Edward's POV:
"It's really been too long since the last time." Anna announced as we were getting ready for the baseball game.
She was standing in front of the mirror in our bedroom, pulling her hair into a pony tail while I sat across the room in the love seat, gazing at her tight apple bottom that was hugged nicely by her dark blue jeans.
"And you are sure you can handle it?" I asked concerned, my thoughts drifted from her delicious body to her health.
She turned around, gave me a look and mocked me "Yes, dad."
I sighed dissatisfied, stood up from the love seat, closed the distance between us in quick strikes to stand right in front of her before I took her face into my hands, making her look at me.
"Love, I'm worried about you. It had only been a few days since we found out about...….your condition." Anna sighed heavily at my words.
"I know and I'm sorry for being cranky but you walking around me on eggshells the whole time….. is quite unnerving." She explained.
"I know but you gave me quite a fright."
"I'm sorry for that," her voice was almost pleading, "but ever since that happened, all we did was to worry. It's time to take a break and to have some fun at least for a few hours. You desperately need it and so does the rest of our family." I sighed she did have a point.
In the last few days sorrow and worry was spreading in our home like a disease.
"And besides the Somerville's will visit us later and we do want to make a good impression right?" Truth to be told I couldn't have cared less about them but Carlisle was edger to get to know about their kind.
"You will tell me or anyone else if something is wrong." I demanded firmly.
"Of cause I will but as long as I'm fine please let me be." Anna pleaded.
I sighed again "I'll try."
It was unbelievably hard for me to know that she was in danger and that there was nothing I could do to keep that danger away from her. More so that I was the one who inflicted the life threatening condition on her.
"I'll take it." She smiled at me before lifting herself up to my lips and placing hers over mine.
"Do you know what I want now?" She whispered against my lips.
I purred against her mouth, having some suggestions.
"Finding your old jersey and wear it to the game." Anna murmured. Her sweet lips were moving against mine while she spoke.
That was definitely not what I was expecting or hoping for.
"I just love that priceless look on your face." My love giggled after she pulled away from me to look into my face and before she turned around to walk into our walk in closet.
I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, shaking my head as I watched her make her way to the closet, swaying her hips seductively with each step.
"You tease." I called after her.
"Guess who is rubbing off on me?" She retorted.
Come on Romeo get your Juliet ready and meet us at the field. Emmett yelled at me in his thoughts before he rushed out of the house.
The family had been crushed as well by the news we brought back from the hospital. We all decided to stay positive, if only for our sanities sake. My love was never one to give up and neither would I.
Anna found one of my old jerseys and pulled it over her jacket. It was late autumn now but today it was straggly warm especially for the area what brought a thunder storm on.
"Ready?" I asked when she excited the closet.
"I'm round and warm as a marshmallow."
"You look adorable and you won't be cold. A win/win situation if you ask me," I said before kissing the tip of her nose.
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes on me.
I kneeled down in front of her so she could climb on my back. Anna locked her arms and legs around my frame, placed her head on my shoulder and we took off.
I loved it to run with her, feeling her soft body pressed tightly against mine and her hot breath fanning against my neck. I was greedy for her touch and used every opportunity I could get to be close to her.
The run didn't take long to my great displeasure, since I would have to let go of her. Too soon for my liking we arrived at the enormous open field in the middle of the New Hampshire forest.
"Glad you could make it, given your busy schedule," Emmett teased as he noticed us while I was putting Anna on her feet.
"Jealous?"
"Ha, you wish."
I raised an eye brow at him in challenge.
"Newby you're delusional." Emmett boomed as he materialized himself in front of me placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Am I?"
"Get married first and after your honeymoon when you will have joined the ranks of us husbands, we will continue this talk." He stated while wearing a serious expression.
"Hey, you two chatter bags are you done now or shall we start without you?" Rose yelled at us, edger to play.
"Coming," the both of us answered in union.
I rushed to my love who was at Esme's side and was going to be the other referee, to keep us from cheating as Esme always put it.
"Hey, ready to play?" Anna smiled at me.
"Not quite."
"Why?" She asked confused.
"I'm missing something really important." I answered. My love looked at me then at the others and again back at me.
"Everyone is here. We have the bats and the ball. Carlisle is marking the bases. So what is missing?"
"My good luck charm." I stated in a serious voice.
"Your what?" Her face was blank and her eye brows raised. I smiled smugly and realization set in on her part.
"Here is your good luck charm," Anna locked her arm around my neck and pulled my face down so my edger lips could meet hers.
"Now I'm ready." My love giggled shaking her head at me.
We all took our positions and began to stretch our limbs, of course none of us needed to do that but we were always doing it. It was like a ritual before every baseball game.
"Storm is here we're ready to go!" Alice called out as we heard the first thunder crash around us.
My gaze wandered from Alice to my Anna and I saw her putting the noise cancellation headphones over her ears. When we brought her the first time to a game with us she had bought herself earplugs.
I had never considered just how loud it would be for human ears. We may have the better hearing but our bodies are protecting us automatically from the noises that could harm us. We are capable of hearing the loud volume but it's not like our ear drums would burst from it. Our systems are regulating the noises to a comfortable volume for us.
Emmett was far out in left field, Rose stood between the first and second bases, and Alice stood on the pitcher's mound ready to throw the ball.
Carlisle was getting ready, doing a couple of practice swings. He was always behaving like the collected leader that he was but give the man a baseball bat or a snow ball in his hands and he turns back into a competitive teenage boy.
"Are you ready Alice?" Carlisle asked with a smirk on his face.
"Dear, don't forget to watch out for Carlisle he likes to cheat just like the other boys." Esme reminded my love.
"Don't worry Esme. I didn't forget." My fiancé nodded.
"Hey," Carlisle complained. Esme and Anna giggled.
"Give it up dad. You are busted. You are just as bad as we are." Emmett boomed, amused.
"Throw the ball Alice," Carlisle commanded now wanting to prove his baseball skills. Alice threw the ball, Carlisle hit it full force and rushed to the home plate as Emmett went after the ball.
The game began and we were taking turns batting and throwing. Esme and Anna had a lot to do trying to keep us honest.
It was near the end of the game when I materialized myself at my loves side and placed a hard kiss on her full lips.
"Not even bribing the referee will help you now. You are going down lover boy."
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you Em." I called back.
"And who said I can be bribed?" Anna yelled in his direction.
"Maybe not bribed but what about dazzled?" I challenged. She turned around and glared playfully at me.
"Shut up and go back to the game before I incapacitate you for flirting with the referee." My vixen teased me.
"Fine but you will pay for that once we are home." I whispered into her ear before placing her headphones over them, giving her another kiss on the top of her head and getting myself ready for batting.
After a couple of turns Emmett and Jasper were in a heated argument about if Emmett made in to the home plate in time or if he was out.
"I'll go get the ball." I heard my mate tell our mother while Esme was about to end Jaspers and Emmett's discussion.
I watched Anna as she started to run to where the ball had rolled. The first couple of meters she run like she normally did but then she gained on speed. She was running twice as fast as a human being is capable of.
Anna stopped, bent down, got the ball, turned around and ran back to come to a stop right in front of me while I could only look at her in astonishment.
"Here's the ball." She held the white leather thing out for me to take.
"Something wrong?" She asked puzzled when I didn't react.
I don't think she even noticed what she just did. Alice's thoughts brought me back to reality. Apparently I wasn't the only witness of the happening.
"What do you mean?" I turned my head to look at my psychic sister as I asked her.
But she ignored me and addressed my fiancée instead.
"Anna was something wrong when you ran just now?"
Anna titled her head to her right and looked puzzled at her. She really didn't seem to have noticed it. Alice's and mine behaviour had gained the attention of our family.
"Did something happen?" Carlisle asked, looking curious between the three of us.
"No idea." My love mumbled, looking questioning between Alice and me.
"Edward." Alice said out loud and ordered me to run across the field in her thoughts. I complied.
"Now run to Edward." Alice told Anna.
My fiancée looked to where I was standing and then faced our pixie sister with an expression on her face as if Alice had gone mad.
"Are you crazy?! He's at least two football fields away!" Anna exclaimed.
"Stop complaining and go." Alice ordered.
Anna raised an eyebrow at her, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the pixie.
"You know that I hate running so if you want me to run that distance then you will have to give m a rally good reason why I should do that."
Yep, that's my girl.
Alice sighed annoyed but also knew that if she didn't explain Anna wouldn't move a muscle.
"You just ran faster then humanly possible when you got the ball." Anna's expression turned into on of surprise and disbelieve. "We want you to do that again."
"Oh." Anna murmured. "O.K."
She was getting read to run while Carlisle was excitedly watching to see another symptom of Anna's unique condition.
"Ready. Steady…" Emmett hollered Anna looked incredulous at him then shook her had and rolled her eyes.
Emmett of course wasn't in the least bothered in his fun and went on completely ignoring her.
"Go."
My mate started to run first at human speed but quickly became faster in her movements then humanly possible, jumping into my arms when she arrived.
"Wow." Was all she said once she looked up at me.
"That is an amazing development." Carlisle said while he was watching her with fascination shining in his wise eyes, already thinking about the tests he wanted her to undergo.
"If I ran this fast the first time around as well why didn't I notice it then?" She wondered out loud after a few moments and it was a good question.
"My guess would be that like I told you your brain doesn't register that new behaviour, the changes that you are currently undergoing as something alien. For a Vampire going fast is something natural. We have to pay attention how much speed we use in public if not we would easily expose ourselves." Carlisle explained.
"Tell me how did everything around you look when you moved?" He asked her curious.
"That was the funny thing it wasn't at all blurry or morphed together as it always is when Edward is giving me a ride. Actually only the wind blowing stronger against my face was an indication on how fast I was really going." She mused, her brows pulled together in concentration.
"Does that mean that she needs to be looked after when she is out in public? I mean since she doesn't seem to be capable to tell when her Vampire side takes over." Jasper stated always concerned about the safety of our family.
"She needs a baby-sitter?" Emmett chuckled, earning a glare from my fiancée.
"I think that you be wise." Carlisle murmured. "Your brain seems to...go over into Vampire mode for lack of better term whenever, I guess, you do something..... non human." He speculated.
"Ohhhhh…..great." Anna groaned.
I drew her into my embrace and nuzzled my nose into her hair. She melted immediately into my body and I could feel her relax against my frame.
"Wait! Does that mean you are going to have to take me out of P.E.?" She beamed hopefully at Carlisle.
"It wouldn't be wise to let you do physical activities in your condition around humans." He mused thoughtfully.
"Maybe that's not that bad." She smiled happily. I could only shake my head at her logic.
"I'm strange live with it!" My Anna commented my head shaking.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." I murmured.
Carlisle asked a few more test runs of Anna before Emmett insisted to continue the game.
***
"Who is the best?" Emmett boomed as we entered our home, performing a victory dance on the floor of the hallway.
"You know Emmett you are a sore loser but even a worse winner," my love certificated.
"Ahem," Jasper and I breathed in union.
"You are just put out because you lost." Emmett accused Jasper and me.
"Maybe but you are still horrible after you won at anything." Jasper stated.
"Babe?" Emmett was searching for support.
"Love you monkey man but they are right." She assured him coolly. His mouth was hanging open but he recovered quickly.
"Still I won," and he continued his victory dance.
"Emmett act your age," I barked curtly at him.
"Don't!" Esme shouted panicked from upstairs rushing down the stairs as Emmett let himself fall to the ground, causing the entire house to tremble and Esme's favourite vase to fall of the table in the hallway.
I quickly shot forward to safe the ugly thing that Esme loved so much. Usually she had perfect taste but that thing.....
"Thank you." Esme breathed a sigh of relief as she took the intact vase out of my hands.
"How often have I told you boys not to imitate an earth quake?" She glared at Emmett who was still lying on the floor and me.
She had that look on her face and her hand on her hip. It was better not to argue with her right now.
"Sorry mom." We both apologized what brought a smile to her face.
"Good." She nodded at us before looking at her vase and asking herself where to put it so it would be safe from her sons.
That thing is just as indestructible as a Vampire. Carlisle thought, counting how many times that vase survived Emmett, Jasper and me.
I just shrugged, holding my beautiful love in my arm.
Anna's POV:
Didn't Edward know better then to tell Emmett to act his age? Emmett always used this as an opportunity to throw himself on the ground and acted his age.
I shook my head and thought about the new discovery regarding my condition. I couldn't move nowhere near as fast as the others could but still it was somehow strange and exhilarating at once.
Though the best thing by far was that running didn't seem to be as exhausting as it was before anymore. I ran a distance of two football fields and I didn't feel it, normally I would have been gasping for air like a chain smoker who just climbed the stairs of the Empire State Building up to the top.
Running wasn't my element at all....till now that is.
"Guys play time is over! The Somerville's will be here in twenty minutes!" Alice announced, tapping impatiently with her foot at the top of the stairs waiting for me to join her in her room.
"Coming!" I called and rushed up the stairs, using my new speed.
I loved the new speed!
Alice had just finished pushing me into a violet sweater that hugged my curves very nicely and white dress pants as I heard their cars, through the open window, come to a stop in our drive way. Walking out of Alice's bedroom and down the stairs I saw Esme fly into the kitchen certainly to check the food one last time, ever the perfect host.
"Ready for this?" I asked my fiancé when I joined him in the living room where the rest of us would wait for our guests while Esme and Carlisle greeted them at the door.
"I'll be on my best behaviour." He stated with mocked seriousness before kissing my temple while I felt his arm sneaking around my waist.
"I think Carlisle and Esme will appreciate that." I stated amused he rolled his eyes at me in respond.
I could hear them exchanging greetings and then their footfalls as they approached the living room. The first person to come into my view was a beautiful blond woman with sparkling green eyes. She had a body like a model and wore a warm expression on her face.
The man who had his arm around her waist was tall, about 6`5. He was even more well build like Fin and Julian and had dark brown hair. His eyes were light green just like Aya's and Julian's.
Their three children were following in behind them with Tia at her boyfriend's side. Returning my gaze back to the newcomers I noticed that Dr. Somerville's gaze was fixed on Alice and a sparkle of recognition lit up in his eyes.
"You know Alice?" Edward asked, narrowing his eyes at him.
Immediately the entire room feel silent and all eyes wandered to the tall man with the light green eyes.
"Indeed. It's been long Mary Alice." He greeted her.
"How do you know me?" She asked him, surprise evident in her voice while Jasper came to stand protectively in front of his wife.
Carlisle instantly took hold of the situation.
"Maybe we should all sit down first." He pointed at the couch while shooting Jasper a warning glance.
Jasper backed down but was still on his guard. We all took our seats and waited for Dr. Somerville to explain.
"The last time I saw you, you were still human. I haven't thought William would turn you." He seemed to be in thoughts.
"You knew me when I was human and you know my sire?" Alice looked at him with wide hopeful eyes.
"Yes. How is William by the way? I haven't seen him in years." Dr. Somerville asked with a smile on his lips.
I held my breath knowing the sad news which were coming next.
"I'm afraid he isn't alive anymore. The reason why Alice had been changed was because another of our kind wanted to kill her. Her sire…..William was killed in the process." Carlisle informed him.
Shock set in into Dr. Somerville's features.
"Do you know who did it?" He asked through his teeth after he regained his speech.
"Yes, he is dead." Edward answered with a sinister expression on his face while Jasper growled lowly.
"I take it there is quite a story behind it." Batiste assessed.
"Indeed there is...…" Carlisle proceeded giving him the pointers of what happened back then.
"Please can you tell me about him?" Alice asked hopefully. After he and the others had a little time to let the story of James and Victoria's death sink in.
Dr. Somerville nodded in agreement.
"William…..were do I start." He looked thoughtful.
"I first met him 1889 in a small village in England. The wife of the landlord where I had found shelter and work for a few weeks fell ill with an infection. The village Doctor gave any hope up on her. She was a good woman, hard-working and always friendly to everyone. One night I heard a sound coming from the room she was sleeping in. I knew that her husband wasn't back yet from the farmers meeting they had in the village so I went there to look who was with her." I could see a warm smile in his eyes.
"That's when I first met William. Of course at first I thought that he wanted to hurt her that's why I attacked him mistaking him for a human. I had heard about Vampires before from the stories in our clan but I had never seen one myself till then. He had known Margaret, the wife of the landlord, since she was a little girl and was regularly checking up on her." He looked lost in thoughts as he paused.
"William Thatcher was an intelligent man. He was born in Germany in 1662 and turned 1700 while being away on business in France. His father was a rich salesman who educated his son well. William was always curious about everything. It was him who awakened my interest in medicine." Dr. Somerville informed us.
"We travelled together through the world for about thirsty years. The place we parted was Biloxi, Mississippi. William was working there as an shrink in the mental asylum. I remember the day they brought you in." He was looking at Alice now.
"You had the ability to predict the future when you were human. The people in Biloxi thought you were possessed by some evil demon but your parents didn't want to give you into a mental institution or hand you over to the prist for an exorcism."
A varity of emotions was displaying on Alice's face as she got to know that her parents loved her and had been fighting for her.
"But then one day you had a….. seizure, you could call it, during a mass in church and shouted that the son of the major would die in two days. You sacred the people in twon and what made it worse was that two days later the son of the mayor died just like you said he would." He was looking at her with sadness in his eyes.
"Your father brought you into the institution the same day. People back then didn't understand suerpnatural and explained everything that wasn't normal with demons and evil fueled by the propaganda of the church." He looked angry before his gaze softened again.
"I do know that the only reason why your father brought you into that place was because it was the only way to safe your life. The twon people would have killed you otherwise. I was there when he begged and paid the director of the hospital to take good care of you." Quiet sobs shook Alice's tiny body that was huddled in Jasper's arms as she heard the story of her past.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more because about a week after you have been admitted I had to go back to my clan to take care of some matters and when I came back William was already gone... Now I know why." He had a bitter and sad edge in his voice.
"No," Alice shook her head after pulling herself together, "that is more then I have ever hoped to get to know about my sire, my parents and the circumstances of my change. It's a relief to know that my parents did fight for me, that they cared." She smiled at him.
Batiste gazed at Alice for a long while with a thoughtful expression.
"Actually I have two of William's journals. He gave them to me before I had to go back. He always wrote down the events of his long life. Even back then when he was still human. If you like I could lend them to you. If you are interested?" He offered.
"Of cause that would be wonderful." Alice's face lit up.
The atmosphere in the room between the Vampires and the Lycans was friendly but I could feel the tension in the air. None was really comfortable with the unknown species opposite of them.
"So there are more of your kind? You did mention a clan." I asked, picking up on the stuck conversation.
Batiste and the others looked rather uncomfortable with that question of course they didn't want to sell their clan members out to an unknown and not trusted coven of Vampires.
Batiste eyed Carlisle for a moment, I could see his inner conflict if and how much he should tell us before he answered.
"Yes, there are others like us out there. We are all around the world, living among man kind for as long it is possible for us to stay in one place but I guess I don't need to explain this part." He said knowingly.
"Truly not." Emmett agreed while Rose looked like she wanted to be everywhere but here at least she had something in common with Aya.
"You said that William was the first Vampire you ever encountered before and that our existence was only, more like a legend to your kind…. Why is that?" Jasper asked curious.
"Until then we haven't really had many face off's with Vampires. We live in big cities surrounded by humans living a pretty normal life while Vampires are mostly loners who hunt in dark backstreets. We stay clear of those danger zones." Julian answered.
"William did tell me about a higher Vampire population in the South but what he got to know about his own kind was that mostly Vampires are on their own and if they belong to a coven the bonds aren't too strong in most cases." Batiste mused. "But that doesn't seem to be the case for your family." He added fondly.
"It' not that easy. Our kind can live alone but also in a coven together. It depends on how they were, you could say, raised after they were turned and the nature of each individual." Carlisle explained.
"If you and William met in 1889 how old are you exactly?" Edward spoke for the first time since they arrived.
"I was born in 1827 and stopped aging the first time when I was twenty one." Batiste explained.
"Stopped aging?" I blurted out surprised.
"Yes, our kind has the ability to stop aging at any time we want." Lethia, Batiste's wife, answered.
"None in your family is the age you are displaying then?" Esme murmured.
"No, you won't find someone younger then ninety among us with the exception of Tia of course." Lethia smiled warmly at the only human between the Lycans.
"How did Fin and Tia meet if you don't mind me asking?" Esme looked sincerely interested at her but it wasn't Lethia who answered.
"It was during summer vacation in Nebraska in a small town named Big Spring," Tia snort when the name of the town passed her lips and she rolled her eyes, "big like about 412 people living there. Anyway my mom's relatives live there, we were visiting, there was no way around it. I thought that that would be the most boring summer of my life but it came different. Very different." She smiled up at Fin, he grinned back at her.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Aya roll her eyes in annoyance at the display of affection of her brother and his girlfriend.
"Fin and I met at a party in town and it just clicked right from the start. As corny as it sounds we just knew that we were meant to be." She beamed at him.
"Of course the tramp that calls herself my sister tried to get her filthy hands on him once she threw an eye on this eye candy but a reminder that she better not touch what's mine brought her back to reality." Tia stated proudly. Fin chuckled.
"The day after the party we performed our bond." He looked lovingly at her.
"Performed your bond?" Jasper questioned.
"Once we meet our life partner that's it. We stay together forever. This connection is sealed among our kind, though we can also connect with humans obviously, with a blood bond. We cut the palms of our left hand open, press them together, mixing the blood while the wound heals within a few minutes. This connection can't be broken no matter what." Fin reported.
"How about you two?" Tia directed the question at Edward and me.
"I was taken with her from the start but she ignored me for about three months." Edward teased me.
"That's not fair you know why." I exclaimed.
Carlisle chuckled and gave them the pointers of Edward's and mine relationship letting the fact that I wasn't really from around here untouched.
"A Vampire Slayer and a Vampire that's sound like Romeo and Juliet." Lethia raved with a dreamy look on her face.
"A new version of Buffy and Angle." Tia chimed in.
Emmett, Alice and Jasper chuckled at that while Esme and Carlisle tried to hold their amusement in. Even Rose couldn't help the small smirk that formed on her lips at the comments.
"But you do somehow smell like a Vampire." Julian narrowed his eyes at me.
"Anna has venom in her system and it is turning her differently then it should." Carlisle provided an explanation.
"Because she is a Vampire Slayer?" Fin spoke up.
"We guess. She is the first of her kind we encountered after all so all we can do is to make assumptions." Carlisle mumbled.
The Lycans nodded looking with interested to curious expressions at me. Dr. Somerville was looking at me with the knowledge thirsty fire burning in his eyes that I knew so very well from Carlisle. I felt rather uncomfortable under their gazes, kind of like a science experiment.
"My children told me that you mentioned Werewolves that you once met." Batiste assessed, changing the topic which I was thankful for.
"Yes, they call themselves protectors," at this point Edward interrupted Carlisle with a loud snort and clenched his jaw. The Somerville's reacted with understanding having heard the pointers of the events regarding Dylan. Carlisle went on giving out brief information on the La Push pack.
"After you know now about the other Werewolves how do you guys look like once you are changed? Honestly I'm dying to know." Emmett excited voice boomed through the space of the living room.
"Emmett!" Esme immediately scolded.
"No, it's alright really. We were expecting this question." Lethia assured.
In that moment I caught the glance that Julian was throwing at Emmett and did I know that look on his face. It was the same look that Emmett always had when he decided that it was time for a friendly match with Edward or Jasper or both in the back yard.
Where did the mature and responsible looking guy go that I knew from school? Because the Julian right now look just as edger to tackle Emmett as my bulky teddy bear look forward to wrestle him to the ground.
I heard Aya groan and roll her eyes in disgust before Batiste's voice reached my ears.
"Julian likes a good competition."
"Ready to find out who is stronger?" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows in excitement, flexing his masses of muscles.
"So does Emmett." I laughed quietly.
Both of then looked at their fathers and Carlisle as well as Batiste glanced at each other then at their wives, Esme and Lethia just sighed, knowing they couldn't prevent this forever, before signalising their O.K..
"Sweet." Emmett grinned while standing up and showing Julian the way out.
"That shall be interesting." I heard Fin chuckle while Edward and Jasper made a bet at the demonstration of strength that was going to take place.
We all assembled in the backyard in a safe distance away from Emmett and Julian who were standing right in front of each other and looked ready for a match.
"Ready to lose pup?" Emmett challenged.
"In your dreams." Julian shot back.
Emmett barked out a laugh and flexed his impressive masses of muscles. Somehow he didn't look like my teddy bear of a big brother anymore but a creature I would avoid at any time of the day.
Julian took his sweater off, throwing it away from him. His torso was also full with muscles which were nicely toned but of course he couldn't keep up with Emmett though he would be a good male model for Kelvin Klein underwear.
I observed him intensely. I was curious how their change from human into wolf or Lycan, in this case, looked like, having been witness to two changes of the La Push wolfs. What was about to happen was exciting for me.
I could feel the atmosphere around me grow quiet and the curiosity of the others, sans the Lycans and Tia, roll of them in waves.
Unlike Paul or Quil Julian's frame didn't shake violently, there were no disgusting cracking sounds or body parts that bend unnaturally but his muscles flexed and contracted, growing bigger and more pronounced. It all happened really fast. I could see the veins in his chest and arms grow to the point where they almost burst.
His skin changed from the pale cream to dark silver/grey, his fingernails got thicker and sharper, his teeth grew more pointed and then his entire upper body kind of morphed in one quick, fluid movement.
His head looked similar to the one of a wolf while the rest of him reminded me more of a hairless, muscular "King Kong" with claws.
"Ready?" Emmett boomed, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.
Julian nodded and flexed his muscles. His snout twisted up in what I assumed had to be a smile. And then it began. Emmett and Julian leaped at each other, attacking one another, testing their strength, trying to wrestle the other to the ground.
Edward, Jasper, Alice, Tia and Fin were cheering while Carlisle and Batiste looked rather fascinated at the match before them. Esme and Lethia looked worried, as if they would run down there any second to stop the friendly fight. They winced every time Emmett and Julian collided with each other.
Rose watched the happening with a raised eyebrow while Aya was as bored as ever. I wondered if anything would ever get the girl to show another emotion then great boredom.
And myself....well I was never a fan of wrestling. Since I knew that that was a friendly match like the ones that Emmett, Jasper and Edward had every now and then I wasn't worried for their safety and got bored of it quickly.
I have no idea how it happened but in the middle of Emmett's and Julian's wrestling match Edward, Jasper and Fin joined the "fun". The boys were rolling around on the ground, trying to bring the other down and be the winner of this nonsense.
"Maybe we should get inside?! Seems like that would take a while." I offered to Esme and Lethia.
The both of them didn't look worried anymore. Seemed like after they made sure that none of their sons would be hurt by the other species they could finally calm down. But still watching them fight didn't really sit well with them.
"That might be best. Boys will be boys after all." Lethia said eyeing her husband who was now also eagerly cheering with Carlisle at his side who was shouting some commands at Emmett and Jasper.
I shook my head at them and went inside with Esme and Lethia. Aya followed us being bored by the boys game.
Esme, Lethia and I fell into a light conversation while Aya kept quiet all the time. After the boys fight was over the mood between the Vampires and the Lycans seemed to be better then before.
Somehow the edge was gone and the atmosphere wasn't as heavy anymore. That didn't mean that we suddenly became best friends but a good start was definitely made.
After the Somerville's said their goodbyes and left, Carlisle, Jasper and Edward were discussing the visit, analyzing what they gained on information's because of their gifts with Carlisle.
I leaned against the couch and listened to their conversation like the others when I suddenly started to feel funny. A cold sheet suddenly lay upon my face.
I could feel the blood being drained from my face. Goose bumps arose all over my body while I started to feel light headed.
I felt sick and pressure was building in my ears. Black points started to appear in front of my eyes and I could barely stand on my feet. If Edward wouldn't have drawn me in his arms the moment he noticed that I wasn't feeling well I would have been lying on the floor by then.
"I don't feel well," I barely managed to get out as I felt the cold sweat build on my forehead.
I immediately had Edward's and Carlisle's full attention.
"Love what is wrong?" Edward asked before he even had the chance to take a good look at me. As he did his face turned into a mask of horror.
"Carlisle?" He looked desperately at our dad for help.
"I think I need to sit down," the words were barely a whisper.
"I think you should take her to your room." Carlisle ordered before disappearing and Edward scoped me up bridal style.
"Everything will be fine love." My fiancé whispered in my ear. I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.
Esme, Alice and the others were already in our room. I didn't even notice them till now. The world around me was fading with every passing second.
"I'm….cold," I stammered out.
"Esme already turned the heating blanket on. You will be farm in a second." Edward assured me as he rested me on our bed tucking me in.
My eyelids becoming heavier and it was harder to stay conscious. Carlisle was at my side immediately examining me.
My face felt cool and my body light I couldn't stay conscious any longer the darkness was to powerful before I drifted over the edge I heard Carlisle say.
"It happens earlier then I expected."
"What?!" Edward's panicked voice cried out.
"She's anemic."
Edward's POV:
"She's anemic."
The words left Carlisle mouth but I barely registered it. Violent fear was ruling my body. I tried to stay strong but seeing her, this weak..... pale as if she was...…
I wasn't able to end that thought it was too much, too painful to be even thinking it. Suddenly I felt Emmett's large hand on my shoulder.
"Get a grip man! She needs you now." He spoke out loud, sharply and his massage didn't fail to hit home.
"Thank you," the words were spoken curtly but with no less meaning. I swallowed my fear down. I needed to be there for her and not dwelling in my dismay.
It wasn't time yet and I prayed it would never be.
The thoughts in Carlisle's mind were a lightning fast chaos as he was trying to make sense of a thought that had struck him. Unfortunately it was not accessible to me yet. I did understand though that it had to do with the test that Carlisle was still running on Anna regarding her condition.
"Carlisle?" I asked, my voice sounding dead even in my own ears.
"She needs a blood transfusion and then she will be better." He answered but was somewhere else entirely.
His thoughts were so fast and jumpy that I couldn't get a real hang on then. It frustrated me beyond reason.
"Carlisle!" I pushed the air out through my clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry son." He began as he looked up at me coming back from wherever he was just now.
"Rose can you please bring me a blood bag from the basement and all the supplies we will need for the transfusion." He commanded in his Doctor mode, Rose rushed out of the room.
"I will need to make some more research and a few tests but I think I understand now...." Carlisle tried to explain.
I knew I wouldn't get anything better out of him. His mind was still making a mile a minute. The most important thing I picked out of the mess that Carlisle's thoughts were right now was that he knew how to help my Anna.
That was enough for now to calm me and give him the time and space he needed.
Rose was back with the supplies within seconds.
"I'll do it." I announced and took the bags from her hands.
"Good, I will go to my study and get everything ready," Carlisle informed us being halfway somewhere else again.
"She'll wake up three hours after the transfusion is through," Alice sat down on the other side of Anna's and mine bed.
"Oh and her senses will have gotten a little bust from this." The pixie smiled gauging if Anna would already be able to tell the difference of the scents of fabrics.
"Alice?" I raised an eye brow at her.
"What it's a good place to start." She shrugged innocently.
"In the closet," an incredulous look formed on my face.
"She better start early to be able to tell silk and polyester apart." Alice stated being utterly serious.
"Do we even have cloths made of polyester?" Emmett asked wondering.
"Of cause not. Over my pile of ashes." Alice stood up and had her hands on her hip, glaring at our bulky brother.
After I set the IV I looked up at my siblings absorbed in an absurd conversation about polyester and silk.
"Thank you guys." I thanked them for keeping my mind sidetracked with this nonsense to keep me from falling into a deep black hole.
"That's what siblings are for," Jasper said and they left the room, leaving me and my love to have some privacy.
Anna's blood became non desirable for any Vampire. It still smelled good but in a way a perfume smells good. It lost the ability to make venom pool into any of our mouths.
I lay down besides her, brushing a strain of hair out of her beautiful face. I was stroking her cheek with my thumb talking to her about everything and anything.
"May I interrupt?" Carlisle asked as he entered. My only respond was a short nod.
"According to Jasper she does seem able to hear you."
"I know I also noticed the chances in her breathing and heart rate when I talk to her and touch her and when I don't." I confirmed.
"Interesting...we will need to ask her if she does remember any of this but first I would like to do an examination." He approached us with medical supplies in his hands.
"I'm not leaving." There was no room for augmentation in my statement.
"Of course," Carlisle began to examine her.
The more blood from the transfusion entered her body the more colour she regained but not to the degree she had before she fainted. I could watch how her skin was becoming a shade lighter, a little bit paler. Not recognisable to human eyes but visible for Vampires.
Though I must admit I was thankful that she fainted. She didn't suffer. The venom worked in her body but she didn't feel any pain. I had no idea why it was that way but I was immensely thankful for it.
"Why do you think she doesn't..."
"Feel pain." He ended my question. I nodded.
"It's just a thought but maybe she developed a tolerance against the venom. She does have it in her for quite a while now. And currently it does operate in her system only in a little dose, not enough to alarm her body. Like I said it's just a theory."
"Do you think she won't have to suffer during the actual change so much because of this tolerance?" I asked hopefully.
"I honestly don't know my son." He sighed sadly before leaving us alone again.
The hours passed and Anna started to wake up. Her heart rate became irregular and her breathing was becoming stronger.
"It's time to rise and shine, my love!" I murmured into her ear as a soft giggled escaped her lips as I blew my breath over her skin.
"What happened?" Anna asked her voice thick with sleep.
"You passed out. Carlisle gave you a blood transfusion and he might have found a solution for our problem." I explained while stroking her arm with my thumb.
"Really?" Anna asked surprised.
"Yes, I think he is nearly finished with analysis of your test results." Anna started to lift herself up I assisted her immediately.
As my hand touched her shoulder to support her, my other hand still on her arm, looking into those familiar, brilliant hazel pools that I loved so much, I couldn't hold back anymore.
My lips searched hers into a needing and desperate kiss. Our pillows touched and I crushed her into my chest, pulling her as close to my body as I dared.
All the fear, the sorrow, the worry fell from me as I had my Anna back in my arms and her responding to my kiss.
It was agonising not to be allowed to deepen the kiss and taste her. Our lips were sealed from each other but dancing with one another with no less enthusiasm.
Our hands explored the body of the other, touching, stroking, caressing with love, want and passion.
I slowly pushed her back into the mattress, hovering over her supporting my weight on my arms. I felt her moving under me and low, soft moans escaped her closed lips.
Our kiss became feverish, harder before we stopped moving and just enjoyed the feel of our mouth pressed onto each other. Many short light kisses followed before I lifted my head to look at my beautiful fiancée.
Both of us gasping desperately for air and struggled for our voices.
"Wow!" Anna breathed out sounding hoarse.
"I know...…but I wish I could..." I trailed off without ending that thought as my angle liked her lips.
"Thank you," the words left my mouth before my tongue shot out and traced her lips, collecting her sweet taste.
After I liked every little wet trace of her swollen lips I ran my thumb over her mouth to make sure no venom would enter her system.
I placed my forehead on her shoulder taking in her intoxicating scent with each deep breath while her one hand ran through my hair while the other petted my arm.
"How are you feeling?" My Anna asked me. I let out a laugh.
"Care to share with the class?"
"I'm sorry love. It's just you are the one who is...….and you ask me how I am feeling?"
"Well because I know that I feel fine again especially after that kiss. So yes, how are you feeling?"
I lifted my head up again the corners of my mouth twitching as I gazed into her shinning depths. I knew better by now then to argue with her.
"Now that I have you back I'm content. I missed you, my love." I smiled down at her.
"I missed you too." We were just gazing at each other for a while until my Anna seemed to remember something.
"Didn't you say Carlisle found something out? I wonder what changed. Does Alice see something new?"
"Actually ever since you fainted the future began to shift but nothing stable. At least a little hope." I smiled at her wanting to believe it.
"Everything will work out in the end. You'll see you worrywart." Anna giggled as she lifted herself up a bit and placed her lips on mine.
"How about you eat something to get some sugar into your system? Esme has made you some sandwiches." I asked against her lips.
"Hmmm….I could eat a little bit." My love smiled at me.
***
Sitting at the dinning room table we were all waiting for Carlisle to begin with the explanation of the discoveries he made regarding Anna's state.
"Anna after you fainted, an idea crossed my mind." He was directly looking at her.
"In the visions Alice had, about what would happen after you got bitten, you never survived the change. Your heart always stopped beating after nearly four hours. I couldn't understand why until I made a connection with the storage area of the venom in your body."
"You think it is stored in my heart?" My love blurted out, her eyebrows deeply drawn together.
"Yes, though I believe not only there. When you were in that coma Edward's venom seemed to have sunken into the muscles of your organs."
"Like in her heart muscle? But wouldn't it have been more logical if it went directly into her blood system?" I asked him.
It wasn't making any sense to me from the beginning. If my venom has entered her body the change must have taken place immediately or at least she must have been in pain.
"I don't really understand it either but as I made those tests I noticed that some kind of antibodies are surrounding your venom in her body. Like some kind of barrier that is keeping the venom to have the usual effect on her blood system until it located itself in her heart muscle or other organs. I have never seen or heard of anything like it."
"But why does it emit the venom into her blood now?" Jasper voiced his confusion.
"I suspect that the amount of venom reached it's critical level. It was building up until the release. And because of those antibodies, her body was able to build, her change is different. Though once bitten it will occur naturally because her body will not the able to produce enough antibodies in such a short amount of time to be able stop the venom to take it's natural curse." Carlisle mused.
"That means the reason why Anna's heart was failing to beat more then four hours is because of the amount of venom in her heart muscle? So her heart would..." Rose got the gist of it.
"Yes, the problem with our venom is that it is all consuming but it can't spread on it's own. It needs a transportation system to move it through the host's body. The heart is doing this task by pumping blood through the entire human organism."
"And without a heart beat..." Esme gasped as realization set in and her hand flew to over her mouth. Carlisle nodded sadly as he placed his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly.
"That's why a strong beating heart is so important during the change. If not for the blood circulation and the beating heart the venom wouldn't be able to spread in the victim's body."
"Wait then my heart stops beating because….."
"Even though the venom reaches the heart in an earlier stage as well as the heart is the last organ that stops it's function in a normal case, in yours, it seems to me, that the extern added venom causes the venom in your heart muscle to take action." Carlisle explained.
"It freezes my heart and the rest of my organs immediately before the rest of my body can go through with the change." My love spoke the terrible truth. I squeezed her hand that I was holding the entire time to give her and me any kind of comfort.
"Now that we know what it is what can we do?" I asked nervous, scared of the answer.
"Wait," was Carlisle's simple answer.
"Excuse me?" I was taken aback.
"We have to wait Edward. Wait until her heart muscle and the other organs have released enough venom so it will be possible for her to be turned." Alice explained the curse of action.
"Wait! That's all we can do?" Emmett asked not really convinced. Neither was I.
"Unfortunately that is all we can do there is no way to get the venom out of her heart muscle otherwise." Carlisle had to admit defeated.
"O.K. and how long will it take?" Anna asked curious.
"I don't really know yet but if I had to give a guess I would say some time after your wedding. The more time passes the clearer my visions of your survival will become," Alice beamed at us, happy that the wedding still stood.
"Oh just an important memo for the wedding night. Carlisle thinks that you can go at it. Now with her blood circulation intact there won't be a problem as long enough venom left her organs." Alice chirped.
I haven't told her that. She must have seen it. Carlisle was quickly defending himself.
"At least we are clear on the most important topic, right." Emmett snickered.
The other chuckled as well at our expense, though I had to admit I was happy to hear it.
"Really you just couldn't have used something else to break the tension?" My love shook her head at our sister, not really mad at her.
"Nope," Alice stuck her tongue out at her.