No, her maker is dead. She killed him just before she left. He was one of our own. I demand she be returned to me!" Carlisle looked at Edward. He wondered if Edward knew if this was true or not. Edward nodded. "I was unaware of this information," Carlisle said. "Yes, her crime is punishable by death. I will however, spare her if she returns peacefully. Her talents are very valuable to me." "Tara is happy here, she's been away from your coven for decades. I beg you Aro, leave her be. If there is anything I can do that would amend for her crimes" Aro grinned devilishly. "How noble of you Carlisle. You've truly become quite the family man haven't you? Well as much as I wish to have Tara back with us, I actually would be willing to make a fair exchange for another. As I have seen through your mind, she has progressed into quite an extraordinary being." Aro was thinking how he'd love to have Renesmee in his Coven. "NO!" Edward growled. "Over my dead body!" Aro continued. "And I also see that she provoked the hunters as well. Interesting. She does have a savage side to her doesn't she? Something I admire, however we can't have her causing trouble in the future." Carlisle put his hand on Edward who was about to become unglued. He motioned for Edward to step back. "There will be no trouble Aro. She's just going through some changes right now. We are keeping an eye on things I assure you." "Very well thenand Tarashe is with her wolf I presume?" he assumed. "Yes," Carlisle replied. "And to think I almost gave up looking for her and she was right here. I suppose I can just go and retrieve her myself." "You can't step foot on Quileute land. They won't allow it," Edward warned. "And neither will I," Bella said. She would protect her daughter, her friends and her future son-in-law from harm if they were to try. "This is so unnecessary, Carlisle, you don't need to get involved with this. Your friends

don't need to be involved either, I just wish to see her and speak to her. Bring her here alone, so we may negotiate peacefully. You don't wish any harm to come to your friends or your family, do you?" "No of course not." "Let it be done then. I will wait." Aro found a large majestic chair to sit in. His guards followed him to it and stood at his side. Tara's phone rang in the pocket of her pants. It was Carlisle. He called to inform her of the events that took place and the threats Aro made if she didn't comply. He painfully apologized for having to bear such awful news to her and told her they would do anything to protect her no matter what decision she made. She didn't want to involve Seth or put him in danger. Wanting to protect him, she decided to meet with Aro, alone as he requested. Tara knelt next to the bed looking at Seth. With one finger, she carefully brushed the strands of hair that touched his forehead, trying not to wake him. She longed to kiss him but knew it would only disturb his rest. She searched the house for some paper and then wrote him a note apologizing for doing what she was about to do and asked him to forgive her. She hoped he would understand that she wanted to protect him and that no matter what happens, she would always love him. She had no idea if she would be able to return and feared Aro would kill her on the spot once he saw her and she knew if Seth came with her, he would also be killed trying to save her. She couldn't allow that to happen. Once dressed, Tara placed the note on the bed next to him. She picked up Seth's shirt and lifted it to her nose, inhaling the scent, branding it into her memory before leaving him forever.

When she entered the Cullen home, Aro stood up and walked towards her, greeting her with an enormous smile. His tone was unsettling however. "Tara my dear, it's been too long," he chimed. He held out his hand to her. She gave him a bitter look. "Don't touch me!" Aro sighed. "Hmmm, I see where you get your manners from," he said coldly, eyeing the others. "Get on with it Aro. What do you want?" she demanded

"I've come to peacefully invite you to return home. We've missed you." "This is my home," she replied. Aro's face turned sour. "You're part of my coven, you belong with us. I am offering you your life back my dear and you stand here and insult me?" "That's not a life I chose. I don't want it!" she spat. "You would rather be destroyed then?" "Tara, no!" Edward said as he listened to her thoughts. She was willing to give her life to protect Seth and them. Aro seemed to understand. He had no interest in destroying her though. She was a great asset to him and a fascination of his since she joined them. He wanted to posses her again more than anything. "Such a pity. You Cullen's are so unusual and rare, giving your lives up for the love of human. Such a waste of talent." "Get on with it then Aro, stop monologuing and just get it over with." Tara's tone was acidic and impatient. She worried Seth may wake up and coming looking for her soon. Aro, grumbled. "I simply don't wish to end it this way Tara, I had sincerely hoped you see things my way," he frowned. "Well I don't!" she hissed "Hmm yes, well you should reconsider again. I don't think you'd want to put your friends in danger would you...or their families?" Did you leave you're wolf friend alone to come here?" Tara wondered why he'd asked that. She was told to come alone as he requested. Edward growled. "There are more of them. They've surrounded Charlie's house. Aro has ordered his guards to attack if he doesn't return for them." "No!" Bella shouted. "That's not a negotiation Aro, that's a deliberate threat!" Edward angrily pointed out. "No threats, just concerns. I mean after all, things happen, accidents...people disappear." Tara's eyes turned black. She thought about ripping Aro's head off right then and there. His guards stood tightly against him, protecting him. "Damn you Aro! Just take my life and leave the others out of it. They've done nothing to you!" Carlisle wasn't about to let Tara give her life up knowing the devastation it would cause.

Edward heard his thoughts and stood by him in his decision. "No, we won't allow you to take this girl's life either. She's part of our family now," Carlisle said. Aro wasn't interested in getting into a battle but he was unyielding when it came to the law and he didn't like it when he didn't get his way. "Carlisle, there's no need for you to be involved in this. I don't wish to bring any harm to you or your family my old friend. But I have made up my mind." Aro made sure Edward knew that he would not back down. Tara feared that the Cullens would start a fight with them. She wasn't about to endanger their lives and she knew they'd fight for hers. "No, Carlisle, I won't let you risk your family like that, not for me." "But Tara" Esme spoke. She didn't want to lose Tara and the thought of it broke her heart. Tara hardened her heart and mind. She detached her emotions so she would not be persuaded to stay. She back away from the family shaking her head. Her eyes were black and cold and expressionless. This was her only hope of protecting them. "Aro, please give me a moment with them alone," she requested. Aro smiled feeling victorious. "Of course, we'll be waiting outside." He snapped his fingers and they turned and disappeared. Once they stepped out, Carlisle spoke. "Don't Tara, we'll find a way to get out of this." "No, Aro won't back down from this and I don't want to be responsible for the deaths of anyone. You don't have to protect me. Just protect your family." "But you are family," Esme pleaded. "I'm sorry, there's no other way. This is what I choose," she said somberly. "You can't do this to Seth!" Bella shouted. "You don't know what that will do to him!" "Yes I do, it will save his life, and the life of his family. I don't want them to die because of me. I brought this on myself and as I have said before, I will do what it takes to make it right. Carlisle, I don't want your family to go to war over me. Please just understand my decision to leave." Bella became angry and stormed out. Tara didn't understand why she was so upset. Edward tried to explain it to her. "She's upset because I left her once, thinking I could protect her that way. It devastated

her. It's a pain that she remembers well and would never wish on anyone. She knows what this will do to Seth if you leave. She loves him and doesn't want to see him go through that." Well I can't live with myself if he gets killed because of me Edward...or his mom or Charlie. I don't think she will be so forgiving then. Please Edward. don't make this harder for me than it already is." Tara unclasped the chain around her neck. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "Give this to Seth," she said with a hardened expression as she handed him the charm. Read my mind Edward. Tell him. Tell him how much I love him, and I will never forget, she thought. Edward cupped her hand between his and squeezed. With a pained look on his face, he quietly took the locket and stepped away. Esme ran up and hugged Tara. She held back a sob and pushed her off gently so she could leave. Though there were no tears on any of their faces, they all looked as though they were crying.

Chapter 13 - Broken Hearts Broken Hearts Seth woke in his bed alone, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "Tara?" he called out, waiting patiently worrying that she left to hunt when she didn't answer. Then he spotted the note and opened the folded paper. His heart pounded as he read it. The note fell to the floor when he sprung outta bed. He nearly lost his balance as he dressed quickly, shoving his legs in the pant holes. When he slipped his shirt over his head he smelled her scent that lingered on it still. Then he dashed to his bike and headed to the Cullen's house. Seth drove recklessly fast, running two stop signs and breaking all the speed limits. About three quarters of the way there, Charlie's cruiser pulled out onto the road. The lights came on as it followed him. Seth ignored him, giving his bike as much gas as he could. When he pulled into the Cullen's driveway, he parked his bike and ran for the house yanking his helmet off.

"Tara!" Seth shouted as ran inside, heading for the stairs. "She's gone," Edward said from behind. Seth turned around and saw Edward and Carlisle's somber faces staring at him. Edward heard every painful thought in Seth's mind. Without a word, Seth darted for the exit while thinking about driving to the airport. "You won't find her there, they traveled on foot. They're gone, probably half way there by now," Edward explained. Charlie suddenly came through the door after him. "What the hell are you doing boy?" he yelled. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going and how many laws you broke out there?" "Not now." Seth looked at him angrily, trying to get out the door. "Yes now damn it! You're not going anywhere." He blocked the door preventing Seth from leaving. "Dad, waitI need to talk to you," Bella interrupted. Charlie turned his attention to Bella as she pushed him out the door, unable to break free from her grip. "I'm so sorry Seth. I truly know how you feel," Edward empathized. "How could you let her go then?" He turned towards Edward, hurt and angered. "She felt it was the only way. She didn't want to risk anyone's life for her own sake." "I would have protected her with my life, because it's nothing without her in it," his voice cracked. "That's why she left without you knowing. She didn't want to risk your life. Aro will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He had several guards posted at Charlie's last night. He threatened to kill him and your mother if she didn't comply. She couldn't let herself be responsible if any harm came to them. She loves you too much. She also asked me to give this to you." When Edward held out the locket Tara gave him, Seth's eyes welled up with tears and one rolled down his cheek. He slowly grabbed the locket and wiped the tear off with his arm. "Seth, she begged me to let her go without a fight. I promised her I wouldn't force her to stay here if she didn't want to. There was nothing I could do," Carlisle said. Seth fought the urge to fall apart completely. "Then you have to help me. Help me go to

Italy to bring her back." "I can't do that. I promised I wouldn't. She doesn't want any harm to come to you. She loves you too much It would be suicide for you to go there. There would be no fight Seth, they would just have you killed," Carlisle said. "I don't care, I have to try. I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'll die inside anyway, so what's the difference?" Carlisle saw the desperation in his face. "I know how you feel son, but there is nothing you can do. None of us want this for her either but she wouldn't have it any other way. She refused to put anyone at risk," he said. "I can't accept that. If you won't help, I'll just find her myself." Seth turned his back to him and reached for the doorknob to leave. Edward listened to his entire plan to use his savings buy an airline ticket and pass port. "Seth, consider the family, your mother. Consider them and what will happen when you are killed." Edward made no mistake pointing out that he would not being making a return trip if he goes. Seth turned his head staring at Edward coldly. "You seem to forget who I am. I was built to destroy your kind. That's my purpose in life. I intend to use it and I intend to kill Aro for what he's done." Seth looked different than they'd ever seen him - driven completely by anger. He opened the door and stood half way out and paused, then turned and looked back at Edward. "My family will understand. They know what it means to risk everything for someone you love, even your life. Consider this Edward.what if it was your Bella. or Ness. What would you do had Aro tried to steal them from you and threatened to kill your family if you tried to stop him? Oh wait, he did! I remember, because I was there!" Edward frowned. The guilt poured over him as he stood there in silence. "I love Tara more than anything and I'll do whatever I have to in order to get her back if that's possible...even if I die trying!" Seth walked out slamming the door. Charlie stood outside with Bella waiting as Seth headed for his bike, not even looking at them. He grabbed Seth's arm and stopped him. "Now you just wait one minute! I know you've got a lot going on right now but I better not ever catch you pulling that crap on the road again or I'll haul your butt off to the station, do you understand?" he said in a sharp tone.

Seth's disposition was breaking. He turned to face Charlie and his face displayed pure anguish. "Yes sir," he spoke in a low angry voice and then walked to his bike and stood in front of it. Images of Tara ran though his head while he looked at the locket in his hand. He closed his fingers over it and squeezed it tightly. Tears welled up in his eyes and began to stream down his face. He started to wipe them and then rubbed his forehead that was throbbing. Then he snapped. He kicked is bike over with so much force it slid out to the road. Seth cursed and screamed as he slammed his helmet into the ground with so much force it cracked. "Hey now!" Charlie yelled at him. Bella grabbed Charlie not letting him get close. She suspected what he was about to do soon and didn't want him to be in the way. Seth's body vibrated violently. Suddenly he ran for the forest and leaped in the air. His clothes fell to shreds as he transformed in midair. He ran as fast as he could back to the reservation. Edward and Carlisle came out and stepped off the porch. Bella had never seen Seth in such a state as this. She always knew Seth to have the most cheerful temperament of any human she'd ever known, even during the most trying times. It disturbed her to see him this way. She leaned down picking up the locket that had fallen to the ground as he dropped it. "So all this because his girlfriend broke up with him?" Charlie asked, trying to put the pieces together. "Yes, Tara left him," she answered. "Well where is she? I thought she lived here with you," he questioned Carlisle. "She went to Italy," Carlisle answered. "Italy? What is it with Italy?" Charlie remembered how Bella left to go after Edward. He'd found out much later where she had actually gone to. "Nothing you need to know dad," Bella replied. "Sheesh! And what is it with you Cullens...always leaving the ones you love behind." Charlie shook his head. "No wonder that poor kid is a mess." "Dad!" Bella blurted out. "No Bella! I went through three months of hell with you when Edward left you and now

poor Sue is gonna have to deal with the same thing? Did he imprint on her?" "You know about that?" Bella asked surprised. "I know a lot more than you think. I can keep secrets too ya know," he replied. Edward realized Charlie knew a lot more than he should but he wasnt surprised considering he was involved with Sue. "Yes he imprinted on her," Edward responded. "So I guess it's just his problem now huh? She's done with him and she can just run off and change her life like that? Do you guys ever consider that humans have strong feelings and emotions? You can't just toss people aside when you're done with them. If you're gonna at least try to co-exist with us you can't be so cold and heartless!" Edward also came to the realization that Charlie knew more than he led on about why he left Bella, even though he tried to keep it from him. He started to become angry. Charlie's words cut through him like a knife. Carlisle grabbed him before he could act rashly. "It's not like that. It's complicated!" Edward said heatedly. "Right." Charlie huffed. He didn't want to hear any more excuses from Edward. "I'm going back to work now," Charlie said before he kissed Bella on the forehead and then got in his car and drove off. The Cullen's stood in silence and sadness as they watched Charlie leave. "I'm going with Seth," Bella said, looking at Edward. He didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking. It was the same thoughts from everyone else's head. They were going to Italy. When Edward called Jacob to explain the situation to him, Jacob agreed to the plan and he contacted Leah to inform her of what was happening. She already knew however about what Tara had done because when Seth returned to the house, she heard his anguish and knew something was very wrong. She followed him home and confronted him. Yet, despite all the problems he had with her, the moment she saw his desperate face, her heart went out to him and she embraced her little brother, letting him cry in her arms. She begged him not to leave to find Tara but she knew that would be a losing battle so she helped Seth pack and offered to go with him - not for the love of Tara of course, but for the love of her brother. When he tried to refuse her in order to protect her, she told him he didn't have a choice.

It nearly broke Jacobs heart when he had to tell Renesmee the news. She burst out in tears fearing she might not see him again. "I'm going too then!" she cried. "No!" Jacob roared. "Yes! I almost lost you once I can't bear to lose you again Jake, please take me. She's my friend too," she wailed "Ness this is no place for you. It's too dangerous. I want you to stay with Sue and Charlie till we get back." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she began to sob. "But what if you don't Jake? What if I never see you again?" She put her hands in her face. Jacob grabbed her and wrapped his big arms around her holding her tight. "Shhh, Don't cry. It'll be ok. We will come back, you'll see." He rocked her and stroked her long, soft curls that hung down her back. "I'm so scared. I'm afraid of losing you, and mom and dad. I'll have no one Jake. I'll be all alone. You're all leaving me," she cried. He grabbed her by the arms and looked her in the eyes sternly. "I swear to you I will come back to you. And I will protect Edward and Bella and the others. We'll do what we have to in order to survive but we have to do this. We were born for this. Just trust me ok?" Renesmee nodded. Jacob was scared though. He knew it was a huge risk going there. Despite his fears however, he wanted to fight them- badly. For all they had done to his family, and all the grief they had caused, he was ready to finally fight for them once and for all. ********************************************************************* Volterra looked just as Tara remembered it. There were some newer building and shops but for the most part it looked unchanged. The Volturis lair however looked completely unchanged with its antiquated appearance still intact, not even looking a day older than when she left. The same art work hung on the walls, the same furniture in the corridors and rooms, all perfectly preserved like she had never left. Felix looked like a giant next to Tara as he escorted her to a large room that looked much like the one her family was murdered in. However, this one had only one way in and one

way out. The large, heavy door could only be locked and unlocked from the outside of the room. Not one that she couldn't break down to get out if she wanted to, but she knew she could never leave without penalty now. Felix entered the room with her. "You'll stay here for now," he said to her. "What's this?" she asked. "Mmm let's just call itdetox." she chuckled coldly. As he started to step out, Tara began to follow him. "Wait!" she demanded. Felix jerked around and shoved her back tossing her across the room. Her body looked like a rag doll as it slammed into the wall on the other side. "We'll see you in a few days to see if you're hungry." His vile grin made her uneasy as he pulled the door shut. She heard the enormous lock being bolted shut. Felix stood on the other side to guard the door as instructed. Several days passed until Tara's eyes began to darken and the aching thirst set in. Outside of door she could hear the muffled sounds of someone crying. Suddenly, the bolt moved, creaking as it opened. Demetri brought a young girl in the room. She looked about the age of twenty. The girl started to shriek, shivering with fear as he held her by the neck and dragged her along. "Here we goI saved one for you. I know it was a long wait, I'm sure you're thirsty by now." Tara shook her head and coiled back in the corner. "Ah come on now. You must feed. You need your strength. Surely you didn't think Aro would allow us to bring any animals in here for you," he laughed. As he held her by the neck exposing the flesh on one side, he dug his sharp pinky finger into the skin slicing a shallow opening down the side. Blood oozed out of the gash. He licked the blood and the girl screamed louder crying. He covered her mouth tightly getting annoyed by the sound. "Mmm do you smell that Tara? It's calling you," he taunted her. The blood no longer tempted him since he just finished his feeding, saving the last girl in the room for Tara who now had her face turned towards the wall as the smell of the blood burned her throat. She balled her hands into fists struggling with the temptation and tried to cover her mouth with both hands and hold her breath.

"Ah well, I'll just leave you two alone. Eventually you'll give in." He tossed the girl to the side and she crawled away from him cowering on the floor. "Please, please let me go!" the girl pleaded as tears ran down her face. Demetri coldly walked back out of the room. The door made a loud noise as he sealed it again. The girl looked at Tara in horror, clearly seeing she was one of them. She got up and tried to pull at the doors to get out but there were no handles so she tried to dig her fingers into the crack to pull it open, screaming and crying as she struggled effortlessly to get out. Tara curled up into a ball on the floor and disappeared from the girl's view. It was hard to concentrate while she was so thirsty. Her powers weakened from hunger. She buried her face in her knees to cover the smell, holding her breath. Several hours later, the large door opened and Aro stepped in the room. He saw the human girl lying on the floor, still alive and weeping, but no sign of Tara. "Where are you Tara? I know you're still here. No hiding from us remember?" he reminded her. Tara still remained cloaked. He looked down at the human girl, huddled on the floor. "Agh! What a waste," he snarled, grabbing the girl by the arm and pulled her into him. The girl screamed when Aro ripped her shirt from her neck, smelling the blood coming from her wound. His mouth opened wide, exposing his perfect set of razor sharp teeth. As he sunk them into her neck Tara uncloaked lunging forward with one arm stretched out. "NO!" she shouted. Aro pulled away, blood dripping from his mouth. He pulled a small hanky from his pocket and dabbed his mouth eloquently as if he was in a fancy restaurant and had dribbled a little food on his chin. He carelessly threw the girl down and she began to thrash as the venom spread through her body. "There now, I did the hard part for you. Go ahead. You know you need it, you're only making yourself weaker by refusing and you're no good to us that way." He began to walk out but then turned back quickly to speak again. "You better hurry before the venom spreads too farthen you won't want her any longer." Then he disappeared. Tara's pitch black eyes watched as the girl wreathed in pain on the floor screaming from

the fiery venom in her veins. Suddenly she lunged for the girl, hovering over her body. The she knelt by the girls side and inhaled. The smell of the blood burned her throat. Please help me," the girl pleaded. "I can save you. Do you want to live?" "Make the pain stop!" she screamed. Taras eyes were fierce and hungry. "I can't. The venom is spreading through your body. I'm going to drink your blood, but you can still liveif you want to." She knew she could drink just enough to make her stronger but that she could stop herself just enough to allow the girl's heart to beat. Will I stop hurting?" she cried. Tears poured down her face as her body convulsed. No. Not unless I drain you, but you'll die then." She shrieked louder. "Stop screaming, it doesn't do any good!" Tara yelled at her. Her head was aching and her body was starting to hurt now. She wanted to feed, badly. "I'm on fire! Please! Stop it from burning!" the girl wailed. "You're changing. You must endure it if you want to live. Make a decision! I can't hold back much longer." Tara's eyes were fixed on the blood pouring from the base of her neck. "Changing? Into what?" The girl looked in Tara's eyes. "One of us." "No! I don't want to be a monster! Please, I wanna go home! Where's Steven?" The girl screamed the name of her husband. "If he came with you he's dead. You can never leave. They won't let you." She girl thrashed about, sobbing. "No! No! Steven!" The couple had been in Italy on their honeymoon. They were pulled into the same tourist trap that her and her family fell into. Tara was unaware that they had even stayed at the same hotel that she and her family did in Piazza dei Priori. "Decide now! Do you want to live?" Tara demanded, aching for her blood. "No, no!I don't want to live without him. I'd rather be deadplease make it stop!" Tara couldn't bear it anymore. It wasn't just the enticing smell of the blood oozing from the girls neck that drove her to the bite, but also knowing she could spare this girl the pain of living forever alone, without the one she loved. Tara realized she'd spend the rest

of her very long existence only to never see or smell or taste the one she person she'd loved more than anything. She pulled the girl in close and bit down on her neck. As the warm blood trickled down her throat she felt the sorrow and grief being pulled from her lifeless body transferring into her own. Images of Seth ran through her head over and over. She remembered his sweet words to her, telling her she was not the monster anymore. She felt as though she failed him. Tara bit down more violently. She was gripping the girl unnecessarily harder holding her body tightly to hers. Once every drop was removed she released and let her fall to the floor. Streams of blood ran down her chin. She balled her hands into fists and threw her head back screaming for her broken heart. .

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 12:57 AM 0 comments

Chapter 14 -The Fight

Though Carlisle had connections, it still took several days to get passports for Seth, Leah and Jacob. Eleven of them total, all headed to the airport. Renesmee reluctantly agreed to stay behind to be protected by Sam's pack on the reservation. Knowing it would be a long flight, Carlisle insisted Seth take something to help him sleep on the plane because so he would be rested before he they arrived. Seth felt so sick and anxious that the stress began to wear on him. Carlisle told him he would be no good to Tara or anyone if he were too weak to fight. Seth agreed and accepted some pills that Carlisle brought with them and he passed out very shortly once their flight took off. Though they had Bella's shield to protect them, the Cullens hoped that traveling with the pack would be an advantage by clouding Demetri's tracking abilities. They didn't want the Volturi to know of their plans before they arrived, even though they didn't have much of a plan at all. They were completely unsure as to how they would be able to find Tara and get everyone out alive. Carlisle knew they would not allow her to leave the lair. He also worried that Aro would

have Chelsea use her ability manipulate the ties of relationships on Tara in order to persuade her to turn on them. Chelsea could manipulate her into wanting to stay there, making their rescue entirely futile. He mentioned none of these things to Seth however, knowing he was already in enough pain. Edward and Carlisle knew that Bella's shield would be most useful if they got into a battle. He hoped it would be enough for the wolves to help take them down if it came to that. The sun began to set as they finally arrived in the city. Traveling on foot, Carlisle took them deep into the heart of Volterra and led then down a dark alleyway, stopping when they came to a dead end. Jacob, Seth and Leah looked confused. "Um, did we take a wrong turn?" Jacob finally asked looking around for an exit. "Nope, this is it," Carlisle grabbed the heavy of a lid of a manhole in the ground and yanked it up. It had to be at least one-hundred pounds of solid iron but Carlisle lifted it as easy as retrieving a quarter off the street. The three pack members all gave him an odd look. "What? Did you think we were going to use the front door?" Carlisle said to them. The three of them exchanged glanced with one another. "Good point," Seth shrugged his shoulders. "Normally I would say ladies first but I'd rather go down myself to scope the area," Carlisle offered just before he leaped down the hole. "Right behind ya," Emmett said, eagerly wanting to help. They all waited quietly and patiently for the signal to move forward as Edward listened to their thoughts. Once it was clear, he silently motioned with his hand and they all started climbing down. "Do they even have a front door?" Leah mumbled as she looked down the dark hole. "Yes... the one for the tourists," Edward replied in an icy tone. "Oh," Leah said blankly. . It didn't sink in right away exactly what he meant by that. Edward knew she was confused but he felt this wasn't a good time to explain things. He was glad she didn't ask and just jumped down, disappearing into the ground.

They walked for nearly a mile through the cold, damp corridor until they began to see some light, finally coming to a giant wrought iron gate that had an enormous chain and lock on it. Edward bent it like it was made of tin and broke it off and the chain fell to the ground with a loud clang. Leah thought it careless of him to make so much noise. "Are you trying to get us noticed?" she retorted. Edward turned around and gave her an irritated look. "My bad!" he hissed, clenching his teeth. Everyone seemed a little too anxious. Seth stepped between them to break up the tension. "Hey, how close are we?" he asked. "Not far now," Carlisle replied quietly. "Let's keep the talking to a minimum shall we? He suggested. "But wait, what's the plan? What are we gonna do when we get in there?" Emmett interrupted. He was ready for a fight. "Plan A, we try and sneak in and find Tara. Plan B, I'll try to negotiate with Aro once more if I can," Carlisle said. "Whats Plan C?" Emmett asked. "That's the one we are trying to avoid," Carlisle replied. "Not me! I want a piece of these guys," Emmett said eagerly as she punched the palm of his hand with the other fist. "Easy, we don't want to be a threat. We will defend ourselves if necessary but I don't want to see anyone get hurt so I'm hoping we can do this without conflict." "Well, I'm not," Emmett replied again. "Me either," Jasper agreed then he threw a high-five at Emmett. Jacob, Seth and Leah all smiled at them, hoping for a fight as well. "Yeah it's been awhile since we've been able to take out some vampires," Jacob said with enthusiasm, but then he glanced over at the others. "No offense," he added with a shrug. "None taken," Jasper replied casually who high-fived him as well. "Alright now listen..." Carlisle spoke directly to the Pack in a very serious tone. "You three need to do exactly as you are told while we are here. I'll handle the Volturi if we are confronted. I want you to remain silent and let us handle this. This is not your territory. You need to control your phasing."

"But what if they attack us?" Jacob didn't like being told what to do. "Then we will fight back. But Edward will know if they plan to do so. It's crucial that you wait until he is sure though." They all nodded. The group continued on. They entered a large room with stone walls and no windows, anywhere. It was dimly lit by candles that hung on the cobblestone walls. It looked very much like an old dungeon. There was a peculiar smell there. The Pack couldn't quite identify it but the Cullens new exactly what it was. They passed several cells with iron-barred doors on them. All of them were empty except for one. It was filled with bodies, about twenty of them. All were tourists. The girl they brought for Tara lay on the top of the pile. Leah suddenly realized what Edward had meant now. She gasped in horror as soon as she saw them but when she spotted the crumpled bodies of two small children in front of the mass, she let out a shrill scream. Emmett grabbed her quickly to cover to her mouth. Tears ran down her face as she sobbed into his icy hand. Edward looked her in the eyes and put his fingers to his lips telling her to hush. They didn't have time for emotions or hysterics right now. She nodded agreeing and Emmett let go of her. Seth instantly put his arms around his sister and held her for a moment to calm her. He covered her eyes so she could no longer see the pile of bodies until they passed the cell. When they came to another bolted door, Emmett grabbed the heavy lock and slowly started to unlatch it trying not to make any noise. Once it was slid far enough that they could open it, he gently pulled. It started to creek and he stopped to look at Carlisle, wondering if he should continue. When he gave him a nod of approval, Emmett pulled it open all the way. To their surprise however, Jane, Alec and Felix already stood waiting for them on the other side of the door. The Pack growled at the site of them and were about to phase when Carlisle held his hand up to the group, signaling them to hold and they quieted themselves. Jane stood motionless like a statue, unthreatened by their presence."Aro will speak to you now," she said in a flat, icy tone. Her crimson eyes glared at them coldly. The Cullens very tensely all looked at each other, wondering what to do until Jane suddenly and very calmly spoke. "Follow me," she ordered them from behind the hood of her black cloak then spun on her

heals, twirling the long cape behind her and began to walk away. Alec and Felix pulled their hoods off so the group could see their callous faces. The two waited for them all to start following Jane. Carlisle motioned for them to move and then they walked behind them. The Pack kept glaring back, watching them as they walked. They were completely untrusting and on guard the entire way. Edward listened to the group's thoughts. I think we should take them out now Edward! Jacob shouted in his head. The others all shared the same idea and before they could start any trouble, Edward turned and held up a finger, giving them a stern that signaled for them to wait. They all grumbled. Jane led them to a large antechamber where Aro, Marcus and Cias all sat in very large thrones that appeared centuries old. Jane turned quickly snapping up her hand, signaling for them to stop in the back of the room. When they stopped, Aro greeted them. "Carlisle my friend, what a surprise! How nice of you to visit so soon," he cackled. Carlisle looked around the room counting bodies. Renata, Aro's personal guard stood at his side. Corin, Demetri and Heidi entered the room just after they did and stood to the side, awaiting orders. There's less than I expected, Carlisle thought. Edward listened carefully nodding at him. That's good, he added. Edward listened to the Volturi also. They weren't expecting them at all. Aro summoned as many as he could once he discovered their presence. Many of them were out on a hunt or partaking in leisure activities since it was nightfall and the wives remained hidden in the tower as they rarely came out. Suddenly another small figure in a long black cloak entered the room with Chelsea. They both stopped just in front of Aro's seat. Tara! Seth thought. Edward glanced at him quickly then looked back at her, listening intently. She stood motionless facing Aro but suddenly something in the room caught her attention. She detected a familiar scent in the room but thought it was just her mind played tricks. When her eyes met Aro's, she detected a chilling grin on his face. Then she noticed something else; the three heartbeats in the room. She knew it couldn't be the heartbeats of any normal humans since they were not accompanied by the usual screams.

Suddenly Marcus spoke. "Amazing Master," he chortled. "The tall one's reverence for her is remarkable. You were right, he will be a problem." Tara's head snapped around and she saw them - all of them. When her eyes widened, they all spotted the crimson red in them as she stared in near shock. Emotions flooded her mind and heart, softening her inner soul. She turned back to Aro feeling betrayed. "But why? You said if I returned you wouldn't harm them!" When she took a step forward in Aro's direction and his female body guard leaped forward as to protect him. "Easy my dearI didn't force them, Carlisle and his family came here on their own accord. They traveled a long way to see you. Surely you don't want me to send them away." Tara looked back that them. "Yes I do. Send them home, now. I don't want them here!" she snapped as she stared intently at Edward and finished the last part in her head. Go back to Forks, where it's safe! She thought, knowing Edward would hear her. "I'm not leaving," Seth whispered in an angry tone. Carlisle grabbed Seth's arm, warning him not to speak. He knew it was dangerous enough to have him in there without him making a bigger spectacle of himself. "Nonsense, they came such a long way to see you my dear, let's not be so hasty," Aro spoke very calmly as though he was amused. Tara glanced at Seth and then quickly lowered her eyes in shame so he couldn't see them anymore. Then she turned back and stepped towards Aro. Renata closed in blocking him. She knelt down on one knee and held her hand out to him. Aro accepted the invitation and reached out taking her hand in his. What's she doing? Seth asked mentally, knowing Edward would hear him. "Speaking to him through her thoughts," Edward whispered as he kept his eyes on the guards. Well, what's she saying to him? he wondered. She's telling me not to tell you, Edward confessed. I don't care tell me anyway! Seth shouted in his head at Edward. You're not gonna like it, Edward warned. Edward! Seth became impatient. Edward sighed at Seth's persistence. "She's begging him for your lives. She doesn't think

Aro is going to let you three out of here alive. She promised to anything for him in order to save you." Several profanities ran through Seth's mind. "I told you, you wouldn't like it," Edward reminded him. I'm going to kill him Edward. I'm going to rip his throat out myself! "Calm down Seth. They'll take it as a threat if you phase. They only reason they haven't killed you is because you're still human," he whispered. As Tara held Aro's hand he was able to see every event of her entire life. How she escaped, every place she was in hiding, and everything that took place after she arrived in Forks. Aro was most displeased with her relationship with Seth. Please Aro, I beg you let them go. Send them away. I'll do anything you ask of me, Tara pleaded with him. Aro signaled to Chelsea who turned her powers back onto Tara and she instantly started to feel a hatred for them as Chelsea manipulated her into betraying her friends. The anger swelled inside of her and she began to snarl. She snapped around to face her visitors, ready to attack. "Bella," Edward whispered, signaling her to protect Tara. When Bella put up her shield, Tara relaxed. Aro held up his hand, signaling for Chelsea to stop realizing their powers were no use against Bella's shield. He stood up and strolled across the room as he spoke to her. "Evolution, mutation, natural selection...we are the future of mankind. Humans are evolving into a higher life form, and we are at the top of the food chain. You should accept this yet what do you do? You reject your destiny. You mingle with the enemy, having relations with lowly animals. Such nonsense! You are a disgrace Tara." He frowned and angrily and slapped her across the face knocking her to the floor. Seth growled and everyone else tensed up, ready to fight. Edward grabbed Seth before he could do anything. "Wait!" he said in a low tone. Seth closed his eyes. His body tensed up and trembled with fury, but he calmed himself and held back. Carlisle finally spoke. "Aro, please, we come in peace. Will you hear us out?" Aro signaled for his guard to hold back. "Of course, go ahead my dear friend."

Carlisle took a small step forward. "Please Aro, we've come peacefully to ask for the girl. She wishes to be with us. If she displeases you so let her much, just let us have her then." "Carlisle, did you really come all this way to beg me to give her back to you?" "That is correct." He nodded. Aro took a few steps towards them looking at the group. "I don't see Renesmee. Have you come to offer me a trade?" he asked. A deep grumble came from Bella's chest as he mentioned her name. "No we did not bring Renesmee with us. This is no place for her. She belongs with those who love her for who she is and not just her gifts. I will however, offer myself to you as an exchange for the girl," Carlisle said. Esme gasped just before the others did as soon as he said it. Carlisle immediately started to talk to Edward in secrecy. If he accepts, you take the family far away, leave Forks and go in hiding. Bella can protect the others from harm and I will do everything in my power to leave here and join you as soon as time allows. Edward gave him a small nod to let him know he acknowledged him as he continued to listen to Aro reply. "Ah Carlisle, you are such a noble man indeed. How I would love to have one such as you back in my coven. You truly have many redeeming qualities, however, please take no offence when I say that Tara's gifts greatly surpass yours, therefore I must refuse." Carlisle continued to negotiate. "But Aro, she doesn't want this life. She wants to be free. Surely you can see that. What good is she to you if she is completely unwilling?" "Mmm yesthat is going to be a problem. It's been very hard to persuade her you see. Her bonds with this boy are very strong however, I feel if the bindings can be removed then there will be no problem." Aro stepped closer, glancing directly at Seth. "And the way I see it I have my problem right here." Edward knew right then Aro had no intentions of letting the Pack leave alive. It was to his benefit to have them come there so he could wipe them out. He figured it would be very easy since there were only the three of them but he was also assuming Carlisle wouldn't put up a fight. He had no desire to kill his friend however he would do whatever it took to get his way. He had no love for the Pack and for all he cared, they were completely expendable. "I have no qualms with you or your family Carlisle, you are free to go. I cannot however

allow these beasts to leave now that they have seen where we abide. I fear they could be threat to us if they were to inform others of their kind where we are. I have no choice but to exterminate them." His guards started towards the group and everyone took their stance, ready for the impact. Tara knew what Aro intended to do. "No!" she screamed and she leaped in the air, grabbing Alec who had his sights on Seth. Aro gave orders to kill him first. Alec grabbed her and threw her across the room but she quickly got up and ran for him again. Jane swiftly drifted in front of her twin and held up a finger. Tara gasped expecting to feel pain but there was nothing. Bella shielded her still. Tara understood the full extent of Bella's powers now and she grinned. Jane became furious and attacked her physically. Alec continued on his warpath while Jane kept her occupied. Seth growled and with a thunderous sound his body phased into a giant wolf. It triggered a domino effect in Jacob and Leah and they all stood snarling and growling ready to take down Alec. Aro stepped back, keeping his distance so he couldn't be harmed while Renata and the other four women surrounded him, making a wall between him and the outbreak. Demetri and Felix stepped up as the wolves began to charge. Bella remained steady, holding her shield over everyone. The rest of the Cullens began to leap into the fight one by one. Edward feared to leave Bella behind. They needed her protection, for they knew the fight would be a loss without her to guard them from Jane, Alec and Chelsea's powers. "Go! I'm fine!" Bella yelled at him. Edward was reluctant to leave her side until Esme and Carlisle both came and stood by Bella assuring him they would guard her. Alice and Jasper stuck together as they fought. They were inseparable, watching each other's back. Just then, Aro motioned to Cias. He held a large, ornate metal object. Their eyes all diverted towards it, remembering when Cias had used the object on Irina. It killed her instantaneously leaving nothing but ash remains of her body. Cias, Marcus and Demetri surrounded the pack. They were ready to attack, awaiting the order from Aro. "Let it be done," was all he spoke before they closed in on wolves. Just as they got ready to make their strike, they suddenly stopped and stood completely

bewildered looking around the room. The three wolves were gone. The pack stared back at them confused, wondering why they stopped. What are they waiting for? Jacob thought. I don't know. What's happening? Seth wondered. The Volturi gasped as they looked around the room completely stunned. The Cullens were gone as well. Edward hurry! Do what you have to. I don't know how long I can do this for! Tara screamed in her head. She had everyone cloaked and as the group vanished from the Volturi's sight, they backed down in their state of confusion. Edward, take them down, now! You won't have another chance like this! Tara shouted in her head. He knew she was right, even if they could escape they may come back for them in higher numbers. He knew Carlisle wouldn't like it but he saw no other way. "They can't see us attack them!" Edward shouted. Seth finally understood what she had done. They can't see us, let's get em! Seth shouted to the other wolves. Yes! Jacob shouted mentally. He decided he might be able to like her after all but only just a little bit. The three of them each took a guard. Cias never saw Seth coming as he took him out first. The vampire screamed as his limbs were torn from his body. The others watched in horror as the wolves ripped the three men into shreds within seconds. Body pieces flew everywhere. Aro's and two of his female guards became fearful and fled escaping into hidden corridor. Seth spotted them trying to run and he took off after them. The others stood their ground however, determined to battle to the death. At this moment, several things began to happen simultaneously: Jane still had a grip on Tara even though she was unable to see her. She continued to struggle with her trying to break free from her grip and throw her off. Jane gripped Tara's throat and then struck her in the face. As they fell to the ground, Tara lost her concentration. Suddenly the Cullens and the wolves realized they were no longer concealed while Jane had her in her grip. Tara tried desperately to reach up and grab Jane's throat but Jane overpowered her and pinned her down while striking her in the head repeatedly. Felix suddenly headed for

Bella, knowing if he took her out they could defeat them easily. Edward and Emmett lunged at him both struggling violently to keep him back. Carlisle and Esme stood in front of Bella, guarding her. Jacob and Leah backed Alec in a corner. The witch twin lunged for Jacob, clawing and snapping his venomous teeth. He came very close to biting Jacob but Leah managed to grab him by the neck and sunk her fangs in and shook him like a rag dog doll. She tore open his throat and threw him across the room. His body fell lifelessly to the ground. Jane shrieked the moment she witnessed her brother being taken out. Thanks, Jacob said to Leah. No problem, she replied as they high-pawed. Rosalie managed to stop Corin before she could flee the room. As the two females struggled they took out a pillar, smashing two of the ornate thrones. Felix held his own against Edward and Emmett. He muscled both of them off and managed to close in on Esme and Carlisle. Bella started backing up as he neared, still holding her shield in the group. When Felix grabbed Carlisle by the neck and slammed him up against the wall, Esme jumped on giant vampires back and reached around to his face digging her fingers in his eyes. He let out a huge growl before reaching around and pulling Esme off with almost no effort and then threw her across the room. "Esme!" Carlisle shouted as he watched his wife crash into a stone table and fall to the ground. Alice suddenly leaped at Jane's head and forced her to release her grip on Tara. Jane then reached up to grab Alice's arms to pull them off. Jasper came to Alice's rescue, holding her so she couldn't get away. Jane hissed and snarled as she struggled with them. Before Alice could Jane's neck, something hit her hard. It was Alec. His neck had completely healed. He attacked Alice making Jasper let go of Jane but Jacob and Leah leaped to Tara's side before she get to her again. On the other side of the room, Felix nearly reached Bella. When lunged for her, she quickly jumped out of the way, dodging his grasp and he ran right into the wall. The stone crack and crumbled where he hit. Felix became even more enraged. He snarled furiously as he spun back around, however when he did, he saw only Jane and Alec who stood across the room looking at him. Everyone else vanished again.

Now that she was free, Tara concealed them once more. Edward, the first to realize it, jumped at Felix and knocked him to the ground. He struggled with the invisible force that pounded him. Jane decided they were too out-numbered and decided to flee but Leah and Jacob spotted her escape attempt and chased her. The rest of them took on the other three vampires left in the room. Alec ran aimlessly, trying to get out but failed. Jasper and Alice both leaped on him. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle took out Felix while the girls went after Corin. They pulled apart their limbs and ripped off their heads. Bodies were in pieces everywhere. "We have to burn them quickly," Carlisle said. Some of the limbs still twitched on the ground. Alice smashed a wood table and broke it into pieces to get it started. The others gathered the body parts. "I'm going after Jacob and Leah. They need my help to kill Jane!" Bella cried out. Edward started to follow but noticed Tara looking around the room for Seth. "He went after Aro," he said to her before running off with Bella Tara knew exactly where Aro would be hiding and she ran after him. Jacob and Leah followed Jane's scent down a long corridor till they came to an enormous room filled with art. A conglomeration of famous paintings hung on the stone walls. The ancient tables around the room displayed various statues and vases. Directly in the center was a giant antique rug that had been pulled back and a hole in the ground underneath it was exposed. They both looked down the opening knowing they wouldn't fit. Shoot! She got away! Leah thought. Just as Jacob began to look up, he saw Heidi falling from the ceiling. Leah, look out! When the vampire landed on Leah, she growled and thrashed to get her off but just before Jacob could help her, Chelsea also appeared. "This is for Marcus!" she snarled as she swung her claws at him. She struck him in the head, sending him across the room where he smashed into two of the tables, crushing the vases that sat upon them. The ancient pieces of art nearly disintegrated. Unable to shake Heidi, Leah slammed her body against the wall trying to crush the vampire. It felt like ramming into a solid rock on shoulder and she yelped. Leah tried to get her head around far enough to bite her, rolling and thrashing on the floor trying desperately to break free from the vampire's grip. When Jacob got back up and charged Chelsea, she leaped out of his way he slid into more tables across the room, smashing

everything in his path. Jake! Leah cried to him for help. Heidi had a grip on her head, getting ready to snap her neck. Jacob leaped back up instantly sprung across the room to help Leah. He land on top of Heidi and bit down on her head, taking it off with just one giant snap. Her body fell limp to the ground. Chelsea snarled and hissed at them for killing her friend but realizing she was outnumbered she made a run for the hole in the ground, disappearing before they could get her. Let's find the others, they made need more help, Jacob thought. Leah nodded agreeing, but as they both turned around they stood face-to-face with Jane who blocked their only exit. She knew she could defeat the two wolves now that Bella was no longer there to protect them and before they could make a move she lifted a finger and both wolves howled loudly, collapsing to the ground in agony. Jacob hoped Edward or Seth could hear their mental cries for help and come save them and fortunately Edward did. "We have to gothis way!" he said to Bella and they ran at lightning speed in their direction, following the bellowing sounds that echoed throughout the halls. Seth ran through the corridors searching for Aro, trying to track his scent but every room he came to was empty. The place gave him an eerie feeling and he smelled a nauseating odor throughout it. It was the smell of death that lingered through the halls and rooms. He followed Aro's scent to a dimly lit chamber. When Seth entered, he realized the room was a giant a library with rows and rows of books stacked on shelves as high as the vaulted ceilings above. It looked like a maze. As Seth ran in and out of the rows searching, Aro's scent became stronger but his concentration was distracted when he heard the mental screams of Leah and Jacob. He suddenly bolted for the door he came in but found himself face to face with Aro and Renata. When the female guard leaped at Seth he viciously snapped at her. She screamed when his teeth sliced an enormous gash in her arm. Extremely angered by his actions she jumped on him ripping at his fur. Seth let out a yelp and shook her off his back, throwing her across the room. Then he quickly lunged at her before she could get back up and bit her face. He damaged her eyes, completely blinding her. While Seths back was still turned, Aro took his chance to attack him but before the

vampire reached him he heard a familiar voice cry out. "Seth!" Tara shouted as she came charging in. Seths turned around fast enough to witness Tara leaping on Aro to stop him just before his razor sharp teeth sunk into Seths skin. As she distracted the vampire Seth pounced on him, sinking his fangs into Aro's neck and ripping out his throat. Aro thrashed as he lay on the ground gripping his wound. He finished Aro with one last bite, snapping his neck in two, killing the old vampire with ease. NO! Renata shouted as she watched her master fall to the ground. Her crimson eyes were completely healed. She stood staring at him, snarling angrily for killing Aro. They both stood ready for her attack but instead of doing so, she fled. Tara and seth both exchanged glanced and without an exchange of words, she simply reached up and touched his face. He wanted very much to be able to hold her but didn't want to phase, just in case they weren't out of danger yet. Tara put her arms around his neck and embraced him. He was happy to feel her arms around him again but within moments he sensed something was wrong, very wrong. A low growl came deep from Tara's chest that made Seth's fur stand strait up on his back. She pulled back away from him and when she did, saw the look in her eyes. She stared at him with a savage fierceness he'd never seen before. The growl got louder and he knew she was going to attack. NO! Seth let out a mental cry but she could not hear him. He leaped back snapping at her putting a gash in her face and arms as he struggled with him. She quickly lunged at him again, this time sinking her teeth into his shoulder and he let out a painful howl that echoed through the halls. In the other room, Jane went for the reddish brown wolf first since he was the largest. He lay on the ground thrashing and yelping and entirely crippled from the pain. The witch smiled victoriously as she looked Jacob in the eyes getting ready rip his heart out with her bare hands. When she leaned into his face to say something he felt her icy breath on his snout. "As soon as I'm finished killing you and your friend here, I'm heading straight to Forks and I'm going to find that little half-breed child and destroy her for what you've done!" Jacob growled, trying move and fight through the pain but he didn't even have the strength to lift his head. As she raised her hand to strike, his wailing suddenly ceased.

Bella made it just in time and shielded them. The second the pain had stopped, he ripped into Jane's face like a rabid animal. Leah grabbed Jane's lower limbs and pulled her apart, taking her out with a fierce vengeance. Jacob sighed with relief. Thanks Bella, he thought though only Edward could hear him. Then he licked Bella face. She complained, wiping the wetness from her cheek but soon after she gave Jacob a big hug. Within seconds though, Jacob sensed something was wrong. He and Leah looked at each other. Chills ran down their spines as they heard Seth's cries for help. Edward heard him too and they moved quickly in his direction. Seth yelped in agony as the fiery venom spread and his body trembled violently. Suddenly Taras mood changed. Her anger turned to confusion followed by shock once she realized what she'd done. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Chelsea standing in the shadows, grinning at her just before she disappeared into the shadows. Tara let her flee, unable to leave Seth's side. The taste of his blood lingered in her mouth. "No! No!" She screamed in panic, remembering how he told her the venom was deadly to them. Seth's body shook and twisted as he returned to his human form and the howls turned into screams. "Oh God, no! What have you done? I'm burning!" he shrieked in agony. "Seth!" she shouted as she held him in her arms. What have I done? I've killed him! He rescued me and I've killed him! This can't be happening! she shouted in her mind. Seth screamed as his body thrashed. His muscles started contracting, immobilizing him. Then she quickly recalled the story Edward told her the day before she left, explaining how he saved Bella when a vampire named James bit her and he drew the venom out of her before it spread too far. Don't bite down, just draw the venom out, she thought. Tara examined the bloody bite mark she left in his skin and when she pulled Seth closer towards her he became terrified. "Tara, don't please. Stop!" he begged. She didn't have time to explain. She forced herself on him and sucked the blood from his open wound. It was bitter. She didn't like it but she drank harder. Seth screamed for her to stop. He pulled at her hair to get her off, but it was useless. When he lost conciseness, his

body fell limp in her arms and she no longer tasted the sweet venom, only bitterness. She stopped and called out his name. "Seth! Seth!" she shouted, touching his face. Just then she heard a rushing wind from behind her. All of the others caught up. When Leah and Jacob no longer heard Seth's cries for help they feared for his life. They all gasped when they saw Seth's bloodied body, collapsed in Tara's arms. Her mouth had blood on it too. Only Edward knew the truth at the moment, the others thought the worst. Leah growled at Tara wanting to snap Taras neck for what shed done to her brother. Jacob stood in complete disbelief at what he was witnessing. Edward quickly ran to Seth and grabbed him before the others could react. Carlisle knelt with him too. "I-I remembered to do what you said. I tried to get the venom out," Tara cried Edward sniffed the wound. He couldn't smell any venom. He tasted the blood and it was clean. NO! Leah shouted at Edward, thinking he was drinking her blood. He turned to her when she growled nearly attacking him. Im not hurting him. Im making sure the venom is out of his system. He explained to her. . "Did I get all?" Tara asked. "I think so. His blood is clean. I dont taste venom," he said. "He'll be okay, but we should get him to a medical facility," Carlisle said. "But we can't, they'll run tests on him it's too dangerous!" Jacob said. "We can't worry about that. I may know some doctors still here that can help. There's a small hospital in the next town. Alicewe need a car!" Carlisle ordered. "I'm on it!" She said and then she and Jasper dashed off leaving the others to finish burning the rest of the bodies so they could get Seth out quickly. They took him to a small hospital in town where Carlisle got him set up in a room so he could treat him and keep an eye on his condition. Seth lay in the bed unconscious for nearly four hours. When daylight came, they all made sure to stay clear of the sunlight knowing they would not have the convenience of heavy cloud covered skies there. Edward and Bella headed to the airport before morning so they could take care of flight arrangements. They planned to return at twilight. The others mostly stayed towards the inner parts of the hospital avoiding the rooms that were brightly lit up from the sun that shone through the windows and skylights. Carlisle came in once in awhile to check on

Seth but they left Tara alone with him while she patiently waited for him to wake. Jacob became hungry after quite some time and searched for a cafeteria following the smells in the halls. Though Leah wanted food as well, she refused to leave Seth alone with Tara who she still didn't trust even though Edward explained she saved his life. She didn't care however since it was she who bit him in the first place. Leah hoped this would rid them of Tara since biting a human breaks the treaty but Jacob reminded her that technically they were not on their land and even more importantly, Jacob believed it was not her will to harm Seth. He knew she was being controlled and that it wasn't her fault. He made the decision to over-look the incident. Though Leah wasn't pleased with his decision, she had no choice but to accept it. Tara sat next to Seths bed, staring blankly at the wall, her mind deep in thought. Occasionally she'd glance over at him. She felt horrible for what she did and the pain it caused him. When he finally came around, the slits of Seth's his eyes cracked open and he looked up at the ceiling, feeling dazed and groggy. The overhead lights seemed bright at first, almost blinding, but once his eyes adjusted, he finally saw Tara sitting next to him. When Tara noticed Seth heart beat getting faster, her eyes turned and met his. He glared at her crimson eyes that stared right at him. The last thing he remembered was fighting Tara off. He only remembered how she looked just before she sunk her sharp teeth in his neck and he remembered the pain of it. It was like having hot lava poured into his veins, while every muscle in his body spasmed. It was pure agony. Tara reached for Seth's hand to touch it and he pulled it back fast. "Seth please," she whispered. She saw the fear in his expression. "You bit me." Seth reached up and touched his shoulder and moaned when it ached. A bandage covered the area where it still hurt. "Don't touch me!" he said sharply. Sadness came over her. "Seth listen to me." No, get away!" he growled at her. Leah heard the commotion and came in. Tara stood up and backed away from him as he ordered her. Leah gave her a bitter look. "What are you doing?" she demanded to know. Tara couldn't stand to see his hate-filled eyes on her anymore and she made herself disappear right in front of them as she turned to leave.

Shortly after, Jacob showed up with some food and noticed Tara was gone. He saw the expression on Seth's face and knew something was wrong. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked. Nobody spoke. Seth put his hand to his face and tried to wipe the memory of Tara's bloodied face and fierce red eyes from his mind. Jacob could tell he was in pain, but not a just physical pain, it was mental anguish. "Sethwhat happened? What's wrong? You ok buddy?" "My shoulder hurts. I just want to be alone," he said in a shaky voice and he started to tremble. Jacob turned to Leah. "Give us a minute please Leah," he requested and Leah nodded before stepping out. She closed the door behind her. Jacob pulled up a chair and sat close to Seth waiting for him to respond. When he didn't say anything, Jacob decided to speak up. "Wheres Tara?" he asked. "I told her to go away." "Why would you do that?" he frowned. "She bit me Jake. I remember it all now, she tried to kill me." He tried to move his arm and growled at the pain. "Why do I hurt so much?" "It's the venom. Carlisle said it'll pass." He looked at Seth confused. "Seth... she was the reason we came here you know...the reason we all risked our lives so we could get her out safely...for you." "I know," he grumbled in a low tone. "Then what the hell are you doing!" he questioned, raising his voice. "She tried to kill me!" Jacob shook his head. "Edward said he thinks that vampire Chelsea got to her, she tricked her mind and turned her on you. She didn't know what she was doing. I think she might've gotten to you too. Bella wasn't there to shield her. She turned you guys against each other." Seth started to become more alert now but the image of Tara still burned in his mind. "She saved you once she snapped out of it. Edward said she knew how to get the venom out of your system before it spread too far. We thought she was killing you too till he explained it to us. We didn't know what was happening. I thought you were a goner, dude."

Seth remembered the story Edward told them also. It all started getting clearer to him now. As Seth tried to sit up to quickly, he moaned from the sharp pain in his shoulder and neck. "Now, what are you doing?" Jacob tried to grab him. "I'm gonna go find her, she can't be far," he said trying to get up. "You're in no condition. Stay put." Jacob shoved him back on the bed. Seth groaned. "No!" He tried to stand but suddenly started to fall to the floor, still too weak. Though the venom was gone, its paralyzing affects still lingered in his muscles that were aching from being tightly knotted up into balls when they contracted. He felt like he'd just been through a rigorous workout and pulled every muscle in his body. "Carlisle said you would probably feel pretty lousy for a while. I don't think you're going anywhere. Don't worry, she'll come back for you. She loves you." Seth hoped he was right. He was too harsh. He'd never spoke to her like that or looked at her that way before. Seth's condition improved by nightfall, however Tara still hadn't returned and it worried him. Carlisle wanted to get out of the city before anyone came looking for them. They needed to disappear from the city, soon but Edward and Bella promised to stay behind and look for Tara. They knew they would be the best team for the job since Bella can see her and Edward can hear her. Seth wanted to stay with them but they refused knowing he would only slow them down in human form and he certainly couldn't wander about as a wolf. Jacob ordered him to leave and reluctantly he complied. The couple searched for a week nonstop, covering all of Italy. When they were sure she wasn't there, they decided to return to Dartmouth to see if she returned to her hometown. They looked everywhere. Even Alice searched for her future but she couldn't see anything. Tara had truly disappeared and Edward now feared for the worst. He knew there were several Volturi still out there and he feared they may have gotten to her. Bella longed to see Renesmee. She had been away from her longer than she ever had before and it was getting to be too much for her. Edward decided they would go home for now and try again later to look for her once they'd reunited with their daughter for a while.

As the next week passed, Seth became despondent at home. He only worked and slept and barely ate. When he came home from work he lay in his bed for hours till he finally dosed off. It was a vicious pattern that began to wear on him and Jacob could see it. He sent him home from work and ordered him to bathe himself and eat. Jacob was at a loss. It was as though his friend never came home. Seth entered his house. With nobody at home, it was very quiet. He sat for a while trying to watch TV but his mind couldn't focus on anything. He remembered Jacob had ordered him to eat something so he searched the fridge for some food and came upon some leftover casserole that Sue made the night before. He didn't bother to heat it. The taste didn't even matter to him. He just scooped some right out of the container it was stored in and took a few mouthfuls. After he finished it with a soda, he felt a little more energized and went to the shower letting the hot water hit his body, removing some of his tension. Once he dried off, he walked down the hall to his room with towel wrapped around his waist. Then he grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor that he'd only worn once and slipped them on. He saw the shirt that Tara had put on the last night she was there. He put it to his nose and inhaled her scent. Then he quickly shoved it in a drawer and grabbed a fresh shirt. As he pulled the garment over his head he caught a glimpse of a dark figure that stood in the corner of his room. It startled him and he leaped back. Taras golden eyes stared at him. She raised her hand out to him. "Please, don't be afraid," she whispered. Seth's heart pounded. He shook his head and finished putting his arms through the sleeves of his shirt and then stepped towards her. "I'm not...please, don't disappear on me, okay?" he stepped closer, "I never thought I was gonna see you again." His heart beat faster now. She looked down somberly. "I didn't think you wanted to." Seth shook his head. "No, I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it when I told you to leave. He inched closer towards her. How long have you been standing there?" Two weeks," she said as her eyes looked back up at him. His eyebrows rose. "T-two weeks? You've been in my room for two weeks?" He suddenly realized that explained why they never found her and why Alice couldn't see her. "Yes. I arrived here before you. I had no other place to go. No other place I wanted to go. I thought maybe I could just be close to you and not let you see me and that would be

enough. I've been watching you sleep every night," she confessed. "You don't sleep well." He shook his head agreeing. "And last night you called out my name. I wanted to wake you and hold you but I was afraid to touch you." Her lip trembled when she spoke. He slowly walked over to her and stood right in front of her. She couldn't look him in the eyes. He saw the torment in her face. "Seth, I just need you to hear me say that I'm sorr" He quickly cupped her face in his hands and crushed his lips to hers before she could finish. Tara didn't resist. She felt her body melting against his and she parted her lips tasting his deep, warm kiss on her mouth. He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her body in tight against his, then knotted his fingers in her hair with the other hand, holding her as though he'd never let go. In a passionate embrace, they fell to the bed. There were no words between them because their lips never parted as their bodies told each other what they wanted. He slid the long black cloak off of her body and took her without hesitation. When their lips finally separated so he could catch his breath, he pulled the sheet over their bodies and held her close, softly caressing her shoulders. Her head rested on his chest, listening to his heart as it thumped against her cheek. "Seth," she whispered. "Hmm?" His lips touched her hair. She felt the heat from his breath as he spoke. "You never let me finish apologizing." She pulled back too look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I never wanted to hurt you that way. I hope you believe me when I say that." "I do. I know you were just trying to protect my family and the Cullens. I understand." "I wanted to protect you too. I was afraid the Volturi would kill youand then" She sat up in the bed. He sat up too and started to speak but she put her hand over his mouth so she could finish. "...then you came for me. All of you came for me." She put her hand over his heart. "When I saw your face I feared for you. I told Aro to send you away but I wanted you so badly to take me away from there... I wanted to scream it." "I'm right here. It's all behind us now." He brushed her hair back from her face. She looked at his shoulder where she bit him and reached her hand over, touching the

scar with her finger tips. "I nearly killed you." Her face expressed her pain. He took her hand in his. "You saved me. You got the venom out before it killed me. I didn't know that's what you were doing at the time. I was disoriented, I didn't know what was happening to me, but I understand it all now and I'm sorry for telling you to leave. I didn't mean it." She lowered her eyes. "Do youdo you still love me?" she asked. "Yesof course. More than anything." She grinned with a sigh and then looked up at him shaking her head. "Such a stupid creature." He laughed. "There's one more thing you need to know," she said. "Okay." He waited curiously. "While I was there, I had to feed " Seth remembered her red eyes. It indicated she'd fed on human blood. "Tara you don't have to explain this to me," he interrupted. "No I want to, please allow me to finish." "Okay." He squeezed her arm. "They brought me a young woman. I didn't want to hurt her. I tried as hard as I could to not even breathe in the room with her so I couldn't smell her blood. When Aro saw that I hadn't fed, he became angry and bit her hoping it would entice me. Then left her with me once again, bleeding and in pain. The girl, she" Tara paused for a moment as she checked his eyes to see if he looked disgusted with her yet. He still looked compassionate as always. He waited for her to finish. "She begged me to kill her, to make the pain stop." Seth remembered the agonizing pain he felt from the venom as she spoke. "I gave her the choice to be turned or to die. She chose death. and so... I took her life." Tara's voice turned to a whisper near the end of her sentence. "But you didn't take her life... Aro did. Her life was taken the moment he bit her. Her body was going to die either way." She frowned. "Seth, I don't deserve your forgiveness or your compassion." Seth spoke sternly. "There's nothing to forgive. You didn't kill her."

She looked away unbelieving. "Tara, if I came across a wounded animal in the woods that was beyond repair, I would put it out of its misery. It's the same thing." "No it's not, this woman had a soul. Animals don't have souls. She was a human life." "Then you just helped her soul cross over to meet her maker and be in peace so she wouldn't have to exist in a way she didn't want to." Tara felt overwhelmed by her emotions. She put her forehead to his chest. He caressed her hair and stroked her back. "Are you ok?" he asked. "Do you have any idea how much love I feel for you?" she responded. "Yeah , I have an idea I think." He smiled. She kissed his chest and then his neck until her lips were on his mouth again. Then she gently pushed him back on the bed and climbed on top of him. "I could show you," she grinned. His eyes lit up as he smiled and then he felt her wrap her body around his and she could tell he was ready for her again. .

Posted by Barb Hoyt at 12:39 AM 1 comments

Chapter 15- Epilogue Two Years Later Jacob Black stood in his bathroom, looking in the mirror for a long time. He trembled nervously thinking about what he was about to do. Today he was going to marry Renesmee. He'd thought about this day for a long time remembering the day he proposed to her a year ago. Jacob wasn't pleased that Edward made them wait an extra year before they could marry but he understood that it was difficult for him to watch his little girl grow up so quickly, losing so much precious time with her. Even though she wasn't really

going anywhere, she would no longer be neighbors with them and she'd have a new life and a new husband. Edward wasn't thrilled about the second part. As much as he liked Jacob, he knew he'd have to try very hard to keep out of their heads. Seth knocked on the door distracting his train of thought. "Hey you ever coming out? Don't make me drag you to the altar!" he shouted. Jacob opened it. "You're not even dressed yet! You gonna get married your underwear or what?" Seth said. "I was shaving. I didn't wanna get it dirty." "Right, you've been shaving for an hour. A little nervous are we?" Seth teased. "No," Jacob lied as he fidgeted. "Right!" Seth grinned at him. He looked over at Jacob's clothes that hung on the back of the door. They chose to have a traditional Native American wedding. They planned an outdoor ceremony and requested for one of the spiritual elders of the tribes to wed them. The idea of it thrilled Renesmee when Jacob proposed it to her. Alice needed a little convincing however. "Wow, where did you get this?" Seth said as he was checking out the hip-length native shirt. He'd never seen one like it before. "Billy found it. EBay." Jacob said grabbing it off the hanger. So I guess you don't have to worry about the 'thought-police' anymore now eh?" Seth chuckled. Edward told Jacob he was forbidden to even as so much as think about his daughter in ways he shouldn't, not at least until they were married. Edward promised to bring great physical arm to Jacob if he misbehaved even the slightest. "Nopethe ball is in my court now. And in fact, during the entire ceremony, I plan to make Edward totally squirm in his seat." Jacob grinned devilishly. "Oh now that's just playing dirtybut I like it!" he laughed. "Yeah well, serves him right for making me wait another whole year! Oh hey, what about you? Did you get it? Come onlet's see the goods." Seth nodded. Then he pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it exposing a diamond ring.

"Very nice," Jacob said looking. "Do you think she'll like it?" Seth hoped. "What girl doesn't like diamonds?" Jacob shrugged. Seth snapped the box shut and sighed. "Ones that aren't too keen on the idea of marriage." Tara never expressed any desire to marry. She only saw marriage as a human custom, but it was one that was very important to Seth and he hoped she would understand it was an experience he wanted to share with her. "I think once she hears you pop the question, she will change her mind." "I hope you're right," Seth stuffed it back in his pocket. Alice was very excited that Renesmee allowed her to plan the wedding, even though she had strict guidelines to follow. She did a lot of her own research and also received some guidance from Sue. Esme and Rosalie were pleased to help with the preparations as well. Renesmee sat in stood in the bathroom while Alice finished her last minute primping. She wore a traditional tribal wedding dress. She chose a white one, beautifully decorated with Indian beading. Her long brown curls hung down her back with just the sides pulled up off her face and a few wavy strands in the front. Alice helped her pin a ring of flowers in her hair that Sue made for her as a veil. Bella and Alice were the only ones that stayed behind to help her get ready. Alice assigned the rest of the girls with other wedding details. When Alice finished Renesmee's hair, she styled Bella's hair and laid out a sleek blue dress for her that she slipped into. Soon, Edward arrived to escort his wife to the ceremony. He wore a black suit with blue trim that matched Bella's dress. When he politely knocked on the door, Alice unlocked it and peeked out to confirm he was alone. She opened it to let him enter. Edward then smiled at his daughter. "You look absolutely beautiful," he said. "Thanks dad. You look pretty sharp yourself. Are you ready to give me away?" "Never," he said shaking his head. "But I will today." He kissed her on the forehead trying not to mess up her makeup. Alice eyed him making sure they didn't wrinkle anything. "Alrighty, lets head out. Don't wanna be late!" Alice chimed. She had everyone on a tight schedule. "I'll take Ness, and we'll meet you guys there. Okay?"

"Got it Alice," Edward said, wanting to get her out of the room so he could get a better look at his wife's low cut dress. When they finally disappeared, leaving them alone, he shut the door and turned to Bella, scowling. "What's wrong?" Bella worried when she saw his mood change. "Hmm, I'm not so sure I like this dress on you." "Y-you don't?" She frowned, looking in the mirror disappointed. "No, I really think maybe you should take it off," he said as he reached a finger under one of the straps on her shoulder and pulled it down her arm. Bella suddenly grinned picking up on the hint. "Edward! We have a wedding to go to!" "We have approximately one point seven hours before we actually have to be there. And considering I can get us there in less than fifteen minutes that gives us nearly an hour and a half" Before he could even finish, Bella grabbed him by the suit jacket and pulled him against her and kissed him. He quickly lifted her to the counter knocking several bottles off onto the floor, and also breaking the mirror behind her. As Edward kissed Bella's neck he slid his hands up her thighs all the way to her dress and then just a little further. He searched for an undergarment to pull down but there wasn't one. He was surprised at her and yet pleased at the same time. "Why Bella Cullen, you little minx! You have absolutely nothing on under this dress!" "Hmm, I guess maybe we won't need to remove it then." She grinned trying to act coy. Edward was amused. "Oh, I'm not so sure, I think Alice would be pretty upset if I accidently tore it. Maybe we should remove it, just to be on the safe side." He began to unzip the back, smiling at her. "Ok, just to be safe," she agreed and he slipped it off her, gently laying it on the chair behind them along with his jacket, then he quickly returned to his former position. "Hmm, now where were we?" he asked as he gripped her and pulled her body into his. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "I think we're kind of trashing Alice's beauty supplies. We better be more careful." "Yes, I think youre right." Edward wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. Her legs were still wrapped around him. He carried her over to the wall and pressed her back up against it. The vibration made a picture frame fall off the wall but they didn't even

notice as they were so wrapped up in the passion of the moment. Edward counted down the time. He had approximately one point six hours left and he was about to make every second of it count. It was June: The Summer Solstice. Alice helped them pick the perfect date that would give them the driest day of the year. As predicted, it had been a clear day and they were going to start the ceremony once the sun began to set. The dcor was all very traditional. It consisted of decorative baskets filled with corn as a symbol of fertility and others filled with various plant foods for blessings. There were animals hides displayed near the altar, and a water bowl used for a symbol of purification and cleansing. Alice made sure to include flowers everywhere. As the guests arrived, Seth, Quil and Embry seated them. All of the Cullens sat on the bride's side and the pack on the other. A few close friends and family, including Renee showed up. Everyone in the wedding party arrived on time except Bella and Edward. Renesmee tried to calm Alice who started to panic, until they saw Edward's Audi finally. "Where the heck have you guys been?" Alice demanded to know when they finally strolled in. "We left you over an hour ago." "Sorry Alice, I had car trouble." Edward lied. "You" She paused, and her eyes narrowed into slits. "What kind of car trouble?" Alice asked suspiciously, putting her hands on her hips. She had difficulty seeing most spontaneous events and Edward hoped his moment with Bella was one of those events. He made sure to pick her brain before fabricating his cover-up story, to see if she knew or not. Fortunately for him, Rosalie came over and distracted Alice's attention before she could question him further. "Where do you want me to put these?" Rosalie asked, holding two large baskets in her hand. Alice grabbed one from her and then told her to give the other one to Billy Black who already took his place next to his son at altar. While Rosalie kept Alice's attention occupied, Edward noticed Bella's zipper in the back of her dress was half way down. He stealthy pulled it up with one hand before Alice even noticed. When Bella giggled, Alice

looked back at the two of them, even more suspicious now. She stared at Bella as she handed the other basket to her and noticed something else. "Bella! What happened to your makeup? I can't even tell you are wearing lipstick!" "Ahwell.." Bella stuttered trying to think of an excuse. Just then, Esme showed up with Renesmee. "She's all yours Edwardat least for the next half hour." Esme winked at him. Then she kissed Renesmee and took her seat. Edward knew this was his out. Another save, he thought "I think you better take your place Bella," he quickly said as he rushed her out of Alice's sights, gladly escaping his sister's interrogation. Once everyone took their place, someone began to play a melody on an Indian love flute and Edward walked Renesmee down the aisle. When they reached the alter, he leaned in and kissed his daughters on the cheek and then she took her position in front, right next to a ceremonial water bowl. Two white flowers floated in the water as a sign of purity for them. Bella and Billy held their baskets, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Once Jacob laid his eyes on his beautiful bride, he didn't need to try very hard to get under Edward's skin. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The spiritual leader spoke. "What do you provide for this union of marriage?" he said, looking at Renesmee. Bella handed her the basket she held and she then gave it to Jacob reciting her vows. "I provide these things to you, they are a symbol that I will care and love you always." The leader asked the same of Jacob. Billy then handed him his basket and he gave it to Renesmee. "I provide these things to you. They are a symbol that I will provide, love and protect our family always." Jacob said as he looked in her eyes. They then were instructed to place the baskets aside and dip their hands into the ceremonial bowl of water. While everyone watched the ritual, Seth looked over at Tara and smiled taking her hand. She returned a smile to him. The spiritual leader spoke to them again. "Now you will feel no rain, for you will be shelter to each other. You will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. There is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. You are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. May your days be good and long upon the Earth."

Jacob and Renesmee exchanged rings and personal vows that they wrote for one another. Then the Holy man took a large white blanket and wrapped it around them both, symbolizing their unity, and he spoke again. "Oh, Creator and nurturer of all life, we give heartfelt thanks for the moment that brought Jacob Black, and Renesmee Cullen together in the Holy state of Marriage. Now as you both have consented and have pledged your faith to each other before your community, according to the powers vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal your union with a kiss." As Jacob put his arms around his new wife and pulled her in for a kiss, all of the pack stood up to howl and cheer. Even Emmett stood up and cheered them on and then all the others joined in making noise. Edward was the only one groaning rubbing his head. Bella leaned over to him. "I hear Alaska is beautiful this time of year." One the ceremony ended, everyone followed the happy couple to the Cullen home for the reception. All of the furniture had been moved out of the living room that over-looked the back yard, making a small dance floor. Several tables were placed around the room for the guests. Most of Jacob's closest friends and family came to the reception party. Alice decorated the house of course. She wasn't quite as restricted on this task since it was in her territory. Renesmee picked the colors of red and white and she filled the house with bouquets of red and white roses everywhere. Candles and flowers were on every table in the room and almost everywhere in the house. All of the table cloths matched the flowers and she trimmed everything with red and white ribbon. They hired private caterers to prepare and serve the food. Once the guests that ate finished, Jacob and Renesmee cut their wedding cake (also trimmed in red and white) and fed it to each other. They both of course grabbed handfuls to smash in each other's faces like little kids. Alice nearly had a fit but everyone else laughed as they did and then kissed with their faces full of cake. Afterwards, Jacob took Renesmee up stairs so they could wash off. Renesmee got too much cake on her tribal dress so she changed into an ivory one that Alice laid out for her to wear when they were to leave for their honeymoon. When she came out of her room, she had Jacob zip up the back. She held up her long hair as he slowly pulled the long

zipper up her back. Then she turned to face him and smiled. He already removed his tribal jacket, wearing only a white button up shirt with his dress pants. Jacob wrapped his arms around his new bride, staring at her beauty. "I can't wait to take this off of you later." He whispered in her ear. Renesmee blushed. "You're lucky my dad's not around to hear to say that Jacob Black." She teased. "Oh no, I can think and say whatever I want about my new wife now. Edward will just have to tune me out from now on if he doesn't like it." She laughed thinking about her poor dad. "He seemed pretty distressed during the ceremony. I've never seen him so fidgety before" Jacob tried to hold back a laugh but was failing horribly. "Jakewhat did you do? What were you thinking about during the wedding?" "Oh I dunno just.you and the honeymoon." She gasped and swatted him. "Hey! Stop that, I'm allowed now!" "Don't torment my dad like that, it's not nice. Besides I don't want him to be thinking about me that way." "Ness, you're spoiling all my fun," Jacob complained. "At least let me mess with him just for tonight, and then I promise I'll keep everything privatedeal?" Ness rolled her eyes. I don't even want to know," she said. He laughed and then gave her a kiss that lasted a very long time. When he parted he looked her in the eyes and took her hand. "So would you care to dance with your husband Mrs. Black?" "Yes, very much," she agreed, and then they headed back downstairs where the guests all mingled and danced. Edward and Bella twirled gracefully out on the dance floor. Jacob and Renesmee took their first dance together and then when the song changed, Renesmee danced with her father. Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Esme and Carlisle all danced. Sue even managed to get Charlie out on the dance floor for spin. He was a clumsy as ever but they laughed every time he stumbled or stomped on her foot. Seth chuckled as he watched

them having fun together. He and Tara sat at their table watching everyone. Seth had become very quiet as he'd been trying to think of a plan for his proposal to her. He'd been unsuccessful so far. "Are you ok tonight?" Tara asked him as she rested her hand in his leg. "Fine. Why?" "Because you seem really tense, plus you hardly touched you food. Are you sure you're okay?" He touched her face. "I'm sure," he said to her looking in her eyes. He kept telling himself to ask her, but he was frozen, unable to move. Finally he thought to excuse himself. "I'll, umbe right back ok?" She nodded and watched him as he ran off. She expected him to head to the bathroom perhaps, but he ran into the kitchen instead. He leaned against the wall fearful he might pass out. When the dance tunes changed to something more upbeat, several of the couples dispersed. Jacob and Renesmee stayed on the floor and did a funny little routine that looked like they rehearsed. The pack laughed and cheered them on. Tara moved over to sit with Bella and Esme and watched. She enjoyed herself though she couldn't quite figure out why Seth kept acting so odd. After a few minutes, Seth peaked around the corner and saw that Tara moved from their table to sit with Bella and Esme. He watched her as he tried to calm himself. Edward casually strolled over to Seth and leaned over to him. "Relax, your heart is racing too loudly, she'll pick up on that." He advised. Seth realized Edward knew what he was planning to do and he grabbed Edward by the front of his jacket and pulled him around the corner. Edward gave him an objectionable stare and then looked down at his hand that was still gripping his lapel. Seth noticed the unpleasant look he had on his face and let go. "Oh,..sorry," he said nervously trying to smooth out the wrinkle his hand made. "Tell me what do what do Edward please, I'm so nervous right now." Edward chuckled at him with a sigh. "Well first of all you should probably try breathing. You need to calm yourself down." "Yeah, I've been trying," he said as he took some deep breaths. A caterer passed by them carrying a tray with several glasses of champagne on it. Seth

quickly snatched one off the tray as the man kept walking, not even noticing. He began to chug it down quickly. Edward grabbed the glass just before he got to finish it. "Hey slow down! You're not even twenty-one yet." "Yeah, well I have a pretty good excuse right now." Edward looked at him, debating the facts. "Ok you're right, here." He handed him the glass back and he finished it. Seth's hands trembled. Edward put his hand on his shoulder. "Deep breaths, relax." "Right." Seth inhaled deeply. "Okay, now go ask her for a dance." Edward told him. "A dance? Um" Seth stared at Tara. Edward could clearly see he didn't know how to dance. "Yes, a dance, she's been wanting you to ask her. Don't worry she knows how, she can just lead you. Just try not to step on her feet with those boats of yours." Seth looked down at his size-thirteen shoes. "Well then what do I do?" Edward sighed. "Seth, do I have to do all the work for you?" "Ah yes actually, since you're experienced at this ...How about you go ask her to marry me," he joked, holding out the ring to him. Just then another waiter passed by looking at Seth as he held the engagement ring out to Edward. He heard only the last two words Seth said to him and snickered. Edward rolled his eyes and grabbed Seth's hand covering the ring. When Edward shook his head, Seth noticed something on his ear. "Uh, is that lipstick on your um..." without finishing, he just pointed at Edward's ear, giving him a funny look. Edward's expression changed to surprise. Feeling a little embarrassed, he just decided to ignore the comment. "I'll take care of the music for you. You just go and dance," he ordered. before he walked off, rubbing his ear with a handkerchief. Seth put the ring back in his pocket and then he headed in Tara's direction, still trying to get his heart rate down. Relax Seth, relax, he reminded himself. He smiled nervously as Tara turned her head to look at him. "Hey," he said to her. Then he turned to Esme. "Hi Esme, beautiful job you did. The house looks great," he complimented.

"Well thank you Seth, but I have to give most of the credit to Alice of course. She's been working for days, non-stop to do all this." "I'll bet. Well you'd think a pro came in here. Maybe she needs to start up her own business in party planning or something." "You know, that's not a bad idea," Esme smiled. Just then, Carlisle walked up to Esme when he heard the change in tune and swooped her away for a dance. Edward came over and did the same with Bella. Tara turned to Seth. "So, are you feeling alright? You disappeared for awhile there." "Oh yeahI'm ahI'm fine. Yup," he rambled nervously. His heart rate sped up again. "You don't sound fine. What are you up? Are you and Jake plotting some joke I need to be in on or something?" She fished. Seth chuckled nervously, glad she had no suspicions at least. "No, we're not plotting anything. Actually I was just kind wondering if you know how to ..umhow to dance." She looked at him with a strange stare. "Yes, I can dance." "Well good cuz I was kinda hoping you'd show me how." Her eyebrow rose. "You want me to show you how to dance?" "Yes, please? If you wouldn't mind?" He held out his hand. "Of course not, why didn't you just tell me you didn't know how instead of acting weird all night?" "Ah.." he paused. Play it off, this is good. Just play it off, he thought. "Sorry, I was kind of embarrassed," he fibbed. "It's ok, come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. She took his right hand in hers and then put his left one at the small of her back. Then she placed hers on his left shoulder. "Ok so it kinda goes like this" she started, as she tried to remember the moves. "Um, actually would you mind if we went outside instead?" he interrupted. "Outside?" she stopped moving. "Yeah it's a little less crowded out there." He started to pull her by the hand. "Ohokay." She followed. They walked out to the courtyard. A giant fountain stood in the center with an angel that poured water down into it from a vase. The pool was lit up with a multi colored lights and filled with fresh white lilies that all floated on the top. There were bouquets of flowers

everywhere and a dozen more candles. The setting was perfect he thought. "This is better," he said. He took her arms and placed them on his shoulders and then wrapped his arms comfortably around her waist and began to sway back and forth. "Umdo you want me to show you some steps?" He just kept moving along with him as she spoke. He shook his head. "Nope not yet, I kinda like this right here." She smiled. "Ok." She didn't mind. She liked being alone for a while. They could still hear the music playing, just not as blaringly loud. He put his lips to her hair. "Have I told you how gorgeous that dress is on you?" "Mmm, no actually you haven't said much of anything to me tonight, I was getting worried." "I'm sorry. I guess I was just a little distracted. You do however, look very beautiful. Red really suits you." "Thanks," she said, delighted. They moved along with the music quietly for a few moments. Then Seth decided to ease into the subject. "So what did you think of the ceremony?" "Oh, it was lovely. I've never seen a traditional wedding like that. I enjoyed the experience." "Really?" "Yes, the vows were beautiful. It's a very sweet human custom." He didn't like that she put it in those terms. "Well, I told you, human customs are kinda nice." "Yes, but I think they only did it to appeased Edward. He so very old-fashioned." She rolled her eyes. He stopped moving and became more serious."Uh, no, Jacob wanted to marry her, he's been wanting this for a long time. It's a very important custom in our heritage." "Oh." She replied, absorbing his comment. She thought for a moment and then got the hint. "Well it just seems so unnecessary. I just don't see the point. I know how I feel about you and that's all I need really." Seth frowned. "You're not the only one in this relationship with needs you know." Tara stopped moving. His words cut through her. Seth tried to keep dancing but it was like pushing against a solid wall. She looked at his eyes and saw the hurt behind them."I

didn't know it was that important to you." Seth nodded. "Well, not so much the ceremony and stuff, just the union. It holds great meaning for our people. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean about itI just want you to understand how I feel." "I do. Forgive me for being so selfish. I just didn't give it much thought before. It's just that I don't see how a piece of paper will change anything between us. Marriage is a custom that humans need for legal status and such and wellI have no legal status. I don't even exist in this world." She lowered her eyes. He took her face in his hands. "You exist in my world, and that's all that matters to me." Then he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. She smiled at him when they parted. "Thank you." "What for?" "Everything - you give me everything Seth. You shined your light on my dark world and gave me a give me a reason to live. If this is something you really want, I'd be more than happy to give that to you." "Butwould it mean anything to you?" He worried. "Of course it would. Anything I experience with you means everything to me." She stared into his eyes. "In a hundred years from now, I'll remember this dance with you like it was yesterday. I cherish every moment." He hugged her. "Thank you. So will I...if I get to live that long." She squeezed him tighter thinking about the 'if' part of his comment. She never wanted to let him go. After a few minutes of a silent embrace he began dancing with her again. They continued their gentle sway back and forth. Seth expressed another thought. "Besides...I think Tara Clearwater has a really nice ring to it, and there's always ways of getting around the legality of things." Her face changed. She liked the sound of her name joined with his. "Hmm, I rather like the sound of that. I've never thought of it that way before." "Told you." He smiled pressing his lips to her hair. "So I guess that just means one of these days you'll just have toask..me" Tara's words slowed down as she eyed Seth dropping down on one knee before she had even finished her sentence. She froze like a statue as he pulled the box from his pocket

and opened it exposing the ring. Her eyes widened as they fixated on it. "Tara Spaulding will you be my wife?" he asked her, looking her straight in her eyes waiting for a response. The two of them became so wrapped up in conversation, they didn't even notice that the music stopped and that the entire wedding party stared out the window looking and listening with eager smiles on their faces. Edward tipped everyone off and they all began to gather around the bay windows to witness the event. "Tara?" Seth said to her waiting. "Howhow did you even know my last name? I never told you." He grinned. "I have an informant." Tara then turned her head to look for Edward and noticed the whole entire wedding party was starring right at them. She gasped. Then she turned back to Seth and felt her knees giving out. "Whoa, hey, you okay?" he said as he caught her just as she dropped to her knees right in front of him. Everyone inside tried to listen in. The vampires tuned in their keen senses as the listened but they hadn't heard Tara say yes yet. "What's she saying Edward?" Esme asked knowing Edward could hear her thoughts. They all looked at him curiously, wanting to know. "She's actually speechless! Even in her mind. I think he stunned her." He laughed. Tara put her arms around Seth's neck and held onto him. "You actually made me weak in the knees." "Did I?" he smiled pleased with himself. She nodded. His eyebrows went up as he patiently waited. "Um, you haven't answered my question yet." The corners of her mouth turned up and she nodded. "Yes, I'll be your wife." She answered. Seth smiled and then slipped the ring on her finger. She stared at it in awe. Then he reached for her face and pulled her in for a kiss. The entire party started cheering. The pack howled. Seth wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up. He embraced her and

whispered in her hair. "I love you Tara. I'll cherish you every day of my life." Then they kissed again even more passionately. He was on top of the world.

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